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cosmos." Here Vallee has put his finger on the mystical and religious side of the UFO phenomenon. Recognizing our inability to rescue ourselves from the human predicament of poverty, pain, suffering, death, and disease, there is a inherent tendency for us to seek salvation from a "greater power," a higher, nonearthly source. In times past this yearning was primarily fulfilled by a relationship with God. However, with the widespread, institutionalized abandonment of Judeo-Christian principles in the 20th century, millions of people have begun to look to the supernatural UFO phenomenon and their associated, god-like alien entities as the higher source of salvation for mankind. Tragically, on March 26, 1997, this was played out in the suicide-deaths of 39 members of the "Heaven's Gate" UFO cult in Rancho Santa Fe, California. Led by Marshall Applewhite, known as "Do," the 39 members of the cult believed that aliens from the "kingdom of heaven" were about to make open con-tact with mankind by evacuating the "faithful" from the surface of the planet. Believing that the world is on the threshold of global cataclysms, they decided to expedite their exit by "shed-ding their containers" in an effort to join a UFO they believed was traveling behind comet Hale- Dt Bopp! The tragic lesson here is that the while the UFO phenomenon has the ability to engender tremendous personal devotion and self-sacrifice, it also has the ability perpetrate massive deception. As we have seen, the UFO phenomenon has come to be seen by many as a scientifically acceptable replacement for God. Logical constraints of the "God is an astronaut belief" notwithstanding, for those that have rejected traditional religious beliefs, the UFO phenomenon has become an elixir for millions. This deception is a replacement to fill the God-shaped void possessed by all mankind and a powerful device to which stirs emotions and thoughts of salvation from above. We believe that the cultural preparation (or deliberate conditioning) of the world to view our alien visitors as powerful and highly evolved saviors makes the UFO phenomenon the perfect motif for the Antichrist to exploit when he ascends to power. His ability to perform supernatural signs and wonders, his comprehensive plan for the peaceful unification of mankind, and his connection to or origin from god-like alien entities will engender the masses to follow him into the biggest deception in history. In chapter 8 we pointed out that the pace of events (wars, pestilence, earthquakes, famine, etc.) in the last days was likened by Jesus to the process of pregnancy, labor, and childbirth. This presents a potentially disturbing scenario for the Church in the last days. We pointed out that long before the true labor ensues there will be a period of very intense, potentially deceptive, false labor pains that are virtually indistinguishable from the real thing. This presents the frightening scenario that at least a portion of the quickening pace of events (the false labor pains) will be experienced by the Church. 172 from above, surrender to the greater power of some wise navigators of the OPEN ET CONTACT AND THE CHURCH Does this mean we will see extensive persecution, global cataclysms, and the early