And the angel took the censer and filled it with the fire of the altar and threw it to the earth. And there were thunders and noises and lightenings and an earthquake. And the seven angels who had the seven trumpets prepared to blow them. Rev. 8:5, 6.
At 8:00 p.m. on October 30, 1938, most American families gathered around their radios to listen to the number one program in the country, Edgar Bergen and his dummy sidekick Charlie McCarthy. But on another network others settled in to hear Mercury Theatre on the Air. Orson Wells began the program with a fake weather forecast followed by music from a dance band. He interrupted the music with a series of news flashes about explosions on the planet Mars, followed by the arrival of a strange cylinder just outside Trenton, New Jersey.
Ten minutes into his program Edgar Bergen needed a drink of water, so they took a break in the live broadcast. While a vocalist sang, many listeners turned their dials to see what else was on. Stumbling onto Mercury Theater on the Air, they were drawn in by the seemingly live news flashes. The program included fake interviews with crowd noise and police sirens in the background. As if they were actually happening, news reports told of fearful creatures trashing New Jersey neighborhoods attacking everything and everyone. Nothing seemed able to stop them.
The imagination of the listeners began running wild. Mass panic spread across the nation. Ministers interrupted and dismissed church services. People contemplated suicide rather than let themselves fall into the clutches of the invading monsters. The program duped even highly educated scientists.
In Fayetteville, Indiana, the Nickless family became concerned for their lives. They collected the children and drove the mile and a half over to Grandfather's house. Grandpa Nickless was a solid man with solid values. He would know what to do. By the time they arrived at Grandpa's they were almost hysterical. They shouted, "Turn on the radio!" Grandpa listened for a bit and then began to laugh. He told than that it was a hoax--that it was just a radio program.
"How do you know?" they shouted.
Picking up his Bible, he said, "According to this, the world won't end like that." Then he reminded them of Revelation and its outcome. After a while the Nickless family calmed down and returned home to put the children to bed. Grandpa was right.
Strange things have occurred and will yet occur in this world. The trumpets of Revelation don't hide the premonition of disaster. But John did not write the book to terrify us. Instead it assures us that no matter how bad things get, it will turn out all right in the end.
Lord, calm my worries and my fears with assurance from Your Word.
At 8:00 p.m. on October 30, 1938, most American families gathered around their radios to listen to the number one program in the country, Edgar Bergen and his dummy sidekick Charlie McCarthy. But on another network others settled in to hear Mercury Theatre on the Air. Orson Wells began the program with a fake weather forecast followed by music from a dance band. He interrupted the music with a series of news flashes about explosions on the planet Mars, followed by the arrival of a strange cylinder just outside Trenton, New Jersey.
Ten minutes into his program Edgar Bergen needed a drink of water, so they took a break in the live broadcast. While a vocalist sang, many listeners turned their dials to see what else was on. Stumbling onto Mercury Theater on the Air, they were drawn in by the seemingly live news flashes. The program included fake interviews with crowd noise and police sirens in the background. As if they were actually happening, news reports told of fearful creatures trashing New Jersey neighborhoods attacking everything and everyone. Nothing seemed able to stop them.
The imagination of the listeners began running wild. Mass panic spread across the nation. Ministers interrupted and dismissed church services. People contemplated suicide rather than let themselves fall into the clutches of the invading monsters. The program duped even highly educated scientists.
In Fayetteville, Indiana, the Nickless family became concerned for their lives. They collected the children and drove the mile and a half over to Grandfather's house. Grandpa Nickless was a solid man with solid values. He would know what to do. By the time they arrived at Grandpa's they were almost hysterical. They shouted, "Turn on the radio!" Grandpa listened for a bit and then began to laugh. He told than that it was a hoax--that it was just a radio program.
"How do you know?" they shouted.
Picking up his Bible, he said, "According to this, the world won't end like that." Then he reminded them of Revelation and its outcome. After a while the Nickless family calmed down and returned home to put the children to bed. Grandpa was right.
Strange things have occurred and will yet occur in this world. The trumpets of Revelation don't hide the premonition of disaster. But John did not write the book to terrify us. Instead it assures us that no matter how bad things get, it will turn out all right in the end.
Lord, calm my worries and my fears with assurance from Your Word.
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