DOOMSDAY TIDBITS

Countries in Danger

Researchers at the University of Southhampton in Britain, have identified those countries that “most likely to be worst hit by the catastrophic damage caused by asteroids.” The top 10 include China, Indonesia, India, Japan, the US, the Philippines, Italy, the UK, Brazil and Nigeria.

NASA reports that there are 47,000 “potentially hazardous” asteroids – 330-feet wide or larger – near the earth.

NASA’s asteroid hunting operation is known as NEOWISE.

“The NEOWISE analysis shows us we’ve made a good start at finding those objects that truly represent an impact hazard to Earth,” said Lindley Johnson, program executive for the Near-Earth Object Observation Program at NASA Headquarters in Washington.

“But we’ve many more to find, and it will take a concerted effort during the next couple of decades to find all of them that could do serious damage or be a mission destination in the future,” Johnson said.

Prepper Expo

A Doomsday prepper in the Ozarks hosted for the third time a two-day “Get Prepared Expo” that attracted a capacity crowd. The expo featured everything from cheap flashlights to a $300,000-plus “expedition vehicle” that runs primarily on solar power. There was also a “bug-out trailer,” that has a bed, stereo system, microwave and, of course, a gun rack.

While not everyone at the expo was interested in prepping, business was good. One fellow was selling storm shelters that people were repurposing.

"Panic rooms, safe rooms, as emergency storage rooms,” the seller explained. “In fact, we use ours as a vault at home."

How about a tomb?

10 Books to Read Before Armageddon

A website about “thoughts on Theology” recommends 10 books to read before, you know, the End of Days. And, the list doesn’t begin with Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. Oh, no, this list is ponderous by comparison. Here’s the list:

1. Archer, Gleason L., ed. Three Views on the Rapture: Pre-, Mid-, or Post Tribulation. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1996. 

2. Blomberg, Craig L., and Sung Wook Chung, eds. A Case for Historic Premillennialism: An Alternative to “Left Behind” Eschatology. Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2009.  [See A. J. Gibson’s review in Themelios.]

3. Bock, Darrell L., ed. Three Views on the Millennium and Beyond. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1999.

4. Clouse, Robert G., ed. The Meaning of the Millennium: Four Views. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1977.

5. Hays, J. Daniel, J. Scott Duvall, and C. Marvin Pate. Dictionary of Biblical Prophecy and End Times. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2007.

6. Mounce, Robert H. The Book of Revelation. Revised edition. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1998. (Wait a gosh darn minute. What do they mean “revised” edition?)

7. Osborne, Grant R. Revelation. BECNT. Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2002.

8. Walker, Peter W. L., ed. Jerusalem Past and Present in the Purposes of God. Grand Rapids: Baker, 1992. [2nd ed., 1994]

9. Walls, Jerry L., ed. The Oxford Handbook of Eschatology. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2008.

10. Witherington, Ben. Jesus, Paul, and the End of the World: A Comparative Study in New Testament Eschatology. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1992.

I hate to be snarky – okay, not really – but isn’t it odd that even in the face of the End of Days, someone, somewhere has a book or ebook to selling on the subject?