Podcast # 11: Velikovsky: His Impact on Prophecy
Scott: My name is Scott Paton. I am talking today with Allan Colston. He is the author of the book “The Last Days of Tolemac”. This is a book dealing with prophecy.
For those listeners who may be new to this topic, today’s podcast is the eleventh in the series, and is titled “Velikovsky: His Impact on Prophecy”. Hello Allan and welcome.
Thanks Scott, it’s good to chat to you again.
Scott: Allan, in our last Podcast you talked about the works of Velikovsky, and his research into global catastrophes that have happened in the past. Why do you think his work is important in understanding prophecy?
Well Scott, there is an old Occult axiom that says the past is the key to understanding the future. So if we want to understand future prophecy, we need to know what has happened in the past.
And this is where Velikovsky has played such a crucial role. For his books have allowed us to interpret the myths and legends of ancient cultures in the light of modern science, and in so doing, have allowed us to get a glimpse into our own future.
I should make it clear that Velikovsky spent his life delving into the events of the past. As far as I know, he never spent any time considering the prophecies of the future. Which seems a pity, because if he had, I think he would have been able to decipher the mysteries of the Book of Revelation in the Bible.
Scott: Why do you say that?
Being a Jew, Velikovsky was well aware of the history of the Jewish people, and especially the Bible story of how God chose Moses to lead the Israelites out of Egypt, as described in the Book of Exodus.
According to the Bible story, Moses confronted Pharaoh and demanded that he let his people go. But Pharaoh was unmoved. As we read in the Bible, the Lord hardened his heart against Moses, and refused to release the Israelites.
In response, God brought a series of plagues against the people of Egypt. And if you will just bear with me Scott, I would like to list these plagues in the order in which they are presented in the Bible.
The first plague caused the waters and rivers to be turned into blood, killing the fish and polluting the drinking water. This was followed by an outbreak of frogs, lice and flies. Then came the “murrain”, an infectious disease that killed the livestock.
The next plague was a strange dust that caused boils and blisters to break out on the skin of people and animals. Then came thunder and hail, and fire that ran along the ground, destroying crops in the field.
This was followed by a vast swarm of locusts that destroyed the remainder of the crops that had survived the hail. Then there came a strange darkness that fell over the land of Egypt. This darkness not only blackened the sky, but was a darkness that could be felt as well.
Most Bible scholars interpret the story of the plagues of Egypt as a series of miracles, performed by Moses, and authorised by God, as part of his plan to deliver the children of Israel out of bondage in Egypt.
These scholars probably never considered for a moment, the possibility that the plagues that descended on Egypt might not have been supernatural miracles at all, but rather the predictable consequences of a close encounter between the earth and a large comet.
That is, until Velikovsky came along.
Scott: What did Velikovsky have to say?
Velikovsky explained that when a comet approaches the sun, its core or nucleus becomes heated, releasing streams of gas and dust particles. This luminous tail can extend for millions of miles into space, depending on the size of the comet.
On its journey towards the sun, the tail of the comet always points away from the sun, blown by the forces of radiation and the solar wind. But once a comet has passed around the sun and is heading back into space, instead of being behind the comet, the tail now goes in front of the comet.
Velikovsky theorized that if, at the time of Moses, the earth had happened to cross the path of a large comet, as it headed away from the sun, then the first sign that the people on earth would see would be a stream of very fine dust particles entering the atmosphere.
And if the nucleus of the comet contained iron, these dust particles would be red. As these red dust particles fell on the surface of the water, they would turn the seas, rivers and lakes a blood red colour.
These particles would also pollute the water, making it unfit to drink. This contaminated water would then cause the fish to die, and their dead carcases would soon begin to decompose, causing the rivers to give off a foul odour.
In order to escape, the frogs would abandon the rivers and make their way into the houses of the Egyptians. As the earth continued to pass through the tail of the comet, the red dust now coating the land would cause an infestation of lice, followed by immense swarms of flies.
This dust would also be likely to cause a variety of skin infections, boils and blisters, that would afflict men and animals alike. The lice and flies would also lead to outbreaks of disease among the livestock of the Egyptians.
As the earth plunged deeper into the tail of the comet, the particles of reddish dust would give way to gravel particles. These superheated particles would then fall to earth in the form of fiery hailstones that would run along the ground.
These flaming meteorites would not only strike people and animals caught in the open, but would set fire to the crops in the field as well. And any crops left standing would likely be destroyed by the vast swarms of locusts that would follow.
As the earth moved closer to the nucleus of the comet, there would come an inky blackness so intense that light could not penetrate it. This would be a darkness that could be felt, for the very air would seem to stick in the throat.
So as you can see, Scott, Velikovsky brought a completely new interpretation of Biblical history relating to the events that occurred in Egypt at the time of the Exodus.
Scott: So how does this relate to the prophecies in the Book of Revelation?
As I’m sure you know Scott, while the disciple John was living in exile on the Greek island of Patmos, he had a series of revelatory visions about a future time when Jesus would return in triumph to the earth.
In his book of Revelation John described in dramatic fashion the sequence of events that would unfold at that time. This book has since become one of the most enigmatic books of the Bible, and religious scholars still cannot agree on exactly what it was that John was describing.
We also have to remember, that if John really did foresee events that would happen on the earth several thousands of years in the future, he would hardly have been able to describe those events in words that would be understandable to us today.
He would also be forced to use symbols for things he didn’t understand or recognize. Perhaps I could give examples of what I am talking about?
Scott: Certainly, Allan. Please carry on.
For example, in Chapter 8 of his Book of Revelation John writes about seven angels who were given seven trumpets. As each angel sounded their trumpet, so the earth was assailed by a specific disaster. This is how John describes what will happen when these trumpets sound.
I should mention here that I am quoting from the King James version of the Bible.
“The first angel sounded, and there followed hail and fire mingled with blood, and they were cast upon the earth: and the third part of the trees was burnt up, and all the green grass was burnt up.
“And the second angel sounded, and as it were a great mountain burning with fire was cast into the sea: and the third part of the sea became blood; and the third part of the creatures which were in the sea, and had life, died; and the third part of the ships were destroyed.
“And the third angel sounded, and there fell a great star from heaven, burning as it were a lamp, and it fell upon the third part of the rivers, and upon the fountains of waters;
“And the name of the star is called Wormwood; and the third part of the waters became wormwood; and many men died of the waters, because they were made bitter.
“And the fourth angel sounded, and the third part of the sun was smitten, and the third part of the moon, and the third part of the stars; so as the third part of them was darkened, and the day shone not for a third part of it, and the night likewise.”
For most readers of the Bible, these descriptions will probably seem mystifying enough. But just to complicate matters, John went on to describe seven more angels, who had each been given Vials of the Wrath of God to pour upon the earth. This is what John wrote:
“And the first went and poured out his vial upon the earth; and there fell a noisome and grievous sore upon the men which had the mark of the beast, and upon them which worshipped his image.
“And the second angel poured out his vial upon the sea; and it became as the blood of a dead man: and every living soul died in the sea“.
“And the third angel poured out his vial upon the rivers and fountains of waters; and they became blood.
“And the fourth angel poured out his vial upon the sun; and power was given to him to scorch men with fire”.
“And the fifth angel poured out his vial upon the seat of the beast; and his kingdom was full of darkness: and they gnawed their tongues for pain“.
Scott: So Allan, don’t you think these verses remind you of what happened at the time of Moses?
That is exactly the point I wanted to make Scott. These verses would probably have held little meaning for the people who were living when John wrote these words. But because of the explanation given to us by Velikovsky, in explaining the various plagues that happened at the time of Moses, we have been given an insight into the apocalyptic events that John was trying to describe.
If he were still alive today, this is what I believe Velikovsky might say. Suppose a large comet was to pass in orbit around the sun. As it sped away from the sun back into the dark void of space, its luminous tail of particles would travel ahead of it, blown by the force of solar radiation.
If the earth should happen to lie in the path of this comet after its perihelion (or closest approach to the sun), then our world would first come into contact with the tail of the comet, which would extend ahead of it in space for many millions of miles.
If the dust particles in the tail of the comet were ferruginous (containing iron oxide or rust), then the earth would be showered by particles of fine, red dust. As this cosmic dust began to fall from the sky, it would settle on the skin of people and animals causing irritation and infection.
The presence in the atmosphere of these tiny particles of dust would also spawn torrential downpours of rain, which would be characterised by a blood-red color. As the earth continued to be showered by poisonous dust this bloody rain would soon contaminate the rivers and the seas, causing them to become blood-red in appearance. Those who drank from these toxic waters would die.
As the earth drew closer to the nucleus of the comet, larger particles in the comet’s tail would fall as blazing meteorites. This torment of fiery hail would then set fire to large portions of the land. Entire forests and countrysides would be engulfed in blazing infernos that would destroy crops, which would later lead to widespread famine.
Should a part of the comet, or even the nucleus itself plunge into the sea, this flaming asteroid would create unparalleled havoc, not just to those creatures in the sea, but also to those craft which happened to be travelling upon it. Coastal cities would be ravaged by tumultuous tidal waves. Hundreds of millions of people would die in a matter of minutes.
The resulting collision would devastate the land and decimate all forms of life on the planet. A cloud of dust and debris would soon circle the earth, blotting out in places the light of the sun, the moon and the stars. Such a close encounter with a large comet would severely jolt the earth, perhaps even causing it to tilt on its axis, and even change the alignment of its poles.
One final note to those listeners who would like to understand the physics behind Velikovsky’s ideas. Go to YouTube, and type in Thunderbolts of the Gods. Look for the 64 minute video associated with the Electric Universe.
And just a reminder for those people who would like to read my book, it can be reached here
Scott: Thanks Allan. You have been listening to Allan Colston, author of the book “The Last Days of Tolemac”. Do join us for our next Podcast, which will be another in the series titled “Signs of the Times.”
