2.9 WESTERN TEXAS
2.6 WESTERN MONTANA
2.8 WESTERN MONTANA
2.7 OREGON
2.6 WESTERN TEXAS
3.6 SOUTHERN IDAHO
4.2 SOUTHERN IDAHO
2.8 YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK, WYOMING
The Australian reports 'Lost continent' found off Africa
"SCIENTISTS believe they've discovered the remains of a lost continent on the floor of the Indian Ocean off Africa. The research team from Norway, South Africa, Germany and the UK identified the ancient “microcontinent” after analysing beach sands from the island of Mauritius. They believe Mauritius was split from the larger island of Madagascar, 900 kilometres to the west, by volcanic eruptions between 61 and 84 million years ago. The beach sands were deposited by subsequent eruptions within the last nine million years. But the analysis found a smattering of zircon grains up to 2 billion years old, suggesting the recent volcanoes had spewed out fragments of an ancient continental crust."
OK, this has the geological world pretty excited. They love anything that they believe supports an old earth construct. The earth is not billions of years old, despite what scientists and Jack Kelley say.
It seems likely that at some point however, the continents were joined, and during the flood the massive geological upheaval separated them. (source). That event was tremendously stressful to the earth. Remember the 9.0 quake at Japan two years ago. A short amount of shaking during that earthquake moved the earth's axis and shortened the day! What did the Flood do to the lands? Peter says that the earth at that time was deluged with water and perished. (2 Peter 3:6). And as Gill's Exposition says, 'whatever alteration there might be in its form and position.' Not that the earth passed away, but everything on it and in it died. One can only wonder at God's power. Therefore though the earth is not billions of years old, it is interesting to wonder about a lost continent or two!
A few days ago, Israel carried out two strikes in Damascus. Foreign Policy magazine reports,
"Top news: The Syrian government charged Sunday that an overnight airstrike that targeted what is believed to be a military research center in Damascus was carried out by Israel, a development that marks the most significant international military action in the ongoing Syrian conflict and raises the specter that the conflict will spread beyond Syrian borders."
The enemies of Israel are claiming that the massive explosion at Damascus the other night was in fact a nuclear blast. In viewing the video posted of the explosion from different angels, they say that the cloud that arise from the massive fireball looked like a mushroom cloud. The explosion happened at night and Israel is mom on the entire operation, so due to the fog of war it will likely be impossible to nail down whether a nuclear missile, a nuclear-type missile, or simply a powerful rocket destroyed the facility atop the Damascus mountain.
However that doesn't matter a bit. Whether or not Israel used a low-level nuke (and I think that they did not) the enemies of Israel will simply claim that they did and run with it. This will provide them grounds to call for a retaliation, and also obscure the fact that there is evidence that the rebels used sarin gas (a deadly poison).
John McTernan wonders if WWIII has broken out, and though sometimes he gets a bit over-excited, I admit I wondered the same thing myself when I saw that blast. You can view the Youtube eyewitness video of the massive explosion, here, and/or search Youtube for other angles to view. When I saw how large that explosion was, like McTernan, I wondered, "Is this it?"
I was reading Zechariah last night, tears coming to my eyes at the sweep and scope of the LORD'S work upon the earth. We often settle into reading the same chapters which point to last days prophecy- Matthew 24, Revelation, Psalm 83, Ezekiel 38 & 39, and Isaiah 17 and 19. But the bible holds so much more, of course. Obadiah is interesting, if difficult. Zechariah enhances Revelation, being an almost parallel. Ezekiel 40-48 gloriously describe the Millennium kingdom. The last third of Isaiah points to Israel's restoration. And so on. Don't be afraid to branch out in reading Old Testament passages from the major and minor prophets. The Lord is great to behold, no matter what passage you read and no matter how much or how little one understands it at the time. Continual reading opens the passageways of understanding. And don't forget Peter, Paul, Jude and other NT writers had stuff to say about the last days, too. So don't get stuck in a rut, read, read, read- widely and often!
