AT THE EDGE - Humanity 2.0

AT THE EDGE

Humanity 2.0

Hello dear readers, this is a new “series” of articles that I named “AT THE EDGE”.

Previously I wrote a series based on Matthew 24 and the signs of the end times, where basically, news reports confirmed what Jesus prophesied.

But in this new series of articles, “AT THE EDGE”, we are going to take a look at what the world is saying about these times we live in. And we are going to see that according to many different areas of society, we are “at the edge” of a turning point in humanity. At a climax of our civilization, where uncertainty, chance and despair is all that we are left with. (according to them).

But of course we, as followers of Jesus, know that, this is not the case.

So fasten your seat belts, and hold on because we are going to be shocked.

What is the world expecting in the next years?

What are the experts warning us about, and many of us don’t know about it?

Is nature and climate out of control?

Are the nations angry, ready for a great conflagration?

Is our society (social, economic, religious) about to collapse?

These and many more questions are going to be answer, letting us know that we are “AT THE EDGE!

Humanity 2.0

Many have fantasied for eons with the idea of creating “chimeras”.

Chimera definition:

1. (in Greek mythology) a fire-breathing female monster with a lion's head, a goat's body, and a serpent's tail, any mythical animal with parts taken from various animals.

2. Biology-

an organism containing a mixture of genetically different tissues, formed by processes such as fusion of early embryos, grafting, or mutation.

Just by reading the definition you can see that the concept has been popular since early human civilizations. In fact you can go as early as the Sumerians and Babylonians civilizations and from there on to Assyrians, Egyptians, Persians, Greek and Romans as well as many different native civilizations and you will find images depicting a mix of animals or human-animals.

Not only that, you can find various ancient scriptures that mention these unusual creatures. Some will even argue that you can find these creatures in the Bible as well.

For example, 2 Samuel 23:20 says: And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, the son of a valiant man, of Kabzeel, who had done many acts, he slew two lionlike men of Moab: he went down also and slew a lion in the midst of a pit in time of snow.

Also Daniel 4:33 says: The same hour was the thing fulfilled upon Nebuchadnezzar: and he was driven from men, and did eat grass as oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven, till his hairs were grown like eagles' feathers, and his nails like birds' claws.

Then Mark 5:3-5 describes: This man lived among the burial caves and could no longer be restrained, even with a chain. 4 Whenever he was put into chains and shackles—as he often was—he snapped the chains from his wrists and smashed the shackles. No one was strong enough to subdue him. 5. Day and night he wandered among the burial caves and in the hills, howling and cutting himself with sharp stones.
Also Ezequiel and Revelations mention these creatures:
Ezequiel 1:10 As for the likeness of their faces, they four had the face of a man, and the face of a lion, on the right side: and they four had the face of an ox on the left side; they four also had the face of an eagle.
Revelations 4:7-8 And the first beast was like a lion, and the second beast like a calf, and the third beast had a face as a man, and the fourth beast was like a flying eagle. 8And the four beasts had each of them six wings about him; and they were full of eyes within...
Even Job 39:9,10 says  Will the unicorn be willing to serve thee, or abide by thy crib?
¹⁰ Canst thou bind the unicorn with his band in the furrow? or will he harrow the valleys after thee?


Lionlike men, Nebuchadnezzar turning into a beast like creature eating grass as oxen with “feathers and claws”, or this man with unnatural strength living in burial caves and howling, visions of strange mammals with wings or even unicorns are some of the examples that some will argue are some kind of chimeras in the Bible, of course they have more than these verses to “prove” their theories.

It is not my intention to support nor refute these theories. The point is that this idea of chimeras is not something new or something unheard of.

Now, you may ask: – Why do you say, “this is not something new”? Are these “chimeras” being seen or even created today?

Well as you may know, by reading my articles, my answer to this question is not going to be just my opinion or point of view, but I will let the various new articles answer that question for you.

Then you will see that we are AT THE EDGE of a ethic as well as scientific break point.

If you read my previous article back in 2012 Humans playing God... how far will it go? You saw that this concept was already talked about, and since then this technology has advanced.

Many scientist and activist groups are very concern about this, specially with this new technology that has recently come out called CRISPR, which I will go into some details later on this article.

Let me then show you some news articles where you will see how these chimeras are being created today.

150 human animal hybrids grown in UK labs: Embryos have been produced secretively for the past three years (Daily Mail) July 2011

The hybrids have been produced secretively over the past three years by researchers looking into possible cures for a wide range of diseases.

The revelation comes just a day after a committee of scientists warned of a nightmare ‘Planet of the Apes’ scenario in which work on human-animal creations goes too far.

...scientists were not concerned about human-animal hybrid embryos because by law these have to be destroyed within 14 days.

Human-animal hybrids are also created in other countries, many of which have little or no regulation.

Now, this article was back in 2011 and it is very concerning to say the least. Some scientists were concerned that this experiment could go too far creating a “Planet of the apes” scenario, meaning animals with human intelligence breaking out of the labs.

Of course they tried to calm everyone saying that the law did not let the embryos develop farther than 14 days. But my question is, What would happen if they do develop to full term and are born? What kind of creature would have they created?

Then the article ends even scarier, saying that these experiments are done in other countries with little or no regulation, so only God know what creatures exist in secret labs around the world!

But now take a look at this recent articles from this year:

Human-Animal Chimeras Are Gestating on U.S. Research Farms (MIT Technology review) January 2016

...adding human cells to animal embryos in ways that could blur the line between species.

The National Institutes of Health...was worried about the chance that animals’ “cognitive state” could be altered if they ended up with human brain cells.

...MIT Technology Review estimates that about 20 pregnancies of pig-human or sheep-human chimeras have been established during the last 12 months in the U.S.

The experiments rely on a cutting-edge fusion of technologies, including recent breakthroughs in stem-cell biology and gene-editing techniques. By modifying genes, scientists can now easily change the DNA in pig or sheep embryos so that they are genetically incapable of forming a specific tissue. Then, by adding stem cells from a person, they hope the human cells will take over the job of forming the missing organ.

Daniel Garry, a cardiologist who leads a chimera project at the University of Minnesota,... recently won a $1.4 million grant from the U.S. Army, which funds some biomedical research, to try to grow human hearts in swine.

The worry is that the animals might turn out to be a little too human for comfort, say ending up with human reproductive cells, patches of people hair, or just higher intelligence.

Other kinds of human-animal chimeras are already widely used in scientific research, including “humanized” mice...

Hiromitsu Nakauchi, a stem-cell biologist at Stanford University added human cells to these “Pigman” made from his own blood, since recruiting volunteers involves too much paperwork... the university decided to be cautious and limit the time the animals would be allowed to develop to just 28 days (a pig is born in 114 days).

Shocking? Well at least for me it is. This is the rise of the “pigman”! Human cells in animal embryos could alter their cognitive state!

They already have pig-human and sheep-human creatures and they can easily change their DNA and add stem cells from people into them!

The government is funding these experiments? And this biologist is giving these creatures his own blood!

This really is material for a epic science fiction movie, but sadly it is real life!

May be the creators of the famous game Minecraft know about these creatures, and included their version of the Pigman in their game. (Laugh out loud)

But now, seriously, the article mentioned that

“ The experiments rely on a cutting-edge fusion of technologies, including recent breakthroughs in stem-cell biology and gene-editing techniques. By modifying genes, scientists can now easily change the DNA”

The most recent revolutionary gene-editing technique is called CRISPR. Here is a brief description of what it is:

CRISPR: the good, the bad and the unknown (Nature.com)

A DNA-editing technology called CRISPR has rapidly become one of the most popular ways to alter genomes. Concerns about its risks temper excitement about its usefulness. It has already been used to modify human embryos, and the technology could alter wild animal populations; it works in everything from wheat to mice.

This new technology brings the possibility to design your baby, and many of course are concerned take a look at these articles:

Engineering the Perfect Baby (MIT Technology review)

Scientists are developing ways to edit the DNA of tomorrow’s children. Should they stop before it’s too late?

The European Union’s convention on human rights and biomedicine says tampering with the gene pool would be a crime against “human dignity” and human rights.

Now, with CRISPR, it is possible.

Can Designer Babies Be Made Smarter? (Newsweek)

Using a technology called CRISPR-CAS9, which can insert, remove and change the DNA of basically any organism, the possibility of "designer babies" comes closer toward reality.

Scientists genetically modify human embryos for the first time: Controversial technique could lead to designer babies (Daily Mail)

Chinese scientists have admitted to changing the genes of human embryos for the first time. Some scientists have already reacted with horror at the idea, for fear it could be misused to allow parents to 'select' the genes they will pass on to their grandchildren.

So not only they can create human-animal chimeras, but also they can modify the DNA of any organism including humans. We are definitely at the edge of a turning point in the history of humanity where the next generation could be a modified or “enhanced” one.



The question now is, how long will God allow this to go on? Will God let people alter God's creation to the point where it will be acceptable and practiced globally? I know that God allows man to exercise his free will, but I also know that there are limits which man cannot violate. You can find many instances in the Bible where man reached God's limit and judgment was executed.
One of them was as you know in Noah's time with the flood. They were doing something that reached the limit and God had to act. But interestingly enough, Ellen White an inspired writer, mentioned something that will make a connection between what happened back then and what it is happening today. Take a look at these quotes:

But if there was one sin above another which called for the destruction of the race by the flood, it was the base crime of amalgamation of man and beast which defaced the image of God, and caused confusion everywhere. God purposed to destroy by a flood that powerful, long-lived race that had corrupted their ways before him."—Spiritual Gifts 3 Page 64.

"Every species of animal which God had created were preserved in the ark. The confused species which God did not create, which were the result of amalgamation, were destroyed by the Flood. Since the Flood there has been amalgamation of man and beast, as may be seen in the almost endless varieties of species of animals, and in certain races of men."—Page 75

This theme is talked about in many Christian circles and many writer have written about it. For example in the book "Another Flying Serpents and Dragons: The Story of Mankind's Reptilian Past" by R. A. Boulay you find this quote which summarizes this idea of the genetic engineering before the deluge. 

But the plans of the Nefilim on earth went awry and they produced creatures quite unlike their reptilian forebears. The "divine" race was becoming diluted and the mammalian genes appeared to dominate the reptilian strain which became recessive. This factor may have been the main reason which led to the experiments in genetic engineering...
In order to redress the unforeseen and unwarranted dilution of the saurian strain, the Nefilim began experiments in changing the genetic codes, hoping in this way to reestablish their strain as the dominant one. These experiments apparently got out of control... Monsters of all sorts were produced; these in turn oppressed mankind in the years before the Deluge.

Jesus, seeing the future, prophesied that these atrocities done before the flood, which brought judgment, were going to be repeated at the end of the times,


Matthew 24:37 As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man.


I personally think we are at the edge of that limit, and if we cross that line, judgment will be executed. Obviously man is not going to stop these new technologies, pushing the envelope too far. This tells us again that Jesus coming is very close. He is about to put an end to all this madness.
The final question is: Are you ready to meet Him? Is your spiritual life fed daily? Have you accepted Jesus in your life as your Savior? If not, What are you waiting for? The best days of your life are ahead, not materially but spiritually and happiness is not based nor measured but material things but by spiritual ones.

Psalm 37:4 says: Take delight in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart.

And Isaiah 12:2 says: Surely God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid. The LORD, the LORD himself, is my strength and my defense ; he has become my salvation.”

Isaiah 41:10 Don't be afraid, because I'm with you; don't be anxious, because I am your God. I keep on strengthening you; I'm truly helping you. I'm surely upholding you with my victorious right hand." (ISV)

In these time we need peace and Jesus Himself said:

John 14:27 Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

Dear friends, we are “AT THE EDGE” of a turning point in human history. The epic climax of all times is almost 'at the door'. All these events, catastrophes, agitations, are increasing as 'birth pains', which can only tell us one thing, and that is the unavoidable, inescapable and unpreventable fact that our Lord, Master and Savior Jesus Christ, the Messiah, is returning imminently.

Are you ready?

Is your life spiritually prepared for such event?

Are you doing everything in your power to prepare your family and your loved ones?

Are we leaving the pleasures of this world aside and embracing Jesus?

It is my prayer that it will be so.

May God bless your life and families. Shalom.

Websites links:

http://www.technologyreview.com/news/545106/human-animal-chimeras-are-gestating-on-us-research-farms/

http://www.nature.com/news/crispr-1.17547

http://www.technologyreview.com/featuredstory/535661/engineering-the-perfect-baby/

http://www.newsweek.com/can-designer-babies-be-made-smarter-401258

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-3051365/Scientists-tweak-genes-human-embryos-time-Controversial-technique-lead-designer-babies.html