In all prophecies, one place stands out at the forefront of all events that will be taking place.
Israel.
A country that is about the size of Rhode Island, has been the most disputed piece of real estate in the entire world. Why is this tiny little country in the news so much? Why is this tiny piece of land so hard fought over? Why is it that as the end times draw closer, this peace of land will be the focal point of all world governments and religions?
From the time when a man named Abram was called by God to leave his home in what is now modern Iraq, this land has been fought over. Abram- later called Abraham obeyed God's command to leave his country, and his idols and go to a new place that God promised him and his descendants forever. There are prophecies of Christ in the stories of Abraham, and the beginning of the Israeli people. Throughout many of the old time prophecies- those in the Old Testament, and the rest of the Books, Christ and Israel is the focal point.
Abraham was declared by God to be righteous- before the Law was even handed down. Abraham was declared As God's own by God Himself- as a promise to be a new people- called Israel. Why did God give so many promises to Abraham, and find him righteous among men? Because of Abraham's faith. He wasn't perfect- but he demonstrated his faith to God over and over again- and again by his son Isaac.
Now, you can read the whole account of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob here, but let's get back to what makes Israel so special. Simple- it was by faith and worship on the part of Abraham, promise through his son Isaac, and the nation through Jacob- that Israel was and still is God's chosen people- the "Apple of His eye".
Now, Abraham had 2 sons- Ishmael came first- but Ishmael was born out of natural/physical seed of Abraham through the Egyptian Hagar. Isaac was the son born spiritually- that is, he was conceived when it was physically impossible for Sarah- Abraham's wife to conceive children. It is through the spiritual son that God continued His promise. A large part of the problems we see in the middle east is conflict between the physical son Ishmael's descendants (Arab nations) and the spiritual Isaac's descendants (Israel).
Many, if not all Arab peoples believe that the covenant was between Ishmael-and Israel believes the covenant is between God and Isaac. The rest of the descendants however, from Isaac- beginning with Jacob, prove that the covenant of the promise- not only of the land, but also where the redeemer of the world would come, is through Isaac, as Jacob, his son, later began to be known as Israel.
Why is this all so important? Because of what God has blessed the world with through Israel. Consider: The nation of Israel was and is considered to be God's children- and it was through this nation, that Christ came, so that all people could be God's children also. Israel is the only nation who has seen the Shekina Glory- The Glorious Presence of God. He appeared to them as the pillar of fire and light as He led them out of Egypt, and in the Temple that was later built in Jerusalem. Someday, the world will also see the Glory of God in Jerusalem again, when Jesus comes back and rules from the Holy city during the millennium period.
God never breaks His covenants, and they are everlasting- therefore, the covenant between Israel and God is still very much the same now as it was when God made it between Himself and Abraham and his descendants. It was also through Israel that God blessed the world with the Law. He handed the law down to Israel, and many existing countries today have their basic legal systems based on that Law. Even those who don't- there is a basic moral code that transcends all people, nations, races- those as knowing that it is wrong to murder, wrong to lie, cheat and steal etc. The Holy Scriptures also have been a blessing to the world through Israel. The thousands of years of meticulously transcribing the scriptures from generation to generation, down to every detail has been carried out by Jewish scribes. The fact that the Dead Sea scrolls show that the earliest scriptures are the same as much later manuscripts has been undisputed by Biblical and archaeological scholars. The Promise of the world's redeemer also came from Israel- even at the time of Moses, Israel was promised this One would come some day, as he stated, "The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from your brethren. Him you shall hear in all things, whatever He says to you. And it shall be that every soul who will not hear that prophet shall be utterly destroyed from among the people."
Now, again, some Muslims believe that Moses was talking about Muhammad, or their Mahdi (their messiah)- but clearly, Moses was talking TO the Israelis, as someone from among Israel, the "brethren". It is impossible then to believe that Moses was talking about Mohammad since Mohammad is a descendant of Ishmael. The world has been blessed through Israel from the time of Abraham- continuing today, and will continue until Jesus comes back.
Now, we've touched a little on why Israel is important- as God's chosen people- and also a little on why there is conflict between Israel and her Arab neighbors. Now then, the land- it was promised by God- who created the universe, and the earth, and everything in it- to belong to Israel. He didn't say, "Here, rest in this land until you are ready to continue on your journey". He said, "This land I give to you and your descendants forever."
There has been a long time though where the Jews were not in the land given to them. They have been in exile, scattered among the nations of the whole earth, as a judgment from God for their disobedience, and unrepentant ways when they worshiped other gods, followed ungodly practices and practiced immorality. God though- because He has always loved His people, promised that some day, He would gather them all back into His land, where they would be at peace and have security- that He again would reside in the Holy city (Jerusalem)- He would be their God, and they would be His people. This is very important, because Old and New Testament prophecies declare that the people would return to their land in the times near the end. "I will bring back my exiled people Israel; they will rebuild the ruined cities and live in them. They will plant vineyards and drink their wine; they will make gardens and eat their fruit. I will plant Israel in their own land, never again to be uprooted from the land I have given them," says the LORD your God. (Amos 9:14-15)
This is what is happening now, and has been happening ever since Israel became a nation again after nearly 2000 years of exile. People have been steadily migrating from every nation on earth- and in these days, even during the last war with Hezbollah in Lebanon, and all the trouble from Palestinian uprisings- they are still coming. They are coming from relatively safe places like the United States and Canada- going to a tiny nation that is always under the threat of war. Why would they be so willing to leave only to go to a place that is on the brink of attacks? Some of the reason could be an upsurge of anti Semitism that is happening in places all over the world- but even this could be because God is calling them back as He promised.
Israel is by all thought and reason, a miracle in of itself. The fact that the Jewish people have been exiled over and over again from the land, only to be either taken into slavery, or persecuted and murdered by the thousands and millions throughout history- the fact that the Jewish race has survived to come back and reclaim their land can only be by an Act of God. Think about it- When the Jews were slaves in Egypt, many of them, including male babies were slaughtered, yet God called them out, and lead them eventually back to the land promised to them. After centuries, they were conquered by the Babylonians, Assyrians, Persians, Greek and Romans. During all of these times, God brought back a remnant of His chosen people to live in the land of Israel again. During these times, also, they suffered much through slavery and death. During the Roman times, they were persecuted- even after Roman Christendom, they were slaughtered by the Christians during the Crusades. They were on the verge of extinction- not only by the Nazi's of Hitler's Germany, but also in countries such as Russia. They have been driven from new homelands, such as Great Britain, and even now, they are still victims of hate crimes all over the world.
Yet- they still survived, to eventually reclaim the Nation of Israel in 1948- and recaptured their Holy City of Jerusalem in 1967. In the past 40 years, the Jewish State has come up against incredible odds, and re established their national homeland and has built a lasting sovereignty over it for the first time since the 6th century BC. They are still there. After all the plans by other nations to try and divide the land, they are still there. After all the diplomatic, military and media pressure, especially of the past 20 or so years, and especially in the past 10 years- they have still endured, and still are there. God Keeps His Word!
More on Israel next time.
Saturday, March 27, 2010
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Is America in the Bible?
When I was on AOL Blogs about a hundred years ago, I wrote a few times about how America is not in the Bible. The following article is one of the best I have seen on this topic, and although it will not be popular with most folks, those who believe in the prophecies of the Bible will understand this completely. I pray that people who have doubts or don't understand the Bible will learn and understand the signs of the times we are in. I pray that they will see the world through the Holy Spirit- not the way we are used to looking at things.
Mark Hitchcock Discusses the US as a Following Nation
By Nathan Jones
Instead of a leading nation, will the United States of America in the end times become a following nation?
Dr. David Reagan and I recently had the pleasure of interviewing Dr. Mark Hitchcock on the show Christ in Prophecy. Mark is a leading Bible prophecy expert, prolific author who has penned over 20 books on the end times, senior pastor of Faith Bible Church located in Oklahoma, and adjunct faculty member of the Dallas Theological Seminary. He is also a much in demand speaker at Bible prophecy conferences all over the nation.
Dr. Hitchcock was invited to answer questions based on his book The Late Great United States. The subtitle of Mark's fascinating book — What Bible Prophecy Reveals About America's Last Days — states the purpose. The book digs deep into the Bible, mining for any textual nugget that might reveal some value as to the United States' future as an end time player.
The United States as a Following Nation
Dr. Hitchcock: I don't think America is mentioned in Bible prophecy. I don't see America anywhere, but then that raises a really large question of why? Of course, a lot of people would say, "Well, we are not mentioned in the Bible just like a lot of countries are not mentioned." Canada isn't mentioned. Brazil isn't mentioned.
Dr. Reagan: Yes, but they are not dominating the world.
Dr. Hitchcock: That's right.
Nathan Jones: They're not AMERICA!
Dr. Hitchcock: I have never been to a conference and been asked, "Where is Canada in prophecy, or where is Brazil?" But, it makes sense that people would ask about the U.S. because we currently are the most dominant political, economic, and military nation that has ever existed.
Dr. Reagan: And, it is even more pressing when you consider the fact that the signs of the times indicate we are right on the threshold of the Tribulation.
Dr. Hitchcock: That's right. We are the great protector of Israel as well. Plus, God did mention nations that were far away from Israel. He mentions Rosh which we know is Russia. He mentions the kings of the East, some probably from China. So, God did mention places far away. If He had wanted to mention the U.S. He could have. The fact that we are not there leads me to believe that something will happen to our country that will cause us to go from being a leading nation to being a following nation.
Dr. Reagan: What do you think that is?
Dr. Hitchcock: There are a number of different reasons we can look at today. Since the Bible doesn't tell us, we then have to engage in some speculation, but I think it is speculation that is justified.
We can look at our world today and see that oil is our Achilles' heel. Back when the Arab Oil Embargo happened in 1973 and 1974, we were importing 35% of our oil and we said we've got to get off this oil addiction. Well, now we're importing 70%! Those nations have us literally over a barrel with oil, and that is a serious thing.
Another possibility is that we have the whole economic crisis, and our nation has adopted policies that are clearly going to bankrupt us. California is a good example of huge economies going bankrupt. Officially, California is already bankrupt.
The national debt clock has been spinning — 10 billion, 10 trillion, 11 trillion. Really, the amount of money becomes almost meaningless after reaching such debt. We are not selling as much as we're buying. China is mainly underwriting and financing all of this debt. We are the greatest debtor nation in all of history.
Another possibility is radical Islam. Could there be a nuclear 9/11? I hate to even say that. God forbid that would happen because we love this country and we don't want something like that to take place, but it could.
Dr. Reagan: All a terrorist would have to do is float a merchant ship into New York Harbor with a suicide crew, set off a nuclear weapon, and this nation would be in utter chaos. We would have military law overnight.
Dr. Hitchcock: Think of what that would do to our nation financially, but more importantly psychologically. There are people in this world who wake up every morning, spend all day, and then go to bed at night thinking about how they can bring down the United States which they call the "Great Satan." Today a radical Islamic attack is a very real possibility, something that horrifies us to think of it, but it certainly could take place.
Those are some of the kinds of things that we can look out there and speculate on. We are certainly looking at a collapse from within. Just look at the moral fiber of our country and the weakening of it and the way this country has moved past biblical values.
Dr. Reagan: It is what happened to the Roman Empire. It is what happened to the Russian Empire.
Nathan Jones: History's proven that any nation that adopts homosexuality as a way of life, that is the last chapter in their history.
Dr. Hitchcock: Alexander Tytler years ago explained the different phases that nations go through from birth to death. Did you know that the length of time for the existence of any of the world's greatest powers has been about 200 years? That means the United States is on borrowed time as a country.
There is a biblical event that I think points to what could happen to America — the Rapture. The Rapture is that future event when Christ is going to descend from Heaven and all believers on the Earth are going to disappear the Bible says in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye. Every believer on the face of the earth is going to be caught up to meet the Lord in the air.
That is an event the Bible gives that to me provides a very good reason as to what could cause this country to falter. When the Rapture takes place there will be believers raptured from all over the world, but America by any estimation has the largest percentage of true believers who know Jesus Christ as their Savior. There are more believers in the U.S. than all of Western Europe and England put together, where it could be below 1% in those nations.
I will never forget years ago when I was traveling from over near Ephesus to Ismer, Turkey. While riding up around the edge of the city I looked down on a city of 3 million people and learned there are only about 2,000 or 3,000 believers living there. I realized that when the Rapture happens they will never know the difference in population. This American on the bus who disappeared, well they could care less.
Now, in the United States, truly born-again believers in Christ may be about 8% to 10% according to the best statistics I have ever read on the people in this country. With believers gone the salt and light is gone. Now, you talk about a drop on the Dow Jones the next day!
Dr. Reagan: You are talking about the Rapture as an event separate and apart from the Second Coming?
Dr. Hitchcock: That's right, I would say that the Lord's coming is going to happen in two phases. There are not two Second Comings. The Lord is going to come back to the Earth at His Second Coming, but at least seven years earlier the Rapture will occur and we are going to be caught up and meet Him in the air.
Dr. Reagan: When Jesus appears in the heavens at the Rapture He is not going to come right back down to the Earth. When He appears, all believers both living and dead are taken up. You know, when that happens there will be absolute total chaos in this country.
Dr. Hitchcock: There would be, and all over the world, but especially here in this country.
Dr. Reagan: We've got born again Christians in key positions all over this country — military, education, business — you name it. The only way this nation could continue to exist would be to have military marshall law overnight. Think of all the churches that would suddenly be raided, with people stealing the sound boxes and stealing the computers and everything they could get their hands on.
Nathan Jones: We think that the immorality is bad now, but can you imagine with the removal of the Church how removed the restraining influence on the government will be? Can you imagine the immorality that would suddenly be legalized?
Dr. Hitchcock: Yes, immorality would run rampant once all the believers are taken out, and so too any support for Israel, which is the one thing I believe even with our nation as bad off as we are in, is staying God's hand against our country. Overall, we still have always been a country that's supported Israel. Now, that is beginning to wane seriously in our country and it's something we need to be very concerned about, but I think over our history we've received good marks on our report card for how we have treated the Jewish people. God has blessed our nation greatly because of that.
Once all the Christians disappear, the moral rot will deepen in our country, the support for Israel will be taken away, and that I think would deepen what evil takes place here.
I also think Europe will rise when the U.S. wanes. Europe right now is the strongest economy in the world. Did you know the European Union is going to lose less then 1% of their population to the Rapture, while we will lose 8-10% of our population? America will become at that time I believe a following nation rather than a leading nation in the world.
Mark Hitchcock Discusses the US as a Following Nation
By Nathan Jones
Instead of a leading nation, will the United States of America in the end times become a following nation?
Dr. David Reagan and I recently had the pleasure of interviewing Dr. Mark Hitchcock on the show Christ in Prophecy. Mark is a leading Bible prophecy expert, prolific author who has penned over 20 books on the end times, senior pastor of Faith Bible Church located in Oklahoma, and adjunct faculty member of the Dallas Theological Seminary. He is also a much in demand speaker at Bible prophecy conferences all over the nation.
Dr. Hitchcock was invited to answer questions based on his book The Late Great United States. The subtitle of Mark's fascinating book — What Bible Prophecy Reveals About America's Last Days — states the purpose. The book digs deep into the Bible, mining for any textual nugget that might reveal some value as to the United States' future as an end time player.
The United States as a Following Nation
Dr. Hitchcock: I don't think America is mentioned in Bible prophecy. I don't see America anywhere, but then that raises a really large question of why? Of course, a lot of people would say, "Well, we are not mentioned in the Bible just like a lot of countries are not mentioned." Canada isn't mentioned. Brazil isn't mentioned.
Dr. Reagan: Yes, but they are not dominating the world.
Dr. Hitchcock: That's right.
Nathan Jones: They're not AMERICA!
Dr. Hitchcock: I have never been to a conference and been asked, "Where is Canada in prophecy, or where is Brazil?" But, it makes sense that people would ask about the U.S. because we currently are the most dominant political, economic, and military nation that has ever existed.
Dr. Reagan: And, it is even more pressing when you consider the fact that the signs of the times indicate we are right on the threshold of the Tribulation.
Dr. Hitchcock: That's right. We are the great protector of Israel as well. Plus, God did mention nations that were far away from Israel. He mentions Rosh which we know is Russia. He mentions the kings of the East, some probably from China. So, God did mention places far away. If He had wanted to mention the U.S. He could have. The fact that we are not there leads me to believe that something will happen to our country that will cause us to go from being a leading nation to being a following nation.
Dr. Reagan: What do you think that is?
Dr. Hitchcock: There are a number of different reasons we can look at today. Since the Bible doesn't tell us, we then have to engage in some speculation, but I think it is speculation that is justified.
We can look at our world today and see that oil is our Achilles' heel. Back when the Arab Oil Embargo happened in 1973 and 1974, we were importing 35% of our oil and we said we've got to get off this oil addiction. Well, now we're importing 70%! Those nations have us literally over a barrel with oil, and that is a serious thing.
Another possibility is that we have the whole economic crisis, and our nation has adopted policies that are clearly going to bankrupt us. California is a good example of huge economies going bankrupt. Officially, California is already bankrupt.
The national debt clock has been spinning — 10 billion, 10 trillion, 11 trillion. Really, the amount of money becomes almost meaningless after reaching such debt. We are not selling as much as we're buying. China is mainly underwriting and financing all of this debt. We are the greatest debtor nation in all of history.
Another possibility is radical Islam. Could there be a nuclear 9/11? I hate to even say that. God forbid that would happen because we love this country and we don't want something like that to take place, but it could.
Dr. Reagan: All a terrorist would have to do is float a merchant ship into New York Harbor with a suicide crew, set off a nuclear weapon, and this nation would be in utter chaos. We would have military law overnight.
Dr. Hitchcock: Think of what that would do to our nation financially, but more importantly psychologically. There are people in this world who wake up every morning, spend all day, and then go to bed at night thinking about how they can bring down the United States which they call the "Great Satan." Today a radical Islamic attack is a very real possibility, something that horrifies us to think of it, but it certainly could take place.
Those are some of the kinds of things that we can look out there and speculate on. We are certainly looking at a collapse from within. Just look at the moral fiber of our country and the weakening of it and the way this country has moved past biblical values.
Dr. Reagan: It is what happened to the Roman Empire. It is what happened to the Russian Empire.
Nathan Jones: History's proven that any nation that adopts homosexuality as a way of life, that is the last chapter in their history.
Dr. Hitchcock: Alexander Tytler years ago explained the different phases that nations go through from birth to death. Did you know that the length of time for the existence of any of the world's greatest powers has been about 200 years? That means the United States is on borrowed time as a country.
There is a biblical event that I think points to what could happen to America — the Rapture. The Rapture is that future event when Christ is going to descend from Heaven and all believers on the Earth are going to disappear the Bible says in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye. Every believer on the face of the earth is going to be caught up to meet the Lord in the air.
That is an event the Bible gives that to me provides a very good reason as to what could cause this country to falter. When the Rapture takes place there will be believers raptured from all over the world, but America by any estimation has the largest percentage of true believers who know Jesus Christ as their Savior. There are more believers in the U.S. than all of Western Europe and England put together, where it could be below 1% in those nations.
I will never forget years ago when I was traveling from over near Ephesus to Ismer, Turkey. While riding up around the edge of the city I looked down on a city of 3 million people and learned there are only about 2,000 or 3,000 believers living there. I realized that when the Rapture happens they will never know the difference in population. This American on the bus who disappeared, well they could care less.
Now, in the United States, truly born-again believers in Christ may be about 8% to 10% according to the best statistics I have ever read on the people in this country. With believers gone the salt and light is gone. Now, you talk about a drop on the Dow Jones the next day!
Dr. Reagan: You are talking about the Rapture as an event separate and apart from the Second Coming?
Dr. Hitchcock: That's right, I would say that the Lord's coming is going to happen in two phases. There are not two Second Comings. The Lord is going to come back to the Earth at His Second Coming, but at least seven years earlier the Rapture will occur and we are going to be caught up and meet Him in the air.
Dr. Reagan: When Jesus appears in the heavens at the Rapture He is not going to come right back down to the Earth. When He appears, all believers both living and dead are taken up. You know, when that happens there will be absolute total chaos in this country.
Dr. Hitchcock: There would be, and all over the world, but especially here in this country.
Dr. Reagan: We've got born again Christians in key positions all over this country — military, education, business — you name it. The only way this nation could continue to exist would be to have military marshall law overnight. Think of all the churches that would suddenly be raided, with people stealing the sound boxes and stealing the computers and everything they could get their hands on.
Nathan Jones: We think that the immorality is bad now, but can you imagine with the removal of the Church how removed the restraining influence on the government will be? Can you imagine the immorality that would suddenly be legalized?
Dr. Hitchcock: Yes, immorality would run rampant once all the believers are taken out, and so too any support for Israel, which is the one thing I believe even with our nation as bad off as we are in, is staying God's hand against our country. Overall, we still have always been a country that's supported Israel. Now, that is beginning to wane seriously in our country and it's something we need to be very concerned about, but I think over our history we've received good marks on our report card for how we have treated the Jewish people. God has blessed our nation greatly because of that.
Once all the Christians disappear, the moral rot will deepen in our country, the support for Israel will be taken away, and that I think would deepen what evil takes place here.
I also think Europe will rise when the U.S. wanes. Europe right now is the strongest economy in the world. Did you know the European Union is going to lose less then 1% of their population to the Rapture, while we will lose 8-10% of our population? America will become at that time I believe a following nation rather than a leading nation in the world.
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
Is The Middle East About to Go Apocalyptic?
By Bill Salus
While world leaders met in Copenhagen for the United Nations 2009 Climate Change Conference, Damascus, Syria hosted a war tribunal with high level delegations from Iran and the Hezbollah. Concurrently, about five-hundred prophetically minded Christian’s fellowshipped at the annual 2009 Pre-Trib Rapture conference in Dallas, hosted by Dr. Tim Lahaye and Dr. Thomas Ice.Among the eschatologists in attendance were, Dr. David Reagan, Dr. Mark Hitchcock, Dr. Arnold Fruchtenbaum, Jimmy DeYoung, Jimmy DeYoung Jr., Dr. Chuck Missler, Bill Koenig, Pastor Chuck Smith, Dr. Ed Hindson, Dr. Randall Price, Mike Gendron, Dr. Thomas Horn, Al Gist, Don McGee, Terry James, Todd Strandberg, Gary Fisher, Phillip Goodman, Wilfred Hahn, Jerry Robinson, Nathan Jones, Don Perkins, Daymond Duck, Gordon Peterson, Don Mercer, Ray Gano, Mike Hile, yours truly and many more.The revived Roman Empire, trend toward Globalism, coming Mideast War, absence of America in Bible prophecy, and soon return of Jesus Christ weighed heavy on our hearts and minds at the conference. Although not all Christians worldwide agree as to when or whether Jesus Christ comes to take millions of believers out of this world, many of them are troubled by the rapidly developing dangerous events in the Middle East.
On December 2, 2009 Iranian president Ahmadinejad declared “The Zionist regime (Israel) and its (western) backers cannot do a damn thing to stop Iran's nuclear work". Just a few days later according to Debkafile, Iran successfully simulated the detonation of a nuclear warhead in laboratory conditions. This is an alarming development because detonation is one of the most difficult challenges in the development of a nuclear weapon.In addition to the above, Debkafile issued an article on December 10, 2009 entitled “If attacked, Iran wants Syria to hit back at Israel. Damascus hedges.” The article suggested that the largest Iranian delegation ever witnessed in Syrian history recently arrived in Damascus to form a strategic partnership between Iran and Syria against Israel. According to the article, Iran expects an Israeli attack within one month and wants Syria to commit to joint military action against Israel. It appears they plan to pressure Syria into a YES WE WILL ENLIST answer! (Iran and Syria confirmed a military pact on 12/11/09.)
Iran's defense minister Ahmad Vahidi headed the Iranian delegation in Damascus and he stated, "The countdown for war is coming close to its end." "We must get our strategic partnership in shape ahead of time." He went on to pinpoint “chemical, microbiological and banned nuclear weapons" as strategic retaliatory Israeli targets. Syrian and Iranian military officials purportedly proposed that Hezbollah and the Palestinian terrorist organizations start heating up Israel's borders in the coming days to draw the attention from the world's focus on the Iranian and Syrian nuclear programs. (Hamas vows to unite with Iran if Israel attacks.)Additionally, Hassan Nasrallah the Secretary General of Hezbollah, brought a delegation from Lebanon to participate in this important Damascus meeting. Hassan Nasrallah had previously advocated this type of antagonistic behavior toward Israel on September 18, 2009, when he declared Hezbollah can presently wipe out one-half of Israel’s army and that Israel should be wiped off of the map.
It appears as though things are about to go ballistic in the Middle East. Should a war break out between Israel and the parties listed above, it could segue into a sequence of events foretold in the Bible. Three Mideast centered prophecies are strongly bleeping on the prophetic radar presently. They are Isaiah 17:1, Psalm 83, and Ezekiel 38 & 39. These three major prophecies have a myriad of subset prophecies, like Ezekiel 25:14, 37:10, Obadiah 1:18, Jeremiah 49:1-27 and many more that seem interconnected. These three prophecies were alluded to frequently among the attendees at the Pre-Trib conference.While attending on December 8, 2009 I visited with Bill Koenig, a respected eschatologist and White House correspondent. He said that Syria supposedly has the most advanced scuds in the world. Additionally, we discussed the possibility that Saddam Hussein may have smuggled many of his chemical warheads into Syria before the 2003 U.S. led invasion of Iraq. I commented to Bill Koenig that; “Should any chemicals penetrate into Israeli soil, I suspect Israel might attack Damascus and ultimately bring about the fulfillment of Isaiah 17:1”. (Isaiah 17:1 alludes to the final destruction of Damascus)Also we discussed the upcoming massive civilian defense drill potentially scheduled for the middle of January 2010 in Israel. Several people at the conference had heard about this drill, which is being performed in preparation for a potential multi-front war with Hezbollah, Syria, Hamas, and perhaps Iran. This exercise is intended to prepare Israelis for an attack of a chemical and biological nature. Also Koenig concurred that gas masks are going to be re-distributed on a wide scale in Israel in January 2010, seemingly for such a scenario.Regarding chemical warfare, the Kuwaiti Daily reported in the summer of 2008 that chemical components enabling the production of mustard gas made their way through Iran and Syria into Hezbollah's hands. There is legitimate concern that deadly chemicals may already be mounted within many of Hezbollah’s rocket warheads.
Koenig believes that there are presently 50,000 rockets in Hezbollah's arsenal. In the 34 day conflict between Hezbollah and Israel during the summer of 2006, Hezbollah launched approximately 4000 rockets into many parts of Northern Israel. This proved to be an embarrassing wakeup call to Israeli Defense Forces and their leadership.Recently, in a televised speech on Al Quds day this past September, Hezbollah Secretary General Hassan Nasrallah discouraged all Arab allegiance with Israel and encouraged a multi-front war instead. He said "the next Mideast war will change the maps", inferring that in the aftermath, new maps would be drawn without the nation of Israel upon them. Undoubtedly, Hezbollah defiance is due to their success in 2006 and their abundant arsenal amassed presently in 2009.In my estimation this coming war will be unlike any other Mideast war throughout the entirety of history. I had dinner with Jimmy DeYoung, the widely respected end time’s expert, on December 7, 2009 and he, like most everyone else I spoke with at the conference about the subject, believes that Israel will pre-empt a strike against Iran's nuclear sites in the near future. "They have to", he said.The possible, albeit speculative, scenario I am suggesting to prepare for is as follows:
Israeli Pre-empted strike against Iran's nuclear sites.
Iran and/or proxies (Hezbollah, Syria, Hamas) retaliate.
Israel uses Scalar Technology against Damascus
Damascus ceases to be a city (Isaiah 17:1 fulfilled)
Arab League calls an emergency meeting intended to draw a line in the sand between Israel and the Arabs
Jordan and Egypt are pressured to break fragile peace treaties with Israel and confederate with other Arabs. (Jordan and Egypt are enlisted members of Psalm 83)
Saudi Arabia, also enlisted in Psalm 83, joins in for survival and economic, religious, and geo-political purposes
8. Psalm 83 commences...On a side note; Arab Nationalism is at an all time high especially in light of the Iranian nuclear threat. Additionally the Palestinian Refugee Plight is climaxing presently and, if the scenario I'm suggesting occurs, it could come full front and center in the midst of this major conflict.I believe these refugees are represented as the "tents of Edom" in Psalm 83:6.
Israel recognizes Arab military intentions and launches further preemptive strikes on its Arab neighbors and strikes religious sites in Saudi Arabia and overtakes the Al-Aqsa Mosque and the Dome of the Rock. (Jimmy DeYoung informed me that the priestly garb is presently being prepared for about 28,000 Levites. DeYoung declared, They are saying in Israel today; "When the dome comes down, the priestly garments come out"! )
The Psalm 83 war ends, separation wall comes down, and construction of third Jewish temple begins.
The I.D.F. becomes an exceedingly great army in fulfillment of Ezekiel 37:10.It may not happen exactly in this way; however, the above scenario is not that far fetched and I encourage people to prepare for the above or some varying scenario possibilities.The prophecies that are about to be fulfilled leading up to Ezekiel 38 are world changing and then the world will probably witness the Gog of Magog invasion. The sign posts are all up and pointing toward the nearby coming of the seven-year tribulation period ending with the campaign of Armageddon, shortly after the above type scenario occurs.Therefore, Christians worldwide should look up for our redemption draws extremely near.Related Links
Iran reels toward popular counter-revolution - DEBKAfile Israel Says Iran Close to Nuclear Capability - Voice of America Noble Energy Group Reaches Potential $9.5B Gas Deal In Israel - Wall Street Journal Barak: New Iran nuclear facility resistant to regular bombs - Haaretz.com Isralestine: The Ancient Blueprints of the Future Middle East - Bill Salus (Book)
While world leaders met in Copenhagen for the United Nations 2009 Climate Change Conference, Damascus, Syria hosted a war tribunal with high level delegations from Iran and the Hezbollah. Concurrently, about five-hundred prophetically minded Christian’s fellowshipped at the annual 2009 Pre-Trib Rapture conference in Dallas, hosted by Dr. Tim Lahaye and Dr. Thomas Ice.Among the eschatologists in attendance were, Dr. David Reagan, Dr. Mark Hitchcock, Dr. Arnold Fruchtenbaum, Jimmy DeYoung, Jimmy DeYoung Jr., Dr. Chuck Missler, Bill Koenig, Pastor Chuck Smith, Dr. Ed Hindson, Dr. Randall Price, Mike Gendron, Dr. Thomas Horn, Al Gist, Don McGee, Terry James, Todd Strandberg, Gary Fisher, Phillip Goodman, Wilfred Hahn, Jerry Robinson, Nathan Jones, Don Perkins, Daymond Duck, Gordon Peterson, Don Mercer, Ray Gano, Mike Hile, yours truly and many more.The revived Roman Empire, trend toward Globalism, coming Mideast War, absence of America in Bible prophecy, and soon return of Jesus Christ weighed heavy on our hearts and minds at the conference. Although not all Christians worldwide agree as to when or whether Jesus Christ comes to take millions of believers out of this world, many of them are troubled by the rapidly developing dangerous events in the Middle East.
On December 2, 2009 Iranian president Ahmadinejad declared “The Zionist regime (Israel) and its (western) backers cannot do a damn thing to stop Iran's nuclear work". Just a few days later according to Debkafile, Iran successfully simulated the detonation of a nuclear warhead in laboratory conditions. This is an alarming development because detonation is one of the most difficult challenges in the development of a nuclear weapon.In addition to the above, Debkafile issued an article on December 10, 2009 entitled “If attacked, Iran wants Syria to hit back at Israel. Damascus hedges.” The article suggested that the largest Iranian delegation ever witnessed in Syrian history recently arrived in Damascus to form a strategic partnership between Iran and Syria against Israel. According to the article, Iran expects an Israeli attack within one month and wants Syria to commit to joint military action against Israel. It appears they plan to pressure Syria into a YES WE WILL ENLIST answer! (Iran and Syria confirmed a military pact on 12/11/09.)
Iran's defense minister Ahmad Vahidi headed the Iranian delegation in Damascus and he stated, "The countdown for war is coming close to its end." "We must get our strategic partnership in shape ahead of time." He went on to pinpoint “chemical, microbiological and banned nuclear weapons" as strategic retaliatory Israeli targets. Syrian and Iranian military officials purportedly proposed that Hezbollah and the Palestinian terrorist organizations start heating up Israel's borders in the coming days to draw the attention from the world's focus on the Iranian and Syrian nuclear programs. (Hamas vows to unite with Iran if Israel attacks.)Additionally, Hassan Nasrallah the Secretary General of Hezbollah, brought a delegation from Lebanon to participate in this important Damascus meeting. Hassan Nasrallah had previously advocated this type of antagonistic behavior toward Israel on September 18, 2009, when he declared Hezbollah can presently wipe out one-half of Israel’s army and that Israel should be wiped off of the map.
It appears as though things are about to go ballistic in the Middle East. Should a war break out between Israel and the parties listed above, it could segue into a sequence of events foretold in the Bible. Three Mideast centered prophecies are strongly bleeping on the prophetic radar presently. They are Isaiah 17:1, Psalm 83, and Ezekiel 38 & 39. These three major prophecies have a myriad of subset prophecies, like Ezekiel 25:14, 37:10, Obadiah 1:18, Jeremiah 49:1-27 and many more that seem interconnected. These three prophecies were alluded to frequently among the attendees at the Pre-Trib conference.While attending on December 8, 2009 I visited with Bill Koenig, a respected eschatologist and White House correspondent. He said that Syria supposedly has the most advanced scuds in the world. Additionally, we discussed the possibility that Saddam Hussein may have smuggled many of his chemical warheads into Syria before the 2003 U.S. led invasion of Iraq. I commented to Bill Koenig that; “Should any chemicals penetrate into Israeli soil, I suspect Israel might attack Damascus and ultimately bring about the fulfillment of Isaiah 17:1”. (Isaiah 17:1 alludes to the final destruction of Damascus)Also we discussed the upcoming massive civilian defense drill potentially scheduled for the middle of January 2010 in Israel. Several people at the conference had heard about this drill, which is being performed in preparation for a potential multi-front war with Hezbollah, Syria, Hamas, and perhaps Iran. This exercise is intended to prepare Israelis for an attack of a chemical and biological nature. Also Koenig concurred that gas masks are going to be re-distributed on a wide scale in Israel in January 2010, seemingly for such a scenario.Regarding chemical warfare, the Kuwaiti Daily reported in the summer of 2008 that chemical components enabling the production of mustard gas made their way through Iran and Syria into Hezbollah's hands. There is legitimate concern that deadly chemicals may already be mounted within many of Hezbollah’s rocket warheads.
Koenig believes that there are presently 50,000 rockets in Hezbollah's arsenal. In the 34 day conflict between Hezbollah and Israel during the summer of 2006, Hezbollah launched approximately 4000 rockets into many parts of Northern Israel. This proved to be an embarrassing wakeup call to Israeli Defense Forces and their leadership.Recently, in a televised speech on Al Quds day this past September, Hezbollah Secretary General Hassan Nasrallah discouraged all Arab allegiance with Israel and encouraged a multi-front war instead. He said "the next Mideast war will change the maps", inferring that in the aftermath, new maps would be drawn without the nation of Israel upon them. Undoubtedly, Hezbollah defiance is due to their success in 2006 and their abundant arsenal amassed presently in 2009.In my estimation this coming war will be unlike any other Mideast war throughout the entirety of history. I had dinner with Jimmy DeYoung, the widely respected end time’s expert, on December 7, 2009 and he, like most everyone else I spoke with at the conference about the subject, believes that Israel will pre-empt a strike against Iran's nuclear sites in the near future. "They have to", he said.The possible, albeit speculative, scenario I am suggesting to prepare for is as follows:
Israeli Pre-empted strike against Iran's nuclear sites.
Iran and/or proxies (Hezbollah, Syria, Hamas) retaliate.
Israel uses Scalar Technology against Damascus
Damascus ceases to be a city (Isaiah 17:1 fulfilled)
Arab League calls an emergency meeting intended to draw a line in the sand between Israel and the Arabs
Jordan and Egypt are pressured to break fragile peace treaties with Israel and confederate with other Arabs. (Jordan and Egypt are enlisted members of Psalm 83)
Saudi Arabia, also enlisted in Psalm 83, joins in for survival and economic, religious, and geo-political purposes
8. Psalm 83 commences...On a side note; Arab Nationalism is at an all time high especially in light of the Iranian nuclear threat. Additionally the Palestinian Refugee Plight is climaxing presently and, if the scenario I'm suggesting occurs, it could come full front and center in the midst of this major conflict.I believe these refugees are represented as the "tents of Edom" in Psalm 83:6.
Israel recognizes Arab military intentions and launches further preemptive strikes on its Arab neighbors and strikes religious sites in Saudi Arabia and overtakes the Al-Aqsa Mosque and the Dome of the Rock. (Jimmy DeYoung informed me that the priestly garb is presently being prepared for about 28,000 Levites. DeYoung declared, They are saying in Israel today; "When the dome comes down, the priestly garments come out"! )
The Psalm 83 war ends, separation wall comes down, and construction of third Jewish temple begins.
The I.D.F. becomes an exceedingly great army in fulfillment of Ezekiel 37:10.It may not happen exactly in this way; however, the above scenario is not that far fetched and I encourage people to prepare for the above or some varying scenario possibilities.The prophecies that are about to be fulfilled leading up to Ezekiel 38 are world changing and then the world will probably witness the Gog of Magog invasion. The sign posts are all up and pointing toward the nearby coming of the seven-year tribulation period ending with the campaign of Armageddon, shortly after the above type scenario occurs.Therefore, Christians worldwide should look up for our redemption draws extremely near.Related Links
Iran reels toward popular counter-revolution - DEBKAfile Israel Says Iran Close to Nuclear Capability - Voice of America Noble Energy Group Reaches Potential $9.5B Gas Deal In Israel - Wall Street Journal Barak: New Iran nuclear facility resistant to regular bombs - Haaretz.com Isralestine: The Ancient Blueprints of the Future Middle East - Bill Salus (Book)
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
The Coming Mark of the Beast
Keep in mind that though many people scoff at such things as a litteral mark, and although things like implants may not be what the mark will be- the idea of getting implants and tatoos are becoming more of an excepted idea. By the time of the antichrist's mark, people will think little of having an implanted chip, or iris scan, or tatoo of some sorts- and it will be that much easier to convince people to have one.
By Michael G. Mickey
And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheadsAnd that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name (Revelation 13:16-17).The mark of the beast. It's one of the most discussed topics in the realm of bible prophecy and yet none of us know exactly what it is going to consist of. Having said that, as most of my regular readers know, I have been keeping a very watchful eye on the FDA-approved implantable microchip (VeriChip) for some time now as a potential mark of the beast technology.Imagine my surprise this morning when I read the following opening paragraphs of an article at SeekingAlpha.com entitled "VeriChip Takes Off on H1N1 Win":
An announcement today regarding the exclusive license granted to controversial chip-implant maker VeriChip (CHIP) for H1N1 detection sent CHIP shares hurtling nearly out of orbit - up 178%, or over $2 per share - to around $3.20 by Monday afternoon. Other news reports have cited that this is the biggest intra-day gain since the company went public in February 2007.VeriChip's development partner, RECEPTORS LLC, has granted exclusive rights to VeriChip to develop one of its patents based on the "virus triage detection system" used to treat H1N1 virus, commonly known as "swine flu." The H1N1 virus sent shockwaves of worry about a dangerous pandemic developing world-wide, and just last week came FDA approval of the first treatments of the virus from Sanofi-Aventis SA (SFY), CSL Ltd, MedImmune (now a subsidiary of AstraZeneca (AZN) and Novartis AG (NOV).VeriChip is best known for its human-implantable RFID (radio frequency identification) chip, which has sparked controversy from civil rights groups and religious organizations alike. Some opponents of the technology have derided VeriChip products as "spy chips."A 178% gain in VeriChip stock in less than a single day on the heels of its potential value as a tool in combating what we're being told is a coming swine flu pandemic of epic proportions? The potential prophetic ramifications are huge!Fear and Crisis as Vehicles of ChangeRahm Emmanuel, White House Chief of Staff, said the following a while back and it applies in the pandemic scenario:
You never want a serious crisis to go to waste. And what I mean by that is an opportunity to do things you think you could not do before.”In the post-September 11 world, many people are afraid and the mainstream media with all its apocalyptic movies, television series, ample references to the Mayan calendar predicting the end of the world coming on December 21, 2012 and the arguably over-hyping of a global flu pandemic are only heightening humanity's collective fears, so much so that proponents of the new world order both can and presumably are doing things to bring us closer to that end than they ever could've before.Bearing the above in mind, if the RFID implant is a gateway to the prophesied mark of the beast, what better way to enhance its image to mankind than market it as a life saver in a time of crisis? It would raise the RFID implant's marketability as the future mark of the beast by leaps and bounds, overcoming some of the issues that presently turn people off by it, like the ickiness of having a microchip injected into your flesh, for example.Ewwww!Mere days I go I stumbled across an article on MSN Money about the RFID microchip implant that caught my eye. It was examining the benefits of mankind using microchip implants as a means to, literally, make financial transactions. Is that reminiscent of Revelation 13:16-17 or what? Just scroll to the top of the commentary if you're unsure.The article, entitled "Pay with a wave of your hand?", stated, in part, the following:
It's a simple concept, really: You inject a miniature radio frequency identifier the size of a grain of rice between your thumb and forefinger and, with a wave of your hand, unlock doors, turn on lights, start your car or pay for your drinks at an ultrachic nightspot.The problem is, the whole concept is a little geeky for most of us, nauseating for some, Orwellian for a few and even apocalyptic for a smattering of religious fundamentalists.Forget the science of it - and yes, it does work remarkably well. Forget the convenience of it. Forget that similar identifying technologies, from bar codes to mag stripes, overcame similar obstacles and are now ubiquitous.Radio frequency ID implants face a hurdle the others did not: ickiness."There is sort of an icky quality to implanting something," says Rome Jette, the vice president for smart cards at Versatile Card Technology, a Downers Grove, Ill., card manufacturer that ships 1.5 billion cards worldwide a year.A lot of ground is covered in those few paragraphs, not to mention positive media coverage, that only heightens my suspicions that the RFID microchip implant may well be on its way to becoming the mark of the beast.
An obstacle the RFID microchip implant has to overcome if it's ever going to be a mainstream means of making financial transactions is the notion it is icky to have one implanted in one's body. My question? Could a crisis like a swine flu pandemic, for example, after which the RFID microchip implant could be hailed as the means used that saved hundreds of thousands of lives, change the way people feel about getting one? I believe so. In fact I believe that, if "spiritual wickedness in high places", new world order proponents or both are playing any role whatsoever in marketing the swine flu as a global catastrophe in the making, the marketing of the RFID microchip implant as a means of saving lives may be a calculated move in what we're witnessing.
The RFID microchip implant works remarkably well as a means of making financial transactions. It's as simple as waving your hand! It's almost like magic, isn't it? Subliminal message received? For many, I believe so. Absolutely.
Technologies that in the past weren't well-received by the public initially, like the bar code for example, were eventually accepted. There's a subliminal message here as well. "Give this microchip implant idea a little more time to be accepted and it, too, can become a part of your daily life. After all, you accepted bar codes and nothing bad came of that, right?"ConclusionsBible prophecy tells us that pestilences are going to play a prominent role in the end times (Luke 21:11), a device of some variety is going to eventually become both a necessity to make purchases and a symbol of allegiance to the prophesied Antichrist and the new world order he will utilize to wield control "over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations (Revelation 13:7), and that deception is going to be part and parcel for the last days on a variety of fronts.In what I've shared with you in this commentary I believe we can all see that the news of our world today is quite possibly following the storyline detailed in bible prophecy that will lead to the mark of the beast becoming a reality and, in a wider sense, demonstrating that the fulfillment of all of the bible's yet to be fulfilled prophecies is within view. As such, let us live our lives soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world, looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ. (Titus 2:12-13)Got Jesus?If you're reading this commentary today and you have never accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, it's time for you to do so. The world around us today is eerily reminiscent of the descriptions provided in bible prophecy of the days leading up to Christ's return to the extent that I wouldn't, personally, risk a second of my life at this point without having secured my eternal destiny.In my youth, the pastor of my church used to say, "There is a heaven to gain and a hell to shun." So true, but in the days we're presently living in, as if the previous isn't enough to worry about, the potential that one may have to endure a time Jesus Christ said would feature tribulation the likes of which has never been seen from the creation until now (and beyond) has NEVER been higher than right now! Thus, the need to come to faith in Jesus Christ TODAY!If the Rapture of the Church should occur today and you found yourself left behind for no other reason than you thought you had more time to come to faith in Christ than you actually did, what a tragedy it would be, especially if you realized that your soul's salvation depended on you understanding the content of my site's Post-Rapture Survival Guide and heeding its words of warning at the risk of being martyred when you could've been caught up in the air to be with the Lord and avoided the whole nightmarish situation!Please, I'm begging you. Come to faith in Christ! Don't play games at a time like this. The risks are too great and none of us, even under the most ideal of circumstances, are promised a tomorrow.
By Michael G. Mickey
And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheadsAnd that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name (Revelation 13:16-17).The mark of the beast. It's one of the most discussed topics in the realm of bible prophecy and yet none of us know exactly what it is going to consist of. Having said that, as most of my regular readers know, I have been keeping a very watchful eye on the FDA-approved implantable microchip (VeriChip) for some time now as a potential mark of the beast technology.Imagine my surprise this morning when I read the following opening paragraphs of an article at SeekingAlpha.com entitled "VeriChip Takes Off on H1N1 Win":
An announcement today regarding the exclusive license granted to controversial chip-implant maker VeriChip (CHIP) for H1N1 detection sent CHIP shares hurtling nearly out of orbit - up 178%, or over $2 per share - to around $3.20 by Monday afternoon. Other news reports have cited that this is the biggest intra-day gain since the company went public in February 2007.VeriChip's development partner, RECEPTORS LLC, has granted exclusive rights to VeriChip to develop one of its patents based on the "virus triage detection system" used to treat H1N1 virus, commonly known as "swine flu." The H1N1 virus sent shockwaves of worry about a dangerous pandemic developing world-wide, and just last week came FDA approval of the first treatments of the virus from Sanofi-Aventis SA (SFY), CSL Ltd, MedImmune (now a subsidiary of AstraZeneca (AZN) and Novartis AG (NOV).VeriChip is best known for its human-implantable RFID (radio frequency identification) chip, which has sparked controversy from civil rights groups and religious organizations alike. Some opponents of the technology have derided VeriChip products as "spy chips."A 178% gain in VeriChip stock in less than a single day on the heels of its potential value as a tool in combating what we're being told is a coming swine flu pandemic of epic proportions? The potential prophetic ramifications are huge!Fear and Crisis as Vehicles of ChangeRahm Emmanuel, White House Chief of Staff, said the following a while back and it applies in the pandemic scenario:
You never want a serious crisis to go to waste. And what I mean by that is an opportunity to do things you think you could not do before.”In the post-September 11 world, many people are afraid and the mainstream media with all its apocalyptic movies, television series, ample references to the Mayan calendar predicting the end of the world coming on December 21, 2012 and the arguably over-hyping of a global flu pandemic are only heightening humanity's collective fears, so much so that proponents of the new world order both can and presumably are doing things to bring us closer to that end than they ever could've before.Bearing the above in mind, if the RFID implant is a gateway to the prophesied mark of the beast, what better way to enhance its image to mankind than market it as a life saver in a time of crisis? It would raise the RFID implant's marketability as the future mark of the beast by leaps and bounds, overcoming some of the issues that presently turn people off by it, like the ickiness of having a microchip injected into your flesh, for example.Ewwww!Mere days I go I stumbled across an article on MSN Money about the RFID microchip implant that caught my eye. It was examining the benefits of mankind using microchip implants as a means to, literally, make financial transactions. Is that reminiscent of Revelation 13:16-17 or what? Just scroll to the top of the commentary if you're unsure.The article, entitled "Pay with a wave of your hand?", stated, in part, the following:
It's a simple concept, really: You inject a miniature radio frequency identifier the size of a grain of rice between your thumb and forefinger and, with a wave of your hand, unlock doors, turn on lights, start your car or pay for your drinks at an ultrachic nightspot.The problem is, the whole concept is a little geeky for most of us, nauseating for some, Orwellian for a few and even apocalyptic for a smattering of religious fundamentalists.Forget the science of it - and yes, it does work remarkably well. Forget the convenience of it. Forget that similar identifying technologies, from bar codes to mag stripes, overcame similar obstacles and are now ubiquitous.Radio frequency ID implants face a hurdle the others did not: ickiness."There is sort of an icky quality to implanting something," says Rome Jette, the vice president for smart cards at Versatile Card Technology, a Downers Grove, Ill., card manufacturer that ships 1.5 billion cards worldwide a year.A lot of ground is covered in those few paragraphs, not to mention positive media coverage, that only heightens my suspicions that the RFID microchip implant may well be on its way to becoming the mark of the beast.
An obstacle the RFID microchip implant has to overcome if it's ever going to be a mainstream means of making financial transactions is the notion it is icky to have one implanted in one's body. My question? Could a crisis like a swine flu pandemic, for example, after which the RFID microchip implant could be hailed as the means used that saved hundreds of thousands of lives, change the way people feel about getting one? I believe so. In fact I believe that, if "spiritual wickedness in high places", new world order proponents or both are playing any role whatsoever in marketing the swine flu as a global catastrophe in the making, the marketing of the RFID microchip implant as a means of saving lives may be a calculated move in what we're witnessing.
The RFID microchip implant works remarkably well as a means of making financial transactions. It's as simple as waving your hand! It's almost like magic, isn't it? Subliminal message received? For many, I believe so. Absolutely.
Technologies that in the past weren't well-received by the public initially, like the bar code for example, were eventually accepted. There's a subliminal message here as well. "Give this microchip implant idea a little more time to be accepted and it, too, can become a part of your daily life. After all, you accepted bar codes and nothing bad came of that, right?"ConclusionsBible prophecy tells us that pestilences are going to play a prominent role in the end times (Luke 21:11), a device of some variety is going to eventually become both a necessity to make purchases and a symbol of allegiance to the prophesied Antichrist and the new world order he will utilize to wield control "over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations (Revelation 13:7), and that deception is going to be part and parcel for the last days on a variety of fronts.In what I've shared with you in this commentary I believe we can all see that the news of our world today is quite possibly following the storyline detailed in bible prophecy that will lead to the mark of the beast becoming a reality and, in a wider sense, demonstrating that the fulfillment of all of the bible's yet to be fulfilled prophecies is within view. As such, let us live our lives soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world, looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ. (Titus 2:12-13)Got Jesus?If you're reading this commentary today and you have never accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, it's time for you to do so. The world around us today is eerily reminiscent of the descriptions provided in bible prophecy of the days leading up to Christ's return to the extent that I wouldn't, personally, risk a second of my life at this point without having secured my eternal destiny.In my youth, the pastor of my church used to say, "There is a heaven to gain and a hell to shun." So true, but in the days we're presently living in, as if the previous isn't enough to worry about, the potential that one may have to endure a time Jesus Christ said would feature tribulation the likes of which has never been seen from the creation until now (and beyond) has NEVER been higher than right now! Thus, the need to come to faith in Jesus Christ TODAY!If the Rapture of the Church should occur today and you found yourself left behind for no other reason than you thought you had more time to come to faith in Christ than you actually did, what a tragedy it would be, especially if you realized that your soul's salvation depended on you understanding the content of my site's Post-Rapture Survival Guide and heeding its words of warning at the risk of being martyred when you could've been caught up in the air to be with the Lord and avoided the whole nightmarish situation!Please, I'm begging you. Come to faith in Christ! Don't play games at a time like this. The risks are too great and none of us, even under the most ideal of circumstances, are promised a tomorrow.
Sunday, June 28, 2009
Babylon the Great
I had a question from Matt. He was curious to know which prophecies I saw happening now or coming soon. In the next few posts, I'd like to focus on 3 main prophecies which are in the "building stages". This kind of means that while it's not showing that these will come to pass immediately, things which are happening show the ground work beginning which will bring these prophecies to fruition.
I'd like to talk about Babylon, Israel and Jerusalem. Now for folks who I talk to who want to know what to look for, I have always said, we need to keep our eyes especially, on Israel, the Temple (which will be rebuilt) and now on Babylon. I will go deeper in each post to the things that have been happening for years to bring things into focus and bring about the circumstances, people and events which will bring the prophecies to pass.
First, I'd like to talk about the place called Babylon. Now, why is talking about Babylon so important, and where exactly is this place anyway? First things first. The Bible talks about Babylon in both the Old and New Testaments. If you remember anything about the Tower of Babel, this is the first mention of not only the place, but also of the second place where men decided they wanted to be as a god (the first being in the garden of Eden). There was a guy by the name of Nimrod, who was a grandson of Ham (one of Noah's sons). He was a warrior, he was proud and arrogant. He was actually the first Antichrist- that is, he was all for himself, and he gathered people around himself who despised God. Nimrod and his wife organized the first idolatrous religion at Babel. She was the first new ager- that is, she practiced magic, astrology and spiritism. She proclaimed herself a queen of the heavens, the queen of god. She started the first astrological society, a cult based on the alignment of the stars and planets which were claimed to foretell the events which would happen on the earth. Through her and her husband Nimrod, they built this superstitious religion based on everything under the sun, except for God. When they, and the ungodly people around them, proclaimed that they should build a tower to reach the heavens, they were making themselves equal to god. When God "came down" and saw what they were doing, He mixed their languages and scattered them so they couldn't understand one another anymore, and they gave up on the tower.
Later in History, we see Babylon again a seat of great power through Nebuchadnezzar. Again, this great city was steeped in the "mystery" religions, astrology, psychic activities and idolatry. This empire enslaved the Israelites, and allowed them to forget God. They eventually were overthrown and other more powerful empires rose behind them. Since the days of the end of Nebuchednezzar, Babylon has been desolate, nothing but ruins. Someday, in the time of the final Antichrist, Babylon will be a great city again. In fact, it will become the new capital of all the world's financial, military, cultural and religious societies . It will be the home of the Antichrist.
Back in History, the hanging gardens of Babylon were considered one of the greatest wonders of the ancient world. Someday soon, Babylon will make every man made wonder seem like a child's sandbox castle. This place is going to be the most futuristic, expensive, technologically updated architectural wonder in all the world. There will be no expense too big when it is built. Every country will gladly contribute to the finances and resources that it will take to make it a reality, as everyone will want some recognition for contributing to it. It will be the richest man made city in all of history, and everyone will want to be a part of it.So, where is this place? It is in Iraq and it is a real place. Saddam Hussein started to have it rebuilt during his regime. He poured millions of dollars into the rebuilding of part of the walls, the Ishtar Gate and part of the palace. I think though, that when the Antichrist claims the city as his own, he will perhaps leave some of the original work and some of Saddam's rebuilt areas, but he will, as above, spare no expense to make it unique and his very own.
Now, as it stands right now, there is still not much of the original city left, but between now and when the Antichrist enters the world stage, the city will become a popular and great city- something that will catch the eye of the future world dictator. It will have to be up there with some of the popular cities of the world today, and some of the fantastic places they are building in some of the riches middle eastern countries today.
When I first wrote about the rebuilding and how it would come about, I said that we, along with Iraq would win this war- mainly because of Babylon and future prophecy. I said that, and still do, believe that once the war is over and the Iraqis have a stable government in place, when they get all their infrastructure back up and running, they will need to find ways to bring in much needed dollars. They will continue the rebuilding of Babylon in order to make it a major tourist destination. Other countries will lend support, perhaps to "make up" for their part in this war. With all of the happenings going on in the world these days, much of it is Bible prophecy coming to pass, it won't be long before everything is in place, and the Antichrist and his puppets are all ready to rule.
I am not a prophet, and I will never claim to be. All I do is interpret what is going on in the world and compare the happenings with what the Bible has shown in prophecies.There are more happenings now with the rebuilding of Babylon, which suggests my earlier post from 3 years ago was correct in that the US and other countries would aid the Iraqi government in rebuilding.
I just read an interesting article at Stripes.com Which the headline reads: U.S., Iraqi experts developing plan to preserve Babylon, build local tourism industry
The article describes -Soldiers with the 172nd Infantry Brigade are exploring the ruins as part of a U.S.-Iraqi effort to preserve the ancient city and plan for the return of Western tourists.Members of the brigade’s 2nd Battalion, 28th Infantry Regiment escorted a group of U.S. heritage tourism experts to the ruins last week for the first of several visits to develop a preservation and tourism plan for the area.
Now the rapidly improving security situation in surrounding Babil province has persuaded the U.S. State Department and the Iraqi State Board of Antiquities and Heritage to embark on the preservation project, dubbed the Future of Babylon Project.
The State Department and the World Monuments Fund have committed $700,000 to the project, which will see U.S. and Iraqi experts develop a plan to preserve the site and develop a local tourism industry, said Diane Siebrandt, the U.S. embassy’s cultural heritage officer.
The Babylon project is one of several that the State Department is involved in to conserve ancient sites in partnership with the Iraqi government, she said.
Foreign money and investors will be pouring into Iraq when the city is built. Iraq will become one of the wealthiest nations on earth, and, according to end time prophecy, it will be the "Wall Street" of the world- The place the Antichrist will call home, and where his financial headquarters will be. During the times of God's wrath, Babylon will fall- it will be destroyed for once and for all. The prophecies tell us that Babylon will be a real place in order to be a great city in the near future, and one which will be destroyed by God.
While things like these seem like small things to people, and a bit of a stretch, those of us who know and trust in the prophecies written in the Bible, know that these are the first steps towards the whole of the end time Prophecies coming to pass. The building and plans for the city of Babylon are showing that the prophecies will happen. Jesus said that the generation who witnesses the beginning of these events would not perish. We know that by the signs He told us to watch for, the beginning has been happening since His Ascension, and will be fulfilled within our life time. How do I know this is the generation? In the next post, I'll get to that!
I'd like to talk about Babylon, Israel and Jerusalem. Now for folks who I talk to who want to know what to look for, I have always said, we need to keep our eyes especially, on Israel, the Temple (which will be rebuilt) and now on Babylon. I will go deeper in each post to the things that have been happening for years to bring things into focus and bring about the circumstances, people and events which will bring the prophecies to pass.
First, I'd like to talk about the place called Babylon. Now, why is talking about Babylon so important, and where exactly is this place anyway? First things first. The Bible talks about Babylon in both the Old and New Testaments. If you remember anything about the Tower of Babel, this is the first mention of not only the place, but also of the second place where men decided they wanted to be as a god (the first being in the garden of Eden). There was a guy by the name of Nimrod, who was a grandson of Ham (one of Noah's sons). He was a warrior, he was proud and arrogant. He was actually the first Antichrist- that is, he was all for himself, and he gathered people around himself who despised God. Nimrod and his wife organized the first idolatrous religion at Babel. She was the first new ager- that is, she practiced magic, astrology and spiritism. She proclaimed herself a queen of the heavens, the queen of god. She started the first astrological society, a cult based on the alignment of the stars and planets which were claimed to foretell the events which would happen on the earth. Through her and her husband Nimrod, they built this superstitious religion based on everything under the sun, except for God. When they, and the ungodly people around them, proclaimed that they should build a tower to reach the heavens, they were making themselves equal to god. When God "came down" and saw what they were doing, He mixed their languages and scattered them so they couldn't understand one another anymore, and they gave up on the tower.
Later in History, we see Babylon again a seat of great power through Nebuchadnezzar. Again, this great city was steeped in the "mystery" religions, astrology, psychic activities and idolatry. This empire enslaved the Israelites, and allowed them to forget God. They eventually were overthrown and other more powerful empires rose behind them. Since the days of the end of Nebuchednezzar, Babylon has been desolate, nothing but ruins. Someday, in the time of the final Antichrist, Babylon will be a great city again. In fact, it will become the new capital of all the world's financial, military, cultural and religious societies . It will be the home of the Antichrist.
Back in History, the hanging gardens of Babylon were considered one of the greatest wonders of the ancient world. Someday soon, Babylon will make every man made wonder seem like a child's sandbox castle. This place is going to be the most futuristic, expensive, technologically updated architectural wonder in all the world. There will be no expense too big when it is built. Every country will gladly contribute to the finances and resources that it will take to make it a reality, as everyone will want some recognition for contributing to it. It will be the richest man made city in all of history, and everyone will want to be a part of it.So, where is this place? It is in Iraq and it is a real place. Saddam Hussein started to have it rebuilt during his regime. He poured millions of dollars into the rebuilding of part of the walls, the Ishtar Gate and part of the palace. I think though, that when the Antichrist claims the city as his own, he will perhaps leave some of the original work and some of Saddam's rebuilt areas, but he will, as above, spare no expense to make it unique and his very own.
Now, as it stands right now, there is still not much of the original city left, but between now and when the Antichrist enters the world stage, the city will become a popular and great city- something that will catch the eye of the future world dictator. It will have to be up there with some of the popular cities of the world today, and some of the fantastic places they are building in some of the riches middle eastern countries today.
When I first wrote about the rebuilding and how it would come about, I said that we, along with Iraq would win this war- mainly because of Babylon and future prophecy. I said that, and still do, believe that once the war is over and the Iraqis have a stable government in place, when they get all their infrastructure back up and running, they will need to find ways to bring in much needed dollars. They will continue the rebuilding of Babylon in order to make it a major tourist destination. Other countries will lend support, perhaps to "make up" for their part in this war. With all of the happenings going on in the world these days, much of it is Bible prophecy coming to pass, it won't be long before everything is in place, and the Antichrist and his puppets are all ready to rule.
I am not a prophet, and I will never claim to be. All I do is interpret what is going on in the world and compare the happenings with what the Bible has shown in prophecies.There are more happenings now with the rebuilding of Babylon, which suggests my earlier post from 3 years ago was correct in that the US and other countries would aid the Iraqi government in rebuilding.
I just read an interesting article at Stripes.com Which the headline reads: U.S., Iraqi experts developing plan to preserve Babylon, build local tourism industry
The article describes -Soldiers with the 172nd Infantry Brigade are exploring the ruins as part of a U.S.-Iraqi effort to preserve the ancient city and plan for the return of Western tourists.Members of the brigade’s 2nd Battalion, 28th Infantry Regiment escorted a group of U.S. heritage tourism experts to the ruins last week for the first of several visits to develop a preservation and tourism plan for the area.
Now the rapidly improving security situation in surrounding Babil province has persuaded the U.S. State Department and the Iraqi State Board of Antiquities and Heritage to embark on the preservation project, dubbed the Future of Babylon Project.
The State Department and the World Monuments Fund have committed $700,000 to the project, which will see U.S. and Iraqi experts develop a plan to preserve the site and develop a local tourism industry, said Diane Siebrandt, the U.S. embassy’s cultural heritage officer.
The Babylon project is one of several that the State Department is involved in to conserve ancient sites in partnership with the Iraqi government, she said.
Foreign money and investors will be pouring into Iraq when the city is built. Iraq will become one of the wealthiest nations on earth, and, according to end time prophecy, it will be the "Wall Street" of the world- The place the Antichrist will call home, and where his financial headquarters will be. During the times of God's wrath, Babylon will fall- it will be destroyed for once and for all. The prophecies tell us that Babylon will be a real place in order to be a great city in the near future, and one which will be destroyed by God.
While things like these seem like small things to people, and a bit of a stretch, those of us who know and trust in the prophecies written in the Bible, know that these are the first steps towards the whole of the end time Prophecies coming to pass. The building and plans for the city of Babylon are showing that the prophecies will happen. Jesus said that the generation who witnesses the beginning of these events would not perish. We know that by the signs He told us to watch for, the beginning has been happening since His Ascension, and will be fulfilled within our life time. How do I know this is the generation? In the next post, I'll get to that!
Friday, June 19, 2009
Some from Matthew 24
From Matthew Chapter 24
There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of birth pains. "Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me.
One thing I will never claim is that I'm a prophet. Unless God gives me the gift of prophecy, any opinions that I give, remains just that- opinions. That said, as I was thinking about the above verses, I was thinking about the first, famine, in that it is not only physical famine, or lack of food, but also spiritual famine- lack of belief and/or faith. Let me explain what I mean here. Famine as Funk and Wagnalls Standard Dictionary explains is 1) A widespread scarcity of food, 2) scarcity of anything.
We are used to seeing pictures of people around the world when there is a famine from food- sad pictures of little kids with extended stomachs, surviving on very little if anything every day. The mothers looking as frail and skinny as skeletons. This kind of famine is unfortunately a typical way of life in many poor countries around the world- many countries who's leaders could avoid slow starvation of their people, but for power or egotistical reasons, refuse. Places like North Korea, who's Kim Il Jong would rather spend any money coming into the country on building up the military, acquiring nuclear arms and putting dissenting citizens in concentration camps. Places like Rwanda, Somalia and Sudan, where people are terrorized because of their religion, or who are caught between opposing militias trying to gain political power often lead to the innocent men, women and children having to either leave their homes and belongings, or being burned our driven out by warlords. Some places suffer for lack of water and crops, insect infestations and other catastrophes.
For many decades, it has been countries like the USA who have been at the forefront of sending aid to these countries, tons of bags of wheat, rice and other food stuffs. Now, we are seeing problems in this country- in that some places are experiencing over farming and soil erosion, some places are experiencing insect or other natural disasters, just a couple of winters ago in California for example, lost much of it's crops due to snow and ice storms. here in Florida, many of us lost crops due to frost and freezes. The animal industry is also experiencing problems with mad cow, resurgence of hoof and mouth disease and with the 'bird flu', could wipe out much of the world's beef and poultry supplies. One only has to look at food recalls lately as well to see that there are serious health issues with cross contamination and uncleanliness. There is also a mysterious killing off of and disappearance of bees around the world. Bees which are necessary to pollinate crops. The economy in recent years as well, with rising fuel prices and scarce crops have actually caused shortages on some food items in the grocery stores.
There will definitely be famines and food shortages to come, possibly worse than anything ever experienced in the world.
As for spiritual famines, I believe we have been seeing this for decades- both inside and out of the Christian church. There is a slow demise of the church and culture is influencing the church more than what it should be- as it used to be, the Church's calling to influence culture by spreading the Gospel and loving people by the Truth has been disappearing. I read a few interesting stories that are not all that uncommon, that show the spiritual starvation of so many people, that they are not being fed the Truth of the Gospel, so they are turning elsewhere to be fed, or they are sampling from the 'smorgasbord' of beliefs that are available. When Jesus was tempted in the wilderness with a loaf of bread, His answer to Satan was "Man can not live by bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God." Jesus was and is talking about God Almighty- not new age gurus, not Mohammad, not Rev. Moonie, not any and every other god- but The God- author of all time, the beginning, the end and everlasting creator of the Universe. Jesus knows that people can survive physically on food, but without His Word, people will die spiritually- from famine.
For those who equate Jesus as just one of the many good teachers or prophets of ages past, another enlightened and good teacher- He believes in the God Breathed Book of Holy Scriptures- He knows that the Bible is Truth, or He wouldn't have quoted it so much. Therefore, either He was a liar, quoting something He knew to be corrupt or nothing more than fairy tales, some book that could be changed or interpreted according to societal and cultural changes, or He is who He says He is. It is your choice in which to believe, but how can a good teacher, or enlightened prophet be a liar?
For the next part of this prophecy, Jesus tells of earthquakes in various places. This is happening now, in places that aren't usually the places you'd think of earthquake prone areas. Last year, some in South West Florida felt a tremor that was from an earthquake in the Gulf of Mexico. The deadly Tsunami a few years ago that was caused by such a massive quake in the Ocean off Sumatra, that it literally knocked the earth slightly off it's axis. Earthquakes are happening quite frequently, as they most likely have throughout history, but there will be major ones to come such as the Oakland/San Francisco Bay area quake back in the late 80's. There are more people in quake prone areas, so there will be terrible loss when they happen more violently in the future.
For the last part of this prophecy, this is happening in many countries around the world already in countries such as China, Cuba, Eritrea, Egypt, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Vietnam, Cambodia, Bhutan and so many others, and if the so called hate crimes bill passes and becomes law here in the Untied States has it has in Canada and other countries of Christian roots, many more people of Christian faith will be dragged into courts, forced to pay large fines or thrown in jail for their faith, and Pastors at Bible believing churches could lose their tax exemptions or even their church.
Many of the Prophecies told to us by Jesus are happening already, and are only going to get worse until He comes back. Some might claim it's just coincidence, or that people like Nostradamus predicted similar things. While there have been many psychics and seers, none of them have proven to have every prediction come true as the Bible prophecies have and will.
Are you willing to stake your eternal future on coincidence or some seer that died centuries ago, or will you put your trust and faith in the Living Jesus, who has forgiven all already, paid the penalty for all sins, leaving you only to accept or reject Him?
There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of birth pains. "Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me.
One thing I will never claim is that I'm a prophet. Unless God gives me the gift of prophecy, any opinions that I give, remains just that- opinions. That said, as I was thinking about the above verses, I was thinking about the first, famine, in that it is not only physical famine, or lack of food, but also spiritual famine- lack of belief and/or faith. Let me explain what I mean here. Famine as Funk and Wagnalls Standard Dictionary explains is 1) A widespread scarcity of food, 2) scarcity of anything.
We are used to seeing pictures of people around the world when there is a famine from food- sad pictures of little kids with extended stomachs, surviving on very little if anything every day. The mothers looking as frail and skinny as skeletons. This kind of famine is unfortunately a typical way of life in many poor countries around the world- many countries who's leaders could avoid slow starvation of their people, but for power or egotistical reasons, refuse. Places like North Korea, who's Kim Il Jong would rather spend any money coming into the country on building up the military, acquiring nuclear arms and putting dissenting citizens in concentration camps. Places like Rwanda, Somalia and Sudan, where people are terrorized because of their religion, or who are caught between opposing militias trying to gain political power often lead to the innocent men, women and children having to either leave their homes and belongings, or being burned our driven out by warlords. Some places suffer for lack of water and crops, insect infestations and other catastrophes.
For many decades, it has been countries like the USA who have been at the forefront of sending aid to these countries, tons of bags of wheat, rice and other food stuffs. Now, we are seeing problems in this country- in that some places are experiencing over farming and soil erosion, some places are experiencing insect or other natural disasters, just a couple of winters ago in California for example, lost much of it's crops due to snow and ice storms. here in Florida, many of us lost crops due to frost and freezes. The animal industry is also experiencing problems with mad cow, resurgence of hoof and mouth disease and with the 'bird flu', could wipe out much of the world's beef and poultry supplies. One only has to look at food recalls lately as well to see that there are serious health issues with cross contamination and uncleanliness. There is also a mysterious killing off of and disappearance of bees around the world. Bees which are necessary to pollinate crops. The economy in recent years as well, with rising fuel prices and scarce crops have actually caused shortages on some food items in the grocery stores.
There will definitely be famines and food shortages to come, possibly worse than anything ever experienced in the world.
As for spiritual famines, I believe we have been seeing this for decades- both inside and out of the Christian church. There is a slow demise of the church and culture is influencing the church more than what it should be- as it used to be, the Church's calling to influence culture by spreading the Gospel and loving people by the Truth has been disappearing. I read a few interesting stories that are not all that uncommon, that show the spiritual starvation of so many people, that they are not being fed the Truth of the Gospel, so they are turning elsewhere to be fed, or they are sampling from the 'smorgasbord' of beliefs that are available. When Jesus was tempted in the wilderness with a loaf of bread, His answer to Satan was "Man can not live by bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God." Jesus was and is talking about God Almighty- not new age gurus, not Mohammad, not Rev. Moonie, not any and every other god- but The God- author of all time, the beginning, the end and everlasting creator of the Universe. Jesus knows that people can survive physically on food, but without His Word, people will die spiritually- from famine.
For those who equate Jesus as just one of the many good teachers or prophets of ages past, another enlightened and good teacher- He believes in the God Breathed Book of Holy Scriptures- He knows that the Bible is Truth, or He wouldn't have quoted it so much. Therefore, either He was a liar, quoting something He knew to be corrupt or nothing more than fairy tales, some book that could be changed or interpreted according to societal and cultural changes, or He is who He says He is. It is your choice in which to believe, but how can a good teacher, or enlightened prophet be a liar?
For the next part of this prophecy, Jesus tells of earthquakes in various places. This is happening now, in places that aren't usually the places you'd think of earthquake prone areas. Last year, some in South West Florida felt a tremor that was from an earthquake in the Gulf of Mexico. The deadly Tsunami a few years ago that was caused by such a massive quake in the Ocean off Sumatra, that it literally knocked the earth slightly off it's axis. Earthquakes are happening quite frequently, as they most likely have throughout history, but there will be major ones to come such as the Oakland/San Francisco Bay area quake back in the late 80's. There are more people in quake prone areas, so there will be terrible loss when they happen more violently in the future.
For the last part of this prophecy, this is happening in many countries around the world already in countries such as China, Cuba, Eritrea, Egypt, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Vietnam, Cambodia, Bhutan and so many others, and if the so called hate crimes bill passes and becomes law here in the Untied States has it has in Canada and other countries of Christian roots, many more people of Christian faith will be dragged into courts, forced to pay large fines or thrown in jail for their faith, and Pastors at Bible believing churches could lose their tax exemptions or even their church.
Many of the Prophecies told to us by Jesus are happening already, and are only going to get worse until He comes back. Some might claim it's just coincidence, or that people like Nostradamus predicted similar things. While there have been many psychics and seers, none of them have proven to have every prediction come true as the Bible prophecies have and will.
Are you willing to stake your eternal future on coincidence or some seer that died centuries ago, or will you put your trust and faith in the Living Jesus, who has forgiven all already, paid the penalty for all sins, leaving you only to accept or reject Him?
Saturday, June 13, 2009
2 Timothy
In the last post we looked at some of the prophecies which are written in the Bible, which have a lot to do with what we will be witnessing soon. There are more, which is what we'll look at in this post. Some of these are close to happening, or are happening now. Many things happening in the world are being shown in the secular news, with no reference to what the Bible has to say, but I find it interesting that many of these happenings have already been written about and foretold in the Bible.
One of the most vivid descriptions of the times we are living in now can be found in 2 Timothy 3:1-9
Godlessness in the Last Days
But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God— having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with them. They are the kind who worm their way into homes and gain control over weak-willed women, who are loaded down with sins and are swayed by all kinds of evil desires, always learning but never able to acknowledge the truth. Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so also these men oppose the truth—men of depraved minds, who, as far as the faith is concerned, are rejected. But they will not get very far because, as in the case of those men, their folly will be clear to everyone.
Now people may argue that we've had these kinds of people all throughout the ages, that there have always been hateful behavior from people. While that is true, there will be worse to come, and we are seeing the beginning of it.
We witnessed some of this behavior within the past year, with political greed and personal irresponsibility from people who thought they were entitled to something more than they could afford, in the housing collapse. While I'm not going into the whole story, as it's old news, it does show that love of money, power, and proud behavior is alive and well in Washington and all around the world. Governments the world over are displaying reprehensible and greedy behaviors- everything from mass murder of their own people, building weapons to destroy others, letting their people starve while they live in luxury.
Even in America we have so called leaders who are corrupt, using their positions in government for their own gain and interests. From lobby groups to so called community organizers who are out for their own benefit while claiming to be working for the poor and disadvantaged. We've seen crime among young kids and teenagers sky rocket, and many of the crimes are brutal, evil and totally without conscience. People are showing no self control when they are piling on debt on credit. They are showing no self control when being sexually promiscuous- and our society has displayed it's utter disregard for life when we allow our children to be murdered in the womb from conception all the way to the point of being able to survive after birth. We have allowed these "compassionate" people let those unfortunate babies who survive the burning saline and the butcher's knives- to die unaided, cold, hungry and in pain in a garbage can.
In our hyper sexual society, we can see that people are lovers of pleasure with no thoughts of consequences, no thoughts of the impact on the rest of society.Perhaps the biggest of all is having a form of godliness but denying its power. The church has become any place except a place of corporate worship. We have churches which are hip and trendy cafe style, or even in bars- a ear tickling, feel good all inclusive, non judgemental social clubs. Everything is taught at many of these churches, from how to have your best life now, to helping the poor- but for the love of pete! DO NOT proselytize! They are learning how to connect to the inner christ, how to meditate on the feeling of spirit, to love mother earth and build a utopia where we all get along. Not often will anything be said about Christ, the cross or sin and redemption.
We have garbage worming it's way into our homes via TV. Now, I don't have cable where I live, nor do I have satellite. On just the 5 or so channels we do have, is garbage enough. Daytime TV is virtually nothing but depraved people, sad people airing their sin to those they supposedly love on national airwaves. From everything from Maury to Judge Judy, people are willing to display their degenerate behavior for all to see. Night time is not much better with shows like 2 and a Half Men, Sex in the City and other trash.
We have people from all parts of society always learning, and many are shown the truth, but they reject it. It is only going to get worse, and unfortunately many people will still be rejecting the truth until He comes again. They will be acknowledging at last the truth, on their knees before Him, but by then it will be too late for them.
The prophecies in the Bible- or for that matter, the whole Word exists so we don't have to live rejecting Him. It is His revealing Himself to us through His Word, He shows us in this world of His Glory. You don't have to reject the truth.
The world is heading towards it's end. Someday soon, Christ will make a new heaven and new earth. After God's warnings for the past millennium through His prophets, we are all facing the one decision. Are we for Him and Truth, or are we going to live out the word of Timothy?
I'm sorry, this is longer than I intended- I will post more soon, finishing up the current happening prophecies.
One of the most vivid descriptions of the times we are living in now can be found in 2 Timothy 3:1-9
Godlessness in the Last Days
But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God— having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with them. They are the kind who worm their way into homes and gain control over weak-willed women, who are loaded down with sins and are swayed by all kinds of evil desires, always learning but never able to acknowledge the truth. Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so also these men oppose the truth—men of depraved minds, who, as far as the faith is concerned, are rejected. But they will not get very far because, as in the case of those men, their folly will be clear to everyone.
Now people may argue that we've had these kinds of people all throughout the ages, that there have always been hateful behavior from people. While that is true, there will be worse to come, and we are seeing the beginning of it.
We witnessed some of this behavior within the past year, with political greed and personal irresponsibility from people who thought they were entitled to something more than they could afford, in the housing collapse. While I'm not going into the whole story, as it's old news, it does show that love of money, power, and proud behavior is alive and well in Washington and all around the world. Governments the world over are displaying reprehensible and greedy behaviors- everything from mass murder of their own people, building weapons to destroy others, letting their people starve while they live in luxury.
Even in America we have so called leaders who are corrupt, using their positions in government for their own gain and interests. From lobby groups to so called community organizers who are out for their own benefit while claiming to be working for the poor and disadvantaged. We've seen crime among young kids and teenagers sky rocket, and many of the crimes are brutal, evil and totally without conscience. People are showing no self control when they are piling on debt on credit. They are showing no self control when being sexually promiscuous- and our society has displayed it's utter disregard for life when we allow our children to be murdered in the womb from conception all the way to the point of being able to survive after birth. We have allowed these "compassionate" people let those unfortunate babies who survive the burning saline and the butcher's knives- to die unaided, cold, hungry and in pain in a garbage can.
In our hyper sexual society, we can see that people are lovers of pleasure with no thoughts of consequences, no thoughts of the impact on the rest of society.Perhaps the biggest of all is having a form of godliness but denying its power. The church has become any place except a place of corporate worship. We have churches which are hip and trendy cafe style, or even in bars- a ear tickling, feel good all inclusive, non judgemental social clubs. Everything is taught at many of these churches, from how to have your best life now, to helping the poor- but for the love of pete! DO NOT proselytize! They are learning how to connect to the inner christ, how to meditate on the feeling of spirit, to love mother earth and build a utopia where we all get along. Not often will anything be said about Christ, the cross or sin and redemption.
We have garbage worming it's way into our homes via TV. Now, I don't have cable where I live, nor do I have satellite. On just the 5 or so channels we do have, is garbage enough. Daytime TV is virtually nothing but depraved people, sad people airing their sin to those they supposedly love on national airwaves. From everything from Maury to Judge Judy, people are willing to display their degenerate behavior for all to see. Night time is not much better with shows like 2 and a Half Men, Sex in the City and other trash.
We have people from all parts of society always learning, and many are shown the truth, but they reject it. It is only going to get worse, and unfortunately many people will still be rejecting the truth until He comes again. They will be acknowledging at last the truth, on their knees before Him, but by then it will be too late for them.
The prophecies in the Bible- or for that matter, the whole Word exists so we don't have to live rejecting Him. It is His revealing Himself to us through His Word, He shows us in this world of His Glory. You don't have to reject the truth.
The world is heading towards it's end. Someday soon, Christ will make a new heaven and new earth. After God's warnings for the past millennium through His prophets, we are all facing the one decision. Are we for Him and Truth, or are we going to live out the word of Timothy?
I'm sorry, this is longer than I intended- I will post more soon, finishing up the current happening prophecies.
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