03 April 2006

Miscellaneous Monday trivia

by Phil Johnson


  • On Wednesday, at two minutes and three seconds after 1:00 in the morning, the time and date will be 01:02:03 04/05/06. That has never happened in your lifetime and won't happen again until after you're dead. HT: Al Sanders.
  • I get a lot of messages from spaced-out people, but I got my first-ever genuine e-mail from outer space this afternoon. Jeff Williams sent me a message from the International Space Station. He's fine; thanks us for praying for him. Tonight he'll be sleeping in an air-lock with the pressure lowered; part of an experiment to lower the nitrogen level of his blood—a test to see if NASA can speed up the preparation time required for spacewalks from the ISS.
  • Which reminds me: I began this morning very early, teaching for a pastors' conference in India via live video hookup. It occurred to me that during the 90 minutes I was speaking and answering questions, Jeff Williams flew over me and my audience on the other side of the earth. It's a small world after all.
  • I'm in the middle of an editing project, trying to finish editing John MacArthur's next major book before the publisher urges him to fire me for taking so long. For the next three weeks at least, I'll be almost incommunicado. Don't look for me to post much. The other pyros need to pick up the slack.
  • After that, I'll be in Sicily for a couple of weeks, teaching a concentrated course in systematic theology for a group of Italian pastors. I'm hoping to post something from there. However, in about ten previous trips to Italy I don't think I have ever been able to get an Internet connection, except for one ten-minute stint in an airport. So that may extend the length of my hiatus.
  • "Finally, brethren, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may have free course, and be glorified" (2 Thessalonians 3:1).
Phil's signature

31 comments:

Rebecca Stark said...

Maybe I'm missing something, but wouldn't that sequence of time/date come up every hundred years?

Phil Johnson said...

Yeah, sorry for the lack of clarity. I reworded it. I clearly need an editor.

Neil said...

haha, here too vegemite. May 4, 2006 will be the magic day.

Jonathan Moorhead said...

Any clues about the book title? I still want to know who will do Dr. MacArthur's biography.

William Dicks said...

About the sequence of time/date. It is going to happen again this very year. I bet you are wondering "who is this nut?"

Well, I am from South Africa, and here we write (like normal human beings LOL) the date with the day first (dd/mm/yy).

That means that this sequence will happen again (or, of course, the only time [ha, ha!]) on 4 May 2006.

Of course, vegemitechristian and bugblaster already informed you of that!

Just thought I'd remind you again, again!

Janet said...

I wonder what natural disaster will occur while you are in Italy!? I kinda feel sorry for Sicily. Have you warned them?

John Willis said...

But wouldn't it also occur at two minutes and three seconds after 1:00 in the Afternoon?

Love the blog by the way.

Scott McClare said...

On Wednesday, at two minutes and three seconds after 1:00 in the morning, the time and date will be 01:02:03 04/05/06. That has never happened in your lifetime and won't happen again until after you're dead.

As I write my dates yy/mm/dd, I seem to recall this happening to me at 01:02:03 on May 6, 2004. :)

pilgrim said...

At Work we use year/month/day--so to me it happened in 2004 as well.

It's still aneat pattern, but needs soem clarification--especially when somebody coems up with the same thing next month--as pointed out.

But we're not nitpicking!

Stephen Dunning said...

Me - I look forward to 02:03:04 05/06/07 Next year!

FX Turk said...

For those of you who care, you can call Phil at home and wish him well on his editing project. The number is







(###) ###-####.


Gotcha. :-)

Randy said...

That is so totally cool. Actually getting an email from space! I watch NASA TV whenever I get a few extra minutes to see if they are broadcasting from the ISS.

Randy said...

Wow, that is totally cool. Getting an email from space! I try to find time to watch NASA TV on the net whenever I have a few extra minutes just to see if they are broadcasting from the ISS.

Randy said...

I dunno how that happened.

Jeremy Weaver said...

Here's a prophecy;
Major disaster hits Sicily shorlty after Phil arrives.

donsands said...

I shall also pray, ".. that you may be delivered from unreasonable and wicked men: for all men have not faith." 2 Thes. 3:2, as well.

Castusfumus said...

Volume 2 John Commentary???
Dan gives us quizes.

TxSkypilot said...

I think the date thing is interesting. I remember noting 7/7/77 and then 8/8/88, 9/9/99. Wednesday's alignment will make up for having to wait for 1/1/11.

Of course I also note when my car odometer reads 22,222.2, etc...

I assume Phil that you will speaking at a Master's Academy in Italy. What a wonderful concept for church planting that.

Sally said...

I know that my parents noted 12:34, 5th June '78. (12:34,5/6/78) - I wasn't around then!

Sadly, I missed it last night. Cheers for the tip off though. :o)

Jonathan Moorhead said...

Cast, ah you are probably right.

Kay said...

too...many...numbers..brain...in...a..cramp...

Chris Freeland said...

The natural disaster doesn't necessarily have to happen in Sicily. It will just happen somewhere on Phil's journey. In addition to warning the country where Phil is about to arrive, Phil needs to travel with an entourage that includes an EMT, nurse, surgeon, and CIA operative. Maybe Jack Bauer's free.

Alan E. Kurschner said...

Phil,

Off subject... by any chance do you know what sermon Spurgeon used that one "carrot and horse" story illustrating the motives different people have for doing good deeds?

Thanks,
Alan

Daniel Calle said...

How far is Sicily from Naples?

John said...

Not only will it happen again in my lifetime, it seems like it will happen again even tomorrow, about 12 hours later.

Unless you're saying I'll be dead by tomorrow afternoon!!!! Oh my goodness, I've gotta go. I have things to do....must get affairs in order....

Sharon said...

Today is also my rebirthday--35 years old in the Lord. I've come so far, and have so far to go. But what a blessed journey it has been! SDG!

Andrew said...

The fact that there is a Brazilian in space is proving to be a real source of pride down here. (This may have something to do with the fact that 99.9% of Brazilians sincerely believe that it was a Brazilian named Santos Dumont who invented the airplane...and so they are way overdue for spaceflight)

I was unaware that the American astronaut was a believer. It would be neat if you could pass word through him to Marcos Pontes that there are many believers here in Brazil praying for him as well.

Scott McClare said...

TxSkyPilot said:

Wednesday's alignment will make up for having to wait for 1/1/11.

With a little more patience, can you hold out another ten months to 11:11:11, 11/11/11?

Phil Johnson said...

Ladies and gentlemen—

My mom.



Thankyuverimuch.

Pastor Rod said...

Phil,

Where in Sicily will you be? I spent 6 weeks there last fall teaching English. There were two Internet points in the town where I was, but they kept "banker's hours." I had to use the computer in the police chief's office. (I was staying at his home.)

Rod

Chris Freeland said...

"Thanks to Chris Freeland for his assistance."

My cover is blown...