Everywhere you look today in the movies, on TV, on the bookshelves, in magazines, it's all about either Vampires or Zombies, both of which are the "living dead." And if you are into guns, prepping, survival skills, doomsday prophecies, etc., you know there is lots of talk about the upcoming Zombie Apocalypse, where people are actually preparing for such a frightening scenario of the living dead walking the earth and scavaging off the living. Even the United States government is preparing for such a scenario. (See: http://news.yahoo.com/no-prank-halloween-us-military-forces-train-zombie-162141684.html).
But is this all possible? What does the Bible say about it?
In the Bible there is a passage that does indeed speak about what appers to be a zombie or zombie-like type of people. In the book of Revelation we read the astonishing passage:
Revelation chapter 9
5 And to them it was given that they should not kill them, but that they should be tormented five months: and their torment was as the torment of a scorpion, when he striketh a man.
6 And in those days shall men seek death, and shall not find it; and shall desire to die, and death shall flee from them.
7 And the shapes of the locusts were like unto horses prepared unto battle; and on their heads were as it were crowns like gold, and their faces were as the faces of men.
8 And they had hair as the hair of women, and their teeth were as the teeth of lions.
9 And they had breastplates, as it were breastplates of iron; and the sound of their wings was as the sound of chariots of many horses running to battle.
10 And they had tails like unto scorpions, and there were stings in their tails: and their power was to hurt men five months.
Here, we read about a future event, a time in which there will be people who are tormented by beings which try to hurt others. During this time, which the Bible tells us twice will be a period of five months, people will seek death, they shall desire to die, yet they won't be able to.
That sounds like zombies to me! Moreover, it sounds like an apocalypse from the book of Revelation, also known as the book of "The Apocalyse."
Who are these people? Moreover, who are those who torment these people? This has long been a mystery. And, I've only heard one message in my entire lifetime from the pulpit about this passage, as few desire to touch it, much less investigate it and uncover who it's speaking about. All we really know is that it's a future event that will happen on a world-wide scale. It is a Biblical Zombie Apocalypse. (Maybe I should if said it like this, "It's a Zombie Apocalypse of Biblical porportions! That might have sounded a little more dramatic.)
Thus, all these people speaking about, preparing for, and even prophesying of a zombie apocalypse are not wrong. Even though it sounds far fetched, it will happen, for even the word of God prophecies it!
The question then is "HOW ON EARTH DOES THIS HAPPEN?"
Most Christians today claim they don't believe in zombies, making them out to be fiction, or the stuff of horror stories, or camp fire terror tales. They refuse to believe that the dead could walk upon the earth. But in the Bible, it has happened before. I quote the book of Matthew in a time right after the resurrection of Jesus Christ, when some people did indeed resurrect and walk upon the earth in bodily form...
Matthew chapter 27
52 And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose,
53 And came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many.
It's not so much what is said here, which appears to be nothing more than horror film of dead bodies rising from the grave, rather what's not said. These are only two verses, and no other passage of scripture in the New Testaent speaks of this event! This really leaves us wondering!
Again, you've probably never heard this passage preached from the pulpit in your local congregation. It's usually widely ignored by Pastors who don't know what to do with it.
But, if you know your Bible and read the Old Testament, you know this is a resurrection of the old saints of Israel, who were in Abraham's Bosom. They arose at the time of Jesus' death, and later were taken up to heaven with Jesus, their Messiah. But we are getting off topic. Back to the future zombie apocalypse...
If you believe in zombies, you aren't alone. If you deny that zombies can exist, then you deny the scritpures which speak of them on several ocassions. (Read also Ezekiel 37, which speaks of dry bones being resurrected and walking again upon the Earth!)
So, as a Christian I can't deny that zombies do indeed exist. They have existed, and they will in the future, according to the Bible. Thus, it's no conspiracy to say that there will indeed be a true Zombie Apocalypse.
Even Science acknowledges there are ways in which the human body can become zombified. (For a good article on this, go to: http://www.cracked.com/article_15643_5-scientific-reasons-zombie-apocalypse-could-actually-happen.html).
It's also quite possible that zombies have even existed in the United States of America on three different ocassions. (For more on this, see the fun website: http://www.fvza.org/topthree.html).
So the question isn't DO ZOMBIES EXIST, the question is, "HOW DO THEY EXIST?"
And according to the Bible there appears to only be one answer. That is, they are demons manifesting themselves in the bodies of people who are either dead, or almost so.
Is this possible? Certainly. You can't read through the Gospels (Matthew through John), without reading about people who are "possessed" with devils. What are their characteristics? They like to hang out in graveyards and they seem to have superhuman strength. They also cry a lot and desire to do harm to others. Further, they don't like the indoors. They love to wander in the wilderness places in order to surprise others and torment them. (Sound like zombies to you yet?)
Are there really demons? Do they really exist? Some people don't think so, but the Bible is clear that they are real. And, in the book of Revelation, we find the entire endtime scenario laid out which tells of the rapture of the Church, in which the saints of God leave this earth, and in the void the anti-christ is allowed to rain for 7 years. During that time we read of the "Tribulation" in which the earth will be plagued by seven seals, seven trumpets, seven vials, etc. (Vials, that like a test tube! Hmmmm. Maybe there will biological warfare, which will make people into zombies). And during the tribulation the world will undergo such horrible atrocities, it will be unlike any other time in history, the moon will turn red like blood, the sun will darken, the earth will be burned and scorched, and people will cry and hide in the rocks, and pray for death. (The book of Revelation paints an even bleaker picture than I can write with words. You really should read it sometime).
With this stated, what could make people into zombies? What could make them want to die, and make life so unbearable that they would rather commit suicide than live? And how could they live five months as "zombies?"
One explanation could be Nuclear attack world-wide. (Which by the way, takes about five months to dissipate). Imagine if you will a scorched earth, with nuclear fallout spreading through the wind all over the world. The survivors would be devastated, and they would quickly look like zombies with lesions on their flesh and their hair and teeth falling out. They would be covered in ash, dirt, grime, and dust. Further, they would wander the earth in a drunken haze, not knowing where to go, what to do, and where to get food, shelter, water, etc. I can imagine they would be so hungry they would eventually turn towards cannibalism to satiate their appetites. And you would then have a world full of ZOMBIES. Or at least that's what it would look like to those in it.
Could a nuclear attack take place? Some who claim to believe the Bible think it's never going to happen. But then, there are some passages in Ezekiel which point to it being a real possibility. (Check out chapters 38 and 39 for more. They speak of fire, brimestone, wrath, etc.)
So is it possible that a true Zombie Apocalypse caused by a Nuclear detonation is on the horizon? Completely possible! Not only that, it might be sooner than you think! But here's the catch. If you are a Christian, the chances are you won't have to worry about it. For the scriptures teach us that the Rapture of the Church will take us out of here before all this comes to pass. (At least all the doom and gloom of a possible nuclear attack, the moon turning to blood, the sun turning to darkness, God's wrath poured out upon the earth, etc.).
But before the Rapture, it's possible that some kind of biological warfare could be waged on the earth which could lead to one's fellowman becoming crazy and anxious to kill others, even leading to cannibalism. (By the way, did you know that cannibalism is the rise today? There was man in Miami a year or so ago who was taken to jail for trying to eat the face of of another human being! And, stories like this are on the rise. Yet most are supressed, that's why you haven't heard about them. But look them up. They are there!)
So should you prepare? I think so. Even if you are saved and don't have to go through any of this, have you given thought to the fact that you might be preparing for someone else? Someone who might find your stash after you are gone and use it to survive? Thoughts like this I find myself entertaining often. Not only should I be active in preparing for my own family against a possible pre-tribulation biological Zombie Apocalypse, but whatever I lay up in store as a future defense might just be used by someone else after I'm gone!
So should you prepare? That's up to you. You can decide to prepare physically or not. That's your decision and it probably depends upon how much you believe about this whole subject. But are you prepared spiritually? The Zombie Apocalypse is more than just a physical attack by zombies. It's a spiritual attack by Satan and his legions who desire to unleash their wrath upon man in their appointed time during the tribulation. They are the ones like those mentioned in Revelation who seek to torment others. Will you be one of them? Or will you accept Jesus Christ as your personal Saviour, by faith in his shed blood on Calvary?