A person contacted me the other night, asking what the password is to get into the kingdom. Others mock, saying ‘gee, too bad, I missed the rapture but let’s party’, or something to that effect. Still others are simply vicious, unadvisedly vowing to spit in God’s eye and be content to be thrown in to hell.
The upcoming Tribulation will be a series of horrifying and terrifying judgments. Like the pregnancy contractions the time is likened to, those horrors will come one upon each other faster and faster. One horror will fall and then immediately another horror will fall. Lest we minimize the terror of the time, let’s look at a verse from Matthew:
For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. (Matthew 24:21)
That means it will be so bad, especially the second half of the Tribulation called the Great Tribulation, it will be worse than the Noahaic Flood. Worse than the flood. Think about it. Jesus said it will be a time worse than any time since the creation of the world, and that means the Tribulation will be worse than the flood.
“Since Christianity has never survived on the basis of mild and uncommitted theism, it is certainly not likely to survive on that basis today.” D. Elton Trueblood, 1961, from “The Company of the Committed“
Trueblood, a Quaker, said that in the opening paragraphs of his book fifty years ago. A little more than a generation. We understand how much more true it is today that we have a world full of mild and uncommitted theists. But worse than a world full of mild and uncommitted theists, is the Christian church full of mild and uncommitted theists. Trueblood went on:
“In any case, when the Church is looking for a mission field it need not look beyond the nearest campus.”
When looking at the prophesies it’s always more interesting to look outward, to see the Muslims and the lost and the atheists and the other nations. But there are prophesies that are foretold about us, the Church.
Matthew 7:22-23 says, “Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’ “And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; DEPART FROM ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS.’
Many. If your church is filled with 300 people today, how many do you suppose would be granted entry into the Kingdom? Jesus said MANY will not be. So out of 300, how many is many? 10? 100? 150? 200?
Elton Trueblood again. “When the Church is looking for a mission field it need not look beyond the nearest campus” Why? Because many have halted between the service of God and the service of sin. As Elijah said-
“And Elijah came unto all the people, and said, How long will ye waver between two opinions? if the LORD be God, follow him: but if Baal, then follow him.” 1 Kings 18:21.
Now is the time for decision. That gap between the two opinions is widening. People will not be able to straddle it any more, and that time is drawing close. You must decide, and if you think you have already decided, re-examine yourself. Soon there will be a showdown similar to the one that occurred between a God and the false prophets of Baal on Mt Carmel. Soon the false notion that we can serve two masters will be exposed, then removed.
This is a call to re-examine our response to the Holy Word. Paul urged us to “Test yourselves to see if you are in the faith; examine yourselves! Or do you not recognize this about yourselves,” 2 Cor 13:5. The particular reason why Paul calls on them to examine themselves was, “that there was occasion to fear that many of them had been deceived. Such had been the irregularities and disorders in the church at Corinth; so ignorant had many of them shown themselves of the nature of the Christian religion, that it was important, in the highest degree, for them to institute a strict and impartial examination to ascertain whether they had not been altogether deceived. This examination, however, is never unimportant or useless for Christians; and an exhortation to do it is always in place.” (Barnes Notes). It is never more important than now. In any and all churches, I pray that the many will hear “well done good and faithful servant” and not “Depart from me, I never knew you.”
Serve sin or serve God, time to choose. How long will you waver between two opinions? How long will you push forward in church activity but never actually coming to know the builder of that church, Jesus? How long will you study prophecy as it applies to everyone else but not yourself? By the looks of things in the world, we won’t have long at all.
This is a partial transcript of the end time video produced by Iran and the abbreviated version of which was obtained by Reza Kahlili, a spy who had infiltrated the top levels of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard. You can read a full transcript here. In a previous post I’d published an analysis of the video and its summary by World Threats analyst Ryan Mauro who also contributes to FrontPage Magazine. You can read that post here.
Partial transcript begins: Narrator: “If the signs of his reappearance were not provided by the Prophet and his descendants, it would have been difficult to analyze the timing of his coming.” He goes on to list those signs of the Mahdi’s imminent reappearance:
“The Messiah will not rise until fear, great earthquakes, and sedition takes place.” “The worse kind of humans will become leaders.” [Here, the video shows President Bush, Prime Minister Netanyahu, Germany’s Angela Merkel…and Obama.] “Women will rid themselves of the Hejab.” [traditional female head covering] Adultery will be common, Men will dress like women. Men will content themselves to men and women to women.”
“A nation from the east will rise and prepare the way for the Mahdi.” [Iran sees itself divinely fulfilling that role.]
The narrator says that the Mahdi’s reappearance requires a condition of having strong beliefs and pious leaders with a strong will. In the Hadith, they have been named as ‘Preparers of the Coming’, and will emerge from Yemen, Lebanon, and Iran. In Islam, there are two notable books, the Quran, their version of a holy book, and the Hadith, the book of traditions.
Ayatollah Khameni: “I can tell you with utmost confidence: The promise of Allah for the Coming and the establishment of a new Islamic civilization is on its way.” When the leader of an enemy nation whose entire purpose on earth is to usher in a new Islamic civilization through any means necessary tells you with ‘utmost confidence that it is on its way, we should be listening!
The next segment examines current events in the Middle East as they are related to their version of end time events. The transformation of certain ME countries is key in the Hadith for the imminent appearance of their messiah, and that transformation is now taking place.
The narrators says that after 9/11, Islam was the only culture or civilization that threatened the West. As a result, the West launched an official program of Islamic fear-mongering and at the same time began dropping hundreds of bombs on innocent Arabs. [Though the video mentions American and its allies, America is shown exclusively as the bomb-droppers]. The narrator claims that America occupied mosques and religious centers. All this, the narrator claims, is the progression of the end times events in preparation for the Mahdi as the land that will be in the center of the conflicts in advance of his coming. But that after the coming, that land will be the capital of his world governance. “At that time the swift will attack, anxiety will be plenty and the world will turn away. Iraq will be conquered and through bloodshed cause divisions in tribes. At that time be ready for the reappearance of the Mahdi messiah!” Here, the video shows a rider on a white horse.
So that was the Muslim doctrine regarding Iraq and its part at the time of the near-arrival of Mahdi. Now to Yemen.
Narrator: “At the threshold of his coming, a holy revolution will take place in that nation.” Hadith. Some even believe that after his coming, the first soldiers of the Mahdi’s army who reach Mecca will be from Yemen.”
The video’s narrator goes on to explain that recently the Shia adherents in Yemen have been oppressed and persecuted but in a display of courage, they pushed back the armies persecuting them. Remember, the two sects in Islam are Shia and Sunni and Shia is the more militant sect. He says that recent events show that Saudi Arabia is part of that Yemeni oppression and that soon Jordan- with the help of US and Israel- sent more troops to aid in the oppression and persecution of Yemeni Shites.
The third nation the Hadith is said to occupy Muslim end time events will be Egypt. The narrator explains that the Hadith says the people in Egypt will rise up against an oppressive leader and create a chaotic atmosphere. The Hadith “predicts” that the leader of Egypt will be killed and the people descend into conflict. The rise of Islamic sects like the Muslim Brotherhood is in accordance with the Hadith “prophesies.” [Note: I enclose predicts and prophecies in quotes to make clear that these are not real prophesies and to distinguish them from real prophesies, which can ONLY be found in the bible.]
He says that all that the Hadith claims that Palestine will be the center of conflict due to sedition of Israel. Imam Ali clearly describes the fate of the Jews during this time: Jews will have come from the west to establish a government in Palestine. [This occurred in 1948.] This will happen because Arabs are not united against them, but are divided. “They asked Imam Ali, will this calamity and mayhem last long?” and Ali answered “No, not until the time that they rid themselves of the influence of others, take back control of their affairs, and once again have strong determination.” [here, they show Arabs carrying shoulder launch missiles in great numbers]. “At that time they will conquer the land of Palestine and be victorious and united.” (The Caliphate) “Then extra forces will arrive from Iraq with flags written on it ‘Alghovah’ written on it..
The video next shows a quote: “With the start of a new war the destruction of Israel is certain.– Nassrollah, Iranian newspaper Kayhan.” and “The annihilation of the Zionist regime and the conquering of Beitol Moghadas (Jerusalem) is one of the most important events in the age of The Coming.” Psalm 83 war, perhaps??
“The Islamic republic of Iran has scores of modernized warships. Hundreds of modernized bombers. Thousand of modernized missiles and millions of willing martyrs forces have turned into one the most powerful forces in the Middle East. After a meeting with the leaders of the Zionist regime, the Joint Chiefs’ of Staff in America announced that in a confrontation with Iran. The option of a military confrontation is no longer possible.” I included this paragraph from the transcript in the post to show how they see us.
“Another key individual in the age of The Coming is called “Yamani” His presence is another sign that the reappearance is close. Some scholars believe that this individual named in the Hadith is “Seyed Hassan Nassrollah. “Seyed Hassan Nassrollah” is from the Shiites of Yemen whose ancestors lived in Yemen and immigrated to Lebanon decades ago.”. [This man currently leads the terrorist militant group, Hezbollah.] And so it is clear: The forces of “Seyed Khorasani” and “Yemani” will coordinate the revolt against evil.”
So I guess they see Yemen playing a huge role.
One of the important signs prior to The Coming is the rise of the impostor, Islamic Antichrist. The impostor has been described in the Hadith as a wicked being who will confront God’s faith. … and the movie goes on to rail against the Freemasons and others who in combination make up a composite being called the Impostor or the Islamic Antichrist. It ends with “Come forth in praising God and with jihad of faith to be part of the governance of the pious on earth. Great joyous news is on its way. I can tell you with utmost confidence; the promise of Allah for The Coming and the establishment of a new Islamic civilization is on its way. Blessing from Allah Victory is near, Good tidings to the believers.”
Make no mistake: there is NOTHING in the book of Koran nor the Hadith that is truth. It is spoken from the devil who is a liar and the father of lies. In viewing the video and reading the transcript, it is important to see how they see us, and what their indicators are for their end time doctrines. Through that, the most important thing I hope you take away from this is how cunning Satan is. He has exactly mirrored the true Revelation of Jesus Christ to His children by perverting it with seeds of evil that closely – but not perfectly – match the seeds of truth from Jesus lips. All satan needed to do is listen to Jesus telling John, or to read it afterward and create a false religion based on it.
All people on this earth are loved by Jesus and that includes Muslims. We need to pray for those who are deceived by satan’s doctrines of the end time. We need to pray for those who are actively pushing satan’s agenda. We need to help those who have converted from a dark religion to the Light, with continued prayer, missions, donations, and love. But do not mistake the religious structure of Islam as friendly. It is an enemy religion to God and its implementation is an abomination to Him.
Do we work as vigorously for Jesus as the Muslims work for satan? Think about it.
Thanks to the courageous work of Reza Kahlili, a spy who had infiltrated the top levels of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, we now have the Iranian-produced end time video “The Coming Is Near”. This video clearly outlines the Islamic agenda in terms of their end time eschatology. Analyst for World Threats Ryan Mauro said that the video is “bone-chilling.” In the next post I’ll publish the 30-minute publicly available abbreviated version of the video if you care to watch it yourself, along with a transcript. The video and its transcript outline the Muslim version of end time signs as well as chilling mirror image but satanically perverted version of what the bible prophesies.
The Iranians view the current events in the Middle East as confirmation that their end time eschatology is correct. This confirmation is fueling their fervor and inciting them to further the final events to prepare for the arrival of their ‘Mahdi’. As we know from the bible, the true events will include terrible wars, including Psalm 83 war and Gog-Magog- the latter of which the bible says Iran plays the major role. That Iran sees itself in the midst of confirmed end times events means they will increase their efforts under the command of the Quran to engender the final events in advance of their (false) messiah. As the analysis below states, the Iranians plan to use nuclear devices.
“The Iranian government has produced a bone-chilling documentary that claims that Ayatollah Khamenei, President Ahmadinejad, and Hassan Nasrallah are talked about in Islamic prophecy as leaders who will wage war to bring about the arrival of the Hidden Imam, which the film says is “very close” to happening.” [ed. note: Nasrallah is the man currently leading the militant terrorist group Hezbollah.]
“Reza Kahlili, a former member of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards who spied for the CIA and authored A Time to Betray last year, procured the entire film and says it was created by close associates of Ahmadinejad and was shown to top clerics two weeks ago. His chief of staff, Esfandiar Rahim Mashaei, is said to have played a role in its creation. Kahlili allowed FrontPage to view a shortened version of the film over the weekend, which he says the Iranian regime intends to distribute to mosques and Islamic centers throughout the region with an Arabic translation and is currently being shown to members of the Revolutionary Guards and Basiji.”
“The purpose of the film is to make the case that Iran is prophetically destined to lead the war against Islam’s enemies, which is as a prelude to the appearance of the Hidden Imam, also called the Mahdi, who brings the final victory for Islam and reigns over the whole world. It uses current events to argue that “the final chapter has begun” and the Mahdi’s arrival is imminent. Most disturbingly, it teaches that Khamenei, Ahmadinejad and Nasrallah are the individuals prophesied to make this happen.”
“The documentary claims that Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei is the Seyed Khorasani talked about in the Hadith that leads a nation in the East (Iran) as “the preparer” for the Mahdi’s intervention. In July 2010, a senior Iranian cleric revealed that Khamenei had told close associates that he had privately met with the Mahdi and was told that he’d arrive before his time as Supreme Leader ends. Khamenei is 71 years old and widely understood to be in poor health, so the grand jihad that Khamenei believes he must command must come soon.”
“President Ahmadinejad is an End Times character named Shoeib-Ebne Saleh, the film states. He is appointed as the commander-in-chief by Seyed Khorasani (Ayatollah Khamenei). The speaker in the film says that this individual will “move” 72 months [6 years] prior to the arrival of the Mahdi and will lead the recapturing of Jerusalem on “the threshold of the Coming.” It is unclear if “move” means a physical action by Ahmadinejad or if it means his coming to power in 2005. If it is the latter, then the regime believes the Mahdi is to appear by the end of this year.”
“Also mentioned is military commander called Yamani, who is to form the army of the Mahdi that will march to Mecca in Saudi Arabia. The film teaches that this is the leader of Hezbollah, Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah. These three prophesied Islamic leaders are to wage a war against the “Antichrist” and “the imposters,” which are said to be the United States, Israel and their allies, including Arab leaders. The current uprisings in the Arab world are viewed as the fulfillment of prophecy and confirmation that they are to wage this final war against the enemies of Islam.”
“The film states that the invasion of Iraq was foretold, as Imam Ali said that “they [the enemies of Islam] will conquer Iraq and through bloodshed create divisions in tribes” and “at that time, be ready for the reappearance of the last messiah, Imam Mahdi.” The Iranian-backed Houthi rebellion in Yemen is referred to as a “holy revolution” and the removal of Egyptian President Mubarak are also End Times events.”
“It also preaches that the death of Saudi King Abdullah will be a major sign that the destruction of Israel and arrival of the Mahdi are imminent. The film almost immediately states, “Whoever guarantees the death of King Abdullah in Saudi Arabia, I will guarantee the imminent reappearance of the Mahdi,” a not-so-subtle call for his assassination. The film later refers to his “uncertain condition,” as he is ill and 86 years old and his demise is not far off. Once it happens, it will be seen as a green light by the Iranian regime.” [ed. note: Jordan is one of only two Arab nations to have a peace treaty with Israel, Egypt being the other.]
“The rise of the Muslim Brotherhood is addressed as being “in accordance with the Hadith.” The Brotherhood may be Sunni, but this film states that Iran is theologically-required to ally with it. The ties between Iran and the Muslim Brotherhood are not the result of converging interests but of religious commandment. The film says that according to Islamic prophecy, revolutions will happen in the Arab world that rid it of foreign influence and result in a united front to “reconquer Palestine.” As stated, it is taught that Ahmadinejad will accomplish this. If the film reflects the private views of the Iranian leadership, then it is clear the regime believes it is now on the precipice of leading a coalition to destroy Israel.” [ed. note: the Bible’s Psalm 83 war!?!?]
“Iran’s support of terrorism and pursuit of nuclear weapons must be viewed in this context. Ayatollah Mesbah-Yazdi, widely believed to be a close spiritual guide to Ahmadinejad, has written of the need to make “special weapons” of the kind only a few countries possess, a likely reference to nuclear weapons. In February 2006, a follower of Mesbah-Yazdi that is a cleric in Qom said that “for the first time…the use of nuclear weapons may not constitute a problem, according to Sharia” and it is “only natural” for Iran to acquire them. In October 2010, the website belonging to the Ministry of Intelligence and Security published an article by an advisor to the Defense Minister that said Iran must be prepared for nuclear war. “[I]f the United States launches an unconventional attack, Iran needs to respond with a nuclear strategy,” it said.” [ed. note: Will the clerics see that ‘conventionalize attack’ as the intrusion of US troops into Libya?]
“Luckily, a top seminary in Qom rejected the comparison of Ahmadinejad to Shoeib-Ebne Saleh after a clip of the documentary was aired on Islamic Republic of Iran Voice and Vision. However, the religious beliefs of the Iranian regime are not contingent upon popular approval, and Reza Kahlili told FrontPage that a portion of the complete video is devoted to showing clerical support for its message.”
“For about 10 minutes, the video lists the names of clerics, including very influential ones like Ayatollah Haeri Shirazi and former Revolutionary Guards chief commander Seyed Yahya Safavi, who affirm their belief that Khamenei is Seyed Khorasani. This isn’t propaganda, the regime really believes it,” Kahlili said.”
“The documentary produced by the Iranian government confirms that it believes a final grand war against Islam’s enemies, which will culminate in the destruction of Israel, is not something to be avoided, but something to be sought. Recent events are being interpreted by the Iranian regime as prophetic fulfillments confirming that this war is near and its duty is to lead it. This is not a belief system that the West can accommodate.”
Did you know that Islam has an eschatology (doctrine of the end of days)? It does. And though many religions have nothing to do with Christianity, there are religions that intersect Christianity. Islam is one of those.
Jesus actually plays a critical role in Muslim end time theologies. The following is a synopsis from John MacArthur. He is preaching through the book of Mark and he is up to Mark’s version of the Olivet Discourse, the end of days answer that Jesus gave to the disciples. The title of the sermon is “The Grim Reality of the Last Days” and MacArthur is preaching on Mark 13:1-13. You can listen, read, or download for free the entire sermon, here.
The information MacArthur uses in the sermon is taken from the Quran, which to a Muslim are the holy words from Allah (Satan), and the Sunnah, the Muslim tradition as expressed by Muhammad. Sunnah is also known as Hadith. These are the two sources of authoritative truth for the Muslim.
To the Muslims, Jesus was a man, and a prophet. He did not die. He was taken to heaven, alive, like Elijah, where He stands beside Allah. If he did not die, He did not rise, and therefore never provided an atonement for anyone. He is waiting for Allah to send Him back to earth. When He returns from heaven according to the Muslims, Jesus’ main role in the end times is to correct all the Christians who have misunderstood who He is and what His role is. He will correct them, saying that He never paid for their sins. Then Jesus will get married, have children, and die, to be buried next to Muhammad. That is the Muslim Jesus. So you can see for yourself that we have NO COMMON GROUND with Muslims.
There are three great signs for the Muslims that signal the end of time. Each of these signs will be a man. The first is the arrival of the Final Mahdi (12th Imam). The Mahdi is coming to slaughter all who will not worship Allah and will not covert to Islam. The Quran calls these people who refuse to worship Allah “pigs and dogs.” Mahdi’s final task is to establish the world dominating Kingdom of Islam.
The Mahdi is their long-awaited savior. Their Messiah. He will establish the final Caliphate. He will destroy all enemies of Islam, in a bloody global holy war. He will have an army, a massive one, going from nation to nation, to punish unbelievers. This army will carry black flags. This flag has on it one word, “Punishment.” They go to Israel, and establish his rule on the Temple Mount. All will then prosper, and all worship the Mahdi and they speak of no one else but him. He will make a peace agreement with the Jews and the West for 7 years. The reign of Mahdi lasts 7 years, in which he establishes Islam. He will come riding a white horse and their own writings quote Revelation 6:1-2 as the rider on the white horse carrying a bow. They say that the Jews and the Christians’ writings were all wrong and secret scriptures will be revealed to the Mahdi after he gets here that will validate this point of view.
So to sum up, the 12th Imam, or Final Mahdi, will be a great leader, coming on a white horse, a messianic figure, unparalleled leader, out of a crisis of turmoil, establish a new world order, invade many nations, make a peace treaty with the Jews, establish a false religion at Jerusalem, kill non-worshipers, and rule for 7 years.
It is a precise description of the biblical antichrist. The bible’s antichrist is Islam’s savior.
The second Muslim sign is in the person of Jesus. They believe Jesus will return. Jesus, (not the true Jesus, their version of Jesus) returns as a prophet, assisting the Mahdi. He establishes Islam worldwide and corrects all misinterpretations. “He will shatter crosses,” their writings state, which is a metaphor for destroying Christians and churches. That is a quote from Quran. He will be the Mahdi’s executioner. This sign in the form of a person matches up with what the False Prophet does as an aider and abettor of the antichrist.
The third sign in the form of a person is someone known as Daijahl who is a great deceiver. This person is an infidel who is blind in one eye, returns to earth on a mule. He is a false miracle worker claiming to be Jesus Son of God, deity, who attempts to stop the Mahdi and Islam’s Jesus. He is really our Jesus, and the one eyed deceiver on a mule is their view of Him!
“Every Messenger of God did warn his nation about the trials of Dajjal. God, however, delayed Dajjal’s birth and did not let him appear until now. Be aware! he will claim to be God and try to create doubts in your minds. Have a firm belief, the one-eyed creature cannot be your Lord. He will come out riding on a ‘donkey’, which will have a distance of one mile between its two ears. He will claim to have come with the gifts of paradise and arsenal of hell.” [Essence of Life, A translation of Ain al-Hayat by Allama Mohammad Baqir Majlisi. Qum: Ansarian Publications. p. 103.]
We know the TRUE end of the story, Jesus the Savior who died on the Cross will banish sin and establish a holy kingdom! You see how carefully and scrupulously satan has copied the truth.
Many Muslims would like to re-establish the Caliphate. According to Hadith the Caliphate will be followed by the arrival of the Imam Mahdi. I was accused in the earlier posting on the Caliphate of fear-mongering. I hope this information illustrates that for the lost, there is much to fear. Christians never have anything to fear if we are covered under the blood of the Spotless One who died for us. So where is the fear, if you are a Christian? Absent. Where is the fear if you are not a Christian? Legitimate.
Islam is something to fear because it was written by the greatest deceiver the universe has ever known, and it will be carried out by the deepest evil the world will ever see. It is important to know the facts. But know this, the end shall come, and the words of the martyrs will be a testimony for the Lord’s name and He will establish His righteous kingdom and will reign FOREVER! Tweethttp://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js
Today Syria’s President Assad accused the external world of a conspiracy to disrupt his government. The report states, “Syrian President Bashar Assad blamed a wave of protests on “conspirators” who are trying to destroy the country, giving his first address to the nation Wednesday since the demonstrations erupted nearly two weeks ago.”
This is not rhetoric nor is it a ploy. I had presented a case yesterday that explored what the Islamic states are really saying when they accuse external forces of meddling in their affairs. I’d written:
“Sudan stated, “The message came as part of the joint consultations between Khartoum and Tehran on global and regional issues of common concern…Hashemi highlighted the importance for the two countries to pay attention to external plots targeting their common interests”. [emphasis mine]. You’ve seen that phrase “external plot” come up in the news the last two weeks: “Bahrain Monarch Says ‘Foreign Plot’ Failed”. The Sudanese President’s statement about external plots was from Dec 2010, and the Bahraini King’s statement about external plots was from this week. Muslims around the global ‘belt’ are tightening ties, drawing together as inexorably as iron shavings to a magnet. And it has happened before our very eyes! Ahmadinejad has done a good job of fomenting perspective that when the nations see us they see us through enemy eyes, and when they see each other they see like-minded allies suffering from external plots. They are internal, we are external.”
Today Syrian News agency Sana reports “President al-Assad receives calls from King of Bahrain, Emirs of Kuwait and Qatar, Iraqi President, supporting Syria in face of conspiracy“ “President Bashar al-Assad on Sunday received phone calls from King of Bahrain Hamad bin Issa al- Khalifa, the Emir of Kuwait Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad al-Jaber al-Sabah, President Jalal al-Talabani of Iraq , Emir of Qatar Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani. King of Bahrain, Emirs of Kuwait and Qatar, Iraq’s President expressed their countries’ standing by Syria in the face of conspiracy to which it is exposed, targeting its security and stability. They underlined confidence in Syria’s capability, as leadership and people, to foil that conspiracy.”
I want to emphasize that they really believe this. The current unrest in the middle east that began in January with Lebanon’s government falling (Whatever happened to Lebanon, anyway?) and continues in Yemen, Tunisia, Algeria, Egypt, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and now Syria is something that is prophesied. The entire focus in the last days of the Tribulation (which is NOT YET upon us) will be on Israel and all her neighbors.
“A prophecy: The word of the LORD concerning Israel. The LORD, who stretches out the heavens, who lays the foundation of the earth, and who forms the human spirit within a person, declares:“I am going to make Jerusalem a cup that sends all the surrounding peoples reeling. Judah will be besieged as well as Jerusalem. On that day, when all the nations of the earth are gathered against her, I will make Jerusalem an immovable rock for all the nations. All who try to move it will injure themselves.” (Zechariah 12:1-3).
You see that at the end ALL nations will be gathered against Israel. The inexorable slide toward that moment has begun. A series of battles and wars will occur, (Mt 24:6-7; Rev 6:3). By the time the tribulation begins, the whole world will be in war. Prior to that or immediately after the rapture, Psalm 83 battle will ignite the conflagration in the Middle East like at no other time in the world nor shall ever be. Israel’s neighbors conspire to attack. A confederation including Palestinians, Jordanians, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Lebanon and Syria attack the apple of God’s eye (Zech 2:8;) Israel. Israel is successful in wiping them out, even to the point where Israel reclaims land that was originally given to her by God (Genesis 15:18, Obadiah 1:17-18). For the rest of the tribulation we don’t hear much from any of these nations again. Israel is seen to have an exceedingly great army (Ezekiel 37:10).
In Isaiah 5:30, the analogy of the restless and wicked multitudes as the sea is used: “And in that day they shall roar against them like the roaring of the sea: and if one look unto the land, behold darkness and sorrow, and the light is darkened in the heavens thereof.” Barnes notes explains, “The prophet speaks of the vast multitude that was coming up and roaring like the tumultuous “ocean.” And again, the analogy is used in Isaiah 17:12 “Oh, the raging of many nations–they rage like the raging sea!”
One of the prophesies Jesus told us of in the Olivet Discourse, was that, “There will be signs in the sun, moon and stars. On the earth, nations will be in anguish and perplexity at the roaring and tossing of the sea.” (Luke 21:25.) In my opinion, this is what we are seeing a precursor of now, with the continual revolutions rolling over from nation to nation the Middle East.
In the practical, what we’re seeing today is the coalescing of these nations from individual states battling here and there, into a lock-step united front of a massive Muslim coalition with eyes looking upon a common enemy: Israel. The old Arabic proverb applies here, “The enemy of my enemy is my friend.” Finally they will come together on an issue: and it’s not peace at the diplomacy table, it will be in attacking Israel. They all hate Israel but until now they have been preoccupied with their own business to adhere to a united front.
If Sudan and Bahrain and Syria and Hamas and Hezbollah and Iran are all saying that outside plots are upsetting the peace of the Middle East and causing these revolutions, how long do think it will be until they decide that those outside plots are from Israel (little satan) and US (Big Satan)? It looks like not long. Tweethttp://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js
This is a weird story. It really happened, but the response was off.
Google-translated from Norwegian: “Any-UFO” frames weekend traffic Paralyzed air traffic in a half hour – police in disarray “No one knows yet for sure what it was that disrupted air traffic over the Oslo yesterday. But the consequences were great, and can be spread out over the weekend. Much of the air traffic in Norway was paralyzed between 16.00 and 17.30 yesterday afternoon, after an SAS pilot notified of an unidentified object in the skies that make the approach route to Oslo Airport Gardermoen. SAS plane was on its way up the west side of Oslo Fjord on board when the captain made visual contact with another vehicle that reflected sunlight back into the cockpit of the SAS plane. The distance should have only been a few hundred meters, in a slightly lower altitude. “The Master interpreted it as a glider that had been higher than they normally get to,” said information chief Knut Morten Johansen of SAS to VG Nett. Information Manager Jo Kobro at Oslo Airport Gardermoen projected to VG Nett that “between 60 and 90 aircraft movements (departures and arrivals) were affected as a result of the incident.”
“So far, however, no one really has been able to determine what was actually observed over the Oslo Fjord on Thursday afternoon. Police are connected into the matter, but so far without result. We have created an investigation and make right now a witness questioning. Most likely it was a glider that because of strong winds have come into the approach zone, “said guard manager Morten Undlien at Heathrow police station to the AP.” The second option is a hang glider, but the height is almost impossible to control, and the same goes for so-called ultralight, claims those who have heard of this.” The weather conditions were such that other objects from the ground may have come loose and been transported into the air by an upward air flow.”
More at link
So an object was observed at the exact altitude that planes begin their final approach, but no one took a photo of it. No one videotaped it. That’s weird. People sneeze these days and someone with a cell phone youtubes it within seconds. No one could say exactly what it looked like. But it was observed by enough trained observers so a decision was made to close the airport and to divert hundreds of planes. That is a drastic action. There must be no doubt that an object was seen.
Further, the theories being posed as to exactly what the object is, are ridiculous. Gliders glide, they do not hover. In other news articles I’d read, the officials said that the object hovered for a full thirty minutes in the same spot. So gliders glide. Sail planes glide, whirl, and drift. And the last theory, that it as a piece of light trash was light enough to be lifted up romf the ground but then remained in the same spot for 30 minutes stretches credibility enough to actually be insulting. In one of the articles, the official said he regretted not sending a helicopter to investigate and then shoo it away. Yeah…duh.
Anyway, like I said, an interesting story. Just about as interesting as this one from the Daily Mail:
I love prophecy. People who are on the outside of Jesus’ love often wonder why us fundamentalists love the prophecies so much, in addition to wondering why we love the bible so much. “Why all that doom and gloom?” they wonder. We are often thought of as crazy and soundly derided because it looks to the unsaved like we’re gleeful over the demise of all the lost.
But nothing could be further from the truth. We do mourn the effects of sin on a fallen and dying world. We do mourn the lost, who, incidentally are our fathers, and sisters, and mothers, and friends. We do ache at the mocking against God, and chafe at what the scoffers say.
But fulfilled prophecy means to me so much more than doom and gloom. It is actually light and promise. Literally: promise. Prophecy is God’s utterances of what will happen. He doesn’t have to tell us, but He does. The Ancient of Days, the Great I Am, tells us what He will do. We have opportunity then, to decide if we want to be with Him, or against Him. He is all glory.
“I am the LORD: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images.” Isaiah 42:8
Knowing Jesus like I do, I know without a doubt that what He says will come to pass, will come to pass. Is it not so?
“My covenant will I not break, nor alter the thing that is gone out of my lips.” Psalm 89:34
That is one of the reasons I love prophecy. In a crazy world when nothing is certain, the words of Jesus and His promises are not only certain, they are set in stone. The Capstone!
I love prophecy because it illustrates His past and His future justice. Sinning is a crime against Him. Crimes have punishments. The main crime is against Himself. He will not be mocked. God never fails to see even the smallest injustice borne by a long-suffering saint. He will rectify it all, upholding His holiness by bringing justice onto those who have chosen to be criminals in God’s court. In this way, He brings glory unto Himself, by magnifying His holy name, and the believers will sing praises because finally justice is no longer perverted in the world, but is perfect.
“How long will you say such things? Your words are a blustering wind. Does God pervert justice? Does the Almighty pervert what is right? When your children sinned against him, he gave them over to the penalty of their sin.” Job 8:2-4
“The LORD is known by his acts of justice; the wicked are ensnared by the work of their hands.” Psalm 9:16
“Here is my servant whom I have chosen, the one I love, in whom I delight; I will put my Spirit on him, and he will proclaim justice to the nations.” Matthew 12:17-19
The feelings of wanting righteous men to rule, to want justice rendered in the world, of wanting promises to mean something, are feelings of passion for the Lord to express Himself through fulfillment of those long-uttered promises. And that’s a good thing. Tweethttp://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js
Transcript of what video said: “A bombing struck a bus station in central Jerusalem on Tuesday wounding 34 people and killing one other. This apparent escalation by at least some Palestinian factions raises the potential for another military campaign by Israel in the Palestinian territories. This not only could produce another crisis for Egypt, but could also play to Iranian interests in the region.”
“This quite rare Jerusalem attack comes on the heels of a barrage of rocket attacks coming from Gaza Strip into population centers in southern Israel and the Negev Desert. It also comes a little less than two weeks after a particularly gruesome attack on a family in the West Bank in the Itamar settlement. We are clearly seeing an escalation by at least some Palestinian factions against Israel. Now who is actually behind the attacks is much less clear. Often you will find that a lot of groups will use contradicting claims and denials and new names to deliberately confuse the Israel security intelligence apparatus. Some of the more recent rocket attacks from Gaza were claimed by the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, which out of all the Palestinian militant groups is the closest to Iran.”
“We therefore need to put this latest attack in regional context. The killings in the West Bank were intentionally designed to provoke the Israelis. The Israelis, however, refused to be provoked. Then we saw a barrage of rocket attacks coming from Gaza now coordinated with an attack on a bus station in central Jerusalem.”
“This now could produce an enormous crisis for Egypt. The Egyptian government, now led by the military, is in a very delicate position in trying to manage this political transition at home while now also trying to deal with a war next door in Libya. On top of that, we’re seeing an escalation in the Palestinian territories, and whenever you have an Israeli military intervention in the Gaza Strip, which now seems very possible, you have an influx of refugees from Gaza into the Sinai Peninsula. That creates a security crisis on the Egyptians and the Egyptians often have to clamp down on the Rafah border crossing between Gaza and the Sinai.”
“This could allow Hamas in the Gaza Strip and, crucially, the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood, which is the main opposition group in Egypt, to condemn the Egyptian military-led government and escalate anti-Israeli sentiment. That in turn could endanger the Israel-Egypt peace treaty, and this is a dynamic that the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood couldn’t really capitalize on during the recent crisis, but it could do so now, especially if you have an Israeli military intervention in the Gaza Strip under the current circumstances.”
“When going beyond the Palestinian territories, we have a situation where the Iranians are pursuing a covert destabilization campaign in the Persian Gulf region, using Shia unrest to destabilize the regimes in Saudi Arabia and Bahrain in particular. When looking at the unrest overall in the region, the one key ingredient that was missing was Israel. Israel is often the single unifying call for many on the Arab streets, and that is certainly something that a lot of Palestinian factions will be paying attention to right now. Watch for groups like Hamas, Hezbollah and others in the region to escalate attacks in an effort to provoke a military confrontation with Israeli forces, create a crisis for Egypt through the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood, and threaten Israel on multiple fronts. This is something that could well play to the Iranian agenda and escalate the regional unrest overall.”
Jesus has over 100 different names and titles. He is the Shepherd, Judge, King, Advocate … and many others. In each of these many capacities He performs another of His great functions. In Him all things Hold together (Col 1:17). Through Him we are made, and “through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.” (John 1:3:8).
We each relate to Him in different ways. I came to Him as the Light, that is how I first saw Him. I love John 1:1-10, and my very favorite bible verse is John 1:5, “And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.” When I read John’s opening verse, I always cry.
I also relate to Him as the Judge. My sin weighs heavily on me. It is so ugly. Also, sin weighs on me due to the fact that the world fails to understand their sin-crimes, and the destiny of unforgiven sinners. I also am relieved by His grace that He will not judge us, and instead pardon us from our crimes, expunging the record. (Colossians 2:14). Wow. We serve a God who displays so much mercy it is indescribable.
So to me, my Savior is Light, and Judge. Who is He to you? If you’re stuck, you can click on the link above, it lists all His titles and attributes along with the bible verse that supports it. How do you best enjoy relating to Jesus and what verse reflects this connection between you and Him? Tweethttp://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js
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