The Eyes in the Sky: What's Hovering Over Us?

Welcome to this episode of the Weekly Scroll where we look at the week's news items and discuss how these current events have bearing on believers in these last days. 

Does anyone besides me remember, as a kid, being frightened by the scene in the Wizard of Oz when the skies are filled with flying monkeys who swoop down, grab Dorothy and carry her away to the witch's castle? 

Well, what I'm going to discuss this week might not provoke the same level of fright as that, but many people -- citizens and congressmen -- are becoming increasingly disturbed by what appear to be drones, but are otherwise unidentified flying objects, flying through the air in New Jersey and parts of New York. 

In NJ alone over 1000 such sightings were reported in just under a month. And since the initial reports began to show up on social media, there have been other reported sightings of these mystery drones appearing in the skies over CT, PA, VA, OH, MN and even southern CA. Reuters reported that drones have also been spotted at the U.S. Air Force base at Ramstein, Germany.

These unidentified drones have puzzled and frustrated residents and raised concerns among local and federal authorities, sparking speculation and concern over who sent them and why. The FBI, which has received over 5,000 tips -- a hundred of which warranted further scrutiny -- is investigating but says it does not know the source of the drones, which should come as quite a comfort to the populace in these states. 

In New York, Gov. Kathy Hochul said she was investigating the matter with federal law enforcement agencies. Senator Chuck Schumer called for action to make it easier for federal, state and local authorities to work together to detect and if need be "bring down" any drone seen to pose a threat.

In Connecticut, Sen. Richard Blumenthal, called for the drones to be “shot down” if necessary. 

In New Jersey, State Rep. Dawn Fantasia said from four to 180 such aircraft have been reported to authorities since Nov. 18, appearing from dusk until 11 p.m. She estimates that there are, on average, 92 sightings per night.

Rep. Chris Smith, R-N.J., asked DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas why the drones' origins are still unknown and why we can't follow them. He added, “Many of them seem to be coming from the ocean.”

This uncertainty has prompted NJ Gov. Phil Murphy to ask the Biden administration to put more resources into an investigation of the drones. He posted on X that:

That being said, Murphy was careful to stress that there is no evidence to suggest these UFOs pose a national security or a public safety threat or that they have a foreign connection. That position stands in stark contrast to the view presented by another leader from the state. 

New Jersey Congressman Jefferson Van Drew says he knows exactly what’s going on. He believes that Iran, in cooperation with China, is behind the mystery. 

Countering that opinion, the Defense Department said, while these are not U.S. military drones, there is “no evidence that these activities are coming from a foreign entity or the work of an adversary.”

As for the Biden administration, the position seems to be, “We don't know what they are but we know that they aren't a threat.” Administration and National security officials representing the FBI, the FAA, the NSC, DHS, and DOD, have acknowledged their attempts to discern the origin of these activities but as one FBI official put it: “I think there has been a slight overreaction.”

However, one DOD representative did add this: “We have not been able to locate or identify the operators or the points of origin.” I'll interject here that this is hard for me to believe. Of course, a spy balloon from China did manage to float across the entire nation, from west to east, before being shot down off the coast of South Carolina.

So is it gross incompetence? Let's hope not. But if it isn't that, then it is more likely that our government does know what these things are but isn't willing to tell us what's really going on; and that brings us to this option. Some believe we're being desensitized to a new technology and a new fact of life.

One expert in the field of surveillance and intelligence likened the situation to when the B2 was first being unveiled. Before Americans knew about the new stealth bomber, sightings were reported across America. In similar fashion, it is theorized that the US is getting ready to use this new technology in actual military applications all over the world.

In advance of this alleged mobilization, the US is believed to be experimenting, and at the same time, sending a warning to countries like Russia and China, as well as a heads up to the American people on what to expect in the near future.

Former CIA Operations officer, Laura Ballman, also suggested the drone sightings might be a U.S. operation to “test either evasion technology or detection technology in urban areas.” Ballman added that she is troubled by why the U.S. government has not been forthcoming with information regarding the drones.

President elect Trump feels the government knows exactly what they are but aren't being honest with the American people. Trump said,

Trump has also posted online, “Let the public know, and now. Otherwise, shoot them down!”

Officials, however, are warning people not to take such drastic action; to do so, in fact, could result in jail time. White House national security spokesman John Kirby said that some of the sightings might be lawfully operated planes or helicopters mistaken for drones. Yet, Kirby was compelled to admit that “the reported sightings highlight a gap in authorities.”

In other words, one agency doesn't know what another agency is up to and that has the potential to lead to chaos. And on that note, a top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, expressed frustration at the lack of communication saying:

And it is that notion, ladies and gentlemen, that brings us to what I'd like to emphasize regarding this story -- fear, uncertainty, imaginations running rampant -- and what that portends for the future, specifically as it relates to the last days. 

As it turns out, believers aren't exempt from the attraction of conspiracy theories. When we can't get specific answers to, what we believe to be, important questions, we have been known to formulate our own, some times fanciful, explanations for mysterious things. 

For instance -- and I know this will incite some of you to speak out -- but there are believers who are quite convinced that NASA conspired with a host of other government agencies in order to convince the world that the Apollo moon landings were real. Because, as the theory goes, Neal Armstrong did not walk on the moon; all of that, so say the conspiracists, was faked. 

In times past we have been fascinated -- some frightened -- by the notion that there are currently camps being set up to incarcerate American citizens, particularly those who are believers. Some people have gone to great lengths to document these camps with maps and photos, etc. Maybe they exist, maybe not?

My intention is not to address the pros and cons of these examples; my point is that some of these conspiracy theories tend to be intertwined with fear if not conceived by it -- and that is not a healthy, nor it is prescribed for those of us who are followers of Messiah.

Fear is not our friend; think about what fear did when COVID was unleashed on the world. Yes, many people died, people I knew personally, and that is unfortunate. But I would argue the greater long-term effects, some of which are still with us now, were the result of fear -- not facts. 

There are churches that no longer exist, and many more that are struggling to remain open, simply because people were afraid to venture out of their homes and be in a crowd. Fear gripped a lot of people, and in the process, we let our local, state and federal government get away with a lot. And if COVID was, as some theorize, contrived by a few with a nefarious agenda -- i.e. if it was a conspiracy -- I would argue that we assisted in its success by giving into fear. 

Now I will concede the reason some conspiracy theories exist is because they are actual conspiracies at work in the world. There are people who meet in back rooms and conspire to do this or that, and sometimes with wicked intentions. However, that is not justification for God's people to give into fear or to be carried away with conspiracy theories.

“Well, Bill, I'm not worried at all about these drones.” Good for you. But are you as resilient when it comes to other threats and fears? Fear has always been one of the worst opponents the people of God have faced. Mainly, I would surmise, because it is invisible in the traditional sense. Consequently, it sneaks into our life quite easily if we're not on guard.

Again and again, the Almighty tells His people that we are not fear our enemies; we are not to fear the giants in our lives; we are not to fear those who appear to be more numerous and more powerful than us. We are not to fear the Adversary -- we are to fear God. As was said to the prophet Isaiah:

I find it interesting that the context of this reminder to fear God above all is the fact that, apparently, there were people of God who were motivated to fear threats and conspiracies more than the Almighty. 

At the same time, this shouldn't really come as a surprise; remember what occurred when the spies brought the evil report. Israel feared the giants and fortified cities more than the One who had brought them out of Egypt and had led them through the wilderness. Consequently, those who gave into this fear died in that wilderness.

Well, I for one don't want to die in the wilderness as a victim of mob mentality; especially one that instills the fear of man or fear of the unknown into my mind and spirit. I want to keep my focus on what I know to be true -- more importantly, who I know to be the Author of Truth.

I don't know for certain what these UFOs are. I think its obvious they aren't some twenty-something techie trying to mess with everyone's mind. I'm pretty sure they aren't sophisticated contraptions from other worlds that were sent here to scope out the earth in advance of an alien invasion. 

And, no, I'm not of the opinion they are demonic fallen angels as some have theorized. More than likely, they are a government-related experiment that some bureaucrat thought could be run without drawing this kind of attention. On the other hand, maybe it is some sort of deception, actually intended to capture our attention so that we won't notice something else they really want to keep hidden.

Whatever they are, and whatever their purpose, I want you to think about the amount of media attention they have received and the curiosity and, in some cases, the fear they have generated among those who have witnessed them. 

Now with that in mind, consider what will happen, and how people will respond, when God begins to demonstrate His power and might in the heavens and upon the earth. As Yeshua said:

Notice that? Men's hearts will fail them due to the expectation of what is coming upon the earth. In other words, if some people are unsettled by what they are seeing now, can you imagine what some will do when the powers of the heavens are literally being shaken? When ominous signs are appearing in the heavens?

But those who will be so moved are those who have no real hope or faith; I would recommend Yeshua was describing those who are still fastened to the things of this world. But those of us who do have faith and hope -- and have determined within ourselves not to focus on temporal things nor to “walk in the way of this people” -- when these things begin to happen, we are to “look up and lift up our heads, because our redemption draws near.”

I'm not of the view that these drones (or whatever they turn out to be) are a sign of the end times; however, I am of the view that society's reaction and response to things we don't have answers to, helps us to see how the stage is being set for those things that are to come. In other words, doubt, uncertainty and a need to, (well as the one gentleman put it) -- “fill the vacuum with fears, anxieties and conspiracy theories” -- will lead to a great deception.

And that is exactly what the adversary, the Great Illusionist, is counting on. So then -- don't be deceived; and do not live in fear. 

Bill Cloud was raised in a traditional Christian home in South Georgia. Yet it was a trip to Israel to celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles, in 1990, that truly provoked him to become more interested in his faith. It was during this "appointed time" that God gave him a deep love for the land, the people and the language.

Soon thereafter, Bill began learning Hebrew under the tutelage of a local rabbi and has since spent many hours studying, not only the Hebrew text, but the Hebraic roots of Christianity as well. This interest in the language is tied to Bill's desire to unlock the hidden treasures within the Word of God and to teach them, along with our Hebraic roots, to believers in Messiah. Furthermore, this insight has allowed Bill to better understand the prophetic element of Scripture. As a result of this study, Bill has developed a variety of media resources dealing with prophetic themes as well as teachings related to our lost Hebraic heritage.

Bill is a featured speaker in venues throughout the country and has appeared with notable teachers such as Perry Stone, Jonathan Cahn, Joel Richardson and Hal Lindsay. He has also made several appearances on a variety of television broadcasts seen on different Christian networks throughout the world. Recently Bill, along with his wife, Beth, and their children started a fellowship in the Cleveland TN area.

Through Shoreshim Ministries, Bill and his family strive to re-introduce Christians to the Jewish Yeshua and to educate believers in the Hebraic roots of their faith. As a result of this information, disciples of the Messiah can more accurately interpret end-time events and better discern our role in these last days.
Bill and his family reside in Cleveland, Tennessee.