The Mystery of a "Star" called Wormwood

A Poisonous "Star" called Wormwood

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The author uses his combined knowledge drawn from multidisciplinary Sciences in Astronomy, Geography, Oceanography, Toxicology, Physiology and Medicine, Mathematics in his attempt to try to answer what this star “Wormwood” revealed in the Bible is.

 

A very brief summary on the basic info he knows from these disciplines in sciences and then calculated out to expand on them are spelt out as follows:

1. Earth has a total of 1.39 X 10⁹ cubic km of waters
2. 96.5 % are in global oceans = 1.34 X 10⁹ cubic km
3. 1.34 X 10⁹ cubic km = 1.34 X 10¹⁸ cubic metres = 1.34 X10²¹ litres
4. Volume of water in 1/3 of all the global oceans = 4.47 X 10²⁰ litres
5. Earth’s 263 international river basins and major rivers covering 45.3 % (231,059,898 km²) of land surface area has an estimated 2115 km³ of fresh river waters (Groombridge & Jenkins, 1998)

6. 2115 km³ = 2.115 X 10¹² m³ = 2.115 X 10¹⁵ litres
7. Volume of 1/3 of rivers = 7.05 X 10¹⁴ litres
8. Radius of Earth = 6,378 km
9. Volume of Earth = 1.087 X 10¹² cubic km
10. Radius of Sun = 695,000 km
11. Volume of Sun = 1.406 X 10¹⁸ cubic km
12. Sun / Earth Volume Ratio = 1,293,468
13. 1.29 million Earth can drop into the Sun
14. A small comet 0.5 km (500 metres) in diameter
15. Volume of a 500 meter comet = 6.55 X 10⁷ m³
16. Density of comet = 3,000 kg / m³
17. Weight of comet = 1.965 X 10¹¹ kg
18. 10 % of a 500 meter comet contains cyanide
19. Amount of cyanide present in a small comet = 1.965 X 10¹⁰  kg

 = 1.965 X 10¹⁶ mg

20. Dilution of cyanide in 1/3 of the rivers = 27.9 mg / dl (litres) – the lethal dose     
21. Intake of cyanide in fluid intake @ 2.5 litres a day   

= 69.75 mg. (extremely bitter and fatal)

22. Volume of an average comet:  5 km (5000 metres) in diameter
23. Volume of a 5000 metre comet = 6.55 X 10¹⁰ m³
24. Density of average-size comet = 3,000 kg / m³
25. Weight of average comet = 1.965 X 10¹⁴ kg
26. At 10 % content, an average comet has: 1.965 X 10¹³ kg of cyanide
27. = 1.963 X 10¹⁹ mg
28. Dilution (concentration) of cyanide in 1/3 ocean waters
29.  = 0.04 mg / dl (not lethal, but accumulative poison).
30. Intake of CN in water and all fluid intake at 2.5 litres a day = 0.1 mg (not fatal)
31. Chemical compounds found in comets like Hale-Bopp include:  methane, acetylene, hydrogen cyanide, methyl cyanide, hydrogen sulfide, formic acid, ethylene, and carbonyl sulfide
32. Amount of cyanide in an average comet at estimated 10 % content = 1.965 X 10¹³ kg

 

A Biblical Revelation: 

 

“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” (Revelation 8: 10 -11)  

 

A Holistic Scientific Analysis: 

A search of the scientific literature did not yield much information about the mystery star called “Wormwood” described in the Bible (Revelation 8:10 -11). Neither was there useful and relevant information that could be sourced from the Internet. This ‘star’ thus remains much of a mystery to the scientific world as it is an event that has yet to come to pass.  An analysis of information pieced together by the author from several disciples of science and medicine may reveal a probable explanation to this mystery. 

 

No single field or key of science, whether it be astronomy, Christian science, physics, chemistry, cosmology, mathematics or even space medicine can open up this mystery about this Wormwood Star. It requires the concerted and integrated efforts from all fields of knowledge including geography to disseminate the mystery. No wonder not even the massive information stored in the Internet provides a satisfactory explanation. Hence all the statements described below need to be referred to the compilation of analytical data set out in the above Table to support the statements.

 

An analysis of our current knowledge in astronomy tells us that the Wormwood star is probably a typical comet yet to arrive, but it will be one that is going to crash into Earth. We know from our knowledge in geography that three-quarter of the Earth’s surface is covered by water – the oceans, seas, lakes and rivers. Earth has a total of 1.39 X 10⁹ cubic km of waters.  About 96.5 % of the waters are in the oceans. 

This means there are 1.34 X 10¹⁸   cubic metres or 1.34 X 10²¹ liters of water in all the oceans of the world. .The Bible tells us that the star will fall into a third of the waters. That implies that a third of the global oceans will contain 4.47 X 10²⁰  litres of water. 

 

The Bible also describes ‘a great star from heaven’ that fell down (to Earth). Can this be possible? We know from our knowledge in astronomy that this is not possible, given the fact that an average star in heaven is about the same size as our own Sun. The radius of Earth is 6,378 km, and its volume is 1.087 X 10¹² cubic km. The Sun, technically a star, has a radius of 695,000 km, and hence a volume of 1.406 X 10¹⁸ cubic km. 

The Sun / Earth volume ratio is thus 1,293,468. In other words, 1.3 million Earths can drop into the Sun to be equivalent to its size.  Hence there is no possibility for the Sun or any star to drop into Earth. The reverse is true. This far, for ‘mathematical geography’ of the story to link up. So, we need to look for another explanation. 

 

Let’s now turn to astronomy. In ancient times anything that ‘burns like a lamp’ in the sky are all called stars. That includes a comet. The presence of a comet since ancient times has also been a suspect of a disaster. It is to the ancient civilization the presence of a comet in the sky is a harbinger of bad omen. They bring disease and death to Earth.  So how does a comet make the waters bitter, and cause death to many men. 

 

Let us assume it is an average size comet. An average size comet is some 5 km (500 metres) in diameter. Its volume is thus 6.55 X 10¹⁰ cubic metres. The density of an average-size comet is 3,000 kg / m3. Hence its average weight is 1.965 X 10¹⁴ kg. Now a number of studies on the chemical composition of a comet have already been done. One such study is Hale-Bopp Comet. It was found to contain chemical compounds that include methane, acetylene, hydrogen cyanide, methyl cyanide, hydrogen sulfide, formic acid, ethylene, and carbonyl sulfide. 



It was estimated that about 10 % of the chemical compounds in a typical comet could be hydrogen cyanide or cyanide compounds. If that is true, the amount of cyanides in a typical comet at 10 % would have a weight of 1.965 X 10¹³ kg or 1.965 X 10¹⁹ mg.  

Let's see what happens if an average-size comet were to drop into our oceans.  We already calculated that 1/3 of the oceans contain 4.47 X 10²⁰ litres of water. That means that if an average comet 5 km (5,000 metres) wide were to fall into one of the 3  major oceans – Pacific, Atlantic or Indian oceans, it will contaminate its waters at a dilution of 0.04 mg / deciliter. 

 

Let us now examine the consequences from the viewpoint of physiology and toxicology. In physiology we know that the fluid intake of an average human adult is about 2.5 litres a day to replace a minimum obligatory urine output and loss of about 800 ml a day. Hence the amount of cyanide ingested through water intake at 2.5 litres a day is a mere  0.1 mg. This, in toxicology, is not immediately fatal, although it could act as an accumulative poison. So, a human drinking from that water will not die instantly. What’s more, no human drink the salt water from the oceans. So this explanation doesn’t seem very satisfactory. 

 

Let’s look at Revelation once again, and read carefully what it says there. In Revelation Chapter 8, verses 10 – 11 it did not speak about the oceans. It says: “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”  

 

So, it is the rivers, and not the ocean that the ‘star’ fell into. But how could a 5 km diameter comet fall into a river. I do not think there is a river wide enough to accommodate an average comet. We know from our current knowledge that comets are of different sizes, and weight. They can be small, as small as only a tenth the size of an average one. 

If we assume just a small comet, as small as only 500 metres (0.5 km) in diameter drops into one of the rivers (fountain of all waters), what will the scenario be like? To answer that, let us return to geography once again. It has been documented that Earth has 263 international river basins and major rivers, covering 45.3 % or 231.059,898 km² of the land surface area (not the ocean area). 

 

There is an estimated 2115 cubic km of fresh river waters in all the rivers of the world (Groombridge & Jenkins, 1998). There are 3 major rivers with the highest volume of water discharge a year. These are:  the Amazon (6.92 cubic km of water per year), Ganges (1.38 km³ /year), and the Congo (1.30 km³ /year). Other rivers are merely very long, like the Yangtze, Nile, and Mississippi, but they do not mean they have the highest volume of water discharge.  The total volume of all the rivers is 2.115 X 10¹² cubic metres or 2.115 X 10¹⁵ litres. A third of the total volume would be 7.05 X 10¹⁴ litres. 

 

Since neither the Amazon or  the Mighty Yangtze River can  accommodate a 5 km wide comet if it should  falls into them,  a 0.5 km will easily fit into any of the 3  major  rivers. A 500 metres diameter comet with an average density of 3,000 kg / m³  weighs about

1.965 X 10¹¹ kg. At 10 % content, a small comet will contain 1.965 X 10¹⁰ kg or 1.965 X 10¹⁶ mg of cyanide. In other words, if this was to fall into a third of the ‘fountains of waters’ the cyanide levels in the fresh drinkable waters of the rivers will be in the order of 27.9 mg / dl (litres). This is immediately a fatal dose, and many men will die drinking that water because it was made bitter.

Very Brief Chemical, Physiological, Toxicological and Medical Summary of Cyanide Poisoning:   

 

Let me now move you from geography, astronomy, chemistry, to the medical aspects of cyanide poisoning. How does it work? Let us just describe it briefly: Please bear with me as we need to shift from one branch of science to another. 

 

• Chemistry of cyanide: 

Hydrogen cyanide / prussic acid: extremely bitter. Taste like bitter almonds, extremely toxic and highly soluble in water

 

• Toxicity :

Lethal concentration of gaseous hydrogen cyanide (HCN) in humans is between 100 – 500 ppm (parts per million) within a few minutes due to respiratory failure.  Lethal oral dose of cyanide compounds in solutions, say in water, is between 0.5 – 3.0 mg / kg of body weight. The lethal dose for an average 60 kg (150 lbs) reference man at 0.5 mg / kg body weight =  30 mg in a single dose 

 

• Mode of Action:

It binds with a number of body enzymes. Primarily, its action is by inhibiting the cytochrome c oxidase, mainly by binding the ferric ion of the cytochrome.  This interferes with tissue oxidative phosphorylation as it blocks the electron transfer in the energy-rich phosphate ATP / ADP biochemistry. To make this simple, short and sweet to understand, death is due to respiratory inhibition, mainly oxygen deprivation to the tissues, but more importantly to the brain. 

 

• Fluid Loss:

   Obligatory fluid loss in urine per day in an adult human = 830 dl (830 ml.)

 

·         Fluid Intake: 

 

Average fluid (water) intake of an average man = 2,500 dl (2.5 litres), depending   on humidity, temperature, physiological needs, exercise, lungs and skin output, gastrointestinal, kidney output, osmmol (salt) load, medical conditions, etc. About 2.5 litres a day is about right and about the average intake for a reference man. 

 

• Signs & Symptoms:

 

Cyanide acts rapidly on the tissues, respiratory and nervous systems. In high concentration, there is a dramatic increase in the rate and depth of respiration. This compensatory response mechanism against tissue respiratory failure is so powerful that it overrides the casualty’s normal ability to hold his breath. Fierce convulsions set in within 20-30 seconds with cessation of respiration within a minute. Cardiac failure sets in within a minute or two. 

 

In lower concentrations, HCN acts on the CNS (Central Nervous System) leading to serial neurological events such as motor weakness of the lower extremities (legs), vertigo (giddiness), nausea and headache, loss of neuro-motor coordination and unsteady gait. 

The reflexes are altered, and there may be convulsions followed by coma. These signs and symptoms very much depend on the concentration of the cyanide ingested, body weight, and body constitution. In high doses above 0.5 mg / body weight, death is the ultimate sequel. 

 

 Conclusion: 

 

 From the chemical and medical summary above, we know that cyanide is an extremely bitter substance. It tastes like bitter almonds. 

Doesn’t this fit the description that the star is called ‘Wormwood’ because the waters were made bitter? Doesn’t that fit the picture of a bitter star that fell onto Earth?  When it does fall into the rivers, does all these calculations presented here tell us  exactly how much  it needs to pollute the total volumes of a third of the rivers in such an exact dilution  that  “many men died of the  waters, because they were made bitter” (Revelation 8: 11).  

 

Doesn’t our knowledge in physiology and nutrition tell us that we cannot, but are forced to drink a minimum quantity of water to replace an obligatory loss of 800 ml of water daily, whether or not we like it. Invariably many men are going to die from this.

 

As the author pointed out, most scientists or doctors specialize only in one field of science or medicine. With that myopic, cross-eyed and un-holistic view they will never see the sights that came down from heaven as in my separate story about the SARS Virus as An Alien from Outer Space. 

September 4, 2003