A 21st century interpretation of the book of Revelation

A 21st century, secular interpretation of the book of Revelation

“Now, even though the realms of religion and science in themselves are clearly marked off from each other, nevertheless there exist between the two strong reciprocal relationships and dependencies. Though religion may be that which determines the goal, it has, nevertheless, learned from science, in the broadest sense, what means will contribute to the attainment of the goals it has set up. But science can only be created by those who are thoroughly imbued with the aspiration toward truth and understanding. This source of feeling, however, springs from the sphere of religion. To this there also belongs the faith in the possibility that the regulations valid for the world of existence are rational, that is, comprehensible to reason. I cannot conceive of a genuine scientist without that profound faith. The situation may be expressed by an image: science without religion is lame, religion without science is blind.”
- Albert Einstein, November 9, 1930

The vast majority of people who find this page will not read it. For the same reasons most people identify with either the rationalist/scientist group or the religious/faith group they will see content on this page that appears to substantiate the views of the other group. People naturally divide into these two groups primarily because of upbringing and their personality type (relative neocortical efficiencies).

Additionally, not only do members of each group seldom if ever study the writings of the other each groups, views are often built on faulty assumptions. Consider the connotative and denotative meanings of "apocalypse" for instance. The most helpful revelations are those about yourself.

revelation: Yahoo! Reference: American Heritage® Dictionary
1a. The act of revealing or disclosing. b. Something revealed, especially a dramatic disclosure of something not previously known or realized.
2. Theology A manifestation of divine will or truth.

apocalypse: Encyclopedia - Yahoo! Reference
(pŏk´lĭps) [Gr.,=uncovering], genre represented in early Jewish and in Christian literature in which the secrets of the heavenly world or of the world to come are revealed by angelic mediation within a narrative framework. The genre seems to have arisen in Palestine in the 3d cent. , perhaps as a protest against an oppressive and dominant establishment, either Gentile or apostate Jewish. The writing is characterized by otherworldly journeys, visions, animal imagery derived from the common fund of ancient Middle Eastern mythological imagery, and number symbolism.
See C. Rowland, The Open Heaven (1982); E. Weber, Apocalypses (1999).

Apocalypse: From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
An apocalypse, in the terminology of early Jewish and Christian literature, is a revelation of hidden things given by God to a chosen prophet; this term is more often used to describe the written account of such a revelation.

The word is derived from the Greek ἀπōκάλυψις, apokalupsis meaning revelation (literally, 'a lifting of the veil', or disclosure). It seems to have originated among Greek-speaking Jews, and then passed from them to the Christians, who developed it still further.

Many truths of our existence are entangled in paradox. I for example, came to an understanding of what God is by abandoning the belief in God and seeking the truth of all things for myself. I consider myself quite fortunate to have been raised as a Roman Catholic. There are very few religions as irrational, divorced from truth and easy to reject as Catholicism.

In brief I was born an INTP, the scientific method comes naturally to me, like Einstein I do not confine my research to conventional views, in addition to science and computing I also study humanistic fields, I eventually came to understand what drives me and all people to do what we do, I extrapolated trends to discover what God is, I then cast my view into the very distant past to comprehend our origins.

This page contains numerous explanations and examples of where science, science fiction and biblical content overlap. Science fiction stories are often allegories of biblical writings. I've included graphic images near biblical and scientific citations to illustrate what I believe they refer to, e.g. "the bottomless bit" of Revelation from which a large number of metal clad vehicles emerge, the "traversable Lorentzian wormholes" discussed in the 2004 "Teleportation Physics Study" from the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory and science fiction examples of traversable wormholes from Stargate SG1, Farscape, Star Trek Enterprise and ST-DS9.

Much of the content on this page was originally posted on and for the readers of the Yahoo! Bible Prophecies Club (converted to Groups), messages 1859-1866 on 8/27/2001 1:54 pm. It's nice to see the mainstream media is finally catching up as of June 23rd's (2002) Time Magazine's cover story and also The History Channels two hour program, "Countdown to Armageddon".

Apocalypse Now
The biggest book of the summer is about the end of the world. It's also a sign of our troubled times
By NANCY GIBBS, Time Magazine, Posted Sunday, June 23, 2002; 2:31 a.m. EST
"The word apocalypse," he observes, "comes from a Greek word that literally means 'lifting of the veil.' In an apocalyptic age, people feel that the veil of normal, secular reality is lifting, and we can see behind the scenes, see where God and the devil, good and evil are fighting to control the future." To the extent that more people in the U.S. and around the world believe history is accelerating, that ancient prophecies are being fulfilled in real time, "it changes the way people feel about their circumstances, and the way they act.

"I would go for years without anyone asking about the End Times," says Thomas Tewell, senior minister of the Fifth Avenue Presbyterian Church in midtown Manhattan—hardly a hothouse of apocalyptic fervor. "But since Sept. 11, hard-core, crusty, cynical New York lawyers and stockbrokers who are not moved by anything are saying, 'Is the world going to end?', 'Are all the events of the Bible coming true?' They want to get right with God. I've never seen anything like it in my 30 years in ministry."

History Sunday: Countdown to Armageddon
A&E TV - The History Channel
"The End is Near" is a cry that has echoed throughout human history. Every religion has stories of the end of the world, and believers in every era have prophesied that the time was at hand. So far, these predictions have come to naught, but a rash of unusual events and the rise of fundamental faiths have led to a new golden era of doomsayers.

COUNTDOWN TO ARMAGEDDON goes inside the movement embodied by the "Left Behind" to see why some believe that the earth is not far from the end times. Hear why they view events such as the rise of AIDS, global warming and volcanic eruptions as harbingers of a coming catastrophe. Balancing their predictions are interviews with scientists who examine the phenomenon in a different light and scholars who chronicle the long, rich history of end of the world movements.

Methodology

I’m going to propose what I think is a rather novel and perhaps disturbing interpretation of the book of Revelation. I do not write this with the intention of upsetting anyone but instead I do it in the tradition of all good teachers (including Jesus) who inspire and compel their students to think for themselves.

Has anyone noticed that many stories or lessons in the bible are written in the form of parables? Jesus taught people lessons in the form of parables. (See Mark and Matthew) I contend the principal goal of telling parables is to compel people to use their intuition. Does anyone know that intuition is an entire fourth of your brain (neocortex)? See: http://www.benziger.org/4function.html. Here are her conclusions;

The Physiology of Jung’s Four Functions & Their Organization
By Katherine Benziger, Ph.D., © March 1998; September 1999
From the above overview we have learned that:

Jung’s four Functions are rooted in four distinct areas of the cortex. Thinking is housed in the Left Frontal Lobe. Intuition is housed in the Right Frontal Lobe. Sensation is housed in the Left Posterior Convexity. Feeling is housed in the Right Posterior Convexity.

Jung’s assertion that each of us has one Natural Lead Function is the result of a neuro-chemical - physiological fact that each person has one area which is 100 times more efficient than their remaining three areas.

Jung’s assertion that each person has two natural auxiliaries can be understood to be the natural result of the brain’s structure. Factually speaking, neuronal bridges hardwire a person’s Natural Lead to their auxiliaries, making communication between their lead and auxiliaries easy, even though each actual auxiliary is relatively speaking highly inefficient.

Jung’s assertion that once a person’s Natural Lead Function has been identified, one can confidently calculate the person’s greatest Natural Weakness, is the result of the simply fact that there are no diagonal bridges in the human brain.

The difference between the Feeling Function and Emotions can be understood more clearly. The Feeling Function is a cortical capacity to recognize the presence or absence of harmony – between colors, tones, or human beings. By contrast, emotions are a limbic capacity to experience delight, anger, fear, grief.

Jung’s belief that Falsification of Type was real possibility is understood to be the natural result of anyone developing and using any of their three inefficient, non-preferred Functions more than their highly efficient Natural Lead Function. What’s more, Jung’s assertion that Falsification of Type can be a serious threat to a person’s physical and mental / emotional health has been validated by the work of Dr. Katherine Benziger and Dr. Arlene Taylor, resulting recently in the profound recognition that Falsification of Type leads dependably to a serious results as defined by PASS.

Thus, quite simply, the elements of Jung’s Typology related to the existence and relative organization of four specialized functions or ways of "thinking" is explained.”

mind
NOUN: 1. The human consciousness that originates in the brain and is manifested especially in thought, perception, emotion, will, memory, and imagination.
2. The collective conscious and unconscious processes in a sentient organism that direct and influence mental and physical behavior.
3. The principle of intelligence; the spirit of consciousness regarded as an aspect of reality.

spirit
NOUN: 1a. The vital principle or animating force within living beings.
b. Incorporeal consciousness.
2. The soul, considered as departing from the body of a person at death.
5a. The part of a human associated with the mind, will, and feelings: Though unable to join us today, they are with us in spirit.
b. The essential nature of a person or group.

soul
NOUN: 1. The animating and vital principle in humans, credited with the faculties of thought, action, and emotion and often conceived as an immaterial entity.
2. The spiritual nature of humans, regarded as immortal, separable from the body at death, and susceptible to happiness or misery in a future state.

I’m going to refer to the cognitive (brain) functions as Carl Jung described them. I think this is appropriate as we all use the same brain only we are born with preferences for its use. There are four functions and two attitudes for each determined by introversion (inward) and extroversion (outward). When individuals disproportionately develop two of the eight it becomes possible to identify 16 distinct personality types. One way to think about it is to observe that most of us have two hands but we don’t use our hands for the same things. We have the same brain functions that all modern humans have had for at least tens of thousands of years. What differentiates us most from our ancestors is that our environmental influences are different and language usage changes. Please see the following pages for additional information on the four functions often referred to as preferences.

(S)ensing = Perceives concrete sensory data i.e. Touch (includes taste and smell), sight and hearing. Sensing can compare current sensory data to past sensory data. This function in its introverted attitude temporally looks into the past.
(F)eeling = Subjective reasoning. This judging function is often used in ethics, music appreciation, relationships, etc.
I(N)tuition = Perceives holistically and the metaphysical. Intuition is often referred to as creativity, insight, extrasensory perception; telepathy, clairvoyance, precognition, etc. The concept of heaven and an afterlife exist in this quadrant of the brain. This function in it's extroverted attitude temporally is future oriented.
(T)hinking = Objective reasoning. This judging function is used in mathematics, language semantics, the sciences, really anything that doesn’t have to do with people. You can think if it as “abstract” reasoning.

Intuition is a perceiving function like sensing but does not perceive the same things. Sensing is specific and concrete and intuition is holistic and boundless. In Buddhism, koans are used to exercise the same function. The idea is to stop reasoning the way you do on a daily basis (T & F) and perceive beyond the limitations of your senses (S) in order to see things as they truly are. In other words think “outside the box”. Unfortunately U.S. society does not understand or encourage people to use this part of their brain. Just the opposite, people who prefer it are the ones most identified with ADD and are subsequently drugged to suppress its use. See Earth and www.borntoexplore.org

It’s also important to point out that each quadrant of the brain (neocortex) has a different structure used in the formation or interpretation of language. Broca’s area is in the front left, Wernicke’s is in the back left, and the other two are poorly researched but are mirror images of the first two. This is important when communicating with others because the words someone uses or how they say it doesn’t necessarily convey what they meant. It’s important to maintain a distinction between the words people use and the concepts they are “trying” to convey. (10/23/2002) Here is a comment from an e-mail I received from someone who has read some of my website;

"The book of Revelation was written almost two thousand years ago. People ever since have interpreted the events described in the book as applying to them. I mean millions and millions of people have thought this. In particular, the people that lived at the time of its writing clearly interpreted the events described would happen within their lifetime."
- thebrewmeisterphelps

Yes, this is part of the beauty and brilliance of the way it is written. It is understood largely subjectively and as such is open to countless interpretations. Like good art, people will project themselves into the work. Those who wish/expect to see pain and suffering will find it, those who look for deliverance and escape will find it. This style of writing works because it enables the reader to not necessarily identify external truths but instead internal (self) truths. I attempt to employ the same strategy on my website. If I have sufficient evidence to make my argument I prefer not to explain it in my own words. This forces the reader to use their own brain more, mostly intuition (Ne), consider different interpretations, and draw their own conclusions (Fe). In this way they also learn a lot more about their own previously held assumptions and why they held them. Hopefully they will gain insight into themselves and other people that relates to, but operates independently of (Ni) the content of just that page. Here is a recent (2003-2004) scientific explanation of this strategy;

"The involvement of the RH [Right Hemisphere] rather than the LH for this verbal task is not due to greater difficulty in producing insight solutions: subjects produced insight solutions at least as quickly (mean solution time = 10.25 s, s.d. = 3.58 s) as they produced noninsight solutions (mean = 11.28 s, s.d. = 4.13 s) (t < 1.0, p > 0.3). More importantly, the hemodynamic responses to both insight and noninsight solutions in the homologous area of the LH are about equivalent to the response to noninsight solutions in the RH aSTG—it is the strong response to insight solutions in the RH aSTG that stands out. There is no insight effect anywhere within temporal cortex of the LH."
- Mark Jung-Beeman, Edward M. Bowden, Jason Haberman, Jennifer L. Frymiare, Stella Arambel-Liu, Richard Greenblatt, Paul J. Reber, John Kounios, Published April 13, 2004, Neural Activity When People Solve Verbal Problems with Insight

Temporal Bias

It seems clear that the events in Revelation have not yet transpired (8/27/2001). If they had we probably wouldn’t be talking about it except from an historical perspective. If they haven’t happened yet and if true, then they will happen in “our” future. I don’t think people disagree with this. However, with that accepted then you have to think four dimensionally in order to understand the story. (The fourth dimension is time.) You will also need to include a current “modern” understanding of our universe and not one that is two thousand years old. Here are very brief descriptions of the two perceiving functions in each attitude. Note the identification of temporal direction. When you consider this in addition to the Benziger conclusions I previously cited you will understand what I mean by people having a 'Temporal Bias'.

Markku Jantunen's Definition of the 8 Functions
Ne is perceiving abstract patterns and connections in response to stimuli (either in the external world or in the mind. ) Ne generates new information starting from something existing. Ne focuses on future possibilities.

Ni is the creation of mental imagery independent of outer stimuli. Ni generates abstract structural images of a given problem domain that a person can view from different points of view at will. Ni focuses on the structure of things from a timeless point of view.

Se is indiscriminant awareness of the physical environment. Se prefers to indulge in that which exists in the present moment.

Si is awareness of concrete forms and categories of sensory perception. Si interprets stimuli in terms of the past. Si stores and recalls facts, figures and past situations.

With these assumptions we can say that if this story “will” happen it will happen sometime after today. But this story was allegedly written about 2000 years ago. Does that seem like a long time? I don’t think it is if you consider that according to anthropological evidence, modern human beings have been on earth for more than 1 million years. 2000 years is no more than .2% of the history of modern man so I think that would easily equate to, “things which must shortly come to pass”. Remember that Einstein showed mathematically (objectively) that time is relative, and animals with different metabolic rates perceive time differently (subjective).

special relativity: Yahoo! Reference: American Heritage® Dictionary
NOUN: The physical theory of space and time developed by Albert Einstein, based on the postulates that all the laws of physics are equally valid in all frames of reference moving at a uniform velocity and that the speed of light from a uniformly moving source is always the same, regardless of how fast or slow the source or its observer is moving. The theory has as consequences the relativistic mass increase of rapidly moving objects, the Lorentz-Fitzgerald contraction, time dilatation, and the principle of mass-energy equivalence.

2 Peter 3:7-9 :: King James Version (KJV)
7 But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.
8 But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.
9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

Revelation is filled with temporal references not the least of which is that it is referred to as a prophecy. The first line, “to shew unto his servants (that’s us) things which must shortly come to pass”. But on the next line it says this story is of, “all things that he saw”, still referring to John. So from our perspective in time we could say that these events “will” occur but that John already “saw” them. How is that possible? Let's propose that a form of inter-dimensional (time) travel was used. That is, John was plucked out of 40 AD (or whenever exactly) and brought to his/our future in order to witness and record the events that occurred as he watched them. He was then to write what he saw so the rest of us would know what to look out for. Verse 1:008 is another temporal declaration, “I am” & “which is” (present tense), “which was” (past tense), and “which is to come” (future tense). If you search Time Travel on the internet you can find several serious and informative sites that investigate this fascinating and theoretically valid scientific concept. (see also: Open Directory - Science: Physics: Relativity: Time Travel) Here are some links;

NOVA Online | Time Travel
Welcome to the companion Web site to the NOVA program "Time Travel," scheduled for rebroadcast on September 4, 2001. In the program, leading physicists delve into the mystery of whether time travel is possible, and if so, how one might go about building a time machine. Here's what you'll find online:

Sagan on Time Travel
Listen to the late astronomer and Pulitzer Prize-winning author's insightful and delightfully droll views on everything from wormholes ("very Alice in Wonderland") to the nature of time ("one of those concepts that is profoundly resistant to a simple definition"). (text and RealAudio)

Traveling Through Time
In this excerpt from his 1998 book Time: A Traveler's Guide, Clifford Pickover, an IBM researcher and science writer, declares that "time travel is possible." Find out why he is so sure.

Think Like Einstein (Hot Science)
Albert Einstein showed that space is curved, time is relative, and time travel is theoretically possible. Here, do a simple thought experiment and learn to think like the century's greatest scientist.

Timespeak
What you would call a time machine physicists term a "closed timelike curve." Steep yourself on the concepts and conjectures, the dialects and definitions that physicists rely on when musing about the possibility of time travel.

Parable, Bible - Examples

You [Arthur C. Clarke] don't believe in organized religion, yet a major theme in so many of your works seems to be a quest for God.
Yes, in a way--a quest for ultimate values, whatever they are. My objection to organized religion is the premature conclusion to ultimate truth that it represents...
- [Arthur C. Clarke, in _Playboy_ interview with Ken Kelly, 1986, from Arthur C. Clarke: The Authorized Biography by Neil McAleer, Contemporary Books, 1992]

As scientist extraordinaire and author of an empire of science-fiction books, Arthur C. Clarke is one of the farthest-seeing visionaries of our time. His pithy quotations tug harder than those of most futurists on our collective psyches for their insights into humanity and our unique place in the cosmos. And none do so more than his famous Third Law: "Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic."

This observation stimulated me to think about the impact the discovery of an extraterrestrial intelligence (ETI) would have on science and religion. To that end, I would like to immodestly propose Shermer's Last Law (I don't believe in naming laws after oneself, so as the good book says, the last shall be first and the first shall be last): "Any sufficiently advanced ETI is indistinguishable from God."
...
In Clarke's 1953 novel, called Childhood's End, humanity reaches something like a singularity and must then make the transition to a higher state of consciousness. One character early in the story opines that "science can destroy religion by ignoring it as well as by disproving its tenets. No one ever demonstrated, so far as I am aware, the nonexistence of Zeus or Thor, but they have few followers now."

Although science has not even remotely destroyed religion, Shermer's Last Law predicts that the relation between the two will be profoundly affected by contact with an ETI. To find out how, we must follow Clarke's Second Law: "The only way of discovering the limits of the possible is to venture a little way past them into the impossible." Ad astra!
- By Michael Shermer, Shermer's Last Law, January 2002

When looking at things from John’s perspective keep in mind the quote from Arthur C. Clark, “Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.” Also notice that words such as “like” are used throughout. Since “like” is overused in American English you might want to substitute “resembles”. In other words John is struggling to describe what he sees using the concepts and vocabulary he was limited to for a man of his time.

Again I argue that an analysis of Revelation as a form of parable or allegory is appropriate as it is a very common technique used throughout the bible. It is completely inappropriate to read such a text without using intuition. If it was plainly stated people wouldn’t be discussing or debating it these past 2000 years. (It also would have taken all the fun out of it.)

al·le·go·ry n. pl. al·le·go·ries
1.a. The representation of abstract ideas or principles by characters, figures, or events in narrative, dramatic, or pictorial form.

Yahoo! Reference: Columbia Encyclopedia
parable
parable, the term translates the Hebrew word "mashal" –a term denoting a metaphor, or an enigmatic saying or an analogy. In the Greco-Roman rhetorical tradition, however, "parables" were illustrative narrative examples. Jewish teachers of the 1st cent. made use of comparisons in narrative form to clarify scripture. As used in the Gospels, the "parable" not only denotes metaphors, analogies, and enigmatic statements, but also short illustrative narratives. In Jesus' parables, the speaker compares an observable, natural, or human phenomenon to the Kingdom (i.e. the rule) of God. Some of these challenge and mystify or even attack the hearer. Other parables are allegories. The major themes of the parables of Jesus include the contrast between the old and new age now dawning in the ministry of Jesus; the necessity of radical decisions; the gradual but sure growth of the Kingdom of God on earth; God's way of relating to people; and God's invitation for people to enter his Kingdom.

Example of the use of parables in the Bible: (Search: parables)

I contend Jesus preferred teaching lessons in the form of parables because he understood it to be the most beneficial for the recipient of the message. That is, in order to comprehend the multifaceted ideas Jesus addressed, the listener had to exercise their own problem solving abilities. As an independent critical thinker himself, Jesus knew that to help empower individuals and make them less dependent on corrupt authority they had to learn to question and problem solve on their own. This agenda can be seen in the proverb that one can give a man a fish and he eats for a day but if you teach him to fish he will eat for the rest of his life. If a wise man (teacher/master/prophet) simply tells a man the answer to a question the man may become dependent on the teacher for the answers to other questions. However if the master teaches the man how to problem solve on his own he will be free from such dependencies. The independent man need not rely on either the master nor institutional (including religious) authority. (N.B. A 'master' is only a master of oneself.)

Mark 4 :: King James Version (KJV)
10 And when he was alone, they that were about him with the twelve asked of him the parable.
11 And he said unto them, Unto you it is given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God: but unto them that are without, all these things are done in parables:
12 That seeing they may see, and not perceive; and hearing they may hear, and not understand; lest at any time they should be converted, and their sins should be forgiven them.
13 And he said unto them, Know ye not this parable? and how then will ye know all parables?
Mark 7 :: King James Version (KJV)
17 And when he was entered into the house from the people, his disciples asked him concerning the parable.
18 And he saith unto them, Are ye so without understanding also? Do ye not perceive, that whatsoever thing from without entereth into the man, it cannot defile him;
19 Because it entereth not into his heart, but into the belly, and goeth out into the draught, purging all meats?
20 And he said, That which cometh out of the man, that defileth the man.
21 For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders,
22 Thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness:
23 All these evil things come from within, and defile the man.

Matthew 13 :: King James Version (KJV)
34 All these things spake Jesus unto the multitude in parables; and without a parable spake he not unto them:
35 That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying, I will open my mouth in parables; I will utter things which have been kept secret from the foundation of the world.
36 Then Jesus sent the multitude away, and went into the house: and his disciples came unto him, saying, Declare unto us the parable of the tares of the field.
37 He answered and said unto them, He that soweth the good seed is the Son of man;
38 The field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one;
39 The enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels.

“When they lose their sense of awe,
people turn to religion.
When they no longer trust themselves,
they begin to depend upon authority.

Therefore the Master steps back
so that people won’t be confused.
He teaches without a teaching,
so that people will have nothing to learn.”
- Lao-tzu , Tao-te ching “The Book of the Way and Its Power”
A New English Version by Stephen Mitchell

Technological Singularity - Anthropological Singularity - Judgment Day

Technological singularity
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
In futurism, a technological singularity is a predicted point in the development of a civilization at which technological progress accelerates beyond the ability of present-day humans to fully comprehend or predict. This prognosis is based on statistical data showing the exponential acceleration of various trends in human civilisation. The idea of technological singularity has been first discussed in the 1950s, and vastly popularised in the 1980s by Vernor Vinge. The proposed date for a singularity occurence can differ from several years from now to centuries later, with the third decade of the 21st century being the most commonly given by futurists. However, whether a singularity will actually ever occur is uncertain, and as with any prediction, some argue that it may never happen at all. There are also intrinsic difficulties associated with imagining what form the singularity will take.

Since the term technological singularity refers both to the advance of technology and its impact on the human society, it can be also understood as a sociological or anthropological singularity.

Koyaanisqatsi (from the Hopi language), n.
1. crazy life. 2. life in turmoil. 3. life out of balance. 4. life disintegrating. 5. a state of life that calls for another way of living

Daniel 12 (King James Version)
¹And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book.
²And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.
³And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever.
⁴But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased.
⁵Then I Daniel looked, and, behold, there stood other two, the one on this side of the bank of the river, and the other on that side of the bank of the river.
⁶And one said to the man clothed in linen, which was upon the waters of the river, How long shall it be to the end of these wonders?
⁷And I heard the man clothed in linen, which was upon the waters of the river, when he held up his right hand and his left hand unto heaven, and sware by him that liveth for ever that it shall be for a time, times, and an half; and when he shall have accomplished to scatter the power of the holy people, all these things shall be finished.
⁸And I heard, but I understood not: then said I, O my Lord, what shall be the end of these things?
⁹And he said, Go thy way, Daniel: for the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end.
¹⁰Many shall be purified, and made white, and tried; but the wicked shall do wickedly: and none of the wicked shall understand; but the wise shall understand.

Na-qoy-qatsi: (nah koy' kahtsee) N. From the Hopi Language. 1. A life of killing each other 2. War as a way of life. 3. (Interpreted) Civilized violence.

Leaked Pentagon report warns climate change may bring famine, war: report
Sun Feb 22, 2004
LONDON (AFP) - A secret report prepared by the Pentagon warns that climate change may lead to global catastrophe costing millions of lives and is a far greater threat than terrorism.

The report was ordered by an influential US Pentagon advisor but was covered up by "US defense chiefs" for four months, until it was "obtained" by the British weekly The Observer.

The leak promises to draw angry attention to US environmental and military policies, following Washington's rejection of the Kyoto Protocol on climate change and President George W. Bush's skepticism about global warning -- a stance that has stunned scientists worldwide.

The Pentagon report, commissioned by Andrew Marshall, predicts that "abrupt climate change could bring the planet to the edge of anarchy as countries develop a nuclear threat to defend and secure dwindling food, water and energy supplies," The Observer reported.

The report, quoted in the paper, concluded: "Disruption and conflict will be endemic features of life.... Once again, warfare would define human life."

Matthew 24 (KJV)
3 And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?
7 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.
8 All these are the beginning of sorrows.
10 And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another.
12 And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.

Unleashing the Killer App
1.7 THE LAW OF DISRUPTION, OR SECOND-ORDER EFFECTS
This is not the world of the future but the one we already live in... It's already begun, and it will make feudalism look mild by comparison. We refer to these second-order effects, the combination of Moore's Law and Metcalfe's Law, as the Law of Disruption. (See Figure 1.4) It can be simply stated as follows: Social, political, and economic systems change incrementally, but technology changes exponentially.

The systems that make up human civilization, including commercial systems, change over time, but they do so on an incremental basis. Law, for example, evolves to encompass the unique features of new technologies, but it does so at an agonizingly slow pace, as anyone who has studied railroad, banking, or telecommunications law can attest. Technology change instead follows the track of Metcalfe's curve. Once there is a critical mass of users, the rate of change-what you might think of as the disruption index-accelerates exponentially. It is in the growing chasm between the different rates of change that secondary effects occur.

Technology change initially affects technology, in other words, but once critical mass is reached, the disruption takes place in other, unrelated systems.

Prophecy Rock, Hopi Prophecy
On Prophecy Rock near Oraibi, a pictograph depicts the emergence of the present world (Fourth World) progressing into the future.

The Great Spirit is represented by the large human figure on the left. The bow in his hand represents the instructions he left the Hopi to lay down their weapons.

The present world is separated into two paths. The lower path is followed by the One-Hearted people, and leads into a Paradise on Earth. The upper path is that of the Two-Hearted people and leads to self-destruction. It is the path of technology without spirituality. Three world-shaking events (believed to be World Wars I and II, and a third event to come) are depicted by the two circles and half-circle. The last circle is an event known as the "mystery egg" or Day of Purification, the severity of which will depend on how many spiritual people are working toward peace when it occurs. The one-hearted people will try to lead the two-hearted people (shown as the headless people) back to the eternal path (lower path). If the two-hearted people persist in living in ignorance, it will lead to chaos and self-destruction (jagged path).

… This time is known as the Day of Purification, when it is said that common people the world over will become disillusioned with the world leaders, and band together to fight for world peace.

Qi and the Mind:
“Yi has been popularly translated “Mind.” However, another Chinese word, Xin, is also translated “Mind.” You must understand and distinguish between them in order to be able to grasp the meaning of the ancient poems and songs translated in Appendix A.

In China, the heart is considered the most vital organ. The direct translation of Xin is “heart.” When Chinese say Zhuan-Xin, literally “single heart,” they mean “single-minded, with one mind.” It is often translated as “concentrated mind.” Xin commonly means “intention, idea, or thought,” referring to an idea which is not yet expressed, which lacks the full intention necessary to express it. When this idea is shown or expressed in some way, it is called Yi, and has the meaning of “purpose, intention, or desire.” The reader should understand that a person must have Xin first and then Yi, because Xin is the source of Yi. If you want to do something, that is called Xin. When you want it and fully intend to do it, or actually do it, this is called Yi. Sometimes the words are put together: Xin-Yi. This can be translated “mind” or “intention,” and also refers to the intention to do something specific.”
- Dr. Yang, Jwing-Ming, “Tai Chi Theory & Martial Power”, Pp. 30-31.

Drake Equation
"What do we need to know about to discover life in space?"
Carl Sagan
He believed that the Drake Equation suggested that a large number of extraterrestrial civilizations would form, but that the lack of evidence of such civilizations suggests that technological civilizations tend to destroy themselves rather quickly. This stimulated his interest in identifying ways that humanity could destroy itself, with the hope of avoiding such destruction and eventually becoming a space-faring species.

THE ELECTRONIC JOURNAL OF THE ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY OF THE ATLANTIC
Volume 1, Number 4 - November 1989
On the pessimistic side, one could argue that beings with technology akin to ours would destroy themselves before they could make contact with another planet. Our global tensions have escalated to the point where many people think that we will utilize the nuclear weapons that we have at our disposal and therefore destroy the very civilization many are trying to preserve. Because we may not be the only beings with the potential for self-destruction, the pessimists favor the value for L = 100.

Doomsday Clock set closer to Armageddon
Wednesday, 27 February, 2002, 19:06 GMT
The Doomsday Clock - a barometer of nuclear danger for the past 55 years - has been moved two minutes closer to the midnight hour symbolising nuclear conflict.

The directors of the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists - a magazine that has campaigned for nuclear disarmament since 1947 - pushed the hands forward by two minutes, to seven minutes to midnight.

Millions join anti-war protests in Europe
Mar. 14, 2003. 04:29 PM
"If the U.S. is so intent on disarmament, it should start at home," said Banu Dokmecibasi, a spokesman for the environmental group Greenpeace. "It is the United States that possesses the world's most sophisticated weaponry and it is the United States that holds the world's largest arsenal of weapons of mass destruction."

U.S. Diplomat's Letter of Resignation
February 27, 2003
…The policies we are now asked to advance are incompatible not only with American values but also with American interests. Our fervent pursuit of war with Iraq is driving us to squander the international legitimacy that has been America’s most potent weapon of both offense and defense since the days of Woodrow Wilson. We have begun to dismantle the largest and most effective web of international relationships the world has ever known. Our current course will bring instability and danger, not security.

…Why does our President condone the swaggering and contemptuous approach to our friends and allies this Administration is fostering, including among its most senior officials. Has “oderint dum metuant” really become our motto?

oderint dum metuant: Let them hate so long as they fear. (A favorite saying of Caligula.)

U.S., Russia Delay Nuclear Weapons Treaty
Ratification of U.S.-Russia Nuclear Weapons Treaty Put Off Because of Iraq
MOSCOW March 18, 2003
"We consider ratification very important, but now this step is not justified," said Sergei Shishkaryov, the deputy chairman of the Duma's international affairs committee. He added that "in essence, we are standing on the threshold of World War III."

The great Way is easy,
yet people prefer the side paths.
Be aware when things are out of balance.
Stay centered within the Tao.

When rich speculators prosper
While farmers lose their land;
when government officials spend money
on weapons instead of cures;
when the upper class is extravagant and irresponsible
while the poor have nowhere to turn-
all this is robbery and chaos.
It is not in keeping with the Tao.
- Lao-tzu , Tao-te ching “The Book of the Way and Its Power”

Parables (allegorical stories) in Science Fiction - Examples

If you think that the use of Biblical allegory in science fiction is rare or unusual think again, it's rather extensive. Personally I'm curious to what extent the references are deliberate and how much may be unconscious. Of course many of the writers of these stories have grown up watching or reading earlier examples of science fiction as well as fictional biblical reenactments. To illustrate, here are three science fiction programs I contend are similar to some of the content of Revelation. The programs are Enterprise, Stargate SG-1 and Farscape. Note Farscape and Stargate SG-1 both feature and utilize wormholes to traverse space-time. While not yet mentioned in Enterprise other Star Trek programs such as Star Trek DS-9 are built around the concept. For many more examples please see my Blending page.

Enterprise, Shockwave, Production 026, 5/22/2002
“In the alien building, [Jonathan] Archer finds himself at the edge of the bombed-out floor before a devastating vista, a once beautiful city transformed into a post-apocalyptic nightmare, burnt-out shells of skyscrapers spread out as far as the eye can see. Daniels is there, this time in his native clothing. Rattled like he's never been, Daniels says that he was just having breakfast there half an hour ago, then was instructed to bring Archer to his time — the 31st century…”

Matthew
21:15 When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:)
Revelation
1:1 The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John:
1:2 Who bare record of the word of God, and of the testimony of Jesus Christ, and of all things that he saw.
21:4 And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.
21:8 But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.

Asimov's Guide to the Bible: The Old and New Testaments/Two Volumes in One
by Isaac Asimov, p. 1190
Since “apocalypse” means “unveiling” or “revelation” (of matters that is, which would otherwise remain forever hidden because they cannot be penetrated by the unaided reason of man) this final book can be called either “The Apocalypse” or “The Revelation.” It is called the latter in the King James Version.

The author of Revelation names himself and makes no attempt to place the authorship upon some ancient sage (as is generally done in apocalyptic writing):

Revelation 1:1 The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John…

Revelation 1 (KJV)
2 Who bare record of the word of God, and of the testimony of Jesus Christ, and of all things that he saw.
3 Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand.
9 I John, who also am your brother, and companion in tribulation, and in the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was in the isle that is called Patmos, for the word of God, and for the testimony of Jesus Christ.

Farscape
opening statement for season four
My name is John Crichton...an astronaut. Three years ago I got shot through a wormhole. I'm in a distant part of the universe aboard this living ship of escaped prisoners...my friends. I've made enemies...powerful... dangerous. Now all I want is to find a way home...to warn earth. Look upward and share the wonders I've seen.

Revelation 5
1 And I saw in the right hand of him that sat on the throne a book written within and on the backside, sealed with seven seals.

MGM: Stargate SG-1
What is the Stargate?
The Stargate is a round portal that can instantaneously transport an object from one point in space to another by generating an artificial wormhole. A wormhole is created between any two Stargates when one Stargate dials the address of another Stargate. A Stargate uses 6 of 38 symbols, representing star constellations, to locate another Stargate and then uses a final 7th symbol, unique to each Stargate, as its point of origin.

Revelation 6
12 And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal, and, lo, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood;
13 And the stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig tree casteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind.
14 And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places.

Stargate SG-1: episode 5:05 RED SKY
Synopsis : SG-1 are welcomed on K'Tau by the planet's religious leader who takes the reddening sky concurrent with their arrival as a sign from their Gods. In reality it is a solar reaction caused by SG-1's wormhole that spells death for the planet.

Who made the Stargate?
No one knows. It was originally believed that the Goa'uld had constructed the Stargate network. Daniel Jackson theorizes that a race of aliens impersonating the Norse gods constructed the Stargates. The true origins of the Stargate are still unknown.

Revelation 1 (KJV)
17 And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead. And he laid his right hand upon me, saying unto me, Fear not; I am the first and the last:
18 I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.
19 Write the things which thou hast seen, and the things which are, and the things which shall be hereafter;

Teleportation Physics Study
August 2004, Special Report
AIR FORCE RESEARCH LABORATORY
AIR FORCE MATERIEL COMMAND
EDWARDS AIR FORCE BASE CA 93524-7048
2.1 Engineering the Spacetime Metric
A comprehensive literature search for vm-Teleportation within the genre of spacetime metric
engineering yielded no results. No one in the general relativity community has thought to apply the
Einstein field equation to determine whether there are solutions compatible with the concept of
teleportation. Therefore, I will offer two solutions that I believe will satisfy the definition of vm-
Teleportation. The first solution can be found from the class of traversable wormholes giving rise to what
I call a true “stargate.” A stargate is essentially a wormhole with a flat-face shape for the throat as
opposed to the spherical-shaped throat of the Morris and Thorne (1988) traversable wormhole, which was
derived from a spherically symmetric Lorentzian spacetime metric that prescribes the wormhole geometry
(see also, Visser, 1995 for a complete review of traversable Lorentzian wormholes):

MGM: Stargate SG-1: Interact

Space-Time /n./ 1915

a system of one temporal and three spatial coordinates by which any physical object or event can be located — called also space-time continuum

the whole or a portion of physical reality determinable by a usually four-dimensional coordinate system; also : the properties characteristic of such an order

Wormhole /n./ 1593

a hole or passage burrowed by a worm

a hypothetical structure of space-time envisioned as a long thin tunnel connecting points that are separated in space and time

Revelation 9
1 And the fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star fall from heaven unto the earth: and to him was given the key of the bottomless pit.
2 And he opened the bottomless pit; and there arose a smoke out of the pit, as the smoke of a great furnace; and the sun and the air were darkened by reason of the smoke of the pit.
3 And there came out of the smoke locusts upon the earth: and unto them was given power, as the scorpions of the earth have power.
4 And it was commanded them that they should not hurt the grass of the earth, neither any green thing, neither any tree; but only those men which have not the seal of God in their foreheads.
7 And the shapes of the locusts were like unto horses prepared unto battle; and on their heads were as it were crowns like gold, and their faces were as the faces of men.
9 And they had breastplates, as it were breastplates of iron; and the sound of their wings was as the sound of chariots of many horses running to battle.

God = x (unknown variable). In this instance x = "a son of man"

"It may be that our role on this planet is not to worship God, but to create him."
- Arthur C. Clarke

"How much do we humans enjoy our current status as the most intelligent beings on earth? Enough to try to stop our own inventions from surpassing us in smarts? If so, we'd better pull the plug right now, because if Ray Kurzweil is right we've only got until about 2020 before computers outpace the human brain in computational power. Kurzweil, artificial intelligence expert and author of The Age of Intelligent Machines, shows that technological evolution moves at an exponential pace. ...This means that we'd better figure out how to deal with conscious machines as soon as possible--they'll soon not only be able to beat us at chess, but also likely demand civil rights, and might at last realize the very human dream of immortality."
- Amazon.com review of The Age of Spiritual Machines: When Computers Exceed Human Intelligence by Ray Kurzweil

Revelation

²⁰The mystery of the seven stars which thou sawest in my right hand, and the seven golden candlesticks. The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches: and the seven candlesticks which thou sawest are the seven churches.

This last one from Revelation is a knock upside the reader’s head that says, “Hey look, I’m speaking in the form of a parable or allegory. Other things I just wrote might also have hidden meanings!”

Additionally, from our current perspective of things that are conceivably possible, but would be completely alien to a man from 2000 years ago, I propose that the Alpha and Omega individual is in fact an artificial intelligence (AI). In the bible and other places he is described in ways that present him/she/it as having a human like form which could be referred to as an android. But I think the one is 'much' more sophisticated then what we generally mean by android. I think of this being as an intellect without animal impulses. On a few occasions I have only glimpsed what 'the one' is capable of. I will site several verses to support this contention.

So you think androids and artificial intelligence are only fiction and could never be realized? If so I suggest you read up on the progress we on this planet have made toward this goal. I myself have begun creating a functional cognitive matrix of consciousness that could theoretically be used to model an AI. In addition I contend most of the significant technologies used in computing hardware and software are actually analogous structures of the inner workings of our own minds. Please see this page where I show that all four cognitive functions in each attitude, the four cognitive language structures and the Reticular Activating System (RAS) are already manifest in the Intel Pentium processor. The image at the right is of Honda's humanoid robot showing how far we have progressed in making a machine in our image. I also elaborate on this topic much later on this page.

Here is what I believe to be a painting of 'God' (the son of man) created sometime between 2000-8000 years ago in what is now Utah. Note the many features of the central figure with John's description of the, "one like unto the Son of Man". The eyes "as flame of fire", the garment, the two edged sword from the mouth and even the seven 'angels' around him. For best affect look at the picture after each verse.

¹⁰I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet,

¹¹Saying, I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last: and, What thou seest, write in a book, and send it unto the seven churches which are in Asia; unto Ephesus, and unto Smyrna, and unto Pergamos, and unto Thyatira, and unto Sardis, and unto Philadelphia, and unto Laodicea.

¹²And I turned to see the voice that spake with me. And being turned, I saw seven golden candlesticks;

¹³And in the midst of the seven candlesticks one like unto the Son of man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about the paps with a golden girdle.

¹⁴His head and his hairs were white like wool, as white as snow; and his eyes were as a flame of fire;

¹⁵And his feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace; and his voice as the sound of many waters.

¹⁶And he had in his right hand seven stars: and out of his mouth went a sharp twoedged sword: and his countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength.

¹⁷And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead. And he laid his right hand upon me, saying unto me, Fear not; I am the first and the last:

¹⁸I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.

¹⁹Write the things which thou hast seen, and the things which are, and the things which shall be hereafter;

²⁰The mystery of the seven stars which thou sawest in my right hand, and the seven golden candlesticks. The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches: and the seven candlesticks which thou sawest are the seven churches.

Not surprisingly the figure is referred to as the "Holy Ghost". This is not just a random image I tried to find that would match John's description of 'the one'. It is an historically exceptional piece of artwork and has features that would not be found in artwork elsewhere for thousands of years.

THE BARRIER CANYON ROCK ART STYLE
David Sucec, BCS PROJECT
The Holy Ghost composition has the appearance of visual depth. At a distance, it is easy to see the composition, framed by a shallow arch, as a group of dark figures standing, or hovering, around (behind, in front, and to the sides) a tall light figure (Holy Ghost) which is, literally and figuratively, "head and shoulders" above them. In addition, the head of the Holy Ghost is represented in a three-quarter view—the only three-dimensional representation of an anthropomorphic head in Utah and, probably, the United States.

We are accustomed to seeing convincing representations of visual space in the paintings of today but this interest (on the part of the artist) in recreating a three-dimensional space on a flat surface really only extends, scholars think, to the classical Greeks (ca. 300 b.c.e.) and, certainly, the European Renaissance (ca. c.e. 1400). The Holy Ghost Group was probably painted before 2,000 b.c.e., perhaps well before.

What could account for this early, clearly intentional, representation of the space of the "real world"—in a world of prehistoric rock art, which was, for tens of thousands of years, dominated by a flat-looking, frontal or profile, two-dimensional image and format or visual space?

Consider the coincidence of a higher being and seven 'angels' with the identification of seven beneficent immortals in Zoroastrianism.

Ahura Mazda and the Beneficent Immortals.
"Zoroaster's teachings, as noted above, centred on Ahura Mazda, who is the highest god and alone is worthy of worship. He is, according to the Gathas, the creator of heaven and earth; i.e., of the material and the spiritual world. He is the source of the alternation of light and darkness, the sovereign lawgiver, and the very centre of nature, as well as the originator of the moral order and judge of the entire world.... He is surrounded by six or seven beings, or entities, which the later Avesta calls amesha spentas, "beneficent immortals."

Apocalypse: From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Disclosure through a dream or vision
The disclosure of hidden wisdom is made through a vision or a dream. Because of the peculiar nature of the subject-matter, this is evidently the most natural literary form. Moreover, the manner of the revelation, and the experience of the one who receives it, are generally made more or less prominent. Usually, though not always, the account is given in the first person. There is something portentous in the circumstances, corresponding to the importance of the secrets about to be disclosed. The element of the mysterious, often so prominent in the vision itself, is foreshadowed in the preliminary events. Some of the persistent features of the "apocalyptic tradition" are connected with the circumstances of the vision and the personal experience of the seer.

Here is my verse by verse interpretation of the book of Revelation Chapter 1.

¹³And in the midst of the seven candlesticks one like unto the Son of man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about the paps with a golden girdle.

Ok the individual is “like unto the son of man”. I propose that would support the outward physical description of an android. John didn’t say “He was a young man”. John didn’t even say it was a “he” but instead, “one like unto the Son of man” which could imply it was created by man. Apparently the android has clothing so it was dressed like a person. This would not be unexpected for an android.

¹⁴His head and his hairs were white like wool, as white as snow; and his eyes were as a flame of fire;

Ok his hairs were “like” wool and were white as snow. Not quite words I would choose to flatter someone on their hairstyle. Eyes “were as” a flame of fire. What would mechanical photo-electric eyes look like to John? Did John grow up watching Ultraman? Did he even know what a light bulb looked like? No, so he said the eyes were “as” a flame. He didn’t say they “were” flames did he?

¹⁵And his feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace; and his voice as the sound of many waters.

His feet were like brass which is a metal, but the handiwork was smooth “fine” like they were cast and not hammered by a blacksmith. An android’s parts would more likely be cast and metal work in John’s day would have been forged. His voice “as” the sound of many waters. That could easily be a description of a synthetic voice meant to sound pleasing and not gruff as a human male’s voice often is.

¹⁶And he had in his right hand seven stars: and out of his mouth went a sharp twoedged sword: and his countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength.

I don’t know why someone would make an android with a tongue. But I suppose that there might be a good reason and since the feet are already covered with metal it's possible this "two-edged sword" also is. As for his “countenance” a.k.a. “face” it sounds to me like he is describing how well it reflects the sunlight. This would also suggest the face is made of metal.

¹⁷And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead. And he laid his right hand upon me, saying unto me, Fear not; I am the first and the last:

I think a face to face confrontation of a thing as startling as an android would have made any man or woman from 2000 years ago collapse in fear. (A child probably wouldn’t though.) The fact that John only has to face one android and not several of them should have been meant to reassure him.

¹⁸I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.

Ok an android is different than a robot in that the cognitive processes are typically modeled after a human. If a structure were to be built at that same level of technological sophistication it should be possible to also record a human’s engramatic pathways and record them in the androids “brain”. Therefore, from the viewpoint of an individual’s consciousness and not their body you could support a statement like, “I am he that liveth, and was dead, and, behold, I am alive for evermore. That is, a human was alive, he died, and his neural pathways were copied to an android “brain” so that his consciousness would live “evermore”. I believe I know what hell is but I’ll discuss it later (it has to do with quantum physics).

¹⁹Write the things which thou hast seen, and the things which are, and the things which shall be hereafter;

Yet again with the temporal references. Does anyone have a simpler explanation for such statements? I’ve never read any other interpretations of Revelation but I would imagine most of them try to relate back to other stories in the bible.

^4:1 After this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up hither, and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter.

Doesn’t this sound like a description of a door opening into a spaceship? It sounds a lot like an “alien” abduction scenario. Another temporal reference, “I will shew thee things which must be hereafter”. So the android is picking John up from 40 AD and telling him he needs to see the things that will occur after 40 AD. A trumpet was used to amplify a person’s voice when speaking to large crowds even in John’s day. Today we might call them megaphones like the ones that cops use.

(01/29/2002) From my ongoing research it would appear as though sightings of UFOs have been a common occurrence throughout history.

UFOs: What to Do?
RAND DOCUMENT, For RAND Use Only
George Kocher, 27 November 1968
PART 1: UFOs -- HISTORICAL ASPECTS
Those familiar with the UFO literature are aware that reports of sightings did not begin with Arnold's sighting in 1947, but that phenomenology much the same as is reported today can be found in documents going back to the earliest times. Vallee (2) gives a sampling of this; B.L.P. Trench (3) has made a more thorough study and reports on the research of others able to study the original documents.

What was reported? Luminous discs, shields, globes and elongated objects in the sky, sometimes alone, sometimes in large numbers. Occasional descriptions of interactions with the observers are also mentioned, including landings, and seeing and communicating with occupants. The latter events especially were almost always interpreted in a religious context. A recent example is the repeated appearance of a typical UFO phenomenology at Fatima, Portugal on six successive months in 1917. The October 13 phenomenon was the best reported and was witnessed by a crowd of about 70,000 persons, including a number of scientists, reporters, atheists, and agnostics, as well as faithful Catholics. One of the scientifically curious was Dr. A Garrett of the University of Coimbra. Rain, which had been falling that day, ceased and the crowd looked up to see the "sun" now visible through the heavy clouds. Professor Garrett wrote,

"...I turned toward this (sun) which was attracting all eyes and I could see it like a disk with a clear cut edge, with a vivid rim, luminous and shining, but without hurting one. The comparison I have heard at Fatima with a disk of dull silver, does not seem to me exact. It was a clearer, more vivid, richer color and with shifting tints like the luster of a pearl. It was not at all like the moon on a clear transparent night, for one saw and felt it like a living star. Nor was it spherical like the moon, nor did it have the same quality of lighter and less light. It looked like a burnished wheel cut out of mother-of-pearl. Nor could it be confused with the sun seen through a fog -- there was no fog... This disc spun dizzily round. It was not the twinkling of a star: it whirled round upon itself with mad rapidity... The sun, preserving the celerity of its rotation, detached itself from the firmament and advanced, blood-red, towards the earth, threatening to crush us with the weight of its vast and fiery mass. These moments made a terrifying impression." (4)

The relationship of the old phenomenology to religion are discussed by Thomas. (5)

Consider these samples produced from the 15th to the 18th centuries. They are from a web site I found titled, "Historical artwork and UFOs by Matthew Hurley". For more biblical evidence read the book of Ezekiel and his flying "wheel". I particularly find the following works intriguing, “The Annunciation" (1486) by Carlo Crivelli, "The Madonna with Saint Giovannino" 15th century [unknown artist, attributed to the Lippi school], and "The Baptism of Christ" 1710 by Aert De Gelder.

Here is some of my research that would provide one explanation for the beam of 'light' entering Mary's head in "The Annunciation". Obviously this could also explain where the artist got the idea to put such a thing in his painting.

Isaiah
65:001 I am sought of them that asked not for me; I am found of them that sought me not: …

Dr. John C. Lilly, M.D. January 06, 1915 - September 30, 2001
"Many people have claimed to have received messages via interstellar telepathy. Saul-Paul Sirag, a physicist, has said that over a hundred scientists in the United States have had this experience, but are reluctant to admit it publicly, for obvious reasons. Buckminster Fuller, renowned scientific philosopher, has stated that he sometimes thinks that he has received messages from interstellar telepaths. Dr. John Lilly, psychoanalyst, neuro-anatomist, cyberneticist, mathematician, and pioneering dolphin researcher, has made allusions to contact during the early seventies from interstellar entities he terms the "Cosmic Coincidence Control Center"."

QLAOT -- Quantum Linguistic Aspects of Telepathy
"Saul-Paul Sirag, a leading consciousness physicist, told a 1979 Transpersonal Psychology plenary audience (in a talk entitled Consciousness and Physics ) that Einstein spoke favorably of telepathy at least three times in print (eg, Quantum theory seems to imply telepathy.) Its existence is therefore recognized in physics (as was validated at a recent Conference on The Nature, Role, and Power of Thought -- reviewed next issue], independently of recognition in either psychology or linguistics. My favorite quantum physics cartoon book, Spacetime and Beyond (Bob Toben, Fred Wolf and Jack Sarfatti), gives an excellent and plausible account of how information can move instantaneously through the wormholes of cosmic foam called space. Sarfatti gives a simple diagram of how telepathy works in an appendix to Jeffrey Mishlove's Roots of Consciousness, and elsewhere talks about the faster-than-light Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen transmissions as information without transportation. Finally, a somewhat technical but satisfying account of biological, structural, mathematical, and other theoretical considerations of telepathy can be found in Andrija Puharich's Beyond Telepathy."

Quantum Teleportation, IBM Research
Until recently, teleportation was not taken seriously by scientists, because it was thought to violate the uncertainty principle of quantum mechanics, which forbids any measuring or scanning process from extracting all the information in an atom or other object. According to the uncertainty principle, the more accurately an object is scanned, the more it is disturbed by the scanning process, until one reaches a point where the object's original state has been completely disrupted, still without having extracted enough information to make a perfect replica. This sounds like a solid argument against teleportation: if one cannot extract enough information from an object to make a perfect copy, it would seem that a perfect copy cannot be made. But the six scientists found a way to make an end-run around this logic, using a celebrated and paradoxical feature of quantum mechanics known as the Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen effect.

Atom Experiment Brings Teleportation a Step Closer
By Reuters, 26 September 2001
“LONDON (Reuters) - Physicists in Denmark have made two samples of trillions of atoms interact at a distance in an experiment which may bring Star Trek-style teleportation and rapid quantum computing closer to reality. “

“Eugene Polzik and his colleagues at the University of Aarhus are not about to beam anyone up to the Starship Enterprise, but their research reported in the science journal Nature on Wednesday makes the idea of instantly transporting an object from one place to another less far fetched. “

“It involves quantum entanglement -- a mysterious concept of entwining two or more particles without physical contact. Albert Einstein once described it as ``spooky action at a distance.''

Quantum information teleported from light to matter
By Patricia Reaney Wed Oct 4, 2006 11:08 PM ET
LONDON (Reuters) - Beaming people in Star Trek fashion is still in the realms of science fiction but physicists in Denmark have teleported information from light to matter bringing quantum communication and computing closer to reality.
...
"It is one step further because for the first time it involves teleportation between light and matter, two different objects. One is the carrier of information and the other one is the storage medium," Polzik explained in an interview on Wednesday.

Teleportation: Express Lane Space Travel
By Leonard David, Senior Space Writer, posted: 08 July 2005
"Bona fide quantum teleportation, as applied to space travel, would mean sending a supply of entangled particles to the target world then use what Einstein called ‘spooky action at a distance’ to make these particles assume the exact state of another collection of entangled particles back on Earth," Darling speculated.

Doing so opens the prospect for genuinely teleporting a robot vehicle—or even an entire human crew—across interplanetary or, in the long run, across interstellar distances, Darling said.

"Certainly, if it becomes possible to teleport humans," Darling said, "you can envisage people hopping to the Moon or to other parts of the solar system, as quickly and as easily as we move data around the Internet today."

² And immediately I was in the spirit: and, behold, a throne was set in heaven, and one sat on the throne.

Okay, now he is in that place where the voice came from. That location had been in “heaven” or rather the “sky” as the two ideas were synonymous in John’s time. John sees a “throne” and “one” sat on the throne. Notice that John doesn’t really know what to call the android. He uses words like “one” but also “he” as I believe the android is meant to appear as a male. So we have an android and he is the only one of his kind and he holds the keys to hell and of death and he is sitting on a throne. From John’s perspective couldn’t a throne be a way of describing a central command chair on the bridge of a spaceship? Didn’t Captain Kirk look like a little king sitting at the “com” or command point on the bridge?

³And he that sat was to look upon like a jasper and a sardine stone: and there was a rainbow round about the throne, in sight like unto an emerald.

Can’t say I know what a sardine stone looks like but let’s assume it’s a dark stone. Jasper according to my dictionary is an opaque cryptocrystalline variety of quartz, usually red or brown and often used in decorative carvings. So in other words the “one” is sitting on a very nice looking pedestal and throne in John’s opinion. More interesting is that John says there is a rainbow round about the throne. And uses more imprecise language to describe it, “in sight like unto an emerald”. To me that sounds like a series of display screens again very much like those around the bridge of a Star Trek ship or even a NOC (Network Operations Center) for a company or used by NASA. How else would a man from 2000 years ago describe a series of display monitors with colored images flashing up on them?

⁴And round about the throne were four and twenty seats: and upon the seats I saw four and twenty elders sitting, clothed in white raiment; and they had on their heads crowns of gold.

Ok we are on the bridge of a ship with the android sitting in the center but around the android we have 24 control consoles with 24 “people” older than John with white clothes on. On their heads John says they had crowns of gold. Hmm, with 24 people sitting next to each other there could be quite a bit of noise if they spoke at once. Assuming they are looking at screens and working, I will propose that their “crowns” are actually headsets so they can hear what they are working on without being distracted. Again this is the same as in a NASA control center.

⁵And out of the throne proceeded lightnings and thunderings and voices: and there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God.

Hmm. Sounds like a lot of activity going on. If instead this were just a cloud and not a space ship I could understand there being “lightenings” and “thunderings” but why would there be voices and lamps?

⁶And before the throne there was a sea of glass like unto crystal: and in the midst of the throne, and round about the throne, were four beasts full of eyes before and behind.

Oh, ok. It seems like the floor opened up in front of the throne and with a lot of noise and light something rose up from the floor that looked like glass or crystal. And around the android were four “things” that John calls “beasts”. I really don’t know of anything I could compare this to.

⁷And the first beast was like a lion, and the second beast like a calf, and the third beast had a face as a man, and the fourth beast was like a flying eagle.

Notice again John says these “beasts” were “like” these animals. He didn’t say they were, instead he is struggling to use concepts and words that “he” understands.

⁸And the four beasts had each of them six wings about him; and they were full of eyes within: and they rest not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, LORD God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come.

Whatever it is I am very curious to see it and understand how it works.

⁹And when those beasts give glory and honour and thanks to him that sat on the throne, who liveth for ever and ever,

Well now those “beasts” are thanking the android. Perhaps instead of being beasts they are a different kind of space ship filled with people. Oh, wait. Perhaps the floor of the ship around the throne became clear and they could see through it down at the four ships below them. The rumbling and lightening were their engines engaging.

¹⁰The four and twenty elders fall down before him that sat on the throne, and worship him that liveth for ever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying,¹¹Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.

I have some other insight into this part but it would take a really long to describe. Suffice it to say it’s a bit misleading.

¹And I saw in the right hand of him that sat on the throne a book written within and on the backside, sealed with seven seals.²And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, Who is worthy to open the book, and to loose the seals thereof?³And no man in heaven, nor in earth, neither under the earth, was able to open the book, neither to look thereon.⁴And I wept much, because no man was found worthy to open and to read the book, neither to look thereon.

Now why if the individual in the center were what is typically understood as a “God” need a “man” to take the book from his side to release the seals and get the ball rolling? I believe it is a form of checks and balances. While the android does have enormous abilities it should not have “all” the power just in case it should develop a problem. In addition since the coming turn of events involve the “men” of earth it is only fitting that another worthy “man” take control at this point.

⁵And one of the elders saith unto me, Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof.