"...He has also planted eternity in men's hearts and mind - a divinely implanted sense of purpose working through the ages which nothing under the sun, but only God can satisfy..." (Ecclesiastes 3:11 Amplified version)
Just before temporarily losing contact with Earth on April 6, the Artemis II astronauts took this stunning photo of their – and our – home planet setting behind the moon. This mission of the Orion spacecraft was the first crewed mission since Apollo 17 in December 1972, and set several human spaceflight records, including the farthest distance humans have ever travelled from Earth (252,760 miles); the farthest distance travelled beyond the Moon (4,700 miles); and the highest velocity with an atmospheric reentry speed of about 25,000 miles per hour.
The Artemis programme has taken years of work involving many thousands of individuals and the cost has been estimated at around $93 billion ... so far. This latest foray into space was set in motion during President Trump's first period in office, when he signed a White House space policy that directed the nation to: "not only plant our flag and leave our footprints [but to] establish a foundation for an eventual mission to Mars, and perhaps someday, to many worlds beyond".
Yearning to fly from the dawn of civilisation – from the Greek legend of Icarus and Daedalus, to kite flying in China, to the development of hydrogen-filled balloons in 18th century France, to early experiments with gliders in 19th century England and Germany, it was only in the twentieth century that powered flight became possible. Initially, the airplane built by brothers Wilbur and Orville Wright stayed airborne for just 12 seconds, but those few seconds in December 1903, changed the world. Just a matter of ten years later, aeroplanes came into use in WWI – first for reconnaissance and then strategic and tactical bombing, and within a dozen years they would transform naval warfare, the aircraft carrier replacing the battleship as the capital ship of the world's navies.
And on July 20th 1969 – a mere 65 years after the Wright brothers' maiden flight, mankind walked on the surface of the moon. Not a 12-second flight in a wooden aeroplane, but a rocket-propelled flight that took over 4 days to get to the Moon, and then a Moon walk, during their 21 hours on its surface. As opposed to two brothers working on their prototype airplane, 400,000 people worked on the Apollo programme, with NASA space agency investing around $20 billion dollars into it. As Mr. Armstrong mentioned from time to time... "I have lived through the horse and buggy age, the automobile and industrial age, the air age, the nuclear age and now into the space age." ... all this in one man's lifetime! Surely THIS is the "time of the end" we are living in: But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased." (Daniel 12:4)
Artemis III won't launch until next year, but that doesn't mean 2026 will be devoid of any space programmes; there's a whole host of missions being planned, including one from China who plan to land unmanned Chang'e 7 on the Moon's south pole; Japan is planning a mission to land on Phobos, the larger of Mars' two moons, spend three years examining the moon in detail and bring back a sample of rock, and India's Space Research Organisation has planned 7 major space missions this year alone. Russia, Taiwan, Argentina, UK and South Korea also have their expansive plans for landings and flights over the next decade.
What's behind all this effort and expense? There are basically two motivations that are driving this space race. First of all, the Moon might look like a dry barren desert but it contains rare earth elements, plus metals like iron and titanium and helium, which is used in everything from superconductors to medical equipment. But the US is currently in competition with China and they both want access to the areas with the most abundant resources ... so it's a matter of who gets there first:
Surprisingly enough, the biggest draw resource-wise is water! It seems there is water trapped in some of its minerals and access to water is vital if you want to live on the Moon. It not only provides drinking water but can also be split into hydrogen and oxygen to provide air for astronauts to breathe and even fuel for spacecraft.
Travelling through space on this exquisite blue jewel, continually turning to view different aspects of the sky, God appears to give mankind a fragile glimpse of the celestial realm above him – placing him deliberately in the unique position of being able to look up, see, contemplate and wonder at what he finds there, giving him a burning desire to know more – and explore! In the book "The Privileged Planet – How our place in the cosmos is designed for discovery":
For some reason our Earthly location is extraordinarily well suited to allow us to peer into the heavens and discover its secrets ... those same rare conditions that produce a habitable planet – that allow for the existence of complex observers like ourselves – also provide the best overall place for observing. What does this mean? At the least, it turns our view of the universe inside out. The universe is not “pointless” (Steven Weinberg), Earth merely “a lonely speck in the great enveloping cosmic dark,” (Carl Sagan) and human existence “just a more-or-less farcical outcome of a chain of accidents” (Steven Weinberg). On the contrary, the evidence we can uncover from our Earthly home points to a universe that is designed for life, and designed for discovery. (privilegedplanet.com)
Over 400 years ago in Austria, Johannes Kepler, a German mathematician, astronomer and astrologer came to a similar conclusion to that of the authors of the Privileged Planet, when he realised that the earth goes round the sun, and not the other way round:
"Thus it is apparent that it was not proper for man, the inhabitant of this universe and its destined observer, to live in its inwards as though he were in a sealed room. Under those conditions he would never have succeeded in contemplating the heavenly bodies, which are so remote. On the contrary, by the annual revolution of the earth, his homestead, he is whirled about and transported in this most ample edifice, so that he can examine and with utmost accuracy measure the individual members of the house. Something of the same sort is imitated by the art of geometry in measuring inaccessible objects. For unless the surveyor moves from one location to another, and takes his bearing at both places, he cannot achieve the desired measurement." (Johannes Kepler 1571-1630)
The Milky Way and the myriad of other galaxies – estimated at 2 trillion – we now know are "out there" ... are certainly fascinating and have spawned multiple TV series and cinema blockbusters but right now, real space travel is a very dangerous undertaking. Orion – the module in which the Artemis II crew lived – is itself a piece of creative ingenuity, and took 60 years to develop. Vital and totally reliable technologies are needed for a spacecraft to survive in space and the top five are: 1) systems for humans to live and breathe 2) reliable propulsion 3) protection from extreme heat 4) protection from radiation and 5) constant communication and navigation.
But a manned expedition also needs to protect the men when outside the module too, and space exploration usually includes two different kinds of spacesuit, both of which protect the astronauts from the dangers of their mission. One kind is worn inside the module and the other one is for spacewalks, which has been described as a miniature spaceship shaped liked the human body in which the astronaut can face radiation, dust, debris and extreme temperatures, ranging from minus 250 degrees Fahrenheit to plus 250 in sunlight!
The flexible parts of the suit are made from as many as 16 layers of material. The layers perform different functions, from keeping oxygen within the spacesuit to protecting from space dust. Closest to the astronaut’s skin, the cooling garment makes up the first three layers. On top of this garment is the bladder layer that is filled with gas to create proper pressure for the body and holds in the oxygen for breathing. The next layer holds the bladder layer to the correct shape around the astronaut’s body. The ripstop liner is a tear-resistant layer. The next several layers are insulation and act like a thermos to help maintain the temperature inside the suit. The white outer layer reflects heat from the sunlight and is made of a fabric that blends three kinds of threads. One thread provides water resistance, another is the material used to make bullet-proof vests, and the third component is fire-resistant. Some suits are plain white and some have stripes to help tell one spacewalker from another. (nasa.gov)
In direct contrast to the extreme dangers and complexity of today's space exploration, in the Bible we are given a glimpse of spirit life and "the glorious liberty" (Romans 8:21) of a type of future space travel which is in a totally different league, even to that of science fiction. It appears that God lives in the "sides of the north" (Isaiah 14:13, Psalm 75:6) but to make that journey, we would need a great deal more than a mere man-made module! Yet Christ appeared to move from one reality to another without any encumbrance whatever, but at the same time, in the first chapter of Ezekiel there's a description of some kind of vehicle, which even when read in a modern translation still sounds mind-boggling, and is unlike anything that has come from NASA's drawing board!
But it's obvious we don't need a "module" for transport! It's mentioned in the gospels that Christ was able to appear out of thin air, so to speak. (John 20:26) so is the spirit world somehow along side ours, and you can move "sideways" into another realm? Another scenario we are given is recorded in Acts chapter one, when "[Christ] was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight. (Acts 1:9) ... He could have just disappeared, but He didn't – instead leaving His disciples with a clear visual impression of their own powers of movement when spirit born in the Kingdom of God.
In this human frame, we have to have food and drink to keep us alive, but not so when composed of spirit. We won't be ethereal "spooks" – but mealtimes have always been social occasions – think of the Wedding Feast just up ahead – and it looks like eternity will be replete with delectable food and delicious wines. As king David was inspired to write ...
As the initial scripture points out ... "He has also planted eternity in men's hearts and mind – a divinely implanted sense of purpose working through the ages which nothing under the sun, but only God can satisfy ... " (Ecclesiastes 3:11) And in Isaiah we are given a glimpse of that purpose:
We have been given a picture in our physical birth of the changes sometimes necessary. In the womb we heard muffled voices, our mother's heartbeat and gurgling of the digestive tract and a little light filtered through the wall of the uterus. We were certainly "looking through a glass darkly" when it came to what our life could become, but vital changes had to take place even physically for us to live outside the womb ... our lungs had to start functioning and the blood coursing through the heart had to change direction. And something similar has to happen for us when "born again" ... as brought out in the "resurrection chapter of I Corinthians 15:
But even more than our bodies being changed, the most important change has to happen in the mind! Currently, as the world watched the launch and safe return of Artemis II, the world also was deeply concerned about the likely possibility of the conflict between the US and Iran igniting WW3! God will not give us the incredible power and abilities that goes along with an eternal body if we are still carnal and physical in our minds. We would just take our destructive powers to the outer reaches of the universe.
Dr. Werner von Braun – a former German rocket expert who helped design the destructive V-2 rocket at the close of WW2 and later became the chief architect of the rocket that propelled the Apollo spacecraft to the Moon – gave this astute observation back in the 1960's..
Von Braun and all who have striven in the last few decades for the supremacy in space have no inkling of GOD'S space programme! Of mankind's ultimate "privileged position" - once converted - as born sons of God, His family members ... ruling the entire universe! This ultimate spiritual and eternal position requires a Spirit-led mind to even grasp it, yet it involves the future of every human being that has ever lived. So as Christ revealed to His church through His end-time apostle, Mr. Herbert Armstrong, let me quote in closing from the final words in his 1966 Edition of the booklet, Who Will Rule Space? ...
Man is not ready to RULE SPACE – UNTIL two things are accomplished.
1) He must master, rule, and overcome human nature! Human nature is a PULL toward vanity, self-centeredness, lust, greed, envy, hatred, hostility toward God and God’s authority over him. It PULLS man in the way that produces unhappiness, pain, suffering, evils. He must have this nature replaced by GOD’S nature, the attitude of humility, living faith in God, obedience to God, love for - outgoing concern for – neighbor – the desire to serve, help, share, not to take, concerned only for self. In man’s present state he produces only unhappiness and evils. He is not competent to rule space, when he has not learned properly to rule his own SELF!
2) He must be CONVERTED – CHANGED from mortal to immortal – from physical human flesh and blood to spiritual composition. Then he shall have self-sustaining LIFE inherent. Then he shall not be dependent on breathing this earth’s AIR for his existence. Then he shall not be dependent on food and water from this earth for continued life. Then he shall not be affected by extremes of heat and cold. Then he shall be equipped, within himself, to RULE, under God – under the living Christ’s administration of God’s Government – the whole of the vast universe!
Yes, there is a REASON why the stars, galaxies and astral bodies are placed in far-flung outer space! There is PURPOSE to this, and to human life upon this planet EARTH!
There is a MASTER PLAN working out that divine PURPOSE here below. And it WILL BE accomplished!
When that is accomplished, when the last, final human being has had opportunity to CHOOSE which way he will go, when God has increased His own family by millions and millions, the apostle Paul reveals “then cometh the end [the total end of man’s way of life, of his organized society on this Earth], when he [Christ] shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power”! (I Cor. 15:24.)
THEN comes the inspiring thunder of the voice of the Great Creator of all things who says, “Behold, I MAKE ALL THINGS NEW… HE THAT OVERCOMETH SHALL INHERIT ALL THINGS; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son”! (Rev. 21:5-7.)
Can you envision it? Can you comprehend it?
Can you now begin to understand? God is offering YOU, not through the promises of science, not by travel in a Spaceship, not by military, political or man-made means, but by the very power of God, through being BORN of Him, as His OWN SON, RULERSHIP OVER SPACE!
Yes – it is the reborn SONS OF GOD, who are going to RULE the entirety of the universe under God, the great Ruler over all! We shall be no longer mortal, material – but born again – of GOD – spirit beings!
Don’t be caught up in the excitement of man’s feeble physical effort to “conquer” Space. Man’s effort is only another MILITARY and POLITICAL plan to extend his power – without right knowledge.
Learn God’s Truth. Begin to equip yourself God’s way – and you will be “MORE THAN CONQUERORS”! (Rom. 8:37.)
God wants YOU to rule Space! But we must first learn to rule our own human persons – according to the Maker’s Instruction Book! (Who Will Rule Space?)
“There is a real chance that water will replace – or at least join – oil as a primary source of conflict in the 21st Century.” (dailymail.co.uk)
Looking back in history, God has used water as a very effective weapon.
God Weaponised Water To Destroy The Pre-flood World
“And, behold, I, even I, do bring a flood of waters upon the earth, to destroy all flesh, wherein is the breath of life, from under heaven; and every thing that is in the earth shall die.” (Genesis 6:17)
God Weaponised Water To Destroy The Egyptian Army
“And Moses stretched forth his hand over the sea, and the sea returned to his strength when the morning appeared; and the Egyptians fled against it; and the LORD overthrew the Egyptians in the midst of the sea.” (Exodus 14:27)
God Will Weaponise Water Yet Again During End Time Events
“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;” (Revelation 8:8)
The Two Witnesses Given Power Over Water!
“These have power to shut heaven, that it rain not in the days of their prophecy: and have power over waters to turn them to blood, and to smite the earth with all plagues, as often as they will.” (Revelation 11:6)
All Life In The Sea - Destroyed!
“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.” (Revelation 16:3)
“And the third angel poured out his vial upon the rivers and fountains of waters; and they became blood.” (Revelation 16:4)
River Euphrates Dried Up
“And the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates; and the water thereof was dried up, that the way of the kings of the east might be prepared.” (Revelation 16:12)
Here is a partial list of some of the most significant cases throughout history.
430 BC - Spartans Poison Cistern in Athens
537 AD - Goths Cut Rome’s Aqueducts
1187 - Saladin Cuts Crusader’s Water Supply
1863 - General Grant Destroys Levees
1941 – Sabotage of Soviet Dam
1964 – Cuba Cuts Off Water to US Navy
1992 - Serbs Cut Water and Power to Sarajevo
2000 – Kenyans Fight with Monkeys over Water Source
2002 – Violence over Indian River
2004 – 23 Dead in Somalian Clan Dispute
2004-2006 - 250 Dead in Ethiopian Water Conflict
2008 – Kyrgyzstan Dispute Between Villagers and Border Guards Over Dam Access
2010 – Over 100 Dead in Pakistani Tribal Dispute
2012 – Protests Turn Violent Across Egypt
2014 - Over 1000 Killed in Nigeria over Water Resources
2016 – Water Crisis in Yemen
2016 – Clash Between Indian Army and Protestors
2017 – 70 Dead in Darfur over clean water source
2018 – Water Protests in Iran
Middle East 2026
“Donald Trump has threatened to destroy Iran’s water infrastructure – an act experts say would constitute a war crime that could plunge tens of millions of people into crisis. If the Strait of Hormuz is not opened ‘immediately,’ the United States ‘will conclude our lovely “stay” in Iran by blowing up and completely obliterating all of their Electric Generating Plants, Oil Wells and Kharg Island – and possibly all desalination plants,’ the president wrote on Truth Social on Monday.
Over the last five weeks, strikes have already hit desalination facilities in Iran, Bahrain and Kuwait, killing at least one worker and forcing Iranian authorities to truck water by tanker to some villages left without supply. Experts have warned that the US president’s threats, along with the recent attacks, risk escalating the conflict into a water war across the Gulf – with catastrophic consequences.
The Gulf states, in particular, are highly dependent on more than 400 desalination plants that line the coastline of the Arabian Peninsula. Without them, cities like Dubai, Doha, Kuwait City and Riyadh, home to tens of millions of people, could not exist.
But Iran is also acutely vulnerable to potential attacks on water infrastructure – its water system was already teetering on the brink of collapse before the war broke out.
Escalation could be catastrophic for the Gulf states. Kuwait relies on desalination for 90 per cent of its drinking water, Bahrain for 95 per cent, and Qatar for 99 per cent.” (telegraph.co.uk)
Not just wars - man abuses water and neglects water supply, until the rain stops!
“There have been workable plans to cope with droughts for decades, but our leaders ignore the looming crisis. There is an answer. Indeed, it is an answer that has been staring us in the face for more than 80 years. A national water grid was proposed back in 1943 by the engineer J F Pownall. He produced plans for a canal running down the spine of England at the 310ft contour and connecting the most populated towns and cities.
This Grand Contour Canal would have no locks, other than at the entry and exit points, and would serve as a grid able to distribute water around the country. Needless to say it never got built. It is hardly a new concept: the ancient Chinese built one nearly 2,000 years ago while aqueducts testify to Roman ingenuity in this field.
While repairing leaks is important, it is not sufficient. It is one thing to face the prospect of power blackouts because of the net zero policy. Just wait until the water runs out.” (telegraph.co.uk)
The Colorado River is so overused that it cannot reach the sea!
“Seven thirsty states, including California, are fighting over the dwindling waters of the Colorado River. USC experts look at how we got here — and why this was inevitable. Once hailed as the ‘American Nile,’ the Colorado River spans 1,450 miles and supplies nearly 40 million people across seven states plus northern Mexico with drinking water, irrigation for farmland and hydroelectric power. But after decades of drought and overuse, major reservoirs along the river are drying up.
The American Southwest now faces a crisis it knew was coming. The fate of the Colorado now depends on the states’ ability — and willingness — to agree on a plan to slash water consumption and equitably distribute what’s left.
The ‘American Nile’ is one of several battlegrounds in the global water wars. Halfway around the world lies a river in crisis. The true Nile River — the longest on the planet and the lifeblood of more than 300 million inhabitants in East Africa — is the site of a similar, long-running conflict over water rights. ‘Like the American Southwest, the Nile River Basin is under great pressure due to decades of increased water consumption, droughts and upstream damming.’” (today.usc.edu)
The Colorado River No Longer Reaches The Sea
“The Colorado River is perhaps one of North America’s most iconic, curving through such natural wonders as the Rockies and the Grand Canyon – but its waters are also historically low, to the point where it no longer reaches the sea. Running for over 2,300 kilometers (around 1,500 miles), the Colorado River is considered a critical source of water to more than 40 million people across seven states. Its waters are also of vital importance to more than 2 million hectares of cropland.” (iflscience.com)
The population of the planet continues to grow - now over 8 billion - but the available supply of water hasn’t changed. It is true that more than two-thirds of the world’s surface is covered by water, but most of it is too salty to drink.
Only 2.5 per cent of the water on Earth is fresh and two-thirds of that is locked up in ice-caps and glaciers. Less than 0.1% of the world’s drinkable water is accessible to humans. Since clean drinking water is essential for human existence, surely mankind would be going all out to preserve this vital resource?
The opposite is happening! Toxic waste from factory farming, waste from industry, and untreated human waste continues to be dumped into the nation’s rivers, rendering them dangerous for humans and aquatic life. The situation is now so serious that huge areas of ocean are now “dead zones”, where the oxygen level is so low that life cannot exist.
UK Rivers Used As ‘Open Sewers’
“The River Wye: It’s the nation’s favourite river and through agricultural pollution and sewage hitting our river it’s in a diabolical state. Water is life. If we haven’t got clean water, we have got no life.” (dailymail.co.uk)
China’s Rivers Used As ‘Open Sewers’
“China’s rivers have suffered profound water quality impairments due to the undeniable pressure of economic development on the environment since China’s Reform and Opening-up in 1978.” (nature.com)
India’s Rivers Used As ‘Open Sewers’
“Unplanned growth has led to the use of water bodies as dumping grounds for sewage and industrial effluent.” (yale.edu)
Most rivers end up in the sea - and even the sea is suffering!
“Hypoxia occurs when algae and other organisms die from lack of oxygen and available nutrients. This lack of oxygen creates dead zones in which most aquatic species cannot survive.” (nationalgeographic.org)
Much of the food supply is ultra-processed - corrupted. The water supply is being destroyed and even the air we breath is polluted.
Can there be any hope for the future?
Mr Armstrong writes …
“DO YOU see a bright future ahead?
For you?
For humanity?
Personally, I do – and if you can join me in saying that, you are one in a hundred thousand!
Where is any good news today?
Where is any future to be found in nations developing nuclear weapons that can erase all human, animal and plant life from the earth?
Where is any hope to be found in the wretchedness, ignorance, poverty, squalor and filth in which more than half the world’s population lives?
Where is any joyous anticipation to be found in prosperous ‘have’ nations where sources of drinking water – the rivers and lakes – are being polluted and the air we breathe is being befouled, the soil is worn out and contaminated and the foods are being robbed of nutrition in food factories; where homes and families are being broken up, crime is rapidly increasing, racial problems and violence are erupting, and sickness and mental disturbances multiplying?
Where is happiness today? …Where do we find inspiration in the assertions of world leaders and the ‘great’, warning us that we must adjust to a future of growing problems and dangers where there are NO SOLUTIONS?
There is a CAUSE for every effect.
There is a CAUSE for the state of the world today.
And there has to be a CAUSE that will produce the peaceful and happy world tomorrow.
This all means one thing. Man, imbued with human nature, is utterly UNABLE to solve his problems. He can only worsen problems and create new ones. By the ‘knowledge’ and efforts of man, this world faces doom and hopelessness.
But there emphatically is a bright future ahead! The world tomorrow – which The Plain Truth proclaims – will bring world peace, universal prosperity, universal right education, universal good health.
In the wonderful world tomorrow, we shall have knowledge of the TRUE values. People will cease chasing the false values and suffering the painful consequences. People will learn the WAY to real happiness and find it.
Life will be continuously interesting and invigorating.
There will be world peace.
There will be universal prosperity.
The greatest event of all history will be the coming of the living Jesus Christ again to earth. When he returns, the world will know something of the meaning of ‘the power and the glory’! He is coming to crush every government of men, as if to grind them into powder! He is coming as the King of kings, ruling over ALL NATIONS. He is coming to change human nature!
He is coming to enforce the WAY of outgoing concern, or love, of giving, serving, sharing, helping, instead of grasping, taking and self-centeredness.
He is coming to abolish war, competition, strife and violence. He is coming to inaugurate a universal, right education.
He is coming to clean up this filthy earth.
He is coming to restore the government of God as the all-powerful world government.
Yes, I see a very bright future – just ahead!
It’s the only GOOD NEWS in the world today!” (The Plain Truth – February 1983)
One of the first things Jesus Christ does, to show His supreme power and concern for people, is…
“When the poor and needy seek WATER, and there is none, and their tongue faileth for thirst…
I the LORD will hear them,
I the God of Israel will not forsake them.
I will open RIVERS in high places, and FOUNTAINS in the midst of the valleys:
I will make the wilderness A POOL OF WATER (lake), and the dry land SPRINGS OF WATER.
I will plant in the wilderness the cedar, the acacia tree, and the myrtle, and the oil tree;
I will set in the desert the fir tree, and the pine, and the box tree together:
That they may see, and know, and consider, and understand together, THAT THE HAND OF THE LORD HATH DONE THIS, AND THE HOLY ONE OF ISRAEL HATH CREATED IT.” (Isaiah 41:17-20)
“You don’t have to believe it!
It will happen, regardless.
It is sure – the world’s only sure hope.
This advance good news of tomorrow is as certain as the rising of tomorrow’s sun.”