Planes in the Bible.

Gisborne Times, Volume LXVIII, Issue 10729, 29 October 1928, Page 7

Planes in the Bible.

AN INTERESTING BELIEF. Recently M. Louis Baraduc-Mul-ler, writing in the Paris “Illustration.” declared his belief that the source of locusts which St. John saw in his vision and described in the ninth chapter of the Book of Revelation was a prophecy of the modern aeroplanes. Lord Ampthill, writing to the "Daily Express,” says:— “I was much interested in the communication from your Paris correspondent wh'ch you published under the heading, "Aeroplanes in the Bible” on Monday last. The views of M. Baraduc-Muiler accord entirely with those of a good many persons in this country, including myself, who are convinced that the Revelation of St. John the Divine 's, to a large extent, a prophetic vision of events that have actually been taking place in our own time. It) is, however, in the Book of the Prophet Ezekiel that we find a far more definite description of aeroplanes seen in prophetic vision, and 1 often wonder why it has attracted so little attention. Ij will be sufficient to quote a few verses from the first chapter to show that- in this case the Prophet contented himself with the term, “living creatures,” and did not think it necessary to compare the aeroplanes which he saw in his vision to any birds or insects. The following verses hardly need comment, as there is no metaphor about them:—

v. s.—Also out of flio midst thereof came the likeness of font living creatures. . . . v. 6.—And every one had four faces, and every one had lour wings

v. 7.—And their feet were straight feet; and the sole of ,their loot wag like the sole ot a calf’s toot; and they sparkled like the color of burnished brass. v. 9.—Their wings were joined one to another; they turned not when they went ; they went, every one straight forward.

v. 14.—And the living creatures ran and returned as the _appearnrieo of a flash of lightiiingT v. IS.—As for their rings, they were so high that they were dreactlulj and their rings were full of eyes round about them four. v. 19.—And when the living creatures went, the wheels went by them; and when the living creatures were lifted mi from the earth, the wheels were lifted tip.

Can there be any doubt that this is a prophetic vision of a flight of military biplanes '{ The “rings" are, of course, the identification murks on tlie under side of the wings of the aeroplanes for which we looked out. so anxiously when we were in the front line during the wat. What tetter description could you have of those target-like discs than that, given abovef To any- person seeing an aeroplane overhead for the first time they would certainly look like eyes underneath the wings. The whole chapter needs reading in order to see how striking ns the description of a sight which is now famihar to us afl by a man to whom it was new and unexpected, and one who was, of course, entirely destitute of modern scientific knowledge and the comy sponding terminology.