Return of the Neanderthals

So I have been absent from my spiritual blog for some time due to the fact that I was preparing for my comprehensive examination as well as contemplating the future of this blog in a world that is becoming increasingly intolerant of criticism. In fact, I have plans to at the start of the Passover season around the end of March to take a forty day break from social media (namely Facebook, Twitter and Blogger) in order to deepen and enrich my spiritual life as well as learn how to cope without social media. After all, one day, such freedom can be taken away from me. Nevertheless, for this post in particular, I want to discuss and comment on the National Geographic feature on the Return of the Neanderthals (Hughes, 2013) and possibly other extinct beings, putting it in a Judeo-Christian perspective.

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2013/03/130306-neanderthal-genome-extinction-cloning-hominid-science/

Return of the Neanderthals

news.nationalgeographic.com

Scientists could someday resurrect Neanderthals—or at least their cells—to help modern humans. Would it be ethical?

The very sound of the title: "Return of the Neanderthals", seems like a title that would make a nice Hollywood story: like a modern retake on "Frankenstein" and/or even "The Planet of Apes". I find that we have this theme running in science fictions where human beings create an artificial being that is much stronger than themself who ends up tormenting humanity and becoming an oppressor, with the human creator (or creators) losing control over such beings. This idea is also expressed in Jewish mythology through the idea of the Golem, which in my opinion shows that all our (scientific) thoughts and developments are driven to some extent by our mythologies (more to come on this later).

Of course, the seriousness of the matter is overlooked. Our [mad] scientists who actually try to summon these extinct beings from the dead through cloning, need to be guided by our science fictions that warn us that one day we will create something that will almost devastate us. As they say, the road to hell is paved by good intentions. Hence it is much frightening when we consider the science fiction scenario of how we as human beings create or summon beings into our dimension that will totally devastate, oppress us and lead us to our ruin. Yet, in reality, this is actually being done and has been done in the past. Our pagan religions have sought to communicate to and establish connections with other beings not of our world that have lead to demonic possession and domination by fallen angels. But even if you do not believe in fallen angels and demons, if you just consider our science fictions and what they tell about the dangers of our inventions, it does point out that if man's destiny is in his own hand, then what a frightful and fearful future is on the horizon for us as humanity.


Essentially, human nature cannot be trusted. I have no trust in human nature. Men conspire, scheme, institute tyranny and oppress others. Such nature has not yet changed. And as long as human beings are the same as they were for millenia, then someone will use science and technology for evil. Already, we see that the US military is contemplating creating (Weinberger, 2013) and attempted to create (Heussner, 2009)  supersoldiers. However, even if humans do not intend to use their inventions for evil, as our science fiction themes point out, there can be unintended consequences of even creating artificial beings, especially humanoids.

But, since I subscribe to Judeo-Christian eschatology, I know that the future is not as scary as how science fiction predicts that it will be, at least not for everyone. The Bible already tells us how the world will end, thereby telling us that our fate is not in our own hands. However, this latest development could in fact create what we call the return of the Nephilim from Genesis 6:4. This is already an idea that is explored in Harding (2010), who suggests that what the ancients called the Nephilim may actually be the Neanderthals so-called by today's scientists. In addition, Jesus himself did say that the end of the world will be like the time of Noah (Matthew 24:37; Luke 17:26), lending credence to the fact that the Nephilim could actually return. Hence, it is very possible that our scientists in an attempt to bring extinct humanoids back to life, may create and resurrect the Nephilim of the 21st century.

Currently, we have demons, which according to some scholars are the disembodied souls of the Nephilim that continue to roam the earth and look for human bodies to possess and inhabit (Klein & Spears, 2005).  As such, I do not see it as farfetched that human scientists are creating the conditions for the return of these demonic entities in physical form that will permit them to regain physical bodies to oppress us as they once did before the flood. In fact, the imagery in the book of Revelations does show one such possibility. In one chapter of Revelations, the Bible speaks of an image being created, who will kill all that do not worship it (Revelation 13:15). When we consider that there is to be a seed of the serpent (Genesis 3:15), it is clear that Satanic forces are driving our science to create a body in which Satan can find an incarnation, just like how Jesus was an incarnation of God (an idea I know that many currently do not accept). Biblically, it makes sense.


References:

Harding, Fred. (2010, March). Nephilim skeletons found. ISEE Magazine. Retrieved from http://www.teklinepublishing.co.uk/art-nephilim.htm

Heussner, K. M. (2009, November 9). Psychic spies: Any truth in 'Men who stare at goats?' ABC News Retrieved from http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/psychic-spies-truth-men-stare-goats/story?id=9032019


Hughes, V. (2013, March 6). Return of the Neanderthals: Should scientists seek to clone our ancient hominid cousins? National Geographic News Retrieved from http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2013/03/130306-neanderthal-genome-extinction-cloning-hominid-science/


Klein, J, & Spears, A. (2005). Devils and demons and the return of the Nephilim. [S.l.] : Xulon Press, c2005.



Weinberger, S. (2013, January 21). Iron Man to Batman: The future of soldier suits. BBC Retrieved from: http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20130121-batman-meets-iron-man-in-combat/1

End times part 1

I have to recommend this book by Walter Scott dealing with prophetic events. And in the next few paragraphs, I will tell you why.



The author, who first published his interpretations on prophecy in 1877 and 1881, makes prophetic predictions that seem on target. While there might be some theological inaccuracies, I am excited that the author has gotten some things right. 

Firstly, the author clearly distinguishes between Israel and the Church . He states that

"prophetic Scriptures will never be understood correctly unless the distinction between Israel, which is Messiah's kingdom, and the Church, which is Christ's body, is borne in mind. Israel is the subject generally of the Old Testament, which reveals historically (the past) and prophetically (the future) the earthly government of God, of which Israel is the center. On the other hand, the Church, which began its history at Pentecost, and is composed of believers from among Jews and Gentiles formed into one body and united to Christ...is only spoken of in the New Testament, and not the subject of [Old Testament] prophecy at all..."
(p.23-24).

Many denominations dealing with prophetic events currently do not have this orientation, including Seventh-day Adventists (speaking from experience here), who subscribe to is what is called replacement-theology or the theology of supersessionism (I must say I need to do more research for a more valid source on this). Unlike those Christians who hold supersessionist views, I share the following sentiments as stated by Scott:

Israel...is destined to be head of the nations and to occupy the highest places on earth, where the divine presence and glory rests...God's time counsels are with respect to Israel...Israel [is] set geographically, in relation to mankind, in the center of the world...., blest and a blessing to the earth...."(p.24)

Secondly, with this foundation, the author accurately predicts that formation of Israel and Jews returning to settle there. The author, well before modern Israel was formed in the 1940s, stated:

"God foretells a national return of Judah...for Gentile-political purposes only, and which will be effected by the aid of a certain commercial and maritime people..." (p.76)

 The Jews will be restored to their own land through the friendly offices of a maritime power - one which has not hitherto, actively at least, meddled in Jewish affairs. Restored...., they will build their ruin temple and city, offer sacrifices, and observe their feasts and sabbaths as before." (p.73-74)

So far, not all of this prophecy is fulfilled, as the temple is not yet rebuilt. In fact, currently, Orthodox Jewry has outlawed any such activity (Dolphin, n.d.; Sharon, 2012).  However, the great signaler of the end of times is the rebuilding of the temple and its subsequent desecration and destruction (Read Matthew 24:1-31). Efforts are currently underway by Jewish groups to achieve just that, investing in the creation of temple instruments such as a fully working golden menorah that is ready for use in Temple worship (Sharon, 2012).


At the same time, Scott (2011) does not believe that the temple will be built before the Anti-Christ appears. He states in order for the temple to be built, the Jews will rely on a treaty with the head of the revived Roman empire, to guarantee their religious liberties, which will also see the anti-Christ being accepted as king by the mass of the Jewish nation and ruling in Palestine. For Scott,

"The antichrist to come is neither a system nor principle, but a person. A Gentile he could not be, as that would invalidate his claim to be received as the Messiah in Judea." (p.83)

According to Scott, the Antichrist will also possess the power to work miracles. However, Scott contends that there will also be another powerful world ruler in alliance with the Antichrist, a Gentile who will permit the Antichrist to be his lieutenant and exercise power on his behalf. In the end, the Antichrist will lead humanity to worship the Gentile ruler as God.



I find this revelation from Scott to be quite insightful in pulling together how the end times will actually play out. I actually have a clearer understanding of the sequencing of the prophetic events and what will lead to what from reading those excerpts. 


While I have not included them here, Scott also cites the scripture references that support his statements. However, since I am writing this, when I actually should be asleep, I will share more of the work that I agree with, in another entry (or entries) on this blog.


Shalom.


References:



Dolphin, L. (n.d.). Moving towards a third Jewish temple. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.templemount.org/tempprep.html. [Last Accessed July 14, 2012]. 


Scott, W., (2011). Future events and coming glories. Addison, IL: Bible Truth Publishers.


Sharon, J. (2012, May 17). Who may go up to the mountain of God? Jerusalem Post [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.jpost.com/Features/FrontLines/Article.aspx?id=270467. [Last Accessed July 14, 2012].

Who is the Antichrist? A Revisionist perspective?

On August 22, 2009, I was in discussion with a Jamaican who did her Masters and spent some years living in Israel about the subject of Anti-Christ. She was of the opinion that Christian eschatology was erroneous, because of its development before the existence of Israel as a modern state and before the rise of modern Islam as a worldwide religion. Consequently, at the time Christians developed their perspectives on the end times, there was only one religion that seemed to fit the description of the beast or Antichrist, and this was Roman Catholicism.

My friend argued that Christianity today need to revise their view of the end times and eschatology to include these new developments and realities. For my friend, the Antichrist could very well be Islam. I await for her to send me a book that will provide further evidence.

The Time of the Gentiles