North America, Part 3
Vancouver Island
In this study we're going to focus on Vancouver Island, British Columbia, and northwestern Washington.
Here's a closer look:
Recall from Part 1 that North America is shaped like an enormous eagle. That would make Vancouver Island a thorn in its side! Above and to the left are the Queen Charlotte Islands which are rather thorn-shaped as well, but note how Vancouver Island appears to penetrate Washington state, as if causing it to split and form the Olympic Peninsula and Puget Sound:
If you have a thorn in your side, naturally it's going to cause some pain. With this in mind, isn't it interesting that there are several volcanoes in the vicinity of this thorn including the three in the next satellite image:
These volcanoes are part of the Cascade Range. The most famous of these is Mt. St. Helens.
I believe the volcanoes represent the pain caused by the thorn, much like we saw regarding
Mt. Etna and the prick of Italy's toe.
The thorn in the side reminds me of what Paul said in 2nd Corinthians 12:
7 And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure. 8 For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me. 9 And He said unto me, "My grace is sufficient for thee: for My strength is made perfect in weakness." Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
But thorns are more than just a pain, especially if we think of them as goads. They are also useful for prodding someone along or motivating them, getting their attention, and making them go where you want them to. But we're going to take a different look at thorns as we zoom in on Vancouver Island:
This thorn has a head, body, and stubby legs! Its eye is Lake Cowichan, and it has a very unusual nose (on which is the capital city of Victoria). Having the features of an animal makes this thorn come alive. Now it actually seems more like
it's burrowing, like a mole. This Star-nosed Mole has an equally bizarre nose:
Let's zoom out a bit, and take another look at Vancouver Island:
Notice how the group of (San Juan) islands at the mole's forehead combine
to form a horn (the fuzzy area above it is sediment coming from the Fraser
River). And just where is it pointing?
It's right in a man's eye. He has a prick in his eye!
The prick enters the eye at Anacortes, Washington. This man's face is very unusual. It's formed from a single, oddly shaped island (Whidbey Island) as if it's meant to portray a mask or a facade. The area at the top of the island is called Deception Pass. Here's a closer look:
There is a good example of thorns and pricks in the eye in Numbers 33:
55 But if ye will not drive out the inhabitants of the land from before you; then it shall come to pass, that those which ye let remain of them shall be pricks in your eyes, and thorns in your sides, and shall vex you in the land wherein ye dwell. 56 Moreover it shall come to pass, that I shall do unto you, as I thought to do unto them.
This is repeated in Joshua 23:
11 Take good heed therefore unto yourselves, that ye love the LORD your God. 12 Else if ye do in any wise go back, and cleave unto the remnant of these nations, even these that remain among you, and shall make marriages with them, and go in unto them, and they to you: 13 Know for a certainty that the LORD your God will no more drive out any of these nations from before you; but they shall be snares and traps unto you, and scourges in your sides, and thorns in your eyes, until ye perish from off this good land which the LORD your God hath given you.
Now let's take a look at whom or what this man is facing:
It's another face! Notice how the mouth is in a rather unusual location,
far down from the nose. That's because this prick has something in his mouth, or
rather, in its place. A slight modification will make it more obvious:
It's a scorpion!
A scorpion in the mouth reminded me of Revelation 9:
1 And the fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star
fall from heaven unto the earth: and to him was given the key of the bottomless
pit. 2 And he opened the bottomless pit; and there arose a smoke out of the pit,
as the smoke of a great furnace; and the sun and the air were darkened by reason
of the smoke of the pit. 3 And there came out of the smoke locusts upon the
earth: and unto them was given power, as the scorpions of the earth have power. 4
And it was commanded them that they should not hurt the grass of the earth,
neither any green thing, neither any tree; but only those men which have not the
seal of God in their foreheads. 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. ...
10 And they had tails like unto scorpions, and there were stings in
their tails: and their power was to hurt men five months. ...
19 For
their power is in their mouth,
and in their tails: for their tails were like unto serpents, and had heads, and
with them they do hurt.
The word 'stings' (Strong's #2759) is the Greek kentron. It is also translated 'prick' in Acts 9:5, and 26:14.
In other words, the man on the right has a prick in his eye because he's being deceived by the prick on the left; whose words are as deadly as a scorpion's sting or serpent's venom (Romans 3:13).
So there's a lot more to thorns than meets the eye. I hope this study helps you identify the thorns who are giving the North American eagle so much grief.
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