Ancient Man and Modern Signs – January 2025 Newsletter

Dear Friend of Creation,

In the year 1900 AD, fishermen divers discovered an old wreck near the shore of the island of Antikythera, 25 miles northwest of Crete. It contained a cargo of ancient Greek marble statues, pottery, and other objects, dating to the 1^st Century BC. Among these was an encrusted bronze object of undetermined use.

This object languished in the reserve section of a museum until 1955 when a curious scientist decided to clean it. He found that it was a very complex instrument with cog wheels (gears) fitting one into another, with finely graduated circles and inscriptions in ancient Greek. Today the object, called the Antikythera Mechanism, is known to be a very sophisticated tool to determine the “language” of the heavens.

The device (of which there are thought to have been many) showed its user the motions of the sun, the moon, and the planets in the sky. You could turn the handle on the side to move the many gear wheels inside the box to wind forward and backward in time. The gears drove mathematical pointers, showing the positions of celestial bodies, the date, and the timing of Olympic games. It was a calendar, an eclipse prediction dial, and it had inscriptions giving information about what the stars and planets were doing. The dials and the pointers told you everything you might need to know about the state and workings of the cosmos.

The Bible says, “The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork. Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night sheweth knowledge. There is no speech nor language, where their voice is not heard. Their line (sound) is gone out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world” (Psalm 19:1-4).

We see here that the Scripture tells us that the heavens “speak” to us, in a way that transcends the “languages” of man, communicating “knowledge”. One of the many foundational truths of Genesis is this: “And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years” (Genesis 1:14).

Famously, The Great Pyramid of Egypt, and other ancient towers, pyramids, and structures all around the world, seem to have an astronomical purpose and method in their making. For example, The Great Pyramid covers 13 acres, 750 ft on a side at its square base, so perfectly laid out that the sides run almost exactly north-south and east-west and vary by only 7 inches (0.08%) over the huge scale. Some theorists believe that the builders of this enormous ancient monument used the star Alpha Draconis as a guide to achieve the amazingly precise orientation. The Great Pyramid seems to have functioned not only as a tomb but as a sundial, calendar, and astronomical observatory, containing many mysteries of cosmic wisdom which have led to voluminous esoteric postulations in the study of pyramids.

Famously, the “Magi” of Christmastime, a powerful and respected caste of wise men who studied astronomy, medicine, and natural science, came to Jerusalem “Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east” (Matthew 2:2). To the Magi the star signified birth. To the Magi the star signified kingship. To the Magi the star had a connection with the Jewish nation. How could some celestial event inform the Magi that a king of the Jews had been born!? Except that they knew the “lights in the firmament” could be deciphered for prophetic signs! Ancient man knew things that modern man does not. They had technology and understanding which we don’t have.

Recall that just last year on April 8, 2024, a spectacular eclipse occurred over North America. Its shadow passed with at least 90% totality over every single hamlet and township of the name “Nineveh” in North America! I wrote about this in the May 2024 Newsletter, available here. Jesus spoke about signs in relation to the experience of Jonah and His forthcoming death and resurrection – “…the sign of the prophet Jonah”, He said. And He added, “The men of Nineveh will rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it, because they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and behold, a greater than Jonah is here” (Matthew 12:41).

In the May letter, I pointed out how historical astronomers have applied computer models to verify the validity of ancient observations in historical documents, and date them. Thus we know that the “Assyrian Eclipse” occurred over Nineveh on June 15, 763 B.C., supporting ancient Assyrian records. This time coincides with the time frame in which the prophet Jonah was active under Jeroboam II (2 Kings 14:23-25), who ruled Israel from 786 to 746 BC. And biblical scholars have speculated that the eclipse took place around the time when Jonah arrived in Nineveh and urged the people to repent – adding a special astronomical “exhibit” to his message. Their empire was in chaos at this time, struggling with revolts, famines, and two separate outbreaks of plague. It was the perfect time for a prophet from far away to arrive on the scene and command a response. The Ninevites repented.

Similarly, as I wrote in May, was the “sign” of the April 8, 2024 eclipse over all the “Ninevehs” in America a call for “repentance”? The definition of “metanoia”, the Greek word for repentance, means “changing one’s mind, heart, or way of life”. And, in a political and ideological sense, in the 2024 election, America has had a “change of mind”, in many ways reversing its political trajectory. Franklin Graham, carrying on the legacy of the great American evangelist Billy Graham, said this about what he called “the most important election in the history of our nation”: “America is under attack by an immoral, anti-God agenda… I thank God… This win is historic in many ways. Millions and millions of people were praying. It’s a win for freedom-loving people everywhere, not just here in America, but around the world.”

Was this a fulfillment regarding the warning and foreknowledge of the astronomical “sign” of the Great American eclipse of 2024? Ancient men might very well have thought so – supported by biblical texts such as Genesis 1:14 and Psalm 19:1-4. Indeed, “the heavens declare the glory of God… uttereth speech… and sheweth knowledge”.

Abortion played a large role in the 2024 presidential election, and we’ve written often about how the culture of death at work against the “image of God” is supported by evolutionism in multiple ways. In 2024 we arguably lived through a great political and spiritual struggle, and we saw the hand of God over America. That struggle will continue until Christ Himself returns to bring an end to all anti-God agendas. But until then, like Jesus, we must be about our Father’s work, while observing all the happenings of earth through the lens of His Word! And we need your help.

Please join me in making 2025 a special time of prayer, continued repentance, and biblical outreach to all nations on behalf of “the glory of God”! Thank you and may God abundantly bless you in this new year!

Yours in Christ,

Mark Cadwallader, Board Chairman

P.S. This month, I want to highlight The Genius of Ancient Man. Unearth tremendous evidence for the intelligence and achievements of early man viewed in the light of creation science, that continues to confound archaeology and anthropology today! Packed with beautiful imagery and insight, this book is a wonderful resource for any bible-believing Christian. Perfect for your coffee table.

Sanctity of Human Life Sunday is this month, January 19^th. Because of this, and the global church’s continued fight to defend the unborn, I want to fervently recommend Randy Alcorn’s book ProLife Answers to ProChoice Arguments. Equip yourself with biblical and scientific insight into one of the most debated subjects of our time. Then, give the book to others and share God’s love for the unborn! Order today and empower your voice for the voiceless.

To get both or either of these resources, visit our store or call us toll-free at 1-800-422-4253 during regular office hours (Mon – Th 8:30am-4:30pm CT).