Don’t Look Up?
- Tiara J
- 4 days ago
- 8 min read
Anyone that knows me knows I’m not a big TV watcher, however I do like to stay in the know about what’s going on around me, after all the Lord did instruct us to be watchful! Also, if you know me, or have read anything I’ve written, you’ve probably picked up on the fact I am a huge nerd! God gave me a passion for research, and I love to share information I’ve learned, especially when it points people to Jesus 🙂, so since we just passed International Asteroid day, I wanted to share some interesting worldly and biblical insights with you about them.
Since March I’ve been fascinated by all of the meteors people have been seeing and the sonic booms that sometimes accompany them. The uptick seemingly came out of nowhere and I wanted to know why, plus I truly wanted to see one myself.
On Tuesday I was at a family member's house, and the news was on “It’s International Asteroid Day” the news anchor said, my ears perked up, what’s that I wondered. International Asteroid Day is observed annually on June 30, this date commemorates the Tunguska event, the largest asteroid impact in recorded history, which occurred in 1908 in Siberia. The day aims to raise public awareness about the hazards of asteroid impacts and was officially recognized by the United Nations in 2016.
The anchor went on to talk about an Asteroid named Apophis scheduled to pass by earth on Friday, April 13, 2029. The Near-Earth asteroid Apophis is a potentially hazardous asteroid that will be roughly 20,000 miles from our planet’s surface.
To put that into perspective, that’s about 10 times closer than the Moon and even closer than the ring of geostationary satellites orbiting our planet. I had heard about this asteroid about a year or so ago, but like most things it was overshadowed by the barrage of more immediate chaos.
When I saw the headline, I instantly thought about the movie “Don’t look up” that my husband and I watched last year on Netflix. It was a satire movie, they said was “Based on real events that haven’t happened - yet. The movie tells the story of two low-level astronomers who must go on a giant media tour to warn mankind of an approaching comet that will destroy planet Earth. Unfortunately, the response from a distracted world is less than interested.
The news story sounded a little too familiar. But then what sealed the deal for me writing this piece happened last night. My husband and I were in Charleston at the beach star gazing, after seeing a few stars move around, we saw a bright green light appear in the sky “look look” I urged my husband, oh my gosh it’s a meteor I said as it fizzled out like those I had seen online!!! Wow, God answered my prayers, a real meteor, lighting up the sky above the ocean!
After seeing one of these fireballs shoot across the sky with my own eyes, naturally, I had to research more about all of this and learn more about the big Asteroid coming in just three short years…
And oh boy did I find some interesting things.
The Research Findings
As I searched the NASA site, I learned about how the Asteroid got it’s name. Apparently to propose an official name, Tholen one of the astronomers that discovered it, explained in an email to NASA that he did an internet search and found Apep —the ancient Egyptian god of evil and destruction. He said this seemed like an appropriate name for such a potentially destructive asteroid. Then he learned that Apophis is the Greek name for Apep, and the team settled on Apophis - The god of chaos.
Tholen said he and co-discoverer, the late Roy Tucker, were already familiar with the name Apophis because of the evil and powerful character by that name in the television series Stargate SG-1. He said it was “icing on the cake” that the name they selected was also a character in a popular TV show.
The name Apophis was approved in 2005 and rightly so, as it will be bigger than 3 football fields or roughly the height of the Eiffel Tower.
Though originally unsure, NASA now confidently says there is no danger to Earth, to anyone or anything living on it, or to astronauts or satellites in space. However, they did confirm an asteroid this large only passes this close to Earth once every 7,500 years so it’s likely that an event like this has not happened at any time in recorded human history. Richard Binzel, a professor of planetary sciences at MIT, said Apophis' flyby will mark "the first time in space history that a potentially hazardous asteroid is visible to the naked eye”. That’s right you’ll be able to see it with your bare eyes. While NASA has ensured our safety, they have been transparent in highlighting that the gravity of earth will pull, twist, stretch, and squeeze the Asteroid as it passes by, however they confirmed they don’t exactly know how Apophis will respond to these disturbances.
Apparently for the public, it will be a dazzling, once-in-a-lifetime spectacle. For scientists, it promises something even rarer: a once-in-a-millennium natural experiment to watch in real time how Earth's gravity reshapes a massive asteroid.
As the time draws closer, NASA will be monitoring it very closely. They say making observations and measurements will take a worldwide effort from astronomers, planetary scientists, and spacecraft engineers, so I guess it’s a good thing 67 countries have signed the Artemis Accords and the Artemis III mission has been moved up to 2028.
A Biblical Lense
As a believer in Jesus Christ, my interest was piqued for a completely different reason. If you’ve listened to my ‘Did you know’ episode then you know I believe much of the chaos we’re seeing in the world is directly aligned with the signals the Lord called us to watch for in end times.
Be always on the watch, and pray that you may be able to escape all that is about to happen, and that you may be able to stand before the Son of Man.” - Luke 21:36
Well one of the signs we know indicate the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, is “Wormwood.” If you’re unfamiliar, that's the name given to the cosmic body in Revelation (Rev 8:10-11) which will nearly tear Earth apart as it passes. Although it is not identified or named until Revelation 8, it is responsible for the global disruptions of Revelation 6 and 7, too. This includes a global earthquake, asteroid and meteorite impacts, global fires, tsunamis, contaminated water and darkened skies (by 33%). In other words, it brings the end of the world as we know it.. It's so important that more of the seven seals, and seven trumpets and seven bowls are dedicated to it than any other end time event outside the wrath of God which is all seven bowls. It occupies the 6th seal, 7th seal, 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th trumpets. All of it is what many consider prior to the Great Tribulation (5th - 7th trumpet) or being raptured by the Lord or “caught up” as 1 Thessalonians 4 calls it.
Did you know Jesus also prophesied about Wormwood during his ministry on earth? He called its effects the "beginning of sorrows/birth pains" or the kick off to the end time events (after the Good News of the Kingdom goes out first - Mt 24:14).
You can put Matthew, Mark and Luke's "Olivet Discourse" accounts together along with Revelation in hand to see that Jesus' "earthquakes in diverse places" is aligned with the "great earthquake" of Revelation (Rev 6:12). You then can see that Jesus' global famine and pestilence warning is right there in the first four trumpets since famine and pestilence will follow all the death, destruction, and blockage of sunlight needed for crops. Of course the closure of the strait of Hormuz and the human induced climate change doesn’t make things better.
Revelation shows that what follows Wormwood's cataclysm is the Great Tribulation. That's when Satan is cast down from Heaven to open the abyss up and release the nephilim monster "locusts" so they can torture humanity into taking the Mark of the Beast. Yes, obviously, Satan takes advantage of the "end of the world" to compel humanity when they desperately need a savior, to receive his: the Antichrist. People will just have to worship him, not as Christ, but as God himself (2Th 2:4) by accepting his mark (demons included).
Hope over Fear
This can sound terrifying if you don’t have Jesus Christ or if you are living in rebellion to him. But praise God that the Bible says “The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead, he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” - 2 Peter 3:9
God is so loving that he sent his son to die for us and overcome death through his resurrection not only so that we can live in peace and joy now in this world of chaos but also so that we may escape all that is about to happen! He made it so simple that all we have to do is declare with our mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in our heart that God raised him from the dead, and we will be saved.
Once we repent of our sins, accept Jesus Christ and receive his Holy Spirit the real fun begins, through Jesus we're set free from the power of sin. He’s able to start breaking the chains of oppression, like the burdens of trying to prove ourselves worthy, that we’ve been under. He frees us from the foolishness of this world, in Christ we're loved, and accepted, and secure!
If this was your first time hearing about Apophis, I encourage you to do some research and learn more. And if you have been on the fence with doubts about your faith, there is no better time to take it serious, explore more, learn about the prophecies that have already been fulfilled and about the ones that are to come. In Luke 21, the bible says:
There will be signs in the sun and moon and stars, and on the earth dismay among the nations, bewildered by the roaring of the sea and the surging of the waves. Men will faint from fear and anxiety over what is coming upon the earth, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. At that time they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. When these things begin to happen, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.”
As things get more chaotic you are going to need a solid rock to stand on, and in the words of the prophet Isaiah “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore, we will not fear, though the earth gives way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging…the Lord Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress.
In closing, I’ll pray Eph 1:17-19 over us. I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation in your knowledge of Him.
I ask that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you may know the hope of His calling, the riches of His glorious inheritance in the saints, and the surpassing greatness of His power to us who believe.
In Jesus Name, Amen.