VW: Save the Planet?

A Voice in the
Wilderness

" Save the Planet? "

"I have made the earth, and created man on it; I, with My hands, have stretched out the heavens; and all their host have I ordained."

"For thus says Jehovah who Created the heavens, God who has formed the earth and made it; who has established it, who has not created it void, but has formed it to be inhabited: I am Jehovah, and there is no other.

"Thus says Jehovah the Mighty God, He who created the heavens and stretched them out, spreading out the earth and its offspring; Who gives breath to the people on it and spirit to those who walk on it." (Is45:12,18, 42:5)

In the last year there has been this extraordinary push by environmentalists regarding alleged "global warming". Just about every other piece of sound bite is about "carbon footprint", excess CO2 in the atmosphere -caused- by man's existence and activities, melting of the polar ice, receding of glaciers, potential extinction of animal species like polar bears, and all sorts of similar talk. They want to extract a tax based on each person's carbon footprint. I've never heard 'where' that money would go, nor for what purposes.

I find it interesting; somewhat 'humorous' really; that this past winter where they've been -talking- so militantly about "global warming" and the dire consequences to earth if we don't DO SOMETHING about it IMMEDIATELY; this same winter, according to a Feb 18,2008 London Daily Express article the headline, "Global Warming? It's the coldest winter in decades". The article told of how satellite data shows that those feared 'disappearing' levels of sea ice have reappeared. And that there is a "third more ice in Antarctica than is usual for the time of year".

Around the same time was another article by a scientist, Arthur Robinson, "The Virtues of Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide" [link] Robinson's basic premise is something I have thought on regularly over the years regarding the popular fear against CO2 in the atmosphere. It's part of the God-created synergy between plants and animal life. Plants require ('breathe') CO2 for photosynthesis; and leave 'exhale' Oxygen as a by-product of their nutrient production. That oxygen is inhaled by animals and man, who then exhale CO2. Thus, animals produce CO2 for the plants, and plants produce O2 for animals. It is a continuously circulating cycle.

Environmentalists often 'worry' about "greenhouse gasses", and they also worry about "endangered species" of animals. The connection they don't seem to make is: the more CO2 there is (even if it were to approach "greenhouse" proportions) the more the plants grow. And the more plants grow, the more food there is for the animals, and all the species proliferate and thrive richly. If anything, if man is producing CO2 with his (so-called) "footprint", that is actually to the 'benefit' of vegetation and all the animal species they worry are "endangered".

Paul explained it to some people of the world of his day....

"God, who made the world and everything in it, since He is Lord of Heaven and earth... gives to all life, breath, and all things. And He has made from one blood every nation of men to dwell everywhere on the face of the earth, and has determined their preappointed times and the boundaries of their dwellings, so that they should seek the Lord, in the hope that they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us; for in Him we live and move and exist, as also some of your own poets have said, For we are also His offspring." (Ac17:24-28)

How has God provided for everything?

"Who has measured the waters in the hollow of his hand, and measured out the heavens with a span? And who has calculated the dust of the earth in a measure, and weighed the mountains in scales, and the hills in a balance?" (Is40:12)

One of the primary problems of environmentalism is that they don't believe in God. For the most part they are atheists, believing in the as-yet unproved -theories- of "evolution". Under this theory, this earth has allegedly existed for Billions of years. And as man looks around at earth's resources, and sees how human population keeps growing, he begins to -WORRY- that the resources are going to "run out". He assumes that, if the earth has been around for billions of years, that it is likely to -continue- into the future billions more years; he sees a finite amount of resources, like coal and oil, and worries that a day is coming where man will not have these necessary things to survive. He sees how animal species are dwindling (contrary to the Darwinian model), and worries about when man will also ultimately become extinct. Thus, if we are to survive, as a "species", we need to do something NOW, to "save the planet".

When God created "in the beginning" (Gen1:1), He gave earth as a temporary domicile for man.

"Then God said, Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the flying creatures of the heavens, and over the beasts, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that moves on the earth." (Gen1:26)

According to God's plan and design, for this duration, -man- is in charge, not nature. Nature is not our "mother", but God "created" all things. We are not to worship the created things, but the Creator. (Rom1:25)

And just as there was a "beginning" to this creation, there is also an end...

"But the heavens and the earth which are now preserved by the same Word, are reserved for fire until the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men. But, beloved, do not be unaware of this one thing, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slow concerning His promise, as some count slowness, but is longsuffering toward us, not purposing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a loud noise, and the elements will be dissolved with intense burning; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up." (2Pet3:7-10)

According to this little 'formula' Peter provides, we can clearly understand a basic truth regarding this earth...

"Thus the heavens and the earth, and all the host of them, were finished. And on the seventh day God completed His work which He had made, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had made. And God blessed the seventh day and consecrated it, because in it He rested from all His work which God had created and made. These are the generations of the heavens and the earth when they were created, in the day that Jehovah God was making the earth and the heavens" (Ge2:1-4)

God created everything in six days, and then rested the seventh; at which point it was "completed". This earth has now had about 6000 years of existence, and a final 1000 years of peace (rest) will come soon; after which, the slate will be wiped clean, as God then creates everything new... This one will have been completed... finished.

"And I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. Also there was no more sea." (Re21:1)

You see... it doesn't matter that this earth's resources are limited, and that if the present course of existence did not abate, they would run out. But by design, there are only about a thousand years remaining. And for those thousand years there are yet -plenty- of resources. God created this earth with "times and seasons, days and years" (Gen1:14); -AND- He created the earth with 'enough' resources for it to last that long, and to sustain man; for which reason earth was created.

Furthermore, this understanding is further proof -against- evolution. If evolutionarily minded atheism is afraid resources will run out in a few more years, how could the alleged prior "billions" of years even be a possibility? Earth's -finite- number of resources would have run out a long time ago.

Of earth's Godless wisdom...

"Have you not known? Have you not heard? Has it not been told you from the beginning? Have you not understood from the foundations of the earth? It is He who sits upon the circle of the earth, and its inhabitants are like grasshoppers; Who stretches out the heavens like a curtain, and spreads them out like a tent to dwell in; Who brings the rulers to nothing; He makes the judges of the earth as nothing. Indeed, they shall not be planted; indeed, they shall not be sown. Indeed, their stump shall not take root in the earth. And He shall also blow upon them, and they shall wither, and the tempest shall take them away like stubble." (Is40:21-24)

Man is "willfully ignorant" (2Pet3:5)

No, earth's resources won't run out as long as man is on it. God created a perfect balance of life and its supportive resources; for the time period for which God intended, and created it.

However, related to God's judgment of sinful man, there is going to be some "warming". As it is right now, earth's ecosystem is not perfect. Instead of only beneficial plants, there are also weeds and thistles. (Ge3:18) There is disease. Some plants and animals produce poisons. That is God's curse because of Adam and Eve's sin.

Further judgment is coming...

"And the fourth angel poured out his bowl onto the sun, and it was given to him to scorch men with fire. And men were scorched with great heat, and they blasphemed the name of God who has authority over these plagues; and they did not repent to give Him glory." (Rev16:8-9)

But notice that this heat will not be caused by man's (alleged) "pollution". Just as the current warm/cold cycles exist throughout history; this past winter was exceptionally cold, but prior to that people were worried about warming, but in the 70s they were worried about another "ice age" for the same reasons they have been predicting "global warming"; excessive CO2 emissions by man...the true scientific community understands that these cyclical fluctuations are a result of -SOLAR- activity cycles.

I expect the ancients understood this better than modern eco-wisdom does, as they worshipped the sun. Ancient Chaldea worshipped Tammuz (husband of Ishtar), and dedicated a week during the northern hemispheric summer in worship. In Egypt it was Ra. When those religions migrated to Rome, it became the 'disk' of what is now the (so-called) eucharist, and the (solar) disks always depicted in art around the heads of holy ones, typically called "halos". [See: link] And actually, if looked up in a dictionary, the first definition for "halo" has to do with the luminescence around the sun and/or moon, not so-called "saints".

If the weather was cold and crops did not sprout and grow, they would offer fertility sacrifices to the sun. These sacrifices might be in the form of young virgins or babies. If the sun was hot and there was drought, the same thing. They understood that the sun was the source of the energy the earth receives. But instead of praying to God, the Creator, they prayed to the "created things" (Rom1:25), the sun.

The two prominent religions of the world today worship the sun and moon. Babylon of Rome worships the sun; Islam the moon. In the book of Revelation a person reads how many of the judgments are against Babylon. The primary focus of Babylon's worship is the sun; just as today's (alleged) atheists will go lay out naked, and will joke about being "sun worshippers".

Well, when the true "global warming" comes, it will not be man-made. It will be from God, through the false 'god' mankind has been worshiping, the sun. God, the Creator, will speak to the sun, the created thing, and cause mankind to be "scorched with fire".

But even then, mankind will continue doing what he does now: he will "blaspheme" the Creator.

Ultimately, planet Earth will -NOT- be "saved"; and there is nothing man can do about it. God's judgment will burn it up, along with the present universe; and will create a "new heavens and earth". Why?

This earth is full of sin and perversity, caused by man. The new will be characterized by "righteousness" (2Pet3:13) and this old will "not be remembered, nor come to mind" (Is65:17)

So... what should mankind be doing? Going "green"? or...

"Therefore, beloved, looking forward to these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, spotless and without blemish;" (2Pet3:14)

The New will also have the Tree of Life, which is for "those who do His commandments"

But...

"...outside are dogs and sorcerers and prostitutes and murderers and idolaters, and whoever loves and produces a lie." (Rev22:14-15)

Amen!