Posted on 09/21/2008 9:24:38 AM PDT by mbeeber
Scientific Scenario Of A Comet's Impact With Earth And The "Wormwood Star" Prophecy
by Marshall Beeber
An Introduction
In the First Century AD, the Apostle John wrote an apocalyptic book called "Revelation" in which he described among many "end-time" events the collision of a star called Wormwood with Earth. Revelation states:
Rev. 8:10-11: The third angel sounded his trumpet, and a great star, blazing like a torch, fell from the sky on a third of the rivers and on the springs of water-- the name of the star is Wormwood. A third of the waters turned bitter, and many people died from the waters that had become bitter.
Wormwood is a botanical herb commonly known for its bitterness. See Botanical.com. It was used a pesticide, medicinal tonic and liqueur ingredient. The term "wormwood" was often used to describe "extreme bitterness".
Let us consider the possibility of a "star" turning the waters bitter on Earth. The term "star" in classical terminology lacks the modern astronomical sense. It could have been referring to a comet, asteroid, "sun-like" star or planet. Since the possibility of a planet or sun colliding with earth is infinitesimal, we will eliminate this possibility.
A Scientific Explanation For The Wormwood Star
The Wormwood prophecy cites a "great star, blazing like a torch". Comets are well known for their blazing tails, due to ionization of their gases by the Sun. Either an asteroid or comet could manifest a blazing tail on their entry into Earth's atmosphere. With respect to a comet's impact with a planet, astronomers have recently tracked the collision of the "Shoemaker-Levy 9" comet with the planet Jupiter and were able to confirm many of their theories.
Various scientific scenarios have been theorized on the effects of an asteroid or comet's collision with Earth. An applicable scenario theorizes a chemical change in the atmosphere due to "heat shock" during entry and/or impact of a large asteroid or comet, reacting Oxygen and Nitrogen in the atmosphere to produce Nitric Acid rain. The bitterness produced by the Wormwood Star upon a third of the Earth's potable waters could be the Biblical prediction of "acid rain" from the "heat shock" of a large comet or asteroid's impact with Earth.
The Hooper Natural Science Museum in Ottawa, Canada cites a scientific theory that postulates "atmospheric chemical changes" from the impact of an asteroid or comet with the Earth. See the statement below:
When an asteroid enters earth's atmosphere there are two occurrences of extreme shock. The first occurs as the asteroid enters the atmosphere. The second, more important one, occurs when the ejecta plume (the ejected debris caused by an impact) enters the atmosphere (Zahnle, 1990). This shock causes the breakdown of the oxygen (O2) and the nitrogen (N2) molecules found in our atmosphere. Through a series of chemical reactions the dissociation of the nitrogen and oxygen forms NO which is then converted into NO2. These two molecules can produce acid rain (HNO3) (Prinn and Fegley, 1987). In 1987 Prinn and Fegley determined the atmospheric consequences of a "large" comet impact versus a "small" comet impact. They assumed the "large" impact comet had a mass of 1.25 x 1016 Kg traveling at a velocity of 65 Km/s. As for the "small" impact asteroid, they assumed it had a mass of 5 x 1014 Kg traveling at a velocity of 20 Km/s. It is important to note that these two objects are possible bolides that hit the earth 65 million years ago.
Conclusions of the Large Impact Scenario
If the comet scenario occurred, 7 x 1040 molecules of NO would have been produced and subsequently converted into acid rain. (See chemical reactions) This would have caused a global dispersal of acid rain with a pH of 0-1.5. On the continents the acid rain would have weathered the soil removing many of the insoluble elements ( for e.g. Be+2, Al+3, Hg+2, Cu+, Fe+2, Fe+3, Ti+3, Pb+2, Cd+2, Mn+2, Sr+2). These elements would end up in soil water, streams, rivers, lakes, etc., causing a problem as some of these elements are known for their toxicity towards plants and animals (e.g. Al, Be, Ti, Hg). As for the oceans, the global acid rain would lower the pH of the mixed layer (the top 75 M of the ocean) to a pH of 7.8, breaking down the calcareous shells of organisms that thrive in the mixing zone.
Conclusions of the Small Impact Scenario
If the "small" asteroid scenario were to occur, the amount of acid rain produced would be similar to the "large" comet scenario but only near the impact site. The global pH change would be rather insignificant.
Above statement is referred to Reference Link #4 (Hooper Museum Website)
Conclusion
In conclusion, the scientific scenario theorizing "acid rain" following a large comet or asteroid impact with Earth is the best explanation for the "Wormwood Star" prophecy existing today. Such information enhances the credibility of the "Wormwood Star" prophecy and New Testament writings with scientific theory.
Referring Links
Below are various links discussing asteroids and comets. I have focused particularly on the scientific scenarios of a comet or asteroid colliding with Earth, causing chemical changes in the atmosphere.
"Academy of Sciences" website article describes comets.
"Purdue Univ. Physics Dept." article on physical attributes of comets.
Hayden Planetarium website analysis of 1994 comet collision with the planet Jupiter.
Hooper Museum website article predicting "atmospheric chemical changes" with the impact of a comet.
Smithsonian/NASA article on possible "acid rain" effect of comet's collision with Earth.
"Univ. of Bristol, Bristol, UK" website article on impact geology, physics and chemistry of comets.
Acidic compounds taste “sour”. Basic compounds taste “bitter”.
Yes, whiskey sour and bitter ale.
Good thought. There may be a lack of distinction between acid and base from a first century perspective. Bitterness may also be due to other elements leached from the soil by the acid rain (see article excerpt below):
“On the continents the acid rain would have weathered the soil removing many of the insoluble elements ( for e.g. Be+2, Al+3, Hg+2, Cu+, Fe+2, Fe+3, Ti+3, Pb+2, Cd+2, Mn+2, Sr+2). These elements would end up in soil water, streams, rivers, lakes, etc., causing a problem as some of these elements are known for their toxicity towards plants and animals (e.g. Al, Be, Ti, Hg).”
Thanks for this post.
I believe a “comet” is actually referred to by Trumpets 1 and 2 in Rev, not Wormwood (#3).
If it was an asteroid - solide, dense rock, it would destroy the planet entirely. That’s not God’s plan, as it’s meant to be a chastisement. But a water-ice comet - it would wreck havoc - but much life would still remain.
In Trumpet 1, it’s pieces of the comet that rain down and hit the Earth causing damage (1/3 of land on fire). Then in Trumpet 1, the remaining big chunk if you will hits the sea, and killing 1/3 of sea life, destorying coasts, etc.
Trumpet #3 - wormwood - is something else that FOLLOWS the comet strike. It is said to be “a star” and “great burning torch”. This is neither a comet nor an asteroid. God’s word chose to use “star” to convey something. A star generates fission/fusion reaction.
So it is something creating fission/fusion that falls to earth, hits the waters, and makes them (1/3 of them) not just undrinkable, but DEADLY (”many men died from the waters”).
The only thing I can think of that meets the requirements of:
a) acts like a star (fission/fusion reaction)
b) falls down on Earth making water impotable and deadly
is nuclear weapons, or more specifically a nuclear war exchange.
We can further infer this by reading Trumpet 4, which talks about the third of the sun being darkened, and the day being as night.
What is the logical result of a nuclear exchange? Nuclear winter, for a period of time.
Interesting read
Isn’t acid sour; and alkaline bitter ? If so, wouldn’t acid rain make the waters sour, not bitter ?
Hi,
I don’t mean to be harsh with your ideas, but your exegesis of the Wormwood Star passage goes far beyond the statements made. As mentioned in my article:
“Let us consider the possibility of a “star” turning the waters bitter on Earth. The term “star” in classical terminology lacks the modern astronomical sense. It could have been referring to a comet, asteroid, “sun-like” star or planet. Since the possibility of a planet or sun colliding with earth is infinitesimal, we will eliminate this possibility.”
The possibility of the Wormwood star being a nuclear weapon is real stretch of the imagination. My article gives a reasonable explantation for the Wormwood Star using current astronomical theories.
Chernobyl (sp?) means wormwood.
Hello,
As posted in my original article “Scientific Scenario Of A Comet’s Impact And The Wormwood Star Prophecy” at http://www.messianic-literary.com/comet.htm,
“The scientific scenario theorizing acid rain following a large comet or asteroid impact with Earth is the best explanation for the “Wormwood Star” prophecy existing today. Such information enhances the credibility of the “Wormwood Star” prophecy and New Testament writings with scientific theory.
Revelation 00137 8:7 The first angel sounded, and there followed hail and fire mingled with blood, and they were cast upon the earth: and the third part of trees was burnt up, and all green grass was burnt up.
The blood is red rain of iron from the out gassing of the star.
for later
The “heat shock” and “atmosheric chemical reaction” postulated by Prinn & Fegly in 1987 is a far less speculative for explaining the Wormwood Star Prophecy than is the “brown dwarf star”. The scientific scenario I have proposed only deals with enhancing the scientific credibility of the “Wormwood Star Prophecy”.
One should assume that if the “heat shock” is so great that it would convert O2 and N2 into NO and subsequently acid rain, it would also cause a tremendous “fire storm” in the area surrounding it's impact.
I am not refuting the connection of the Wormwood Star prophecy with Rev. 8.7, but for the sake of establishing the credibility of this article, I am circumventing it.
It also doesn't serve my argument to wander into speculation of ancient Chinese prophecies that may or may not be related to the prophecy of the Apostle John.
Sorry for being so strait-laced in the way I am approaching the subject. I don't want to be faulted for straying off into discussions that may be seen as fancifull.
Gary’s a great artist and very imaginative. The creativity doesn’t fall far from the tree. We are cousins.
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My point that this star has come this way before several time it is upon the endtimes that it wreaks more havoc than it has before.
A very good book on the subject is The Return of Planet-X, it goes into the historic and the scientific side of the brown dwarf star.
Sorry, but you seem to be missing my point. Whether the Wormwood Star is the Brown Dwarf or not is irrelevant to my topic. The topic is one of “scientific relevance” rather than which star does what! I’ll let the space captains take care of that topic. Sorry for my lack of courtesy, but I am not here to discuss Planet-X with you all.
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