NASA
Astronomers have made an Earth-shattering discovery�a peculiar comet that will fulfill dire Bible prophecies about the end of the world. The colossal comet, dubbed D/2004L1, was first spotted on June 30 by a deep space probe exploring the outer region of the solar system known as the Oort Cloud. This area of space is frequently referred to as the " Nursery" for comets, a zone filled with scattered particles of dust, ice and rock. These bits of matter sometimes congeal into larger masses, and comets. From Earth, they appear to be surrounded by a cloudy tail of dust and are observed circling the Sun in long, narrow tracks that occasionally cross our own orbit. Sometimes, these crossings come uncomfortably close, like the near-miss of comet 2004FH this last March. That object came ten times closer than the Moon and could have slammed into us with enough force to eliminate New York City and Washington D.C. in one fell swoop�and experts never saw it coming until the last minute. The new comet's core is 50 times larger that of 2004FH, surrounded by a cloudy envelope many miles in diameter. According to the latest observations, it's expected to pass even closer, possibly hitting us head on with in the next three years with a force equivalent to 10,000 Hydrogen bombs. The danger of planetary destruction ins not most remarkable thing about D/2004L1 . More notable is how well the comet's threat lines up with Bible prophecy. "The structure of D/2004L1 is so unusual as to be unique," Says astrophysicist Jacob Elmont, Ph.D. "It's fairly standard for a comet to be enveloped in a cloud of dust and ice particles. But according to spectroscopic analysis, this object is surrounded by four distinct layers of material, like four large rings or shells surrounding the core. " Were it to strike the Earth, each of these shell would wash over us in turn, separated by as much as two or three weeks. "It would be more like entering a cloud or hailstorm than an actual collision at first." These successive events would have a planetary effect that closely follows the warnings of the prophetic books of Daniel and Revelation, chapter eight, according to experts at the Crucible Institute, and end times prophecy think tank working in conjunction with Elmont and other astronomers. Daniel 2:34�you watched while a stone was cut out without hands, which struck the image on its feet of iron and clay, and broke them in pieces. "In the book of Daniel, we are told of a prophetic dream in which a stone, cut without human hands, destorys an image that represents the greatest of human kingdoms," says Reverend Ted Jungenmann, a Crucible Institute science analyst based in Texas. " In other words, it foresees that a large chuck of natural rock comes out of the heavens to destroy our flawed human civilization." The asteroid warning is echoed in the eighth chapter of the Book of Revelation, describing the destruction of the natural world in four distinct stages. This follows the description of the four horsemen of the Apocalypse, who are released from heaven onto the Earth in chapter six. " In each case, it's possible to draw a correspondence between the Four Horseman, the sounding of the first four trumpets of Revelation 8, and the stages of a collision with D/2004L1," says Jungenmann. " In fact, they line up with a precision I can only describe as eerie." STAGE 1: The White Horseman of Conquest. According to spectroscopic analysis, the diffuse, outer most layer of D/2004L1 consists of a brilliant white layer of gypsum and calcium carbonate particles. Most of these are the size of grains of sand, but are numerous enough that upon entering the atmosphere, they would melt and fuse into larger lumps of flaming. Molten rock. Their combined mass would be enough to incinerate one third of the Earth's surface area. Revelation 8:7�The first angel sounded: And hail and fire followed, mingled with blood, and they were thrown to the Earth. And a third of the trees were burned up, and all the green grass was burned up. STAGE II: The Red Horseman of War. The second layer surrounding D/2004L1 is of heavy oxidated iron fragments. These massive, red shards of rusted metal will hurtle through the atmosphere like thousands of swords or a fleet of guided missiles. Upon impact. The oxidation would likely leach into the ground-water and the oceans, turning them blood red. Revelation 8:8-9�Then the second angel sounded: and something like a great mountain burning with fire was thrown into the sea, and a third of the living creatures in the sea died, and a third of the ships were destroyed. STAGE III: The Black Horseman of Famine. The third layer of matter surrounding D/2004L1 is a dark, swirling dust cloud filled with numerous chemical compounds. " One of the primary compounds of this layer appears to be arsenic, as well as copper and various flammable magnesium traces," says Elmont. " Once this comes in contact with the upper atmosphere, it would light up like a million flares and release dozens of powerful toxins." The cloud of poisons would devastste our food supply, and render most fresh water undrinkable. Revelation 8:10-11----Then the third angel sounded: And a great star fell from heaven, burning like a torch, and it fell on a third of the rivers and on the springs of water. The name of the star is wormwood. A third of the waters became wormwood, and many men died from the water, because it was made bitter. STAGE IV: The Pale Horseman of Death: The final layer surrounding D/2004L1 is a dense. Opaque mist of vaporized mercury and lead droplets. This would reach the Earth approximately three days after the poisonous dust cloud, plunging the world into a lethal darkness. Revelation 8:12----Then the fourth angel sounded: And a third of the Sun was struck, a third of the Moon, and a third of the stars, so that a third of the day did not shine, and likewise the night. Three days following that cloud, the icy core of D/2004L1 will cross Earths's orbit. If it collides directly with us, it would create a literal " Lake of fire," rendering the planet uninhabitable and killing every living thing. " From our initial data, taking into account the speed of light and the apparent velocity at which the object is moving, it is possible to determine an approximate date of arrival," says Elmont. "D/2004L1 should pass the orbit of Uranus by December, and enter the inner solar system in May, 2005. " By then, observation will become difficult because of the huge quantity of dust and cloud surrounding the object. " That means the time to forge a plan of action is now, not later. " Because by January , 2006. We will know whether or not our best efforts�and our best-guided prayers-are successful in saving the planet.