"Apophis" and the Prophesied Threat of Meteors

Today while browsing, I came across a reference to a asteroid that has been named "Apophis" (after a sci-fi villain).  What makes this object unique amongst the gazillion of other objects floating around space is scientists having originally concluded that, relatively speaking, it had a pretty good chance of hitting the Earth.

Length-wise , Apophis is about the size of the Empire State Building, though a lot wider (as illustrated above).  So it isn't that big when compared to the Earth at large.  But a rock of its size would not only penetrate the atmosphere but also proceed to make impact and cause a massive amount of destruction, enough that "millions of people could... die".

Apophis was originally discovered in 2004, and some parties took its potential threat very seriously.  Remember, that was just a few years after Armageddon, a big budget Hollywood film whose plot revolved around a menacing asteroid hurtling towards Earth, came out.

Also, it isn't as if such events are unprecedented in history.  For instance, it's a scientifically accepted fact that the impact an asteroid (much bigger than Apophis) is what caused the extinction of the dinosaurs.  I once visited a large lake, the result of a massive crater, left by an asteroid which landed over a million years ago, that has since filled with water.  And I remember thinking to myself like I'm glad I wasn't around when that happened.

So originally, it was thought that Apophis may land on Earth in 2029 and if not then, possibly in 2036.  In 2029, it is expected to come "10 times closer" to us "than the moon" is.  But since first being discovered and upon further research, scientists have ruled out the possibility of it colliding, at least not for the next 100 years.  

BIBLICAL PROPHECIES RELATED TO ASTEROIDS

The fear of asteroids is a legitimate one in biblical terms.  As far as the past is concerned, from what I've been able to ascertain there aren't any stories in the Good Book about destructive asteroids.  But there are a couple of prophecies, found in the Book of Revelations, which read as if they are pointing to such objects, under the command of the Most High, hitting the Earth as punishment towards mankind during the last days.

One such inference is found in Revelations 8:8.  That particular "great mountain burning with fire" is specifically designated to defile "a third of the sea".

Then, a couple of passages afterwards, from Revelations 8:10-11, we find mention of another heavenly projectile, "a great star... from heaven, blazing like a torch", which is also cast down to destroy waterbodies, though this time around those found inland (i.e. "rivers and... springs of water").  This "star" is even given its own name, "Wormwood", which basically means bitterness.

An early 19th century illustration of 
the prophesied arrival of "Wormwood".

To reiterate, the way these objects are described, they may well be asteroids because first of all, Revelations is pretty ambiguous and was written in an era that predates modern vocabulary.  Secondly, an asteroid would likely ignite as it traverses through the Earth's atmosphere, thus potentially turning into a "mountain burning with fire" or "a star... blazing like a torch".

THOSE IN THE KNOW

I'm convinced that the powers-that-be, whether or not they generally act like it, do believe in biblical prophecy.  I also believe there will be a "war of Armageddon", when the nations of the world fight against the Most High, physically not spiritually, with guns, missiles, soldiers, etc. (interesting too that they chose that particular name for the aforementioned movie).  In other words, unlike most of us laymen, the leaders of the world are preparing for prophesied "the end of the world", though in their own special way.

These days, it's common to come across headlines of the ultra-rich building all types of elaborate bunkers to shield themselves from extinction-level events.  It's understandable why someone who's filthy rich may be more afraid of death than the average man.  But these people have also grown up under the same religions teachings the rest of us have and therefore would be cognizant of ideas such as the Lord eventually unleashing His wrath against mankind.  And I think most of us of such an inclination would agree that it feels like we're moving closer to the end than away from it.

CONCLUSION

If a meteor is heading towards Earth and NASA or whoever has the wherewithal to destroy it beforehand, I'm all for the cause.  But the way such incidences read in the Book of Revelations is that when sh*t really hits the fan, there isn't anything that we're going to be able to do about it.