image: calm and dispair (cc) P!ndaro

After reading about the stunning medical breakthrough that causes complete human regeneration with the aid of an extracellular matrix, it crosses my mind that the ushering in of the end times will not come at the spine-tingling notion of mandatory RFID chipping. Instead, it may come as the result of man's greatest medical achievement: immortality.

The extracellular matrix, interestingly, is made from pig bladders.

That powder is a substance made from pig bladders called extracellular matrix. It is a mix of protein and connective tissue surgeons often use to repair tendons and it holds some of the secrets behind the emerging new science of regenerative medicine.

"It tells the body, start that process of tissue regrowth," said Badylak.

In this case, it regrew a man's finger -- flesh, blood, vessels, and nail.

The Old Testament Mosaic Law prohibited Israel from consuming pork, and while many cultural anthropologists attribute this to an early understanding of the affects of trichinosis, there may be another reason.

And just as it happened in the days of Noah, so it will be also in the days of the Son of Man: they were eating, they were drinking, they were marrying, they were being given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all.

(Luke 17:26-27 NASB)

And when you look back at the time of Noah, Genesis 5 lists the genealogical record from Adam to Noah, and the lifespan of the characters in the story reaches into the hundreds of years... approaching 1,000 years of age. That sinful man should live to be 700, 800, and even 900 years old allowed them to achieve levels of corruption so horrific that God was moved to destroy them all in a flood, save for Noah and his family -- as stated in Genesis 6. Jesus' warning is that the end of days will be just like those days...

Perhaps God placed the pork prohibition before Israel to slow the potential for mankind to grow in centuries worth of personal wickedness. Science has now discovered human regeneration, and this shiny box of Pandora will surely never close.

Humanity may reject the RFID, but we certainly embrace immortality. If possible, even the elect will be led astray.

You will be hearing of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not frightened, for those things must take place, but that is not yet the end. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and in various places there will be famines and earthquakes. But all these things are merely the beginning of birth pangs.

Then they will deliver you to tribulation, and will kill you, and you will be hated by all nations because of My name. At that time many will fall away and will betray one another and hate one another. Many false prophets will arise and will mislead many.

Because lawlessness is increased, most people's love will grow cold.

(Matthew 24:6-12 NASB)