The World's Space Program
Right on Schedule
                                                                                                  By Pastor F. M. Riley
                                                                                                  June 19, 2018
     "For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect,"  Matthew 24:24.

     "Know this also, that in the last days perilous times shall come," 2 Timothy 3:1.  
 Introduction
     I have just watched and listened to a video on which President Trump spoke about boosting America's SPACE Program.  He plainly stated that this country should be dominate in space, if for no other reason than for the safety of our own nation.  
     Now here we are in the very end of this present Dispensation of Grace, with true believers looking for the coming of the Lord Jesus to resurrect and rapture His Church and people to glory at any time, and
suddenly attention is once more being focused on SPACE.
     I say "once more," because much attention was given to the world's space programs from the time Russia put their Sputnik satellite in orbit in 1957, until the Moon landing in 1969.  After the Moon landing, news about the world's SPACE programs just sort of faded into the background.  But now once again our President is focusing the attention of the American people on outer space, publically stating that America should be the dominate power in space.  In view of Bible prophecy the President's announcment comes right on schedule!  
A Review of the Space Age
     October 4, 1957.......Russia put their Sputnik I satellite in orbit around the earth.   America was not about to let the whole world stand in awe of Russia for their accomplishment.  So by.......
     January 31, 1958, America put it's own satellite, Explorer I, in orbit above the earth.  The competitive space race had begun.
     April 12, 1961, Russia placed Vostok I, a manned satellite in space.  At the controls of their satellite was Yuri A. Gagarin.  This again provoked America to "get with the program."  So by.......
     May 5, 1961,  America's first manned satellite, Mercury-Redstone III,  was launched with Alan B. Shepard, Jr. at the controls.  However, it failed to achieve space orbit and returned to the earth.  But America did not stop there.  On.......
     February 20, 1962,  American space engineers launched Mercury-Atlas VI into space orbiting the earth, with John H. Glenn, Jr. at the controls.  This success apparently only motivated America's space engineers into attempting to achieve an even greater publicity stunt for this country.  So on.......
     July 20, 1969, America's Apollo XI space satellite landed a man on the Moon.  That man was Neil Armstrong, and he was accompanied by Edward Aldrin.  Their Lunar Module was engraved with a name plate which labeled it as "Eagle I."  Their command ship which orbited the Moon was named "Columbia," and was piloted by Michael Collins.
     [A side note that has never been made public.  As the Lunar Module was landing, one of the two occupants reported to the command center in Houston, "We are not alone."  Houston's response was to say no more about what they were seeing over the radio waves, in order to keep anyone listening from hearing.  In spite of their efforts to keep this from the public, word eventually "leaked out."  When the Lunar Module landed, there were several space ships lined up a short distance away watching them land.]      
     Neil Armstrong stepped out of the Lunar Module onto the surface of the Moon, making a footprint in the dust on the Moon.  His first statement was, "That's one small step for a man; but one giant leap for mankind."  
     At the time the American President was Richard Nixon.  His response to Neil Armstrong's statement was, "This has been the greatest event in the history of the human race."  
My Own Response
     Pashaw!  The greatest event in the history of mankind was when our beloved Lord Jesus suffered and died on Calvary's old rugged cross, in order that men might have access to Heaven above through faith in the Lord's sacrifice for us.  
     [1]   The Space Age was opened by the most Godless nation on earth;
Communist Soviet Russia.  
     [2]    Yuri A. Gagarin, the first Russian Cosmonaut, ridiculed God, Heaven, angels, the Bible, and Chrisians.  All these years later, I highly suspect that he has changed his mind, but that won't buy him a drop of water in Hell!   Read again Luke 16:19-31, and take heed!  
    [3]   The first orbit of the Moon was accomplished on December 21, 1968, by the crew of Apollo VIII.  While in orbit they read from the first chapter of the Book of Genesis.  
    [4]   The first American in orbit, John Glenn, gave glory to God, and witnessed of his personal faith in God.   Hallelujah!  
     [5]   When returning from the Moon on Apollo XI, Edwin Aldrin quoted from Psalm 8.  Glory to God!
The Response of America and the World
     [1]    Right to this present day, some people still doubt that mankind ever reached the Moon.  Maybe they should read the Bible a little closer.
     [2]    World leaders in general were intoxicated with PRIDE, and began boasting of going to other worlds.  Ho boy!  Sadly, those world leaders who have died without Christ will never get out of the center of this earth.  Guess what is located there!    
     [3]   Many "nominal" Christians lost faith in God's Word and in God.  
     [4]   Some true believers became perplexed, because they were so sure the Lord God would never permit men to go into outer space, and certainly not to the Moon.   However, 2 Timothy 2:15 is still in the Bible.  
     [5]    True believers who have faithfully studied their Bibles have been encouraged, and had their faith deepened, due to recognizing the Space Age as one of the "signs" of the end-time.  
The Prophetic Scriptures Plainly
Prophesied the Space Age
     Where?  some readers will ask.  I'm so glad you asked!  
     The most obvious place in the Bible for serious Bible students, where the Space Age is mentioned is in Isaiah 14.  
     In this chapter, verses 4 through 32 are prophesying about Satan and Lucifer.  Some readers think that Lucifer is Satan.  Not hardly!  It is explicitly stated in 14:16-17 that Lucifer is "the man that made the earth to tremble, that did shake kingdoms;
     That made the world as a wilderness, and destroyed the cities thereof; that opened not the house of his prisoners."  
     It doesn't take much Biblical knowledge to see that these Scriptures are prophesying about the coming anti-christ; Satan's man.  
     The anti-christ is the exact anti-type of the Lord Jesus Christ.  Just as Father God sent His Son into the world as a man [the second Adam, 1
Corinthians 15:45]  so Satan, the great imitator of God, will send his son, Lucifer, into the world as a man.
     And what does Lucifer purpose in his wicked heart to do? In the list of "I will's" set forth in 14:13-14, the very first thing he says is, "I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mountain of the congregation, in the sides of the north.
     I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the Most High."  
     The careful Bible student will notice that everyone of Lucifer's "I will's" require him going up into space above the earth.  So who does this tell our readers is behind the Space Programs of mankind?  Satan and his man, Lucifer!  Plain as day!  
     I am well aware that our American astronauts used Satan's space program to glorify God, and this was the right thing to do.  The world today is filled with technology that was inspired by the spirit of Satan.  Read Ecclesiastes 7:29. I am thinking of radio, TV, many musical instruments, tape and video recorders, and on and on.  We who are true believers can use this technology to glorify God and our wonderful Savior, Jesus Christ.  And if we can, then we should!  To take what was inspired by the spirit of Satan, and use it against him to God's glory, has to make the old Devil gnash his teeth in anger.  Praise the Lord!  
Additional Space Age Prophecies
     Dear readers, I have preached on this subject numerous times in the past, in churches I have pastored.  I could go on writing on this subject, expounding Scripture after Scripture in God's Word which speaks of the Space Age.  However, it would require many pages, and make this study
entirely too long.  So......
      What I am going to do is list many Scriptures I have found that relate to the Space Age, and let my readers study these Scriptures for themselves.  The Lord will bless you as you study, and you may even find some Scriptures that I have missed, which directly relate to the subject.  So here is the list of Scriptures which I have found in my own past studies, and every one of them relate in some way to the prophesied Space Age.  I will leave it up to our readers to study, pray, and ask for the enlightenment of the Holy Spirit to make the connection between these Scriptures.  They all do connect!  Enjoy yourselves!  
     Deuteronomy 30:4, Nehemiah 1:8-9,  Job 1:16, 20:4-7, Psalm 115:16, Proverbs 1:32, Isaiah 14:4-27, Jeremiah 48:1-40, 49:7-22, 51:53, Daniel 11:36, 12:9-10, Amos 9:1-2, Obadiah 1-4, Habakkuk 2:2-9, Mark 13:22, Luke 21:28, Acts 17:24-26, 2 Thessalonians 2:11, and Revelation 13:11-14.
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