End-Times TV
Global warming and nuclear war are two issues worthy of examination, but ABC News' Last Days on Earth special last night didn't so much examine them as try to get us to rubberneck at their possibility. "
Throw in biological warfare and the ever-present danger of a huge asteroid smacking into us and you had the recipe for sensationalism rather than enlightenment.
Hosted by Elizabeth Vargas in funereal black, or at least funereal charcoal, I couldn't tell, the show was a series of doomsday scenarios accompanied by threatening music, stock mushroom cloud footage, and breathless warnings and descriptions of what would happen to us all, which was basically that we would all die horrible deaths, bleeding everywhere or immolated in a flash of purple-hot cosmic happenstance..
There was one scene in which the silhouettes of people were seemingly consumed by a hoard of cockroaches. That was enlightening.
Then there was an "Inconvenient Truth-Light" segment on global warming featuring Al Gore, which was the least sensational, hence the most frightening.
All in all, I applaud giving over two hours of prime time to world issues–I think it was two hours, but I missed the first part and at least one of the cataclysmic scenarios.
But this smacked of alarmist TV for the purpose of drawing eyeballs. Given the current state of the world, getting hit by an asteroid should not be high on anybody's priority list of worries. Plus, it has been so done. In fact, is there anyone who doesn't know of the threat of nuclear war, and the ginned-up nonthreat of an asteroid hit.
Nuclear war and global warming, yes. But I am not sure the "Bogie man" theory of presenting it breathlessly as the Last Days on Earth, and teasing it at the breaks with invitations to see how horribly you will die in the next scenario is news, even in a looser sense of the word than I am used to using.
It said "ABC News" on the icon in the corner of the screen, but I did not see many ABC newsfolk actually reporting on the issues.There was lots of stock footage of bombs, though, and graphics of asteriod hits. At least they didn't include clips from 1950's sci-fi flicks with death rays and giant creatures with tails capable of leveling cardboard cities with a single swing.
Come to think of it, I would have liked to see that.
Actually, what I would have rather seen is a rerun of The Day After. That was the strictly entertainment show, though in a guarded use of that term, ABC aired more than two decades ago showing the aftermath of a nuclear strike on the U.S.
Following that, there was a straight news take on it, with Ted Koppel hosting a discussion on the actual likelihood of the scenario, including with Henry Kissinger.
Personally, I prefer the separation. Entertainment treatment as discussion-starter, news treatment for the discussion.
Last night's special blended the two uncomfortably. But hey, maybe it's just me.
By John Eggerton
ecdistributions commented:
If you are promoting the left wing agenda to propagandize people about global warming you are assisting a socialistic takeover of American freedom.
THERE IS NO SCIENTIFIC EVIDENCE THAT MAN IS CAUSING GLOBAL WARMING. LATELY THE EARTH IS GROWING COOLER NOT WARMER. It is all random guessing AIMED AT GOVERNMENT CONTROL FOR DEMOCRATS.. If you hate George w Bush I can promise you that you are currently unhappy within your own life and things are not going well for you. You will never admit this to others but it is the truth. Why? It is Gods will that America free Iraq and this news is an actual Bible prophecy. You are fighting against God by apposing the IRAQ war and George Bush and this is Bible prophecy. 9/11 and the Iraq war are prophecy and it is dangerous for you to appose such. Here is why you must give it up before it is too late.
King Nebuchadnezzar had more than one dream. The worlds most re-nownd theologians have missed an extremely important clue about these dreams. "Dan 2:1." Daniel plainly reveals the fact that this kings deepest concerns were not intended for his present day kingdom, but, his true concern was to preserve his kingdom into the far future. "Thy thoughts came into thy mind upon thy bed, what should come to pass hereafter: and he (God) maketh known to the king what should come to pass in the latter days. "Dan. 2:28-29."
What a huge mistake! Christians have long overlooked vital clues and have ignored important instructions as they tried to interpret Daniels prophecies within his time period alone. No wonder so many christians are confused about the book of Daniel. Nebuchadnezzar is very much like many politicians today and he was mainly concerned about his future legacy more than current kingdom's status. God answered this kings concerns with prophetic dreams which could only be understood after the prophecies for our day came came to pass. This is why God sealed the entire book of Daniel until the time of the end. "Go thy way, Daniel: for the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end"."Dan 12:9."
This explains why Daniel repeatedly emphasized the fact that no one could possibly understand the entire meaning of these words except he Daniel himself. Certain prophecies would have to occur in our time in order for the book of Daniel to make sense within its true context. Until these latterday prophecies came to pass no person could possibly understand their true meaning. This means christians today must unlearn what they have supposedly understood about the book until many things are clarified. The frosting is not to be placed on the cake until something extremely important happens to people of this generation living today. Daniel again makes it abundantly clear that Gods message was not given for anyone who was living in that time, but for the sake of those living in the latter days."Dan 2:30"
Daniel makes another shocking statement by suggesting that his entire mission into Babylon was to deliver a message intended for the people of our day.
"Now I am come to make thee understand what shall befall thy people in the latter days."Dan 10:14.
" King Nebuchadnezzar's entire life was a type of puppet show which only became benificial when it connected important parallel events intended for our day.
Everything Nebuchadnezzar did in regards to Daniel or Babylon which included his huge golden statue were clues about the world we live in today. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abindego were also types and shadows of understanding for specific parallell events occuring today.
The firery furnace was to become a latter day event! God delivering his people by speaking to Moses from the burning bush also has a paralell in Babylon. Israel being delivered from Egyptian bondage becomes a type for Babylon.
God establishes two clues about his deliverance using the term "bush, and also eagle's wings".
"Yee have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bare you on eagle's wings, and brought you to myself. "Exodus 19:4."
The burning bush and eagle's wings became a prophetic symbolism for delivering branches of Israrel to salvation and freedom. Such indicates living branches which burn, but are not consumed being delivered from fire.
Is this not like unto "baptism by fire" burning away the sins from Israelite branches (Gods people)? Israelites were carried to freedom upon eagle's wings (Gods power) gathered into one place in order to witness God's fire within a bush, another type for the the tree of life representing Christ..
Another clue is apparent when Nebuchadnezzar imitated Moses by gathering all of the gentile nations to worship Babylon's god also located at one designated place. Nebuchadnezzar orders three Hebrews to be cast into the firey furnace after they refused his command to "fall down and worship his golden image." They were defying his political authority which was like refusing god himself. Three Israelite branches were then cast into this furnace. Suddenly, he who dwelt in the bush who is "like unto the son of God" appears inside of the same flames. Mans fire is changed into God's fire in the burning Bush.
This powerful event demonstrated to each gentile present in Babylon that God's only son represents the root and branch of Israel while Shadrach, Meshach, and Abindego were the Israelite branches gathered to the burning bush into healing wings of deliverance.
These branches were not consumed because the son of God representative dwelt in the burning bush had healing in his wings.. This same God came to Babylon inside Iraq demonstrating Gods future plans to gather gentiles to the same burning bush as before. God symbolizes Nebuchadnezzar as a "Lion having eagle's wings."Dan 7:3" Nebuchadnezzar was trying to gather a zion type by the use of political wings which imitating Gods wings.
Nebuchadnezzar's political wings were plucked off when God removed Nebuchadnezzar from his kingdom for a seven year period. "Dan.7: 3."
When Nebuchadnezzar later repented of his pride he then had a dream where he witnessed true eagle's feathers growing from within his old root hairs. Mediphorically he was being transformed from a cruel lion nature to that of an eagle nature representing Gods freedom and redemption upon eagle's wings.."Dan 4:33." Remember, this Babylonian king was only a prophetic puppet for our day. The gentile christians living in our day were delivered to America another symbol of eagle's wings today.
A modern Bush is currently delivering Iraq upon these American eagle's wings obviously doing Gods will by delivering Nebuchadnezzars ancient land from another evil captivity. When Nebuchadnezzar repented, God commands that Nebuchadnezzar's gentile family tree must be cut down to a stump which symbolizing his humbled family tree be left in the earth."Dan 4:23." God then commands that these roots be kept alive and watered for a future purpose in Iraq."Dan 4.26"
God then commands