Prophecy Forum Website Ministries

2021-10-18T13:54:00.001-05:00

A New Era and a New Universal Agenda - By Daymond Duck - https://www.raptureready.com/2021/10/17/a-new-era-and-a-new-universal-agenda-by-daymond-duck/

On Sept. 23, 2015, Pope Francis discussed a global constitution, a world court, and world government at the White House.

Two days later, he went to the UN to discuss these same issues.

The UN started considering a document called “Transforming our World: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.” Supporters called it a “New Universal Agenda.”

“Universal” comes from the Preamble of the document itself.

In essence, the document calls for a one-world government, a one-world religion, and a one-world economic system.

Notice these 5 things from the Pope’s speech and the UN document: A world constitution, a world court, a world government, a world religion, and a world economic system.

The UN quickly voted on the document (“Transforming our World: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development).”

When the vote was announced, delegates from 193 nations stood and gave a thunderous ovation.

Here is some information from this writer’s notes about the UN Sustainable Development goals for 2030 (emphasis mine).

The document preamble says, “ALL countries and stakeholders, acting in a collaborative partnership, WILL (not may—WILL) implement this plan.”
By 2030, the UN WILL be transformed into a body that can REQUIRE all nations to obey.
One government official said NOT A SINGLE HUMAN BEING will be allowed to escape this next great leap forward.
We should expect the “Transformation of the World” to start impacting EVERY nation BEFORE 2030.
One reporter said the world’s CHILDREN WILL NOW BE INDOCTRINATED with the idea that we are all “global citizens.”
UN Sec. Gen. Ban Ki-moon called this transformation of the world the “START OF A NEW ERA.”
Ban Ki-moon said the world is about to realize the “dream of a world peace and dignity for all” (will the UN declare peace and safety?).
On Jan. 1, 2016, it was reported that the UN document for creating a world government, world religion, and world economic system by 2030 is now in effect, and everyone should expect ALL nations to make a strong push to bring it to pass.
Notice these two very important points: (1) According to UN Sec. Gen. Ban Ki-moon, the world entered a NEW ERA on Jan. 1. 2016, and (2) There is a NEW UNIVERSAL AGENDA that every nation will implement before 2030.

This writer believes events show that America’s Deep State started implementing the “New Universal Agenda” in 2016 without a clear explanation to U.S. citizens and without U.S. citizens getting a chance to vote on it (They told us, but they didn’t explain what they were doing, and the public was not paying enough attention).

This explains the extreme global hatred for Trump and his Make America Great Again agenda.

This explains why the same things (mandated vaccinations, etc.) are happening all over the world simultaneously (because all the UN officials from 193 nations voted to implement them all over the world before 2030.).

This explains why the leftists are taking over America’s school system (to indoctrinate children with the UN agenda).

On Mar. 10, 2016, it was reported that the UN released a Master Plan called “Post-2015 Sustainable Development Goals.”

Every government, including the U.S., is now REQUIRED to promote the UN goals, and here is this writer’s understanding of some of the goals.

End poverty. (This is about wealth distribution or giving the possessions of America’s middle class to the poor, especially in other countries. Everyone, except the very rich, will be poor and dependent upon the government. Illegal immigrants are now being given social security, free healthcare, free education, etc.)
Make healthcare a human right (This is about government control of healthcare. Medical groups are being asked to fire employees that refuse to obey government Covid requirements, etc. Think about: Our government is saying we have a pandemic, so everyone must be vaccinated, but they are firing people that care for the sick and vaccinate them.)
Control education to ensure gender equality, empower women, etc. (This is about seizing control of our school systems. The government is using teacher’s unions and school boards to promote LGBTQ rights, transgenders competing in women’s sports, etc. School groups have asked the FBI to treat citizens that disagree with this as domestic terrorists.)
Government control of all production (lockdowns; bankrupting companies; not letting people unload cargo containers, etc.).
A reduction in the consumption of goods and services. (Biden is destroying the U.S. supply-chain distribution system. U.S. citizens are beginning to see empty store shelves because the U.S. government is required to reduce consumption. There are 500,000 containers on ships off our west coast that can’t get unloaded. Reducing consumption is part of the effort to control global warming.)
The consumption of less meat and frozen or convenience foods. (There is a proposal to combat global warming by fining ranchers that raise cattle. The cost of meat and milk has soared. Some want to force people to eat artificial meat. This is also part of the effort to control global warming.)
The use of fewer and smaller vehicles and appliances. (Biden destroyed America’s energy independence. The price of fuel has soared, which may ultimately force people to buy smaller vehicles. Think global warming.)
The use of less air-conditioning at home and at work. (The cost of utilities is rising, which may cause people to raise the temperature on their thermostat. Think global warming.)
The use of smaller houses and apartments. (The price of lumber has soared, which will force people to build smaller houses. Think global warming.)
The U.S. has been sold out by America’s Deep State, the U.S. military, big tech, big pharma, and most of the major media as the globalists try to meet the UN “Transforming our World: The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development” goals.

Unless God intervenes, the UN will very likely be transformed into a satanic world government by 2030 or sooner, and the U.S. will be REQUIRED to obey the head of that world government (the Antichrist).

But no matter what year the satanic world government begins (2030 or sooner), this writer believes the Rapture will precede the world government (perhaps by 3 years).

Recall that the Bible says we don’t know the day or the hour, but we can see it approaching and know when it is near.

The U.S. Senate recently considered a bill to raise the debt ceiling while they debate a bill to finance Biden’s $3.9 trillion stimulus package to further transform America.

Senators Joe Manchin and Kyrsten Sinema wouldn’t vote for it, but Mitch McConnell and several Republicans agreed to a temporary increase ($480 billion) that will last about 2 months and allow more time for negotiations.

Readers should understand that God will not be pleased with the global Deep State effort to establish a godless world government and religion with U.S. cooperation.

He will allow them to have what they are asking for, but His judgments will fall, and it will be worse than anyone can imagine.

There are many things to consider about what is happening, but here are 4 things readers might want to consider:

The Church is running out of time to get the gospel to the lost.
Christians are running out of time to repent of their sins, lay up treasure in heaven, etc.
The lost (including lukewarm Church members) are running out of time to get saved and go in the Rapture.
It would be wise to attend Church, read your Bible, do your very best to believe and obey the Scriptures, strengthen your relationship with other Christians, share Jesus with your family, friends and others, and pray for others and yourself.

Here are some recent stories that recently made the news.

One, on Oct. 8, 2021, it was reported that Biden’s Infrastructure Bill authorizes fines up to $700,000 per infraction on companies that do not meet Biden’s requirements for Covid testing and vaccination.

If this stays in Biden’s bill and it passes, it will go into effect on Jan. 1, 2022, and companies will be forced to submit to the government.

Society is seeing the kind of tactics the Antichrist will use in his effort to enslave everyone on earth during the Tribulation Period.

Two, on Oct. 7, 2021, it was reported that Biden’s proposed Reconciliation Bill authorizes payments to people in the U.S. that have a U.S. citizen child, and there is no work requirement to qualify.

Illegal immigrants with a U.S. citizen child will receive $5,100, legal immigrants with a U.S. citizen child will receive $4,800, and native-born U.S. citizens with a U.S. citizen child will receive $4,600.

Put another way, illegal immigrants will receive more than legal immigrants, and both will receive more than U.S. citizens.

Good is being called evil, and evil is being called good.

This is a forerunner of the government corruption that will exist in the coming world government.

Three, concerning corruption in government, and more specifically, election fraud in Wisconsin: on Oct. 7, 2021, it was reported that there are 5.8 million people in Wisconsin and 7 million people on the voter rolls.

The truth, justice and righteousness that once prevailed in America has been cast to the ground and stomped on.

Four, concerning the Mark of the Beast and the tracking of all buying and selling: in Sept. and Oct. 2021, there was a multitude of reports about an IRS proposal to track bank transactions of $600 or more, and Treasury Sec. Janet Yellen’s support for the same.

Alabama Sen. Tommy Tuberville said, “Virtually every American with a bank account would be impacted.”

It is too early to say how this will come out, but the Antichrist and False Prophet will track all buying and selling, tie it to the Mark of the Beast, and kill those that refuse the Mark during the Tribulation Period.

Now the Biden administration’s IRS wants to track all buying and selling of $600 or more; there are proposals to tie buying and selling to whether people are vaccinated or unvaccinated and to fire those that refuse to be vaccinated.

Tribulation Period events are approaching.

Five, concerning world government: it has been reported that Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot sent out an e-mail on Sept. 9, 2021, that said she will pick department heads and deputies that will be “pledging allegiance to the New World Order and good governance.”

Six, also concerning world government: on Oct. 8, 2021, 136 nations agreed to establish a 15% minimum global tax rate on big corporations and tighten loopholes to make it harder to avoid paying taxes.

Senate Republicans say 2/3 of the Senate will have to give their approval for the U.S. to participate.

Here is the bottom line: We are now in a new era, and there is a new universal agenda.

When Biden says everything is going according to plan, he means according to the UN Sustainable Development plan.

Finally, are you Rapture Ready?

If you want to be rapture ready and go to heaven, you must be born again (John 3:3). God loves you, and if you have not done so, sincerely admit that you are a sinner; believe that Jesus is the virgin-born, sinless Son of God who died for the sins of the world, was buried, and raised from the dead; ask Him to forgive your sins, cleanse you, come into your heart and be your Saviour; then tell someone that you have done this.

duck_daymond@yahoo.com

Easter Sunday Devotional - April 12, 2020

2020-04-12T19:51:00.001-05:00

What Did God Do On The Eighth Day?

2014-05-20T00:37:00.002-05:00

What Did God Do On The Eighth Day? - A Bible Study by Jack Kelley - http://gracethrufaith.com/topical-studies/tough-questions-answered/what-did-god-do-on-the-eighth-day-2/

By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work. And God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done. (Genesis 2:2-3)

These two verses are much different from those describing the preceding days in the creation account. All of them included the phrase "it was evening and it was morning, day ... ". Not so for the seventh day. Also the Hebrew word translated rested is shabath (pronounced sha-BAT). We get sabbath from this word. It appears 71 times in the Bible, and 47 of those times it's translated "cease". It only means rest 11 times.

Will This Day Ever End?

Now obviously, the seventh day had a beginning and an end just like all the days before and after it. But the fact that there is no mention of this in the text of the creation account indicates that in a spiritual sense this day has never ended. There is no eighth day of creation. God has never taken up the work of creation again, and that's why a word that also means ceased was used in describing His Sabbath rest.

Now don't accuse me of promoting the "Great Watchmaker" theory of creation. That's the one where God created the world and all that's in it, then set it in motion, and has been just sitting there watching it run ever since. Let's look at what God has been doing since He stopped creating. We'll begin in John's Gospel.

So, because Jesus was doing these things on the Sabbath, the Jews persecuted him. Jesus said to them, "My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I, too, am working." For this reason the Jews tried all the harder to kill him; not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God.

Jesus gave them this answer: "I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does. (John 5:16-19)

This tells us that both the Father and the Son have so much to do that they work every day, even on the Sabbath. So they haven't been just sitting around waiting. They've both been working every day from that day to this.

But that's not the point. The point is this. Since the end of the 6th day, God has never again taken up the work of creation. Where the creation is concerned he has never ceased his Sabbath rest.

What's External And Physical In The Old Becomes Internal And Spiritual In The New

In Numbers 15:32-36 we read of a man who was caught gathering wood on the Sabbath. It was a violation of the commandment, but the Israelites didn't know what to do with him. When they inquired of God, He told them to take him outside the camp and stone him to death. God was serious about not working on the Sabbath.

But when we get to the New Testament we find that the commandment to rest on the Sabbath is the only one of the 10 Commandments not specifically repeated. In fact the most frequent reference to the 4th commandment in the New Testament concerns the Lord's frequent and flagrant violations of it. On six different occasions, the Lord defended working on the Sabbath, each time showing the religious leaders of the day that their rules for keeping the Sabbath were man made, arbitrary, and counter to God's purpose. For example the priests in the Temple desecrated every Sabbath by working (Matt. 12:5), and the people could water their animals (Luke 13:15) or rescue them from danger (Matt. 12:11) but they couldn't heal a person (Luke 13:14).

In Romans 14:5 Paul taught that we have the right to either consider one day holier than the others or to regard all days the same, based on our personal convictions. And in Colossians 1:16-17 he said not to let anyone judge us in regard to a religious festival or a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day. He said that these things were only a shadow of things that were coming, that the reality was found in Christ.

Somehow the Sabbath commandment was supposed to teach us something about our relationship with Jesus. So let's find out what it is.

God created the Heavens and the Earth. They didn't do anything to help, He did it all. At the end of six days, He rested (ceased) from His work because it was finished. He never again took up the work of creating. He made the seventh day, a day without end, holy. There was no eighth day. Then He created a memorial. From that time forward the seventh day was a day of rest where no work was permitted to remind us that when His work was finished He ceased working.

Since we're trapped in the dimension of time, we can't have any days without end. So when God set up our calendar He made every seventh day holy, and then the calendar began again. There's never an eighth day. This was to help us to see that the seventh day, the day of rest, never ends. To underscore the importance of this, He made working on the seventh day punishable by death.

But man missed the point. We thought it was about working on the Sabbath when it was really about resting when the work is finished, and that's how all this relates to Jesus.

Jesus came to Earth with one job to do. It was to die for the sins of the people so we could be redeemed and live forever with Him (John 1:29). He was making us into a new creation (2 Cor. 5:17). We didn't do anything to help, He did it all. When He died on the cross, His work was done. That's why His last words before He died were, "It is finished." Then He bowed His head and gave up His Spirit (John 19:30).

He never had to take up the work of redemption again, for by that once-for-all-time sacrifice He has made perfect forever those who are being made holy (Hebr. 10:12-14). When He ascended into Heaven, He sat down at the right hand of the Father. The redemptive work of our new creation was finished, so He ceased working. This is why some theologians refer to the Lord's work of redemption as His "completed" work on the cross.

What Is Our Work?

Then they asked him, "What must we do to do the works God requires?" Jesus answered, "The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent." (John 6:28-29)

Jesus forgave all of your sins at the cross (Col 2:13-15) and therefore He saved you completely. Hebr. 7:25 confirms that He is able to do this. According to 2 Cor. 1:21-22 God has accepted responsibility for keeping you saved. He has set His seal of ownership on you and put His spirit in your heart to guarantee this. Believing that means your work of salvation is finished and you have entered into your life-long seventh day, your Sabbath rest. It means you've done what God requires and the work of your salvation is finished. You will inherit eternal life. "For my Father's will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day." (John 6:40)

Just as God never again took up the work of creation, and Jesus never again took up the work of redemption, you need never again take up the work of salvation. You're a new creation and the work is finished. Now you rest, as they rested. There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God; for anyone who enters God's rest also rests from his own work, just as God did from his. (Hebrews 4:9-10)

As we can see from the above, the folks who keep asking whether Saturday or Sunday is the correct Sabbath for Christians to keep are asking the wrong question. The real question we should all be asking is whether we are keeping our Sabbath rest or not. It doesn't matter that you say you're born again. If you are still working to earn or keep your salvation after saying that you've accepted the work Jesus did for you, then you are violating the commandment to keep the Sabbath and are subject to the penalty of the Sabbath breaker in Numbers 15. His was a physical death, but yours will be a spiritual one, because you aren't doing the one and only work He gave you to do; you aren't believing in the One He has sent. Instead, you're believing in your own ability to finish the work you think He only began. And that means you aren't saved.

There isn't much time left for the Church. The Lord could come while you're reading this. Please consider these things carefully. Make sure you're really saved by grace through faith. Not by works, lest anyone boast. (Ephes. 2:8-9) Remember, to the man who does not work but trusts God who justifies the wicked, his faith is credited as righteousness (Romans 4:5). Believe in the One God sent to save you, enter your sabbath rest, and don't ever take up the work of your salvation again.

Noah and Antichrist's Hypnotists: Part 3

2014-04-26T20:06:00.000-05:00

Noah and Antichrist's Hypnotists: Part 3

By Terry James

Noah, the movie, is, I believe, an instrumentality meant to put into the psyche (or, if you prefer, the darkest regions of the reasoning process) of mankind the fiction the serpent wants to create. God's Word is the lie; Lucifer is truth--that is the intentioned brain-washing end goal.

Specifically, the use of the Genesis 6 account, in a perverted way, puts forth in this film that the "watchers" are the angels kicked out of Heaven and confined to earth as stone-like creatures. They intermingle with humankind, but, ultimately, do good instead of evil, repent, and are redeemed and allowed back into Heaven. It is interesting that rather than deny that there was war in Heaven and the fallen angels were kicked out, the Hollywood story-tellers twisted it in this way.

The bad, supernatural guys become the good, supernatural guys, and do their work now for the Lord, as before their "fall." It is plainly part of fulfilling the prophecy that near the end of human history the fable-makers will call good evil and evil good. This sets up in the minds of the moviegoers who are without a clue of Bible truth that these same "watchers" possibly interact with mankind today and have good intentions to help humanity muddle through this dangerous world.

There are many, many things to which I could point that are part of the end-times stage being set for the wind-up of the age. Like, for example, the way God becomes withdrawn in the movie, becoming the existential deity agnostic philosophers have long claimed God to be. I could point to the egregious treatment of both the Lord and Noah as being vindictive, heartless, and even murderous-for example, when Noah is portrayed as wanting to murder his daughter-in-law. We could dwell to an endless extent on the hellish lie-proposition put forward by the movie that God destroyed all upon the earth because mankind had been environmentally evil-that He wanted to restart the earth only so the animal life could return to an environmentally safe and pristine state.

However, I believe the most important matter for this essay is to point out that the way Hollywood treats the fallen angels in this film is crucial to earth's prophetic future. The UFO phenomenon plays strongly into my thoughts. Also, the New Age intrusion into these strange times is critical to observe for the Christian. I am convinced that the very deception Jesus prophesied is upon this generation. Noah, the movie, under the guise of "innocent" entertainment, is part of the mesmerizing, hypnotic process that will make people following the Rapture susceptible to the "lie" during that post-Rapture time.

God's prophetic Word tells of that time in the following scriptural passages. Antichrist is mentioned first: "And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming: Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders. And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved." (2 Thess. 2:8-10).

Next, the prophecy speaks to the lie that will deceive the post-Rapture world of earth-dwellers: "And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness" (2 Thess. 2:11-12).

Panic and mayhem will explode when millions vanish in a blink of an eye. There will be an outcry for explanations of what happened. This is where the inculcation Satan has been foisting on the world will pay off for the serpent.

We have all seen the documentaries and movies on UFOs, the "space brothers," and other such claims by those looking for some explanation of how life got here. Alien seeding of planet earth is preferable to the biblical creation account to the fallen minds of mankind. Evolution, to the willfully ignorant, is more believable -that all we see around us just happened to happen, totally by chance.

However, evolution is falling out of favor with the modern, "rational" mindset. The "space brothers" will fit much more nicely into the 2 Thessalonians, post-Rapture time. We see what might take place following the disappearance of millions of Christians, when the second beast-the false prophet-performs a seemingly supernatural feat before the eyes of the left behind world:

"And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men, And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live." (Rev. 13:13-14).

I'm of the thought that the "fire" called down might be the "space brothers" the entertainment industry has been inculcating moviegoers with for decades. These might be the same "ascended masters" the New Age gurus have been promising for those same decades. Noah, the movie, is, in my opinion, part of the end- times hypnotism taking place in preparation for Antichrist's arrival. It will be the time, I believe, as given in the following:

"And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels, And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven. And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him" (Rev. 12:7-9).

It is all preparation for the horror of the Tribulation that is rushing toward this fallen world: "Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time" (Rev. 12:12b).

With the ever-increasing effort by Satan to hypnotize the masses with all of the aforementioned, it is a comforting -and legitimateâ€”thing to say that Jesus' words should ring more urgently than ever in the true Christian's spiritual ears.

"And when you see all these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your head, for your redemption draweth nigh" (Luke 21:28).

-- Terry

Nearing Midnight: Noah and Antichrist’s Hypnotists-Part 2

2014-04-26T13:31:00.000-05:00

Nearing Midnight: Noah and Antichrist’s Hypnotists-Part 2 – Terry James –http://www.raptureready.com/rap16.html

There is no more appropriate time that God’s prophetic warning through the apostle Paul applies than at this very moment in human history: “For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables” (2 Tim. 4:3-4).

This generation is in a time of deep, dark, deception. Jesus Himself, before giving the many signs of His Second Coming, forewarned of one specific danger in answer to His disciples’ question about when He would come again to earth. The Lord gave answers while they sat atop the Mount of Olives looking down on the Temple and Mount Moriah: “And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you. For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many” (Matt. 24:4).

The very end of the age will be a time of great deception, Jesus emphasized. His Holy Name will even be at the center of the deception, He warned. The believer -the born again-was to avoid being deceived, He instructed.

We are examining the latest Hollywood entertainment offering of a supposedly biblical nature. Noah, film-maker Darren Aronofsky’s high-dollar film, surpassed by far what the movie money gurus expected, grossing over $44 million out of the starting blocks. They had expected perhaps $30 million would come into their coffers from theatergoers.

Many Christian pundits predicted the movie would fall flat because of the total disregard the producers of the film showed for fidelity to truth of God’s Word in its account of Noah and the Flood. That was the hope of many within evangelical Christianity, once the content of the story presented was exposed to the viewing public.

Noah, although by all accounts a technically brilliant film, and one with superb acting–with Russell Crow, a Hollywood heavyweight, as Noah–was an almost complete fabrication-fiction from the get-go. There was little similarity between the story line of the movie and the biblical account.

Was this innocent misunderstanding in a Hollywood attempt to provide entertainment -or something other? This is what I would like us to consider. Joseph Goebbels, the Nazi master-propagandist in Hitler’s regime of genocide, had the understanding and technique down pat. You could persuade, could mesmerize an entire nation’s public through on-screen inculcation. All we have to do to know this is true is to watch the black-and- white films shot of the hypnotic looks on the faces of the German people while they watched Goebbels’ films and listened to the Fuehrer’s rants at the massively-attended Nazi rallies.

Hollywood’s capabilities are technologically improved a thousand times over. The special effects, blended superbly with the stories presented, rather than overtly hypnotize the viewers, subliminally infuse into their psyches the worldviews those who control Hollywood worldly thinking desire to infuse.

Lucifer -Satan-is the father of lies, the Scripture tells us. Fiction, although not overt lies in the dictionary sense, nonetheless, are lies in the ultimate, literal sense. That is, fiction is not truth, although it might purport to portray truth. It has been termed the “willing suspension of disbelief”–i.e., the willing are willfully accepting of the lie.

This is what happened to the first two humans, isn’t it, according to the Bible?-If, of course, you believe the Bible. The serpent, remember, created a “suspension of disbelief” moment. He presented a half-truth fiction: “Ye shall not surely die.”

The serpent is still up to creating fiction based on lies meant to do their deadly work on the human mind and soul. He is the father of such… In the movie, Noah, the suspension of disbelief is rampant. According to the reviews I’ve read -both from secular sources like Rolling Stone and the New York Times, and religious forums- the story from beginning to end is filled with scenes contrary to God’s account. The moviegoer is to put aside his or her preconditioned notions that what the film presents is false theology and history. They are to believe -without thinking too deeply about it–that the story of Noah and the Flood really could have happened as the Hollywood version has it. Regardless, what’s the harm? After all, it’s just a movie -good, Hollywood-quality entertainment…

Especially in the Western world, there is a concerted campaign to dumb down people in every sense. The principalities and powers of Ephesians 6:11-18 and the flesh-and-blood powers-the would-be, one-world order builders-are using every method available to hypnotize, in Joseph Goebbels fashion-the masses. They are determined to bring all back to Babel.

We will examine just how far along we might be in that process in next week’s commentary-Lord willing.

Boston tragedy raises questions of media bias, spiritual condition of US

2013-04-16T19:29:00.002-05:00

Boston tragedy raises questions of media bias, spiritual condition of US

As the authorities untangle the horror of the 2013 Boston Massacre, we want to first reach out to the families who are touched in any way by this terrible terrorist event. May the peace of the one true YHVH God be upon them and the healing, lovingkindness, grace and spirit of Jesus Christ envelop them that they might know His presence and His salvation. The bombings occurred on the celebration of Patriot's Day (marking the beginning of the American Revolutionary War that started in Lexington, Ma)--originally April 19, but celebrated on the third Monday of April. The mainstream media is trying to associate the bombings with American patriots--right wing extremists. But look again...

Yahoo News wrote of the extremist uprisings that have occurred in America during the third week in April--1993 when under Bill Clinton's Attorney General Janet Reno's orders, the FBI attacked cultist David Koresh's Waco, Texas compound; 1995 Oklahoma City bombing; 1999 Columbine; 2007 Virginia Tech. Time Washington correspondent Alex Altman tweeted that Patriot's Day has significance to the "militia movement." Despite the "Let's do all we can to pin this on right wing, Christian-oriented, extremists" attitude of the news media, there is an entire other track of investigation that is ongoing in Boston, according to news sources.

The New York Post reports that police have taken a 20 year old Saudi national into custody and have raided his home in nearby Revere, Ma. The Post reports that the man smelled of gunpowder when he was apprehended and was asking if people died and if there was a second bomb. AP is reporting that FBI searched a Boston suburban apartment, but gave no details. The Post says the Revere bomb squad was called in while the Saudi national's apartment was searched. The UK Daily Mail reports that police are also searching for a "dark skinned or black male" who may be a foreign national based on his accent. The FBI held a news conference this morning. Nothing new, except they are hunting worldwide.

Besides the obvious and tremendous media bias against conservatives, the "stupid" remark of the day also comes from the leftist ranks--Homosexual Democratic former Congressman Barney Frank, who sang the praises of expansive government being the hero of the attack, said, "No tax cut would have helped us deal with this or will help us recover." Remember too, that the Senate is considering a gun disarmament bill to conduct extensive background checks on law abiding citizens who want to purchase a gun. Perhaps an amendment to the bill should come today--background checks on people of a certain religion or ethnic background that openly conducts violence against the United States and Israel.

Of Babylon, which behaved in Biblical times much like America behaves today, the Lord said in Jeremiah 51:14, "Surely, I will fill thee with men, as with locusts,; and they shall lift up a battle cry against thee." Judgment comes as a result of disobedience to God. Catastrophe often comes on the heels of man's lack of common sense. America has an abundance of both disobedience to God and a lack of common sense these days.

Have a Blessed and Powerful Day!

Bill Wilson
www.dailyjot.com

God’s Judgment On America — Part 2

2013-03-24T20:49:00.001-05:00

God’s Judgment On America — Part 2
Continued from Part 1….

5. End-time Supernatural Revelations. Acts 2:17 promises “visions” and “prophesies” in the last days. I have become aware of and have collected records of visions and prophecies from various believers over a period of years. Some visions have clearly seen a surprise nuclear attack on America from Russian submarines. I also know of an older, respected pastor who had an apparent angel visit in his home, in his study late at night, with the same message of a Russian surprise nuclear attack from submarines. The being just suddenly appeared and disappeared out of nowhere. Also, George Washington reportedly had a vision in his day of America’s major wars and a final military attack on America. Read about A.A. Allen’s 1954 vision of an attack on America: click here

The idea of a submarine attack is exactly in line with Russia’s present defense policy. According to the Wall Street Journal (August 25, 1995), “One puzzling aspect of Russia’s defense policy is its emphasis on submarines….is still completing construction of submarines begun in the Soviet era, on about the same timetable as the Soviets produced them….(they) will enter the next century with the largest nuclear submarine fleet in the world.” Submarines are basically an offensive weapon. Why are they doing this? It must be part of God’s plan. For years, high-tech and missile-carrying Russian subs have shadowed U.S ships or invisibly and silently patrolled the U.S. coast under the radar/sonar cover of their fishing trawlers.

For a nation near collapse, on the brink of fascism, this is not a picture of peace and stability. Yet foolish American leaders continue to give billions of dollars to Russia (which they are using on armaments) and shrink our own military, crying, “peace and safety” according to 1 Thessalonians 5:3, “then sudden destruction shall come upon them.” With uncanny timing, just moments after I wrote this paragraph, Dateline NBC aired a report that the secret nuclear shelter built in West Virginia for our Congress is now closed and being dismantled — because it is no longer needed, since the “Cold War” is now over!
“Look! I am preparing a disaster for you and devising a plan against you,” God says. Russian submarines? He says to Magog, “You will devise an evil scheme….You will say, ‘I will attack a peaceful and unsuspecting people’” (Ezekiel 38:10). America, instead of Israel, or both?

Other Revelations. Highly esteemed missionary pioneer Hudson Taylor had a vision in 1855. He saw both world wars, followed then a spiritual awakening in Russia, Europe and elsewhere, as we are seeing, followed by the coming of Christ. Also, in 1930 a prophecy was reportedly given in Russia that a future leader named Mikhail, with a birthmark on his head, would bring open doors for the gospel, which would remain open “only for a short period of time, then it would end and the repression would begin again.” Plus, there were reportedly several prophecies in Russia in 1988 that “the door would stay open for about seven years.” The doors began opening in 1989; however, the Soviet Union did not officially dissolve until late 1991, which + “about” 7 years = “about” late 1998. (As this 1995 article is being updated in late 1998, Russia is in shambles, in economic collapse and political turmoil, and a soon return to tyranny is highly possible.)

At the present time, Islamic terrorism, possibly using weapons of mass destruction (WMDs), poses the greatest immediate threat to America. The other dangers mentioned are still applicable.]

Conclusion

There are three witnesses to the above scenario that seem to confirm one another: (1) Scripture, (2) contemporary world events, and (3) agreeing supernatural revelations, such as visions and prophecies. God will answer and honor prayers for revival, even though judgment on the nation has already been decreed. Revival and harvest will come — but possibly as a result of judgment, and not instead of, a typical biblical pattern. Where is the Rapture in the above scenario? We cannot be sure, and must not be presumptuous.

With amazing timing, as God often confirms things to me, the same week this was first printed, NBC News reported new Pentagon alarm at Russian submarines lurking just off the U.S. coasts! Also, just as I was finishing this report, two different audio tapes came to me, both unsolicited, from two people I have never met, both with the message of God’s coming judgment on America! Months later I received a similar message the very same day I received a newsletter headlined, “It’s Time to Weep for America.”
Message to the Church. It is time to boldly “blow the trumpet.” The warning should be greatly sharpened to more of a Jeremiah-type warning, that actual destruction is coming, not just deteriorating social conditions or loss of freedoms. “If the trumpet does not sound a clear call, who will get ready for battle?” (1 Corinthians 14:8). The trumpet call should be to God’s own people, since “judgment must begin at the house of God” (1 Peter 4:17). God’s message to His people today is to humbly walk with Him in obedience and to come out of the world’s value system. Christians should get ready to joyously meet their soon-coming King, and tell as many others as possible about God’s grace and salvation.

* * * * * * *

(Final Note: In one U.S. Air Force assignment, I was a “Minuteman” — the commander of a Minuteman ICBM nuclear missile launch crew responsible, if so ordered in the event of attack, for vaporizing ten Russian cities/targets, and in personal possession of the top secret war code. Always “on alert,” I was only seconds away from the President’s launch command, unsealing the code, and ending civilization as we know it. America’s leaders have now dismantled many missiles and reduced other defense systems, but oddly, in a spiritual sense, and in one of God’s “coincidences,” I am still a “Minuteman,” still on alert, and still only seconds away from the King of king’s shout and command, with His code (from His Word) already being “unsealed,” and with civilization as we know it soon to end.)

End

God’s Judgment On America

2013-03-24T20:45:00.002-05:00

God’s Judgment On America
Jim Bramlett

Is the United States of America mentioned in biblical prophecy? If we are, indeed, in the “last days” before Christ’s return, as the overwhelming evidence indicates, is it possible that the greatest Gentile power in history would have been overlooked, or is irrelevant? Or, are references hidden, as are many other prophecies, to be “unsealed” to seekers in the last days according to Daniel 12:4?
I believe there are passages that do not name but do infer America. Interestingly, these passages are compatible with current geopolitical developments, and also visions and other supernatural revelations reported by several believers over the years. The message is of severe judgment, and is ominous.

Judgment Already Decreed

First, a few words about our beloved country. This is hard for me to say about America. When World War II started, I was age 11. My father fought with the infantry in Europe; my uncle with the Air Corps in North Africa. I went to a top military prep school. Later, at a large university, I practically majored in Air Force ROTC, becoming the highest ranking cadet officer and Corps Commander. I devoted my career to the nation’s military service, retiring early — before I was eligible for promotion to full colonel — only because of a higher priority, a call into full-time Christian service. I laid that promotion at the cross. But now, even retired, as a regular officer the government has a claim on me as long as I live. I love my country. The flag can still give me goose bumps. I have always been extremely patriotic. I have researched and lectured on America’s Christian heritage. I know how God’s hand has been on America, starting with Columbus. Yet to God the nations are but a grain of sand, and as a nation America has rebelled against God, insulted Him, and declared Him “not wanted.” Some believe America will get away with it because God “needs” America to fulfill the Great Commission. He doesn’t. We won’t.

Many are praying for revival in America according to the promises of 2 Chronicles 7:14. God will surely honor the prayers. There will be revival, and there will be a great harvest, the greatest the world has ever known. However, based on the parallel of Jeremiah’s warning to Israel and God’s answer to him, the part of 2 Chronicles 7:14 about “heal their land” — as relates to the secular culture — will not be answered until Messiah returns. As with Israel in Jeremiah’s day, I believe judgment on America has already been decreed. God’s moth-like judgment (Hosea 5:12) is in progress, eating at us slowly, but His lion-like judgment (Hosea 5:14) will soon pounce, devouring us suddenly and completely.

Applicability of 2 Chronicles 7:14? Even though 2 Chronicles was not written for probably over a hundred years later, Jeremiah may have tried to implement the principles of it. As a priest, he was surely aware of the promise to Solomon several hundred years earlier, either from the oral tradition or written records. But three different times (three for divine emphasis), God said to Jeremiah, “Do not pray for this people nor offer any plea or petition for them; do not plead with me, for I will not listen to you” (7:16, NIV). Also see 11:14 and 14:11. In the latter, God says, “Although they fast, I will not listen to their cry….I will not accept them. Instead I will destroy them with the sword, famine and plague.”
In another passage, God reiterates His willingness to show mercy and urges Israel to repent. “Look! I am preparing a disaster for you and devising a plan against you. So turn from your evil ways, each one of you, and reform your ways and your actions” (18:11). But in His omniscience and foreknowledge, God then says, “But they will reply, ‘It’s no use. We will continue with our own plans; each of us will follow the stubbornness of his evil heart’” (v. 12). God knew what their reaction would be; thus, judgment was decreed beforehand. (And even Solomon, after God’s clear promises and warnings in 2 Chronicles 7, fell into sin, soon died and the kingdom was split.)

Why This Probably Applies to America

1. The End of the Gentile Age. The evidence is overwhelming that the “times of the Gentiles” referred to by Jesus (Luke 21:24) — the same as the age of the “Gentiles” referred to by James (Acts 15:14-16), and Paul (Romans 11:25) — is in the final seconds. We are in the final countdown to what God revealed to Daniel as “the appointed time.” It is no accident that America, the largest and most powerful Gentile nation, has been in a precipitous cultural decline in the last half of this century (as Israel, the fig tree, has blossomed) as measured by numerous statistical indicators. And our global cultural influence is taking the world with us, as we daily export worldwide our anti-God and perverted national values.
God’s prophetic plan and timetable will not be stopped, and it takes precedence over everything. For example, Israel is still in rebellion, largely a godless nation. But God promised to regather them in the last days. He has, in spite of themselves, and with no effort on their part to comply with 2 Chronicles 7:14, but simply because of His plan. “It is not for your sake, O house of Israel, that I am going to do these things, but for the sake of my holy name, which you have profaned among the nations where you have gone….Be ashamed and disgraced for your conduct” (Ezekiel 37:22, 32). Israel does not deserve mercy, and a further chastening lies ahead. Yet God will honor His covenant with their fathers, which Paul strongly reminds us so that we will not be “ignorant” or “conceited” as saved Gentiles, wild branches grafted into the natural olive tree (Romans 11:24-25).

2. The Pervasiveness of Evil. As before the Flood, and with Sodom and Gomorrah, and with the idolatrous occupants of the Promised Land before Joshua entered, evil is now so deeply pervasive and entrenched that it must be purged by judgment. Such seems to be a clear message of the prophets and the New Testament writers. The world is rushing madly toward the prophesied Tribulation, “such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be” (Matthew 24:21).

3. Veiled References to America. While America is not mentioned by name in prophecy, some Bible students believe there are indirect references. For example, some believe we are the last-days Babylon of Jeremiah 50 and 51 and elsewhere. The reason is that a number of the references seemingly do not apply to ancient Babylon, or even to a possibly restored Babylon in Iraq, and that America is now the world’s major military and financial power. For example, the “rich” Babylon Jeremiah describes lives “by many waters” (USA, not ancient Babylon; 51:13). “She made the whole earth drunk….they have now gone mad” (our drug/sex/rock culture via MTV and other media pervades the earth; 51:7). Our soldiers “have become like women” (homosexuals, women in combat; 51:30). She will be attacked by “arrows” (missiles; 50:9), from “the north” (direction of Russia; 50:3), with her judgment rising “as high as the clouds” (nuclear; 51:9). NASA’s space program is implied in 51:53 (KJV), with Babylon mounting “up to heaven.” Also, “They sinned against the LORD….the hope of their fathers” (USA, not ancient Babylon; 50:7). Economic Babylon of Revelation 18, the commercial capital of the world, may be New York (the Babylon of chapter 17 may be Rome because of the reference to the “seven hills” in v. 9). Chapter 18:4 mentions that in one day, and verse 10 says in one hour, she will be destroyed, with the world’s government and financial leaders weeping and mourning (18:9,15). A one-hour destruction of a great city is something possible only in the past 50 years, and probable only this decade with the proliferation of nuclear weapons, recently spreading on the black market from the former USSR to terrorist organizations, according to intelligence sources. Only God is holding back Islamic terrorists and other radicals from setting off a nuclear explosion in New York, Washington, D.C., Tel Aviv and elsewhere, until “the appointed time.”

In addition, a strong case can be made that America and the 1991 Gulf War are referred to in Daniel 8, with Iraq the ram, and America the goat which “came from the west, crossing the whole earth without touching the ground” (verse 5, NIV), seemingly our massive intercontinental air and sea lift. In verse 8, the goat is later “broken,” or destroyed. We know from verses 20-21 that Media, Persia and Greece were the first fulfillments, but from elsewhere, such as verse 17, we know that the vision, in a dual fulfillment, is for “the time of the end.” The above seems more plausible when the following is considered….

4. Soon Fulfillment of Ezekiel 38. Another possible reference to America, by conspicuous omission, is in Ezekiel 38 and what most scholars see as an invasion of Israel by Russia and a confederation of Muslim nations. The geopolitical preconditions for this are rapidly forming. There are reasons to believe this may occur in the very, very near future (perhaps at the beginning rather than the end of the Tribulation as some believe). For example, there has been a recent security agreement between Russia (Magog, 38:2) and the leading terrorist state, Iran (Persia, 38:5). Russia is supplying Iran with nuclear materials and, on the black market, with nuclear warheads. I have a reliable report of a recent briefing by NATO intelligence that a nuclear war in the Middle East is feared probable! America would surely be involved, perhaps as below:

If Israel is attacked according to Ezekiel 38, it is strange that there is no hint of help from its security partner, the powerful USA. Oddly, we do not seem to even be a factor. I believe it may be because, from a military standpoint, America has been neutralized and rendered powerless by a surprise nuclear attack by Russia (see below). This would surely give Russian military planners an assumed and enticing cakewalk to a Middle East takeover, ownership of the oil fields, new mineral resources and an expansion to the Persian Gulf, a stated goal of at least one Russian radical, Vladimir Zhirinovski, whose autobiography is prophetically titled The Last March South! While Zhirinovsky may never rise to power, this territorial ambition is undoubtedly shared by other radicals. Of course, we know from Ezekiel 39:1-6 that God Himself will defend Israel and destroy the invaders, to make His holy name known (v. 7). Again, the above still seems more plausible when the following is considered….

See Part 2 following….

Passover and Palm Sunday – This Week’s Feature Article

2013-03-24T20:41:00.000-05:00

Passover and Palm Sunday – This Week’s Feature Article by Jack Kelley – http://gracethrufaith.com/selah/holidays-and-holy-days/passover-and-palm-sunday/

The next day, John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. I have seen and I testify that this is the Son of God.” (John 1:29,34).
John the Baptist had been preaching about the coming Messiah, identifying himself as the forerunner Isaiah had promised over 700 years earlier. Quoting from Isaiah 40:3 John said, “I am the voice of one calling in the desert, ‘Make straight the way for the Lord ‘ ” (John 1:23).

Introducing Jesus to Israel as the Lamb of God was no doubt meant to prompt a comparison between Jesus and the Passover lamb in their minds. Reading about the first Passover (Exodus 12:1-20) from a Christian perspective makes the similarity so clear we wonder how they could have missed it. In fact several hundred Old Testament Prophecies were fulfilled in the life of Jesus and many of these came in the last week of His earthly life during the two events we’ll be celebrating in the next few days, Passover for Israel and Palm Sunday for the Church.

For Christ, Our Passover Lamb, Has Been Sacrificed … 1 Cor. 5:7

By now the Passover story should be familiar to us. The final showdown between God and Pharaoh was coming. Through 9 plagues God sent to demonstrate His power over the pagan gods of Egypt, Pharoah had remained just as obstinate as God had predicted. The 10th plague, the death of all the firstborn, would break Pharoah’s will and free the Israelites from their bondage, but first they had to be protected from the plague.

On the 10th day of the 1st month God had them select a male lamb for each household and inspect it for 3 days to be sure it had no blemish or defect. Then it was slaughtered, and its blood was applied to the door posts of their homes. That night, behind closed doors in their own house, each family ate the lamb quickly with some bitter herbs and unleavened bread, not venturing outside. At midnight the destroying angel came through Egypt and took the life of the first born of every family, except for those who had covered their door posts with lamb’s blood (Exodus 12:1-13, 21-23, 28-30).

The next morning the Israelites were released from their bondage and given the wealth of Egypt, beginning their journey to the Promised Land with God in their midst. They weren’t spared because they were Jewish, or because they had lamb for dinner, but because they applied the lamb’s blood to their door posts believing that it would protect them. They were saved through faith by the blood of the lamb.
Just as the Israelites were slaves in Egypt, we are slaves in this world, held in bondage to sin. On that first Palm Sunday, the 10th of the 1st month, our Passover Lamb was selected by allowing Himself to be proclaimed as Israel’s King for the first and only time in His life. When the Pharisees told him to rebuke His disciples for doing so, He said if they kept silent the very stones would cry out (Luke 19:39-40). This was the day ordained in history for His official appearance as their Messiah.

For the next 3 days He was subjected to the most intense questioning of His entire ministry lest there be any defects found in His words or deeds. Then on the 14th He was crucified, releasing us from our bondage to sin, and qualifying us to receive the wealth of His Kingdom. We are saved through faith by the blood of the Lamb. But we’re getting ahead of ourselves.

The Son of Man Wept, The Son of God Warned

As He approached Jerusalem and saw the city He wept over it and said, “If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace – but now it is hidden from your eyes. The days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment against you and encircle you and hem you in from every side. They will dash you to the ground, you and the children within your walls. They will not leave one stone upon another because you did not recognize the time of God’s coming to you” (Luke 19:41-44).

The prophet Daniel had laid out the schedule for them over 500 years earlier. From the time the Jews were given permission to rebuild Jerusalem after it had been destroyed by the Babylonians, to the coming of the Messiah, there would be 69 periods of 7 years each, or 483 years (Daniel 9:25). History tells us that this permission was given to Nehemiah by the Persian ruler Artaxerxes Longimonus in March of 445 BC (Nehemiah 2:1-9). The Sunday when Jesus rode a donkey into Jerusalem to the shouts of Psalm 118:25-26 was exactly 483 years later, but by then most of the Jewish leadership no longer took the Bible literally and the validity of predictive prophecy was being denied.

Regardless of their opinion, the Lord held them accountable for knowing when He would visit. Given that hundreds of additional prophecies of His coming had already been fulfilled in their midst, we can see His point. Remember, they were all fulfilled in the span of one lifetime, the one in which He came. There are hundreds more prophecies relating to His Second Coming, and again all will be fulfilled within the span of one lifetime, the one in which He comes (Matt 24:34). And just as it was then, our leaders no longer take the Bible literally and the validity of predictive prophecy is again being denied. But regardless of their opinion, the Lord will hold the people of our day accountable to “recognize the time of God’s coming” just like He did back then.

Who Was That Man?

A few days ago I got an email from someone I assume to be Jewish claiming that Jesus didn’t meet a single requirement to be Israel’s Messiah. I’ve received a number of these over the years and have come to realize they think this way because Israel was looking for a Messiah to fulfill what we know as second coming prophecies. They wanted the Lion of Judah, a powerful warrior king like David, who could throw off the Roman yoke and restore Israel’s kingdom, because that’s what they thought they needed. They didn’t think they needed a Savior, so when they got the Lamb of God who came to take away their sins they didn’t recognize Him.

Today, because of a similar denial of the validity of prophecy, much of the world is looking for some version of the Lamb of God. They want a gentle teacher who will accept us all and promise to show us the way to peace and plenty. They won’t think they need a conqueror, so when the Lion of Judah comes to utterly destroy His enemies and restore God’s Kingdom, they won’t recognize Him (Matt. 24:30). Like the man said, “Those who don’t learn from history are condemned to repeat it.” You can almost hear the footsteps of the Messiah.

Isaiah 17, An Oracle Against Damascus

2013-01-30T22:30:00.002-06:00

Isaiah 17, An Oracle Against Damascus - Jack Kelley - http://www.raptureready.com/featured/kelley/jack123.html

In the past couple of years it has become even clearer that Isaiah's prophecy of the destruction of Damascus will soon come to fulfillment, perhaps being part of the Psalm 83 scenario I've written about. If so, it would explain why Syria is not included among the coalition of Moslem nations who will gather against Israel in the Battle of Ezekiel 38. Updating our study of Isaiah 17 seems a fitting conclusion to our recent reviews of Ezekiel 38 and Psalm 83.

Emboldened by the outcome of the 2006 Hezbollah Israel war, Syria has become ever more bellicose in it's behavior toward Israel, as if inviting confrontation. Aggressive acts have included moving large military forces onto the Golan, opening the crossing that gives Syrians access to Israel for the first time since 1973, forming and training a Syrian terrorist force to infiltrate Northern Israel, and openly helping Hezbollah re-arm in violation of UN resolution 1701. Now Hezballah and Syria are building a massive fortified wall, 22 kilometers long, that promises to be one of the biggest fortified structures in the Middle East. It is designed as an obstacle against any Israeli tank forces heading through Lebanon toward the Syrian capital, Damascus. And most recently, Syria has moved 800 long range missiles into firing position and updated targeting coordinates for specific locations in Israel in preparation for war.

It's been known for some time that Syria has one of the world's most advanced chemical weapons programs, even though such things are illegal, and is probably in possession of the bulk of Saddam Hussein's WMDs that the MSM (main stream media) delights in telling you never existed. Recent satellite imagery suggests significant efforts to update Syria's known chemical weapons facilities. They've also mobilized reserves, set up alternate communication centers, and moved all official historical and legal documents out of Damascus. They did this because they believe that Israel will respond to a chemical attack by destroying Damascus with nuclear weaponry. They've recalled all their citizens living in Lebanon. They've purchased Russian arms and defensive systems costing hundreds of millions of dollars in an effort to protect Damascus.

Going Nuclear

In July 2007, a chemical warhead exploded at a Syrian missile facility while being fitted to a Scud missile, killing dozens of Iranian and Syrian technicians. The only likely target within range of the missile was Tel Aviv. Then, just 2 months later, the Israeli bombing of a secret Syrian facility deep inside the country made headlines and demonstrated Israel's ability to render the Russian state-of-the-art anti-air defenses ineffective. These systems were sold to both Syria and Iran to protect against US or Israeli attacks by air. The presence of nuclear materials at the Syrian base has been confirmed, so it might have been the location of at least a dirty bomb assembly plant and perhaps even a clandestine nuclear weapons facility. The North Koreans were heavily involved in this, and are suspected of still helping Syria to develop some kind of nuclear weapons capability.

More recently Syria has purchased untold millions of dollars' worth of offensive and defensive weaponry from Russia and Iran, making every population center in Israel a viable target. Passing a portion of this weaponry through to Hezbollah, they've all but transformed this terrorist organization into a regiment of the Syrian army, and made Lebanon their first line of defense against Israel.

While some of this is more than the MSM has been willing to share with you, it is a matter of public record. My guess is that there's a lot more going on that we don't know about, making matters even more urgent. So let's take another look at Isaiah 17, An Oracle Against Damascus, while it's still prophecy.

An Oracle Concerning Damascus:

"See, Damascus will no longer be a city but will become a heap of ruins. The cities of Aroer will be deserted and left to flocks, which will lie down, with no one to make them afraid. (Isaiah 17:1-2)

Because of the language of these verses, many scholars believe that this prophecy was only partially fulfilled when the Assyrians defeated the Arameans and overran their capital, Damascus, in 732 BC. To this day Damascus is thought to be the world's oldest continuously inhabited city with a 5000-year history and a population close to 2 million, yet Isaiah 17:1 indicates that it will one day cease to exist.

Some believe the phrase "cities of Aroer" refers to Aramean territory east of the Jordan River around the Arnon River, which flows into the Dead Sea in southern Jordan. However, the Jewish Encyclopedia claims that this phrase in Isaiah 17:2 is probably translated incorrectly because the geographical distance from Damascus is too great. While they say it's possible that there may have been another Aroer near Damascus, it is more likely that the passage should be rendered "the cities thereof shall be forsaken." If that's the correct translation, it would include the Hezbollah stronghold in the Bekaa Valley of Lebanon, which was part of Aramean territory in Isaiah's time, and is in a direct line between Beirut and Damascus.

The fortified city will disappear from Ephraim, and royal power from Damascus; the remnant of Aram will be like the glory of the Israelites," declares the LORD Almighty. "In that day the glory of Jacob will fade; the fat of his body will waste away. It will be as when a reaper gathers the standing grain and harvests the grain with his arm- as when a man gleans heads of grain in the Valley of Rephaim. (Isaiah 17:3-5)

This segment speaks of the defeat of Damascus in 732BC and the destruction of Samaria 10 years later (722 BC). Damascus continued to exist as part of the Assyrian Empire and is still here today, but the ruins of Samaria are just now being excavated out of the sandy soil of Israel. The systematic relocation of the ruling classes to the far reaches of the Assyrian Empire is also in view here, symbolized by the fat of Jacob's body wasting away. This was standard Assyrian policy to reduce the likelihood of subsequent rebellion among their conquered peoples. Jacob and Ephraim are alternate names for the Northern Kingdom, and Samaria was its capital.

Yet some gleanings will remain, as when an olive tree is beaten, leaving two or three olives on the topmost branches, four or five on the fruitful boughs," declares the LORD, the God of Israel. (Isaiah 17:6)

Not all the people were dispersed. Farmers were left behind to tend the crops and protect the harvest for their new rulers. They were joined by refugees from other parts of Assyria and their combined descendants were known as the Samaritans in the time of Jesus. (A quick reading of 2 Chronicles 11:16 shows that all the faithful from the 10 northern tribes moved south at the time of the civil war that divided the nation after King Solomon's death 150 years earlier. From then on, all 12 tribes were represented in the Southern Kingdom of Judah, so the 10 tribes from the North weren't totally lost. The Lord has always preserved a believing remnant from all the Tribes of Israel.)

In that day men will look to their Maker and turn their eyes to the Holy One of Israel. They will not look to the altars, the work of their hands, and they will have no regard for the Asherah poles and the incense altars their fingers have made. In that day their strong cities, which they left because of the Israelites, will be like places abandoned to thickets and undergrowth. And all will be desolation. (Isaiah 17:7-9)

This is another passage that's problematic for those who try to consign the whole passage to history. There is simply no reason to believe that the Assyrians turned to God following their conquest of Aram and Israel. And far from abandoning their cities because of the Israelites, it was the Israelites who were defeated and dispersed. The yet future Jewish attack on Damascus causing the destruction and abandonment of Syrian cities, and the eventual return of the survivors to their God is a much more likely fulfillment. And it could happen soon.

You have forgotten God your Savior; you have not remembered the Rock, your fortress. Therefore, though you set out the finest plants and plant imported vines, though on the day you set them out, you make them grow, and on the morning when you plant them, you bring them to bud, yet the harvest will be as nothing in the day of disease and incurable pain. (Isaiah 17:10-11)

Asshur, father of the Assyrians, and Aram, father of the Arameans were both sons of Shem. Aram's son Uz is the traditional founder of Damascus. (The setting for Job, the Bible's oldest book, is the Land of Uz.) The knowledge of God in the memories of these patriarchs cannot be questioned. It wasn't that they never knew Him, but that they had forgotten Him, abandoned Him in favor of the Canaanite gods of the region, Baal and his consort Ashtoreth (aka Asherah, Astarte, Ishtar, Aphrodite, Venus.) Currently Syria is almost totally Moslem. Until they return to their Maker and Savior none of their plans and schemes will prosper in the long run, no matter how promising they seem at the beginning.

Oh, the raging of many nations- they rage like the raging sea! Oh, the uproar of the peoples- they roar like the roaring of great waters! Although the peoples roar like the roar of surging waters, when he rebukes them they flee far away, driven before the wind like chaff on the hills, like tumbleweed before a gale. In the evening, sudden terror! Before the morning, they are gone! This is the portion of those who loot us, the lot of those who plunder us. (Isaiah 17:12-14)

Having conquered most of the Middle East including the Arameans and the Northern Kingdom, the Assyrians set their sights on the Southern Kingdom, Judah. Assyria's King Sennacherib brought his armies almost literally to the gates of Jerusalem, so close his commanders were within speaking distance of the Jewish defenders. On the night before they were to attack, the Lord sent His angel into the Assyrian camp on Mt. Scopus to slaughter 185,000 Assyrian soldiers. Before dawn they had packed up and fled, ending 44 years of conquest. (Isaiah 37:36-38) This time in Israel's history so parallels the Jewish view of the End Times that Sennacherib is seen by them as a type of the anti-Christ, while Judah's King Hezekiah models the Messiah.

But notice that Isaiah speaks of many nations raging against God's people, not just Assyria, leading us once again to consider Sennacherib's defeat to be a partial fulfillment of Isaiah's prophecy.

The phrase "rushing of many waters" is often used to describe the sound of loud voices and today many nations are stirred up. The cry of anti-Israeli sentiment can be heard around the globe. The various Mid-East "peace" conferences combined with the Gaza war and the recent boarding of the Turkish/Terrorist flotilla have left Israel standing alone against all but irresistible pressure to negotiate away its very existence. Syria and Iran are dead certain that Israel will attack soon, and are preparing accordingly. Israel's other next-door neighbors are also preparing for war, and indeed many nations are taking sides.

Israel is not blind to these mounting threats, but until lately seems to have been ignoring them. That's about to stop. Israeli Prime Minister Benyamin Netanyahu has told the world he will not apologize for defending his country and will continue to do so even if it results in more confrontations. We can easily envision a scenario that escalates into the final fulfillment of Isaiah 17, the destruction of Damascus. Once again there will be sudden terror in the evening, and before morning they will be gone. If you listen carefully, you can almost hear the footsteps of the Messiah.

Restoring Planet Earth

2013-01-23T01:13:00.000-06:00

Restoring Planet Earth - This Week's Feature Article by Jack Kelley - http://gracethrufaith.com/ikvot-hamashiach/restoring-planet-earth/

Jesus said to them, "I tell you the truth, at the renewal of all things, when the Son of Man sits on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. (Matt. 19:28)

He who was seated on the throne said, "I am making everything new." Then He said, "It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End." (Rev. 21:5-6)

The end times judgments will be devastating in the extreme, and the Lord warned that if He didn't bring them to a close at the appointed time, not a single soul would survive (Matt. 24:22). But for the sake of the elect, He will bring them to a close and when He does the restoration of Earth will begin.

I believe one of the ancillary functions of the end times judgments will be to begin the process of returning Earth to the condition it was in just after the creation. It's as if the Great Tribulation is the demolition phase of the restoration. This is hinted at by phrases like "every island fled away and the mountains could not be found" (Rev. 16:20) and "there was no longer any sea" (Rev. 21:1). And speaking of the Lord's current whereabouts, Peter told the people, He must remain in heaven until the time comes for God to restore everything, as he promised long ago through his holy prophets. (Acts 3:21)

Comparing verses like these with the return of long life spans indicated in Isaiah 65:20, I think most of the present seas will either return to their underground origins or rise into the upper atmosphere to re-establish the water vapor canopy that once surrounded Earth (Gen. 1:6-7) and helped enable the long pre-flood lives.

The desert and the parched land will be glad; the wilderness will rejoice and blossom. Like the crocus, it will burst into bloom; it will rejoice greatly and shout for joy. The glory of Lebanon will be given to it, the splendor of Carmel and Sharon; they will see the glory of the LORD, the splendor of our God.

The burning sand will become a pool, the thirsty ground bubbling springs. In the haunts where jackals once lay, grass and reeds and papyrus will grow (Isaiah 35:1-2, 7).

I will make rivers flow on barren heights, and springs within the valleys. I will turn the desert into pools of water, and the parched ground into springs. I will put in the desert the cedar and the acacia, the myrtle and the olive. I will set pines in the wasteland, the fir and the cypress together, so that people may see and know, may consider and understand, that the hand of the LORD has done this, that the Holy One of Israel has created it.(Isaiah 41:18-20)

The mountains will be lowered, and the sea floor elevated. Streams and rivers will flow through lands that have been parched for thousands of years. The great desserts will become verdant plains again. The current tilt of the Earth's axis causes extreme differences in the world's weather and makes large areas uninhabitable. I believe this will be corrected at the time of the 2nd Coming. The axis will become upright again and the year shortened to its original 360 days. Earth will once again enjoy a worldwide sub-tropical climate like it did before Adam lost it and the terrible effects of sin were loosed upon it. This is something the creation has been waiting for ever since.

The creation waits in eager expectation for the sons of God to be revealed. For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God. (Romans 8:19-21)

And this restoration won't be limited to the Earth alone. A massive spontaneous healing will correct all the imperfections of fallen mankind.

But for you who revere my name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings. And you will go out and leap like calves released from the stall (Malachi 4:2). The eyes of the blind will be opened and the ears of the deaf unstopped. The lame will leap like a deer and the mute tongue will shout for joy (Isaiah 35:7)

When the Lord returns in glory the wait will be over, and soon afterward the creation will once again resemble a lush garden. He will make her deserts like Eden, her waste lands like the garden of the Lord (Isaiah 51:3).

Some people are troubled by all this because they're so in love with the creation as it currently appears. I remember reading about a person asking God to leave her behind at the rapture because she can't imagine anything being more beautiful than this present Earth, not even Heaven. People like this are limited in their thinking. They're basing the future on the past instead of on the promises of God. They don't stop to think that if the Earth is this beautiful while under a curse how much more so will it be when the curse is lifted and it's restored to its original condition?

In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am (John 14:2-3).

Besides, people who think like this don't realize that the Lord has spent the last 2,000 years "preparing a place for us" in His Father's house. He's not coming back to be with us here where we are, He's coming back to take us there to be with Him where He is. The Church will no longer call Earth home but will dwell with Him in His Father's house. Do these folks really think that after the rapture, when we see all eternity spread out before us, we'll be disappointed with our future and long to return to this fallen creation?

But our focus here is the restoration of Planet Earth, where Israel will once again be the most favored nation. One of the clues we get that the Kingdom Age on Earth features Israel and not the Gentile nations, or even the Church, is that almost all of its descriptive passages are in the Old Testament, and for the most part center around Israel.

From them we learn of the desert bursting into bloom (Isaiah 35:1-2), of the land being so fertile that before they can complete the harvest it will be time to begin planting again (Amos 9:13). Peace will flow like a river and the wealth of the nations like a flooding stream (Isaiah 66:12). In Jerusalem men and women of ripe old age will sit in streets filled with playing children (Zechariah 8:4-5). And in the country side, "Every man will sit under his own vine and under his own fig tree, and no one will make them afraid, for the LORD Almighty has spoken." (Micah 4:4)

Peace will prevail in the animal kingdom as well. Predators and prey will live side by side, and their young will lie down together, all of them existing in perfect harmony with each other and with mankind again (Isaiah 11:6-8). This will be another reversal of a post-flood condition, when fear and dread of man fell upon all the beasts of the earth and the birds of the air (Gen. 9:2-3).

And so the time of restoration will have come, and in every way Earth will be like it was in the beginning. Where ever one goes there will be peace on Earth and good will toward men, like the angel Gabriel promised to the shepherds so long ago. The Lord Himself will rule, and people will come from all over the world to learn from Him.

The mountain of the LORD's temple will be established as chief among the mountains; it will be raised above the hills, and all nations will stream to it. Many peoples will come and say, "Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob. He will teach us his ways, so that we may walk in his paths."

The law (Torah) will go out from Zion, the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. He will judge between the nations and will settle disputes for many peoples. They will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war anymore. (Isaiah 2:2-4)

But like it has always been, the seed of rebellion will still reside in the heart of natural man. He'll be given every conceivable advantage in this, his last best chance to live in peace with God. But within a generation or two that seed will begin to germinate as the children of Tribulation survivors come of age. Some will choose to follow their parents to the foot of the cross and receive their personal redemption. But with each generation an increasing number won't. This will happen even though Satan will be bound, the Lord Himself will be their King, and God's Law will be their law.

You see, there is no condition or circumstance that will allow natural man with his sin nature to live in peace with God. As the end of the Millennial Kingdom Age approaches, unbelievers will vastly out number believers again, especially among the nations. When Satan is released they will rise up as one and march across the breadth of the Earth to surround the camp of God's people and the city He loves in a final attempt to kick the Lord off the planet. But fire from Heaven will devour them, and Satan will be captured again, this time to be thrown into the lake of fire forever. (Rev. 20:9-10)

After the Millennium, God and man will enjoy a new beginning, called Eternity. We're not given any information about this because the Bible effectively ends at the end of the Millennium. A careful reading shows that in Rev. 20, John skipped ahead after verse six to describe the final destinies of Satan and all unbelievers while he was on the subject. (Rev. 20:7-15) Then in Rev. 21:1-27 he went back to the beginning of the Millennium to show us the New Jerusalem, and in Rev. 22:1-5 gave us a glimpse of Millennial life on Earth. We know this because Rev. 21:1 is a direct quote from Isaiah 65:17 where the context is the Kingdom age in Israel and Rev. 22:1-2 is a summary of Ezekiel 47:1-12, also a millennial passage.

As part of the Church we'll effectively have a head start on Eternity, as will resurrected believers from both Old Testament times and Daniel's 70th Week. But we'll have to wait at least until the rapture to see what it's going to be like. All we know for now is that it'll be the greatest adventure ever designed for mankind, and we'll be first line when the time comes to begin enjoying it. You can almost hear the footsteps of the Messiah.

The Tribulation's Purpose Vs. The Church's Nature

2012-10-13T21:23:00.004-05:00

The Tribulation's Purpose Vs. The Church's Nature

This Week's Feature Article by Jack Kelley
Therefore keep watch because you do not know the day or the hour. (Matt. 25:13)

Those who shy away from the study of prophecy are fond of quoting the above verse as their justification. But earlier in the same passage, the Lord had admonished all who read His words of prophecy to understand them (Matt 24:15). In addition the Apostle Paul wrote that the events leading up to the end of the age should not take believers by surprise (1 Thes. 5:4) implying that we should be familiar with them.

Since the Bible cannot contradict itself, Matt. 24:15 must have been aimed at a different audience than Matt. 25:13. And sure enough, a closer look reveals that both the implied timing and the intended audience of the two Matthew passages are different. Matt. 24:15 was intended for everyone who would ever read the passage, but in Matt 25:13 the Lord was only speaking to people remaining on Earth at His Second Coming. We know this because it follows Matt. 24:30 which describes the 2nd Coming. Matt. 24:36-37 confirms the context to be the 2nd Coming, as does Matt. 25:1. Of course in 1 Thes 5:4 Paul was addressing the church, who will not be on Earth at the 2nd Coming, but in the presence of the Father (1 Thes. 3:13).

What both the Lord (Matt.24:15) and Paul (1 Thes. 5:4) were saying is that while we won't know the exact timing of things, we should understand the sequence of events leading up to the Day of the Lord. And perhaps no event in the sequence is more controversial than the Rapture of the Church, especially as it relates to the Great Tribulation.

It seems to me that the first thing we should do in trying to obey the Lord's commandment to understand all this is to clarify two things, 1) the purpose of the Great Tribulation, 2) the nature of the Church.

The Purpose of the Great Tribulation

The phrase Great Tribulation makes reference to a specific event, not a general condition. While the Lord warned the disciples that they and we would experience tribulation as a general condition in this world (John 16:33), He clearly identified the Great Tribulation as having a specific beginning and ending. It will begin when the abomination that causes desolation prophesied by Daniel is erected in the Temple (in the middle of the last 7 years of history) and will end just prior to the Lord's return, three and one half years later (Daniel 9:24-27 & Matt. 24:29-30).

The Great Tribulation is primarily Jewish in its focus. In fact, it was referred to as the Time of Jacob's Trouble until the Lord coined the phrase Great Tribulation in Matt 24:21. In doing so , He said it would be a time of unparalleled distress, unique in the history of the world.

Jeremiah 30:3-11 gives us the clearest definition of it's overall purpose. Let's read it.

The days are coming,' declares the LORD, `when I will bring my people Israel and Judah back from captivity and restore them to the land I gave their forefathers to possess,' says the LORD."

These are the words the LORD spoke concerning Israel and Judah: "This is what the LORD says: " `Cries of fear are heard—terror, not peace. Ask and see: Can a man bear children? Then why do I see every strong man with his hands on his stomach like a woman in labor, every face turned deathly pale?

How awful that day will be! None will be like it. It will be a time of trouble for Jacob, but he will be saved out of it.

" `In that day,' declares the LORD Almighty, `I will break the yoke off their necks and will tear off their bonds; no longer will foreigners enslave them. Instead, they will serve the LORD their God and David their king, whom I will raise up for them.

" `So do not fear, O Jacob my servant; do not be dismayed, O Israel,' declares the LORD. `I will surely save you out of a distant place, your descendants from the land of their exile. Jacob will again have peace and security, and no one will make him afraid.

I am with you and will save you,'declares the LORD. `Though I completely destroy all the nations among which I scatter you, I will not completely destroy you. I will discipline you but only with justice; I will not let you go entirely unpunished.'

In this passage the event is foretold, its purpose explained, and the timing is made clear. Let's take the timing first. According to verse 3 it will take place after Israel and Judah are re-gathered in the land as one nation, and verse 9 says it will result in David becoming their King again.

There have been two re-gatherings since the passage was written, but the first, beginning in 535 BC, didn't result in David becoming Israel's King. (In fact, from about 600 BC to this day they have had no legitimate king at all.)

The second re-gathering began in 1948 AD and continues to this day. Though the population of Israel keeps growing, so do the Jewish populations of all the nations to which the Jews have been scattered, and there are still about as many Jews outside Israel than there are in the land. All that will soon change as the Lord calls all His people to return to their Promised Land following His victory in the Battle of Ezekiel 38-39. The second re-gathering is the one that will lead to the fulfillment of Jeremiah 30:3-11. Isaiah foretold that the second
re-gathering would put an end to the contention between Israel and Judah (Isaiah 11:11-13), and Ezekiel 37:15-25 confirms that sometime after this reunion David will be their King.

Now for its purpose. "Though I completely destroy all the nations among which I scatter you, I will not completely destroy you. I will discipline you but only with justice; I will not let you go entirely unpunished." (Jere. 30:11)

The idea is that Israel has to be purified in preparation for the Kingdom Age God promised them, and the nations who rejected the Messiah and persecuted His people must be destroyed.

So the purpose of the Great Tribulation is twofold; discipline (purify) the people of Israel, and completely destroy the nations to which they had been scattered.

The Nature of the Church

According to Paul's Letter to the Ephesians, the church is nothing less than a new race of mankind, coming from among both Jews and Gentiles but sharing a destiny with neither. (Ephe. 2:15-16)

The problem had always been that God could never dwell for long in the midst of His creation. Our sins always eventually drove Him away. At the cross, He reconciled all things to himself, things in heaven and on earth (Col 1:19-20).

This meant that He was now at peace with His creation for the first time since the Fall of Man. He accomplished this by paying the price for all the sins of mankind. Now, for anyone who would accept it, a full pardon for behavior past, present and future was available, free for the asking.

Accepting this pardon qualifies any person, young or old, Jew or Gentile, good or bad, to become a new creation. When we do it permits God to look upon us as if we are without sin altogether; and in fact as if we had never sinned to begin with. It also requires the division of mankind into three groups: Jew, Gentile and Church (1 Cor. 10:32). No longer being either Jew or Gentile (Galatians 3:26-28) means God's purpose is not served by having us present in the Great Tribulation.

It's critical that we understand God's perspective in this because it's substantially different from ours. To Him, the church is without sin, holy and blameless, and has been since the cross (Ephes. 5:25-27). Whatever sins we as individuals have committed (or will commit) have been forgiven (Colossians 2:13-14) and it's as if they never happened (2 Cor 5:17). At the cross, the church became as righteous as God Himself (2 Cor 5:21), having been made perfect forever (Hebr. 10:12-14). Because of the cross God has a people with whom He can live in peace. No further purification is necessary.

What's The Point?

Therefore, no purpose is served by having the Church endure the Great Tribulation. Remember, the Church is a body spanning 40 generations of human life. If we were not all made perfect at the cross, how could the suffering of the final generation of believers serve to purify all those who have preceded us? All the generations of the Church have died in hope of spending eternity with the Lord as the Bible promises us. Is it only ours who will receive this promise and then only after sharing in Israel's purification? Of course not.
In Israel's case it's a different matter. The past generations who rejected their Messiah are lost. The last generation's purification through the Great Tribulation won't save those who have gone before. It's intended to finally open their eyes and hearts to Jesus so that a remnant of God's chosen people can be preserved. (Zech. 12:10-13)

And as we've seen, during the Great Tribulation God's focus will be on Israel and His focus is always either Israel or the Church, never both at once. (This was explained by James in Acts 15:12-18 and by Paul in Romans 11:25-27.) If you take the view, as I do, that the Battle of Ezekiel 38 occurs before the Great Tribulation, and realize that one outcome of that battle is to turn Israel back to God, (Ezek. 39:28-29) then you know the church's days on Earth have to end at the same time. This is what makes the fact that Israel exists again an important sign that the end is near.

In Summary

Of course the Scriptures promise that the Church won't be present on Earth for the Great Tribulation and we've covered these promises in detail in other studies on the Rapture. My intent in this study is not to review them but rather to demonstrate that 1) the purpose of the Great Tribulation is to discipline Israel and completely destroy the unbelieving nations, and 2) to show that the Church has no need for purification or discipline. Therefore our presence on Earth during that period would serve no purpose and in fact would be in direct opposition to our nature as God sees us.
It's also in direct opposition to His nature as revealed in the Bible. The basis of Abraham's negotiation with God concerning the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah was that God could not destroy the righteous with the wicked (Genesis 18:23-25). And Peter revealed how history teaches us that God knows how to rescue godly men from trial while holding the unrighteous for the day of judgment (1 Peter 2:4-9). As John did in Rev. 3:10, Peter used the Greek preposition "ek" in the phrase translated from (out of) trial. It means to keep something out of the time, place, or cause of an event. By using that preposition Peter and John were confirming that God knows how to remove us from the time, place, and cause of the coming judgment before unleashing it upon the world. For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath, but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ (1 Thes. 5:9). You can almost hear the footsteps of the Messiah. 10-13-12

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What Did Jesus Do In Hell?

2012-10-11T01:05:00.002-05:00

What Did Jesus Do In Hell?

Commentary by Jack Kelley

“I believe in God the Father Almighty Creator of Heaven and Earth and in Jesus Christ, his Son, our Lord; Who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried; He descended into hell; the third day he rose again from the dead; He ascended into heaven, sitteth at the right hand of God the Father Almighty” (Excerpt from the Apostle’s Creed).

Recently a woman wrote with the following question. She said, “I have just discovered that some of my friends believe when Jesus became sin He took on the nature of Satan and went to hell where He was tormented by Satan and his demons until God called from heaven and said ‘enough’ and then the Holy Spirit entered Him again and Jesus became the 1st born again man. I don’t believe this is true and have been looking for Biblical answers for them can you help?”

I’ve heard this teaching a number of times, and I’m convinced there are several problems with it. The verse her friends were referring to is 2 Cor. 5:21, “God made Him who had no sin to be sin for us so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.” Jesus bore the penalty for every sin mankind ever had or ever would commit as if He Himself was guilty of them all. This took place on the cross during the last three hours of His suffering that ended with His death. Becoming sin for us is what made God turn away from Him, taking the light from the world, and it’s what caused Him to say, My God, My God why have you forsaken me? (Matt. 27:45-46).

Taking on the sin of the world caused a separation between the Father and the Son that had never occurred before, and while Jesus had steeled Himself against the physical abuse He was suffering, He was not prepared for that. It’s the only part of the whole ordeal He couldn’t bear in silence.

At the end of that time, knowing that all was completed and so the Scripture would be fulfilled, He asked for a drink. Then He said, “It is finished,” and died (John 19:28-30). This was the end of His suffering. He had done what He came to do, and that’s to die for the sins of the world (John 1:29). There would be no more suffering on our account. This is confirmed in the Greek word John used in the Lord’s statement. It’s tetelesti, a form of the Greek verb teleo, which means to accomplish or complete. It also means to discharge a debt, and in the Lord’s day it was an accounting term that meant nothing further was owing. The debt we owed to God was paid in full. There would have been no reason for the Lord to endure further torment.

Here’s Another Problem

The Gospel of Luke makes reference to a brief conversation Jesus had with one of the two men being crucified with Him that gives rise to another problem. While one of the men hurled insults at Him, the other one declared the Lord’s innocence and said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.”
Jesus answered him, “I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise” (Luke 23:39-43)

Jesus said He was going to Paradise, and yet the Apostle’s Creed I quoted from above said He descended into Hell. Which was it? For the answer, let’s go to the Bible’s most detailed description of the after life experience as it was before the cross. It’s the story of the Rich Man and Lazarus and it’s found in Luke 16:19-31.

Tell Us A Story

“There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day. At his gate was laid a beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores and longing to eat what fell from the rich man’s table. Even the dogs came and licked his sores.

“The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried. In hell, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side. So he called to him, ‘Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.’

“But Abraham replied, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony. And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.’

“He answered, ‘Then I beg you, father, send Lazarus to my father’s house, for I have five brothers. Let him warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.’

“Abraham replied, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them.’
“‘No, father Abraham,’ he said, ‘but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.’

“He said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.’”
```
Some call this story a parable, but I think it was the account of something that really happened. The Lord’s parables generally weren’t about actual people but were hypothetical in nature. In this story we see real people in a real situation. It’s almost as if He expected His audience to know who He was talking about.
I think the Lord was pointing to His own future by saying that God gave us His word as a guide for life and death, but if people don’t believe it they won’t be persuaded even if someone (Himself for instance) comes back from the dead. Because of this, I’m skeptical of the popular stories about people who claim to have been to heaven or hell and have been allowed to return and tell us about what it’s like. If God refused to let Lazarus come back to warn the rich man’s five brothers, why would He suddenly let all kinds of people come back to warn people now?

Back To Our Subject

But our topic here is what Jesus did after He died and the story of the rich man and Lazarus can help us understand that as well.

The spiritual condition of these two men is not revealed in so many words. But by their destinations we can tell what it was. Upon his death, angels carried Lazarus to Abraham’s side. This term was the Jewish expression for a place of comfort in Sheol, the abode of the dead, that was also called Paradise. It’s the place Jesus said He was going to in Luke 23:43. It was where all believers from the time before the cross went until the resurrection took them to heaven. In the early church, some believed that Paradise was the actual Garden of Eden and was neither in Heaven nor on Earth. Being taken there indicates Lazarus had died believing in a coming redeemer who would pay the penalty for His sins and qualify him for the resurrection to eternal life.

When the rich man died he was taken to hell. The Greek word for hell is Hades. It’s equivalent to the Hebrew word Sheol which, as I said, is the abode of the dead. That means it’s the same place where Lazarus went, but while Lazarus enjoyed a place of comfort, the rich man’s lot was agony in the fire. This tells us he was not a believer. He could see Lazarus but he couldn’t join him. The time for choosing his eternal destiny ended at his death just like it does for us. Hebrews 9:27 tells us man is destined to die but once and after that to face judgment.

Paradise was a only a temporary place for believers, who could not enter heaven until the blood of Jesus was sprinkled on the altar there (Hebrews 9:11-12). Since then all believers who die go directly to Heaven (Phil 1:21-23, 2 Cor. 5:6-8).

The part of Hades where the rich man went is also a temporary place. Rev. 20:13 tells us at the Great White throne judgment Hades will give up the dead that are in it and each person will face their final judgment before being cast into the lake of fire.

So although it wasn’t this way at the beginning, somewhere along the way Hades, or hell as we call it, came to be known as the place where unbelievers spend eternity in suffering and torment. I think this misunderstanding is at least partially responsible for the false teaching that Jesus was tormented by Satan there.

When Jesus went into Hades, He went as a conqueror, not as a victim. In the Bible there are only two references to the time between His death and His resurrection and both support this position. As we saw in Luke 23:43 He said He was going to Paradise immediately after He died and He was taking one of the men dying next to him along. And in 1 Peter 3:18-20 we’re told that by the power of the Holy Spirit He preached to the disobedient spirits imprisoned there, so He must have visited the other side of Hades as well. But it was not for the purpose of suffering. It was for the purpose of reminding them that their punishment was just and well deserved.

But Wait, There’s More

Finally, our writer mentioned that her friends believe Jesus became the first born again man after God put a stop to His suffering and the Holy Spirit entered Him again. But as we’ve just seen the Holy Spirit was with the Lord when He preached to the disobedient spirits. More importantly, being born again is the result of accepting the Lord’s death as payment for all our sins. Jesus never sinned, and He didn’t have a sin nature. True, He became sin for us, but He had no need to be born again. On the contrary, He’s the one who made it possible for us to be born again.

In summary, there’s no Biblical support for the belief that the Lord’s suffering on our behalf continued after His death. Selah 09-01-12

Headlines indicate clarion prophetic warning

2012-09-12T10:35:00.003-05:00

Headlines indicate clarion prophetic warning

There are major headlines concerning the Middle East in general and the United States and Israel in particular that should send a clarion prophetic warning to those who discern the times. The headlines include: Egypt-Iran meeting could increase terror attacks; White House cancels meeting with Israeli Prime Minister; Embassies in Libya and Egypt attacked by Islamists; and American diplomat killed in Libya attack.The resultant actions from these news stories could cause a convergence of dangerous activity connected to types and shadows of end time prophecies that undoubtedly will impact you and your family.

There is an open feud escalating between the occupant of the Oval Office and the Prime Minister of Israel over Israel's right to defend itself by a preemptive strike on Iran's nuclear facilities. This feud is so deep that the US president is refusing to meet with Israel's Benjamin Netanyahu. In pointed remarks toward the US president, CBS reports that Netanyahu said, "Those in the international community who refuse to put red lines before Iran don't have a moral right to place a red light before Israel." According to a Reuters report, the White House rejected a request to meet with the president from Netanyahu during a trip to the US later in September.

The occupant of the Oval Office brought American war power to bear in assisting the Muslim Brotherhood and al Qaeda in overthrowing the governments of Libya and Egypt. Yet on September 11, Islamist gunmen in Libya attacked the US Embassy killing the US Ambassador and three staff members beginning with a rocket attack on their car; ending with the Ambassador being suffocated and the three aides shot. The US Embassy in Egypt also was attacked as Islamists burned the American flag and tried to raise the Muslim Black Flag with the words, "There is no God, but Allah, and Mohammad is his messenger." The attacks were sparked by a movie produced in the US that allegedly "insulted" Mohammad.

In response to the movie-generated violence in Egypt, the US Embassy in Cairo issued a statement saying, "We firmly reject the actions by those who abuse the universal right of free speech to hurt the religious beliefs of others." Both Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and the president issued similar statements that "While the United States rejects efforts to denigrate the religious beliefs of others, we must all unequivocally oppose the kind of senseless violence that took the lives of these public servants." The religious justification of these violent actions should not be a part of any condemnation of their murderous deeds.

Meantime, National Security and Intelligence reporter Bill Gertz wrote that a meeting between the head of Egyptian General Intelligence and Iran's Ministry of Intelligence and Security has raised concerns that the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt could become more involved in supporting global terrorism. The Muslim Brotherhood was considered a terrorist sponsoring organization until the current administration took office. All these headlines do not bode well for America. The American president has supported Islam at every opportunity and remains a critic for those who would hurt Islamic religious feelings even as Islamists murder our own diplomats.

By denying a meeting with Israel and by opining appeasement to Islamists, the US leadership is risking putting Americans here at home in harm's way. The US is a lot like Babylon in Jeremiah. The nation is failing morally, economically, and spiritually as it supports the enemies of YHVH. The prophetic implications are enormous from types and shadows of Ezekiel and Revelation to very specific ones like that of Jeremiah 51:14, "I will fill you with men like locusts; they will raise a battle cry against you." Watch yourself in transition. Pray for YHVH's mercy. Call for repentance. Rest in Yeshua.

Have a Blessed and Powerful Day!

Bill Wilson

www.dailyjot.com

The End Times Empire. Rome, Or Islam, Or …? Part 1

2012-08-11T20:37:00.000-05:00

The End Times Empire. Rome, Or Islam, Or …? Part 1

This Week’s Feature Article by Jack Kelley

In the updated commentary on Rev. 17-18 I recently posted, I briefly summarized two major opinions concerning the end times world government. The view that it will be a revival of the Biblical Roman Empire has been universally accepted among believers for generations, but recent world events have caused some to propose an alternative in the form of an Islamic Empire.

The purpose of this study is to is to look at these alternatives in greater detail than I was able to do in the Rev. 17-18 commentary and see if we can come to a conclusion about which is more likely, because as I think you’ll see they both have some pretty compelling support.

The Roman View

The Roman view comes primarily from studies of Daniel 2 and its companion Daniel 7. Daniel 2 contains a description of an enormous poly-metallic statue. King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon saw it in a dream shortly after he had consolidated his rule over the known world with the defeat of both Assyria and Egypt in the Battle of Carchemish in 606 BC.

Remembering stories his grandfather had told him about the riches of Israel (Isaiah 39:1-2) Nebuchadnezzar had laid siege to Jerusalem before returning to Babylon. Since they were outnumbered by the superior Babylonian forces, King Jehoiakim pledged Judah’s loyalty to Babylon and agreed to pay an annual tribute to avoid being conquered. As was customary in those days, Nebuchadnezzar took hostages from the royal family to insure Judah’s faithfulness to the agreement and headed back to Babylon.

Among the hostages were Daniel and his three friends, known by their Babylonian names as Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. They were all probably in their late teens at the time and Nebuchadnezzar was likely only a few years older. He had the four Jewish boys enrolled in a training program to help them learn the ways of Babylon and was amazed when they quickly excelled in every area of their training.

The meaning of the dream continued to evade him and when none of the wise men he had inherited from his late father could interpret it he became angry and threatened to have them all executed. But the Lord gave Daniel its meaning and he agreed to interpret it for the young king, earning him and his friends positions of great influence among the king’s advisors.

You can read Daniel’s interpretation of the dream in Daniel 2:31-45. For our purposes here it’s enough to say that the statue represented four kingdoms who would control the world during a period of time known as Gentile Dominion. This period would last from Nebuchadnezzar’s time to the beginning of the Messianic Kingdom.

Daniel said the head of the statue, made of gold, represented Babylon, the first Kingdom of Gentile Dominion. The chest and arms of silver represented a kingdom that would rise after Babylon, to be followed by a third one, the belly and thighs of bronze, and finally the legs of iron with feet of iron mixed with clay, which spoke of the final kingdom. After that God will set up a kingdom of His own that will never be destroyed or given to another people (Daniel 2:36-44).

Most scholars agree on the identities of the two kingdoms that followed Babylon. In Daniel 8 we can read of a vision Daniel saw just before Babylon was conquered, where they were made known to him. Daniel was told in effect they would be Medo-Persia and Greece (Daniel 8:20-21). He lived to see the Medes and Persians conquer Babylon, and knew from the vision that Greece would conquer Persia. This is confirmed by the historical record, which shows that events unfolded just as Daniel’s vision had indicated. That left only the fourth kingdom unknown to Daniel.

Daniel 2 described Gentile Dominion from man’s perspective, a bright, shiny statue constructed mostly of precious metals. Before looking at the 4th Kingdom, lets skip forward to Daniel 7 and see God’s view of these kingdoms, which is a series of voracious beasts. By laying it alongside Daniel 2 and using Daniel 8 for further clarification, we can see what Daniel saw.

Daniel 7:4 depicts Babylon as a lion with the wings of an eagle. It morphed into a man that represents Nebuchadnezzar, Babylon’s most powerful king. Daniel 7:5 tells us the next beast was a bear, representing Medo Persia. In Daniel 7:6 the third kingdom appeared to Daniel in the form of a winged leopard with four heads. This is a model of Greece under Alexander and the four generals who succeeded him.

By way of additional confirmation, Josephus recorded a supernaturally ordained meeting between Alexander the Great and Jeduah, the reigning High Priest of Israel at the time. Alexander was making his way south toward Egypt, conquering nation after nation as he did. When he came to Jerusalem, the High Priest and his retinue, in their finest robes, opened the gates and met him outside the city, as God had told them to do. Alexander had previously seen this exact event in a dream and took its fulfillment as a sign from God. He spared the city and offered sacrifices in the Temple. When Jeduah opened the scroll of Daniel and read to Alexander portions of what we know as Daniel 8, written 200 years earlier, Alexander correctly interpreted it as referring to him (Antiquities of the Jews, Book XI, chapter 8).

The Empire that followed Greece was Rome, and that’s how the identity of the 4th kingdom, represented by the legs of iron in the statue and the terrifying, frightening beast of Daniel 7:7, was determined in the Roman view. Proponents say Rome was never conquered, but transformed itself into the Holy Roman Empire that finally became the Catholic Church, which is still a powerful force in the world with over a billion members and wealth beyond measure. During that time, various components of the old Roman Empire (Portugal, the Netherlands, Spain, France, and especially Great Britain) were recognized as having world wide influence. They say an end times version of the Roman Empire will appear again at the end of the age to preside over world affairs. This empire is represented by the feet and toes of the statue.

In the Roman view, the end times Empire will likely be some form of the European Union from which the anti-Christ will emerge to rule the world during Daniel’s 70th Week. This opinion is supported by the fact that in Daniel’s 70 weeks prophecy (Daniel 9:24-27) the angel Gabriel said in effect that the anti-Christ would be someone from the people who would destroy the city (Jerusalem) and the sanctuary (Temple). History shows that this happened while Rome was in the process of putting down Jewish rebellions in 69-70 and 135 AD.
The Islamic View

The Roman and Islamic views agree through the first three kingdoms, Babylon, Persia, and Greece. But then they differ. The Islamic view skips right over Rome and says the next empire to occupy the territory of Babylon, Persia and Greece was the Ottoman Empire that reigned supreme in the region from the 13th Century until 1923. Islamic proponents point out that the Roman Empire didn’t fit either the geographical footprint of the preceding kingdoms or the description of the terrifying and powerful 4th beast. It expanded mostly to the west, and didn’t crush or devour its victims or trample them underfoot (Daniel 7:7) but allowed the nations it conquered to retain their own religions and customs. For example the Greek religion and culture had a powerful and lasting influence that overlapped the Roman Empire by hundreds of years. And until they took up arms against Rome, the Jews lived a relatively autonomous existence.

The Islamic view also disputes the opinion that the Romans destroyed Jerusalem and its temple, saying the Romans leaders actually tried to prevent the destruction but the predominantly middle Eastern conscripts that made up the “enlisted” ranks simply disobeyed their leaders and sacked the city and temple of their ancient enemy. Therefore it was the ancestors of the Arabs who would later become adherents of Islam who fulfilled Daniel’s prophecy by destroying the city and the sanctuary. That means the anti-Christ will come out of Islam, not Western Europe.

And finally, the Islamic view holds that the Roman position is Western in its orientation whereas the Bible has always focused on the Middle East. Its advocates note that references to an Islamic Caliphate are becoming steadily more noticeable in Middle Eastern discourse. They say Muslim groups in the region are working harder than ever to re-establish this caliphate. These include such varied groups as the Taliban, al Qaeda, and Hamas, as well as the powerful Muslim Brotherhood and even the government of Turkey. Therefore the end times Empire will in effect be a revived Ottoman Empire, from which an Islamic world leader will emerge to rule during Daniel’s 70th Week.
So Which Is It?

As we’ve seen, the actual identity of the fourth Kingdom was never given to Daniel. For centuries the vast majority of scholars have assumed it was Rome because of the historical realities. Rome directly followed Greece, the Romans clearly took credit for destroying the Temple in 70 AD and the City of Jerusalem in 135 AD, and Rome was the kingdom in power when John wrote the Revelation. In Rev. 17:9-10 he said,

“This calls for a mind with wisdom. The seven heads are seven hills on which the woman sits. They are also seven kings. Five have fallen, one is, the other has not yet come; but when he does come, he must remain for a little while.”

Both views agree that the five kings who had fallen at the time of John’s writing are Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, Persia, and Greece. The one in power at the time was obviously Rome, but the seventh one was and is still in the future. As we saw above, Daniel’s prophecies focused on the time of Gentile Dominion that began with Babylon and includes only four kingdoms before the kingdom of God is established. By comparing Rev. 17:9-10 with Daniel 2 and Daniel 7 we can see Daniel’s fourth Kingdom had to be Rome and it has to appear in two forms to be John’s 6th and 7th kings.
Any Questions?

By the way, the Greek word John used in Rev. 17:9-10 was kings, not kingdoms, but scholars have assumed John was referring to the most prominent ruler of each, since they all had more than one. For example, at the time of John’s writing (about 95 AD) the Roman Emperor was Domitian, the 11th man to occupy its throne.

This prompts two questions. Is the coming one also a kingdom even though John called him a king and used a personal pronoun in referring to him? And in Rev. 17:11 John referred to the beast as an eighth king, this time using a personal noun (when used metaphorically the word beast refers to a brutal or savage man) and personal pronouns (he, his). Is he a king, or another kingdom?

And there are others. Both these views have strong supporting features but neither is conclusive. For example, is the end times empire world wide or just regional? Both the Roman view and the Islamic view have a decidedly regional focus. What about the rest of the world? The Book of Revelation makes strong suggestions that the whole world will be involved.

And what about the religious aspect of the end times? Rev. 13:8 says all the inhabitants of Earth will worship the anti-Christ. Currently there are 2.2 billion “Christians” on Earth. Will those who are left after the rapture suddenly convert to Islam as the Islamic view requires? Or will the world’s 1.6 billion followers of Islam abandon Allah for a Western European Messiah as the Roman view would have us believe?

Don’t make the mistake of thinking that Islam will no longer be a viable religious force after the Battle of Ezekiel 38. Rough estimates indicate that as little as 15% of the Islamic world will be represented by the forces aligned against Israel, and remember it’s only their soldiers who die in battle, not their total populations.

And those who say that Islam will cease to exist after the Battle of Ezekiel 38 because its outcome will prove their god isn’t real simply don’t understand the emotional and spiritual foundation of religion. Remember, only Christians and Jews have a God who has proved His existence beyond question, but other religions have flourished through out the age of man despite their lack of such evidence.

Speaking of which, what about the billions of Hindus, Buddhists, Sikhs, and others? Some of them are as passionate about their faith as anyone. They aren’t going to easily abandon their long held beliefs either.

So both the Roman and Islamic views leave unanswered questions. But there is a supernatural movement taking place on Earth today that addresses these questions. It’s already impacting millions and is growing rapidly all around the globe. Catholics, Protestants, Muslims, New Agers, the Eastern religions and others have all been able to embrace this movement with out denying their strongly held beliefs. It claims the power to bring all the world’s religions together and reconcile all the apparently conflicting prophecies about End Times religion. This movement will be the topic of our conclusion next week. Until then, you can almost hear the footsteps of the Messiah 08-11-12

The Covenant Relationship

2012-07-21T19:49:00.003-05:00

The Covenant Relationship
by Jack Kelley

And Jonathan made a covenant with David because he loved him as himself. Jonathan took off the robe he was wearing and gave it to David, along with his tunic, and even his sword, his bow and his belt. (1 Samuel 18:3-4)

The making of a covenant was serious business. It was the strongest bond known to men, and had both business and personal applications that extended even to the descendants of the two parties involved. A covenant was typically solemnized by great ceremony and ritual, some of which is mentioned in the passage above. All in all it went like this.

First, several animals were cut in half and arranged along a path. Their purpose was to symbolize the penalty for breaking the covenant. The two men entering into a covenant relationship walked between and around the animal parts in a figure eight. (An eight on its side is the symbol for infinity.) This was to show that they understood and accepted the penalty and that the agreement committed them forever. (When God entered into His covenant with Abraham, promising him an heir and giving him the Promised Land, He was the only one who walked between the animals. This meant that only He was bound to the terms. There was nothing Abraham had to do. In fact, God put him to sleep so he couldn’t participate. The land was given to Abraham and his descendants unconditionally and in perpetuity (Gen.15:9-21).

Seven Symbolic Steps

Then they performed up to seven ceremonial acts; each also designed to underscore the seriousness and permanence of the relationship they were entering. In the passage above, we see David and Jonathan formalizing their covenant with the first two of these.

1. Each man handed his outer garment to the other, symbolizing that everything belonging to one also belonged to the other.

2. Exchanging sword, bow, and other weapons indicated that each was pledging himself to the other’s defense; placing his power, as it were, at the other’s disposal.

3. They each cut themselves in the wrist to make their blood flow and then joined their right hands and forearms together in a gesture from which we get the modern handshake. The idea here was that the blood from one was now mixed with the blood from the other. The two had become one. In some cultures a bride and groom still cut themselves this way and mingle their blood during their wedding ceremony, and the American Indian notion of becoming “blood brothers” is also derived from this. (The Hebrew word translated covenant comes from a root that means to cut. It could apply to the animals, the men, or both.)

We ofter hear the phrase, “blood is thicker than water.” It usually refers to the strength of family relationships, but its original intent was different. It meant that the blood of the covenant surpassed the birth waters. As Jonathan’s actions toward David demonstrate, covenant relationships exceeded family ties in strength and durability (1 Samuel 19:1-3).

4. They let the cut heal in such a way as to leave a visible scar on their wrist. This was to alert people that they were stronger than they appeared to be, since others stood behind them pledged to their defense.

5. They shared a ceremonial meal, usually of bread and wine. It was another way of uniting them since to this day middle-Easterners believe that sharing from the same loaf of bread or the same flask of wine binds the participants together. In the first Biblical mention of this, Melchizedek and Abraham shared such a meal (Genesis 14:18).

6. Still another way was for each to take a portion of the other’s name, similar to the way the bride takes the name of the groom in Western culture. (When God entered into a covenant with Abram He changed his name to Abraham, requiring us to exhale when we speak his name. The exhaled breath symbolizes the Ruach Elohim or Spirit of God.)

7. And finally they built a monument or memorial to the ceremony. This could be something as simple as a pile of stones or as complex as a forest or a flock of animals, such as when Jacob and Laban formed their covenant (Genesis 30:25-36).

They went through such ceremony because their lives depended on their covenant partners. There could be no doubt in their minds as to each other’s reliability.

A Hypothetical Example

A shepherd had to get his wool into the hands of the merchants. But they lived in the cities and his sheep had to stay in the mountains. He couldn’t just leave them and go off to sell his wool, the sheep would be gone when he returned. Still, he needed the things he could only buy with the money he got from selling the wool. So he entered into a covenant with a wool broker. The broker took his wool into the city and sold it to the merchants. With the money he got, he purchased the things the shepherd needed and brought them back to him.

The shepherd had to trust that the broker would guard the wool with his life, and get the best price possible for it at the market. He also had to believe that the broker would pay as little as necessary for the goods he brought back, protecting them all the way as if they were his own. The broker had to trust that the shepherd would care for his flock and maximize his wool production so that when he came back there would be another crop to sell. It was an inter-dependent relationship built on trust.

And One From Real Life … 2 Samuel 9

Some time after David and Jonathan formed their covenant, Jonathan was killed in the Battle of Beth Shean (1 Sam. 31:2), while David went on to become King of Israel (2 Sam. 5:1-5). But as I said, covenant agreements extended even to the descendants of covenant heads. One day King David asked his advisors if there was anyone left of Jonathan’s family to whom he could show kindness for Jonathan’s sake.

They brought in one of Saul’s former servants who told him of a crippled boy named Mephibosheth. He was Jonathan’s son, living in a place called Lo Debar. When David had become King of Israel, all of Saul’s family (Jonathan was Saul’s son) had fled for their lives for fear that David would take revenge on them for the way Saul had mistreated him. In their haste to escape, his nurse had picked up the 5 year old Mephibosheth to carry him, but they had fallen on the stone floor, breaking his legs and crippling him for life. (2 Sam. 4:4) As he grew up his family had convinced Mephibosheth that David was responsible for his condition and still wanted to kill him.

Upon learning Mephibosheth’s whereabouts, David sent his soldiers to fetch him. When they brought him into the presence of the King, Mephibosheth, fearing for his life, bowed before David and asked him. “What is your servant that you should notice a dead dog like me?” (2 Sam. 9:8). David reassured him and told him of the covenant he had with Jonathan. Then David restored to him all of his grandfather Saul’s property and gave him servants to work the land so his needs would always be met. Finally David asked him to come live in Jerusalem, and eat at the King’s table just like one of the King’s own sons.

It’s a beautiful story of kindness and forgiveness that illustrates the depth of a covenant relationship like no other, and it has a parallel in our lives. To see what I mean, let David represent God our Father, with Jonathan as the Lord Jesus, and Mephibosheth as you and I.

The Everlasting Covenant

Long before we were born the Father and the Son entered into a covenant on our behalf. Our Father said to Jesus, “Son, if you’ll die for them I’ll forgive them”

Jesus replied, “Father, if you’ll forgive them I’ll die for them.” And so the Everlasting Covenant was formed.

Each time God entered into covenant with man, man proved untrustworthy and soon broke it. Adam ate the forbidden fruit, Noah’s descendants refused to scatter and re-settle the Earth, the Children of Israel broke the commandments, and so on. The salvation of God’s children was so important to Him that no mere man could be trusted to be faithful. God Himself had to become a man so mankind could be saved. “You are my son,” He told Jesus, “Today I have become your Father.” (Psalm 2:7)

So Jesus became a man to save mankind, and stood before our Father as our covenant head.

Later, while God pursued us, we ran for our lives. We’d heard the stories of His wrath and had been told that He was responsible for our infirmities. Finally one day He caught us and as we trembled at His feet in fear for our lives, He reassured us and told us of the covenant He had made with His Son. Then He restored our inheritance (Gal. 4:4-7), invited us to dwell with Him, to eat at the King’s table as part of His family, and to consider ourselves as His children (John 1:12-13).

What Did He Ever Do For Me?

Then He told us what His Son did for us. He said that Jesus,

1. Gave us His robes of righteousness and clothed Himself in our garment of sin.

2. Pledged His sword (the Word of His mouth) to our defense.

3. In being nailed to the cross, His wrists were cut and allowed to heal so as to leave scars as evidence of the covenant.

4. Allowed His blood to flow into and over us, cleansing us of all our impurities.

5. Shared a covenant meal of bread and wine with us and asked that we do this with each other as a memorial to Him.

6. Gave us His name, for we are called Christians.

7. Built a monument, His covenant flock, and said the gates of Hell would not prevail against it.

And as in Abraham’s case, all we have to do is receive it. It’s unconditional and perpetual.

Justice Or Mercy?

I used to think that John had misspoken in 1 John 1:9. Instead of saying of God, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness,” I thought John should have written, “He is faithful and merciful …” thinking that it’s out of God’s mercy that we’re forgiven, not His justice. Then I learned about the Everlasting Covenant and realized that He’s obligated to forgive us. He made a covenant with His Son promising to do it. And He can’t break His promise because He’s faithful and just.

The Son has died for us, and now the Father must forgive us, and when He does, all our sins and the shame and guilt that go with them are wiped away. Like Mephibosheth, our inheritance is restored, we’re set for the rest of our lives, and we sit at the King’s table as one of His children. By the way, Mephibosheth’s name comes from root words that mean “dash to pieces” and “shame”. When He died for us the Lord dashed to pieces all the shame associated with our former self and replaced it with the righteousness of God. Selah 07-21-12.

Bombs over Persia

2012-07-21T12:29:00.003-05:00

Bombs over Persia - Ron Graham - twotug@embarqmail.com

“Son of man, set thy face against Gog, the land of Magog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal, and prophesy against him, And say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I am against thee, O Gog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal:” Ezekiel 38:2-3. Are we seeing the beginning of the fulfillment of the prophecy God gave to Ezekiel? In the last few weeks the extreme rhetoric that has been tossed back and forth by Iran, Russia, the US, and Israel is striking to say the least. After my commentary entitled “Hybrids” was posted to the internet a few weeks ago people have been asking me “What’s next?” So what is next? Well, what’s the whole world witnessing today?

“Iran plans one-kiloton underground nuclear test in 2012” DEBKAfile Special Report January 10, 2012. First of all, the above statement should bring to a close all the debate as to whether or not Iran is developing a nuclear bomb. Secondly, most of us already knew they were in that process, we just didn’t know exactly where in the process they were – now we do. For those in the die hard “don’t confuse me with facts” crowd, uh, sorry but the facts are obvious. So, what’s next? I believe all the world would do well to come to grips with the fact that Iran means to wipe Israel off the proverbial world map – that truth is obvious and is seen as being their only intent for acquiring the bomb. Therefore the Jewish people around the world now stand at a precipice not seen since WWII – and they have a decision to make. Do they allow Iran to achieve their goal of perfecting a nuclear bomb – do they even allow Iran to test that bomb? Or do they strike Iran and bring the playing field of nuclear bomb holder nations back to pre-nuclear Iran days? By the way, Russia (Magog) has made it plain, striking Iran is a no-no.

More than anything else, Iran wants to push the Nation of Israel off its God given land and into the Mediterranean Sea – to be swallowed up, and forgotten forever. Then as they are reeling from that accomplishment and feeling vindicated and powerful they’d like nothing better than to see to it that the U.S. of A. takes a similar plunge. Clearly something must be done to stem the advance of a nuclear Iran, and it probably should have been done yesterday. Make no mistake, no matter what decision is made it will be costly.

Just how close are we to the prophesied Second Advent of Jesus Christ? That depends. If Iran fires a nuke at Israel, certainly earth’s Christian populous would be in a heightened state of expectation. Israel will not be annihilated, God will not allow that scenario to come to pass; He will intervene for His people Israel. The United States of America, on the other hand, is a different story. There is no promise from God to save America from annihilation save, of course, the promise He made to Abraham. “And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee:” Genesis 12:3. Although the United States of America has partnered with Israel to this point, with the vehement rhetoric coming from our fearless leader concerning Israel, perhaps Christian, it’s time to start looking up.

There is a verse in Ezekiel that seems appropriate for insertion here. “And I will send a fire on Magog, and among them that dwell carelessly in the isles: and they shall know that I am the LORD.” Ezekiel 39:6. Obviously God is adamant about what the future of Magog holds. Then God refers to “them” in the same thought. Who is God referring to when He says “I will send a fire…among them that dwell carelessly in the isles?” The Hebrew word translated to English as “carelessly” can also mean in safety or security. The Hebrew word used here actually denotes a sense of false security or a confidence that is unrealistic. Israel will be in this same mode of false security when Russia (Magog) and her allies come against them. In the “isles” means region or country. So who is it that God is referring to? What county has been dwelling carelessly in their own country for some time now? Could it be that God has His sights on the good old U.S. of A., as we as a nation turn our backs on Him and more specifically on His people Israel?

Persia (Iran) is prophesied to move against Israel in the last days, but according to God’s word, Persia will be defeated. Now this is a very interesting scenario since Russia is telling the world that an attack on Tehran, Iran, is an attack on Moscow. Well now, that changes the dynamic somewhat. If Israel launches a preemptive strike against Iran’s nuclear facilities, Russia is going to be drug into the fray as though someone placed a hook in its jaw. “And I will turn thee back, and put hooks into thy jaws, and I will bring thee forth, and all thine army…” Ezekiel 38:4a.

The whole idea of a nuclear Iran is beyond belief, not to mention comprehension. Yet for those of us who’ve studied the word of God, and believe what we read, we’ve no doubt that Iran (Persia) will do everything it can to destroy Israel in these last days. They will fail, but of course Iran doesn’t see it that way. Right now their leadership is bent on bringing together all the elements necessary to create global conflict. They believe this scenario will usher in the Twelfth Imam. Christians, if we were still here, would know this guy as the antichrist. We know he’s bringing an evil which hasn’t been seen before into the world. But the Muslims believe he is the one who will usher in global peace and harmony. They are chomping at the bit to get this guy on the scene and in control.

Where we once only read prophecy and waited for the appearance of any sign, we can now lay those prophecies over current events, and there has never been a time when they’ve fit so perfectly. The Nation of Israel will take Iran’s nukes out no matter what else happens. They will eliminate that particular threat to their existence. The U.S. will retaliate against Israel by pulling all our financial and military support and by issuing sanctions against our longtime ally. But none of that will matter to Israel as they will have attained a sense of security which will placate their people because of the now nonexistent threat from Iran (Persia). That security will be short lived as they will then find themselves entrenched in a fierce running battle for their very existence; a battle which will be fought on many fronts.

Syria, Lebanon’s Hezbollah (and of course Gaza’s Hamas) will unite with the other warring factions such as the Palestinian PLO’s Fatah army in the West Bank and they will invade Israel. There will be thousands of rockets fired at Israel and some will undoubtedly hit their mark. No other nation will come to the aid of Israel; they are on their own. Well not exactly – the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob is still looking out for the tiny Nation of Israel. Once the Church has left its pretty white buildings behind, Israel will again become God’s main focus.

There is talk that the United States will jump in and stop the nuke production in Iran before Israel has the chance. But if that does happen then there will be a response from Russia and/or China that will not be pleasant for Americans. Remember, Obama agreed to eliminate most of our nuclear arsenal with a treaty he made with Russia. But for those who think Russia eliminated their nukes on the same level as the US, well, I believe they’ll be surprised.

The leaders of every nation on earth know full well that Israel cannot just sit by while Iran completes their nuke program. Don’t misunderstand, most of the nations of this world are demanding Israel do just that. But Israel has other plans. Israel’s leaders and their populous are in agreement; there will never be another Holocaust in Israel’s history. Therefore they have only one option and that is to stop Iran before they test the bomb of all bombs.

This is a very exciting but also a dangerous time period. Dangerous in that if we don’t know who Jesus is, if we haven’t placed our faith, hope, and trust in Him as Savior and Lord and the only way to the Father, then dangerous becomes our fatal flaw since the rejection of Jesus Christ only leads to destruction. But for those of us who do believe, exciting is an understatement – we’re watching God’s prophetic word unfolding daily. Every Christian should be on the edge of their seats right now. What’s going on in Iran, Syria, Egypt, Israel, Russia, and the rest of the Middle East can only be described as prophetic scripture coming to pass.

So what should we do while we wait on the Lord? Stock up on guns, ammo, and a ton of survival gear? I understand that mindset better than most as I was operations manager for a national magazine which specialized in the promotion of self-reliant living and preparedness (living off the land, and off the grid, and returning to doing things the way our grandparents or great-grandparents did them). But the mindset that promotes “self-anything” is not the Christian mindset, or at least it shouldn’t be. There’s nothing wrong with planning for tomorrow, but we have no need to worry about tomorrow because God is our Father and He takes delight in providing for the needs of His children. The Father loves His children; it’s as simple as that. We walk by faith not by sight. I see all the worldwide woes approaching but it only heightens my resolve to occupy till He comes. “Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom.” Luke 12:32.

God bless you all,

Ron Graham
twotug@embarqmail.com
All scripture is from the KJV and God breathed

Ministry address – 96 County Road 5480 Salem, MO 65560

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Standing In The Way

2012-07-15T21:33:00.002-05:00

Standing In The Way- This Week's Feature Article by Jack Kelley - http://gracethrufaith.com/ikvot-hamashiach/standing-in-the-way/

There are lots of news reports, articles, and even books devoted to the deteriorating state of America and speculating on the likely outcome. Reading them has brought several things to my mind.

As an example, I remembered something Hal Lindsey said 20 years ago about the then current world situation. He said he had been wondering how God was going to fulfill end times prophecy while the Soviet Union was standing in the way of the revived Roman Empire taking its prophesied place in the end times.

The term "revived Roman Empire" comes from Daniel's interpretation of Nebuchadnezzar's dream as a prophecy of "Gentile Dominion", the time during which Gentile Empires would rule the world. (Daniel 2:31-43).

In the dream Nebuchadnezzar saw a large poly-metallic statue, and Daniel interpreted it to represent four Kingdoms. Many scholars believe the head of gold stood for Babylon, the chest and arms of silver symbolized Media Persia, who conquered Babylon. The belly and thighs of bronze pointed to Greece who defeated the Persians. The legs of iron represented Rome who replaced the Greeks.

Finally came the feet and toes, part of the legs and made partly of iron like the legs, but different in that they were also composed partly of baked clay. Daniel called them a divided kingdom, partly strong and partly weak (Daniel 2:41-42).
The Roman Empire was never completely conquered. Instead it split into eastern and western legs, versions of which have always been visible on the world scene. Since the feet and toes are the last phase of Gentile Dominion before the God of Heaven will set up a Kingdom of His own (Daniel 2:44) and since the statue only represents four kingdoms, scholars call them the revived Roman Empire.

How Will This Happen?

OK. Let's go back to Hal's question. Remember, before its fall in the early 1990s all of Eastern Europe including half of Germany was under Soviet control. This was a significant portion of the old Roman Empire. He wondered how the USSR would be defeated so the end times version of the Roman Empire could emerge.
Then we all received the answer loud and clear when for all intents and purposes the Soviet Union suddenly ceased to exist. It wasn't defeated by an external enemy, but crumbled from within under a crippling burden of debt. The debt was the result of a combination of problems, including a disastrous war in Afghanistan, an unsustainable arms race with the US, and the inability to support the resulting increase in government spending in a declining Soviet economy.

Remembering Hal's comment made me think how similar the world situation is today, only now it's the US standing in the way of end times prophecy. Israel can't experience the utter abandonment that will leave God as its only hope against powerful, hate filled enemies until the US has been neutralized. Like the Soviet Union, we could crumble from within for the same reasons they did. A catastrophic natural disaster, a coordinated series of terrorist attacks, or the rapture of the Church would also get the US out of God's way. But something will have to happen to clear the way for the next phase of the end times, because just as the USSR was not part of Nebuchadnezzar's statue, neither is the USA.

We're All In This Together

Another thing that struck me was the "inter-dependency" of the world today. For example, news reports abound on the extent to which Europe's economic difficulties are hindering America's recovery. And now we're being told that China's exports are dropping at an alarming rate due to the world wide lack of demand. China is the world's number one exporter and currently new orders are not sufficient to sustain its massive manufacturing capacity. Some experts are warning that China's economy could be in the early stages of implosion. If so this could also carry worldwide implications. And China is one of America's major creditors. How would the decline of their economy affect the US? Oil prices also fluctuate in response to changing worldwide demand. It seems like all the world's economies depend to a growing extent on each other. These and other trends make me wonder how God would go about healing America without also healing the rest of the world.

In the days of Ruth and Boaz, escape from the famine in Bethlehem was as simple as walking across the Jordan River valley into Moab. And Nineveh was powerful during a time when nations could exist independently, and where God treated them individually. Remember, He only had Jonah warn Nineveh of the coming judgment. No other city was warned because the judgment was against Nineveh alone. Even within the last century isolationism was considered to be a viable strategy for the US. But we now live in an age where nations are interdependent and where God is in the process of bringing judgment upon the whole world. It's a whole different set of conditions.

Who Are You Looking For?

Then I realized how our view of the end times affects our view of current events. If you're one of those scoffers who laugh when people talk about the end times and think that everything will go on as it has since the beginning of creation (2 Peter 3:3-4) then I can understand why you want to pray for God to protect your way of life. It's the natural thing to do. In Matt. 24:37-41 Jesus spoke about the time just before His coming. In effect, He said even then people would be trying their best to live a normal life, thinking the terrible times would have to end sooner or later and things would go back to being the way they've always been. They will have no idea that the world as they know it is about to end.

But if you believe we're the generation that will see the Lord's return for His Church then you see the decline of the US as a major sign that God is bringing things to a close, just as the fall of the Soviet Union was a major sign 20 years ago, and the re-birth of Israel was a major sign before that. And although that means things could get even more uncomfortable soon, you long for the Lord's appearing, since you know the Lord has promised to rescue us from the coming wrath (1 Thes. 1:10) and will award a crown to all who've been longing for Him to do so (2 Tim. 4:8).

Personally, I believe the signs that show we're well into the End times are becoming almost impossible to ignore. Israel is back in the land. The Middle East is a tinder box one spark away from erupting in flames, and all the participants in Psalm 83, Isaiah 17, and Ezekiel 38 are now in place. The weather is unpredictable and becoming more extreme. Natural disasters are on the rise. The economic problems we face are worldwide in scope and require the kind of solutions only a one world government can implement and enforce. This means a leader will have to be found who can quickly gain worldwide popularity. The quote attributed to Paul Henri-Spaak, former Prime minister of Belgium, is becoming timelier by the hour. "What we want is a man of sufficient stature to hold the alliances of all people and to lift us out of the economic morass into which we are sinking. Send us such a man, and be he god or devil, we will receive him."

Thy Kingdom Come

It doesn't matter whether you favor the western leg of the Old Roman Empire or the eastern leg, they're both in the advanced stages of preparation to become the last Gentile empire before the Lord comes to establish His Kingdom. This is an urgent sign because the revived Roman Empire will have a short duration, perhaps as little as 7 years, and then the Lord will come to establish a kingdom that will never be destroyed or given to another (Daniel 2:44).

As has been the case in the past, this kingdom will exist in three components, Jews, Gentiles and the Church. The main difference, at least at the outset, is that all will be believers. The Jews will dwell with God in Israel, which will be expanded to include all the land He originally gave to Abraham. Believing Gentiles who survive the Great Tribulation will repopulate the rest of Earth, and the Church will inhabit the New Jerusalem.

Most of what the Bible contains in relation to the Kingdom Age on Earth is found in the Old Testament and is limited to descriptions of Israel, which will be the headquarters of the Kingdom on Earth. From them we can see glimpses of a creation liberated from its bondage to decay (Romans 8:18-21), with fields so fertile the farmer can barely complete the harvest of one crop before it's time to plant the next one (Amos 9:13), of people living in peace and joy to an age well beyond what man currently experiences (Isaiah 65:20), of children no longer doomed to misfortune playing safely in the streets while the elderly look on happily (Zech. 8:4-5).

We can only assume that life in the nations will also be a much improved version of what we currently experience, but it seems clear to me that Israel will be the most favored nation on Earth.

Life in the New Jerusalem is even more sparingly described. But what is there is mostly contained in Rev. 21. From there we can see obvious differences. There's no mention of fields, crops, or other earthly endeavors because after the rapture the Church will consist of immortals of the royal class, and royals don't work in the sense that you and I do.

1 John 3:2 says, "Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when he appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is."

John's statement means it's impossible to know in any detail the kind of life we'll be living after the rapture. All we know for sure is that it's beyond our imagining. Paul said, "No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love Him" (1 Cor. 2:9).

So if you've heard stories about us sitting on clouds playing harps all day, or having to endure an endless worship service, or looking with envy on another person's mansion and wishing we'd worked harder in life, you know those things can't be true. Those ideas were conceived by human minds, and are not supported in Scripture.

Just as you have the faith to believe you are saved, you also have the faith to believe your next life will surpass your current one to an extent you can't imagine. You only have to step outside the boundaries of your earthly perspective to exercise it.

End Times prophecies tell us God is working to bring His Kingdom to pass. These prophecies say this will be accomplished in several steps. First He will remove His Church from Earth to the place He's prepared for us (John 14:2-3). Then He will turn His attention to Israel for the seven remaining years He promised them (Daniel 9:24-27, Acts 15:13-18). During those seven years He will accomplish three things in preparation for the Kingdom. Through the End Times judgments, He will 1) completely destroy the nations among which His people have been scattered, 2) discipline Israel (Jeremiah 30:11), and 3) bring about the restoration of His creation (Acts 3:21, Rev. 21:1). Then the Lord Jesus, having established His Heavenly Kingdom in the New Jerusalem seven years earlier, will return to establish His Earthly Kingdom, headquartered in Israel.

This is God's plan for us, and I believe the signs tell us He's already well into the final stages of implementation. You can almost hear the footsteps of the Messiah.

__._,_.___

Russia, China, Ezekiel 38 and sanity

2012-06-20T11:23:00.000-05:00

Russia, China, Ezekiel 38 and sanity

News headlines that Russia, China, Syria and Iran were going to conduct a 90,000 troop war game in Syria complete with hundreds of tanks, warplanes and ships sent ripples through the Christian community that the Ezekiel 38 prophecy was about to be played out. While it is good that many are watching these nations through the lens of Bible prophecy, it is a good idea to check the Bible for whether these events are prophetic fulfillment or types and shadows of prophecy or not even related to Bible prophecy. In short, study the scriptures for yourself before you take someone's word for them. Reuters now reports Russia and Syria deny as "disinformation" such war games originally mentioned in the Iranian media.

For as much as China and Russia aid the enemies of Israel, they are not specifically mentioned in any prophecy of the Bible. No doubt that they are end time players, just as America is an end time player. The nations mentioned in the Bible that come against Israel in prophecy and throughout history, however, are Middle Eastern. Ezekiel 38:2 identifies the leader that will bring Middle Eastern, currently mostly Islamic, nations against Israel: "Son of man, set thy face against Gog, the land of Magog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal, and prophesy against him." Magog, Meshech, and Tubal were all located in Turkey (directly North of Israel) at the time of Ezekiel's prophecy.

The controversy that divides Bible scholars is the use of the word "Rosh" in the Hebrew translation. Rosh is the word for "Chief." It also describes a people group. In attempting to connect Russia to this particular prophecy, many scholars suggest that the Scythians, a nomadic people, settled in parts of what are now Russia and that they are the "Russian" connection. In the context of the scriptures, there is yet another clue. In Revelation 2:13, Yeshua tells us that Pergamos is "where Satan's seat is." Pergamos is in Turkey, not Russia. The "Beast" of the end times is referred to in several places in the the Bible as the Assyrian, an empire that once controlled many of these prophetic locations in Turkey.

There is no doubt that Russia plays a role. It is a traditional supplier of weapons to Israel's enemies; it blocks most UN actions against Israel's enemies. In fact, Russia voted for Israel's right to exist at the UN in 1948, then it supplied the advisors and military equipment to the nations that immediately attacked her. But as far as Biblical proof that Russia is leading the Ezekiel 38 attack, it is speculation. Turkey, however, is extremely significant and once was the home of the most antichrist political and religious system on earth, the Islamic Caliphate--the Ottoman Empire. Yeshua warns in Matthew 24:4, "Take heed that no man deceive you." Study the word for yourself that you may discern these times. It is important.

Have a Blessed and Powerful Day!

Bill Wilson

www.dailyjot.com

The Magog Persia Alliance

2012-06-09T20:35:00.006-05:00

The Magog Persia Alliance

This Week’s Feature Article by Jack Kelley

“Son of man, set your face against Gog, of the land of Magog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal; prophesy against him and say; ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: I am against you, O Gog, chief prince of Meshech and Tubal. I will turn you around, put hooks in your jaws and bring you out with your whole army—your horses, your horsemen fully armed, and a great horde with large and small shields, all of them brandishing their swords. Persia, Cush and Put will be with them, all with shields and helmets, also Gomer with all its troops, and Beth Togarmah from the far north with all its troops—the many nations with you.’ (Ezekiel 38:3-6)

From time to time Scripture gives us brief glimpses of the supernatural powers behind Earthly thrones. Isaiah 14:3, Ezekiel 28:12, Daniel 10:13, 20 and Daniel 12:1 are examples of this. When these supernatural powers are referred to as the king of a particular country, as is the case in Isaiah 14 and Ezekiel 28 it tells us God has Satan in view. When the power behind the throne is called a prince, it’s one of Satan’s underlings.

Some years ago, I came to the conclusion that Gog is one of these supernatural powers, perhaps Satan’s counterpart to the Archangel Michael, who is also called a chief prince (Daniel 10:13) and who is responsible for the defense of Israel (Daniel 12:1). A review of Genesis 10 shows that Gog’s name does not appear in the human genealogies there, nor can he be found among their descendants by any other means, but he appears to be well known to God.

On the other hand, Magog does appear in Genesis 10 as the 2nd son of Japeth and brother of Meshech and Tubal. Most scholars believe Magog represents modern day Russia, while Meshech and Tubal likely settled nearby in eastern Turkey, and there’s universal agreement that Persia is now known as Iran.

In the past we’ve pinned down the modern equivalents of the other nations involved in the Ezekiel 38 scenario, so for the purpose of this article I want to focus on the growing relationship between two of the key national participants, Magog (Russia) and Persia (Iran).

Some scholars observe that when the Lord lists groups of nations, He often does so in priority order, with the most important ones first. If so, then placing Persia first in the order of nations that will be joining Magog and his brothers in the coming attack against Israel is a sign of Persia’s importance to the group’s objectives.
The Sleeping Bear Has Awakened

As Russia has moved to re-assert itself as a player on the world stage, one of the first steps has involved the Middle East. This began with the agreement to help Iran build nuclear reactors, supposedly for peaceful purposes. After numerous delays caused primarily by Western objections, the Bushier reactor has finally come on line. It’s the first of what was originally announced as an agreement to build 10 such power plants. Through out all this Russia has been steadfastly opposed to any military efforts aimed at destroying Iran’s nuclear program.

Then there was Russia’s decision to relocate portions of its Black Sea naval fleet to the Eastern Mediterranean, revamping its Soviet era support base in Tartus on the coast of Syria to accommodate its presence there.

Most recently has been Russia’s support of the Syrian government in it’s efforts to put down the internal strife that has engulfed that country. On two separate occasions, the Russian delegate to the UN has used his Security Council veto to defeat motions that were perceived to be against Syrian government interests. Since Iran also supports the Syrian government, the three countries have been drawn into a tighter partnership to withstand world wide pressure for a “regime change” in Syria and an end to the violence there.

As I write this, Debkafile has reported that Kofi Annan, the former UN head and now its mediator on the Syrian crisis has offered a plan that would put Russia and Iran at the head of a “contact group” empowered to put an end to the problem through a negotiated settlement with Syrian Pres. Assad. The settlement would include an assurance of safety for him, his family and his entourage in return for stepping aside. (There are unconfirmed reports that Assad has already transferred $6 million of his personal fortune to Moscow, probable site of his exile, if it comes to that.) According to Debkafile this plan was approved in advance by the Obama Administration in the hope that it would cause Iran to show a little more flexibility in the upcoming negotiations on its nuclear program, although Iran had given no indication that it would do so.

The rationale behind this plan is that having supported Syria through out, only Russia and Iran have the influence necessary to convince Assad to step down. Any other attempt would require military force, something everyone’s desperate to avoid. So far Iran has refused to be influenced by this unprecedented offer. In fact, after Hillary Clinton warned Iran to come to the next negotiating session prepared to offer something concrete, Iran threatened to cancel the next round altogether.
A Fine Mess You Got Us Into This Time

Students of prophecy can see that this is an important departure from the past. It marks the first time the US has ever considered allowing a government hostile to its objectives to take the lead in an issue involving Middle East security. The US has always maintained its leadership position in order to protect Israel’s interests. If this plan goes through, Russia and Iran would have a powerful, even controlling voice in determining Syria’s future, since the “contact group” would in effect become the interim head of Syria’s new government. No thinking person would ever expect Russia and Iran to replace the Assad regime with one more tolerant toward Israel.

In fact the opposite would be much more likely, and as a practical matter Russia and Iran would also have direct control of the Syrian military, in which both are already heavily involved. Israel’s northern border would quickly become even less secure than it is now. Debkafile has also reported that Turkey has abandoned its support of the Syrian rebels and is lining up behind Moscow in the hope of being part of the “contact group.” That would put the third major Ezekiel 38 player on the field.

Conventional wisdom has always held that the Magog invasion cannot take place until there’s absolute certainty that the US would neither intervene nor retaliate. Speculations on how that might come about have included some sort of terrorist blackmail, such as the threat of a nuclear attack, or the crippling effect the rapture of the Church would have on the US.

But even though the US is now noticeably weaker than in the past without either of these things happening, I’ve never heard anyone suggest that we might voluntarily step aside and allow Israel’s enemies to gain such an advantage. Whether Kofi Annan’s proposal ultimately gets accepted or not the door has now been opened to this possibility as well. I wonder how Israel feels about that.

We should all watch to see how this plays out in the UN because even though Iran has rejected the offer, the deal is probably far from dead. People with experience in these matters know that the first step in any negotiation is to reject the other party’s offer. They also know that the one who appears most willing to hold firm will usually wind up with the better end of the deal. So far it seems to me that Iran is the one holding firm. The US talks about leaving all the options on the table, but we act like we’ll do just about anything to avoid a military solution. To approve an offer like this in advance of any concessions from the other side, and without even a clue that concessions could result conveys that idea pretty clearly.

Like so many before it, this plan could all blow away like fallen leaves before the autumn winds, but if it comes to fruition a more decisive step toward the Magog invasion could hardly be imagined. You can almost hear the footsteps of the Messiah. 06-09-12

False Prophets

2012-06-07T21:01:00.002-05:00

False Prophets

This Week's Feature Article by Jack Kelley

Then the Lord said to me, “Do not pray for the well-being of this people. Although they fast, I will not listen to their cry; though they offer burnt offerings and grain offerings, I will not accept them. Instead, I will destroy them with the sword, famine and plague.”

But I said, “Ah, Sovereign Lord, the prophets keep telling them, ‘You will not see the sword or suffer famine. Indeed, I will give you lasting peace in this place.’”

Then the Lord said to me, “The prophets are prophesying lies in my name. I have not sent them or appointed them or spoken to them. They are prophesying to you false visions, divinations, idolatries and the delusions of their own minds (Jeremiah 14:11-14).

I've been avoiding this topic for some time, but it won't go away. It was brought back to mind this week after I read that a man bought copies of a currently popular book that compares ancient Israel with the USA and sent one to every member of his state's government. I'm sure he was well intentioned, but from the article it appeared that he was using the book to call their attention to the promise God made to Israel in 2 Chronicles 7:14 as a remedy for their state.

“If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.”

As you know, I have problems with Christians claiming that promise for the USA. People who live in the United States are not automatically God's people, no version of our official name contains the name of God, and God's people in the USA who are called by God's name are part of the Christian Church which has no homeland in the USA or any other country on Earth. On the contrary, the Church has been called to reject the things of this world and be ready to re-locate to our real home in Heaven. That's where our citizenship is (Phil. 3:20).

But those who try to invoke the promise of 2 Chron. 7:14 as the remedy for the US ignore this. They also ignore the fact that 2 Chron. 7:14 was first spoken by the Lord to King Solomon long before the destruction that came at the hands of the Assyrians, as noted in the book. Are we to believe there were no Israelites alive at the time who knew about this promise from God? Did no one think to remind Him of it? Because the Northern Kingdom was surely not spared the judgment.

But let's say it is possible that no one remembered 2 Chron. 7:14 and that's why the Northern Kingdom was destroyed. What about the Southern Kingdom? It was part of Israel when the promise was given. Wasn't it also defeated? Consider what God had Jeremiah tell the people there who were praying for His protection as the Babylonians took up their positions outside the city walls.

Then the Lord said to me, “Do not pray for the well-being of this people. Although they fast, I will not listen to their cry; though they offer burnt offerings and grain offerings, I will not accept them. Instead, I will destroy them with the sword, famine and plague.”(Jeremiah 14:11-12)

These were God's people, their national name did contain the Name of God, and He had given them a land on Earth. 2 Chronicles 7:14 advocates say it would only take a sincere effort by the faithful to repent and pray our country out of judgment, but as Jeremiah 14 reveals, at least some of God's people were repenting and praying. Why didn't that save them?

Did God break His promise to them? Of course not. What happened was they officially broke the terms of their covenant and abandoned Him. And once they had done that, nothing else they did could prevent their destruction. They no longer had a right to His help.

Then the Lord said to me, “There is a conspiracy among the people of Judah and those who live in Jerusalem. They have returned to the sins of their forefathers, who refused to listen to my words. They have followed other gods to serve them. Both the house of Israel and the house of Judah have broken the covenant I made with their forefathers. Therefore this is what the Lord says: ‘I will bring on them a disaster they cannot escape. Although they cry out to me, I will not listen to them. (Jeremiah 11:9-11)

But even though He's not obligated to do so, at the appointed time God will keep His promise to Israel. He will forgive their sins and heal their land. And when He does, it won't happen because of anything they've done.

“Therefore say to the house of Israel, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: It is not for your sake, O house of Israel, that I am going to do these things, but for the sake of my holy name, which you have profaned among the nations where you have gone. I will show the holiness of my great name, which has been profaned among the nations, the name you have profaned among them. Then the nations will know that I am the Lord, declares the Sovereign Lord, when I show myself holy through you before their eyes” (Ezekiel 36:22-23).

The United States has never had an official covenant with God, but we've broken all His laws just the same. And we've done so with ever increasing audacity in spite of overwhelming blessing, as if daring Him to do something about it. If our leaders speak for us, as the book suggests, then Franklin Graham's recent comment that our president “shook his fist in the face of God” was a warning for all of us to prepare for God's response. Can anything prevent our judgment?

This means that for the United States the popular use of 2 Chronicles 7:14 as a cure for our problems is nothing more than a fulfillment of Paul's “itching ears” prophecy.

For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear (2 Tim 4:3)

Whether they realize it or not those who advocate 2 Chronicles 7:14 as a remedy for the United States are just saying what our itching ears want to hear. It's a false teaching that gives false hope to the Biblically uninformed, a repeat of the false promises of Jeremiah's time.

On some level everybody knows things are not OK in the world, and our nature is to want to know things will get better. Having exhausted our human options, we're finally thinking about turning to God, but claiming the promise of 2 Chronicles 7:14 is going about it the wrong way and it won't work.

God has always intended to give us hope, but He has never promised to heal the United States, whose national heart is incurably wicked, because He doesn't have a covenant with the United States. Nor has He promised the United States a future like He does for Israel. But He has promised to rescue the Church by taking us out of the way before He gives the go ahead for the End Times judgments, because He does have a covenant with the Church. And that covenant is not conditional upon our behavior, it's based on our belief.

In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.(John 14:2-3)

Notice He didn't promise to come here to be with us where we are. He promised to come back to take us there to be with him where He is, in His Father's house.

Since you have kept my command to endure patiently, I will also keep you from the hour of trial that is going to come upon the whole world to test those who live on the earth (Rev. 3:10)

The Greek word translated “from” in this verse means “out of the place, time, or cause” of the hour of trial. Like 1 Thes. 1:10 it's a promise to rescue us from the wrath to come.

For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever (1 Thes. 4:16-17).

Again, this is not a promise to come to Earth to be with us here. Its a promise to draw us up into the sky and take us to be with Him forever.

If you want to have hope, you don't have to dig through the Old Testament to misappropriate a conditional promise made to another people for another time, one that even those to whom it was given could not claim. You only have to look in the New Testament and receive an unconditional promise made to the Church for our time that all of us can claim.

As Christians we need to stop confusing our country with our religion. No matter how good our life is on Earth, God has a much better future in store for us in Heaven. On its very best day, no country could ever begin to compare with it. No amount of peace or prosperity could ever be a reasonable substitute.

The only reason we cling to our past is that we know so little about our future. So take a moment and think about it. Heavenly royalty. Mansions in the sky on streets of gold. Unbridled joy. No more death or mourning or crying or pain. The aging process reversed, our health restored, our abilities magnified, all our cares and concerns gone. Each day more exciting and fulfilling than the previous one. Where can you find that here? Where has anyone ever found that here?

Psalm 45 is a wedding song for the Messiah and His bride. When he wrote it, the Psalmist spoke these prophetic words to the Church of today.

Listen, O daughter, consider and give ear. Forget your people and your father's house. The King is enthralled by your beauty. Honor Him for He is your Lord. (Psalm 45:10-11)

Forget about futile attempts to restore past glories. You've got a future ahead of you that's beyond imagining. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal (2 Cor. 4:17-18).

Turn your eyes upon Jesus. Look full in His wonderful face. And the things of Earth will grow strangely dim, in the light of his glory and grace. You can almost hear the footsteps of the Messiah. 06-02-12

Don't like high gas prices? Ancient prophecies may predict even higher

2012-03-29T18:57:00.001-05:00

Don't like high gas prices? Ancient prophecies may predict even higher

Destabilizing the Middle East by supporting the overthrow of governments for Sharia Law "democracies" and rumors of war with Israel and Iran have the White House and European leaders facing some extremely high gas prices and resulting inflation for their citizens. No doubt the cause and effect of American involvement in last year's "Arab spring" impacted the prices at the pump, but ancient prophecies of the Bible point toward even higher prices for food essentials and oil in the latter days. The wars and rumors of wars, the political unrest seen around the world, the debt of the nations, the deception on the world stage, and the high prices of goods and services are likely a type and shadow of the end times.

In Matthew 24:3, disciples of Yeshua Ha Mashiac ask him, "Tell us, when shall these things be? And what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?" Yeshua outlines a very succinct chronology of what to expect before His return. This account tracks with Revelation, Daniel, Isaiah, Ezekiel, Zechariah and many other books of the Bible. These books hold more specific accounts of what Yeshua teaches in Matthew 24. One thing for certain, wars and rumors of wars historically produces times of high inflation. When the latter day judgments begin on the earth, there is conquering, killing, war and inflation. We have seen types and shadows of them throughout history. We are now in another such cycle.

The wars and rumors of wars have placed military assets in the path of oil rich trade routes. Many rumors abound that oil shipping lanes will be closed as violence, even war, in the Middle East becomes closer to reality. Revelation 6 speaks of a time when a measure of wheat will cost a day's wages. And there is a curious ending to verse 6, saying "and see thou hurt not the oil ad the wine." Some translations say "save" the oil and the wine. Notwithstanding, the intent of this verse is to demonstrate that prices for food, oil and wine will be extremely high. Oil could be olive oil or it could be other types of oils. In today's market, the Middle East controls the oil supply, especially Saudi Arabia, the largest producer of oil.

The minister of petroleum for Saudi Arabia Ali Naimi wrote in the Financial Times that oil prices are artificially high because of "irrational fear." He said Saudi Arabia would like to correct this "myth." This plays into prophecy because Saudi Arabia is establishing itself as the main broker for the world's most needed commodity. Revelation 17:2 speaks of the "great whore" "With whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication." Think about all the leaders that bow to the king of Saudi Arabia, and all the people who are addicted to oil so much so that they tolerate the evils of Saudi Arabia to get it. Could this be a type and shadow of what is to come?

Have a Blessed and Powerful Day!

Bill Wilson
www.dailyjot.com

The Last Eight Days, Part 1

2012-03-29T18:55:00.001-05:00

The Last Eight Days, Part 1

This Week's Feature Article by JackKelley

Palm Sunday, 10 Nisan

Jesus took the Twelve aside and told them, “We are going up to Jerusalem, and everything that is written by the prophets about the Son of Man will be fulfilled. He will be handed over to the Gentiles. They will mock him, insult him, spit on him, flog him and kill him. On the third day he will rise again.” (Luke 18:31-33)

The time had come for the Lord to make His official appearance in Jerusalem. Having spent the bulk of His ministry in and around the Galilee, He now set His sights on the Holy City for what He knew would be His final showdown with the religious leaders. It was a long walk and would require most of the day.

Rejoice greatly, O Daughter of Zion! Shout, Daughter of Jerusalem! See, your king comes to you, righteous and having salvation, gentle and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey (Zechariah 9:9)

As they came to the twin villages of Bethpage and Bethany on the Eastern slope of the Mt. Of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples ahead to fetch the donkey He knew would be waiting there, and as He crested the Mt. Of Olives he saw the beautiful city spread before Him. Large crowds were arriving for the Passover and many of them had already heard that He had raised Lazarus from the grave. Surely this was the long awaited Messiah. Some spread their cloaks on the road while others cut palm branches and laid them in front of Him as He rode down the western slope, across the Kidron valley, and into the city. There were large joyful crowds both in front of and behind Him spontaneously shouting the portion of Psalm 118 that was reserved for the entrance of the Messiah into the city.

“Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David! Hosanna in the highest!” (Mark 11:9-10)

A contingent of the ever present Pharisees was there, and some of them instructed Jesus to rebuke His followers. If Jesus was not the Messiah, and they didn't think He was, the crowds were committing blasphemy.

“I tell you,” He replied, “If they keep quiet the stones will cry out.” (Luke 19:40)

It was 483 years from the day Persian King Artaxerxes had issued the decree authorizing the Jews to rebuild Jerusalem after the 70 year Babylonian captivity (Nehemiah 2:1-10). It was the day ordained in history for the Messiah King to officially present Himself to Israel (Daniel 9:25), and instead of rebuking His disciples He rebuked the Pharisees for not knowing this.

As he approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it and said, “If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace—but now it is hidden from your eyes. The days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment against you and encircle you and hem you in on every side. They will dash you to the ground, you and the children within your walls. They will not leave one stone on another, because you did not recognize the time of God’s coming to you.” (Luke 19:41-44)

It was also the 10^th day of Nisan, the day when God commanded the Jews to select the Passover lamb. Then for three days they were to carefully inspect it to make sure it had no spot or blemish that would prevent it from being used in the Passover celebration on the 14^th. (Exodus 12:3,6). Over the next three days Jesus would be subjected to the most intense scrutiny of His ministry as the Jewish leadership tried to find some proof against Him.

Matthew and Luke take us right into their accounts of the Temple clearing, leaving the impression that it might have happened on on that first Palm Sunday. But Mark makes it clear that when Jesus finally entered Jerusalem He went to the Temple and looked around at everything, but since it was late He took the disciples and went back to Bethany where they were staying (Mark 11:11).

Clearing The Temple. Monday 11 Nisan

In the morning Jesus left Bethany in the company of His disciples. He was hungry and seeing a fig tree went to pick some its fruit, but there was none. He cursed the tree saying, “May no one ever eat fruit from you again” (Mark 11:14). Much has been made of this, the only negative miracle Jesus ever performed. Some scholars see it as a prophecy that Israel would soon wither and die, never again bearing fruit for the Kingdom. History has given evidence supporting the validity of their interpretation.

Upon reaching Jerusalem, the Lord headed straight for the Temple and when He got there He began driving out those who were buying and selling, overturning the tables of the money changers. He said to them, “It is written, My house will be called a house of prayer (Isaiah 56:7), but you have turned it into a den of robbers (Jere. 7:11).”

He was referring to the fact that the pilgrims who traveled a great distance found it safer to buy animals for their sacrifices in Jerusalem than try and bring them from home. The priests would only accept Temple coinage in payment for these animals and for offerings the people made. Some say they charged exorbitant prices for the animals and also maintained an unfavorable exchange rate for foreign currency. Most likely, this is what prompted the Lord's accusation.

Word that Jesus was at the Temple spread quickly. The blind and lame came to Him and He healed them. The children who had also gathered around began shouting, “Hosanna to the Son of David”, a Messianic reference. The chief priests and teachers of the Law were indignant but Jesus said, “Have you never read, 'From the lips of children and infants you have ordained praise' (Psalm 8:2)? Then He left the city and returned to Bethany. (Matt. 21:14-17)

A Long Day Of Teaching And Confrontation. Tuesday 12 Nisan

The next morning Jesus set out early for the Temple. After being challenged by the Pharisees again, He launched into a series of parables. A parable is a fictional story placed in an Earthly context that's designed to convey a Heavenly truth. Every character or event is symbolic of something else. Understanding what they symbolize helps us discover the Heavenly truth.

He began with the parable of the 2 sons, one obedient and other not. One son said he would obey then didn't. He represents the Pharisees. The other son said he would not obey but then did. He represents the tax collectors and prostitutes. Jesus said to the Pharisees, “I tell you the truth, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God ahead of you. For John came to you to show you the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes did. And even after you saw this, you did not repent and believe him” (Matt. 21:28-32).

Then came the Parable of the Tenants. It's about a landowner (God) who rented his vineyard (His Land) to tenants (Israel). But when harvest time came they refused to give him his share of the fruit (the salvation of mankind). They killed the servants he sent (prophets) and even killed his son (Jesus) in an effort to keep everything for themselves. Jesus asked them what they thought the landowner should do to them when he returns. They said he should bring them to a wretched end and rent his vineyard to other tenants who will give him his share. Jesus agreed and said, “Therefore I tell you that the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people who will produce its fruit”

The chief priests and Pharisees understood that Jesus was talking about them (Matt. 21:33-46).

In the Parable of the Wedding Banquet, which came next, Jesus spoke of the invited guests refusing to attend a banquet celebrating the marriage of a king's son. The banquet represents the Kingdom, the King is God, His Son is Jesus, and the invited guests are Israel. Enraged, the king sent his army and burned their city (Jerusalem). Then, as the time for the banquet approached he sent his servants to collect anyone they could find to attend as his guests. At the banquet the king found a guest who was not properly attired and had him ejected. (Matt. 22:1-14)

Many Christians have misinterpreted this group of guests as representing the Church. But the Church is the bride, not a random group of last minute guests. And the guest ejected from the wedding is not a back sliding believer. Clothing is symbolic of righteousness and our righteousness is by faith (Romans 3:21-22), not by works. The last minute guests are Tribulation Survivors, and the ejected guest is an unbeliever trying to gain entrance to the Kingdom in his own righteousness, which is woefully inadequate.

At the time of the 2^nd Coming Jesus will gather all Tribulation survivors together. Believers will be clothed in the righteousness of the Lord and ushered into the Kingdom, while unbelievers will be escorted off the planet to eternal punishment.

In an effort to trap Him, the Pharisees asked Him if it was right to pay taxes to Caesar. Responding with a question of His own, Jesus took a coin and asked them whose portrait and inscription were on the coin. When they said it was Caesar's Jesus said, “Give to Caesar what is Caesar's and to God what is God's”. They were amazed at His answers so they left Him and went away (Matt. 22:15-22).

Then another group, Sadducees this time, asked Jesus about marriage in the resurrection. Sadducees didn't believe in a resurrection but told Jesus a story of a woman who sequentially married seven brothers, each marriage following the death of the preceding brother. It was an outlandish exaggeration of the law of leverite marriage, which provided that the brother of a deceased Israelite marry his brother's widow and have a child with her to produce an heir for the dead brother's inheritance (Deut. 25:5-6).

Jesus accused them of not knowing the Scriptures or the power of God. In the resurrection there will be no marriage. Then He attacked their denial of the resurrection. He reminded them that in the Book of Moses (the Torah) God called Himself the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. “He is not the God of the dead but of the Living,” He said. The people listening were astonished at His answers (Matt. 22:23-33)

Then they asked Him which of the commandments is the most important. He replied, quoting Deut. 6:5 and Lev. 19:18. “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself. All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” (Matt. 22:37-40)

The first 4 commandments explain how we are to love the Lord, and the last 6 tell us how to love one another. Together they summarize all of God's word.

Then He asked the Pharisees a question.

“What do you think about the Christ? Whose son is he?”

“The son of David,” they replied.

He said to them, “How is it then that David, speaking by the Spirit, calls him ‘Lord’? For he says,

“‘The LORD said to my Lord: “Sit at my right hand until I put your enemies under your feet”’ (Psalm 110:1)

If then David calls him ‘Lord,’ how can he be his son?” No one could say a word in reply, and from that day on no one dared to ask him any more questions. (Matt. 22:42-46)

His examination was complete. They had found no fault in Him. He was qualified to be the Passover Lamb.

Now It's My Turn

Having defended Himself against all their tricks and traps, the Lord now went on the offensive with a scathing indictment of their religious practices. It was pay back time for all the resistance they'd shown, all the criticism they'd leveled at him. He called them hypocrites and told the people to obey what they say but not to do what they do. He said all their actions are just for show to make themselves look pious and important. Not only would they not enter the Kingdom, but they prevented others from entering as well. He called them false teachers and blind guides, saying they were obsessed with little things but neglected the more important matters of the Law. He said they were like white washed tombs, all clean on the outside but full of dead men's bones and everything unclean. He called them snakes, a brood of vipers (seed of the serpent) and held them responsible for the blood of all the prophets their predecessors had killed (Matt. 23:1-36).

“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem,” He cried, “You who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing. Look, your house is left to you desolate. For I tell you, you will not see me again until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.’” (Matt. 23:37-39)

Then He left the Temple and walked out of the city. But His day was not over. On the way back to Bethany the Lord gave 4 of His disciples a critical lesson on End Times prophecy. We'll pick it up there next time. 03-24-12

The Crown of Righteousness

2012-02-01T15:15:00.002-06:00

The Crown of Righteousness - Jack Kinsella - Omega Letter Editor – www.omegaletter.com

In many churches, those members who study Bible prophecy are relegated to the lunatic fringe or dismissed out-of-hand for wasting their time trying to divine the future.

The Bible says that there are other rewards, or crowns, set aside for those that dedicate themselves to Christ in a number of different theological disciplines.

Not so. Christians that study prophecy are not trying to “divine the future” – they are earning the “Crown of Righeousness” promised to all those that love His appearing. (2 Timothy 4:8)

The Judgment Seat of Christ is the place where all of the deeds that individuals have done after they have become Christians are revealed and examined to determine whether they be good works or whether they be bad.

Let me emphasize that the word "bad" refers not to sin, but to deeds that are worthless according to His purpose. Whether or not they were sin is irrelevant – all sin is forgiven at the Cross -- but every deed has consequences.

The Bema Seat evaluation, therefore, is based upon whether the works that have been done are worthwhile or whether they are worthless.

The Greek word translated as the 'judgment seat' of Christ is the Greek word 'bema'. During the Greek Olympics of Paul's day, the judge would sit on the 'Bema Seat' situated along the finish line. His judgment was to determine who won the gold, who won the silver, who won the bronze, who came in fourth, fifth, etc.

Note that the only ones judged at the Bema Seat are those who cross the finish line.

The Bema Seat is reserved for believers -- those who successfully completed the 'race' and specifically to determine their running order and to award their prizes. Unbelievers will be judged at the Great White Throne.

Scripture teaches that after these works are judged, rewards will be given if the works are worthy. There will be no rewards if the works were unworthy -- but that is not the same thing as being condemned.

"If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but HE HIMSELF SHALL BE SAVED; yet so as by fire." (1st Corinthians 3:15)

Salvation is based on whether or not you trust that Jesus Christ made full payment for your sins, as He promised He would. While we will stand before the Judge as judicially 'righteous' -- that righteousness is Christ's alone.

But it is freely offered to whosoever will accept it by faith.

Once we stand before the Bema Seat, our rewards are determined -- not our punishment. Our punishment, although richly deserved, has already been borne by our Savior. Now, we are judged according to our works on behalf of the kingdom.

There are those who argue, "You know, I don't think we ought to talk about our rewards. We ought to serve the Lord just because we love Him."

I agree. We ought to serve Him because we love Him, but we have every right and reason in the world to strive to warn our rewards.

Our rewards are based on our works – but not our salvation.

“If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward.” (2 Corinthians 3:14)

First, let's look at the different crowns available to the believer. There is the 'incorruptible crown' -- what one might term a crown of self-denial. 1st Corinthians 9:24-27 teaches:

"Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain. And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible. I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air: But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway."

Not everybody will receive the crown of self-denial. Each of us is gifted with certain strengths according to some predetermined purpose of God. In other words, some things are harder for some than they are for others -- according to God's purposes -- not our own.

We are judged according to how hard we try.

"Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. And there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord. And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all. But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal." (1st Corinthians 12:4-7)

There is also the Crown of Rejoicing -- the 'Soul Winner's Crown'.

"Therefore, my brethren dearly beloved and longed for, my joy and crown, so stand fast in the Lord." Note that Paul is addressing people as a 'crown'. He is saying to those whom Paul has led to Christ, "You are my joy now and you will be my crown by and by." (Philippians 4:1)

"For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Are not even ye in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at His coming?"

Translated literally, it reads, "are not even you, in the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ when we stand before Him?"

"One of these days," the Apostle says, "we are all going to stand before the Judgment Seat of Christ, and when we stand before the Judgment Seat of Christ, you Philippians, and you Thessalonians, are all going to be elements of my crown."

It is difficult for us to think of people in terms of a crown, but Paul emphasizes that the Philippians and the Thessalonians, among others, are the crown which he expects as an award to him at the Judgment Seat of Christ."

James 1:12 identifies the 'Crown of Life': "Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love Him."

Notice the word "temptation." That is a broad word. Sometimes it means a solicitation to evil--that is, you are tempted to commit murder, or you are tempted to commit adultery. It is a solicitation to evil. Sometimes it is a reference to a test that God permits you to go through as a kind of 'refinement by fire'.

The Lord Himself also speaks of the Crown of Life reward, promising: "be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life."

'Faithful unto death' is not a condition of salvation -- salvation comes by grace through faith in the efficacy of Jesus' sacrifice for sin at the Cross. Keep in mind that the only ones that will stand before the Bema Seat are ALREADY saved by grace.

The Crown of Endurance won't be given to every believer -- the Scriptures say of even those who receive NO crowns, as previously noted, "he shall suffer loss: but HE HIMSELF SHALL BE SAVED; yet so as by fire."

There is the Crown of Glory -- the crown of the 'undershepherd' or the 'pastor's crown'.

"The elders which are among you I exhort, who am also an elder, and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed: Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind; Neither as being lords over God's heritage, but being ensamples to the flock. And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away." (1st Peter 5:1-4)

Not every pastor or undershepherd will receive this crown, either. There are those who will fail the test of ‘willing service’ or those who set themselves up as 'lords over God's heritage' instead of being examples to their flocks, or those who fail to feed their charges with God's Word.

Finally, there is the Crown of Righteousness.

"Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the Righteous Judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love His appearing." (2nd Timothy 1:8)

Those who study prophecy, those who dedicate themselves as watchmen on the wall, ready to give the warning of His soon appearing, will receive the Crown of Righteousness from the Righteous Judge at the Bema Seat.

Literally, the Crown of Righteousness means 'a crown for doing right.' Paul is saying, "I have loved the appearing of the Lord. Because I have loved the appearing of the Lord, I have fought a good fight; I have finished the course; I have kept the faith."

Note what Paul did NOT say. He did NOT say, "If you keep the faith, you will receive the Crown of Righteousness." Instead, he says, "If you love His appearing, you will."

Personally, I am not certain that I will receive the crown of self-denial. I am not too sure that I keep my body under control enough to deserve this reward.

I am not too sure I will win the soulwinner's crown, although it is one I really, really hope to earn.

I am not sure that I will get the Crown of Glory -- as an undershepherd, I have many shortcomings.

I pray for the Crown of Life for enduring life's trials -- but I am not certain that I have endured them with the long-suffering love of Christ as I should.

So I am not sure about that one, either.

But I am hopeful of the Crown of Righteousness -- it is the easiest one to get. My righteousness is not my own, but that of Christ's, and my love of His soon appearing is an all-consuming passion.

The point to it all is this: We will all one day stand before the Bema Seat -- but the Bema Seat is where we are judged for our rewards.

Whether or not I receive all -- or even any -- of the rewards that are available to me as a believer, I have the certain assurance that, even if I suffer loss, I will still enter heaven, even if it is 'as if by fire'.

And so will all those who have trusted Jesus for their salvation.

“Whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come; all are your's."

"And ye are Christ's; and Christ is God's." (2 Corinthians 3:22,23)

Isaac And Ishmael, Then And Now

2012-01-22T21:52:00.002-06:00

Isaac And Ishmael, Then And Now - Perspective by Jack Kelley – www.gracethrufaith.com

After this, the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision: “Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your very great reward.”

But Abram said, “O Sovereign LORD, what can you give me since I remain childless and the one who will inherit my estate is Eliezer of Damascus?” And Abram said, “You have given me no children; so a servant in my household will be my heir.”

Then the word of the LORD came to him: “This man will not be your heir, but a son coming from your own body will be your heir.”(Genesis 15:1-4)

Now Sarai, Abram’s wife, had borne him no children. But she had an Egyptian maidservant named Hagar; so she said to Abram, “The LORD has kept me from having children. Go, sleep with my maidservant; perhaps I can build a family through her.”

Abram agreed to what Sarai said. So after Abram had been living in Canaan ten years, Sarai his wife took her Egyptian maidservant Hagar and gave her to her husband to be his wife. He slept with Hagar, and she conceived. So Hagar bore Abram a son, and Abram gave the name Ishmael to the son she had borne.(Genesis 16:1-4, 15)

Now the LORD was gracious to Sarah as he had said, and the LORD did for Sarah what he had promised. Sarah became pregnant and bore a son to Abraham in his old age, at the very time God had promised him. Abraham gave the name Isaac to the son Sarah bore him. (Genesis 21:1-3)

But Sarah saw that the son whom Hagar the Egyptian had borne to Abraham was mocking, and she said to Abraham, “Get rid of that slave woman and her son, for that slave woman’s son will never share in the inheritance with my son Isaac.”

The matter distressed Abraham greatly because it concerned his son. But God said to him, “Do not be so distressed about the boy and your maidservant. Listen to whatever Sarah tells you, because it is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned. I will make the son of the maidservant into a nation also, because he is your offspring.”(Genesis 21:9-13)

Abraham was 75 years old when God called him, about 80 when God promised him a son, 86 when Ishmael was born (Gen. 16:16) and 100 at the time of Isaac’s birth. (Gen. 21:5) This made Ishmael 14 years older than Isaac, and about 16 or 17 when Isaac was weaned. When he made fun of Isaac, Sarah demanded that Abraham get rid of him.

That snapshot seems to set the tone for our understanding of Ishmael. God had told Hagar that her son would be a “wild ass” of a man with his hand against every man and every man’s hand against him. (Gen. 16:12) He was bigger, stronger, and older than his helpless baby brother, and yet he thought it sport to mock him.

We can imagine that the jealousy between Sarah and Hagar had its effect on Ishmael and served to frame his view of Isaac from the beginning. And it doesn’t take too much of a stretch to believe that Ishmael was told repeatedly that Isaac was God’s choice to become Abraham’s heir although Ishmael was the first born and, at least in his opinion, the rightful heir. When Ishmael and Hagar were sent away to fend for themselves the sense of abandonment likely made it difficult for Ishmael to trust anyone for a long time. I can almost hear him thinking that his life was a mistake, and wishing he had never been born. No wonder he didn’t get along with anyone.

This feeling of being an unworthy outcast matured into a resentment so strong that it permeated Ishmael’s very soul and from that day to this the descendants of Ishmael have stood against the descendants of Isaac. His anger had given the devil a foothold that grew into a stronghold so powerful that it has lasted through all the generations since. All this happened because Abraham and Sarah grew impatient with God and tried to fulfill His promise on their own.

Once More, With Feeling

A generation later, Esau felt similarly disenfranchised by Jacob’s manipulation of Isaac. This was the case even though Jacob only received that which he had earlier purchased from Esau, who in a moment of extreme hunger traded his birthright to Jacob for a bowl of stew as though it was a mere trinket. Esau was so angry with his father, who refused to reverse the transaction, that he did the one thing that he knew would hurt Isaac the most. He married Malhalath, a daughter of Ishmael. (Gen. 28:8-9) How he and Ishmael must have railed against Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, who in two consecutive generations had humiliated them in the matter of their presumed inheritance. Each recounting of the events added bricks and mortar to the stronghold the devil was building in their minds.

It had been God’s plan all along for His promise to Abraham to be fulfilled through Isaac in Jacob. When Sarah took matters into her own hand after waiting impatiently for six years to give her husband an heir, God promised to make Ishmael’s descendants into a great nation with 12 rulers just as he had in mind for Jacob. “But,” He said, “My covenant I will establish with Isaac.” (Gen. 17:20-21)

And Esau’s descendants were given land east of the Jordan River that the Israelites were not allowed to take as their own. (Deut. 2:4-6) But Ishmael didn’t inherit the covenant position and Esau didn’t get the Promised Land, and to them what they received, though generous, probably seemed like 2nd best. Far from encouraging them to forgive and forget, their anger was further inflamed.

The land given to Esau became known as Edom because of its spectacular red rock mountains and, until their rebellion against God, Esau’s descendants thrived there. The final straw came when the Edomites took advantage of God’s punishment of Israel during the Babylonian wars. Thinking to finally get the coveted Promised Land, they sided with Nebuchadnezzar and cut off the Jews’ escape from the Babylonian armies, ambushing the fleeing Israelites and looting their homes. (Obadiah 1:10-14) As a result, Edom was destroyed to the last person, and the Nabateans, another of Ishmael’s descendants, took their land.

We’ll Return After This Break

During Israel’s 1900 year absence from the world scene, the sons of Ishmael grew into the family of nations that God had promised, but the hostility remained even though the Promised Land was seemingly theirs for the taking. When Mohammed, a descendant of Ishmael’s, failed to convert the Jews in the region to his new religion, he declared war against them and the ancient hostility was born anew. All the old feelings of resentment were re-kindled, and even though the armies of Islam embarked upon an era of conquest that eventually took them all the way to eastern France, they maintained a special hostility toward the Jews.

And then the unimaginable happened. For the third time they were required to step aside in favor of the sons of Israel. God was bringing His people back to the land He had promised to Abraham so long ago. Never mind that the land had been pretty much abandoned for much of the preceding 1900 years, it had been Moslem land and now it was being given back to their sworn enemies, the Jews. It violated their sense of ownership, tainted though it was, and it violated the promise of their religion. Mohammed himself had told them that any land conquered in the name of Allah would never be lost again to the infidels.

Of course by now the majority of Mohammed’s followers weren’t sons of Ishmael, but Persians, Egyptians, Babylonians, and Assyrians, to use their Biblical names. But their historical hatred of the Jews had been kept alive through the religion they all shared in common. And most of the returning Jews weren’t of the original 12 tribes but the descendants of Europeans who had converted to Judaism over the centuries. Only a remnant of today’s Jews can trace their ancestry to Jacob’s 12 sons. But it’s that remnant that validates Israel’s claim under the Abrahamic covenant in God’s eyes.

Therefore, the wars of today aren’t between Ishmaelites and Israelites, but between Moslems and Jews. The family feud has become a battle of religions. Will the God of the Jews prevail, or will it be the god of Islam, for they are not one and the same. The God who inhabits eternity created the land and gave it to Abraham in an everlasting covenant. The god of this world had taken it as his own and refuses to give it up. It’s the most hotly contested piece of real estate in the entire universe, and the contest has both its origin and its resolution in the spiritual realm, not in the assembly halls of human governments.

So now we’ve come full circle. Ishmael, represented by the Moslems, is older, bigger, and stronger, but Isaac, represented by the Jews, is still the child of the promise. And as we’ll soon see, what God has promised, He performs. Against all odds, Ishmael will once again be driven away, and God will use the occasion to re-instate His ancient covenant with the children of Israel, biological or not. It’s another giant signpost that the End of the Age is upon us. You can almost hear the footsteps of the Messiah.