Basic HTML Version
from its present seasonal configura–
tion to a "long, sunless, frozen
night." Then, ironically, sorne
months later, a "malignant" sun
with its ultraviolet radiation would
begin to strike the earth and its
survivors.
Changes in climactic patterns
could cause mountaín snow and
glaciers to melt, causing possibly
continent-sized floods. Tempera–
tures in major areas could drop to
below freezing, even in summer.
Death of Agrlculture-then Famine
Agricultura) productivity would
cease for at least a year, simply on
the basis of the havoc caused by
the initiai blast and radiation and
the cold and dark that would soon
set in.
The soil would also be contami–
nated. Could the survivors really
g row crops the next year-and the
next? it was asked. There would be
no fue), no transportation, no social
organization, no exchange mar–
ket-and few humans left.
The scant stockpiles of food
stored in population centers would
have been destroyed or contami–
nated. Even countries not di rectly
touched by the immediate blast
would suffer sorne of the long-term
effects. For example, they would
not be able to import foods or other
technology. Also, their markets for
exports would vanish. Their popu–
lations, too, would suffer starva–
tion.
After a nuclear strike, ventured
astrogeophysicist Walter Orr
Roberts, "It is possible that a third
of the world's population will die
from malnutrit ion-related diseases"
(The Cold and the Dark,
page
158).
Disease Epidemica
Famine, radiation poisoning, ultra–
violet radiation , the ravages of the
envi ronment, lack of sanitation,
food contamination, a dysfunction–
ing immune system, and a lack of
medica) services would open up the
survivors to horrifying epidemics
and pandemics. Rabies a nd the
plague, for example, would be rife.
Virulent forms of microorgan–
isms carried by pr oliferating,
predatorless insects would strike a
vulnerable humanity. Hundreds of
mi ll ions of rotting corpses would
4
also add to the diseases ' potential.
Are these horrifying potentiali–
ties overstated? Sorne people might
like to think so. Probably, the re–
verse is true. "There has been a
systematic tendency for the effects
of nuclear weapons and nuclear
war to be underestimated," ob–
served space scientist Carl Sagan
(ibid., page 24).
Why so? One reason is the "syn–
ergism" that will likely take effect.
That is, humans will be subj ected
to
severa/ simultaneous stresses
such as injury, lack of food, curtail–
ment of essential services, panic,
natural disasters. The impact from
all these occurring simultaneously
will be much greater than the indi–
vidual effects if they occurred sep–
arately.
Our potential
future,
using the
word loosely, is not very secure.
Now look at the visions of the book
of Revelation. For the pages of this
book point out similar kinds of as–
saults on the environment and man.
But the order of their magnitude
and repeated occurrences is even
greater.
Revelation Unvelled
We are introduced to man 's
bíbli–
ca/
nightmare with the Four
Horsemen of the Apocalypse, in
the sixth chapter of Revelation.
John writes: "1 looked, and be–
hold, a white horse. And he who
sat on it had a bow; and a crown
was given to him, and he went out
conquering and to conquer" (Rev.
6:2,
Revised Authorized Version
throughout). Bible students know
this refers to false prophets and
demoniaca! leaders-the kind who
engulf the world in spiritual and
política! wars.
J ohn continues: " And another
horse, fiery red, went out. And it
was granted to the one who sat on
it to take peace from the earth, and
that people should kili one another;
and there was given to him a great
sword....
"And 1 looked, and behold, a
paJe horse. And the name of him
who sat on it was Death, and Hades
followed with him. And power was
given to them over a
fourth of the
earth,
to ki li with sword, with
hunger, with death, and by the
beasts of the earth" (Rev. 6:4-8).
This terrifying vision of John
consigns- before any nuclear war
is unleashed-one quarter of the
human race to death of mortal in–
jury by conventional wars, starva–
tion, disease and related plagues.
These plagues are
man caused.
The next series of visions de–
scribes plagues supernatural in
origin.
These destructions are
literal/y
the effects of what we might call
angelic " bombings," which devas–
tate the natural world and create
firestorms of incalculable magni–
tude. So intense is the devastation
that monstrous clouds of dust block
out sun and moon. Will this divine
intervention force nations to re–
think the use of nuclear and bio–
chemical warfare?
John then describes this angelic
first strike, which wi ll warn man–
kind one last time not to use nu–
clear weapons. "The first angel
sounded: And hail and fire fol–
lowed, mingled with blood, and
they were
thrown to the earth;
and
a third of the trees were burned up,
and all green grass was burned up.
"Then the second angel sounded:
And something like a
great moun–
tain burning with fire
was thrown
into the sea, and a third of the sea
became blood; and a third of the
living creatures in the sea died, and
a third of the ships were destroyed.
"Then the third angel sounded:
And a
great star fe// from heaven,
burning like a torch, and it fell on
a third of the rivers and on the
springs of water ... and many men
died from the water, because it was
made bitter.
"Then the fourtb angel sounded :
And a third of the sun was struck,
a third of the moon, and a third of
tbe stars, so that a third of them
were darkened; and a third of the
day did not sbine, and likewise the
night" (Rev.
8:7-12).
The Three Woes
The emphasis again changes from
supernatural to man-caused bavoc
on earth. John records, "I heard an
angel flying through the midst of
heaven, saying with a loud voice,
'Woe, woe, woe to the inhabitants
of the earth, because of the remain–
ing blasts of the trumpet of the
three angels who are about to
sound' " (Rev. 8: 13).
(Continued on page 28)
The
PLAIN TRUTH