Amazing Anticipation for Messiah

29 Saturday Aug 2015

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Amazing Anticipation for Messiah Continues

Recently, Natan Sharansky, Chairman for The Jewish Agency met and welcomed nearly thirty families including seventy-five children at Ben Gurion International Airport between Tel Aviv and Jerusalem. Although the event was exciting, it was not all that unusual; as hundreds of thousands of Jews all over the world have made Israel their home over the last seven decades or so, through what the Jews call, Aliyah … the “going-up” ingathering of their people.

What made this group of immigrants exceptional is that they all had left their homes in North America to take up residence in Israel; the Promised Land given to them by the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. To be sure, thousands of Jews have immigrated from Canada and the United States to Israel. Yet, considering that people from all over the world would do just about anything to move to the United States (and Canada), it is quite remarkable that even a handful of people would want to do just the opposite … move from the prosperity and security of America and Canada to the uncertainty and turmoil faced by this tiny democratic Israeli nation surrounded by enemies who seek their destruction.

Said Natan Sharansky to the new arrivals: “Only think for a moment about your fathers, your grandfathers, your great grandfathers, all those generations of your families who were dreaming and praying next year in Jerusalem and you did it.”

*Note: Next Year in Jerusalem is a saying repeated by Jewish families for hundreds of years to this very day, especially during the Passover celebration.

One of the elated immigrants was Max Kresch, age 19, from Detroit; one of several who moved to Israel for the express purpose of serving as a “lone soldier” in the Israeli Defense Force (IDF). Previously, he had been granted a visa to attend a yeshiva (Torah seminary) in Israel. This time he came to stay and to serve proudly with one of the greatest militaries in the entire world … in a nation with only slightly over six million Jews. He told CBN News, “…living in Israel made me realize how much I really loved being there.”

The families included David and Lisa Parshan and their two younger children. Said Lisa Parshan, “It was very nice to watch people just like us coming off … all jet lagged but with a smile on their face. It was really a very exciting experience.” The Parshan family had made Aliyah to Israel primarily because their oldest daughter, Shira, had paved the way by moving to Israel two years earlier!

As I have said in one way or another in two books and in past Eye of Prophecy articles, and as other students of prophecy have articulated in similar fashion, “Watching Jews return to Israel in such great numbers is watching Biblical prophecy unfold before our very eyes.” As significant as Aliyah is (I would place it alongside of Israel’s rebirth in 1948 as the two greatest signs of the end times), it is only one of twelve modern-day milestones of our generation that tells us we are so very close to Messiah’s return. If you haven’t already, please read two recently posted Eye of Prophecy articles, entitled, Look Up, Redemption is Near, Part I & II, published 7-11 & 7-18-15.

Referenced earlier in today’s article was The Jewish Agency, which actually came into existence during the 1929 Palestinian Mandate, conceived in 1917 as part of the Balfour Declaration … subsequently recognized by the now defunct League of Nations. But it wasn’t until Israel’s rebirth in 1948 that The Jewish Agency began its remarkable journey which led to what is now the largest nonprofit Jewish organization in the world. This agency has brought over three million Jews to Israel, providing relocation assistance throughout the land.

Their stated mission is to: Inspire Jews throughout the world to connect with their people, heritage, and land, and empower them to build a thriving Jewish future and a strong Israel.

Why the Jews Returned to Israel in the Early Years

Soon after the 1948 rebirth of Israel as (once again) a sovereign nation, most of the Jews who moved to Israel were from European countries and cities ravaged by World War II. Six million Jews had been slaughtered by the Nazi Third Reich. Many of the surviving three million Jews had been stripped of their property, their jobs, their businesses, and their homes. They had hardly anywhere to turn, except Israel. And turn they did.

In even greater numbers they later left Russia, where they were still under persecution by the Communist regime and by people who simply didn’t like (many hated) Jews. To this very day, most European, Russian, or South American Jews making Aliyah to Israel do so to get away from a menacing modern-day rise of anti-Semitism. For example, many Jews from France have recently moved to Israel, in direct response to the alarming increase in France’s Islamic population and Muslim terrorist’s acts.

From wherever they came, the underlying motivation behind their (leave it all behind) bold move to Israel was that of pressure … to escape the horrors of anti-Semitism. To live in and do their part to help restore Israel as their homeland; a place where they could confidently trust what they were telling themselves and their children: Never again. This must never happen again.

Thus, began fulfillment of spectacular prophecies announced by many Old Testament prophets even before the first captivity of the Jews in Babylon, let alone the subsequent complete and seemingly never-ending exile at the hands of the Romans in 70 AD. It was unthinkable that after nearly 2000 years, a people no longer a people, a nation no longer a nation, a language no longer a language could possibly and virtually overnight be restored as a people, reborn as a nation, and revived as a language. It was unprecedented, but it happened, nevertheless! The following passage is one of hundreds that virtually no one, not even the most observant Jews, really believed would ever take place.

“Do not be afraid, for I am with you. I will gather you and your children from east and west. I will say to the north and south, ‘Bring my sons and daughters back to Israel from the distant corners of the earth” (Isaiah 43:5-6).

Then the Lord through Isaiah prophesied to the Gentile nations: “Gather the nations together! Assemble the peoples of the world! Which of their idols has ever foretold such things? Which can predict what will happen tomorrow? Where are the witnesses of such predictions? Who can verify that they spoke the truth?” (Verse 9).

*Note: The formation of the United Nations is a direct result of “gathering the nations together;” of “assembling the peoples of the world.” But as the Lord also said: none of the idols or so-called gods, or psychics, or fortune-tellers, or sorcerers, or pretend prophets of these nations could possibly predict such a phenomenal event as the rebirth of Israel and return of Jewish exiles from all over the earth.

It was absolutely no coincidence that the United Nations was established in October, 1945, just 2 ½ years before Israel’s proclamation of Statehood in May, 1948. Furthermore, it was the United Nations which passed the November, 1947 resolution granting Israel the right to become a member of the family nations of the earth, of which there were fifty-one when the UN was formed. Now there are 193 nations.

More Contemporary Reason for Jews Returning to Israel

Returning briefly to the previously mentioned Parshan family and their oldest daughter whose example her parents followed by moving to Israel.

Here is what Shira Parshan told CBN News: “You know Mashiach is coming. I know that Israel is the place to be and I made Aliyah when I was 17 years old.”

Astonishing! Not only to leave her family and move to Israel at the age of seventeen; but to boldly and unashamed tell reporters that her burning passion to be in Israel was fueled by her desire to be there when Messiah comes. With the all too clear inference that she was expressing the shared enthusiasm of hundreds of thousands of Jews, both Sabras (native-born Israelis) and immigrants: Messiah’s appearance is so very near!

Although there are subsidiary reasons why the substantial return of Jews to Israel continues to amaze me and others who are genuinely interested in contemporary parallels between what is happening in and to Israel and fulfillment of last day’s prophecies, the appearance of Messiah is undoubtedly the most compelling correlation. With no better representation or convincing testimony than that expressed by Shira Parshan.

The Jewish Agency is, by far, the largest organization that facilitates the transition of Jews to Israel, but not the only one. Another agency, Nefesh B’Nefesh is one that works closely with the Israeli government and specifically with the American, Canadian, and British governments to bring Jews to Israel. Since its inception in 2002, this organization has been responsible for bringing some 45,000 Jewish immigrants from these three countries to Israel. In fact, this is the agency that coordinated the Aliyah of the group mentioned in this article.

Said Rabbi Yehoshua Fass, cofounder of Nefesh B’Nefesh to the group and to reporters: “We don’t want the immigration from America to be an Aliyah of necessity, of running away from something, of distress, duress, persecution. You don’t want that. The beauty of North American immigration is that people are choosing to come.”

This statement is a precise, poignant, and powerful explanation of another, even more pressing, motive for Jews (especially those who have left a comfortable lifestyle) to move to Israel: Because they want to. And, as indicated, one of the overwhelming reasons that they want to is because—no matter whether they are religious or secular—they passionately believe that Messiah will soon appear and MAKE ALL THINGS RIGHT!

They know he will arrive (Messianic Jews agree with Christians, it will be Messiah’s return or second appearance) in Jerusalem. They want to be in Israel when that happens!

More Amazing Correlations and Discoveries to Indicate Messiah’s Imminent Arrival

Just two weeks ago, the Eye of Prophecy article entitled, Great Expectations for Messiah was published. In general it was a sequel to the two-part series of Look Up, Redemption is Near. More specifically, it was written to demonstrate that the very same level of high expectations for Messiah’s appearance expressed by Jews in the first century BC is taking place in our generation, particularly in the past decade or so. The Great Expectation article began with:

“What does Aliyah, the blood moon tetrad, the Shemitah, hidden Bible codes, the third Jewish Temple, a red heifer, and Jonathan Pollard’s release from prison have in common, one with the other? If you desire a short easy-to-remember response to that question, then the answer is: Israel’s Redemption Is Very Near. If you prefer a one-word explanation for the common-ground connection between these seemingly diverse subjects and events, we can do that too: MESSIAH!”

I went on to explain each of these events in more detail; however, that article also made it clear that these occurrences individually—remarkable as they are—do not necessarily reflect specific Biblical prophecy as such … with the exception of Aliyah that is clearly predicted in Scripture. Rather, as indicated, the purpose for tying these subjects together was to show that many Jews today collectively correlate signs of Messiah’s coming to events that are happening with increasing frequency.

I also said in that post that many more things would undoubtedly be seen in the very near future as evidence that Messiah’s glorious appearance is right at the door. Accordingly, it was not my intention to write another article on these type of parallels for at least several weeks or months.

Yet, that’s what this article is mostly about. In light of what I’ve read and seen in just the past couple of weeks, I couldn’t resist sharing these stories, most of which come from the Internet site of Breaking Israel News, which is a companion offshoot of Israel 365. Certainly these are not the only websites that focus on current world events, most of which pertain directly to Israel, as seen in the light of Old Testament Biblical prophecy. (Israel 365 and BIN are not Messianic sites). However, these two internet sites place a great deal of emphasis on Israel’s ultimate redemption particularly in the light of how Messiah will bring about that final restoration.

So what else has transpired and what other observations have been made? Let’s take a look at three—no, let’s make that four—notable connections as proposed by some Jewish rabbis or Jewish prophecy enthusiasts. (Italics for emphasis because it’s an expression from Proverbs Chapter 30 used as a summary to last week’s post, Four Locust Kingdoms … which I’m bringing up only in case you haven’t read that article yet!)

Hebrew Gematria Pointing to Messiah in the Pending Jewish Year 5776:

To expand further on one of the seven indicators cited in the Great Expectations for Messiah article, I will quote directly from an August 20^th, 2015 article written by Rivkah Lambert Adler in Breaking Israel News:

“In an interview with Christian filmmaker Richard Shaw, director of the film Torah Codes: End to Darkness, prolific author and Bible Codes expert Rabbi Mattiyahu Glazerson demonstrates how multiple Hebrew phrases hint that the Hebrew year 5776 (2015-2016) will be a significant year for the appearance of the Messiah. Hebrew years are counted from Creation and begin on the Jewish holiday of Rosh Hashana, which always falls in September or October in the Gregorian calendar. As of sundown on September 13, 2015, the new Hebrew year will be 5776.”

Ms. Adler then explains that it’s necessary to at least partially understand the significance of numbers through the system of gematria; that each letter or word or phrase of the Hebrew language bears a numerical value. She goes on to say:

“In the video with Rabbi Glazerson, he translates eight Hebrew phrases and sentences which all have the numerical value of 776. The English translation of the eight Hebrew phrases that Glazerson mentions are:

“The God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, the God of Jacob = 776

The kingdom of David will be eternal = 776 (The Messiah will be a descent of King David.)

Come back to Me and I will come back to you = 776

God says, “I will do for Myself. For Myself I will do.” = 776

Come back to Me like naughty children = 776

Your kingdom will be forever = 776

The last kingdom = 776

The final one is the most fascinating. The coming of Messiah = 776.”

Ms. Adler concludes by saying: “When questioned by Shaw, Glazerson explains why the numerical value of all these phrases is 776 and not 5776, which is the full number of the upcoming Hebrew year. ‘Because you see, according to our (Jewish) tradition, Messiah will come in the millennium—in the sixth one. This is why the numbers don’t have the 5 here, because it’s self-understood that when you speak about Messiah, you relate to 5,000, the sixth millennia.’”

Before we continue with three more examples, it’s imperative we realize that these things are not specific Bible prophecies. However, I personally afford a great deal of significance to Hebrew gematria, if for no other reason than it is a vital tool in the decoding of the identity of Antichrist found in Revelation Chapter 13. As those know who have read my book, Out of the Abyss … can the number of the beast be solved, 666, the challenge issued by the author of Revelation for believers to ascertain the identity of the beast can be accomplished through gematria … by figuring out his number, six hundred and sixty-six. Several other passages of Scripture also clearly point to Nero as this man (the Antichrist beast), but Revelation 13:18 does so by the use of gematria.

Quite likely then, the impact of Hebrew gematria can also be related to the true Messiah, Jesus Christ.

The Shemitah Cycle as Related to the United States:

Once again we’ll refer to an article in Breaking Israel News by Rivkah Lambert Adler, posted on August 24^th. Citing other Jewish rabbis and a previous article in BIN, Ms. Adler writes: “Taken together, four recent and upcoming events make a compelling case for imminent and dramatic messianic advancement. The four events are the end of the Shmittah year on September 13, the shaking of the world economies last week, numerical hints that abound in the Bible Codes, and the final Blood Moon of the current tetrad on September 28.”

[For those interested, two other meaningful things will happen in September: (1) Pope Francis address to the United States Congress (a first). (2) The US Congress vote on the Iran deal.]

She goes on to say, “…there is a well-established pattern of connection between the end of a Shmittah cycle and a downturn in the US economy. This has happened at or near the end of the last seven Shmittah cycles.” (Note: Ms. Adler and a handful of others spell this Hebrew word as Shmittah; however, this article will use the more common and accepted spelling of SHEMITAH, when not directly quoting her articles).

Continuing with the thematic purpose of this week’s article which is the extraordinary emphasis being placed by Jewish Rabbis and a good deal of the Jewish population on the imminent appearance of the Messiah, let’s continue with Ms. Adler’s article. She then quotes end-times author Rabbi Pinchas Winston who said:

“Why should the end of a Shmittah cycle affect the economies of the world? Even today, when the keeping of Shmittah is rabbinical in nature, it still transmits a Torah message, and that is that God runs the world and provides everything in Creation with its livelihood. The fact that billions of people do not believe this or think about it does not change the fact … It has occurred over the millennia with uncanny consistency, and one need look back only a few decades to see how true this is, and to know that bracing oneself for financial upheaval this September is a word to the wise and financially prudent.”

What was expected in September AFTER the shemitah has actually begun in this month of August, although there has been a very recent resurgence of the stock market just before today’s article was published.

Ms. Adler defers to whom she terms, End of Days blogger Tomer Devorah, who also used Hebrew gematria to provide a possible, perhaps plausible explanation to the recent Stock Market Crash. Quoting Ms. Adler’s article, she writes:

“…The Dow fell more than 1,000 points. Some say it’s just a normal market correction. End of Days blogger Tomer Devorah has a different way of understanding the numbers. In the system of gematria … the numerical value of the word Mashiach (Messiah) is 358. On Thursday, August 20, the US stock market fell 358 points. The next day, Friday, August 21, the US stock market fell another 530 points. Together, 530 and 358 equals 888.

“This is significant because the number 8 represents God, who is above nature. As Tomer Devorah writes, ‘The number 8 is also connected to the revelation of Mashiach (Messiah).’ She (Tomer) explains that the number 7 is associated with completeness in nature—the seven days of Creation, the seven days of the week, the seven colors of the rainbow, etc. The number 8 is above nature. The Messianic era is also represented by the number 8 because, during that time, our souls will transcend nature and will experience a higher level of understanding God.”

Once again a disclaimer for clarification: Although there is some accuracy in what they say, I am not categorically endorsing Ms. Adler’s or Ms. Devorah’s summary conclusion as to the correlation of these numbers to such things as, our souls transcending nature. Biblical numbers are extremely significant as is, to a lesser degree, Hebrew gematria; but both must be examined as an integral part of the entirety of Biblical prophecy. As reflected in the Eye of Prophecy articles, I prefer to rely heavily on Scripture itself, including what the Bible says will happen just before, during, and after Messiah’s appearance.

Purported Correlation between Syria’s Demise and the End-Times Messiah & Antichrist:

Actually this connection goes all the way back to a 2^nd century Jewish Rabbi, Shimon Bar Yochai whose writings are part of the Midrash. While hiding in a cave, Rabbi Bar Yochai allegedly heard from an angel who told him: “And it is a sign for you, when you see that an Eastern Nero has fallen, that in Damascus has fallen the Bnei Mizrach kingdom, then will sprout the salvation of Israel, and Mashiach ben David comes and will ascend to Jerusalem.”

It was the aforementioned blogger, Tomer Devorah who thinks that this end-times Nero of the East is or could be Syria’s President Bashar al-Assad; that his shaky hold of the Syrian government could collapse any day now.

Most likely, Rabbi Bar Yochai made the connection that the destruction of Damascus is one of the end-times prophecies that will dovetail with Messiah’s arrival. This one is directly from Isaiah. “This message came to me concerning Damascus: Look, the city of Damascus will disappear! It will become a heap of ruins” (Isaiah 17:1).

There are three applications that can be made to any given prophecy. (1) The prophecy has already been fulfilled in Biblical times; (2) the prophecy will come to pass during the last days; (3) the prophecy was fulfilled then and will be fulfilled again during the end-times. Regarding Isaiah’s prediction, I believe it was fulfilled when Assyria conquered Damascus in 732 BC; because a few verses later Isaiah also said: “The fortified towns of Israel will also be destroyed, and the royal power of Damascus will end. All that remains of Syria will share the fate of Israel’s departed glory, declares the Lord of Heaven’s Armies” (Verse 3).

Just ten years later, Assyria conquered the ten northern tribes know as Israel … Syria will share the fate of Israel’s departed glory.

The glory of Israel began to be restored in 1948 and is in high gear in the 21^st century. It’s a much better fit to conclude that the destruction of Damascus predicted by Isaiah occurred when the northern kingdom of Israel was also destroyed within a span of ten years.

The word “disappear” used in the New Living Translation is translated, “removed from being a city,” in the NASB. These and other translations essentially mean that Damascus would no longer function as a viable city, let alone the capital of Syria.

However, it’s certainly possible that Syria and Damascus will once again be vanquished. As will many nations and cities during the Great Tribulation. If so, we don’t know if the ruin of Damascus will occur before the Rapture or after the Rapture. Moreover, it would only be one of dozens of other end-times prophecies that will take place during the soon-to-come Day of the Lord.

What does grab my attention is this second century Rabbi’s reference to the Eastern Nero which can also read, Nero of the East. Why would he even mention Nero or equate the proposed end-times Syrian ruler with this malevolent Roman Emperor? Those of you who have read my book, Out of the Abyss and/or several Eye of Prophecy articles on the Antichrist, know that a ton of Biblical and historical evidence leads to (what I think is overwhelming evidence) the conclusion that the Antichrist is none other than the return of the Roman Emperor Nero. Furthermore, that Nero’s revival was a widely held belief by secular Romans, by early Christians, and I’m sure by many Jews during the first four centuries or so. It was even given a name: Nero Redivivus Legend.

(Read all about this in the Eye of Prophecy article entitled, The Legendary Return of Nero, published 4-4-15. It was a sequel summary to the series of articles named, “A Beast by Any Other Name … Part I, II, III, published 3-14, 3-21, & 3-28-15).

Thus, it’s evident that Rabbi Bar Yochai combined the Old Testament prophecy of the fall of Damascus with the end-times appearance of Messiah, then connected both of those events to the Syrian monarch who would be a representation or counterpart of the wicked ruler Nero.

Little did he know that there would be no counterparts of or to Nero? Rather, it will be Nero himself who will appear from the Abyss and boast that he is the risen Messiah and the only God to be worshipped.

Interesting! No? Yes?

Israeli Mystical Rabbi Warns of Imminent Attack on Israel:

This fourth and final example of the extraordinary emphasis and enthusiasm over current events as precursor evidence of Messiah’s soon appearance is ominous, to say the least.

Recently, Rabbi Amram Vaknin, who allegedly receives periodic revelations from heaven—sometimes from the prophet Elijah—announced that: “The Muslims are going to contaminate the water, the fruits and vegetables. They are going to damage the electricity. And there are going to be people dying in the streets, thousands of people all over Israel.”

He specified further than this attack was being planned by current Arab Knesset Member, Hanin Zoabi (who is a known adversary of Israel even though she is member of the Knesset) as a spy for ISIS and Hamas. According to Rabbi Vaknin, God will permit this atrocious attack unless Israel does teshuva … which means to repent. Gil Nachman, a student of Rabbi Vaknin, said that this repentance must be for individual inner sins and dishonoring of parents, of not always telling the truth (lying), and about not being your real self (hypocrisy).

Comment: I’m certainly not endorsing or agreeing with this Rabbi’s predictions for several reasons … too many to list and elaborate on in this article. Nor is there time/space to challenge what Israelis individually and Israel nationally should repent of. Except to say that under the New Covenant, the fundamental repentance (change of mind) necessary is to allow God to change one’s heart (Jew and Gentile alike) through the awesome redemption purchased for us by Messiah Jesus. Essentially, it is to repent of unbelief in the final atoning sacrifice that Jesus made on the Cross. Simply put, it’s saying, “Yes,” to God by believing and receiving God’s gracious gift of his Son.

Repentance from what is an incredibly important question. Whether Messiah’s appearance (return) is predicated on Israel’s teshuva is a monumentally significant issue and dilemma to the Jewish people, especially the Orthodox among them. The answer is found in the difference between the Old Covenant through Moses and the New Covenant through Messiah Jesus. It’s also found in the prophecies of Old Testament prophets, the words of Jesus while on the Mount of Olives, the book of Revelation, and the Apostle Paul writings on the Rapture and the Antichrist.

The primary purpose for including this questionable yet startling and gloomy prediction is in keeping with the main theme of this article. Which is the amazing frequency of rabbinical predictions of and correlation with what is happening in the Middle East, especially Israel, to the passionate and persistent anticipation for Messiah. It is nothing short of incredible. Though many of these associations may not be accurate, the sheer number of them create a modern-day sensation that is unrivaled since the time of Christ … his first coming to the earth.

Things to Ponder

The whole world is watching, wondering, and wavering whether the apocalyptic beginning of the end has begun. Who is Messiah? When and where will he arrive? What exactly will he do? Except for the exact time of Messiah’s glorious appearance, many passages in the Bible have answered these questions.

Listen to the word of the Lord through the Prophet Micah:

“Yes, says the Lord, I will do mighty miracles for you, like those I did when I rescued you from slavery in Egypt. All the nations of the world will stand amazed at what the Lord will do for you. They will be embarrassed at their feeble power. They will cover their mouths in silent awe … they will fear him greatly, trembling in terror at his presence. Where is there another God like you, who pardons the guilt of the remnant, overlooking the sins of his special people? You will not stay angry with your people forever, because you delight in showing unfailing love. Once again you will have compassion on us. You will trample our sins under your feet and throw them into the depths of the ocean! You will show us your faithfulness and unfailing love as you promised to our ancestors Abraham and Jacob long ago” (Micah 7:15-20).

Based on Scripture and unfolding events in today’s world, I can say with utmost confidence: God’s discipline of Israel through Gentile nations ended in 1967. His compassion for his special possession Israel has returned in active form. He will forgive their sins and pardon the guilt of the remnant. That remnant began in 1948 at the magnificent rebirth of Israel as a nation, of the Jews as a people. It will be refined even more … down to those who will gladly recognize and receive Messiah Yeshua as their God and Savior.

Great is the Lord and greatly to be praised!

Four Locust Kingdoms!

22 Saturday Aug 2015

Posted by garybowers in Prophecy in General

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Babylon, Rome, The Number Four, Visions of Daniel

Locusts, Gentile Kingdoms, and Israel

Several numbers in the Bible bear a great deal of meaning. Although it may seem so at first, this article is not mainly about the fascinating subject and study of numbers in Scripture. However, we are going to see how the number four relates to and explains a huge portion of Israel’s history; in the context of God’s providential direction for the Jews and their interaction with mighty Gentile nations.

The number four derives its significance from God’s creative work especially pertaining to the earth, including God’s dealings with and disposition (rise and fall destiny) of nations. It is the number of wholeness, totality, entirety, and summation. It is a number concept that would be completely incomplete if we eliminated just one of the component parts of any given foursome.

If we want to move from one place to another, we must go forward, backward, left or right. Up or down doesn’t count; if we go beneath or above the earth, we must then travel in one of four directions. For example, try to imagine if there was no direction of west on the compass. I would need to travel east from my home city of Phoenix, Arizona to get to Los Angeles, California! I suppose I’d get there eventually, but….

Yes, there are four seasons, four primary lunar phases, and four sides to what is probably the most perfect geometric object we can think of … a square. And many more fours:

On the fourth day God created the material universe—the sun, moon, planets, and stars. To give us light, to distinguish day from night, and enabling us to tell time.
Each day has four component parts: Seconds, minutes, hours, and day. One day is cyclical … it begins, ends, and starts all over again. Weeks, months, and years are linear, continuous.
Four basic elements comprise material creation: Earth, fire, air, and water.
In the Ten Commandments, the fourth is to keep God’s Sabbath day of rest, which is an integral part of the creation week.
Four Gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John—each emphasizing a distinct characteristic of our Savior, Jesus Christ. Our Jewish Messiah—Son of David; God’s suffering servant; Perfect Son of Man—to both Gentile and Jew; and Son of God, respectively.
Messiah Jesus is a direct descendant from the fourth tribe, Judah, (son) of Jacob.
There were four rivers flowing from the Garden of Eden.
Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse (Revelation Chapter 6).
Four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding back the four winds (Revelation 7:1).
Four angels released at the Great Euphrates River (for that hour, day, month, and year) who will lead a demonic army that will kill one-third of the earth’s inhabitants (Revelation 9:13-16).
The angels for the fourth trumpet and the fourth bowl judgements change the physical laws of heavenly bodies, including the sun—all part of the fourth day of creation (Revelation 8:12 & Revelation 16:8).
Four mighty cherubim, each with four faces and four wings (Ezekiel Chapters 1 & 10, Revelation Chapter 4).
Four major prophets: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and Daniel.
Fourth Book of the Bible is (none other than) the Book of Numbers!

Lions, Bears, Leopards, Terrifying Iron-Tooth Beast (and Locusts) … Oh My!

Alright, I agree … not the best takeoff of the Wizard of Oz. But the story did have four main characters: Dorothy, Scarecrow, Tin Man, and Cowardly Lion. Let’s shift to the Bible and continue with two more sets of four; with the first four creatures listed above most likely tweaking your memory. Or if you know nothing about them, sparking your interest in the four amazing beasts seen by Daniel in his incredible vision recorded in Daniel Chapter 7; and earlier depicted as four parts of a magnificent statue seen by King Nebuchadnezzar as recorded in Daniel Chapter 2.

But what about the locusts? It’s like, what do locusts have to do with the number four and with four mighty Gentile nations that shaped the course of Israel’s destiny and world history. From a divine perspective, these (grasshopper) nations rose and fell according to God’s providential plan and purpose for Israel; specifically through divine discipline that would lead to purification and restoration of God’s chosen people, the Jews. Which also exerted a direct impact on the rest of the world … past, present, and future.

Prosperity & Punishment for Israel

First, let’s begin with a Biblical statement of fact, one that will clarify and correct a common misunderstanding of a good many Bible scholars: In Scripture there are four and only FOUR Gentile kingdoms that are identified; attached and relating to Israel’s prophetic destiny, beginning with Babylon. Not seven, as the seven kings of Revelation 17 are just that … kings, not kingdoms. They are not to be equated to any of the four kingdoms listed in Daniel. Please read my book, Out of the Abyss, for complete clarification.

To be sure, there are other Gentile nations prophetically referenced directly or indirectly in Scripture, such as Russia, Iran, and Turkey in the Gog/Magog attack on Israel. But all of these countries are mentioned in the context of Israel’s final time (last days) of turmoil just before Messiah returns. They are nations bent on Israel’s destruction AFTER the Jews fulfill God’s providential plan for their return to Israel, which is underway as we speak.

God explicitly and exclusively used these four Gentile empires to execute his warnings to Israel first given through Moses before the Hebrews even entered and possessed the Promised Land. Whereas, The Lord promised bountiful blessings to his people if they would keep the Covenant he made with them (Mosaic Law), he also gave them powerful warnings of punishment should they break the covenant by worshipping false gods (idols); by deliberately and continually turning from and abandoning the Lord their God. You can find a detailed description of the distressing consequences in Leviticus Chapter 26 and a recap review by Moses in Deuteronomy Chapter 28. But, in summary, the ultimate and, by far, most devastating penalty is expressed in the following passage:

“If in spite of all this you still refuse to listen and still remain hostile toward me, then I will give full vent to my hostility. I myself will punish you seven times over for your sins” (Leviticus 26:27-28, italics for emphasis).

This was the fourth (there’s that number again) set of seven times over consecutive and uninterrupted periods of punishment Israel would undergo, with the fourth and final set culminating in something the Jews couldn’t possibly imagine would happen. Even though the Lord God told them: “I will scatter you among the nations … Your land will become desolate, and your cities will lie in ruins. Then at last the land will enjoy its neglected Sabbath years as it lies desolate while you are in exile in the land of your enemies…” (Leviticus 26:33-34).

Defeat in battle by siege and by the sword is one thing. To be torn from their land and carted off to a foreign country was the ultimate disgrace and desolation for Israel.

I say periods of punishment in the literal application of actual time or years of Israel’s history. Because that’s exactly how the Lord applied this discipline … initially through the Babylonian destruction of Israel and Solomon’s Temple followed by a seventy-year exile in Babylon. Although the Jews partially returned to Israel, they never really returned to God. We know beyond any doubt that the four consecutive sets of seven times over (meaning years) resumed after the Babylonian captivity, as the Jews were once again conquered, this time by the Romans … with that Diaspora exile lasting an agonizing 19 centuries.

*Note: If you want to see some amazing details of this prophecy, please read the Eye of Prophecy articles entitled, Seven Times Seven (to the 4^th power), Parts I, II, & III. Published 1-25-14 through 2-8-14, respectively. Then the summary article, The Omega Generation, published 2-15-14. There you will find that seven times over (7 x 7 x 7 x 7) translated to years (which was the basis for God’s measuring out of his discipline) lasted exactly until 1967; the remarkable year when Israelis once again assumed control of the Holy City of the Holy Land in the Six-Day War of 1967. Thus, ending Gentile domination of Israel, referred to as The Times of the Gentiles.

Covenants, Conditional and Unconditional

Scripture is exceedingly explicit that God’s covenant with Abraham and his descendants (the Jews) was unconditional. It was God’s eternal promise to the Jews, one that would ultimately result in perpetual possession and occupation (in the positive connotation of the word) of Israel. However, God’s covenant with Israel through Moses was conditional; obedience to and exclusive worship of God was necessary for the Jews to remain in the Promised Land—until God’s final plan for all mankind was fulfilled. It was from Israel that the Jews were to be a blessing and a light to the Gentile nations by teaching them the Word and Attributes of the true and living God.

In our day, in this generation, the Abrahamic Covenant is finally being fulfilled, by the commencement and ongoing return of Jews to Israel from nations the world over. And the covenant with King David will be fully accomplished when Messiah (King of all kings) returns to the Mount of Olives and rescues the Jews from the onslaught of the ten-king federation led by the Antichrist.

But there is another Covenant that God struck with Israel and also the Gentile nations … the New Covenant announced by the prophet Jeremiah (Chapter 31). A covenant that most Jews refused to recognize as it was accomplished by Jesus Christ. Only Messianic Jews embrace Jesus as Messiah; however, there are tens of thousands of those Jews the world over.

It’s of vital importance to understand that when it comes to salvation for all peoples, as specifically purchased by God’s Son, Christ Jesus, as well as selecting Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and their descendants (the chosen people) specifically through King David to bring us Messiah, it is God who took the initiative. It’s very evident in Scripture that God loves Israel, those whom he calls his special possession. It’s equally clear that his sovereign choice had nothing to do with any self-worth or intrinsic value that the Jews may have otherwise possessed.

In fact, just before the Hebrews entered the Promised Land, Moses told them: “After the Lord your God has done this for you, don’t say in your hearts, ‘The Lord has given us this land because we are such good people! No, it is because of the wickedness of the other nations that he is pushing them out of your way. It is not because you are so good or have such integrity that you are about to occupy their land…’” (Deuteronomy 9:4-5)

Through Abraham, God began a certain race of people to one day give birth to Messiah, the Son of Man and the Son of God. Which is why the Virgin Birth of Christ was both natural and supernatural. He did this because he knew (and so do we) that not a single person on earth ever has or ever will be without sin; thus qualified to live forever with a loving but Holy God. Only God’s Messiah could and would do this, which is so poignantly described in the song; which, in turn, is a superb summary of so many passages in the Bible.

“Amazing love how can it be, that you my God should die for me.”

Yet, before the first advent of Jesus Christ, there were long periods in which God was either silent or, because of Israel’s disobedience, issued stern warnings of punishment unless they listened to and obeyed him. What parent would not first warn his or her child of the consequences of disobedience, and give that child reasonable time to respond favorably? With God, we’re talking about hundreds of years of patience.

Four Hundred Years

Here again we see the number four, multiplied to the sum of four hundred (years).

Four Hundred Years in Egypt: Through Joseph, the son whom Jacob’s other sons had sold into slavery, God rescued Jacob and his family from a great famine in Israel. Most of us know this incredible account in Scripture. But it was not God’s intention that the Jews remain in Egypt. They could and should have returned to Israel, especially after Joseph died. Their choice to remain in Egypt resulted in both physical and spiritual servitude.

We most often think in terms of their physical bondage, but that came many years later. During their four-hundred years of what turned into captivity and slavery, they also began to worship some of the false, man-made Egyptian gods. They forgot about and abandoned the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Moreover, there is no indication, whatsoever, that they would have voluntarily made any effort to once again seek their true and living God. Thus, the Lord took the initiative to deliver them; not just from bondage to Pharaoh, but from spiritual slavery to false gods.

Four Hundred Years of Forewarnings: From the time that King David’s reign of glory ended and about half way through Solomon’s reign (the latter part of his kingship resulted in Solomon, himself, and Israel beginning to turn away from God) to the time of the Babylonian captivity was about four hundred years. To be sure the ten northern tribes were conquered and exiled to Assyria after only 250 years; however, the two southern tribes of Judah and Benjamin (the heart and soul of Israel if for no other reason than Jerusalem as their Holy capital) were spared from God’s punishment for nearly four hundred years—right up to Babylon’s final conquest of Judah.

Once again, God took the initiative to return his people to Israel by providentially causing Babylon to fall to the Persians; with none other than Cyrus, the King of Persia, issuing an edict that the Jews could return to Israel. Still, many Jews refused to make the journey. Although some who did return under the leadership of Ezra and Nehemiah were those who rebuilt the Temple and the walls of Jerusalem, by and large, they continued to time and time again depart from the Lord.

Four Hundred Silent Years: Therefore, in less than one generation (using 70 years as a generational measurement) God suddenly stopped all communication with his people for four hundred years. With the same sovereign purpose: to get the attention of his people, this time through silence, so that they would earnestly and enthusiastically seek and love the Lord their God. But they didn’t.

*Note: One of my favorite verses is Amos 3:7, which says, “Indeed, the Sovereign Lord never does anything until he reveals his plans to his servants the prophets.” Which means that anything pertaining to God’s plan for Israel and Gentile nations as they interface with Israel has been proclaimed by his prophets! Did you know that God announced this period of silence with Israel ahead of time? I certainly didn’t until just recently, when I read again and this time realized the following passage says exactly that. And from the same prophet no less!

“The time is surely coming, says the Sovereign Lord, when I will send a famine on the land—not a famine of bread or water but of hearing the words of the Lord. People will stagger from sea to sea and wander from border to border searching for the word of the Lord, but they will not find it” (Amos 8:11-12).

Messiah!

When God ended his silence, he did so in an astounding way that would forever change the course of not only Jewish history, but the history of the entire world. Messiah Jesus came to earth. He was the express image of God, the Father. The Jews needed to search no more for the word of the Lord. Jesus of Nazareth was the living Word of God!

Speaking of Messiah Jesus: “In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God” (John 1:1).

But sadly, ever so tragically, the religious leaders of Israel and most of the people rejected Jesus as Messiah. The disastrous result of this denial was that the seven times over discipline of Israel would continue and even intensify in duration and magnitude; beginning in 70 AD with the utter destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple and near complete exile of Jews to what would be virtually every nation on earth. Although the Gentile domination of the Jews ended in 1967, the Aliyah ingathering of the Jews is still in progress, and the Temple has yet to be rebuilt.

But that will all change and soon! It will all come to a magnificent climax when Christ Jesus appears to totally redeem the remnant of Israel … all those who will believe and receive him as Savior and Lord.

The Four Gentile Kingdoms

Now let’s examine the four kingdoms that God specifically utilized to accomplish a good part of his plan for Israel and for all peoples. These nations were identified through a spectacular vision that the prophet Daniel experienced when he was well into his 60’s. The four nations were metaphorically portrayed in the form of beasts. The first three beasts were personified by an animal, with each animal the (historical) symbol of that nation. By referring to other passages in Daniel and as easily confirmed by world history, the four nations were:

Babylon: “The first beast was like a lion with eagles’ wings…” (Daniel 7:4).

Mede-Persia: “Then I saw a second beast, and it looked like a bear…” (Verse 5).

Greece: “Then the third of these strange beasts appeared, and it looked like a leopard…” (Verse 6).

Rome: “…I saw a fourth beast—terrifying, dreadful, and very strong. It devoured and crushed its victims with huge iron teeth and trampled their remains beneath its feet. It was different from any of the other beasts, and it had ten horns” (Verse 7).

As alluded earlier, there is a distinct reason why there are only four kingdoms revealed by God to Daniel: because each of these nations were used by God to accomplish his prophetic purpose for Israel. Directly, this plan involved God’s discipline of Israel in order to return them to himself. Indirectly, but nonetheless dramatically and effectively, to fulfill God’s plan for all peoples. Not the least of which was Messiah’s death on the (four-pointed) cross during the ascendancy of the Roman Empire, to redeem every person who would accept him as their personal Savior.

God withdrew his protection and blessings from Israel enough to allow Israel’s enemies to conquer and/or control them. But he never completely abandoned them during their long period(s) of oppression while in their land or during their exile in other lands. There was a mixture of retribution and rescue; of reprisal and redemption. As follows:

Babylon: It was the first kingdom to conquer the remaining tribes of Israel. Assyria’s deportation of the northern tribes was intended to be mostly a serious wake-up call to God’s chosen people. Had the southern tribes heeded the example of the ten northern tribes and warnings that the same thing would happen to them, they would not have been exiled to Babylon. But God was merciful in his discipline of Judah, by allowing his people to return to Israel after seventy years. During the relatively short exile in Babylon (in comparison to the lengthy period of captivity under the subsequent three nation beasts), the Lord graciously caused King Nebuchadnezzar to show periodic favor on his Jewish captives, as epitomized by his treatment of Daniel. Also, God took this opportunity to demonstrate to mighty Babylon that he was the one and only powerful God of the universe, through up close and personal encounters with King Nebuchadnezzar. But overall, this captivity invoked times of great hardship and misery and sporadic episodes of hostility such as Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego being thrown into the fiery furnace.

Persia: God caused this nation to rise in power in order to end Israel’s exile in Babylon, by crushing the once mighty Babylonian empire. Once again there were good times and bad times for the Jews under Persian domination. Extremely good, when God caused Cyrus to permit all Jews to return to Israel. And a really bad time: So much so, that were it not for God’s direct intervention through Queen Esther, the Persian King’s edict falsely procured by the lies of the wicked official Haman would have resulted in genocide of the Jewish people. Which is why the Jews to this day celebrate the Feast of Purim.

Greece: Israel’s discipline continued through the world-wide conquest of Alexander the Great and subsequent division of his kingdom into four world empires. Although Alexander, himself, was mostly kind to and considerate of the Jews, his successors were not. Particularly the Seleucid ruler, Antiochus Epiphanes IV. By God’s miraculous intervention through the Maccabees, Israel was rescued from what would have been even more massive destruction and death at the hands of this evil ruler, one who is identified as the prototype of Antichrist in Daniel Chapter 11. To this day, the Jews celebrate Hanukkah.

Rome: Here the metaphorical comparison of the first three kingdoms changes from an animal to just that of a Beast. But with obvious implication that this beast was greater and more terrifying that the three predecessors. However, this time there would be no physical rescue, either natural or supernatural, of the Jews from their captors. From God’s perspective, that’s one of the reasons why the Roman beast was different from the previous kingdoms.

Instead, God would for the second time take the initiative by ending his four hundred year silence. This time to spiritually deliver his people from their sins, through the incredible birth, life, sacrificial death, and resurrection of the long-awaited Messiah. But not just the Jews. This time God’s salvation was for Gentiles, too. Which had also been promised by the Jewish prophets long before. The New Covenant had arrived!

The New Covenant fulfilled and replaced the Mosaic Covenant. Because for hundreds of years—before, during, and after their Babylonian exile—God’s people time and time again demonstrated that they could not and would not keep their part of the Covenant. They were continually disobedient to God and deceitful with each other, especially the religious leaders toward the common people.

But sadly, God’s people rejected their very Messiah, who was the Mediator, Author and Finisher of the New Covenant. Which led to their near annihilation by the Romans and second exile, this time much more severe and longer in duration. Which is why the Jews to this day mourn during the 9^th of Av, the same Jewish calendar date when Solomon’s Temple, then Herod’s Temple were destroyed by Babylon and Rome, respectively.

The Four Locusts

Did you think I had forgotten about the grasshoppers?! Not hardly. So we’ll wrap this week’s article up with a hidden gem of prophecy that is a short, veiled counterpart to Daniel’s vision of the four beasts. In fact, the actions of the four locusts strikingly represent the characteristics of the four world kingdoms. Let’s look at the (locust) passage from one of the so-called Minor Prophets (all of them are major to me!):

“The Lord gave this message to Joel son of Pethuel. ‘Hear this, you leaders of the people. Listen, all who live in the land. In all your history, has anything like this happened before? Tell your children about it in the years to come, and let your children tell their children. Pass the story down from generation to generation. After the cutting locusts finished eating the crops, the swarming locusts took what was left! After them came the hopping locusts, and then the stripping locusts, too!’”(Joel 1:1-4).

This is as abrupt an event (which is also a prophetic image) that you’ll find anywhere in the Bible. Only four lines telling the Israelites about four kinds of locusts that have (will) devastated the land. After this vivid description of locusts demolishing the land, Joel immediately begins to warn Judah that the Day of the Lord will come upon them.

Joel is writing exclusively to the southern kingdom of Judah. Consequently, the severe attack of the locusts does not include or involve Assyria as the instrument nation God used to punish the ten northern tribes.

Many prophets combine current events in Israel when they were written with future (prophetic) events. Isaiah often does this. Not only end-times events, but things that took place dozens or hundreds of years later; that are, nevertheless, historical to us. The destruction of Tyre comes to mind: begun by Nebuchadnezzar and completed by Alexander the Great. Thus, the locust plague could very well be a metaphorical analogy that can be applied or equated to actual armies of nations that would subsequently conquer and control Israel. The imagery of fire, flood, and locusts are used in Scripture to represent great armies of nations pouring through the peoples they defeated.

The dramatic and traumatic magnitude of this locust onslaught strongly indicates that the locusts are much more than just insects that may have ravaged the land in a one-time plague. Such as, “in all your history, has anything like this happened before?”

Therefore, even if Joel is referring to a serious plague of locusts that actually took place in his time, the ultimate long-term reference is the incredible (historical) things that would happen to Israel and the nations in the future, including mighty armies that would overwhelm Israel.

I have read the book of Joel several times, indeed, all of Scripture. I do this in my personal time of Bible study with the Lord. But also in the writing of two books and (now) over a hundred Eye of Prophecy articles, I’ve had need to read and study hundreds, if not thousands, of Bible passages. In all my readings of the book of Joel, I couldn’t figure out why the Lord would tell Joel to write about four different types of locusts to describe what every other Bible passage that refers to locusts does so as just a one-time (whole) swarm of locusts. That is until now! It hit me that the four locusts are one and the same as the four beasts of Daniel Chapter 7 (which are the same four nations of Daniel Chapter 2).

In other Bible translations you’ll find different adjectives to describe each kind of locust, but they all are very similar. But when I learned the Hebrew meaning for each kind of locust listed, I was even more convinced that Joel’s prophecy is a precursor allusion to and confirmation of Nebuchadnezzar and Daniel’s four world empires vision.

Here are the Hebrew definitions.

Cutting locust: It means “shearer.” (Think of shearing wool from a sheep).

Swarming locust: It means just that, “swarming.” Or covering densely.

Hopping locust: It means “lapper.” (Or leaps and bounds … think of a gazelle or frog).

Stripping locust: It means “devourer.”

Although I don’t believe we absolutely need to know the Hebrew amplified meaning of each type of locust, the meanings do help us understand how each of the four Gentile kingdoms dealt with Israel.

Babylon: They summarily cut the people and property from the land, shearing (cutting down) the Temple and removing all instruments from Temple Mount.

Persia: No cutting or removal here. Instead they swarmed over the empire of Babylon; thereby, enveloping all of the Jews held captive in those lands. The Mede-Persians were noted for their massive armies. They would send wave after wave of soldiers that would “swarm” over their enemies.

Greece: Alexander the Great’s amazing four-year campaign that conquered much of the civilized and uncivilized world was accomplished in blitzkrieg fashion, i.e. by hopping and lapping and skimming rapidly over and through other peoples and nations, including Israel.

Rome: The Roman Empire stripped Israel, Jerusalem, and the Temple like never before. Rome’s destruction of Israel and the Jews was even greater than Babylon’s. Itdevoured everyone and everything that resisted its relentless conquest for world dominion. In fact, the same word devour is used by Daniel to describe the fourth beast (Rome), when he says, “…It devoured and crushed its victims…”

Rest assured, the story didn’t end there.

“The Lord says, ‘I will give you back what you lost to the swarming locusts, the hopping locusts, the stripping locusts, and the cutting locusts … and you will praise the Lord your God, who does these miracles for you. Never again will my people be disgraced. Then you will know that I am among my people Israel, that I am the Lord your God, and there is no other. Never again will my people be disgraced'” (Joel 2:25-27).

As we watch with eager expectation, this powerful promise of God is taking place in our generation. Soon, very soon, Israel’s physical and spiritual restoration will be complete. Never again will the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob be cut away from or stripped of their God-given inheritance … the glorious land of Israel and the holy city of Jerusalem.

Soon, even sooner, the Lord will rapture born-again believers, Jew and Gentile alike, from an earth that is lapped by terror and covered with evil.

Things to Ponder

“There are three things that amaze me—no, four things that I don’t understand: how an eagle glides through the sky, how a snake slithers on a rock, how a ship navigates the ocean, how a man loves a woman” (Proverbs 30:18-19).

There are several verses in Proverbs 30 that begin with the observation, there are three things—no, four….

It’s a poetic way to highlight the number four, but also to suggest that there are even more than four things that amaze … or whatever.

And so I will close by saying: There are three things about The Lord that are precious to me—no, four:

His Protection.

His Promises.

His Patience.

His Presence.

One World Religion?

15 Saturday Aug 2015

Posted by garybowers in The Antichrist

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One World Religion?

After Israel’s rebirth as a nation in 1948, and especially when Israel recaptured their Holy City Jerusalem in the Six-Day War of 1967, we’ve witnessed a remarkable revival in the interest of Biblical prophecy, not experienced since the first century AD. We’ve seen an explosion of sermons, articles, CDs, DVDs, movies, documentaries, and books on the second coming of Jesus Christ including a vast array of material on the subject of his antithesis, the Antichrist. The Rapture, the Great Tribulation, Israel’s restoration, the mark of the beast, the Gog/Magog assault against Israel, the Millennial Reign of Messiah, and all matters pertaining to end-times events have been talked about more in the past 50 years than in the preceding 1900 years.

I agree ardently with those who say that we are living in the final generation that will experience the glorious return of our great God and Savior, Messiah Jesus … what I prefer to label as the Omega Generation. Although I concur with some 90% of the prophetic puzzle that has been skillfully assembled by several modern-day students of Bible prophecy, there are a few pieces that have not been fitted accurately. Such as: whether we can know the identity of Antichrist—based on the premise of whether he’s a contemporary man born in this final generation or the more Biblically correct explanation that he is a man who will suddenly appear on the scene from the Abyss, having been there for nearly 2000 years.

For detailed documented answers to these and other questions, please read my book, Out of the Abyss … can the number of the beast be solved? Or, refer to Eye of Prophecy articles under the category of Antichrist. And for a more exact and comprehensive explanation of the imminent snatching away of believers in Christ, please refer to the five-article series about the Rapture, published in July and August of 2013.

In this amazing resurgence of Biblical prophecy enthusiasm, there are two significant topics that seem to surface frequently: (1) One World Government; and, (2) One World Religion. The greater majority of prophecy scholars have endorsed the theory that these two global entities will be established by the Antichrist and the False Prophet, respectively. But is that really what Scripture is telling us? If not, then what is the importance of a corrected understanding of just what will take place during the Great Tribulation? What exactly will the Antichrist and the False Prophet do or attempt to accomplish during their brief time of tyranny on the earth?

One World Government

This subject has already been addressed in the Eye of Prophecy article under the same title, published 2-28-15. Detailed evidence from Scripture was presented to (I believe) convincingly demonstrate that there will NOT be a One-World Government established by the Beast of Revelation. I think it would be beneficial for you to read or review that post as it dovetails with today’s article. Here are some italicized excerpts from that post, beginning with the underlying misconception that even the most well intending Bible students sometimes get caught up in: The need or tendency to detect some sort of extraordinary global conspiracy in which nearly every person on earth will voluntarily or involuntarily submit to a universal government and religion.

*Note: The following excerpts are italicized for purpose of this article. The words in bold print were actually italicized in the article (One World Government) being quoted.

Question: Other than promoting a sensational conspiracy theory that so many people love to contemplate and investigate; from where, then, does the notion of an end time’s prophetic one-world political and/or religious system originate? Why has this idea been so predominate among even the best of prophecy scholars for several decades? To include the assumption that this global organization will be a Revived Roman Empire; or the fairly recent presumption of a Muslim (Imam) Antichrist and Islamic Caliphate ruling the world.

Answer: Almost exclusively from an inference based on the wording found in Revelation Chapter 13. But when we closely examine some critical verses in this chapter, we’ll see that the language describing those who give their allegiance to the beast (Antichrist) to the point of worship is actually, in form and substance, a counterfeit replica of the current Kingdom of Heaven—the true church comprised of people all over the world who have believed and received Messiah Jesus. That, in reality, the perceived global authority of the beast (Antichrist) is politically, militarily and economically limited to a ten-nation coalition, not a centralized universal government. In actuality, the beast largely exerts his influence on and through his followers from all races and ethnic groups who are sealed with the visible mark of the Beast much like the Holy Spirit invisibly seals all those in the family of God … born again believers.

When we grasp the significance of what is being said in these verses, we will better understand that the “kingdom” of Antichrist will be a federation of ten countries, NOT a duplication of the once mighty Roman Empire. Although (as documented with an abundance of Scriptural and historical evidence in my book, Out of the Abyss and several Eye of Prophecy articles) it will be headed by a Revived Roman Emperor!

Restating the premise based on correlation of all Biblical passages relating to the subject: The Antichrist will not rule and reign over every person, or city, or state, or nation of the earth. There will not be a one-world government. Not even close. He will command a ten-nation coalition; albeit, one that will vainly seek control of the entire world. He will, however, exercise god-like influence over billions of people on the earth, who will willingly (some unwillingly due to threat of death) follow him; in the same vein (a false, counterfeit anti-Christ parallel) that millions love and follow Jesus Christ.

*Note: In the One World Government post, I explain that the often used phrase, every nation, tribe, language, and people does not mean all peoples from every nation on earth. Rather, it signifies a cross-section of peoples all over the globe. There will be many individuals and entire groups of people and national governments that will oppose Antichrist and the False Prophet.

Continuing with the excerpts, the following example (one of many) is provided:

Let’s look at another verse that uses this same descriptive phrase: “And I saw another angel flying through the sky, carrying the eternal Good News to proclaim to the people who belong to this world—to every nation, tribe, language, and people. ‘Fear God,’ he shouted. ‘Give glory to him. For the time has come when he will sit as judge. Worship him who made the heavens, the earth, the sea, and all the springs of water” (Revelation 14:6-7, italics for emphasis).

But we reach the same logical result with the same reasonable conclusion: The unmistakable meaning in this passage and others that reference all or every people, language, tribe, or nation is that Scripture is referring to a cross-section of people from virtually every nation on earth. This is true of Jesus’s ransom price of his very blood in which some, but certainly not all, will be redeemed. It’s also true of Antichrist Nero’s granted authority to rule. Whereas, he will have a substantial following of individuals all over the globe because of his miraculous reappearance from the Abyss (Revelation 17:8) and will be given power to rule over ten nations and their leaders, it certainly doesn’t mean global dominance.

Back to today’s article.

So What about a One World Religion?

As indicated, the plurality of Bible students who specialize in end-times prophecy endorse the concept of a one-world religion alongside of a one-world government. They derive this conclusion almost exclusively from the same chapter (Revelation 13) in which they attempt to show that the Antichrist will establish a global government; with the False Prophet setting up and enforcing a world-wide religion. But they differ concerning whether one of the world’s existing religions will dominate the earth’s population, or if this world religion will take another form and evolve into a whole new belief system under the control of the False Prophet.

(*Note: You might also consider reading the informative two-part Eye of Prophecy series entitled, The False Prophet, published 5-24 & 5-31-14. Followed by the three-part series of, The Two Witnesses, posted 6-7, 6-14, & 6-21-14).

Several places in Revelation we see the phrase, “all the people who belong to this world.” This terminology definitively describes those left behind after the Rapture of believers in Christ. It’s equally clear that millions will (most I believe soon after the Rapture) turn to Christ and accept him as the true Messiah who alone can save them spiritually. We refer to this group of people as Tribulations Saints (see Revelation 6: 9-11 & Revelation 7:9-17).

Yet the people who belong to this world will persistently deny that Jesus Christ is the true Messiah; instead giving their body, soul, and spirit to the Antichrist because they will believe the lie that he (Nero) is God and/or their messiah. Among these people will be all those who are basically non-religious … those who don’t believe in the God of heaven; or for all practical purposes, live as though God doesn’t exist. But billions left behind will, in fact, belong to one of the world’s predominant religions … Roman Catholicism, Mormonism, Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism, or Islam.

All of these mega-religions and several smaller cults have one common denominator that true Christianity does not have or need: Whether a religion believes in some form of salvation or eternal destiny or not, they all believe that human effort and/or human self-worth is necessary to appease their version of God (or gods). Or to attain a mystical, highly elevated god-like status of human existence.

Conversely, the God of the Bible tells us over and over: The surest way to end up in hell and then the lake of fire alongside of Antichrist, the False Prophet, Satan, and billions of other human beings is to try to earn salvation by keeping the requirements and rituals of religion; attempt to please God through self-effort; and somehow get to heaven by (just) enough good works to outweigh the bad. Nor will making one’s self a god through occult New Age mantra cut it with God.

True Biblical Christianity says that God did all the work. All we need do is believe what Christ did for us … what we could not possibly do for ourselves and certainly not for God.

“God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it” (Ephesians 2:8-9).

Some say the New Age movement will be this one-world religion during the Great Tribulation. Whereas, the occult will be a sinister force to be reckoned with, it, too, will not globally dominate the post-Rapture society by means of a universal institutional hierarchy or center of power or sphere of influence. Any more than the pervasive, but nonetheless partial, influence that the underworld had on Germany’s Third Reich. The fact remains that Germans were enthralled and captivated by one man, Adolph Hitler, to the point of unapologetic adoration and devotion. For the most part, the populace of Germany set aside whatever religious differences they had in favor of following a man who would lead them to a glorious thousand-year dominion in Europe … and ultimately the whole world.

A New Age type of occultism will only be one of many evils that will inundate Post-Rapture society. “And they did not repent of their murders or their witchcraft or their sexual immorality or their thefts” (Revelation 9:21).

Satan and his entire kingdom defines what is occult and vice versa. But it’s not a matter of establishing a religious-like system that Satan and his two cohorts will pursue. Rather, it’s unadulterated allegiance to and worship of Satan and the Antichrist, themselves, regardless of any belief system a person might otherwise maintain. It’s elevation of Satan and his man of sin to a status equal to and even greater than the true and living God and his Messiah.

Which is why it’s extremely important to understand WHY the Antichrist and False Prophet have such great authority and HOW they use this power over a large portion (but certainly not all) of the world during the Great Tribulation. When we comprehend why a cross-section of people from many nations and ethnic groups give their complete allegiance to and place their fateful destiny in the hands of these two megalomaniacs, we’ll then see that neither a one-world government nor a global religion will materialize. In fact, neither of these are even necessary for Satan to (try to) accomplish his devilish agenda.

Before we again (in addition to the prior article One World Government) look at some key verses concerning today’s subject, it’s beneficial to begin by repeating the Premise: There is no Biblical support of a One-World Religion, any more or less than a Global Government.

There is no evidence in the book of Revelation or any other book of the Bible to conclude that one of the current world religions will exclusively dominate the relatively short seven-year period of the Great Tribulation or that a new universal religion will emerge.

However, there is Biblical support to show that the Antichrist and the False Prophet will use, misuse, and abuse three religions to accomplish their satanic objectives. The following passage graphically depicts Lucifer’s insidious, but unattainable, goal from the beginning: “…I will ascend to heaven and set my throne above God’s stars. I will preside on the mountain of the gods far away in the north. I will climb to the highest heavens and be like the Most High” (Isaiah 14:13-14).

Satan’s twisted objective is to usurp God’s celestial position as Creator of all things and the Lord’s divine right to rule over all nations of the earth, indeed the entire universe. Just like God has given the nations to his Son, Jesus Christ, to rule and reign that will in actuality soon take place; so will Satan (by permission from God) bestow whatever power and authority he has to Antichrist Nero and to the False Prophet.

Let’s examine the three religions that Satan and his two cronies will pretentiously recognize and cunningly use in order to achieve their wicked goal … to be like the Most High God. Indeed, to take the place of God.

Roman Catholicism

As thoroughly documented in the Eye of Prophecy series entitled, The Woman and the Beast, Part I – VI (published 10-12-13 thru 11-16-13), I fully subscribe to this correlation of the Woman (the great city) to Rome and, more specifically, to the Vatican. Although this Holy Roman Empire (the Vatican) will initially align with and support the Antichrist Beast, Revelation 17 clearly confirms that the Beast, the False Prophet, and their ten-nation coalition will turn on the woman and utterly destroy her.

Thus, the problem with posturing a one-world religion and that the Roman Catholic Church will be that global religious system is that the Antichrist will destroy the infrastructure of the Catholic Church, including Vatican City and quite likely the Pope and many cardinals, bishops, and priests sometime during the Great Tribulation … most likely at or just after the half-way point. “The scarlet beast and his ten horns all hate the prostitute. They will strip her naked, eat her flesh, and burn her remains with fire” (Revelation 17:16).

What would be Satan’s reason and, therefore, the purpose of the Antichrist and False Prophet to consolidate a universal (Catholic) religion, only to cut off its head in a few short years? Once again, nowhere in Revelation (or any part of Scripture) do we find evidence of the whole world converting to one specific religious system.

To be sure: at the outset the Pope and the Roman Catholic hierarchy will align with and assist the Antichrist and False Prophet in their (mutual) global scheme; as the Holy See currently (and will do so during the Tribulation) exerts a great deal of religious, cultural, and political clout the world over.

Judaism

“The ruler will make a treaty with the people for a period of one set of seven, but after half this time, he will put an end to the sacrifices and offerings. And as a climax to all his terrible deeds, he will set up a sacrilegious object that causes desecration, until the fate decreed for this defiler is finally poured out on him” (Daniel 9:27).

You probably recognize this famous verse as the sole source for Biblical understanding that the Tribulation period will last seven years. But for purpose of today’s article, we need to focus on the fact that the ruler (Antichrist Nero) will also defer (in the beginning) to the Jews and Judaism by incredibly negotiating a seven-year treaty with them that will include rebuilding the holy Jewish Temple and reinstituting the sacred sacrificial system. Only to turn on the Jews 3 ½ years later by putting an end to this deceptive treaty. There’s absolutely no indication that Nero will attempt to make Judaism the world’s religion. Rather, in principle, he does the same thing here that he will do with the Catholic Church. In this case to solicit Israeli cooperation to establish an unheard of peace agreement between Jews and their Muslim rivals. Absent this (short-lived) treaty there would be no other way for Israel to rebuild its Temple in today’s world without all-out war declared and waged by the Muslims nations against Israel.

Islam

Once we look at how the Antichrist also uses the Muslim religion in his evil endeavors, we will see that not just one of the world’s three most prominent religions has been tapped and trapped by the terrible trio of Satan, Antichrist, and the False Prophet, but all three of them. I do not include Christianity (meaning true born-again believers in Christ) in this group as a religion. First, because it is NOT a religion. Second, because born-again believers won’t even be around when these terrible Tribulation events begin to unfold. Thank you, Lord!

Let’s turn again to the book of Daniel to demonstrate that Antichrist will also invoke and use Islam. In the same context and meaning of the word, i.e. being used or taken advantage of in a similar fashion of recognizing the Vatican (Rome) and Jerusalem (Israel) as the ecclesiastical centers of Catholicism and Judaism, respectively. But with the god of Islam, Antichrist will do something different. In contrast to his venomous blaspheming of the God of the Bible, Antichrist will display (feign) esteem for the god of Islam, Allah.

“The king (Antichrist) will do as he pleases, exalting himself and claiming to be greater than every god, even blaspheming the God of gods. He will succeed, but only until the time of wrath is completed … He will have no respect for the gods of his ancestors, or for the god loved by women, or for any other god, for he will boast that he is greater than them all. Instead of these, he will worship the god of fortresses—a god his ancestors never knew…. Claiming this foreign god’s help, he will attack the strongest fortresses…” (Daniel 11:36-39).

In these verses, we will also get an up close and personal view of Antichrist Nero’s real persona, agenda, and motives that includes disdain for religion, for all gods—particularly for the true and living God, himself. However, he will pragmatically (temporarily) enlist the backing of a god that his (Nero’s) Roman ancestors never knew, one that didn’t even exist when Nero was emperor of Rome. As explained in Out of the Abyss, I firmly believe this god is none other than Islam’s god, Allah, that can best be described as a god of fortresses and war … as explicitly depicted in the Koran and as exhibited in Islamic Jihad which is in full stride again in this century (see ISIS and all the other Muslim terrorists groups and terrorist nations like Iran). Although it would be another article for another time, I also believe that the Arab Confederation—comprised of several Arab nations—will be one of the ten kings (kingdoms) that yield their allegiance and power to the beast (Revelation Chapter 17 & Daniel Chapter 7).

Because the first part of this passage obviously indicates that the Antichrist deplores all other gods, and, thereby, loathes religion of any kind, we can easily infer that his “worship” of Allah is a feigned and pretentious means of getting many Muslim nations to buy into his diabolical scheme of being recognized and worshipped himself—as the only real god on earth (and in heaven). Likewise, we again see no evidence at all that he attempts to make this “foreign god” (foreign to him and his Roman ancestors) or the religion of this god supreme over the earth.

No one-world religion here either.

The One Thing That Satan, Antichrist, and the False Prophet Will Require and Pursue (it isn’t a world government or world religion).

The idea and tactics of Satan’s real underlying agenda throughout the ages will be exponentially foisted on a world in chaos soon after the Rapture. Moreover, he will come perilously close to accomplishing this warped, wicked, and woeful objective.

Before we look at more passages, we need to once again comprehend that there are no Scriptural references that state or imply a one-world religion or government. Part of this understanding is to fully realize that whenever the words, all the people or the whole world or something similar is used, it is not referring to every person or to all peoples of an entire nation on earth. This is fully explained in the prior article, One-World Government. Instead, these phrases refer and are limited to what the Beast or the False Prophet attempt to do. Such as, “He required everyone—small and great, rich and poor, free and slave—to be given a mark on the right hand or on the forehead” (Revelation 13:16). A requirement doesn’t mean, by any stretch of the imagination, that the requirement was totally achieved.

Instead of a one world government or religion, here is what will actually transpire during the Great Tribulation:

“I saw that one of the heads of the beast seemed wounded beyond recovery—but the fatal wound was healed! The whole world marveled at this miracle and gave allegiance to the beast. They worshipped the dragon (Satan) for giving the beast such power, and they also worshipped the beast. ‘Who is as great as the beast?’ they exclaimed. ‘Who is able to fight against him?’” (Revelation 13:3-4).

Also, “And all the people who belong to this world worshipped the beast…” (Verse 8).

And, “He (the False Prophet) was then permitted to give life to this statue (of the beast, who is Nero) so that it could speak. Then the statue if the beast commanded that anyone refusing to worship it must die” (Verse 15).

The italicized words in each of these verses tells us all we need to know about Satan, the Antichrist, and the False Prophet, in terms of their supreme objective: That Satan and his man of sin would be worshipped instead of God and his Messiah.

Worship is defined in Webster’s Dictionary as; “to regard with great, even extravagant respect, honor, or devotion.” And Webster stipulates that this worship is normally given to someone or something divine. There’s nothing that the Antichrist will want more or would please him more than to be called, Divine.

What is the one and only one thing revealed in the early part of Revelation Chapter 13 that compellingly convinces many in the world to actually worship Satan and his protégé, the Antichrist beast? The answer is that the world, marveled at this miracle. And what is the miracle that will stun the Post-Rapture world? Answer: the fatal wound was healed. Which later in the chapter is unequivocally clarified as the beast who, came back to life. This is accomplished when Nero returns suddenly from the Abyss after dying in the first century. I have covered this extensively in Out of the Abyss and several Eye of Prophecy articles found in the category of Antichrist.

In the very next chapter, we see an astounding event, three times over, that God supernaturally employs to refute the terrible trio’s claim to fame. The Lord actually sends angels, “…carrying the eternal Good News to proclaim to the people who belong to the world—to every nation, tribe, language, and people. ‘Fear God … give glory to him … Worship him who made the heavens, the earth, the sea, and all the springs of water’” (Revelation 14:6-7).

Then the third angel shouting a loud warning to the earth’s inhabitants, “Anyone who worships the beast and his statue or who accepts his mark on the forehead or on the hand must drink the wine of God’s anger…. And they will be tormented with fire and burning sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and the Lamb” (Verses 9-10).

Summary

Although Satan has deceived people for eons through religion, false gods (including man, himself), and occultism, his ultimate objective is to replace God as the object of mankind’s allegiance and worship. This is what the epic battle between good and evil is all about. Will people acknowledge their Creator, receive the Creator’s remedy for the fallen human race by believing and receiving God’s precious Son as their Savior; thereby, worshipping the true and living triune God alone? Or will people go their own way; deliberately or ignorantly end up choosing the Dark Side … Satan and the man of lawlessness.

That’s what the Tribulation is all about. All gray areas and fence-riding will be removed during the Tribulation. The overriding purpose of the Great Tribulation is for God to get the attention of every unbeliever on the earth. To make them realize the reason they were created, the very purpose for their existence: to know and be with the true and living God. Which is only possible if they have been redeemed by the once and for all greatest sacrifice of all time … the blood and life of Messiah for our sins and the penalty of those sins—eternal separation from God. After the Lord takes his people (Rapture) to spare them from the most terrible time of human history, he will permit man to bring himself and the earth to the precipice of annihilation.

Sadly, many will still refuse to turn to God.

When they see the unbelievable destruction that man will wreak on the earth during the Tribulation; when they witness the massive devastation inflicted by the judgements of God, there will be absolutely no misunderstanding of what is happening. There will be no hesitation or difficulty in grasping the fact that an eternal choice must be made by every person on earth. They will clearly see the hand of God in the supernaturally caused natural disasters. They will indisputably comprehend that Satan and the Antichrist and the False Prophet are enticing them to make an alternate choice. Choose them and you will be ushered into Utopia, a Pax Romana peace that the Roman Empire never quite achieved. Worship the beast, take his implant in your hand or his mark on your forehead, and you realize all your dreams. Or, so they will say.

Unlike now when you can come up with all kinds of reasons not to make a decision between eternal life and death, you will have no other choice but to choose during the Tribulation. God intended it this way. Because it will be God’s final appointed time for men and women to come to their spiritual senses; to finally fathom that it’s time to come to terms with their God and with their eternal destiny.

It’s not about religion. It’s God versus Satan, Christ versus Antichrist. The False Prophet against God’s two mighty Prophets of Revelation Chapter 11. It is everlasting life in heaven (with the Lord) OR everlasting death in hell (separation from God). Forget about religions; they will be a non-issue during the Tribulation. Don’t bother with a one-world government; that will never happen until Messiah Jesus finally puts an end to the man-made carnage perpetrated on the world by Antichrist and his enemies, the kings of the east. There will no waffling back and forth about what you believe, no study of comparative religions to decide which one might better fit your goals and lifestyle. You either worship Satan and the beast or you worship God and Messiah.

Period. End of story.

Things to Ponder

If someone maintains that unequivocal worship of Satan and Antichrist will be equivalent to a (world) religion, then I wouldn’t take issue with that definition. That’s all the False Prophet requires. There’s no complicated set of religious rules or rituals whatsoever. Bow down before Nero or his statue. Take his mark and all will be well with you … for a very short time.

But remember: God loves you (John 3:16).

Also know that God is, “…not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance” (II Peter 3:9).

Hear the powerful but comforting words of Messiah Jesus, God’s only Son and man’s only Savior:

“…Don’t be afraid! I am the First and the Last. I am the living one. I died, but look—I am alive forever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and the grave” (Revelation 1:17)

Great Expectations for Messiah

08 Saturday Aug 2015

Posted by garybowers in Current Events

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Bible Codes, Jonathan Pollard, King Messiah, Second Coming, Talmud

Great Expectations for Messiah … Then and Now

What does Aliyah, the blood moon tetrad, the Shemitah, hidden Bible codes, the third Jewish Temple, a red heifer, and Jonathan Pollard’s release from prison have in common, one with the other? If you desire a short easy-to-remember response to that question, then the answer is: Israel’s Redemption Is Very Near. If you prefer a one-word explanation for the common-ground connection between these seemingly diverse subjects and events, we can do that too:

MESSIAH!

Jews all over the world, especially observant Jews in Israel, are becoming exponentially excited over Israel’s redemption. They see this restoration as both physical—rescue from and protection against their enemies—and spiritual … individual and national return to God through renewal of the sacrificial system lost to them when the second Temple was destroyed. No matter what form this revival takes and no matter whether a Jew is religious or secular, there is one prevailing and passionate premise: Messiah will make all these things happen upon his glorious appearance.

For most Jews this will be the first arrival of Messiah. For born-again believers, Gentiles and Messianic Jews alike, this will be the majestic return of Messiah (Jesus Christ).

Two Eye of Prophecy articles entitled Look Up, Redemption is Near (Part I & II) were recently published on 7-11-15 and 7-18-15, respectively. In these articles, we looked discerningly at twelve unmistakable signs of the 20^th & 21^st centuries showing that Biblical end-times prophecy has been and is being fulfilled in one generation alone. In the second article, these signs were itemized for quick reference. They are as follows:

Rebirth of Israel as a Sovereign Nation, 1948
Recapture of Jerusalem in the June, 1967 Six-Day War
Jerusalem, a Heavy Burden to the Nations
The 3^rd Rebuilt Temple
Israel’s Phenomenal Agricultural Accomplishments
Modern-Day Alignment of Gog/Magog Nations against Israel
National and Ethnic Wars in the 20^th & 21^st Centuries
Amazing Increase of Natural Disasters
Moral & Spiritual Decline & Intense Persecution of Christians
False Messiahs & Prophets
Unequaled Increase in Quantity and Speed of Transportation and Information
Unprecedented Spread of the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the World

In this 107^th article, which is also the 3^rd post in the 3^rd year since this project began in late July, 2013, it’s fitting to quote the subtitle of the Eye of Prophecy website which is: “For the essence of prophecy is to give a clear witness for Jesus” (Revelation 19:10). The very center of Biblical prophecy, Jesus Christ, is what this ministry is all about. I trust that the articles have been true to and accomplished that objective. Thus, considering that the numbers seven and three are directly related to and reflective of God’s divinity and sovereignty, it’s also fitting that this week’s article focuses on this Messianic fervor that is sweeping over Israel.

Although most of the topics listed in the first paragraph of this article are not specific Biblical prophecies as such, they are, when combined together, amazing evidence that the time of Messiah is near, so very near. Why can we say that? Because the last time that Israel and even surrounding Gentile nations were so zealous about the arrival of Messiah, that’s exactly what happened! Jesus Christ appeared on the scene of history fulfilling dozens of Biblical prophecies that he was, in fact, the Messiah … with an abundance of documentation, the greatest proof of which was his resurrection from the grave!

Messianic Expectations at the Time of Jesus Christ

Scholars differ in opinion as to the extent of Messianic anticipation found in the first and second centuries before and after the birth of Jesus of Nazareth. But when you include Biblical historical accounts with Jewish writings, it’s hard to escape the (clear) evidence that many Jews in Israel were eagerly looking for Messiah to arrive any day. This was especially evident during the rise of the Roman Empire and certainly when Rome added Israel to its conquered territories. The more the Romans exercised control over Israel, the greater was Israel’s longing for Messiah’s coming. The vast majority of Jews believed that only the Messiah could free them from Roman subjugation and restore Israel to the glory days of King David. There were numerous examples of this increasing hope for Messiah’s imminent appearance, none more so that an entire segment of Jewish society known as the Zealots.

Evidence from Jewish Rabbinical Writings: In a well-documented and written on-line article posted in 1996 by Glenn Miller, entitled, Messianic Expectations in 1^st Century Judaism, he reaches the following conclusion: “So, it is very easy to document a wide range of Messianic expectations and, judging from the explosion of messianic materials in the period 200 BCE-200 CE and the wide acceptance of popular messianic leaders, it is very easy to conclude that messianic expectations were widespread.”

The messianic materials referred to by Glenn Miller were primarily the Jewish Talmud which consists of two component parts: The Mishnah and the Gemara. The Talmud was a first and second century written compilation of thousands of rabbinical oral teachings and opinions that the Jews felt were necessary to successfully defend and maintain Judaism after the fall of Jerusalem and destruction of the second Temple. Miller also included findings from the Jewish Midrash, Targums, Dead Sea Scrolls (the Essenes), Jewish Pseudepigrapha and Apocrypha books such as I Enoch and 2 Esdras.

Biblical Evidence: The following examples include but are not limited to the strong evidence that some Gentiles and many Jews believed the Messiah would appear in their (1^st century BC or AD) lifetime:

The Magi: “Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea during the reign of King Herod. About that time some wise men from eastern lands arrived in Jerusalem asking, “Where is the new-born king of the Jews? We saw his star as it rose, and we have come to worship him” (Matthew 2:1-2).

We then read that Herod was “deeply disturbed” about this news and asked the religious leaders where the Messiah was to be born. They replied by quoting Micah 5:2 … the ruler (Messiah) would be born in Bethlehem. In the context of this article, there are two distinct things going on here. First, most scholars (including me) believe these wise men had hailed from either Babylon or Persia or both. That they had read the prophecies of Daniel who was well-known to their ancestors. How else would they have known the approximate time and signs of Messiah’s arrival? The star was a supernatural means God used to guide them to Jerusalem, just a few miles from Bethlehem. What they didn’t know was exactly where the Messiah would be born. It took the Jewish religious leaders to search the Scriptures to locate the prophesied birthplace of Messiah.

Ironically or conveniently the Jewish religious leaders would later (during Christ’s ministry and when they had him crucified) decline to check carefully where Jesus was born. Instead they regarded him as simply a man from Nazareth who was impersonating the Messiah. But it stands to reason that these Magi were not the only Gentiles who realized that Messiah’s time was at hand. Undoubtedly, there were others who didn’t make the trip to Israel to find the King Messiah and worship him.

The Pharisees, Sadducees, Scribes, and Priests: Although the pious leaders of Israel refused to believe the incredible miracles that Jesus performed, his amazing teaching with great authority, and his claims that he was not only Messiah but the Son of God, it’s very interesting that they didn’t refute the fact that they and many of their compatriots fully expected Messiah to appear on the scene during their time on this earth.
John the Baptist: John knew full well his purpose in life—to prepare the way for God’s Anointed One. He and his followers were altogether aware and eagerly embraced the evidence that Messiah would and then did arrive on the scene. In fact, John recognized Jesus as their Messiah when he said, “…Look! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29).
Simeon’s Expectation of and Encounter with Messiah: “At that time there was a man in Jerusalem named Simeon. He was righteous and devout and was eagerly waiting for the Messiah to come and rescue Israel. The Holy Spirit was upon him and had revealed to him that he would not die until he had seen the Lord’s Messiah. That day the Spirit led him to the Temple. So when Mary and Joseph came to present the baby Jesus to the Lord as the law required, Simeon was there. He took the child in his arms and praised God saying, ‘Sovereign Lord, now let your servant die in peace, as you have promised. I have seen your salvation, which you have prepared for all people. He is a light to reveal God to the nations, and he is the glory of your people Israel!’” (Luke 2:25-32, italics for emphasis).

For me this is one of the most precious and astounding accounts in the Gospels to demonstrate how God fulfills prophecy, in this case the preparation of both Jews and Gentiles for the magnificent and appointed time of his Son’s arrival on earth. Note the italicized portion of this passage: Simeon had been waiting (with obvious implication … a long time) enthusiastically for Messiah to come and rescue Israel. There is an obvious implication that Simeon was only one of many Jews who had this same expectancy, at some level or another. But Simeon’s passionate anticipation was intense and God rewarded him by letting him hold Messiah in his arms before Simeon passed from this earth.

Immediately after this scene with Simeon, Mary, Joseph, and baby Jesus, an old woman named Anna was also rewarded for her faithfulness in believing that the time of Messiah had arrived. After seeing Jesus and also realizing who he was, she praised God and, “…talked about the child to everyone who had been waiting expectantly for God to rescue Jerusalem” (Luke 2:38, italics for emphasis).

Regarding Simeon, also note that he totally understood Messiah’s real purpose for coming (the first time), when he said, “I have seen your salvation, which you have prepared for all people.”

Not only for Israel, but Jesus would be a light to the Gentile nations. Sadly, those who denied Jesus, a rejection that led to his crucifixion, couldn’t and wouldn’t see who Messiah ought to be. They had not carefully studied their own prophets, especially Isaiah, who spoke of Messiah as the suffering servant of God, one who would be, “…pierced for our rebellion, crushed for our sins” (Isaiah 53:5).

Yes, Messiah would rescue Israel, but it would be a spiritual liberation. Said the angel to Joseph: “… do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife. For the child within her was conceived by the Holy Spirit. And she will have a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins” (Matthew 1:20-21).

God knows all too well what is best for us: Unless the human heart is radically changed, there can be no peace with God and between peoples.

Both Biblical and secular history is crystal clear: A vast cross-section of Jews and a few Gentiles in the first centuries BC and AD fully expected, some with ardent anticipation, the advent of Messiah. This was not a coincidence and certainly not by accident. And so: Jesus was born in Bethlehem, grew up in Nazareth, lived, taught, performed great miracles mostly in Galilee, and ultimately died for the sins of the whole world on a cross near Jerusalem. But then he rose from the dead, ascended back to heaven from the Mount of Olives. And from that very spot he will return in great power and glory, this time as the King of kings and Lord of lords. (See Acts 1:9-11 & Revelation 17:14).

Now let’s look at some very contemporary things taking place in Israel that once again validates the soon return of Messiah. The twelve prophetic signs previously alluded to are more than sufficient to demonstrate that the Rapture is very close at hand. However, when we see how the incredible expectancy for Messiah has captivated attention of Jews all over today’s world, we can compare that phenomenon to the same first century passionate eagerness for Messiah’s arrival to save Israel. But the question then: Save them from what?

For those of us, Jew and Gentile, who have been redeemed by Jesus’s atoning sacrifice on the Cross, it will be the glorious reappearance of our Lord. For the greater number of Jews in Israel and world-wide, they believe of course, that it will be Messiah’s first advent. But during the time of Jacob’s trouble (the Great Tribulation) they, too, will fully realize that Messiah and Jesus are one and the same.

For now, suffice to say that Jews (particularly rabbis) are seeing Messianic connections between seemingly unrelated events. With the exception of Aliyah, the following list of correlations made by mostly Jewish Rabbis is not a fulfillment of specific Biblical prophecies as such. However, I firmly believe that when Jews, especially Rabbis, begin making these associations in such large numbers and to such a level of intensity; this is God’s sovereignty in action … by planting the seed of Messianic passion within the hearts and minds of his people just as he did before Christ came the first time.

Seven Messianic Correlations Being Made by the Jews (there are more)

Aliyah:

Literally this Hebrew word means going up (to Israel) or the ingathering return of Jews all over the world to Israel. The following Bible verse is one of many that predict this phenomenal event hundreds of years before the Jews were conquered and expelled from the Promised Land by the Romans in 70 AD, labeled the Great Diaspora by Jews and Gentiles alike: “For I will gather you up from all the nations and bring you home again to your land” (Ezekiel 36:24).

This is the first of the twelve milestones (listed earlier in today’s article) discussed in Look Up, Redemption is Near, Part I & II, under the heading: The Rebirth of Israel…: that Messiah’s appearance is very near.

God through Ezekiel goes on to say: “…I will bring them home to their own land from the places where they have been scattered. I will unify them into one nation on the mountains of Israel. One king will rule them all; no longer will they be divided into two nations or into two kingdoms … I will cleanse them. Then they will truly be my people, and I will be their God. My servant David will be their king, and they will have only one shepherd … They will live in the land I gave my servant Jacob, the land where their ancestors lived…” (Ezekiel 37:21-25).

Thus they completely comprehend that, when Israel was reborn as a nation in 1948 and especially when Jerusalem was recaptured in 1967, the Biblical prophecy of Jewish exiles returning, as recorded in the book of Ezekiel (and other Old Testament prophets), is being fulfilled in this generation. Both observant and secular Jews realize resolutely that they are living in a historical time of Israel’s restoration and redemption. That the heart and soul of this ingathering return to Israel will be Messiah (my servant David … only one shepherd) uniting and leading them.

Now let’s examine some more recent incidents that have made headlines in certain Jewish circles. Whether any of these happenings have any specific connection to Messiah’s actual appearance is not the point. The real consequence is that the Jews are viewing them as evidentiary signs that Messiah’s arrival is drawing ever so near. I’m sure there will undoubtedly be more events in the near future that will bear Messianic significance to the Jews.

Specifically, we’ll look at comments or views from different Jewish Rabbis on these recent signs to show the totality of what’s happening in Israel and the world over, all of which can be boiled down to one common contemporary belief and premise that is sweeping over the Jewish community: Messiah will soon appear.

Blood Moon Tetrad:

The final of the four-part Blood Moon Tetrad (cycle) that began last year will occur in a few weeks … September 28^th, 2015. I devoted one entire Eye of Prophecy article to this subject, entitled Blood Moons, published 4-19-14. I would encourage you to read that article, to better put this subject in a Biblical perspective.

But for purpose of today’s article, let’s listen to a quote from a rabbinic scholar, Rabbi Mendel Kessin, in a recent message delivered on the subject of Blood Moons that have occurred on important Jewish festival dates (Passover and Sukkot … Feast of Tabernacles). Said Rabbi Kessin: “Every time a blood moon happens (on a Jewish holiday tetrad), there is a messianic advancement … we have now entered the countdown to the messiah, which is unbelievable. Based on the (verse from the Book of Joel), based on what’s happening, something awesome seems to be in the works. Fascinating!”

Although the main topic of Rabbi Kessin’s message was the blood moon phenomenon, he also referenced the Shemitah and Iran’s menace to Israel as other events that will usher in the Messianic age.

Shemitah, the Sabbatical Year:

“For six years you may plant your fields and prune your vineyards and harvest your crops, but during the seventh year the land must have a Sabbath year of complete rest. It is the Lord’s Sabbath. Do not plant your fields or prune your vineyards during that year” (Leviticus 25:3-4).

Although there were other reasons that the Lord eventually disciplined Israel that ultimately led to their 70-year Babylonian captivity, violation of the seventh year of leaving the land fallow (Shemitah) was the reason cited by God for the destruction of Jerusalem and Solomon’s Temple. I believe the reason for God specifically naming this violation is that Israel (at the time) fully understood that they had failed to keep this important law, one that assured God’s blessing on their land. Israel disputed the other obvious wrong things they had done, which are time and time again listed by Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Amos, and other Jewish prophets. Of course God was right and his people were wrong, but the one thing they couldn’t take issue with is failure to keep the seventh Sabbatical year (Shemitah).

But now, in our time, Israel is once again keeping the Shemitah. Nearly all Israeli farmers have allowed their farmland to remain uncultivated this past Shemitah which began in the Jewish calendar year 5775 (last year) and ends in the next few weeks on September 13^th. (The Jewish calendar year begins on Rosh Hashanah, which is the 1^st of Tishrei … this year on September 14^th, 2015.)

In the Babylonian Talmud (referenced earlier in this article), there is clear understanding that Messiah will come in the year following the Shemitah. Here is a quote from the Talmud: “As it is written, in that day I will raise up the tabernacle of David that is fallen. Our Rabbis taught: in the seven-year cycle at the end of which the son of David will come—in the first year, this verse will be fulfilled.”

Rabbi Chaim Kanievsky, a highly respected rabbi among Orthodox Jews recently encouraged Jews from all over the world to return to Israel (Aliyah) as soon as possible, saying: “or there won’t be enough room on the airplanes.” He made this startling statement specifically in the context of the soon to end Shemitah, as well as all of the other signs that seem to be aligning with Messiah’s arrival.

Hidden Bible Codes:

Beginning two-three decades ago, books were published and articles written on the astounding discovery of current (20^th and 21^st century) events unfolding based on hidden texts found mostly in the first five books of the Torah (Old Testament). Although the stir created by these hidden codes has dissipated in the past few years, once again a Jewish Rabbi has purportedly found a hidden code in the book of Daniel that, through the use of Gematria (numerical values assigned to the Hebrew alphabet, i.e. counting in Hebrew) shows that the time of Messiah is upon us.

Time and space doesn’t permit in this article, so suffice to say that Rabbi Mattityahu Glazerson ascertained a numerical (gematria) connection between events in the book of Daniel, the Messiah as the Son of David, and the current Shemitah, followed by the next Jewish year. The calculations resulted in Rabbi Glazerson suggesting that, “the time of the end” phrase in Daniel will coincide with the conclusion of the Shemitah in the Jewish year 5775 on September 13^th. But mostly importantly with the beginning of the next Hebrew year of 5776. That Messiah should come sometime during this coming Hebrew year beginning September 14^th, 2015.

*Note: Personally, I’m not sure what to think about these hidden codes of Scripture, except to say that there is more than enough evidence in the actual text of the Bible to narrow down the “season” of the Lord’s return. I have written about this generational time-frame of the Lord’s return in several Eye of Prophecy articles, with the most representative of these being, The Omega Generation, posted on 2-15-14.

Jesus, himself, said that no one can know (predict) the day or hour of his coming. But we can and should carefully examine the seasonal signs; meaning the approximate time-range and window of opportunity when the Rapture will occur, followed in seven-years by the glorious return of Messiah Jesus to Planet Earth.

The Third Jewish Temple:

Many Jews don’t necessarily consider the Third Temple as a prophetic phenomenon; rather, they view it as a matter-of-fact individual and national necessity, both literally and symbolically, as a precursor to Israel’s redemption. They even disagree whether rebuilding of the Temple will be launched by Messiah or by orders and initiation of observant Jews.

Recently, much as been written (including several Eye of Prophecy articles) about the incredible emphasis on and enthusiasm over the Third Jewish Temple. Nearly all, if not all, of the Temple furniture and utensils have been finished, including the menorah and sacrificial altar itself. Descendants from the tribe of Levi have been identified (that can actually be done through DNA evidence!), selected, and trained as future priests.

The intensity of observant Jews over the possibilities of their rebuilt temple has reached unprecedented and unparalleled proportions in the past few years. Even secular Jews are beginning to accept the reality of a rebuilt Temple.

The Red Heifer:

According to Jewish members of The Temple Institute, the only missing piece for resuming the Levitical sacrificial system lost when the 2^nd Temple was destroyed, aside from the Temple building itself, is the breeding of the required red heifer for one of the all-important sacrifices. (See Numbers Chapter 19). Says Rabbi Chaim Richman, International Director of the Temple Institute, “Our immediate goal is to produce the first kosher red heifer in 2,000 years.”

This breeding program began just a few weeks ago and could take three years or so to produce the perfect (red) heifer. It’s yet another example of what is taking place in Israel that is part of the end-times scenario. Biblically, however, it’s obvious that a red heifer does not actually have to exist before the Day of the Lord begins (with the Rapture).

Jonathan Pollard’s Release from Prison:

For those who may not know, Jonathan Pollard was convicted in 1985 of being an Israeli spy for disclosing US military secrets to Israel. He was sentenced to life imprisonment subject to a 30 year review for pardon. He was recently pardoned and will be released on November 20^th, 2015, exactly 30 years later. It’s a well-known fact that several former CIA and FBI chiefs believed his life sentence was excessive, far exceeding Pollard’s treason in comparison to similar acts of espionage by other spies. The implication was that the sentence was so harsh because he was a Jew.

But in context of this Eye of Prophecy article, the most remarkable feature of Pollard’s recent pardon is that Rabbi Mordechai Eliyahu, who died in June, 2010, developed a close and supportive relationship with Pollard that lasted for some 20 years. After the rabbi’s death, Jonathan Pollard’s wife, Esther made public some intriguing messages from Rabbi Eliyahu, published by The Yeshiva World News on June 11, 2010. Among these writings, the late Rabbi predicted that Jonathan Pollard’s eventual release from prison (even though he didn’t know for sure that Pollard would ever be released) would be directly connected to the final redemption of Israel, of the Jewish people … brought about by the Messiah. Listen to these remarkable words from Rabbi Eliyahu speaking about Jonathan Pollard:

“You are a cosmic key to the redemption of the Jewish people. Your release is synonymous with the release of the Shechinah (the Divine presence) from galut (exile). Your release is tied up with the Moshiach Ben David’s (Messiah, son of David) return to the Land. Your release is bound to the redemption of the land and people of Israel.”

As already indicated in citing this and the previous listed events or signs that many rabbis have considered imminent precursors to Messiah’s arrival; none of them individually may be, in fact, directly associated with Messiah. But taken as a whole, the pattern demonstrated indisputably reflects the same kind of Messianic fervor that preceded the arrival of Jesus Christ, which resulted in a partition of time itself … from BC to AD.

Moreover, did you catch one amazingly crucial word in Rabbi Eliyahu’s statement? I don’t know if Mordecai Eliyahu was a Messianic Jew or not. Most likely he was not, as very few modern-day rabbis are; or if they do believe that Jesus is the Messiah, they’re not making it public.

Please read his statement again and see if you can find the one word that might suggest he had possibly considered that Jesus of Nazareth was/is the Messiah. Did you find it? Did you even look?!

If not, this is the word: RETURN.

That’s right. He said, “…with the Moshiach (Messiah) Ben David’s return to the Land.” With what could very well mean just what the rabbi meant to say: That Messiah had already appeared to Israel … in the Land. Messiah (Yeshua) is now ready to return, and usher in Israel’s redemption—symbolically represented by Pollard’s release from prison.

The main point: Virtually every recent significant event that involves Israel is being compared and connected directly to the end time arrival of Messiah! Just like what happened the first time that Christ came to this earth, born in Bethlehem of a virgin—the Son of God, the Son of David, and the Son of Man. The first time as the Lamb of God who died for the sins of the world. And soon, very soon, to return as the Lion from the Tribe of Judah to rescue Israel from total annihilation, to prevent the world from self-destruction, and to complete Israel’s redemption so that all of Israel (the remnant left from the Great Tribulation) will be saved, physically and spiritually.

Things to Ponder

When Messiah returns in power and great glory, all Israel will know that he is Jesus of Nazareth. They will rejoice like never before; they will fight ferociously alongside him while he leads them to a resounding victory over their enemies. But first they will mourn greatly, because they will fully realize that it was they who nailed Jesus to the Cross; no different than their ancestors and no different from all of us whose separation from God compelled Christ to redeem us by paying the penalty for our transgressions.

“…They will look on me whom they have pierced and mourn for him as for an only son. They will grieve bitterly for him as for a firstborn son who has died. The sorrow and mourning in Jerusalem on that day will be like the great mourning for Hadad-rimmon in the valley of Megiddo” (Zechariah 12:10-11).

Soon, I will turn 69 years of age (September 28^th … day of the blood moon). Thanks to our Lord and Savior, my destiny in heaven is assured. My prayer and hope is that I will arrive there along with millions of believers taken in the magnificent Rapture. But if my translation to heaven is by way of death, then so be it. I will humbly say what Messiah Jesus said to God, his father, a short time before giving up his life for me (for you):

“…Yet I want your will to be done, not mine” (Matthew 26:39).

A Deal That Will Live In Infamy

01 Saturday Aug 2015

Posted by garybowers in Current Events

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Gog & Magog, Iran, Israel, Nuclear deal

A Deal That Will Live in Infamy

I suppose there are other titles that could be used for the subject of this week’s Eye of Prophecy article. But since it follows on the heels of last week’s post entitled, Day of Infamy that dealt with the Jewish 9^th day of Av—a date on which two titanic tragedies and other ominous events struck Israel—it’s appropriate to describe the recent nuclear arrangement with Iran in the same fashion.

This deal with a nation that is an avowed enemy of Israel and the United States is eerily comparable to and just as menacing as the day that England’s Neville Chamberlain signed a pact with Hitler. An agreement that not only didn’t guarantee peace in their time, but actually intensified the winds of war that led to World War II.

Deal? A very loose term at best. Agreement? I suppose so if they mean that the P5+1 nations agreed to everything Iran demanded. It just may be the most one-sided bargain of all time. No level playing field. No equal benefits for both sides. Picture a teeter-totter that won’t move up and down, with Iran grounded securely below and the P5+1 nations dangling in the air above … hung out to dry. Or a merry-go-round with Iran standing and smirking nearby as they watch the United States on the carousel going round and round at a maddening and dizzying pace. What makes it even more mocking is that the United States begged Iran to meet them on the playground in the first place.

The imagery of a playground is suitable because the leaders of the United States and of other powerful nations on earth are playing with the lives and destiny of millions of Jews and Arabs and Persians in the Middle East.

Oh, there was give and take. The United States and other P5 nations did all the giving and Iran did all the taking. In doing so, our Presidential Staff apathetically ignored the warnings of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in his stirring address to the United States Congress on March 3^rd, 2015. Much was written about the speech that President Obama and Secretary of state John Kerry refused to attend, including the Eye of Prophecy article entitled, A Modern Day Esther, posted this past March 7^th.

Here is a brief piece from that article:

Prime Minister Netanyahu proposed a much better deal with concluding remarks such as, “Ladies and gentlemen, history has placed us at a fateful crossroads. We must now choose between two paths. One path leads to a bad deal that will at best curtail Iran’s nuclear ambitions for a while, but it will inexorably lead to a nuclear-armed Iran whose unbridled aggression will inevitably lead to war. The second path, however difficult, could lead to a much better deal that would prevent a nuclear-armed Iran, a nuclearized Middle East and the horrific consequences of both to all of humanity.”

Now that this infamous deal is done, it’s all too clear which path was taken.

This deal has been in the making for nearly two years. Many of us hoped (wishful thinking) that the P5 +1 nations, which include the United States, would see through Iran’s deceitful agenda. That we would come to our collective senses, and fully realize that you cannot deal with a rogue nation—an enemy which before, during, and after the negotiations continued their tirade that calls for the humiliation and destruction of both Israel and the United States.

Before we examine some of the threatening repercussions of this atrocious Joint Comprehensive Agreement, the most flagrant of which is an undeniable endangerment to the nation of Israel, I’d like to go back nearly 20 months to another Eye of Prophecy article entitled, Let’s Make a Deal, published 12-14-13, written about this deal in the early stages of negotiations. That column was as relevant today as when it was posted, and exposed the deplorable fallacy and imminent danger of what we can now label, A Deal with the Devil. That could also be the title of this article.

Sometimes I will quote from prior Eye of Prophecy articles, but normally only a sentence or two or perhaps a few paragraphs. In this case, I believe it will be beneficial if we review a good portion of the Let’s Make A Deal post to fully grasp the ugly reality regarding the why, what, and wherefore of this terrible deal. We’ll then try to put these things into perspective pertaining to end-times prophecies and Biblical principles that provide warnings to nations that turn on Israel. In particular, we’ll take another (brief) look at the Gog/Magog invasion of Israel, of which Russia and Iran are the two main aggressors.

Excerpts from Let’s Make A Deal, published December 14, 2013. (Note: All paragraphs from this prior article will be placed in italics. Any excerpts that were in italics from that article will be placed in bold print).

About three weeks ago, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei announced to the Iranian people: “Israel is doomed to failure and annihilation.” That, “Zionist leaders cannot be called human.” A short while before that, Khamenei said, “The Zionist regime is a rabid dog.” There were other words of hatred directed against Israel. But the irony of this menacing message is that it was delivered disrespectfully just a short time before the G5+1 (United States, Great Britain, France, Russia, China, and Germany) completed negotiations with Iran in a November 24th interim deal called a “Joint Plan of Action”—to ease economic sanctions against Iran in exchange for a “slow-down” of Iran’s nuclear enrichment of uranium.

Would you make a deal with someone whose main purpose in life was to destroy you and members of your family or your best friend? How do you negotiate with those who would lie to you, cheat you, and ultimately kill you to accomplish their warped objectives? Where do you start? What do you say? How sure can you be? Why are you even there in the first place? But none of these questions seemed to bother the G5+1, with perhaps the exception of France.

“Suppose, we can reason with them?” Really? Concerning Iran, if they had done just one positive thing in the last 34 years to suggest the slightest hint of cooperation or concession, then there might be a slim chance (say .01%) of reaching some sort of (mutual) agreement. It’s been 34 years since the attack on the US Embassy in Tehran and kidnapping of dozens of US Embassy representatives by the newly formed Islamic government of Iran. If we’re even a fraction wrong about Iran’s true intentions, then there’s a 99.9% chance they will follow through on their threats.

Israel’s Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu’s response to this menacing pact was to label it an, “historic mistake.” He should know. For the same 34 years, Israel has lived under the constant threat of Iranian terror exported to Syria and Lebanon, especially through Hezbollah. Because Israel understands her enemies far better than the United States under the current administration, Netanyahu also said, “The most dangerous regime in the world must not be allowed to have the most dangerous weapon in the world … we will not allow Iran to receive a military nuclear capability.” And, “As to the (Iranian) actual threat, we will act against it in time if need be.” These quotes are part of a speech given during Prime Minister Netanyahu’s recent visit to Rome.

Note: Later in today’s article we’ll look at one of the unbelievable clauses in this nuclear agreement that very well could pit the United States and other nations directly against Israel, should Israel take action on its own against Iran.

Continuing with the prior article:

Regardless of your view on the right or wisdom of Israel to act independently of the US, or the G5+1, or the entire world, I would again ask: Would you sit down at the table with an enemy who has sworn to do anything and everything they can to terminate your existence on this earth? And keep in mind that Iran has not only threatened to wipe Israel from the global map, it has also avowed to destroy the “Great Satan.” That’s right. Iran refers to America as the Great Satan; Israel is only the “little Satan.” We should be so honored?!

In that context, how America and the other G5 superpowers would seemingly ignore (except for a few innocuous words to chastise Khamenei’s condemnation of Israel) Iran’s in your face tirade at the outset of these “historic” talks is simply inconceivable. And that’s not all. Listen to what Secretary of State, John Kerry, recently said during his 8th trip to Israel (9th trip by the time this article is published; reminiscent of Secretary of State, Henry Kissinger’s “shuttle diplomacy in 1973 … so much so that Kerry answered the media’s serious inquiry about the number of trips to the Middle East, with the quip, “It’s a commute, folks”): Kerry boasted, “We will not allow Iran to acquire a nuclear weapon. Not now, not ever.” Really? What about the red line that he and President Obama emphatically said would be enforced in Syria? For all intents and purposes, it has become a yellow line of an overtly cautious, but potentially lethal compromise; indeed, a line of retreat—if not surrender. Oh, not the kind of surrender found in actual war; rather, the kind of up-front pacification that sweet-talks the enemy with, “We’ll play fair if you will.”

Fortunately, many members of the Senate and House of Representatives including some democrats have seen through the White House’s tactics, and have reminded Secretary Kerry and President Obama that the sole purpose of sanctions against Iran was to pressure them into absolute abandonment of their nuclear ambitions; not to entice this evil regime into diplomatic dialogue with a misguided hope that we could persuade Iran to listen to world opinion. We can only hope that the Senate and Congress exhibit the courage and tenacity to reinforce the sanctions. Why is this fortitude so vitally necessary? Because the evidence is all too clear: A nation like Iran doesn’t know the meaning of fair play. No more so than did Iraq’s Saddam Hussein. And how did we deal with Hussein? Well, we all know how that story ended.

Did the United States negotiate with Hitler and his Third Reich, or with the Emperor of Japan, or with Mussolini? A thousand times, No! We fought to the bitter end … one that had no other possible option but unconditional surrender of our enemies. What makes us think that Iran is any different, when their blatant ambition to destroy Israel and America is no different that Hitler’s malignant plan of conquering Europe (and eventually the U.S.) and of eliminating all Jews from the face of the earth?

Just a pause here in today’s article to remember Israel’s daring and successful aerial attack against and destruction of Iraq’s nuclear reactor plant near Baghdad on June 7, 1981; that all experts agree thwarted the inevitable manufacture of nuclear weapons by Iraq. Ironically, other than Israel, the nation that benefited the most from this preemptive strike was none other than Iran. Why? Because on September 22, 1980 (just nine months earlier) Iraq invaded Iran which launched a horribly destructive war that lasted until 1988. Had Iraq developed nuclear armaments, they probably would have been used against Iran. And, of course, not even a whispered, “thank you Israel,” from Iran. Actually, I may be wrong about the thank you. As Iran could be saying, “Thank you Israel, now we get to destroy you.”

Back to the Let’s Make a Deal Article

*Note: At this juncture in the Let’s Make A Deal article, attention is shifted to another potential deal in the making at the time that article was written … negotiations between Israel and the Palestinian Authority for a Palestinian State within Israel. But even before the Palestinian Authority would agree to sit down at the bargaining table, Israel had to agree to release dozens of Palestinian prisoners, including murderers and terrorists; which Israel began to do, in three stages. As Israel expected, the Palestinians refused to begin negotiations. Thus, Israel halted the phased release of these prisoners, but only after dozens had been freed.

Let’s Make a Deal continues:

I’m sorry; as much as I love my country and want to respect and support a President (just because he is our President, but whose actions and programs seem to undermine the very nation he leads), I must issue a challenge: Would the United States agree to liberate hundreds of the worst criminals from their jails just to get “peace talks” underway? I think not. But then, the United States didn’t need to make such an unfathomable concession. Instead, we asked Israel to do something this country wouldn’t think of doing: comply with the PLO’s incomprehensible and reprehensible demand to release their terrorist sons and daughters back to them.

Admitting that Israel has a right to exist as a sovereign nation is the bedrock foundation before any compromises whatsoever are considered. Incredibly, Israel is willing to make who knows what concessions just to be recognized as a people and as a nation. Can you imagine any President, including the current administration, needing to seek recognition as a nation before the United States would enter into negotiations or sign a treaty or pact?

President Ronald Reagan comes to mind: He couldn’t have cared less whether Mikhail Gorbachev’s Russia didn’t like America or if the Soviet Union had refused to (symbolically or literally) accept the very existence of this great nation. But the Israelis have been compelled to guard their security and very survival with an opening statement that would be unthinkable for any other nation on earth: We’ll give you some of what you demand, but first you must consent to the existence of Israel.

To Be or Not To Be? (That is the question)

Unless the Palestinians make some sort of declaration that (at least in principle) acknowledges the geographic, national, political, cultural, and racial existence of the Jews, then all of the other points of negotiation are essentially meaningless. Such issues as: return of Arab refugees, control of Jerusalem, Jewish settlements in the West Bank (Judea and Samaria), control of the border crossings especially between Jordan and the West Bank, return of the Golan Heights to Syria, and the actual geographical boundaries of a Palestinian State.

When in July, 2000 at the Camp David Summit arranged by President Clinton, PLO Chairman Yasser Arafat rejected an astonishing offer by then Prime Minister, Ehud Barak … to assume control of up to 92% of the West Bank, all of the Gaza Strip, and all of East Jerusalem except for the Western Wall—that said it all. The Palestinian Arabs are not interested in “sharing” the land. They never have and probably never will. They want it ALL. They want Jews out. Why a whole bunch of people world-wide, including some Christians, fail to grasp this is beyond me.

So Israel mulls over a practically hopeless situation: how to work reasonably with those who demonstrate virtually nothing but irrational hatred and hostile behavior toward you? The Jews rightfully ask: How can you make a deal with someone who doesn’t even recognize that you exist? When they look at you, you are, for all practical purposes, invisible. You are a nonentity. You don’t have a birthright (right of birth) and you aren’t even qualified to belong on the map. You don’t belong here or anywhere, because your rebirth (1948) was entirely illegitimate.

Summary

Never before in history has the entire world been so focused on one little nation inhabited by a mere six million Jews. And yet that’s exactly what the Bible predicted. In addition to several million Arabs in Israel, surrounding Arab countries number in the hundreds of millions, with land space that dwarfs Israel; enough land to accommodate millions more Arabs. But oddly and unfortunately many of these nations fight among themselves (Egypt, Libya, Tunisia, Yemen, Iraq, Syria, and Lebanon).

Even more nonsensically, they blame the Jews for their misfortunes. However, they do have one basic mindset: They detest Israel. I suppose if they ever agree on how best to govern themselves (Sunni or Shi’ite Muslim law), then they might (God forbid) agree on how to best destroy Israel. Or perhaps they think and hope that Iran will do that for them. Personally, I don’t dislike the Arabs or the Persians. I sometimes pray for their salvation, as I often do for the Jews. I will do my best to pray equally for both peoples. But the aforementioned observations are a matter of historical record and current events.

Presidents, Prime Ministers, Kings, Queens, Heads of State the world over are under the influence of the “intoxicating” effect that Israel has exerted on the entire world. (Read Zechariah 12:2-3). Nations are stoned from an overpowering elixir to find a solution to the problems in and surrounding this tiny country. To their detriment, many of these nations point the finger of blame at Israel; but seem to do so in a senseless, illogical drunken stupor caused by consumption of too many “spirits” from Arab, Muslim, Russian, South American, and European winepresses. And, I’m beginning to be concerned about America’s sudden taste for this wine that can only lead to the pouring out of God’s wrath through His winepress (Revelation 14:19).

In addition to God blessing his “special possession”, Israel (Psalms 28:9), it is a wonderful thing that God has extended his salvation to all Gentiles. But first and foremost, God’s Messiah was sent to save his own people, the Jews. The Savior to the Jews first and then to the Gentiles (Romans 1:16) is, in fact, a Jewish Messiah … born a Jew in Bethlehem, lived as a Jew in Nazareth and Galilee, died and raised from the dead as a Jew in Jerusalem, will return to the City of David on the Mount of Olives as King of the Jews, and shortly thereafter will fight for all of Israel as “The Lion from the Tribe of Judah.” He Is: “King of all kings and Lord of all lords.”

There is, however, a dreadful risk for every person on earth who rejects Messiah Jesus as personal Savior and every nation that refuses to accept the very existence of and purpose for Israel, as clearly set forth in Scripture.

Personal Rejection of Messiah: “And anyone who believes in God’s Son has eternal life. Anyone who doesn’t obey the Son will never experience eternal life but remains under God’s angry judgment” (John 3:36). National Rejection of Israel: “The day is near when I, the LORD, will judge all godless nations! As you have done to Israel, so it will be done to you. All your evil deeds will fall back on your own heads. Just as you swallowed up my people on my holy mountain, so you and the surrounding nations will swallow the punishment I pour out on you. Yes, all you nations will drink and stagger and disappear from history” (Obadiah 1:15-16).

It’s really easier than one might think (even for a Palestinian). Just repeat after me: “The State of Israel.”

Back to Today’s Article (Placing the Iranian Deal into Perspective of Biblical Prophecy)

Undoubtedly, many reading this article have read or heard the component parts of this infamous deal with Iran. Thus, I’ll simply summarize the main points. Beginning with four primary problems identified by Israeli Ambassador to the United States, Ron Dermer, as condensed in an article written by Max Gelber, posted 7-16-15 on the United with Israel website, who extracted some of his material from a Washington Post column published the same day.

First, the agreement allows Iran to maintain virtually its entire nuclear plant/facility infrastructure.
Second, the limitations imposed on Iran’s nuclear projects are merely temporary, with the most binding restrictions lasting only ten years.
Third, other nations in the Middle East fully comprehend that this agreement still paves the way to a nuclear-armed Iran, and will accordingly join the race to buy or manufacture nuclear weapons of their own. (Saudi Arabia and Turkey come to mind).
Fourth, to the tune of some $150 billion dollars, Iran’s assets will be unfrozen and the money released to Iran’s banks. Economic sanctions will be phased out. With no secret whatsoever, that these funds will be used to resume (to a much larger extent) Iran’s subsidization of its terrorist affiliates like Hezbollah and Hamas. As well as acceleration of subversive activities in Iraq, Syria, and Yemen.

Ambassador Ron Dermer was quoted, “…any one of these problems would be sufficient to make this a bad deal. But all four make this deal a disaster of historic proportions.”

Photo of Heavy Water Reactor at Iran’s Arak Facility (Just a few days ago, two weeks after the deal was finalized, Iran announced plans to build four new nuclear plants!)

Next is a summary of other negatives for Israel and the P5 +1 nations and positives for Iran, referenced by Max Gelber in his article.

First and foremost, the deal does not halt Iran’s nuclear programs, as it allows Iran to (more slowly, but nevertheless continually) enrich uranium far beyond its civilian needs. Which means the only other use for all this surplus uranium or plutonium is unmistakably military.
The agreement doesn’t come close to sufficiently curtail Iran’s nuclear research and development capabilities, certainly not enough to delay the time needed to manufacture a nuclear bomb to the point where preemptive action could be taken.
The agreement severely cripples embargoes and sanctions previously imposed by the United Nations Security Council to restrict Iran’s development of intercontinental ballistic missiles.
Monitoring of Iran’s compliance is virtually a sham. The 24-day warning of an impending inspection would allow Iran more than enough time to hide, cheat, and lie about what they’re actually doing. All of which they’ve done repeatedly in the past.

As summarized by Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, “The bottom line of this very bad deal is exactly what Iran’s President Rouhani said today, ‘the international community is removing the sanctions and Iran is keeping its nuclear program.’”

I’ll throw in my two cents worth and put it this way: “The Iranians are laughing all the way to the bank, while their centrifuges continue to spin and their leaders continue to grin.” (You can quote me on that one!)

But the most unthinkable feature of this disastrous deal is a tiny clause in the agreement that nations signatory to the pact will defend Iran against any subterfuge that might interrupt or shut down Iran’s nuclear facilities. Ostensibly this was designed to enable Iran to continue with its purported program of commercial nuclear developments for peaceful civilian purposes only. Right? No, it’s as wrong as anything can be.

What the stipulation actually does is to obligate the United States and other involved countries to intervene no matter if a nation (Israel, who else?) attempts to sabotage Iran’s nuclear substructure—whether through a military strike or cyber-attack—for the much more truthful reason of preventing this reprobate nation from developing nuclear weapons.

It’s simply inconceivable and mind-boggling that the United States would agree in any way, shape, or form to actually come to the aid of an enemy who continually chants, “Death to Israel. Death to America.” It is pure lunacy. And immoral madness at that.

Immoral, because it’s no different than, for example, the United States making a deal with Hitler during World War II in which Germany would agree to stop the production of self-propelled rockets (for say, 3 years) but they could continue to carry on the war as they saw fit. Moreover, we would actually defend Germany’s war making facilities for all other hardware, just not rockets. Knowing full well that it’s the same machinery that manufactures all of the armaments. Moreover, this absurd deal took place after it was clear that Germany was losing the war. (Just like it is unquestionably evident that the heavy economic sanctions against Iran were taking their toll).

Nearly 3,000 of These V-2 Rockets Produced by the Third Reich

No matter how extreme or far-fetched you think this analogy might be, ask yourself just how radical this deal with Iran is. You only need look at the totally one-sided concessions made by the P5 + 1 to see that Iran comes out smelling like a rose (a rose-tipped nuclear warhead).

It give a whole new meaning to: We’ve got you … just where you want us.

Putting These Things into Perspective

At first glance and at face value, this ill-conceived, misguided, and grossly imbalanced “deal” indeed places Israel in grave peril. From public reaction, especially in the United States, it’s evident that the majority of people realize that Israel gets the short end of the stick. They comprehend the all too obvious fact that Iran cannot be trusted, AT ALL. And they rightfully challenge the authority of the US government to make a deal that puts Israel directly in the scope of Iran’s nuclear trigger point.

In fact, a very recent poll disclosed that over 50% of Americans believe that Congress should annul the deal with Iran, which would subsequently require a 2/3 majority of Congress to override what would be a certain veto by President Obama. If Congress listens to us, they should overturn this dastardly deal.

Although Arab Gulf States like Egypt don’t really care what happens to Israel, they, too, fear a nuclear-armed Iran. Thus, US Secretary of State John Kerry will travel to the Middle East (once again) to promote the agreement and attempt to alleviate the apprehension of these Arab countries. But Kerry’s itinerary does not include Israel. In response to this (yet another) snub, Prime Minister Netanyahu said, “He (Kerry) really has no reason to come here.” That the Iran deal, “has nothing to do with us, and has no influence on us. We’re not at the table (meaning the negotiating table). We’re one of the main courses on the menu itself.”

Though (justifiably) sarcastic, Netanyahu’s response says it all.

Yet, here is where a better grasp of Biblical prophecy helps us put contemporary developments like this into a much clearer context. To that end, I’m going to refer again to the Gog/Magog invasion of Israel as predicted through God’s prophet, Ezekiel. Several prior Eye of Prophecy articles have been written, partially or completely on this astounding attack on Israel in which a coalition spearheaded by Russia (to include Iran) is soundly crushed by God, himself … via direct divine intervention.

Please refer to such articles as, The Omega Generation, published 2-15-14; Beware of the Bear, published 3-22-14; Alliances against Israel, published 9-20-14. But for purposes of today’s topic, most specifically to, Russia & Iran Versus Israel, published 10-4-14.

When correlated to other prophecies in Scripture, all of the evidence found in Ezekiel Chapters 38 & 39 leads to the viable conclusion that this invasion will take place soon after the Rapture, during the first part of the Great Tribulation. Furthermore, it will entail a vast “horde” (armies) that swoops down on Israel from the north. The undeniable conclusion is that this is a massive but conventional assault against Israel that does not include nuclear weapons. For one thing, Israel is completely victorious in this military campaign against her, but not through Israel’s effort. Nor is there any indication that Israel suffers even minimal casualties. In fact, it is God who will employ “weapons of mass destruction” against Gog/Magog … meaning supernaturally orchestrated natural disasters inflicted on the invading troops.

The applicable inference and significance of what is happening in this Gog/Magog invasion is that there will be no nuclear war between Iran and Israel before this Biblically prophetic attack occurs against Israel. There couldn’t possibly be, because just one nuclear warhead detonated over the tiny State of Israel would cause devastating damage of staggering proportions. I’m not saying that Israel won’t launch a preemptive strike against Iran prior to the Great Tribulation, but an all-out war between Iran and Israel won’t take place until the Gog/Magog invasion. If it did, there wouldn’t be any need for Russia, Iran, and their allies to invade Israel; as Israel would have already been brought to her knees, if not virtually eliminated from the face of the earth.

And, I can say with absolute Biblical certainty, THAT AIN’T GOING TO HAPPEN!

Things to Ponder

Israel is here to stay; now and forever more. We can take that to the bank, deposit it, and watch the interest (blessings to the rest of the world) grow with leaps and bounds.

For Americans, the real concern of this deal that will live in infamy is or should be the very idea that the United States would seemingly take on God, himself. To ignore, dismiss, deny, and even reject God’s ultimate warning concerning international treatment of Israel. God will take to task those individuals and nations who blatantly snub, endanger, hold in contempt, or harm Israel in any way.

The verse has often been quoted, but The Lord’s warning to those who seek to disparage Israel bears repeating: “I will bless those who bless you and curse those who treat you with contempt. All the families on earth will be blessed through you” (Genesis 12:3).

The time of reckoning is drawing very near. Unfolding events are fitting into Biblical end-times prophecy on a dizzying daily basis. And what does God say about such things:

“At the time of those events, says, the Lord, when I restore the prosperity of Judah and Jerusalem (which is happening before our very eyes today), I will gather the armies of the world into the valley of Jehoshaphat. There I will judge them for harming my people, my special possession, and for dividing up my land” (Joel 3:1-2).

“It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God” (Hebrews 10:31, NASB).

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eyeofprophecy … watch and wait

~ "For the essence of prophecy is to give a clear witness for Jesus" (Rev.19:10)

Monthly Archives: August 2015

Amazing Anticipation for Messiah

Four Locust Kingdoms!

One World Religion?

Great Expectations for Messiah

A Deal That Will Live In Infamy