The Incomparable Power and Authority of Jesus Christ

28 Saturday May 2016

Posted by garybowers in Devotional / Misc

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Incomparable Power and Authority of Jesus Christ

Power: “Possession of control, authority, or influence over others; ability to act or produce an effect; physical might; mental or moral efficacy…” (Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary).

Authority: Power to influence or command thought, opinion, or behavior; freedom granted by one in authority; convincing force” (Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary).

Right or wrong, positive or negative … we’ve all been influenced, to some degree or another, by the authority of our mothers, fathers, teachers, clergy, coaches, and government officials.

Unfortunately, national and international leaders through the centuries have been mostly power-hungry tyrants; who often lead their people to a precarious pinnacle of peace and prosperity, only to plunge them to the depths of despair and destruction. Even the few benevolent rulers still had their limitations and human weaknesses. And, no matter how much morality, integrity, and capability that caring leaders possess, their good intentions are all too often compromised (if not ignored) by the people under their authority. There is, after all, an abundance of greed, envy, selfishness, and indiscriminate pursuit of pleasure and popularity within the best of societies.

Incomparable: “Eminent beyond comparison; matchless; not suitable for comparison” (Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary). Matchless: “Having no equal; peerless” (Webster’s).

When incomparable (utmost positive connotation of the word) is combined with power and authority, we get the best form of influence and inspiration imaginable, that one person can have on another.

The following paragraph is a quote from the Eye of Prophecy article, Kingdom of God, posted 1-17-15.

“Isn’t that what most people want? They want: law, order, equality, safety, peace. And they want someone who has the kind of authority to realize those dreams, but also someone who is kind and considerate with that authority. One who truly cares about people and what’s best for them; who can rule and judge with impartiality and kindness. A truly wise and benevolent King whose attributes perfectly reflect who and what he is: Love, Truth, Justice, Mercy.”

Let’s take an up-close and personal look at five amazing things that only one man in history has done or can do. If you answer no or even maybe to each of the five questions alongside the five matchless achievements, I would respectfully challenge you to ask yourself the question, “Why not?” First, because you honestly owe it to yourself. Second, because it is literally a matter of eternal life or death. It’s that serious.

(*Note: “I don’t know,” is the same as, “No”)

If one man had the incomparable power and authority to:

Control and Command the Laws of Nature and Physics—Would You Listen to Him?

A Wedding in Israel:

“The wine supply ran out during the festivities, so Jesus’ mother told him, ‘They have no more wine.’ … But his mother told the servants, ‘Do whatever he tells you.’ Standing nearby were six stone water jars … each could hold twenty to thirty gallons. Jesus told the servants, ‘Fill the jars with water.’ When the jars had been filled, he said, ‘Now dip some out, and take it to the master of ceremonies.’ So the servants followed his instructions.

“When the master of ceremonies tasted the water that was now wine, not knowing where it had come from (though, of course, the servants knew), he called the bridegroom over. ‘A host always serves the best wine first,’ he said. ‘Then, when everyone has had a lot to drink, he brings out the less expensive wine. But you have kept the best until now!’

“This miraculous sign at Cana in Galilee was the first time Jesus revealed his glory…” (John 2:3-11).

This was the first of many miracles Jesus performed as proof of his power and authority … in this case over the laws of nature itself. No one has ever turned water into pure wine before or since; any more than anyone has successfully converted common elements like lead into gold (Alchemy).

The servants listened to Jesus and did exactly what he told them to do; knowing full well that Jesus was assuming a huge risk of embarrassment, ridicule, and future doubt of his divine credentials—who he was and what he could do—if the water remained as water.

A Stormy Sea:

“As evening came, Jesus said to his disciples, ‘Let’s cross to the other side of the lake.’ So they took Jesus in the boat and started out … But soon a fierce storm came up. High waves were breaking into the boat, and it began to fill with water. Jesus was sleeping at the back of the boat with his head on a cushion. The disciples woke him up, shouting, ‘Teacher, don’t you care that we’re going to drown?’

“When Jesus woke up, he rebuked the wind and said to the water, ‘Silence! Be still!’ Suddenly the wind stopped, and there was a great calm. Then he asked them, ‘Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?’

“The disciples were absolutely terrified, ‘Who is this man?’ they asked each other. ‘Even the wind and waves obey him!’” (Mark 4:35-41).

Why (how) would even the wind and waves listen to and obey Jesus? This is why:

“Christ is the visible image of the invisible God. He existed before anything was created and is supreme over all creation, for through him God created everything in the heavenly realms and on earth… Everything was created through him and for him” (Colossians 1:15-16).

Five Thousand Hungry Men … So Little Food:

“For there were about 5,000 men there. Jesus replied, ‘Tell them to sit down in groups of about fifty each.’ So the people all sat down. Jesus took the five loaves and two fish, looked up toward heaven, and blessed them. Then, breaking the loaves into pieces, he kept giving the bread and fish to the disciples so they could distribute it to the people. They all ate as much as they wanted, and afterward, the disciples picked up twelve baskets of leftovers!” (Luke 9:14-17).

Five thousand men plus thousands more women and children, all who had listened intently to Jesus for some time were getting very hungry. Only five loaves and two fish were available. But the disciples listened to Jesus and the crowd listened to the disciples, and the rest is history. This is one of my all-time favorite miracles of Jesus that stretches my imagination to the breaking point. Not my belief, only my imagination!

Should you, would you also listen to him, when Jesus says, “Yes, I am the bread of life! … I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Anyone who eats this bread will live forever; and this bread, which I will offer so the world may live, is my flesh” (John 6:48-51).

When Jesus was miraculously transfigured on the mountain revealing his divine glorified essence, not long before he gave his own body and blood as a redemptive sacrifice on the cross, God, the Father declared: “…This is my dearly loved Son, who brings me great joy. Listen to him” (Matthew 17:5).

If one man had the incomparable power and authority to:

Dominate Demons and Defeat Incurable Diseases and Untreatable Deformities—Would You Follow Him?

A Demon-Possessed Man in a Synagogue:

“Then Jesus went to Capernaum, a town in Galilee, and taught there in the synagogue every Sabbath day. There, too, the people were amazed at his teaching, for he spoke with authority. Once when he was in the synagogue, a man possessed by a demon—an evil spirit—began shouting at Jesus. ‘Go away! Why are you interfering with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One sent from God!’

“Jesus cut him short, ‘Be quiet! Come out of this man,’ he ordered. At that, the demon threw the man to the floor as the crowd watched; then it came out of him without hurting him further. Amazed, the people exclaimed, ‘What authority and power this man’s words possess! Even evil spirits obey him, and they flee at his command!’ The news about Jesus spread through every village in the entire region” (Luke 4:31-37).

Fallen angels (demons) know all too well who Jesus is and what power he has over Satan’s evil kingdom. But, of course, they would never follow him; as their choice had been made and their destiny had been sealed long before. Nor would Jesus allow them to even speak of him, for two main reasons: (1) Jesus commanded the demons to be silent to demonstrate his divine authority over them. (2) He wanted the crowds to acknowledge and follow him willingly because of his redemptive words of life and hope, attested to by his miracles. Not because of what any demon might say.

“Many were possessed by demons, and the demons came out at his command, shouting, ‘You are the Son of God!’ But because they knew he was the Messiah, he rebuked them and refused to let them speak” (Luke 4:41).

A Crippled Man by a Pool:

“Afterward Jesus returned to Jerusalem for one of the Jewish holy days. Inside the city, near the Sheep Gate, was the pool of Bethesda, with five covered porches. Crowds of sick people—blind, lame, or paralyzed—lay on the porches. One of the men lying there had been sick for thirty-eight years. When Jesus saw him and knew he had been ill for a long time, he asked him, ‘Would you like to get well?’

‘I can’t sir,’ the sick man said, ‘for I have no one to put me into the pool when the water bubbles up. Someone else always gets there ahead of me.’

“Jesus told him, ‘Stand up, pick up your mat, and walk!’

“Instantly, the man was healed! He rolled up his sleeping mat and began walking! But this miracle happened on the Sabbath, so the Jewish leaders objected. They said to the man who was cured, ‘You can’t work on the Sabbath! The law doesn’t allow you to carry that sleeping mat!’” (John 5:1-10).

Astonishing! This was not the only time that Orthodox Jewish leaders criticized and trivialized an astounding miracle of healing that Jesus had performed, because of their technicality that Jesus healed someone on the Sabbath. In this case they considered both the healing and the healed man carrying his mat to be “work” which was a violation of the Sabbath. Although many people, even including some Pharisees, believed in Messiah Jesus and followed him, the majority did not.

They had already made up their minds that Jesus’s powerful words and demonstration of authority over all kinds of diseases and disabilities was a threat to their own authority. They would not listen to him, let alone follow him. They were, as Jesus told them, “Blind guides leading the blind” (Matthew 15:14).

Not so, with those who have been saved by Jesus, the light of the world. Once we were blind, but now we can see. And we follow him.

Said Jesus to the people who demanded to know if he was the Messiah: “…I have already told you, and you don’t believe me. The proof is the work I do in my Father’s name. But you don’t believe me because you are not my sheep. My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me” (John 10:25-27).

Two Blind Men Following Jesus:

“After Jesus left the girl’s home, two blind men followed along behind him, shouting, ‘Son of David, have mercy on us!’

“They went right into the house where he was staying, and Jesus asked them, ‘Do you believe I can make you see!’

‘Yes Lord,’ they told him, ‘we do.’

“Then he touched their eyes and said, ‘Because of your faith, it will happen.’ Then their eyes were opened, and they could see! Jesus sternly warned them. ‘Don’t tell anyone about this.’ But instead, they went out and spread his fame all over the region” (Matthew 9:27-31).

Astounding … Jesus miracle of making two blind men see, of course! But also their unwavering assurance that Jesus could and would heal them. They were so persistent in this confidence that they followed Jesus right into the very house where he was staying.

Notice, that Jesus told them not to tell anyone what he had done. Jesus had said this to others he had healed early in his magnificent ministry. Why? Because he wanted people to believe and follow him for who he was (Messiah), not just because of his miracles. That his ultimate purpose was that of spiritual healing, because of his great compassion and love for the human race that he created.

If one man had the incomparable power and authority to:

Forgive Sins, and Pardon the Eternal Penalty of Sin (Because of His Unconditional Love)—Would You Believe in Him?

A Paralyzed Man Lowered through the Roof of a House:

“When Jesus returned to Capernaum several days later, the news spread quickly that he was back home. Soon the house where he was staying was so packed with visitors that there was no more room, even outside the door. While he was preaching God’s word to them, four men arrived carrying a paralyzed man on a mat. They couldn’t bring him to Jesus because of the crowd, so they dug a hole through the roof above his head. Then they lowered the man on his mat, right down in front of Jesus. Seeing their faith, Jesus said to the paralyzed man, ‘My child, your sins are forgiven.’

“But some of the teachers of religious law who were sitting there thought to themselves, ‘What is he saying? This is blasphemy! Only God can forgive sins!’

“Jesus knew immediately what they were thinking, so he asked them, ‘Why do you question this in your hearts? Is it easier to say to the paralyzed man, Your sins are forgiven, or Stand up, pick up your mat, and walk? So I will prove to you that the Son of Man has the authority on earth to forgive sins.’ Then Jesus turned to the paralyzed man and said, ‘Stand up, pick up your mat, and go home!’

“And the man jumped up, grabbed his mat, and walked out through the stunned onlookers. They were all amazed and praised God, exclaiming, ‘We’ve never seen anything like this before!’” (Mark 2:1-12).

You think!

Jesus performed countless miracles that had never been seen before. Incurable diseases, inoperable disabilities, irreversible blindness and deafness, and irrevocable death itself were no match for the matchless Son of David, Son of Man, and Son of God.

By the very fact that Jesus had read their minds (what they were thinking), you would think that the religious leaders should have realized immediately that Jesus was no ordinary man. When Jesus asked them whether it was more difficult for him to tell the paralytic that his sins were forgiven or to instantly heal the man’s untreatable condition, he knew how they would react. They would affirm that it’s easy for anyone to say someone’s sins can be forgiven. Those are just words, and in this case words of blasphemy, for only God can forgive sins.

Which was exactly the point! By merely speaking the words, Jesus right in front of them told the crippled man to stand up and go home. Only God has that kind of power! And only God has the authority to forgive sins.

So, then, just who might Jesus be?

The paralyzed man and his four companions knew and believed Jesus was the Messiah. As did many in the crowd before and after what Jesus said and did.

What more or better proof did the religious leaders need? Sadly, they, like so many religious or irreligious leaders and their followers today, deny the authority and power Jesus has to forgive their sins—if they would only believe in him and his atoning sacrifice on the Cross of Calvary.

A Jewish High Council (Sanhedrin) Member Comes to Jesus at Night:

“There was a man named Nicodemus, a Jewish religious leader who was a Pharisee. After dark one evening, he came to speak with Jesus. ‘Rabbi,’ he said, ‘we all know that God has sent you to teach us. Your miraculous signs are evidence that God is with you.’

“Jesus replied, ‘I tell you the truth, unless you are born again, you cannot see the Kingdom of God” (John 3:1-3).

Talk about getting to the point, to the real issues … Jesus often did that! After Jesus explained to Nicodemus what “born again” means, he said: “…But the Son of Man has come down from heaven. And as Moses lifted up the bronze snake on a pole in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, so that everyone who believes in him will have eternal life” (Verses 13-15).

As a Pharisee, Nicodemus would have known the history of the emblematic bronze snake during the wanderings of his ancestors in the wilderness, specifically their sins and rebellion against God. He also would have remembered and understood that simply looking at the bronze snake had healed them. He knew that the snakes represented their sins and punishment for sin (which has bitten everyone who has ever lived).

“So the Lord sent poisonous snakes among the people, and many were bitten and died. Then the people came to Moses and cried out, ‘We have sinned by speaking against the Lord and against you. Pray that the Lord will take away the snakes. So Moses prayed for the people. Then the Lord told him, ‘Make a replica of a poisonous snake and attach it to a pole. All who are bitten will live if they simply look at it!’ So Moses made a snake out of bronze and attached it to the pole. Then anyone who was bitten by a snake could look at the bronze snake and be healed!” (Numbers 21:6-9).

When Jesus put all this together with perhaps the simplest yet most profound statement of God’s love and forgiveness and pardon of sin that immediately produces eternal life through Jesus, Nicodemus believed that Jesus was Messiah, the Son of God and the Son of Man. We know this because later we discover that Nicodemus had become a believer, albeit one that silently followed Jesus.

Listen to the words of Jesus. Do you believe him when he says:

“For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him. There is no judgment against anyone who believes in him. But anyone who does not believe in him has already been judged for not believing in God’s one and only Son” (John 3:16-18).

A Passover Supper for Jesus and His Disciples:

In the final meal that Jesus shared with his disciples before his crucifixion, we read:

“As they were eating, Jesus took some bread and blessed it. Then he broke it in pieces and gave it to the disciples, saying, ‘Take this and eat it, for this is my body.’ And he took a cup of wine and gave thanks to God for it. He gave it to them and said, ‘Each of you drink from it, for this is my blood, which confirms the covenant between God and his people. It is poured out as a sacrifice to forgive the sins of many’” (Matthew 26:26-28).

Soon afterward, on their way to the Mount of Olives, Jesus said: “But after I have been raised from the dead, I will go ahead of you to Galilee and meet you there” (Verse 32). Once again, as the Son of God and God the Son, only Jesus could predict, then accomplish his stunning resurrection from the dead.

Shortly before he returned to heaven, Jesus made yet another bold statement confirming his divine dominion over the world—even greater authority than he possessed before his resurrection and glorification, when he was restricted by time and space here on this earth. Limited because he chose to strip himself of the absolute power that he shared with God his Father from the ancient past. Glory that he set aside to become a human being so that he could pay for the penalty of our sins.

“Jesus came and told his disciples, ‘I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth” (Matthew 28:18, italics for emphasis).

Why does Jesus have the power and authority to forever pardon the penalty of our sins? I think you already know the answer. Because he paid the ultimate price demanded by God—a totally innocent, perfect (sinless) bodily sacrifice that only Jesus could offer.

Many Old Testament prophets wrote about the coming Messiah. Jesus literally fulfilled ALL of the Messianic prophecies. Writing of the Messiah, Isaiah says:

“See, my servant will prosper; he will be highly exalted. But many were amazed when they saw him. His fact was so disfigured he seemed hardly human, and from his appearance, one would scarcely know he was a man. And he will startle many nations. Kings will stand speechless in his presence…” (Isaiah 52:13-15).

This same mighty King must first suffer and die before he would be given ultimate power and authority over kings and kingdoms of the earth. Listen to Isaiah again:

“But he was pierced for our rebellion, crushed for our sins. He was beaten so we could be whole. He was whipped so we could be healed. All of us, like sheep, have strayed away. We have left God’s paths to follow our own. Yet the Lord laid on him the sins of us all” (Isaiah 53:5-6).

That is why Messiah Jesus has power and authority to forgive us for all the wrong things we’ve done.

“He (God) made Him (Jesus) who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him” (II Corinthians 5:21, NASB).

If one man had the incomparable power and authority to:

Abolish Death Itself and Grant Eternal Life through Resurrection From the Dead—Would You Trust Him?

Two Sisters Mourning over the Heartbreaking Death of Their Brother:

“When Jesus arrived at Bethany, he was told that Lazarus had already been in his grave for four days … many of the people had come to console Martha and Mary in their loss … Martha said to Jesus, ‘Lord, if only you had been here, my brother would not have died…’” (John 11:17-21).

“Jesus told her, ‘Your brother will rise again.’ ‘Yes,’ Martha said, ‘he will rise when everyone else rises at the last day’” (Verses 23-24).

Martha knew something about the final resurrection, but she didn’t fully comprehend that bodily resurrection was possible only by and through Jesus Christ, the Savior of mankind.

“Jesus told her, ‘I AM the resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes in me will live, even after dying. Everyone who lives in me and believes in me will never ever die. Do you believe this, Martha?’” (Verses 25-26, italics and capitalized for emphasis).

When Jesus put it that way, Martha understood what we all must grasp if we are going to be among those resurrected by the power and authority of Jesus Christ at the rapture. Whether dead or alive, all believers will be transformed with brand new (resurrected) bodies.

Martha accepted Jesus’s authority and she replied with these remarkable words of trust:

“Yes, Lord … I have always believed you are the Messiah, the Son of God, the one who has come into the world from God” (Verse 27).

Jesus then went to the tomb where Lazarus had been buried four days earlier and proceeded to do exactly what he said he would do and could do. With power and authority, “Jesus shouted, ‘Lazarus, come out!’ And the dead man came out, his hands and feet bound in grave clothes, his face wrapped in a head cloth. Jesus told them, ‘Unwrap him and let him go!’” (Verses 43-44).

A Hill Called Golgotha (Place of the Skull):

“Then the soldiers nailed him to the cross. They divided his clothes and threw dice to decide who would get each piece. It was nine o’clock in the morning when they crucified him … The people passing by shouted abuse, shaking their heads in mockery. ‘Ha! Look at you now!’ they yelled at him. ‘You said you were going to destroy the Temple and rebuild it in three days. Well then, save yourself and come down from the cross!’

“The leading priests and teachers of religious law also mocked Jesus. ‘He saved others,’ they scoffed, ‘but he can’t save himself! Let this Messiah, this King of Israel, come down from the cross so we can see it and believe him!’ Even the men who were crucified with Jesus ridiculed him” (Mark 15:24-32).

Everything Jesus said and did was remarkable. None more so than one of seven things he spoke while hanging on the cross.

“Jesus said, ‘Father, forgive them, for they don’t know what they are doing’” (Luke 23:34).

What amazing grace and love for Jesus to say those words as he was dying an excruciating death on the cross.

Not only didn’t they fully realize what they were doing to Jesus (why Jesus was actually on the cross), they also couldn’t fathom the implications of what they were saying. Though the people said it sarcastically to mock him; indeed, Jesus saved and would save others … past, present, and future. They mockingly challenged him to come down from the cross; completely ignorant of the fact that had Jesus called a legion of angels to destroy his crucifiers and deliver him from the cross, he would not have the power and authority to resurrect believers (in him) from the dead. Jesus, himself, must first rise from the dead. And he couldn’t do that unless he completed the mission for which he came to this world.

“But very early on Sunday morning, the women went to the tomb … They found that the stone had been rolled away from the entrance. So they went in, but they didn’t find the body of the Lord Jesus. As they stood there puzzled, two men suddenly appeared to them, clothed in dazzling robes.

“The women were terrified and bowed with their faces to the ground. Then the men asked, ‘Why are you looking among the dead for someone who is alive? He isn’t here! He is risen from the dead!’” (Luke 24:1-6).

From the Earth and Under the Earth, At a Time Soon to Come:

“We tell you this directly from the Lord: We who are still living when the Lord returns will not meet him ahead of those who died. For the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a commanding shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet call of God. First, the Christians who have died will rise from their graves. Then, together with them, we who are still alive and remain on the earth will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. Then we will be with the Lord forever. So encourage each other with these words” (I Thessalonians 4:15-18).

Do you trust Jesus Christ—his incomparable power and authority—to do such a thing?

I certainly do. Because all of the Lord’s promises are true. They are absolutely trustworthy. Many prophecies have come to pass precisely as God said they would. Why shouldn’t this one, the glorious Rapture … described again by the Apostle Paul in another passage:

“But let me reveal to you a wonderful secret. We will not all die, but we will all be transformed! It (the transformation, not the whole event of the Rapture) will happen in a moment, in the blink of an eye, when the last trumpet is blown. For when the trumpet sounds, those who have died will be raised to live forever. And we who are living will also be transformed …

“Then, when our dying bodies have been transformed into bodies that will never die, this Scripture will be fulfilled: ‘Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?’” (I Corinthians 15:51-55).

Said Jesus to John: “…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 1:17-18).

If one man had the incomparable power and authority to:

Govern the Earth and Rule the Nations with Truth, Justice, and Peace—Would You Love, Honor, and Obey Him?

This is what will take place near the end of the Seven-Year Tribulation:

“And then at last, the sign that the Son of Man is coming will appear in the heavens, and there will be deep mourning among all the peoples of the earth. And they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory” (Matthew 24:30).

“…Blessing and honor and glory and power belong to the one sitting on the throne and to the Lamb forever and ever” (Revelation 5:13).

“Then I heard a loud voice shouting across the heaven, ‘It has come at last—salvation and power and the kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Christ…” (Revelation 12:10).

“His government and its peace will never end. He will rule with fairness and justice from the throne of his ancestor David for all eternity…” (Isaiah 9:7).

“Look at my servant, whom I strengthen. He is my chosen one, who pleases me. I have put my Spirit upon him. He will bring justice to the nations” (Isaiah 42:1).

Things to Ponder

The evidence is irrefutable. Scripture is brimming with the prophetic and historical record of who Jesus is, what he has done, and what he will do.

Near the end of John’s Gospel, he writes: “The disciples saw Jesus do many other miraculous signs in addition to the ones recorded in this book. But these are written so that you may continue to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing in him you will have life by the power of his name” (John 20:30-31, italics for emphasis).

Remember Jesus’s probing question to his disciples and Peter’s remarkable response:

“When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, ‘Who do people say that the Son of Man is?’

‘Well,’ they replied, ‘some say John the Baptist, some say Elijah, and others say Jeremiah or one of the other prophets.’

“Then he asked them, ‘But who do you say I am?’

“Simon Peter answered, ‘You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.’” (Matthew 16:13-16).

WHO DO YOU SAY THAT JESUS IS?

The Bible says we must all answer that question. The answer will determine our eternal destiny

The Final Treaty of Rome … Part II

21 Saturday May 2016

Posted by garybowers in The Antichrist

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City on Seven Hills

The Final Treaty of Rome

“Then in my vision that night, 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” (Daniel 7:7).

The magnificent prophecies of Scripture never cease to amaze me no matter how many times I read them or write about them. Most have been fulfilled, such as the 300-plus predictions of the Messiah coming to pass precisely in and exclusively through Jesus of Nazareth. Many things separate the Bible from all other religious writings, none more so than fulfilled prophecy. Other so-called sacred texts are virtually void of eschatology.

Right near the top of these stunning prophecies is Daniel Chapter 7. It was the second time in the book of Daniel that God disclosed the four mighty kingdoms which would usher in the “Times of the Gentiles” by ending the Davidic dynasty of kings in Israel. Beginning with the split of Israel into two nations, then Babylon’s (the first of the four Gentile kingdoms) conquest of Judah, culminating in the Roman Empire’s devastation of Israel, Jerusalem, and the second Jewish temple. From 70 AD Israel ceased functionally to exist as a nation. Miraculously, in fulfillment of God’s prophetic plan revealed numerous times in Scripture, Israel was reborn as a sovereign nation in 1948.

Both Biblical and secular history confirm irrefutably that the four kingdoms were Babylon, Persia, Greece, and Rome. With the Roman Empire, the fourth beast of Daniel, far greater than the three that preceded it. The Roman Empire exceeded the previous three kingdoms in geographical size, number of people, and accomplishments—economic, architectural, political, and military—as well as ultimate authority and power. John’s two visions of the beast of Revelation (Antichrist) further corroborate that the fourth beast of Daniel is the Roman Empire, because of the ten horns identified in all three of these visions (two from John, one from Daniel). With the clear contextual correlation that the horns are future Tribulation kings who will yield allegiance to the little horn, king, ruler (other names for Antichrist).

The composite beast itself (himself) of Revelation 13 and 17 is a man (the same man as the little horn of Daniel 7 and the ruler of Daniel 9), by virtue of being referred to by personal pronouns, he and him; and by the fact that the beast of Revelation 13 and 17 also has seven heads, which are referred to as seven kings in Revelation 17 … meaning seven Roman Emperors, one of whom was Nero.

(Depiction of the Revelation Chapter 13 Beast)

The distinctions that need to be made are: (1) the ten horns are future tribulation kings who give their kingdoms (nations) to the Antichrist. (2) The composite beast of Revelation 13 and 17 is the Antichrist … Nero. (3) The seven heads are seven Roman Emperors of the first century.

Daniel’s fourth beast has only ten horns, not the seven heads (plus ten horns) that the beast of Revelation 13 & 17 displays. That’s because Daniel’s vision initially focused on the four Gentile kingdoms, especially the rise of the Roman Empire (Daniel 7: 1-7), not the kings (emperors) of that kingdom during its existence. But beginning in verse eight, Daniel’s vision switches to another horn (king) who would rule over the ten horns (kings) during the Tribulation period.

Whereas, John’s visions in Revelation included the biographical and geographical origin of the Antichrist himself as one of the seven heads of the beast and as the entire Antichrist beast itself.

The most shocking feature of John’s vision—the “mystery” of which was unveiled by the angel—was that the Antichrist beast (Nero) had once been alive, but had died before John saw the beast, yet would reappear from the Abyss at the outset of the Great Tribulation (Revelation 17:8).

“The beast that was and is not, is himself also an eighth and is one of the seven…” (Revelation 17:11, NASB, italics for emphasis).

The Greek word for (one) “of” is: ek.

It also means from, out of, or like the seven. So, the Antichrist beast is an eighth king only because he will reappear separately and subsequently during the Tribulation. But the text indisputably states that he was also one of (from, out of) the seven kings (Roman Emperors); five of whom had already died, including the beast himself (Nero) because the angel specifically told John that the beast had already lived and died before the vision. Nero was the fifth Roman Caesar.

(Busts of the First Five Roman Caesars … Augustus, Tiberius, Caligula, Claudius, Nero)

All of this is explained in great detail in my book, Out of the Abyss, can the number of the beast be solved? 666.

Concerning the Antichrist beast arising from the sea (Abyss) with the metaphorical features of a leopard, bear, and lion, the following excerpt is from Out of the Abyss, page 160 (in italics):

In Revelation 13:2, the angel is giving John and all readers a brief history lesson of Daniel’s prophecy. This beast looked like a leopard … feet of a bear … mouth of lion!”

The prophet Daniel, however, doesn’t representatively equate his fourth beast with the likeness of an animal. Consequently, Revelation 13 incorporates the Grecian leopard, the Persian bear, and the Babylonian lion into the features of this new beast, which the remainder of Revelation 13 (and later in Revelation 17) clearly shows us to be a man. Remember, only in Daniel are we expressly told that the four beasts are four kingdoms.

Unlike Babylon, Mede-Persia, and Greece, the Roman Empire, as characterized, epitomized, and personified by the Roman emperors, was truly eclectic. By the end of the first century, Rome had incorporated vestiges of these three empires. That’s the main reason that the leopard, bear, and lion are in reverse order as they are presented in Daniel; a chronological reversal to show the historical fulfillment of Daniel’s prophecy.

The Roman Caesars typified the authoritative monarchy of Babylonians kings, whose law was decisively final. Like the Babylonian monarchs, the Roman Caesars spoke with power … mouth of a lion. Yet, they emulated the idea and practice from Persia that even the king was subject to the law. If a Persian king issued an edict, he, too, was subject to that decree. Persian supreme law was transported throughout its empire … feet of a bear. Rome also integrated the noble ideas of Greece, that the people could and should have a voice. Thus, the Senate of the Roman Republic became an integral part of the checks and balance system within the empire. Despite the greatness of Rome, Greek culture, language, and philosophy permeated society … looked like a leopard.”

The Treaty of Rome

It is no random coincidence that seven European nations selected Rome as the site of the symposium that would lead to The Treaty of Rome. Or that the 1957 Treaty of Rome would produce the ten-nation Common Market. Or that the ten nations of the Common Market would eventually lead to one of the most amazing historical achievements of all time … a twenty-eight united states of Europe … The European Union. This is part of God’s divine plan in which Rome will once again for a brief time (especially during the first 3 ½ years of the Tribulation) be in the international spotlight where Nero will engineer the Final Treaty of Rome. The world will view this as an impossible achievement—a peace treaty between Jews and Arabs.

Last week’s Part I Eye of Prophecy article provided Biblical evidence why Nero will be able to accomplish this feat … exclusively because of his remarkable reappearance from the distant past.

Although Rome will be recognized even more as “the great city that rules over the kings of the world” (Revelation 17:18), it will not be the center of a (so-called) Revived Roman Empire. Rather, it will be the headquarters of a Revived Roman Emperor who will strike up a liaison with “the great prostitute” (the modern representation of the once great Roman Empire) which is none other than the Vatican. This is persuasively presented in Revelation Chapter 17, including the fact that Antichrist Nero will rule over an alliance of only ten kingdoms (nations).

Nero will eventually crush the Roman Catholic Church which he hates and considers a rival to his kingdom (Revelation 17:16-17). He will also break the seven year treaty with Israel at the half-way point of the Tribulation (Daniel 7:27).

The once great Roman Empire that lasted for some 600 years is no more, nor will ever be again. Listen to the words of the prophet Daniel: “…I kept watching until the fourth beast was killed and its body was destroyed by fire” (Daniel 7:11). Daniel not only saw the rise of the Roman Empire but its utter demise, which occurred in the 5^th century AD, some one thousand years after Daniel’s visions.

Thus, Scripture makes a significant prophetic distinction between Rome and the Roman Empire—meaning the political and military might of the Roman Caesars—before the collapse of the Roman Empire. After the fall of the Roman Empire, Rome remained the great city that rules over kings, but with a new identity and sphere of influence … The Roman Catholic Church. It would be through ecclesiastical authority that Roman Catholicism would mimic the might and sustain the splendor of the ancient Roman Empire.

(Vatican City in Rome)

Rome, Not Babylon, Is the Woman (City) on the Beast—Revelation Chapter 17

Time and space in this article permits only a summary overview to support what I believe is the clear Biblical evidence that the Woman on the Scarlet Beast (Antichrist, Nero) is both ancient Rome and the ensuing Holy Roman Empire represented by the Roman Catholic Church. But the city remains the same … Rome. However, in the book of Revelation, Rome is symbolically referred to as Babylon.

For an in-depth analysis of identifying both ancient Rome and Roman Catholicism as the Woman of Revelation Chapter 17, please refer to Eye of Prophecy articles, The Woman and the Beast (I through VI, especially the first article), published 10-12-13 through 11-16-13. You might also want to look at, A Beast by Any Other Name… (Is Still a Beast), Part I, II, & III, posted 3-14, 3-21, and 3-28-15. Followed by, The Legendary Return of Nero, published 4-4-15.

In a recent Eye of Prophecy article, entitled One Hundred Forty-Four Thousand Messianic Jews … Part II, I wrote:

One hindrance to correct understanding of Scripture, especially prophecy, is a tendency of even well-meaning Christians to do way too much symbolizing. Of course there are metaphors and similes in, for example, the book of Revelation. But there is also a ton of literal people, places, things, and events.

My purpose in that article was to demonstrate decisively that the 144,000 Messianic Jews (12,000 from each tribe) were literal, not figurative. Notice, however, that I also indicated there is (obviously) symbolism in Revelation; including, but not limited to, the symbolic substitution of Babylon for Rome. In today’s article, we’re doing the reverse … examining evidence to show that Babylon is a figurative representation of Rome.

Said the angel to John just before John’s amazing vision of the woman on the scarlet beast: “…I will show you the judgment that is going to come on the great prostitute, who rules over many waters. The kings of the world have committed adultery with her, and the people who belong to this world have been made drunk by the wine of her immorality” (Revelation 17:1-2).

Later, the angel gives the meaning of the metaphorical, many waters: “…The waters where the prostitute is ruling represent masses of people of every nation and language” (Revelation 17:15). People from every nation and language absolutely applied to ancient Rome with its political and military domination of many countries; and would also relate to the subsequent global influence of the Roman Catholic religion. As of 2013, there were an estimated 1.2 billion Catholics in the world.

Then in the last verse of Chapter 17, John is told: “And this woman you saw in your vision represents the great city that rules over the kings of the world” (Verse 18).

Not only is the woman the great city, but according to the angel’s disclosure of the mystery, so also the seven heads of the beast, “…represent the seven hills where the woman rules” (Verse 9). Bible scholars for centuries have (and I agree) accurately applied the seven hills to Rome. In fact, Rome is known world-wide as the city built on seven hills. You can hardly find a hill in Babylon, as it sits on a plain in modern day Iraq.

(Picture of Modern-Day Babylon, To Show the Flat Topography)

First of Five More Reasons Why the Great City is Rome, Not Literal Babylon:

The judgment of the woman (prostitute) prophesied by John obviously had not yet taken place. Whereas, Babylon and the Babylonian Empire had already been crushed by Persia and had virtually disappeared from the historical scene, just as Scripture predicted. Jeremiah Chapter 51 is only one passage of several that foretold the utter destruction of Babylon … now a historical fact. Moreover, there is absolutely no indication in the Bible that Babylon as a “great city” (especially one that rules over kings and nations) would ever rise again.

This one-time divine judgment by God on Babylon was emphasized emphatically when Iraq’s evil dictator Saddam Hussein—who believed himself to be a reincarnation of Nebuchadnezzar—was “dethroned” and his meager (futile) effort to rebuild Babylon came to a screeching halt, just a little over a decade ago. One thing is crystal clear: Iraq, which is the contemporary land mass constituting a portion of ancient Babylon, will never be anything approaching an influential nation or city on this earth again. In fact, geopolitical experts are predicting that Iraq will eventually be split into two, three, or four smaller countries; at the very least divided between Muslim sects, as a result of the Syrian-Iraqi civil wars currently underway.

Second Reason:

In addition to the “judgment that is going to come on the great prostitute,” (Rome is still very much intact and is still considered one of the great cities of the earth), let’s scrutinize the tense of some verbs in Revelation 17.

Such as, “The seven heads of the beast represent the seven hills where the woman rules” (Revelation 17:9, italics for emphasis).

(*Note: One of the important lessons I’ve learned in my study of Scripture, especially prophecy: To pay exceptional attention to the tense of verbs and the use of pronouns, especially personal pronouns. So when verse 11 states, “his reign will be brief” (the seventh head or king), it means exactly what it says: his is referring to the seventh of seven kings—not kingdoms as many teachers contend. There is absolutely no way to get around that personal pronoun.)

Getting back to the verse just quoted: it says, where the woman rules. The woman was ruling then and there. Or if you were reading Revelation in the first century, you would say the woman rules here and now. Whether in the first century or 21^st century, we immediately realize that the woman (the great city that sits on seven hills) was ruling at the very time when the visions of Revelation were given to John. For that reason alone, believers of the first century knew beyond any doubt, whatsoever, that the angel and John were referring to Rome. What else was ruling over most of world’s nations at that time? It certainly wasn’t Babylon. Almost everyone knew of or was part of The Glory of Rome.

Later, we see the same present tense (at that specific time in history) in verse 15: “The waters where the prostitute is ruling represent masses of people of every nation and language. This is even stronger language, by virtue of using the helping (present tense) verb, “is.”

Once again in Verse 18: “And this woman you saw in your vision represents the great city that rules over the kings of the world”. “That rules,” is unquestionably a present tense rendering, with that referring to the woman (the great city) and rules conveying a present tense condition and action.

Not past tense, as in long-gone Babylon. Nor even future tense in these verses, although future tense is definitely included in Chapter 17. For example, the ten kings (not the seven kings, five who had died, one who was ruling and one to come shortly) who will yield their authority to the beast, who John previously told us had died but would reappear from the Abyss. The angel says about these ten kings “They will be appointed to their kingdoms … they will all agree to give him (the beast) their power and authority” (Verse 12-13). Will yield and will agree to give are distinctly future tense … during the Great Tribulation.

Third Reason:

Most of the prophet Daniel’s prophecies have already been fulfilled, including the rise and fall of four colossal Gentile kingdoms—Babylon, Persia, Greece, and Rome; the first arrival of Messiah; the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple by the armies of the ruler (Nero, whose legions completed the conquest of Israel that Nero had set in motion) who would arise after Messiah had been killed.

The yet unfulfilled prophecies of Daniel will take place in the Tribulation period. Likewise, with the book of Revelation. Yet, in Revelation, we are also given the biographical and geopolitical origin of the Antichrist (beast), including the shocking fact that he had already lived and died before the revelations were given to John. And that the beast would “reappear” from the Abyss, which will take place very soon after the Rapture.

However, Revelation was written first and foremost to the first century Christians. As clearly indicated by the Apostles Peter, John, and Paul in their epistles, those very believers were eagerly expecting that Jesus would return any day. And Jesus could have returned any moment of any day. For this reason of what we call the “imminent return of Messiah,” the great city depicted by the woman had to be Rome. I repeat for emphasis: It could not have been Babylon, it only could have been Rome, which was the great city of the enormous Roman Empire at the time. Even though Messiah Jesus has delayed his return, the fact remains that Rome has maintained prominence in the world including the powerful ascent of the Roman Catholic Church.

The first century Christians, most of whom were Jewish, knew their Old Testament. They knew that Babylon had long since vanished. For Christ to rapture his church at any time, which would set in motion the great Tribulation, Babylon would have to not only exist, but at that time be (or somehow arise from the ashes, despite Scriptural evidence to the contrary) the ruling power over “people of every nation and language.” It was obvious to those believers that the figurative representation of the woman could refer only to Rome. And, it should be equally evident to us in the 21^st century: only Rome has survived for 2000 years, not Babylon—which for all practical purposes ceased to exist over 2,500 years ago.

(This Picture of Rome Selected to Show Hills In and Around the City)

That same reasoning (imminent return of Jesus Christ) is used in my book, Out of the Abyss, as yet another proof that the seven heads of the beast are kings, whereas many prophecy students claim they are kingdoms, i.e. Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, Persia, Greece, Rome, and (what they say will be) The Revived Roman Empire.

From pages 165 & 166 of Out of the Abyss:

Revelation was written to and for the believers alive at that time, not just for the generation alive when Christ would return. In fact, the first century believers could certainly have been that generation … every subsequent generation that was replaced by another generation eagerly awaited the imminent return of Jesus. Otherwise, the Biblically based concept of the imminent return of Messiah would only be for the last age. In other words, any age group including the first century Christians could be the last or “that” generation.

Beyond all doubt, the early Christians knew that the sixth or seventh head (indeed all of the seven heads) could not be an empire, because if the 7^th head was a future revived Roman Empire to replace the 6^th head, then the current Roman Empire would have to be destroyed and rebuilt in some fashion. If that were the case, then there’s no way that the return of Christ would be or could be considered “imminent” to them, as it would have taken decades or even longer for the Roman Empire to fall then to be restored. In fact, history bears this out, as the Roman Empire dominated the world for another four hundred years or so.

Fourth Reason (Two Parts)

The entire 18^th Chapter of Revelation graphically depicts the consummate destruction of Rome (Babylon by symbolical representation); with virtually all the verses pointing to both ancient Rome and the subsequent Holy Roman Empire, via the Roman Catholic Church. Not literally to ancient Babylon, otherwise the descriptive language would be contradictory. For example:

“Babylon is fallen—that great city is fallen!” (Revelation 18:2). Then, in great detail, the angel tells John what will actually happen. In one of these descriptions we read: “… And all the captains of the merchant ships and their passengers and sailors and crews will stand at a distance. They will cry out as they watch the smoke ascend, and they will say, ‘Where is there another city as great as this?’” (Revelation 18:17-18).

This is literally detailing the horrified reaction of both sailors and passengers on ships. I can assure you that there is no large body of water near enough to Babylon in Iraq for sailors to watch the smoke ascend from the city. The Caspian Sea, Black Sea, Persian Gulf, and Mediterranean Sea are pretty much equidistant from Babylon, and they’re all at least 500 miles away. However, if Rome were to go up in flames, the smoke could easily be seen from vessels on the Mediterranean Sea.

(Shows Babylon’s Proximity to Bodies of Water)

Then we read: “Rejoice over her fate, O heaven and people of God and apostles and prophets! For at last God has judged her for your sakes” (Revelation 18:20, italics for emphasis).

And, “…Praise the Lord! Salvation and glory and power belong to our God. His judgments are true and just. He has punished the great prostitute who corrupted the earth with her immorality. He has avenged the murder of his servants” (Revelation 19:1-2, italics for emphasis).

Ancient Babylon did, in fact, destroy Jerusalem and Solomon’s Temple, and exiled many Jews from the southern two tribes to Babylonia. This was allowed by God to discipline Israel, but lasted for only 70 years. Other than the incident in which the young Jewish men Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego refused to bow before a statue of Nebuchadnezzar, there was no real persecution of the Jews while in captivity. And we all know about the divine deliverance of these three men from the fiery furnace!

Babylon did not kill any Jewish prophets before or during its conquest of Judah. And there were certainly no apostles at that time. In fact, Jeremiah—the most prominent prophet who prophesied Babylon’s triumph over Judah and Jerusalem—was treated with kindness by his captors.

“The captain of the guard called for Jeremiah and said, ‘The Lord your God has brought this disaster on this land, just as he said he would. For these people have sinned against the Lord and disobeyed him. That is why it happened. But I am going to take off your chains and let you go. If you want to come with me to Babylon, you are welcome. I will see that you are well cared for. But if you don’t want to come, you may stay here. The whole land is before you—go wherever you like” (Jeremiah 40:2-4).

(Note: Jeremiah’s own people had put him in chains)

To the contrary, Romans (none more so than Nero Caesar) tortured and killed thousands of Christians, including the apostles Peter and Paul. As did the Roman Catholic Church in subsequent generations during the Inquisitions, and in wars against true believers, many of whom were Protestants (protesters against the false creed of Catholicism).

God would, therefore, have no reason to punish (the city of) Babylon beyond the first and only complete judgment that took place ages ago. But all the reason in the world to finally judge Rome (primarily religious Rome) during the Great Tribulation.

Fifth Reason:

Other than Revelation’s allegorical depiction of Babylon (for the reasons already given), those who contend that Babylon is where Antichrist literally will set up his headquarters, use only one other passage … Zechariah 5:5-11. If you like, please read that text. In this article space only permits the following observations:

The Woman (called “Wickedness”) and the basket in which she sits is a figurative representation of the sins of Israel that will be symbolically transferred to the land of Shinar (Babylonia). A temple (also translated shrine, more in the meaning of monument) will be built as a memorial signifying that Israel’s transgressions will be forever removed from them when all Israel is saved at the glorious return of Messiah and allegorically deposited in the very area that produced “Mother Babylon” (Revelation 17:5).

(A Fairly Accurate Artist Rendition of the Woman in the Basket, Zachariah 5)

In fact, Zechariah Chapter Five doesn’t actually mention the city of Babylon. Nor is it, at all, saying that the land of Shinar is the Wicked Woman herself (that’s where she—representing the sins of national Israel—will be taken). In short, Zechariah is not referring, whatsoever, to the Antichrist; including, but not limited to, the speculation that he will establish his headquarters from the literal city of Babylon. Which is why Zechariah doesn’t specify Babylon; instead he refers to all of Babylonia (Shinar) as the central epitome of occult paganism that spread to other nations, which sadly included Israel.

Why Then Does John Substitute Rome with Babylon; or Use the Imagery of a Woman; or Encode the Beast’s Identity by Referring to the Number of His Name, Six Hundred, Sixty-Six?

For John to have named Rome itself in the Book of Revelation, or to have identified Nero as the beast (even though Nero was dead, it would be an affront to the office of the Roman Caesars), or for Paul to have written Nero’s name as the Man of Lawlessness in II Thessalonians, would have meant instant death for Paul, John, and thousands more Christians. Already, Nero had murdered many believers; there was no reason to risk the slaughter of thousands more. Instead, represent the seven Roman Emperors by the seven heads (kings) of the beast which include Nero as one of the seven heads but also the composite beast itself; encode his name by Hebrew gematria (Nero’s name matches the number six hundred and sixty-six); and use Babylon in the place of Rome to lessen suspicion of Roman officials, especially Caesar.

Babylon in Revelation Chapter 17 does not represent the woman herself. Rather, “A mysterious name was written on her forehead: ‘Babylon the Great, Mother of All Prostitutes and Obscenities in the World’” (Verse 5). In this context, Babylon is identified as the “Mother” who would bear children who would prostitute the very existence and truth of God and of the Messiah. Or, as done in ancient Rome, create the idea that Caesar, himself, was a god; exemplified by Nero’s ambition to actually be worshipped as God—with this ambition elevated to a whole new perverted level during the Tribulation.

This corruption and distortion of God’s everlasting truth is also the core foundation of all non-Christian world religions, cults, and anti-religious systems such as the New Age movement or communism. Including, unfortunately, the Roman Catholic Church which would continue the legacy of the Roman Empire through religion.

Thus, when Babylon (Rome) is crushed during the tribulation, Mother Babylon which birthed the “Woman” is also destroyed.

Things to Ponder

In the next to last page of Out of the Abyss, I summarize:

In closing, we need not look to modern Rome, or to Brussels, or to Mecca, or Berlin, or Moscow, or London, or Paris, or New York City, or to Washington D.C. to find the Antichrist. Look to ancient Rome, and then look to the sea. Peer into the Abyss, and you will find the man of lawlessness; the unholy beast who would dare to be “anti” Christ.

And then, look to Jerusalem for the true Messiah. Focus on the Mount of Olives for his triumphant return. Antichrist will gather his armies to fight against Yeshua. The beast will be granted authority for but a brief time. During that reign, he will strike many times. Jesus will strike but once and crush the man of lawlessness…

In the first above quoted paragraph, I was referring to the here and now, to the current pre-Rapture population of the earth. When the glorious Rapture takes place, the world’s attention will be redirected for a time from Jerusalem to Rome. Nero will suddenly appear from the Abyss. This “miracle” will amaze those left behind.

I totally believe that the Lord meant for all pre-Rapture believers to know the identity of the Antichrist. Otherwise, why would he have given us so many clues to the proper fit of the prophetic puzzle? Moreover, I trust that some left behind after the Rapture will not be so amazed at Nero, because they will understand that Scripture had disclosed long ago who this man is and what he would do upon his reappearance. It would be Satan’s attempt to counterfeit copy the magnificent return of the true Messiah, Jesus of Nazareth.

Jesus often referred to himself as the Son of Man.

“…I saw someone like the son of man coming with the clouds of heaven… He was given authority, honor, and sovereignty over all the nations of the world, so that people of every race and nation and language would obey him. His rule is eternal—it will never end. His kingdom will never be destroyed” (Daniel 7:13-14).

Please, take a few more minutes and listed to this great song, with some wonderful visual effects.

The Final Treaty of Rome … Part I

14 Saturday May 2016

Posted by garybowers in The Antichrist

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Common Market, European Union, Nero, The Abyss

The Final Treaty of Rome

“Like never before, the eyes of the world are on Israel. It is absolutely amazing that so much attention is directed to this tiny nation.”

This is a quote from the closing portion of last week’s Eye of Prophecy article entitled, An Islamic United Nations. Incessant focus on Israel and the Jewish people is a remarkable fulfillment of Scripture, which began with the miraculous rebirth of Israel in 1948. Such concentration on Israel, especially Jerusalem, will continue with chain-reaction intensity right up to the point when global attention will (temporarily) shift from Jerusalem to Rome.

Who or what will cause this world-wide transferal of interest from Jerusalem to Rome and why?

In answer to the question of who: It is the Antichrist, the Roman Emperor Nero. In answer to what: It is Nero’s (what will be perceived as miraculous) return from the grave, which is actually the Abyss (Revelation 17:8). International scrutiny will be shifted to Rome; that is where Nero will reestablish his reign of power and then terror, and will orchestrate the most highly improbable treaty of all time.

It will be the Final Treaty of Rome. Israel will be one party to the agreement and the Muslim nations on the other side of this stunning covenant. With the entire world approving to one degree or another, it could also be labeled the Treaty from Rome.

We read about it in the book of Daniel: “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…” (Daniel 9:27).

Why do I call it the Final Treaty of Rome? Because there was another Treaty of Rome which took place in 1957. Let’s take a look at the amazing results of that momentous event.

The Treaty of Rome

Have you heard of this treaty? Do you know what it’s about?

For some reason or another, I hadn’t paid much attention to the Treaty of Rome. Truth be known, I don’t even recall reading about it until recently. (Shame on me!) Why, I don’t know, as I’ve studied a good deal of history, both Biblical and secular, both ancient and modern down through the years—particularly in the past twenty years in preparation and during the writing of two books and what is now 147 Eye of Prophecy articles. I’ll give myself the benefit of the doubt, in that I took more notice of the subsequent developments instead of the treaty itself … as, I’m sure many others have done.

(Photo of the Treaty of Rome Conference, 1957)

Technically, there were two treaties signed on March 25, 1957 in Rome. Yet, both were related and are most commonly referred to in the singular … The Treaty of Rome. The treaties gave rise to the European Economic Community with, as stated in its preamble, the signatory nations, “determined to lay the foundations of an ever closer union among the peoples of Europe.”

Is that a pretty strong hint? Dare to venture a guess what the EEC led to? No, it wasn’t the United Nations, which came into existence in 1945.

Let’s continue.

Countries that sponsored this “treaty” and their representatives who signed the agreement were: France, Netherlands, Belgium, Luxemburg, Austria, West Germany, and Italy. It’s evident that the reason it was called a treaty related to the general goal of reducing, even eliminating, disputes between the nations of Europe; and to facilitate free circulation of goods, freedom of movement from one nation to another, and freedom from monopolies.

The EEC subsequently became known as The Common Market.

There you are! If you didn’t already, now you know the significance of the Treaty of Rome.

At least in my generation, nearly everyone has heard of The Common Market … originally consisted of ten European countries that many students of the Bible (at the time and for years later) pointed to as the ten nations or kingdoms of Daniel Chapter 7 and Revelation Chapter 17. Only to be embarrassed when the ten nations eventually expanded to the current 28 countries belonging to the European Union. Yes, the EU is also a direct outcome of the Treaty of Rome!

Although the initial design of the Common Market was to facilitate agricultural and trade agreements and cooperation between its European partners, the main objective was to ultimately establish a political union … which has been done. Which is, however, the reason that England refused to join the EEC (Common Market) until 1973. With the British objection based primarily on their apprehension that such a Union would force member states to relinquish national sovereignty to a centralized government with European (intra national) control. Which is also the main reason that England is now considering withdrawal from the European Union, a movement known as Brexit (Britain’s exit).

The most recent poll in advance of the pending vote shows the British are split 50/50 for or against what will be a monumental milestone in Europe’s history. Some experts are predicting serious global economic repercussions if England does, in fact, exit the European Union.

After England joined the Common Market in 1973, Denmark and Ireland followed suit; thus, the Common Market became a ten-nation union that has since morphed into 28 countries.

The latest country seeking membership in the EU is none other than Turkey; whose leader, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, just recently uttered this audacious statement that reveals his true intentions:

“What is the conquest? The conquest is Hijrah (expansion of Islam through emigration, following the example of Muhammad, the founder of Islam and his followers from Mecca to Medina). The conquest is Al-Andalu (Muslim Spain) … The conquest is Salah al-Din al-Ayubbi (Saladin). It is to hoist the flag of Islam in Jerusalem again … The conquest is to have the courage, tenacity and sagacity to defy the entire world even at the hardest times.” (Taken from a Gatestone Institute Article by Uzay Bulut, posted on May 11, 2016).

*Note: In case you missed it, Muslim leaders no longer veil their “hidden agenda” which can pretty much be reduced to two main objectives: Destruction of Israel and world domination. The primary reason they can make such belligerent boasts with virtual impunity is because any adverse reaction to practically anything said by Muslims is considered to be Islamophobia. Which, of course, causes all liberals and even a few conservatives to cower in fear that their religious-like support of diversity and political correctness might be compromised.

I stray from today’s topic, but only a little. As Nero will, in pretense, “…worship the god of fortresses—a god his ancestors never knew…” (Daniel 11:38). This god of fortresses will most certainly be Islam’s god, Allah.

The first elections to the European Parliament were held in 1979. Since then, a common currency, The Euro, has been adopted; however, England still uses the pound as its currency.

The fact that the formation of the Common Market which became the European Union took place in Rome is of no small importance when it comes to Biblical prophecy, especially relating to the significance of Rome, Roman Emperors, the Holy Roman Empire (Roman Catholic Church), and the Antichrist himself.

(Current Members of The European Union)

*Note: For potential identification of the Antichrist’s ten-nation coalition, the Gog-Magog alliance, the league of Eastern kings, and an Arab confederacy, I would encourage you to read Eye of Prophecy article, One Ring to Rule Them All. Posted 11-21-15.

As much as I loathe writing about or even mentioning his name, it’s essential to examine and expose the enemy. Thus, it’s time to do a little refresher on the Antichrist—his identity and, especially for this article, his biggest claim to fame.

Why the Antichrist Beast of Revelation is the Roman Emperor Nero

Substantial evidence has been presented in several Eye of Prophecy articles (Category of Antichrist), but mostly in my book, Out of the Abyss … can the number of the beast be solved? 666, to demonstrate that Nero is the Antichrist. The term Antichrist is only mentioned by the Apostle John in his epistle, I John. Other titles given to this man: little horn, ruler, king, man of lawlessness, and beast (of Revelation). In this article, we’ll only do a brief review to establish that the historical Nero fits with all of the names and passages of the Bible referencing the Antichrist. For example:

Daniel Chapter 9 (The Ruler): In the verse preceding the earlier quoted passage (Daniel 9:27), we read, “…a ruler will arise whose armies will destroy the city and the Temple…” (Verse 26, italics for emphasis). No other ruler in history qualifies other than Nero, as he is the Caesar who personally ordered his Generals Vespasian and Titus and their legions to crush Israel’s rebellion against the Roman Empire beginning in 66 A.D. Nero died two years later, thus it was his “armies” as precisely predicted by Scripture (beginning with Vespasian and completed by his son, Titus) that conquered Jerusalem (“the city”) and destroyed the Temple in 70 A.D.

II Thessalonians Chapter 2 (Man of Lawlessness): Likewise, much documentation is provided to show that Nero was the man of lawlessness referred to by the Apostle Paul. Not the least of which was the unlawful usurping of the Roman Emperor Claudius’s throne by being complicit with his mother Agrippina in murdering her husband Claudius. What held back the man of lawlessness (II Thessalonians 2:6) was NOT the Holy Spirit—who allegedly will be removed from the earth at the Rapture as speculated by many scholars—because the Holy Spirit is always referred to by the personal pronouns he or him in Scripture, not the impersonal pronoun, what or it, as used in II Thessalonians. What held back Nero was Claudius himself (and to some degree the Roman Senate and rule of law), until Agrippina and Nero took the law in their own hands; thereby, accelerating Nero’s ascension to the throne of Caesar. (See Chapter 21, Man of Lawlessness in Out of the Abyss). Nero ascended to the throne just 2-3 years after Paul wrote II Thessalonians. That is far beyond mere coincidence.

Revelation Chapter 17 (Scarlet Beast & King): Documented is the fact that the seven heads of the beast in this biographical chapter on Antichrist were seven Roman Emperors beginning with the first Caesar, Augustus (not Julius). That Nero was one of the five who had “fallen” (died); thereby, matching the amazing unveiling of the mystery of the scarlet beast (and woman sitting on the beast) by the angel to John with the stunning words, “The beast you saw was once alive but isn’t now … yet he will soon come up out of the bottomless pit … And the people who belong to this world … will be amazed at the reappearance of the beast who had died” (Verse 8).

The astonishing implication of this often overlooked passage is that the Antichrist will NOT be a modern-day born man. In regard to all the other evidence presented in my book and in several Eye of Prophecy articles, believe it’s worth quoting an excerpt from Out of the Abyss, page 271) written near the end of the book to emphasize the startling disclosure of the “mystery … of the beast” (Revelation 17:7-11).

There is no question; the meaning of the verse is as irrefutable as anything can be. The beast had already died before John received this revelation. How else can this passage be understood? Is there any other way to see or read this verse? If some can’t let go of a contemporary Antichrist, then what will they do with this verse … and all the other passages that help refit the prophetic puzzle?

John didn’t see the vision in the future; he saw it in the present—that hour of that day. The beast is past tense … no longer alive when John saw the vision. The beast isn’t born and doesn’t die in the future; he’s already dead. When will the beast become future tense? Correct: When he reappears from the Abyss. At the beginning of the Tribulation, the world will be amazed at the reappearance of the beast that had died. Will the beast die during the Tribulation? No, he died even before John saw him from Patmos.

Nero’s Greatest Claim to Fame (Other than his infamous brutal torture and murder of Christians, colleagues, step-brother, wives, and even his mother).

(Statues of Nero and His Mother, Agrippina)

Let’s take a brief look at one of Nero’s (very few) positive accomplishments during his fourteen year reign as the fifth Emperor in Rome’s history. Again, believe the best way to do this is by referring to Out of the Abyss (pages 178-180). As follows in italics:

He was not considered to be a great orator, though he fancied himself as an actor, a composer, and a musician. In Nero’s early years, Seneca did much of Nero’s talking to the public and Senate. In short, he was not a prototype of the Antichrist portrayed in many eschatological books, sermons, and television programs. But is the contemporary image of Antichrist accurate?

Contrary to modern imagery of the Antichrist, Scripture does not tell us that the man of lawlessness will necessarily be a great orator, a consummate politician, a charismatic leader, or exhibit other appealing characteristics commonly assigned to a world leader. Nor does the Bible tell us that the tribulation world will follow him because he exercises these persuasive traits and people buy into him for that reason.

What Scripture elucidates above all else, as the reason why people the world over will immediately give him complete allegiance to the point of worship, is that he reappears from the dead. The contemporary notion that yields a portrait of the Antichrist as a cunning political orator is a deduction derived almost exclusively from an achievement at the outset of the tribulation—the successful negotiation of a seven-year treaty with Israel. Many suggest that only a dynamic, magnetic leader could capture the loyalty of so many people during the tribulation. Yet history shows that megalomaniac rulers have come in all shapes, sizes, types, and levels of persuasive influence, not the least of which were the Roman Emperors.

Throughout history, there have been all kinds of treaties, orchestrated by all types of people, ratified through many different situations and settings.

I then use the example that it wasn’t Adolph Hitler’s oratory skills; rather it was the fear of Hitler and the growing German military monster that prompted Neville Chamberlain to negotiate a treaty with Hitler. It was the infamous “peace in our time” that almost immediately led to a global conflict … World War II.

Continuing with Out of the Abyss:

…For most of his reign he achieved that popularity, especially with the common Roman citizen, but not because Nero was a brilliant speaker or a charismatic leader.

Of all things, it was a treaty that Nero engineered between Rome and Parthia that helped endear him to the Roman Senate, the Roman Legions, and the Roman citizens … Suffice to say that this peace deal was a substantial victory for Nero, both politically and socially. His popularity increased dramatically … Moreover, this accomplishment was not a result of any extraordinary talents or gifts that Nero possessed.

In fact, when examining history, the single most influential factor in negotiating a treaty relates to the state-of-affairs conditions and circumstances that gave rise to an agreement between peoples or nations.

At this point in Out of the Abyss, I jump forward to Nero’s reappearance.

After the Rapture, Nero won’t have much of a problem in negotiating a treaty with Israel. Remember, there will be no Christians left immediately after the Rapture. But there will be chaos, confusion, and disorder … Nero will capitalize on this pandemonium by orchestrating a treaty, one that will allow the Jewish Temple to be built alongside the Muslim Dome of the Rock, or even in place of the Dome of the Rock. I use the word orchestrating, because one of Nero’s talents was that of arranging and synchronizing things, such as a group of people with dissident views or like a musical play, of which he wrote and performed several—in Greek.

And who in the world is going to argue with a man who returns to the earth after a two thousand year absence? With regard to the sack of Jerusalem in 70 AD, all Nero need say is that the Roman Generals went way too far. He will probably remind tribulation Jews that he died in 68 AD, two years before the Roman Legions destroyed the Temple. That he had not intended for the Jews to be exiled from Judea or for the Temple to be destroyed. After a fashion, he might even apologize to the Jews. His way of making up for the ancient Roman mistreatment of the Jews will be to offer than a new Temple.

He will remind the Jews and the Arabs that his hostility as a Roman Emperor was rightfully and justifiably directed against the Christians—those narrow minded, bigoted, self-righteous hypocrites who disappearance has done mankind a favor by cleansing the earth of religious intolerance.

If you like, you could come up with any number of lies that a resurrected Nero will fabricate and foist on Israel and the nations. But the bottom line is that untold millions will follow him for the same reason that many have followed Jesus Christ. RESURRECTION FROM THE DEAD.

Then on page 182, this Biblically based clarification of the actual reason why many in the Tribulation period will listen to and follow Nero, I write:

The Antichrist is not afforded blind worship because he is a superman in terms of being an accomplished statesman, orator, or leader. The False Prophet does that for him. The superhuman qualities accorded him will literally lie in his mystical return from death.

From Where Does Nero Return To the Earth?

In other sections of Out of the Abyss and in some Eye of Prophecy articles, additional explanation is provided that Nero doesn’t actually rise from the grave in exact duplication of the miraculous resurrection of Messiah Jesus. Rather, he has been confined, then at the outset of the Tribulation will be released from the Abyss … a completely different place than hell (the grave). Supported by the sensible logic that in order for the beast to “reappear from the Abyss” (Revelation 17:8), he first must be placed there.

Let’s look at a few more paragraphs from Out of the Abyss that best explain why the entire world at the beginning of the Great Tribulation, “…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).

This unashamed, unabashed, unequivocal loyalty to and worship of Nero is due entirely to his sudden reappearance from the dead (mortal wounds inflicted 2000 years ago).

First, however, a reminder that the Abyss or Bottomless Pit in Scripture is a special place of confinement for exceptionally wicked angels, as opposed to most fallen angels (demons) who still, along with Satan, have God-granted permission to roam the heavens and the earth.

Genesis Chapter 6 tells us about these fallen angels, as does II Peter 2. Also, here is what Jude says about them: “And I remind you of the angels who did not stay within the limits of authority God gave them but left the place where they belonged. God has kept them securely chained in prisons of darkness, waiting for the great day of judgment” (Jude 6).

This gruesome group of depraved demons attempted to accomplish Satan’s plan to dilute and pervert the human race, which is one of the main reasons for the Great Flood … God’s first global judgment of the earth.

Which is also why the demons that Jesus cast out of the man in the region of Gerasenes, “…kept begging Jesus not to send them into the bottomless pit.” (Luke 8:31). Jesus granted that request by granting another request of the demons, to let them enter into a herd of nearby pigs!

From this passage and others we learn two things: (1) Many demons are allowed to roam the earth and parts of the heavenly places, but some have been imprisoned in the Abyss. (2) Fallen angels dread the thought of banishment to the Abyss. That’s why the demons of Gerasenes wanted no part of the Abyss; going to the extreme of begging Jesus not to send them to this inescapable prison of darkness which completely takes away the (temporary) freedom they have been allowed by God to serve Satan.

(Artist Rendition of the Nephilim … See Genesis Chapter 6)

Getting back to the fact that the reappearance of Antichrist Nero to the earth will be directly from the Abyss (Revelation 17:8), here are some additional excerpts from Out of the Abyss (pages 232, 233):

In all of Scripture, there is only one reference to a human being coming from, therefore, having been placed into the Abyss. That man is the man of lawlessness, who is the Antichrist, who is the beast of Revelation. Such an honor!

Soon after Nero died, his body was literally removed from the grave and transported directly to the Abyss. I believe there is a twofold reason that God expelled this man of lawlessness to the Abyss:

To make it clear to believers that Nero would not replicate the actual resurrection of Jesus Christ. I firmly believe that God would not extend this resurrection power to Satan, anymore that he would allow Satan to be God or be like God. There are some things that God will simply not grant. For one thing God would not permit anyone, let alone Satan, to share his glory, in which God’s very essence and attributes are expressed…

On the flip side, to allow Satan to mimic the resurrection without actually performing this miracle. To be sure, Nero will flaunt this counterfeit “resurrection” by seizing the opportunity to demonstrate that he has arisen from the dead. The unsaved world won’t know the difference between a return from the grave and reappearance from the Abyss. Only the tribulation saints will know the difference, just as we know the difference now. The world will be amazed that a man who had been dead for some two thousand years could return with the same body and the same scars caused by the fatal wound. In fact, it wouldn’t be at all surprising if Nero said something to the effect, “Now tell me who the true God is. I died two thousand years ago and I’ve come back … That presumptuous Nazarene was dead for only three days, so he says. Even if he was dead for three days, who is the greater of the two? Whose miracle is the greatest? Where is this imposter now?”

Summary

Several “Roadmaps of Peace” in the Middle East have failed over the years, including the Oslo Accord of 1993 mediated by United States President Bill Clinton between Palestinian Authority President Yasser Arafat and Israeli Prime Minister Yitzchak Rabin. Since then the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank and Hamas in the Gaza Strip have rejected generous land for peace offers from two Israeli Prime Ministers, Ehud Barak and Ehud Olmert. The PA consistently refuses to come to the table with current Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu unless pre-negotiated demands are met, i.e. right of return of so-called Arab refugees, Israel’s withdrawal to pre-1967 territorial lines, and most audacious of all—east Jerusalem as the capital of a Palestinian State.

These three issues are, by far, the most difficult to resolve; however the Palestinians won’t agree to negotiate unless these demands are met. In other words, they won’t even agree to disagree, which must first be a condition before negotiations are remotely possible.

Powerful nations of the EU, especially France, and now the United States are growing tired of these (their own) failures. Moreover, they are, with a great deal of inaccuracy and inequity, putting much more of the blame on Israel than the Palestinians and other Muslim nations whose real agenda is elimination of the State of Israel altogether. Which is why the Palestinians have rejected more than generous offers from the Israelis, and why they have no incentive to resume negotiations for either peace or a Palestinian State. Why should the Arabs cooperate when the prominent nations of the world are now willing to unilaterally declare the existence of a Palestinian State, undoubtedly with the borders to be those of pre-1967 Armistice Lines … boundaries that would jeopardize Israel’s national security in the north, east, and south regions of Israel. Worse than that: to arbitrarily divide Jerusalem and declare this 3000 year-old capital of Israel as an “East Jerusalem” Palestinian capital.

According to Scripture, it will not be the leaders of any of these nations, i.e. US, France, Britain, Germany, Russia, Italy, or the Arab Confederation that will bring peace to the Middle East. For one thing there is too much disagreement between these governments as to just what this Roadmap of Peace will encompass. Or, if and how the borders of a Palestinian state will be enforced or its capital recognized if either Israel or the Palestinians themselves reject such a “treaty.” The likelihood of any such pre-Rapture agreement actually taking place is remote. Even if some sort of treaty (defined by Webster as an agreement or arrangement made by negotiation) is reached, it will be virtually impossible to implement and/or administrate.

But the time is coming soon when one (depraved) man will successfully set aside all differences, remove all obstacles, and unify all dissenters. He will do this because Europeans, North Americans, South Americans, Australians, Muslims, and Jews alike will agree that he alone is qualified. He alone possesses the god-like capability to orchestrate, implement, and enforce such a treaty. Will this megalomaniac succeed because of statesmanship skills, or oratorical persuasion, or charismatic attributes?

No, it’s because of one astounding accomplishment: Nero’s return from the grave!

This miracle—in the eyes of those who “belong to the world” left behind after the Rapture—will be the catalyst instilling a mixture of adoration and fear, that will lead to the Final Treaty of Rome.

An ancient Roman Emperor will achieve what contemporary national leaders and global governments for decades have attempted but failed: A “Treaty of Peace” between Jews and Muslims, with many nations of the world lending their full support.

And so the world will believe the Lie (Nero himself is the Lie), just as Scripture tells us. The lying spirit of Antichrist claims that Jesus is not the Christ, and that God is not the Father. Nero will boast that he alone is God or Messiah, for no one could possibly return from the dead in the manner in which he did.

“This man will come to do the work of Satan with counterfeit power and signs and miracles. He will use every kind of deception to fool those on their way to destruction, because they refuse to love and accept the truth that would save them. So God will cause them to be greatly deceived, and they will believe these lies. Then they will be condemned for enjoying evil rather than believing the truth” (II Thessalonians 2:9-12).

Stay tuned for next week’s Part II article on the Final Treaty of Rome.

Things to Ponder

For a brief time, Satan will get his diabolical wish … to be worshipped as the Most High God. Likewise, Nero will achieve his warped goal … to be revered as divine, to reestablish his glory—this time on a global scale. To convince millions upon millions that he alone bears the credentials to be the world’s savior. Right out of the gates he will demonstrate his negotiation skills through a position of strength conferred to him by virtue of his miraculous return from the dead.

Thus, he will begin the Great Tribulation with a treaty to end all treaties: The Final Treaty of Rome.

Few will resist his right to receive and exercise authority that will not only rescue the world from disaster, but lead it to Utopia … the great Pax Romana peace that Nero failed to achieve the first time. But this time he will boast of success. Why can he make that boast? Why will so many believe him?

“…but the fatal wound was healed! The whole world marveled at this miracle and gave allegiance to the beast. They worshipped the dragon 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).

Not to worry: There is One who can and will fight against the beast. One who is far greater than Satan or his man of sin. One who can and will bring real, everlasting peace to the earth. For he is the Prince of Peace.

Listen to the powerful prophetic promise of what will take place at the end of the Great Tribulation:

“During the reign of those kings, the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed or conquered. It will crush all these kingdoms into nothingness, and it will stand forever” (Daniel 2:44).

And who will reign over this kingdom? None other than the Son of God, Messiah Jesus.

“…The government will rest on his shoulders. And he will be called: Wonderful Counselor, Almighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. His government and its peace will never end. He will rule with fairness and justice from the throne of his ancestor David for all eternity. The passionate commitment of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies will make this happen!” (Isaiah 9:6-7).

An Islamic United Nations?

07 Saturday May 2016

Posted by garybowers in Current Events

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

Security Council, Temple Mount, UN, UNESCO

Here We Go Again

In light of yet another anti-Israel resolution by the United Nations, this week’s Eye of Prophecy article could have been entitled, Peace or a Palestinian State … Which Will It Be? Or: More Palestinian Lies. Or: The Legacy of Temple Mount. Or: The Myth of Al-Aqsa Mosque. But it can’t because those are titles of articles already written.

Maybe each Saturday’s article should be posted late in the day instead of first thing in the morning. But that wouldn’t work either. Although Eye of Prophecy articles are published weekly and many of them are in the category of Current Events, they cannot keep up with the almost daily barrage of media reports on the Middle East in general and Israel in particular.

Just hours after I posted The Myth of Al-Aqsa Mosque article on April 16^th, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) passed a resolution “officially” (for the UN, not for Israel or anyone who knows the true history of Temple Mount) classifying Temple Mount by its Arabic name, Al-Haram Al Sharif; which in English is translated to Noble Sanctuary. But disregard the English translation. Even though English is recognized as the main international language, only the Arabic name is to be used.

Among non-Muslim nations voting in favor of this contemptible resolution, France was the most conspicuous with (dis)honorable recognition for Sweden and Spain.

What will these Western nations will do when Muslims change the identity of revered religious, national, cultural, or political sites in European countries, exclusively to Islamic names, with demands that only the Muslim designations be recognized? And if city or national governments do not comply, then they, too, are guilty of Islamophobia or religious and cultural intolerance or being PI (politically incorrect).

Stop shaking your head! It could come to that, just like Sharia Law could be implemented in some jurisdictions.

I wonder what the Muslim name for the Statue of Liberty will be. Perhaps, Mohammed’s Torch of Freedom?

(Might Muslims Also Claim She Is Holding the Koran?)

Not only Temple Mount, but UNESCO’s rancorous resolution also included several other Jewish sacred sites, declaring them elite Muslim holy places and referring to them only by Muslim labels.

Here are a couple of excerpts (in italics) from Eye of Prophecy article, The Myth of Al Aqsa Mosque:

Muslims contend that Temple Mount does not belong to the Jews, partially because it is the third holiest location in Islam. Never mind that Temple Mount is the HOLIEST place, the most sacred of all sites to Judaism and the Jews! That’s irrelevant to the Arabs and seemingly to much of the world.

Thus, it’s imperative that we examine the historical basis for Islamic motives to defend their holy sites. In doing so, we will once again confirm that Muslim attempts to rewrite the history of this ancient conflict have no basis in fact. We will see the rest of the story, the empirical evidence that will undermine Palestinian claims that they alone have rights to Temple Mount. Hopefully, this will help dispel the flawed opinions or imprecise impressions that many in the Western world (as well as Muslims themselves) have concerning Jewish and Islamic heritage of Temple Mount … indeed, of all Jerusalem and Israel.

Then later in the article:

From our examination of the true history of the Al-Aqsa Mosque, we now see more clearly that neither the mosque, nor Dome of the Rock, nor Noble Sanctuary (Temple Mount) have any real historical relevance to or connection with Islam’s purported interest in Jerusalem. Rather, they are merely a convenient excuse for Muslims to continue their concerted effort to expel or even eliminate (if they could) all Jews in Israel. It is not question of even one square foot of land on Temple Mount or anywhere else in Israel. It is a question of whether Palestinian Arabs and Muslim nations will ever recognize the sovereign state of Israel and the right of Jews to live in their ancient land, given to them by God himself. A land they occupied (in the positive connotation of the word) long before the Arabs, hundreds of years before Mohammed started the religion of Islam.

More on UNESCO’s Resolution

This latest resolution to denigrate and discredit Israel by renaming Temple Mount and insisting that all nations use the Arabic term for Temple Mount is yet another pitiful attempt to deny any association whatsoever of the Jewish people to their most holy site in their most holy city of Jerusalem. Furthermore, the resolution was on the very day of Passover, which has been an integral part of the Jewish tradition in Israel for nearly 3,500 years. With Jerusalem and the Temple (Temple Mount) established 3,000 years ago by King David and King Solomon.

Yet UNESCO is doing nothing more than the United Nations, as a whole, has done for nearly 70 years: Castigate Israel fanatically and frequently. Whereas most of the anti-Israel sanctions are initiated by Islamic countries, other nations often vote in favor of these reprehensible resolutions which number far more than those against truly rogue and dangerous nations such as Iran and North Korea.

Will this resolution have any real impact on the world at large? Absolutely it will. The idea is really quite simple: If national leaders and government officials begin to use the label of Al-Haram Al Sharif in reference to Temple Mount, they will soon (if they haven’t already) consider Temple Mount as belonging—historically, religiously, and culturally—to Islam and to Arabs.

Here is another excerpt from The Myth of Al Aqsa Mosque to reinforce the clear historical evidence that the only real interest Mohammed had for Jerusalem was to take it from the Jews.

There’s even more. Jerusalem, itself, is NEVER mentioned in the Koran … not once. Whereas, Jerusalem is referenced 669 times in the Bible and Zion (Jerusalem) 154 times. This is nothing short of an insurmountable obstacle to Muslim statements that not only Temple Mount, but all of Jerusalem belongs to them.

It’s simply inconceivable that the Koran, which was compiled in stages over many years, would not make one reference to Jerusalem, especially after the Arabs conquered Israel’s Holy City in 638 AD. Moreover, the Dome of the Rock was built by the Arabs because it was the site of the destroyed Jewish Temples, having nothing to do with Islam or the tale of Mohammed’s journey to the Holy City. The main purpose for building the Dome of the Rock was to prevent the construction of another Jewish Temple, and to erase the historical authenticity of Jewish rights to Temple Mount.

During and alongside media coverage of UNESCO’s resolution, was the reminder of France’s proposal to convene an international summit for the express purpose of reaching a framework of peace between Israel and the Palestinians. But if neither party could come to terms on yet another Roadmap of Peace, then France would unilaterally declare and recognize a Palestinian State within Israel’s borders.

Here are the first few paragraphs copied from the Eye of Prophecy article, Peace or a Palestinian State … Which Will It Be? Posted 2-27-16.

In one of the most curious proposals for Middle East peace ever made, France recently presented Israel and the Palestinians with an invitation to participate in an international conference in Paris this coming summer. The idea of a peace symposium is not unique and certainly not strange, as many powerful nations including the United States have repeatedly tried to establish an all too elusive reconciliation between Israel and the Palestinians, between the Jews and Arabs. The last such attempt, mediated by US Secretary of State, John Kerry, disintegrated in April 2014.

Yet, this one-sided plan from France borders on the bizarre. Some might even consider it preposterously pathetic. I would agree with that assessment, were it not for the potentially ominous consequences of France’s comply-or-else summons. Although the fine print details of the proposal have not yet been publicized, the basic agenda imposed by France has been clearly explained by the French ambassador to Israel. Which is: If Israel refuses to participate in the conference; OR, even if Israel does attend and diplomatic efforts fail to presumably reach some sort of agreement for some kind of peace, then France will by default recognize the existence of a Palestinian State within the borders of Israel.

Strangest of all, the French seem to be saying that it’s either peace in Israel or a Palestinian State … one or the other. The validity of this deduction is underscored by the fact that France knows all too well that Israel would never agree to a Palestinian State under the current pre-negotiated conditions imposed by the Palestinian Authority Fatah in the West Bank and certainly not by Hamas in the Gaza Strip. Likewise, the Palestinians have shown absolutely no inclination whatsoever to relax their hard-core demands.

Demands such as: East Jerusalem as capital of a Palestinian State, Israel’s return to pre-1967 territorial borders, and full right of return of all post-1948 Arab refugees. But most significant of all: persistent Palestinian refusal to even recognize Israel as a sovereign Jewish State—the only such state in the world and one that is officially recognized by the United Nations collectively and virtually all non-Muslim countries individually.

Furor over the Golan Heights

It’s not just Temple Mount that has captivated media headlines. On April 17^th, the very next day after UNESCO’s shameful resolution, Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu defended Israel’s first-ever cabinet meeting held in the Golan Heights (on April 11^th), with these words:

“I convened this celebratory meeting in the Golan Heights to send a clear message: The Golan Heights will always remain in Israel’s hands. Israel will never withdraw from the Golan Heights. It is time that the international community recognized reality. Whatever happens on the other side of the border, the border itself will not move. Secondly, after 50 years it is time that the international community realized that the Golan will remain under Israeli sovereignty.”

Prime Minister Netanyahu emphasized that the Golan Heights was and is, “…an integral part of the Land of Israel in ancient times. This is documented by dozens of ancient synagogues around us. And the Golan is (also) an integral part of the State of Israel in the present time.”

That Golan in the territory of Bashan was part of the Promised Land deeded directly by God to Israel is also documented in Scripture. Beginning when Moses and the Israelites conquered Og, the king of Bashan, who opposed the Jews just a short time before Joshua led them into the Promised Land (see Numbers 21:31-35).

Subsequently, Joshua, according to specific instructions from the Lord, apportioned the Promised Land (all of Israel) to the Jews, with Bashan located in the territory given to half of the tribe of Manasseh east of the Jordan River—along with two other tribes, Reuben and Gad, on that side of the Jordan. The other 9 ½ tribes were allotted their portion of the Land west of the Jordan River (see Joshua 13:7-12, but also the rest of Chapter 13 through Chapter 20).

(Map of Biblical Allotment of the Promised Land, Including Bashan … Golan Heights)

The Israeli Cabinet meeting on the Golan Heights and Benjamin’s defense of such a meeting were in direct response to current efforts by world powers (including the United States) to negotiate an agreement to end the war in Syria; one that could potentially return the Golan Heights to Syria. Since then Prime Minister Netanyahu has discussed the matter by phone with US Secretary of State John Kerry, and by meeting personally with Russia’s President Vladimir Putin.

With the gist of those meetings summarized by Benjamin Netanyahu when he said, “…we would not oppose a political resolution in Syria so long as it does not come at our expense. That is to say, at the end of the day Iranian forces, ISIS, and Hezbollah need to be removed from Syrian territory.”

In a short while, we’ll look at some startling responses to Netanyahu’s stirring statement that Israel would never give up the Golan Heights. But first let’s examine the:

Strategic Importance of the Golan Heights

First, a short history, with emphasis on brief … an in-depth history would require far too much time/space for today’s article. So we’ll pick it up following the Israeli-Arab War of 1948-49, which is known by the Jews as their War of Independence.

The Golan Heights is located at the northeast end of Israel, overlooking the Jordan Valley which includes the Sea of Galilee and the Jordan River itself. It is an area that is absolutely vital to Israel’s security because it borders Lebanon to the north, Syria to the east, and Jordan to the south.

The Heights part of the Golan Heights is a relatively new designation of this critical portion of land. The former and still sometimes used name is simply Golan. Or Biblically, “Golan in Bashan.” It’s easy to figure out why the suffix, Heights, was added. It relates to the elevation factor … a high plateau with protruding ridges here and there. As you might surmise, altitude is of critical value during war and also during peacetime to maintain a superior advantage should military conflict erupt.

Military strategists emphasize the significance of higher ground. If higher ground is available, then occupy it. If already occupied by the enemy, then take it … depending on the casualty risk and logistical importance of that particular high ground. When it’s taken, defend it at all cost. It’s much easier to sit and shoot down at the enemy than to shoot up at the enemy while climbing, even if you’re in a tank.

Thus, Golan became the Golan Heights. That change in the designation tells it all; Israel’s very survival depends on a military advantage afforded by this strategic high ground in northern Israel. Even with air superiority, Israel knows that armored ground forces are essential in defending Israel. Including, if necessary, to send troops into Syria or Lebanon or even Jordan if Israel is attacked.

After Israel’s victory in their War of Independence, a Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) was established on the Golan Heights between Syria and Israel’s borders. Think of a DMZ as a “buffer zone.” Immediately there was conflict between Israel and Syria over water and agricultural rights, as well as legal disputes over who should control what part of the area. However, from the very beginning of this “Armistice” Agreement, Syrian troops began to harass Jewish communities along the border mostly by lobbing mortars into the towns. Israelis spent many sleepless nights in bomb shelters. Several Jews were killed and wounded in this shelling.

Prior to the Six-Day War, five nations in the United Nations sponsored a resolution to condemn Syria for these constant unprovoked bombardments of Jewish towns.

Amazing, isn’t it. The United Nations actually drafted a resolution against one of Israel’s adversaries, instead of targeting Israel! Alas, the motion was vetoed by the Soviet Union. Recall: The five permanent nations in the UN Security Council have veto power … the United States, Russia, China, France, and England.

During Israel’s stunning June, 1967 victory over Syria and Egypt in just six days, she captured a majority of Golan Heights. By 1970 there were twelve Jewish settlements on the Golan. Then in the Yom Kippur War of 1973, Israel fought a series of bloody battles to prevent Syria regaining full control of the Golan Heights. Subsequently the United Nations established and monitored a cease-fire line that gave Syria one-third of the area and Israel two-thirds control (in the western part).

Then in 1981, Israel annexed most of the Golan Heights. Although the annexation didn’t change the dynamics of the area all that much, it did legally assure that the area of the Golan designated by Israel belongs to them; if, for no other reason, than victory in war. However, Israel didn’t capture, control, and then annex the Golan Heights in order to aggressively, deliberately, and without provocation wrest land away from Syria. It was the Israelis who were provoked by outright attacks or imminent threat of attack by their enemies, including Syria.

(Modern-day Map of the Golan Heights Region)

The Israelis had no choice. I repeat for emphasis: No choice, whatsoever. Capturing the Golan was a matter of national survival for Israel. Keeping it, is no less a matter of national existence. Without it, a Syrian army (whatever government it might eventually belong to), or Hezbollah, or ISIS, or Al Qaeda, or Jordan, or Russia, or Iran, or whoever can launch deadly attacks against Israel from the Golan Heights.

However, with the primary and ultimate claim to the Golan given to them by God himself. As well as much more of the Promised Land that will one day be added to modern Israel—Jewish land that is currently part of Lebanon, Syria, and Jordan.

Remarkable Reactions by Islamic Countries

On April 26^th just a few days after Benjamin Netanyahu raised the voice of Israel by saying that the, “Golan will remain under Israeli sovereignty,” the Organization of Islamic Cooperation held an “emergency, extraordinary” meeting in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. This emergency session was in direct retaliation to Netanyahu’s statements.

The OIC includes war-torn and/or botched Islamic states such as Syria, Iraq, Libya, Yemen, and Nigeria … also economically and politically dysfunctional countries like Somalia and Bangladesh. Unlike Israel, none of the 57 member nations are democratic in any way, shape, or form. For the most part, people of these countries are far worse off than Palestinians occupying the region of Judea/Samaria (commonly referred to as the West Bank) of Israel. Yes, you read that right. As said in some past Eye of Prophecy articles and as affirmed by political, military, and historical experts who understand the true history of Israel, it is the Palestinians who are the occupiers, not the Israelis—as all of the land legally, historically, and Biblically belongs to Israel.

Among many other things said, the OIC’s final summary, “Condemns strongly Israel, the occupying power, and its macabre acts to change the legal status, demographic composition, and institutional structure of the occupied Syrian Golan … expresses unconditional support for the legitimate right of the Syrian people to restore their full sovereignty on the occupied Syrian Golan.”

Prior to this meeting, the Arab League, many of whose 22 members are also members of the OIC, had called for Israel to be charged and tried criminally for Israel’s conduct. This despite the fact that Israel has successfully controlled the Golan Heights since 1967, preventing more death and destruction by Syrian bombs raining down on innocent Israelis. And by establishing a strong military deterrent for invasion of Israel.

Of course, in today’s Syria, any invasion of Israel is a moot point; what with a bloody civil war that has resulted in the death of over a quarter million people. With displacement of millions more, many of whom are (and many more still waiting for asylum) refugees in Europe, constituting the greatest refugee crisis since World War II.

Exactly who or what will constitute or represent “Syrian Golan,” if the demands of Islamic nations that Israel return all of the Golan to Syria is met? Not to mention that the Golan encompasses less than one percent of Syrian territory. Or that Syria’s loss of a portion of the Golan Heights fifty years ago is anything resembling a huge problem with Syria today … whatever Syria is at this time in history. The Golan is absolutely the least of Syria’s concerns, what with its very survival at stake. For that matter, who in Syria has claim to the Golan? Is it the government of Bashar Assad, supported by Russia and Iran and Hezbollah of Lebanon? Or is it the rebels trying to gain their freedom from the oppressive Syrian regime, with these freedom fighters supported by the United States led coalition? Or might it even be ISIS, whose avowed objective is to set up an Islamic Caliphate in Iraq and Syria? ISIS is an acronym for Islamic State in Iraq and Syria.

To whom should Israel surrender the Golan? Of course that’s a rhetorical question. But that’s exactly what these Islamic organizations (states) are demanding. Not only that, but many of these nations are (silently) applauding Israel’s firm resolve to thwart any semblance of an attack against Israel (via the Golan Heights) by ISIS or Hezbollah or factions in Syria. Especially those nations next or close to Israel, such as Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and the gulf coast states—who could be next on the bucket list of ISIS (or even Russia or Iran).

So which is it? Condemn the Jews and demand that Israel withdraw from the Golan (and Temple Mount while Israel is in the withdrawal mode)? Or, at least pragmatically acknowledge that it is Israel alone who keeps Israel strong and surrounding nations secure from any and all of the warring factions in Syria.

Jordan is probably the best example, as this nation has more to gain by an Israeli controlled Golan than any other nation. The last thing Jordan wants or needs is another entity to occupy the Golan Heights other than Israel. Jordanians know that Israel will keep them safe by Israel’s very presence there, as well as the Jordan Valley, East Jerusalem, etc. Of course, even Jordan does their part for the Arab world and for Islam by periodically condemning Israel for this and that. Lately, because of Temple Mount.

Take Iran for instance … a bitter hater and enemy of Israel. To the extent that numerous times in recent years, even months, this rogue Islamic nation has vowed to “wipe Israel from the face of the earth.” If Iranian forces get a strong foothold in Syria, it’s only a hop, skip, and a jump to the Golan Heights. But Saudi Arabia and Iran are not exactly bosom buddies; in fact, they are diametrically opposed, i.e. Shi’ite (Iran) against Sunni and Wahhabi (Saudi Arabia). Saudi Arabia and Egypt and a few other Islamic nations are (mostly under the table) tempering their animosity toward Israel under the paradigm of “the enemy of my enemy is my friend.”

But then Arab, Islamic, and even non-Muslim anti-Semitism always manages to rear its ugly head. No matter their realization (reality) that a strong and vibrant Israel is one of their best sources of stability and security against what they also consider the forces of evil (ISIS, Iran, Hezbollah, and even Russia), they just can’t control themselves when it comes to an Israeli Prime Minister saying such things as, “Israel will never withdraw from the Golan Heights.”

Them’s fightin words to Muslims! And so they revert back to their irrational hatred of the Jews, by condemning Israel for keeping a tiny sliver of land that Israel was forced to capture because of Arab aggression in three wars against Israel in twenty-five years’ time. Plus, the “peacetime” bombing of Jews in the vicinity of the Golan Heights.

United Nations Security Council Response

Not only UNESCO, but the UN Security Council couldn’t contain themselves … couldn’t miss an opportunity to condemn Israel. Most of the time the UN doesn’t need a reason to sanction Israel. Many of the UN resolutions against Israel are not in response to anything Israel does or says; rather, they are part of an ongoing deliberate plan (plot) to censure Israel just because it exists. As previously indicated, most of the resolutions are instigated by Muslim nations, with non-Muslim countries joining in.

Following UNESCO’s lead, this past Sunday (May 1^st) the UN Security Council unanimously agreed to challenge Benjamin Netanyahu’s declaration that the Golan Heights must (for all the reasons already listed) remain under Israel’s sovereign jurisdiction. China’s U.N. Ambassador Liu Jieyl, the current president of the 15-member Security Council, issued a statement the following day (May 2^nd) saying, “Council members expressed their deep concern over recent Israeli statements about the Golan, and stressed that the status of the Golan remains unchanged.”

Official Security Council statements are adopted by consensus of all members, which include the United States. Unlike UNESCO, the Security Council did not actually propose and pass a resolution; however, this official public statement following a (closed-door) session serves the same purpose. Actually the Security Council didn’t need to pass a resolution, as they already had one in place.

Council President Liu Jieyl merely cited Resolution 497 passed in 1981 soon after Israel annexed the Golan Heights. He repeated a summary portion of that resolution to the press: Israel’s annexation action in 1981 was, “null and void and without international legal effect.”

Never mind that less than 1% of Syrian territory is involved. Disregard the evidence that Syria used the Golan Heights (their portion of it) to rain down mortars on Israeli civilians for some twenty years. Then used that same high ground to try to defeat Israel in two more wars. Simply ignore the fact that Israel won that territory with the blood of their soldiers and civilians—not offensively or unprovoked, but in national defense and preservation of their very survival.

Moreover, our own Executive Staff (US President) fully endorsed the regurgitation of the 1981 Resolution. That is simply unthinkable, unfathomable, and borders on hypocrisy.

What would the United States do if the United Nations issued a resolution that the Louisiana Purchase from France was not legally binding. Or the purchase of Alaska from Russia was, “null and void.”

Or worse, that we should give Texas back to Mexico because we had no right to fight for the territory of Texas in the first place. We should have let the “Napoleon of the West,” Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna keep right on marching and murdering his way to Washington D.C. I say worse, because we won that land at the expense of American blood, not just dollars.

Remember the Alamo!

Why does the United States along with 27 other countries belong to NATO, and station troops in key areas of Europe? Easy answer: Because Russia can’t be trusted.

Why are there still nearly 30,000 US soldiers in South Korea near the DMZ that separates South Korea from North Korea? Easier answer: Because North Korea is a rogue communist nation that deplores the democracy of its South Korean neighbors and hates the United States even more.

Giving this critically strategic plateau back to the Syrians would be a recipe for disaster. Although there would obviously be Israeli casualties, the biggest disaster would fall on the Syrians, in the event they launched another offensive from the Golan or resumed shelling of nearby Israeli towns.

Any way you slice the politically correct United Nations international pie, Israel seldom gets a piece. And the miniscule piece of a very small pie that Israel won through defensive wars and the blood of her people, must be given back to the enemy. Doesn’t matter whether that enemy can’t even function as a State, an enemy that consists of several enemies … all fighting each other and who all hate Israel. Even when it was a “state,” Syria was controlled by a dictator who wanted nothing more than complete eradication of the Jews from Israel.

As is said, “What’s a person to do?”

That’s Not All

Getting back to France’s call for an international conference to establish peace in the Middle East even if it means a unilateral recognition of a Palestinian State that doesn’t exist, the next thing that would take place is a U.N. Resolution declaring a Palestinian State, whether the Israelis or even the Palestinians want such a state. Which, in turn, would demand Israeli withdrawal to “pre-1967 borders” that were nothing more than cease-fire lines to begin with. And also would declare East Jerusalem as the Palestinian capital, which, in turn, would give the Palestinians complete, unopposed jurisdiction over Temple Mount. Excuse me, I meant to say: Al-Haram Al Sharif!

Recently, there has also been a lot of scuttlebutt going around in the White House that the United States would support such a resolution, which past US Presidents have said would never happen. Members of Congress, both Republican and Democrat, were so concerned President Obama would approve such a resolution, that 388 members of the House (including Nancy Pelosi of all people!) sent him a letter stating that such a Security Council decision would, “dangerously hinder” the resumption of negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians.

Things to Ponder

Like never before, the eyes of the world are on Israel. It is absolutely amazing that so much attention is directed to this tiny nation. So much so that all of the Republican and Democratic presidential candidates (seems that we are now down to just one candidate for each party) have either been asked or have volunteered their stance on Israel, i.e. if, and to what extent, they support Israel. I have never seen that happen before, not to this degree. And that’s only a drop in a large reservoir of water being poured on Israel … water to satisfy their thirst for peace or water to drown them unmercifully.

Long ago God predicted this would happen. Just as he said that the Jews would return to the land promised to them.

“This message concerning the fate of Israel came from the Lord. ‘This message is from the Lord, who stretched out the heavens, laid the foundations of the earth, and formed the human spirit. I will make Jerusalem like an intoxicating drink that makes the nearby nations stagger when they send their armies to besiege Jerusalem and Judah. On that day I will make Jerusalem an immovable rock. All the nations will gather against it to try to move it, but they will only hurt themselves’” (Zechariah 12:1-3, italics for emphasis).

Take heed nations of the earth.

Do not attempt to remove the Jews from the rocks and hills of the Golan Heights. Do not so audaciously usurp authority over the rock called Temple Mount, which does not belong to you … to anyone except God’s chosen people. Do not divide Jerusalem … ever. For to Abraham and his descendants came a solemn promise given by our unchangeable and omnipotent God:

“I will make you into a great nation. I will bless you and make you famous, and you will be a blessing to others. I will bless those who bless you and curse those who treat you with contempt. All the families of the earth will be blessed through you” (Genesis 12:1-3).

Take heed all who despise Israel for no reason, other than Jews live there. Do not treat the Jews with contempt, for to do so is to raise your fist against the true and living God.

Indeed, the world has been blessed. In many ways, but most importantly through the awesome redemption purchased by such a high price for all who will believe and receive the Son of God, the Jewish Messiah Jesus. (John 3:16)

Come quickly, Lord Jesus. Establish your kingdom of righteousness, justice, and peace throughout the world. We long for your glorious return!

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Monthly Archives: May 2016

The Incomparable Power and Authority of Jesus Christ

The Final Treaty of Rome … Part II

The Final Treaty of Rome … Part I

An Islamic United Nations?