https://www.rev310.net/post/10-things-wrong-w--the-pre-tribulation-rapture-from-the-world-s-perspective
Light is sown like seed for the righteous, and gladness for the upright in heart. Psalm 97:11
Showing posts with label Bible prophecies. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Bible prophecies. Show all posts
Tuesday, February 21, 2023
Monday, February 6, 2023
Wednesday, December 28, 2022
Friday, January 17, 2020
Friday, June 12, 2015
Diplomats: EU has Israel sanctions ready, and Uncle Sam may not be able to help
Reblogged from www.jpost.com/Israel-News/Politics-And-Diplomacy
Western diplomatic sources say that EU may levy sanctions against Israel unless an initiative is presented to break the stagnation in the peace process.
Israel wishes to delay the signing of a nuclear deal between world powers and Iran, but not solely because such an agreement would be dangerous to the Jewish State.
The concern is that immediately following such an agreement, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict will become the UN Security Council's and European Union's top priority, and the international community will be freed up to deal with the party it sees as responsible for the stagnation in the peace process - Israel.
This is the widely-held assumption in off-the-record conversations among diplomatic sources in New York and in Washington. "A diplomatic attack against Israel is expected soon that will surprise even the pessimists in Jerusalem," a senior Western diplomat told The Jerusalem Post's Hebrew-language sister publication, Ma'ariv. "In the Security Council, in western capitals and at EU headquarters, they are just waiting for the Iran deal to be signed and for it to be approved by the American Congress."
The estimate is that the forced period of waiting will end in September. Then, as the UN General Assembly opens, the signal will be given to start the diplomatic attack against Israel.
Diplomatic sources involved in the western European capitals' handling of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict say that the EU has already prepared documents which list a number of sanctions that will be levied against Israel in the fields of trade, agriculture, science and culture if Jerusalem does not soon present a diplomatic initiative that leads to a meaningful breakthrough toward a solution to the conflict.
"Senior officials in Jerusalem are aware of the existence of sanctions documents at EU headquarters, some of which have even fallen into their hands," a source told Ma'ariv. When US President Barack Obama said on numerous occasions recently that the US will have a difficult time defending Israel in international forums, he is referring especially to "the sanctions file" against Israel, which is waiting at EU headquarters.
The Americans are facing a difficult dilemma. The White House and the State Department are against interference by the Security Council and international forums in diplomatic efforts to solve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, a role that the Americans see as their own exclusively.
The White House has yet to decide on its response to the French draft resolution making the rounds at the Security Council, which Israel staunchly opposes, and Washington is still mulling its response to the EU sanctions plan.
Unfortunately, Western diplomats in New York say, the new Israeli government is not at all expected to present a new and daring diplomatic initiative. "The make-up of the government is such that no faction or minister will stand up to the lack of an initiative from Prime Minister Netanyahu," a diplomatic source in New York told Ma'ariv. "The coming months will be difficult for Israel. This time Israel will pay a heavy price for continued stagnation. This time, it is also uncertain if Uncle Sam will succeed in saving Israel, and maybe he won't want to do so."
Sunday, June 1, 2014
Hear, O Israel
Reblogged from Prophecy in The News
Jews refer to this verse as the “Shema,” from its first Hebrew word: “Shema Israel,” meaning “Hear, O Israel…” These strong words are a direct command to the twelve tribes to listen carefully to the message that follows them. They are a constant reminder to Israel that it must never forget the proclamations of the Lord, even to the point of attaching them to their doorposts and wearing them on their bodies, in the form of tefillin.
On the right side of the main entrance to a home or building, a few of the key verses from this section of Scripture are attached in place. They are rolled up as a miniature scroll and inserted into a small case called a “mezuzah,” which happens to be the Hebrew word for “doorpost.” Thus, they are upheld as one of the most important parts of the Torah. When passing through such a doorway, Jews pay respect to the presence of the Word of God by lightly kissing their fingers, then touching the mezuzah. Its presence there is considered to be a blessing to the household. But its key Scriptural admonition is for those who live there to “hear,” that is, to remember and understand.
God requires the faithful to “hear” Him, but hearing requires more than mere exposure to the Word. The interpretive power of the Holy Spirit must be present in the believer before the full meaning of the Word becomes clear.
Jesus illustrated this to His disciples following His rejection by the leaders of national Israel, as told in Matthew 12. There, we find the narrative of the Pharisees attributing the power of Jesus’ work to Satan, rather than the Holy Spirit. In the chapter which follows — Matthew 13 — He began to speak of the Kingdom in parables. His disciples wondered why He did this, instead of speaking plainly. His answer is quite clear in its implications:
“11 He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given. 12 For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath. 13 Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand” (Matt. 13:11-13).
Jesus here announces that He has acted judicially against the House of David — in effect cutting off their hearing because of their unbelief. In fact, Scripture is full of pictures of the hearing of faith versus the deafness and blindness of unbelief.
The event in question comes as Jesus is betrayed by Judas in the Garden of Gethsemane. As Judas approaches with an assorted band of soldiers and Temple officials, he comes before Jesus and greets Him with the infamous kiss of betrayal.
Making no resistance, Jesus announces His identity to the crowd, uttering His authoritative, “I am.” But one of His disciples, in a burst of zeal, draws his sword and lunges at the servant of the high priest. This is first mentioned in Matthew 26:51:
“51 And behold, one of them which were with Jesus stretched out his hand, and drew his sword, and struck a servant of the high priest’s, and smote off his ear.”
Virtually the same account is given in Mark 14:47. Here, however, the swordsman is described simply as a bystander:
“47 And one of them that stood by drew a sword, and smote a servant of the high priest, and cut off his ear.”
Again in Luke 22:50 and 51, the brief narrative of this event is given. This time, however, even more new detail is added:
“50 And one of them smote the servant of the high priest, and cut off his right ear. 51 And Jesus answered and said, suffer ye thus far. And he touched his ear, and healed him.”
Now we see that after the ear is cut off, Jesus, in some miraculous way, restores it fully — in the end, it is completely healed. Again, in the book of John, the record of this event is given, now in its most complete form. Here, we find Simon Peter named as the swordsman and Malchus identified as the servant of the High Priest. It tells us, “10 Then Simon Peter having a sword, drew it, and smote the high priest’s servant, and cut off his right ear. The servant’s name was Malchus.
11 Then said Jesus unto Peter, Put up thy sword into the sheath: the cup which my Father hath given me, shall I not drink it” (Jn. 18:10, 11).
Jesus clearly states that His mission is not to make war against the political and religious system of the world, but to do the will of His heavenly Father. This is but one of many times that Christ must rebuke Peter, who is both quick to hear and quick to forget. But the event is a beautiful prophetic foretelling of the healing of Israel that will come in the Kingdom Age.
As he had often done before, Peter impulsively lunged forth to do what he thought was right at the moment. No doubt, he felt that attacking the High Priest’s representative would give him the best chance at forestalling Jesus’ arrest. Since he attacked with a sword, he probably meant to leave Malchus with a mortal wound.
But Peter was a fisherman, not a trained swordsman. Malchus must have dodged at the last moment. Instead of his throat or chest, Peter took only an ear. Significantly, however, it was the ear of the servant of the High Priest.
In the Old Testament, the same name appears as “Simeon,” who was Jacob’s second son through Leah. At his birth she names him on the basis that God had heard of her plight:
“And she conceived again, and bare a son; and said, Because the Lord hath heard that I was hated, he hath therefore given me this son also: and she called his name Simeon” (Genesis 29:33).
Simeon was named for the hearing of the Lord. In the New Testament, Simon Peter lives up to the meaning of his name. In Matthew 16:15 Jesus asks Simon, “But whom say ye that I am?” Of course, he then identifies Jesus as Messiah, the Son of God. The 17th verse then characterizes Simon’s spiritual hearing:
“And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-jona; for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven.”
Here, Jesus acknowledges that Simon has ears to hear the revelation about Christ, which has come from heaven. Though he still has many tests ahead of him, Jesus takes this opportunity to surname him as Peter (meaning “rock”) signifying that he would become an immovable stone in the foundational structure of the church.
“And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it” (Matthew 16:18).
Ultimately, He will even heal national Israel, itself. In their own land, He will bring the Jews a Kingdom under His leadership, and their hearing will be restored so that they may once again serve a righteous priesthood. In a way, the wounding of Malchus (king) is a picture of the wounding of the true King, Jesus.
But more than that. The wounding of Malchus’ ear is curiously symbolic of the people of Israel. As a servant of the High Priest, Malchus depicts Israel’s role. Like him, Israel served a corrupt priesthood. They listened to the wrong voices and would soon call for the death of their Messiah. Their hearing had been cut off.
But Jesus healed the ear of Malchus. In so doing, He was prophetically acting out that future day when He would heal the hearing of Israel. In that day, they will serve Jesus as their true High Priest.
Peter correctly believed that Jesus was the Messiah and that He would bring the Kingdom to earth in the very near future. In the flesh, he acted on that belief, attempting to protect his King, even if it meant giving up his own life. Of course, he was wrong.
Once before, shortly after publicly proclaiming Jesus as Messiah, Peter had acted in the flesh. This incident is recounted in Matthew, where we read, “21 From that time forth began Jesus to shew unto his disciples, how that he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day. 22 Then Peter took him, and began to rebuke him, saying, Be it far from thee, Lord: this shall not be unto thee. 23 But he turned, and said unto Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offence unto me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men. (Matt. 16:21-23).
Jesus severely reprimanded Peter, even accusing him of acting in the spirit of Satan, rather than God. He knew that he must “suffer many things” in order to complete the plan of the ages.
Centuries before, Moses had spoken to his people about the power of the coming Messiah who would, in the end, avenge them for all that they would suffer at the hands of their enemies. In Deuteronomy 32, the Song of Moses opens with a ringing command: “Give ear, O ye heavens, and I will speak; and hear. O earth, the words of my mouth.”
The context of Moses’ prophecy concludes with the judgment of the nations gathered against Israel during the Tribulation. In verse 44, it concludes with these telling words: “And Moses came and spake all the words of this song in the ears of the people….”
Once again, there is a clear linkage made between prophetic utterance and the ear. The ear of Malchus was once healed and made complete. We are never told what happened to him after that.
It is possible that, having experienced the loving touch of the Savior, he went on to become a Messianic believer. In that future day when Israel’s hearing is healed, that is precisely what they will become.
“23 And when they had appointed him a day, there came many to him into his lodging; to whom he expounded and testified the kingdom of God, persuading them concerning Jesus, both out of the law of Moses, and out of the prophets, from morning till evening. 24 And some believed the things which were spoken, and some believed not. 25 And when they agreed not among themselves, they departed, after that Paul had spoken one word, Well spake the Holy Ghost by Esaias the prophet unto our fathers, 26 Saying, Go unto this people, and say, Hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and not perceive: 27 For the heart of this people is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes have they closed; lest they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them. 28 Be it known therefore unto you, that the salvation of God is sent unto the Gentiles, and that they will hear it” (Acts 28:23-28).
In many of his epistles, Paul asks his listeners whether they can fully hear what he has to say: Gal. 3:2 This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?
Over and over again, Paul asks this basic question, based upon the premise so firmly enunciated by Jesus, that faith is a matter of spiritual hearing. Perhaps one of his most oft-repeated statements comes from the letter to the Romans:
“17 So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” (Rom. 10:17).
In this season, as we remember the trial and crucifixion of Jesus, we ponder the amazing fact that His own people couldn’t hear what He had to say. We should always remember that this is the perennial issue when we present the Gospel.
And we should always keep in mind that even the smallest details in the life of Christ are freighted with deep meaning.
In this season, we contemplate the amazing series of events given in the narrative of the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus. The dramatic story of His crucifixion began in the dark of night, when He was arrested and tried. A strange occurrence is mentioned in connection with this incident. Taken by itself, it seems almost superfluous. But its message is laden with deep meaning. It is the confrontation between Peter and Malchus, servant of the High Priest.Deuteronomy 6:4 is a pivotal verse in the life and history of Israel: “Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God is one Lord.” This command to “hear” signifies the hearing of the heart, not merely that of the ears. This verse is deemed so important that it is affixed to the doorposts of the Jewish faithful.
Jews refer to this verse as the “Shema,” from its first Hebrew word: “Shema Israel,” meaning “Hear, O Israel…” These strong words are a direct command to the twelve tribes to listen carefully to the message that follows them. They are a constant reminder to Israel that it must never forget the proclamations of the Lord, even to the point of attaching them to their doorposts and wearing them on their bodies, in the form of tefillin.
On the right side of the main entrance to a home or building, a few of the key verses from this section of Scripture are attached in place. They are rolled up as a miniature scroll and inserted into a small case called a “mezuzah,” which happens to be the Hebrew word for “doorpost.” Thus, they are upheld as one of the most important parts of the Torah. When passing through such a doorway, Jews pay respect to the presence of the Word of God by lightly kissing their fingers, then touching the mezuzah. Its presence there is considered to be a blessing to the household. But its key Scriptural admonition is for those who live there to “hear,” that is, to remember and understand.
God requires the faithful to “hear” Him, but hearing requires more than mere exposure to the Word. The interpretive power of the Holy Spirit must be present in the believer before the full meaning of the Word becomes clear.
Jesus illustrated this to His disciples following His rejection by the leaders of national Israel, as told in Matthew 12. There, we find the narrative of the Pharisees attributing the power of Jesus’ work to Satan, rather than the Holy Spirit. In the chapter which follows — Matthew 13 — He began to speak of the Kingdom in parables. His disciples wondered why He did this, instead of speaking plainly. His answer is quite clear in its implications:
“11 He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given. 12 For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath. 13 Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand” (Matt. 13:11-13).
Jesus here announces that He has acted judicially against the House of David — in effect cutting off their hearing because of their unbelief. In fact, Scripture is full of pictures of the hearing of faith versus the deafness and blindness of unbelief.
The Ear Is Cut Off
Later in the book of Matthew, a remarkable event takes place. It illustrates not only the principle of spiritual hearing, but may also present a prophetic picture of Israel’s spiritual future.The event in question comes as Jesus is betrayed by Judas in the Garden of Gethsemane. As Judas approaches with an assorted band of soldiers and Temple officials, he comes before Jesus and greets Him with the infamous kiss of betrayal.
Making no resistance, Jesus announces His identity to the crowd, uttering His authoritative, “I am.” But one of His disciples, in a burst of zeal, draws his sword and lunges at the servant of the high priest. This is first mentioned in Matthew 26:51:
“51 And behold, one of them which were with Jesus stretched out his hand, and drew his sword, and struck a servant of the high priest’s, and smote off his ear.”
Virtually the same account is given in Mark 14:47. Here, however, the swordsman is described simply as a bystander:
“47 And one of them that stood by drew a sword, and smote a servant of the high priest, and cut off his ear.”
Again in Luke 22:50 and 51, the brief narrative of this event is given. This time, however, even more new detail is added:
“50 And one of them smote the servant of the high priest, and cut off his right ear. 51 And Jesus answered and said, suffer ye thus far. And he touched his ear, and healed him.”
Now we see that after the ear is cut off, Jesus, in some miraculous way, restores it fully — in the end, it is completely healed. Again, in the book of John, the record of this event is given, now in its most complete form. Here, we find Simon Peter named as the swordsman and Malchus identified as the servant of the High Priest. It tells us, “10 Then Simon Peter having a sword, drew it, and smote the high priest’s servant, and cut off his right ear. The servant’s name was Malchus.
11 Then said Jesus unto Peter, Put up thy sword into the sheath: the cup which my Father hath given me, shall I not drink it” (Jn. 18:10, 11).
Jesus clearly states that His mission is not to make war against the political and religious system of the world, but to do the will of His heavenly Father. This is but one of many times that Christ must rebuke Peter, who is both quick to hear and quick to forget. But the event is a beautiful prophetic foretelling of the healing of Israel that will come in the Kingdom Age.
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As he had often done before, Peter impulsively lunged forth to do what he thought was right at the moment. No doubt, he felt that attacking the High Priest’s representative would give him the best chance at forestalling Jesus’ arrest. Since he attacked with a sword, he probably meant to leave Malchus with a mortal wound.
But Peter was a fisherman, not a trained swordsman. Malchus must have dodged at the last moment. Instead of his throat or chest, Peter took only an ear. Significantly, however, it was the ear of the servant of the High Priest.
Spiritual Hearing
Here, it is important to make a connection between an action and a word. Simon Peter’s first name comes from the Hebrew, shamah, meaning “hearing.” Scripturally, the name is applied to the gift of spiritual hearing, as given by the Holy Spirit. His role, as one chosen by Jesus as a founding father of the church, is centered on the fact that he has spiritual ears to hear.In the Old Testament, the same name appears as “Simeon,” who was Jacob’s second son through Leah. At his birth she names him on the basis that God had heard of her plight:
“And she conceived again, and bare a son; and said, Because the Lord hath heard that I was hated, he hath therefore given me this son also: and she called his name Simeon” (Genesis 29:33).
Simeon was named for the hearing of the Lord. In the New Testament, Simon Peter lives up to the meaning of his name. In Matthew 16:15 Jesus asks Simon, “But whom say ye that I am?” Of course, he then identifies Jesus as Messiah, the Son of God. The 17th verse then characterizes Simon’s spiritual hearing:
“And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-jona; for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven.”
Here, Jesus acknowledges that Simon has ears to hear the revelation about Christ, which has come from heaven. Though he still has many tests ahead of him, Jesus takes this opportunity to surname him as Peter (meaning “rock”) signifying that he would become an immovable stone in the foundational structure of the church.
“And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it” (Matthew 16:18).
The Prophetic Picture
To complete the prophetic picture, we now come to the High Priest’s servant. His name—Malchus—is a linguistic variant of the Hebrew word melech meaning “king.” By the time this event took place, the leaders of national Israel had already rejected Jesus. The Jewish priesthood was under judgement. They were about to fully act out that judgment by wounding their true King. As Isaiah 53:5 says, “He was wounded for our transgressions …” But He was healed of those wounds, rising again to restore a world that sinned against Him.Ultimately, He will even heal national Israel, itself. In their own land, He will bring the Jews a Kingdom under His leadership, and their hearing will be restored so that they may once again serve a righteous priesthood. In a way, the wounding of Malchus (king) is a picture of the wounding of the true King, Jesus.
But more than that. The wounding of Malchus’ ear is curiously symbolic of the people of Israel. As a servant of the High Priest, Malchus depicts Israel’s role. Like him, Israel served a corrupt priesthood. They listened to the wrong voices and would soon call for the death of their Messiah. Their hearing had been cut off.
But Jesus healed the ear of Malchus. In so doing, He was prophetically acting out that future day when He would heal the hearing of Israel. In that day, they will serve Jesus as their true High Priest.
Peter correctly believed that Jesus was the Messiah and that He would bring the Kingdom to earth in the very near future. In the flesh, he acted on that belief, attempting to protect his King, even if it meant giving up his own life. Of course, he was wrong.
Once before, shortly after publicly proclaiming Jesus as Messiah, Peter had acted in the flesh. This incident is recounted in Matthew, where we read, “21 From that time forth began Jesus to shew unto his disciples, how that he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day. 22 Then Peter took him, and began to rebuke him, saying, Be it far from thee, Lord: this shall not be unto thee. 23 But he turned, and said unto Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offence unto me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men. (Matt. 16:21-23).
Jesus severely reprimanded Peter, even accusing him of acting in the spirit of Satan, rather than God. He knew that he must “suffer many things” in order to complete the plan of the ages.
Centuries before, Moses had spoken to his people about the power of the coming Messiah who would, in the end, avenge them for all that they would suffer at the hands of their enemies. In Deuteronomy 32, the Song of Moses opens with a ringing command: “Give ear, O ye heavens, and I will speak; and hear. O earth, the words of my mouth.”
The context of Moses’ prophecy concludes with the judgment of the nations gathered against Israel during the Tribulation. In verse 44, it concludes with these telling words: “And Moses came and spake all the words of this song in the ears of the people….”
Once again, there is a clear linkage made between prophetic utterance and the ear. The ear of Malchus was once healed and made complete. We are never told what happened to him after that.
It is possible that, having experienced the loving touch of the Savior, he went on to become a Messianic believer. In that future day when Israel’s hearing is healed, that is precisely what they will become.
Paul and the Gospel
This theme is carried out in many New Testament writings, but becomes especially clear in the life of Paul. During his first Roman imprisonment, at the end of the Book of Acts, we see the principle of spiritual hearing with absolute clarity:“23 And when they had appointed him a day, there came many to him into his lodging; to whom he expounded and testified the kingdom of God, persuading them concerning Jesus, both out of the law of Moses, and out of the prophets, from morning till evening. 24 And some believed the things which were spoken, and some believed not. 25 And when they agreed not among themselves, they departed, after that Paul had spoken one word, Well spake the Holy Ghost by Esaias the prophet unto our fathers, 26 Saying, Go unto this people, and say, Hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and not perceive: 27 For the heart of this people is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes have they closed; lest they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them. 28 Be it known therefore unto you, that the salvation of God is sent unto the Gentiles, and that they will hear it” (Acts 28:23-28).
In many of his epistles, Paul asks his listeners whether they can fully hear what he has to say: Gal. 3:2 This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?
Over and over again, Paul asks this basic question, based upon the premise so firmly enunciated by Jesus, that faith is a matter of spiritual hearing. Perhaps one of his most oft-repeated statements comes from the letter to the Romans:
“17 So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” (Rom. 10:17).
In this season, as we remember the trial and crucifixion of Jesus, we ponder the amazing fact that His own people couldn’t hear what He had to say. We should always remember that this is the perennial issue when we present the Gospel.
And we should always keep in mind that even the smallest details in the life of Christ are freighted with deep meaning.
Tuesday, March 12, 2013
Batten Down the Hatches! Donna Wasson
Batten Down the Hatches!
By Donna Wasson
Genesis 12:13 “And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee, shall all the families of the earth be blessed.”
Obadiah 1:15 “For the day of the Lord is near upon all the heathen: as thou hast done, it shall be done unto thee: thy reward shall return upon thine own head.”
I’ve been troubled by the spiritual storm clouds gathering in response to the upcoming world events, scheduled to take place this month, March, 2013. After reading some of the excellent articles on Rapture Ready, it appears I’m not the only one feeling uneasy these days.
These are some freaky days we’re living in! You know how a cat’s tail will wag back and forth when it’s in conflict? For instance, there’s a bird on the windowsill, but kitty’s dinner was just served. The cat wants both at the same time so it seems to freeze, swishing its tail as he weighs his options.
That’s kind of how I feel right now. If I had a tail, it would be swishing because I see danger on the horizon which scares me but then again, that danger brings us so much closer to the rapture. I really want something to break on the world scene to move us closer to being called home, but it’s only natural to be frightened at the same time.
A new Pope is about to be elected, who is widely thought to become the False Prophet, who will help usher in the Antichrist. Will he actually take the name, Petrus Romanus, as predicted centuries ago? Time will shortly tell.
Then, BO will travel to Israel on March 20-21, which on the Hebrew calendar is Nisan 10, the very same day our REAL Messiah rode a donkey into Jerusalem as King. Gee. What a coincidence. You reckon anyone in the White House noticed the hypnotic suggestion THAT would give, when they scheduled the trip? *GAG!* If I see ONE palm branch waving or hear even ONE ‘hosanna’ while he’s there, somebody had better lock me in the house so I can’t get to the airport, because so help me…! What blasphemy.
His trip of intrusive arrogance does NOT portend well for America. There is a long history between the abuse America has shown toward Israel, and subsequent natural disasters that “mysteriously” seem to strike this country. Others have written on this in times past, but I’m just waking up to the correlation now. Hey, I never said I was the sharpest tool in the shed!
In case you don’t know what I’m referring to, I’ll give you a little history lesson on how this whole thing seems to work. Our leaders pressure Israel to give up land for peace, then within days, America is hit with a major storm or earthquake. Don’t believe me? Take a look.
Back in 1938, before America had entered WWII, President Roosevelt formed a German/American alliance called the Bund. Basically, Roosevelt told Hitler America wouldn’t interfere with his plan to invade Czechoslovakia. Hitler was steadily taking over more and more European countries, kind of like the cancerous spread of Islam today.
Although completely aware of what was happening, Roosevelt turned a blind eye as the German Jews were being harassed by SS guards, and did nothing to defend them after Kristallnacht, the ‘Night of Broken Glass’ in which a coordinated Nazi attack against Jewish owned businesses, synagogues and homes left their property in ruins. Thirty thousand Jews were rounded up and sent to concentration camps. Again, America did nothing to help God’s Chosen People.
Apparently, God didn’t appreciate our complicity.
During the time the Jews were being persecuted, a massive hurricane nicknamed, The Long Island Express, hit New England. Most hurricanes travel about 20 miles per hour. This one slammed the coast at 70mph! The eye of the storm was 50 miles wide with sustained winds of 121mph, and gusts reaching 185mph. Needless to say, it was an extremely destructive, deadly storm. Hmmm. Must have been a coincidence.
After the war, the world settled back down and in 1948, the nation of Israel was born. They were immediately attacked by their Arab neighbors, and endured armed conflict in 1948, 1956, 1967, 1968-1970, 1973, 1982, 1991, 2006 and on until today. Despite overwhelming odds, Israel has never been defeated.
Much to the consternation of the surrounding Arab nations, they are STILL on the map! However, you’ll notice most Arabs live in abject poverty and ignorance, and most haven’t even mastered indoor plumbing yet. So much for fighting Israel.
When terrorist Yasser Arafat fabricated the Palestinians, a previously nonexistent nation, the incessant whining began. Israel considered placating them by giving up some of their land to these people, so they could live side by side in peace. Because America was Israel’s most powerful Western ally, our leaders began a long campaign of strong-arming Israel to make more ridiculous concessions to the Arab crybabies, who had never lived in that territory anyway.
Ezekiel 36: 33-36 “Thus saith the Lord God; in the day that I shall have cleansed you from all your iniquities I will also cause you to dwell in the cities, and the wastes shall be builded. And the desolate land shall be tilled, whereas it lay desolate in the sight of all that passed by. And they shall say, This land that was desolate is become like the garden of Eden; and the waste and desolate and ruined cities are become fenced, and are inhabited. Then the heathen that are left round about you shall know that I the Lord build the ruined places, and plant that that was desolate: I the Lord have spoken it, and I will do it.”
Before Israel moved into the land, it was a barren, worthless desert. Nothing would grow on it, and very, very few people settled there. However, once Israel arrived, God miraculously caused that desert to bloom and flourish under their hands, and all of a sudden, the “Palestinians” wanted that land. Of course, their Arab brothers had thousands of square miles in which they could have settled, but NOOOOO. They had to have THAT land! *Whaah, boo-hoo! sniff, sniff*
So, on October 30, 1991, the USA and USSR held the Madrid Conference, which was hosted by Spain. It was an attempt by the international community to start a peace process through negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians, as well as other Arab countries. During this conference, President George H.W. Bush pushed for a territory-for-peace treaty, recognizing the Palestinian’s ‘right’ to Jewish land, which included giving up Judea, Samaria and East Jerusalem.
During Bush’s trip, a cold nor’easter joined up with Hurricane Grace, resulting in what is now know as ‘The Perfect Storm,’ which created the largest waves ever recorded in that region. The storm sent 30-foot ocean waves smashing into Bush’s Kennebunkport vacation home, causing major damage to the estate as well as the surrounding area. It was such an unusually strong, massive storm, Hollyweird made a movie about it using the same name. Hmm. Probably just a coincidence.
August 23, 1992, the Madrid Conference was held in Washington D.C., which naturally included American pressure on Israel to give up land and other concessions to the Palestinians. That same day, Hurricane Andrew, the worst natural disaster to ever hit the U.S., slammed into South Florida, causing over 30 billion dollars in damage. But, one had nothing to do with the other. Right?
January 16, 1994, President Clinton met with the Syrian President in Geneva. They discussed a peace agreement with Israel which included giving up the Golan Heights. Less than 24 hours later, an earthquake measuring 6.9 hit southern California, and was the second most destructive natural disaster to hit the U.S. Uh, I’m sensing a pattern here.
March 1, 1997, PLO leader, Yasser Arafat toured America. On the very day he set foot on U.S. soil, tornadoes devastated large sections of Texas, Arkansas, Tennessee, Kentucky, Mississippi as well as parts of North and South Dakota. OK, this isn’t looking good.
September 28, 1998, as President Clinton meets with Netanyahu and Arafat at the White House to finalize an agreement in which Israel would relinquish 13% of Judah and Samaria, Hurricane George hits the Gulf Coast the same day, and stalls. As soon as Arafat leaves U.S. soil, the storm begins to break up, but not before causing 1 billion dollars in damage. Oh boy.
I guess Arafat backed out of that agreement because between October 15-22, 1998, Netanyahu and Arafat met again at a plantation in Maryland, to discuss the same agreement negotiated on September 28th. In the middle of the talks, October 17th, tornadoes and heavy rains hit southern Texas, causing widespread flooding. The rain began to subside on the last day of the talks, the 22nd, but left another billion dollars in damage. President Clinton had to declare that section of Texas a major disaster area.
OK, let’s stop pretending. There is a DIRECT correlation between America’s meddling in Israel’s affairs, pressuring them to bow to Arab demands for land, and disaster striking. Moving on…
May 3, 1999 was the date Arafat was supposed to declare a Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital. The same day, one of the most powerful tornado systems to ever hit America, swept across Oklahoma and Kansas.
October 1999, as Jewish families were being evicted off of their God given land, the Dow Jones lost 266 points and a hurricane hit North Carolina on October 15th. The next morning, the 16th, a magnitude 7.1 earthquake shook the South Western United States in the 5th most powerful earthquake of the 20th century.
August 22, 2005, President George W. Bush pressured Israel to evacuate the Gaza Strip. Eight thousand Jewish families were forcibly removed from their rightful homes. Exactly one week later, on August 29th, category 3 Hurricane Katrina hit Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama. As we all know, the levee system in New Orleans failed, leaving 80% of the city under water. The city has never fully recovered; much of it stands empty and ruined to this day, 8 years later.
May 19, 2011, Obama agreed with the PLO that Israel must return to the 1967 borders, despite Israel’s objections that doing so would be tantamount to committing national suicide. Three days later, on May 22nd, the deadliest string of tornadoes to hit this country since 1953, tore up Joplin, Missouri. That town was pretty much destroyed.
Since then, America has suffered unusual weather events. Devastating droughts in one area; massive flooding in other states. Temperatures soaring into the triple digits. Blizzard after blizzard pounding the Midwest and Northeast, piling up record amounts of snow. I think we can safely assume that Almighty God isn’t too pleased with the U.S. in general.
OK. It’s obvious that messing with Israel, the apple of God’s eye, is NOT a bright idea. Has America learned her lesson? Oh, heck no! Our beloved leader is headed over to the Holy Land, hell-bent on achieving what no one has been able to do in over 4000 years; getting the descendants of Isaac and Ishmael to live peacefully, side by side.
Once again, Israel is being strong-armed by the international community to relinquish more land for peace, and is even seriously considering dividing Jerusalem! Jerusalem. The City of David. The place where Jesus was crucified. The Holy City where Jesus will sit on His long awaited throne. They might actually agree to divide Jerusalem with godless heathens!
NOW do you understand why I’m a mite bit concerned about what the liar-in-chief has up his duplicitous sleeve? What kind of judgment will he be responsible for bringing down on America?
Joel 3: 3 “I will also gather all nations, and will bring them down into the valley of Jehoshaphat, and will plead with them there for my people and for my heritage Israel, whom they have scattered among the nations, and parted my land.”
Joel 3: 16-17 “The Lord also shall roar out of Zion, and utter his voice from Jerusalem; and the heavens and the earth shall shake: but the Lord will be the hope of his people, and the strength of the children of Israel. So shall ye know that I am the Lord your God swelling in Zion, my holy mountain: then shall Jerusalem be holy, and there shall no strangers pass through her anymore.”
I will mention one big concern. In my internet travels over the last couple of weeks, I keep running into the same subject over and over, from numerous sources all over the country. People are having visions or dreams about America being split in half. I don’t mean figuratively. I mean literally; the earth opening up and causing a large gash right up the middle of the country from north to south.
But could this actually happen?? Yep, it could if an earthquake causes the New Madrid Fault to split open. Never heard of it? Well, it doesn’t possess the notoriety of the San Andreas Fault in California, but it’s 20 times bigger and could potentially cause catastrophic devastation.
The New Madrid Fault Line is a 150 mile long, major seismic zone with frequent earthquakes that occur within one tectonic plate. It threatens seven states; Illinois, Indiana, Missouri, Arkansas, Kentucky, Tennessee and Mississippi. Back in December1811, a major earthquake measuring up to 8.2 shook the area of Memphis, Tennessee.
According to Wikipedia, trees were knocked down and riverbanks in the area collapsed. It shook windows and furniture in Washington D.C., rang bells in Richmond, VA, sloshed well-water and spooked horses in Charleston, SC and knocked plaster off of homes in Columbia, SC. In Jefferson, IN, furniture moved and in Lebanon, OH, residents fled their homes. Folks in Herculaneum, MO claimed it was severe and lasted 10-12 minutes! This quake was nicknamed the Daylight Shock due to its timing and the 27 aftershocks felt throughout that day.
On February 7, 1812, a New Madrid quake measuring up to 8.6, severely damaged homes in St. Louis, MO. It disturbed another segment called the Reelfoot Fault, creating an uplift that caused waterfalls on the Mississippi River and disrupted the river at Kentucky Bend. Eyewitnesses state this caused the Mississippi River to flow backwards for approximately 24 hours resulting in the formation of Reelfoot Lake, in NW Tennessee.
Since 1974, when seismic monitors were put into place, there have been about 4000 tremors recorded, but on average only one quake per year is strong enough to be felt by the residents. All things considered, it sounds pretty stable, doesn’t it?
I can’t help but wonder what all the chatter on the web concerning the New Madrid Fault is about. If America succeeds in getting Israel to divide Jerusalem, will a very angry God feel justified in dividing America? I don’t know. However, I think it’s safe to assume history will repeat itself.
You can bet that some form of severe judgment will strike this country before long. Not only has our wickedness become a stench in the nostrils of God, but our leaders have an extremely foolish habit of trying to manipulate God’s chosen into relinquishing the land God promised to Abraham and his descendants forever. Dumb, dumb, dumb!
Time is quickly running out for those of you who have still not made a decision to accept the pardon Jesus paid with His life to provide to you. Hear me? Time is running out! The Bible warns us that the wrath of God will be poured out on this entire earth by way of economic collapse, catastrophic natural disasters, numerous nuclear wars, radiation poisoning of the water and food systems, not to mention the tyrannical world-wide rule of the most heinous, cruel dictator mankind has ever known.
You do NOT have to be here to experience this. You still have a tiny window of time to get right with God. Jesus will shortly call His own up to be with Him in heaven while all hell breaks out on earth. Why would anyone CHOOSE to stay here?? DUH!
Isaiah 26:20 “Come, my people, enter thou into thy chambers, and shut thy doors about thee: hide thyself as it were for a little moment, until the indignation be overpast.”
Go ahead, keep your head buried in the sand, pretending life will just continue as it always has, but don’t expect that to prevent these events from happening. You cannot ‘prep’ enough to survive. Don’t bother moving to another country; the entire world will be affected, so there’s no place you can run to escape. You’ll live your worst nightmare on steroids.
Government isn’t going to take care of you—they’ll be the ones to hunt you down. Buddha can’t save you. Allah can’t, neither can Ganesha. The Roman Catholic Church can’t. Even the Emergent church can’t save you. Jesus plainly told us in John 14:16, “I am the way, the truth and the life: no man cometh unto the Father but by me.”
Those of us who belong to Christ will be leaving this miserable world very, very soon. Oh, and FYI, I don’t care how insistent the authorities are we will NOT have been abducted by aliens! Our Lord and Savior will have snatched us out of harm’s way as He promised.
Look, you can stay here if you want to, but I’d much rather you come with me. Please repent, turn from your sinful ways, receive salvation and make Jesus the Lord of your life. Hurry!
To contact the author: bensmomi99@gmail.com
Sunday, February 10, 2013
Nemo, the Blizzard of 2013, found New England
Reblogged from Elizabeth Prata´s the-end-time.blogspot.com
Nemo: mammoth blizzard turns fatalWhat of weather and the bible? On Blogos, I read about weather and how it is a living metaphor for how damaging our sin is. "All creation groans... When Adam and Eve ate that fruit and got kicked out of paradise, God cursed the Earth (Genesis 3:17). When the people grew so wicked that God had to wipe them out with a flood, He cursed it again. (How? One moment it was a planet where people didn’t eat meat and lived to over 900 years, and the next it was this place.)"
"The Boston Fire Department says an 11-year-old boy has died of carbon monoxide poisoning after being overcome as he sat in a running car to keep warm while his father was shovelling snow. This is the third reported death related to the record-breaking blizzard named Nemo striking the US northeast in which 700,000 homes and businesses have lost power. Boston Fire Department spokesman Steve MacDonald said the boy was helping his father shovel the snow Saturday, but got cold, so his father started the car and the boy got inside. MacDonald said the car exhaust was covered by a snow bank, causing the fumes to collect inside the vehicle. When the boy was overcome by the fumes, the father went into respiratory arrest, and emergency workers took both to a hospital. The boy was pronounced dead there. No names were released. The mammoth storm that stretched from the Great Lakes to the Atlantic coast dumped more than 90cm (35.4in) of snow across the Northeast, the National Weather Service said. Blizzard and flood warnings were in effect for the coast."
"In Stratford, Connecticut, Mayor John Harkins said he had never seen such a heavy snowfall, with rates of 12.5cm an hour at times overnight, he told local WTNH television. "Even the plows are getting stuck," Harkins said. The storm concentrated its fury on Connecticut, Rhode Island and Massachusetts, with the top snowfall 95cm in Milford, Connecticut. Rhode Island Governor Lincoln Chafee banned all travel on roads in order to aid snow plow crews. He told CNN that National Guard troops were rescuing stranded motorists, especially at uncleared on-ramps. The mammoth storm dumped 73.2cm (28in) of snow on Portland, Maine, breaking a 1979 record, and the weather service said there is more on the way."
Further, "In much the same way that God allows evil people to commit evil acts, God allows the earth to reflect the consequences sin has had on creation. Romans 8:19-21 tells us, “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.” The fall of humanity into sin had effects on everything, including the world we inhabit. Everything in creation is subject to “frustration” and “decay.” Sin is the ultimate cause of natural disasters just as it is the cause of death, disease, and suffering." (source)
MSNBC reported a couple of months ago, after Superstorm Sandy, "The January-to-November period in the United States this year was the warmest first 11 months of any year on record for the contiguous states. And 2012 will likely surpass 1998 as the warmest year on record for the nation, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration...." But in seeking a reason as to why these storms are appearing so frequently and intensely, they also reported "nearly two-thirds (65 percent) of white evangelical Protestants say they think the storms are evidence of the "end times" as predicted by the Bible" which I am sure drove them crazy.
The earth is decaying under the weight of creation's sin. Romans 8:21 says "that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to decay and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God." Since the Fall, the earth and its people have been on a downward trajectory of decay.
As anyone who plays Jenga knows, there is a tipping point and then suddenly the whole things comes crashing down. The crash-down is not chaos, because God is in control. At His designated moment, He will call His Bride home, recall His Spirit from His retraining ministry, and let it all go to the full measure of sin and His full cup of wrath. (Daniel 9:24, Genesis 15:16, Romans 2:5-8).
Meanwhile, I hope that the shaking of the world by our Creator God reminds the lost to repent and the saved to revere His power. (Haggai 2:6; Hebrews 12:26)
“Have you entered the storehouses of the snow, or have you seen the storehouses of the hail," (Job 38:22)
"He caused the east wind to blow in the heavens, and by his power he led out the south wind;" (Psalm 78:26)
"I would hasten my escape from the windy storm and tempest." (Psalm 55:8)
"The wind blows to the south and goes around to the north; around and
around goes the wind, and on its circuits the wind returns." (Ecclesiastes 1:6)
Now, for some fun. As the blizzard progressed, the obligatory snow-door shots appeared on Twitter. I noticed a trend.
@AbbyDiaz1 @JimCantore Little boy, big snow drift at our door
@4castrnh: @JimCantore, I think this is a more iconic image 4 #nemo!
South Portland, with Wgme Portland, Lori Gray-Chase and Monica Custeau
Maggie Koerth-Baker @maggiekb1 This photo is older than #Nemo,
but think of it as a fun DIY project for those of you snowed in.
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