prophecy – Page 52

USA Today news article: "Some see biblical visions of doom in Syria trouble"

Posted on September 8, 2013May 9, 2016 by elizabethprata

USA Today remarks in an interesting article, that there is a run on prophecy books. People who see events unfolding in the Middle East with Syria, Iran, Israel, and Egypt are wanting to know more. This is good.

Joel C. Rosenberg was asked to speak at the Kansas House of Representatives chamber yesterday and he preached today on Isaiah 17 and Jeremiah 49 in Topeka. He posted “A few pictures from the event inside the Kansas State Capitol discussing Syria & Damascus Countdown.”

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“So grateful for the questions people asked during the Q&A.”

Some quotes I like from the USA Today article:

“The situation in Syria as it relates to scripture could be something that we’re witnessing, but we should be cautious. What prophecy really is about is the faithfulness of God’s word.” (Pastor Gary Cristofaro of the First Assembly of God in Melbourne, FL)

Always, always remember that prophecy is a way to see God as sovereign. He declares the end from the beginning . When a prophecy is fulfilled we shout for joy because He is faithful to His word and He is showing Himself as King of events, people, heaven, earth, and the angels. In studying the end time prophecies, we become comforted because of this. We also become fervent in urgency to witness to the lost because we know time is short (either through death or end of days events).

“Interpreting events doesn’t lead to an understanding of what’s going on. I believe it actually clouds the understanding,” said Tom Lombardo, a San Franscico-based author and researcher of end time beliefs.

Some people might not like me saying this and I may take heat for it, but I’ve stopped listening to Pastor JD Farag of Calvary Chapel Kaneohe. His weekly prophecy updates have been a blessing but I have noticed a sad trend. When I found his teachings several years ago he used to explain the prophecies from the bible. He’d take a passage and show from the bible what it meant. Slowly over time during his prophecy updates, he now focuses more on the news than on the bible. That balance has been tipped.

Last Sunday’s message was noteworthy in a negative way, unfortunately. He said that due to events occurring in Syria and Egypt and the Middle East, he had read and read and read the news, it all became a blur and he had read it for hours. I thought, “he should be spending that much time on reading the bible, not the news.” Then he said that he was putting off their regular study in Samuel so as to spend time bringing the flock up to speed. See? The congregation collects to worship God through the hearing of the word, not the news.

I think that Pastor JD is a tremendous pastor, sensitive, studious, mindful of Jesus and the Great Commission. I only mention this because we can get so wrapped up in the news that we forget the word. I have been guilty of this myself. But the more that I see events happening that seem to be hurrying us to the end, the more I back away from the news and stick with the bible. If God-ordained troubles are going to be unleashed on the world soon, and I personally believe that they are, then I want to be sure to be as strong as possible spiritually so as not to be deceived. Be mindful of the balance between the news and the word. Because, as the man said above, “Interpreting events doesn’t lead to an understanding of what’s going on. I believe it actually clouds the understanding,” Only the bible brings clarity.

I liked this tip on how to maintain a balance from Pastor Gary Cristofaro of the First Assembly of God in Melbourne FL again,

“We try to find balance by immersing ourselves in prophecy rather than being affected by it.”

Because when we immerse ourselves in prophecy of the bible we are immersing ourselves in the bible. Far from being an also-ran sphere of study, prophecy is mentioned in every New Testament book except Philemon. All the NT authors make reference in one way or another to prophecies, some new at that time, some reminding us of the prophecies of old. Either way, immersing yourself in prophecy is a good thing and hardly can be avoided if you read the bible at all!

Read the next quote: This is a good sign, actually.

Christian bookstores such as Family Christian Ministries in West Melbourne report that book sales of prophecy-themed works by charismatic minister Perry Stone, Pastor John Hagee and novelists such as Joel Rosenberg have increased in recent weeks since tension in Syria and Egypt escalated.

But just like anything, WHO you turn to for illumination is just as important as realizing prophetic implications of current events and praising God as a result. Perry Stone and John Hagee are not too solid as biblical scholars. Joel Rosenberg has been careful and he sticks with bible verses and not speculations.

People’s instinct is always to turn to the bible for understanding when large events happen. In 2008 when Obama was elected, there was a collective shudder that ran throughout fundamentalist Christendom, and for good reason. Back then, there was a run on books and studies on the antichrist. People ran to the bible and to prophecy books. When the Japan quake happened in 2011 (magnitude 9.0 which rocked the earth off its axis) people again ran to the bible. On my blog, any essay dealing with God and earthquakes got enormous hits. People want to make sense of the world and intuitively understand that sometimes it’s just the world but sometimes there is a spiritual overlay and anomalous events drive them to the bible. Earthquakes do that.

Now again two years later in 2013 with the Syria issue, people are feeling uncertain, hopeless, questioning, or just plain afraid. This is perfect time for us who have the answers to share them!! The Gospel is powerful to save and for the heart that wants answers, who are clamoring for understanding of prophecies, now is a ripe time to share and proclaim!

Maybe this is the last essay I’ll ever write, if we are raptured in the next moments of time. Maybe we will still be here five years from now and we will look back on this heightened period of biblical portent with wistfulness that the Lord still hasn’t come. I don’t know. But I do believe the time is dwindling quickly. I believe equally that every day is a good day for salvation.

ezekiel battle, gog magog, prophecy, rapture, tribulation

Is the Ezekiel 38-39 Gog-Magog battle imminent?

Posted on September 7, 2013May 9, 2016 by elizabethprata

photo credit: a l-ust for all things pointless via photopin cc

God is setting the stage to bring Himself glory.

Hallelujah!

Here is the story:

In Ezekiel 38 and 39 a battle occurs. It is the most lengthy and detailed prophetic battle in the entire bible, even more than Armageddon. This future battle is a coalition which has never formed before in quite the configuration described. For this reason, bible scholars believe the battle to be yet future. I use the term battle and not war deliberately, because this seems to be a very short military foray. As a matter of fact, hardly any weapons are loosed, it is over so quick. It is a battle, and God wins it decisively.
In addition, the battle is not between nations. It is between this coalition of nations and God Himself. The coalition of nations doesn’t know it, because they think they are marching against Israel. But it is God who intervenes and protects Israel by smiting the advancing army.

He does this in demonstrable and vivid ways. He wins the battle for Israel so clearly that the nations know it is God who is doing the fighting. More on those details below.

photo credit: MoudBarthez
via photopin cc

The coalition which is prophesied to come against Israel includes Iran, Turkey, Russia, Armenia, Libya, Ethiopia, Sudan (i.e. northern tier of North Africa). Also Sheba and Dedan (Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Yemen? most likely). The merchants of Tarshish (no one quite knows who those people are) and all its leaders stand by. They don’t participate in the evil coalition, but they don’t help Israel either. They are interested sidelines quarterbacks. (Ezekiel 38:13).

The LORD said that He will plan this and execute it. He said in Ezekiel 38:4- “And I will turn you about and put hooks into your jaws, and I will bring you out, and all your army, horses and horsemen, all of them clothed in full armor, a great host, all of them with buckler and shield, wielding swords”.

He will do this to show the world that HE IS ISRAEL’S PROTECTOR! And to bring himself glory!!

“And I will set my glory among the nations, and all the nations shall see my judgment that I have executed, and my hand that I have laid on them. The house of Israel shall know that I am the Lord their God, from that day forward. And the nations shall know that the house of Israel went into captivity for their iniquity, because they dealt so treacherously with me that I hid my face from them and gave them into the hand of their adversaries, and they all fell by the sword. I dealt with them according to their uncleanness and their transgressions, and hid my face from them.” (Ezekiel 39:22-24)

He shows His protection of Israel and His glory by doing things that only God does:

“In my zeal and fiery wrath I declare that at that time there shall be a great earthquake in the land of Israel. The fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, the beasts of the field, every creature that moves along the ground, and all the people on the face of the earth will tremble at my presence. The mountains will be overturned, the cliffs will crumble and every wall will fall to the ground. I will summon a sword against Gog on all my mountains, declares the Sovereign Lord. Every man’s sword will be against his brother. I will execute judgment on him with plague and bloodshed; I will pour down torrents of rain, hailstones and burning sulfur on him and on his troops and on the many nations with him. And so I will show my greatness and my holiness, and I will make myself known in the sight of many nations. Then they will know that I am the Lord.” (Ezekiel 38:19-22)

All the people on the face of the earth tremble at His presence??!?! Even the birds?! He rains brimstone down! Turns over mountains! He sends plague! Some estimate the number of dead invaders at three quarters of a million up to a billion dead. All the earth will know God is on the scene. It will be a momentous day. His wrath is a fearful thing.

Remember when the Japan 9.0 quake happened in March 2011? It was a powerful enough quake that it jolted the earth off its axis 8 feet. The quake in Ezekiel’s Gog-Magog battle will be ten times worse. A hundred times worse. I can’t quantify it because my brain can’t comprehend all the mountains on earth turning over and every cliff and every wall falling down.

photo credit: chany14 via photopin cc

I am so thrilled when the LORD receives Glory and He magnifies Himself. He has been doing that in the Church Age the last 2000 years by redeeming lost sinners, cleansing them with His Son’s blood. In the future Gog-Magog battle Ezekiel describes, He will give Himself glory by demonstrating both His raw power and His seriousness about keeping His covenant promise with Israel.

When does this Gog-Magog battle happen? No one is sure where it falls on the schedule of prophesied events, and there are a lot of opinions on this topic. The only collective thought is that it happens at or after the tribulation. All the stances have some biblical credibility, but some stances are weaker than others and some are stronger. Personally, I used to think it will happen at or just after the rapture. But in reading the verse about every mountain falling down, I am not so sure. In Revelation 6:14 we read that:

“The sky vanished like a scroll that is being rolled up, and every mountain and island was removed from its place.”

So the Ezekiel earthquake removes every mountain by overturning them but then the Revelation earthquake crumbles them … again?

photo credit: ronsho © via photopin cc

If the Ezekiel battle happens at the outset of the Tribulation, then the verse where God says in Ezekiel 39:7 that “I will not let my Holy name be profaned any more” would not be true, since His holy name is continually profaned throughout the Tribulation. The antichrist is especially blasphemous. The verse mentions blasphemy three times in succession:

“And the beast was given a mouth uttering haughty and blasphemous words, and it was allowed to exercise authority for forty-two months. It opened its mouth to utter blasphemies against God, blaspheming his name and his dwelling,a that is, those who dwell in heaven.” (Revelation 13:5-6).

Many have said that since the Ezekiel battle mentions in chapter 39 a special crew of buriers burying the dead over the course of 7 months, marking bones with a flag to identify another part of another body from the army God vanquished. And the people of Israel shall use the weapons for fuel for 7 years, so people believe the 7 years means the battle occurs at the outset of the Tribulation and Israel burns fuel for the duration of it, which is 7 years. However, there is no reason the 7 years could not refer to a battle toward the end of the Tribulation, and the fuel burning overlapping into the Millennium. Or it could occur at the end of the Millennium, a more likely prospect since during that 1000 years God’s name is not profaned, AND Israel is dwelling peacefully and securely without walls (Ezekiel 38:11, Ezekiel 39:25).

In other words, the timing of this prophesied battle cannot be clearly and dogmatically stated.

In any case, it seems that the world stage is active and lively right now with prophetic implications of these battles to come. We see a potential Gog in Putin, and Russia rising. We see an isolated Israel, bemoaning they only have God and their military to rely on. God is stripping Israel of all, and when Israel finally says, ‘we have ONLY God’, He will bring them back to His bosom.

photo credit: Wessex Archaeology
via photopin cc

Since the chapters of Ezekiel 38-39 show the LORD bringing His people back into personal dealing again, the Gog-Magog battle cannot occur while the church is on earth. Since His program for the church and the nation Israel are separate, it seems the church will be gone when He resumes dealing with the nation of Jews.

During this Church Age, God is dealing with people via His Spirit and through Resurrected Jesus who is in heaven. It is an age of grace, not of wrath. During the Tribulation He parts the veil and personally intervenes on earth again- in wrath and not in grace.

Here are several progressive essays which examine the timing of the Gog-Magog battle. They are from Nathan Jones of Lamb and Lion Ministries, and one is from John MacArthur, who believes the Ezekiel battle will occur at the Millennium’s close. As always, check out these things for yourself, pray, and think.

1. The Gog-Magog Battle – Search For Timing

2. The Gog-Magog Battle – Before the Tribulation?

3. The Gog-Magog Battle – During the Tribulation?

4. The Gog-Magog Battle – During the Millennium?

5. The Gog-Magog Battle – Unfolding; (their stance on the timing)

6. Twelve attributes of God the study of the Ezekiel Battle yields

John MacArthur: The Gog Magog battle timing- at the end of the Millennium

I hope that when you read those essays and especially when you read the bible, do so with a notion that God is great, and His purpose for all of it is to bring glory to Himself, and to bring people to holiness. End time studies are meant to revive our hearts in love and awe for a great and holy God, to make us aware of the temporal and fleeting time and body in which we live, and the eternal importance of souls.

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Update on the situation in Syria

Posted on August 26, 2013May 9, 2016 by elizabethprata

Here is a quick update on the situation in Syria. It seems that it is becoming more tenuous by the day. Below, an explanation of what the bible says about the future of Damascus

August 21

UK Telegraph photo

Al Jazeera reported, “Hundreds reported killed in Syria gas attack“
“Opposition groups say hundreds killed when government forces fired rockets with chemical warheads into Damascus suburbs.’

August 22

The next day, “Aid group tallies 355 dead after Syria’s alleged chemical attack; government blames rebels“
“Syrian state media accused rebels of using chemical arms against government troops in clashes Saturday near Damascus, while an international aid group said it has tallied 355 deaths from the purported chemical weapons attack earlier this week. Doctors Without Borders said three hospitals it supports in the eastern Damascus region reported receiving roughly 3,600 patients with “neurotoxic symptoms” over less than three hours on Wednesday morning, when the attack in the eastern Ghouta area took place. Of those, 355 died, said the Paris-based group. Death tolls have varied over the alleged attack, with Syrian anti-government activists reporting between 136 and 1,300 being killed.”

The Havana Times reported, “Syrian Activist on Ghouta Attack: “I Haven’t Seen Such Death in My Whole Life”
“The alleged attack occurred just days after U.N. inspectors arrived in the country to investigate previous attacks. We’re joined from Syria by Razan Zaitouneh, a lawyer and human rights activist who works with the Human Rights Violation Documentation Center. “We couldn’t believe our eyes,” Zaitouneh says of witnessing the attack’s aftermath. “I haven’t seen such death in my whole life.”

U.N. chemical weapons experts visit a hospital where wounded people
affected by an apparent gas attack are being treated, in the southwestern
Damascus suburb of Mouadamiya, August 26, 2013.
Credit: Reuters/Abo Alnour Alhaji

August 23-25

Syria to let UN inspect ‘gas attack’ site
“United Nations inspectors are to be granted access to the site of an alleged chemical weapons attack near Damascus, Syrian state TV has said, with the UN saying that the Syrian government has also agreed to observe a ceasefire during the visit. It followed an agreement between the Syrian foreign minister and the head of a UN delegation to the country on Sunday. The agreement “is effective immediately and it will allow UN delegation to investigate allegations of using chemical weapons on August 22 in Damascus suburbs”, the state TV reported.”

August 26

Bashar Al Assad

Fearing a U.S. strike, Syria warns of global “chaos”
“A senior Syrian official said Monday that his country will defend itself against any international attack and will not be an easy target as the U.S. and other countries ramp up rhetoric in response to an alleged chemical weapons attack last week on a rebel-held neighborhood of the Syrian capital. In an interview with The Associated Press in Damascus, Syrian Deputy Foreign Minister Faisal Mikdad said airstrikes or other action against Syria would also trigger “chaos” and threaten worldwide peace and security.”

August 26

Kerry Says Chemical Arms Attack in Syria Is ‘Undeniable’

US Secretary of State Kerry said today:

Secretary of State John Kerry

“Well, for the last several days, President Obama and his entire national security team have been reviewing the situation in Syria. And today, I want to provide an update on our efforts as we consider our response to the use of chemical weapons. What we saw in Syria last week should shock the conscience of the world. It defies any code of morality. Let me be clear: The indiscriminate slaughter of civilians, the killing of women and children and innocent bystanders by chemical weapons is a moral obscenity. By any standard, it is inexcusable and — despite the excuses and equivocations that some have manufactured — it is undeniable.”

What does the bible say about Syria in the end times?

Syria is one of the nations that has been mentioned in the bible consistently since the beginning. The city of Damascus was first mentioned in Genesis 14:15. Abraham’s servant Eliezar was from Damascus (Genesis 15:2). It is an ancient city and an ancient nation.

However, despite the 6000 years of history we can trace back to Damascus and the nation of Syria itself, there is one stark piece of prophecy which we can safely say has not come to pass within all that history yet: Isaiah 17:1 says that Damascus will be destroyed. Never has that ancient city been uninhabited. The prophecy says that the city will be razed and made into rubble, so that no one lives there. This has never happened to Damascus:

Behold, Damascus will cease to be a city and will become a heap of ruins. (Isaiah 17:1)

The prophecy of Isaiah speaks of a partial fulfillment in the next verses (vv. 2-3) when the Assyrians conquered Damascus in 732BC. However the city was never razed as verse 1 indicates. That is still to come.

The city of Damascus is slowly being ruined because of this two-year-old conflict in Syria. The prophecy seems to indicate that the final disposition of Damascus will be complete obliteration, desertion, and uninhabited.

If the US and other nations attack Syria, perhaps the president of Syria, Bashar al Assad will indeed unleash global chaos. Perhaps that time is now, if these unfulfilled prophecies we have been waiting so long to see will come to fruition soon. Not that we hope for people to die and go to their doom, but we do want to see the Lord come in justice and establish peace upon the earth. O, Lord, come quickly.

Meanwhile, keep watching events, but more importantly, keep reading your bible. That is the only barometer of truth.

egypt, prophecy, revelation

Angry Islamic fundamentalists taking frustrations out on Christians

Posted on August 15, 2013 by elizabethprata

Here is some news, which made me think of Revelation 12. First the news–

Egypt ‘s Churches Aflame as Brotherhood Targets Christians
“Prominent among the “collateral damage” victims of the ongoing violence in Egypt are the country’s Coptic Christians. Living on the tentative goodwill of the Muslim majority even during the best of times, the community has been the subject of attacks and persecution over the past year, since the fall of Hosni Mubarak, and the subsequent fall of Mohammed Morsi. Now, with the crackdown on Muslim Brotherhood members by the Egyptian army, Islamist fanatics are taking out their frustrations on Coptic Christians. In the past few days, there has been a spate of attacks on Christian businesses, homes, and churches. As of Wednesday morning, according to local witnesses, at least 18 churches had been destroyed, and fires and riots were continuing to spread in Christian areas, the witnesses said.“

When I read this, I was reminded of the scene in Revelation 12. In that book, Satan is finally thrown bodily out of heaven. He became a sinner long ago, perhaps even before the foundation of the world, or shortly after. We know he was created holy but was already sinful when he approached Eve in the garden. In the garden he was called serpent so by then, sin had been found in him. (Genesis 3:1, 13, 14).

However, satan still has had access to heaven throughout the ages. (Job 2:1). There will come a point when satan will no longer be given access to even enter that holy domain. It is believed that the moment comes in Revelation 12. Here is the verse:

“Now war arose in heaven, Michael and his angels fighting against the dragon. And the dragon and his angels fought back, but he was defeated, and there was no longer any place for them in heaven. And the great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world—he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him.” (Revelation 12:7-9).

I wonder what satan has thought, all this time. Did he think he will win? Did he think that because he still had access to heaven, that maybe God didn’t really mean it? In any case, when he is pushed out of heaven, he and his angels, he becomes furious.

“And when the dragon saw that he had been thrown down to the earth, he pursued the woman who had given birth to the male child.” (Revelation 12:13)

The woman is Israel and the male child refers to Jesus (Revelation 12:5).

Satan hates God and he hates anyone God loves. Therefore satan hates the Jewish people. Prime example: the German Holocaust. Back to Revelation 12, Satan’s future pursuit of the descendants of Jesus across the desert will be foiled.

“But the woman was given the two wings of the great eagle so that she might fly from the serpent into the wilderness, to the place where she is to be nourished for a time, and times, and half a time. The serpent poured water like a river out of his mouth after the woman, to sweep her away with a flood. But the earth came to the help of the woman, and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed the river that the dragon had poured from his mouth.”

Just as we can’t really conceive of how great and deep of a love Jesus has for us, we can’t really conceive of how great and deep of a hatred satan has for us. Satan’s fury is incomprehensible, illogical, and irrational. But it is very real. When his attempts to render his fury on the Jews fleeing across the desert are foiled, the fallback position is, take it out on the Christians. Look what satan does next:

“Then the dragon became furious with the woman and went off to make war on the rest of her offspring, on those who keep the commandments of God and hold to the testimony of Jesus. And he stood on the sand of the sea. (Revelation 12:14-16).

“Make war with.” This is the point in time when the Great Tribulation begins, satan indwells the antichrist, and the beheadings begin.

Now turn your attention back to Egypt. In the article it stated, “Islamist fanatics are taking out their frustrations on Coptic Christians.”

Logically, being angry at Christians makes no sense. We are kind, helpful, quiet, and forgiving. Having a bunch of Christians around is a good thing. In a situation of chaos and upset like exists in Egypt now, it is more logical to take your anger out on the neighbor who owes you money, or perhaps to ignite long-simmering tribal feuds. But no, the fundamentalist Islamic folks look for a Christian to take their frustrations out on. Just as it always has been and just as it will continue to be according to Revelation 12.

When the Prince of Peace comes and stops the persecution, then it will finally end. (Isaiah 9:6). There will be peace in the valley. Until then, please pray for the Christians who are hunted and persecuted.

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Egypt is in violence and upset now, but the future holds blessing for His people Egypt!

Posted on August 14, 2013May 9, 2016 by elizabethprata

In December 2012 I’d posted a blog entry about what was happening in Egypt, and took a look at prophecy, which says that God has a plan for Egypt. This plan is past, present and future, and as a matter of fact is one of only three nations mentioned in the Millennium Kingdom. That future prophecy is in Isaiah 19.

From Isaiah 1-15 the future looks very dim for Egypt and her people. She will fall under a cruel leader. (No one is positive if this means a sub-antichrist, or if the ‘cruel leader’ refers to THE antichrist). She will have economic devastation as the Nile dries up. Despairing of wisdom, they will turn to wizards and sorcerers, and no one will have any helpful information to give, anywhere. Isaiah 19:14 gets pretty graphic: “The Lord has mingled within her a spirit of confusion, and they will make Egypt stagger in all its deeds, as a drunken man staggers in his vomit.”

On 24 June 2012, after a period of chaos and upset, Mohammad Morsi was elected President of Egypt. Many people wondered as the shaos went on and Morsi- a well-known strict Muslim Brotherhood member, was the cruel master spoken of in prophecy. Most people said to wait and see.

Things calmed down- for a while. As the one-year anniversary of his election approached, protests began again. This time, they rose until Morsi was ousted in a coup.

Which leader will be next? Will this next one be the “cruel leader’ predicted? Is this the beginning of the prophesied terrible times for Egypt?

It’s one thing to read about prophecy and speculate on its fulfillment, but it is quite anther to see it. The anguish of Egypt is just killing me to watch. The despair, the death, the uncertainty, and so many, MANY Egyptians are without God, so they don’t even have hope!

Egypt’s Ominous Developments

A protester comforts a wounded colleague
after Egyptian security forces began to clear a sit-in by supporters of
ousted Islamist President Mohammed Morsi in the
eastern Nasr City district of Cairo Wednesday. Source

Egypt forces assault protest camp, many scores shot dead

A woman tried to stop a military bulldozer
from hurting a wounded man during clashes near Raba’a al Adiwiya mosque
in eastern Cairo. Source

Egypt’s Interim Vice President ElBaradei resigns while clashes across Egypt leave more than 270 dead

Aug. 14, 2013: A police vehicle is pushed off of the 6th of October bridge by protesters close to the largest sit-in by supporters of ousted
Islamist President Mohammed Morsi in the eastern Nasr City district of
Cairo, Egypt. Source

These scenes are devastating. Imagine of they were happening on your street! Violence is terrible. Military uprisings are frightening. Grief over loved ones is paralyzing. But in verse 16 it starts to look up for Egypt. Our Holy God has a blessed plan for this nation which sheltered His Son! Let’s read it in its entirety-

When they cry to the Lord because of oppressors, he will send them a savior and defender, and deliver them. 21And the Lord will make himself known to the Egyptians, and the Egyptians will know the Lord in that day and worship with sacrifice and offering, and they will make vows to the Lord and perform them. 22And the Lord will strike Egypt, striking and healing, and they will return to the Lord, and he will listen to their pleas for mercy and heal them.

23In that day there will be a highway from Egypt to Assyria, and Assyria will come into Egypt, and Egypt into Assyria, and the Egyptians will worship with the Assyrians.

24In that day Israel will be the third with Egypt and Assyria, a blessing in the midst of the earth, 25whom the Lord of hosts has blessed, saying, “Blessed be Egypt my people, and Assyria the work of my hands, and Israel my inheritance.”

If that doesn’t make you just weep with joy, then what will?! He delivers them, and they worship Him. They worship the One true God! And He blesses them and calls them His people. Oh, what a day. Hang on, true Christians in Egypt! He will bring your nation to His bosom! No more bloodshed. No more idolatry. No more blasphemy. A blessed day.

Unsaved Egyptians! The LORD has a plan for your nation. Seek Him now, before the spirit of confusion comes (if it hasn’t already). He will bless you and then you can watch the blessing of the nation when the Kingdom comes!

earthquakes, end time, prophecy

Magnitude 6.6 quake at Columbia today, an earthquake’s lessons

Posted on August 13, 2013 by elizabethprata

After a seeming period of quiet there have suddenly been a spate of major earthquakes. USGS lists a quake as major if it exceeds 6.0 magnitude or those others with a red background have been identified as “significant”, based on a combination of magnitude, PAGER alert level, and the number of Did You Feel It? responses. Here is the list of quakes in the last week the USGS deems significant.

Mag 6.6 102km WSW of Mutis, Colombia
Mag 6.1 90km WSW of Paita, Peru
Mag 6.0 112km NW of L’Esperance Rock, New Zealand
Mag 6.0 189km WNW of Saumlaki, Indonesia

Significant: 4.9 9km SSW of Volcano, Hawaii

The Guardian UK reported on today’s 6.6 quake in Columbia
“According the U.S. Geological Survey, a severe earthquake has occurred in the Pacific Ocean near Columbia. The earthquake is 6.7 magnitudes and hit about 10:43, local time, this morning. It landed approximately 59 miles west southwest of Mutis, Colombia. No immediate reports of damage and according to the Alaska Tsunami Warning Center, no tsunami warning was issued.”

God has used earthquakes to speak to His people in the past and will again in the future. In Acts 16:26, He used a quake to release Paul from prison. When Jesus died on the cross, a quake occurred, recorded in Matthew 27:54, “When the centurion and those with him who were guarding Jesus saw the earthquake and all that had happened, they were terrified, and exclaimed, “Surely he was the Son of God!” The quake was God speaking to humans … and they understood. A few days later as Jesus rose from the grave there was another earthquake. Matthew 28:2 records it. “There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it.” In Ezekiel 38:19 God promises to show Himself through an earthquake (among other things). “In My zeal and in My blazing wrath I declare that on that day there will surely be a great earthquake in the land of Israel.”

During the Tribulation, an earthquake will occur in Jerusalem as described in Rev 11:13 where 7000 people will be killed. Later, in Rev 16:18, “Then there came flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder and a severe earthquake. No earthquake like it has ever occurred since man has been on earth, so tremendous was the quake.” Every mountain will crumble and every island will flee away.

Earthquakes are important events. After a major quake in CA in 1994, John MacArthur preached this:

“My sixth point is this: God uses calamity to call people to repentance. I believe this is intended by God to warn people of what is coming when he destroys the earth. I believe it is to call people to repentance.

And then one last point. Time is limited to heed the warning. Time is limited to heed the warning. Jesus tells a story in verse 6. “A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard, came looking for fruit on it and didn’t find it. Said to the vineyard keeper, ‘Behold, for three years I came looking for fruit.” By the way, three years was the limit. That’s how long they let a fig tree go before they cut it down because it would show its fruit by the third year.

“‘I waited three years, I come looking for fruit on the tree, don’t find any. Cut it down. Why does it even use up the ground?’ And he answered and said to him, ‘Let it alone, sir. For this year too, until I dig around it and put in fertilizer. If it bears fruit next year, fine. If not, cut it down.'”

What does that say? God is patient, but his patience has a limit, right? Give it another year. No fruit, cut it down. The LORD is compassionate, gracious slow to anger, abounding in loving kindness, but he will not always strive with man.

Sinners live on borrowed time. Sinners have a temporary reprieve. What a profound teacher is an earthquake. Life is fragile, there are limits to self-protection, death is inevitable, the world is cursed, temporal disasters are only previews of what is coming, God uses these frightening calamities to call people to repentance, and you better repent because time is limited.

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Further reading

Greatest earthquakes of the bible

Earthquake verses in the bible

Why does God allow natural disasters, i.e. earthquakes, hurricanes, and tsunamis?

India, kings of the east, prophecy

India has unveiled its first home-built aircraft carrier

Posted on August 12, 2013 by elizabethprata

Indian-built aircraft carrier INS Vikrant launched
India has unveiled its first home-built aircraft carrier from a shipyard in southern Kerala state.

The 37,500 tonne INS Vikrant is expected to go for extensive trials in 2016 before being inducted into the navy by 2018, reports say. With this, India joins a select group of countries capable of building such a vessel. Other countries capable of building a similar ship are the US, the UK, Russia and France. Monday’s launch of INS Vikrant marks the end of the first phase of its construction. The INS Vikrant was launched amid chanting from ancient Hindu scriptures at the Kochi shipyard in the southern state of Kerala.”

Remember, India is a nuclear power. Also remember that in the final days of world history, the Kings from the East will march against Jerusalem. (Revelation 16:12). India is East of the Euphrates.

India’s increasing military capability at this juncture is interesting to note, particular in the area of having their own aircraft carrier. In any case, this news is indicative of the fact that Jesus said there will wars and rumors of wars during the Tribulation. Life on earth will not get any better, it is always on a downward slide till the end. India, having the toy, they will want to use it. It is only a matter of time.

al-qaeda, frankenbomber, prophecy, rapture

A credible threat from al-Qaeda’s frankenbombers worries officials. Embassies closed

Posted on August 5, 2013May 9, 2016 by elizabethprata

London bombings, WWII. Source

The world is not a safe place. The world is not our home, thank goodness. But until it is time to go to our new home (New Jerusalem), Christians are enduring the same dangers as everyone else.

There is a credible threat from al-Qaeda which has officials worried. This time, they seem really worried and have a good reason to be concerned.

Chicago Tribune reports, “The al Qaeda threat that closed U.S. embassies in the Middle East on Sunday is the most serious in years and the “chatter” among suspected terrorists is reminiscent of what preceded the Sept. 11 attacks, a U.S. lawmaker who is briefed on intelligence said.”
“What is your opinion about surgeries through which I can implant the bomb … inside the operative’s body?” one writer asked.

First, let’s turn to prophecy. We read in the bible that we can know the end. We know what will happen and how history will turn out. That is what prophecy is, foretelling history in advance. That is because the author of history has revealed it to us.

We know who will be in power at a given time (Jesus as King, Prophet and Priest). We know how the geology of the earth will change (Temple Mount splits, islands flee away, etc). We know the economy, (no one will be poor, there will be 100% employment rate). We know the sun will go away and the glory of Jesus will be the light by which we live and thrive. We know the name of what will be the largest city on earth, “New Jerusalem”. We know all that and much more.

Working backward a bit, we know what will precede those events. Wars, diseases, plagues, starvation, violence, weather, poverty…sin! The Tribulation AKA The Time of Jacob’s Trouble.

Working backward from that a bit, we are in this time now. A time where grace has come, and salvation by Jesus is available, but a time of increasingly sinful acts that compete for the human’s soul and combats His grace.

photo credit: ashley rose, via photopin cc

Since before the foundation of the world, (Ephesians 1:4) God has had a plan for His children. He set names in His Book of Life (Revelation 20:15) and set forth a stage upon which to carry out His plan, earth, heaven and the universe. (Genesis 1). He desired to display His glory, (Psalm 19:1; 8:1; 50:6; 89:5), to commune with man who He made in His image. Since the beginning, He has communicated with us! This communication is to show us who He is and how to glorify Him. It is to have us align with His holy will and through His will, He has brought many children home to be with Him. And the spectacular thing is that He told us what will happen, since the beginning. (Genesis 3:15).

Since Man’s fall in Genesis 3, His intention has always been to bring all things to fulfillment.

“Remember this and stand firm, recall it to mind, you transgressors, remember the former things of old; for I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me, declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things not yet done, saying, ‘My counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish all my purpose,’ calling a bird of prey from the east, the man of my counsel from a far country. I have spoken, and I will bring it to pass; I have purposed, and I will do it.” (Isaiah 46:8–11)

So one could safely say that all known history since ‘the beginning’ has hurtled forward, propelled on a track toward a finish, a fulfillment, a conclusion. There is a vanishing point.

photo credit: gustaffo89 via photopin cc

I always like to ponder, “where are we on that track?” Now, it is a dangerous and silly thing to state for certain. It is a pointless thing to think one can know for sure. But we can know gradations of darkness and wavelengths of light. (1 Thessalonians 5:4-5).

Prophecy has been defined as a “miracle of knowledge, a declaration or description or representation of something future, beyond the power of human sagacity to foresee, discern, or conjecture.” (Easton’s Bible Dictionary )

We are not in the Tribulation now but we see it coming. There are a number of prophecies which are just about visible. Where are we on the track? Close, I think.

God may take a long time to set up and begin to fulfill His plan, but when He decides the time is right it all happens quickly. I look at Sodom. At dawn, the angels told Lot and his wife and daughters to get out of the city. By the time the sun had risen, Sodom was no more!

Landscape with Destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah
Artist, Joachim Patinir, c.1520

“The sun had risen on the earth when Lot came to Zoar. Then the Lord rained on Sodom and Gomorrah sulfur and fire from the Lord out of heaven.” (Genesis 19:23-24).

The outcry against Sodom had grown and grown and grown over time. We know this because in Genesis 13:12-13 Abram and Lot separate and Lot chose all the Jordan Valley to settle in, but pitched his tent close to Sodom. He had the whole valley to pick from but he chose to dwell close to sin. We know ten years passed, because Genesis 16:3 says Abraham dwelled ten years in Canaan. Then He had Ishmael by Hagar and he was 86. Then in the next chapter Abram was 99. (Genesis 17:1).

Next we see that the angels went to Sodom and saw Lot sitting at the gate. This is a place where judicial decisions are rendered, men transact business, and they watch for spies, armies and visitors. It is a place of leisure but also of importance. The fact that Lot was there indicates that he had stature of some kind. The verse doesn’t say for sure what his position was, but given his association with the well known and regarded Abraham, it is likely he was sitting there in some official capacity. (source). It takes time to grow to credibility and stature within a city. So, time has passed and Sodom’s sin had grown. We also see that Lot was no longer living in a tent near the city but in a house IN the city. (Genesis 19:3).

All this to say that during the whole time, Sodom had been growing in sin. There were outcries. Years passed. More outcries made. The outcries “had become great.” (Genesis 19:13). Yet the people were oblivious at their looming vanishing point. They went on in their sins day after day and year after year, until suddenly, the city was flattened into ashes. In one moment!

God’s Promises to Abram, James Tissot c.1896

It takes a long time for prophecy to build but when the wheels are set in motion, it happens fast. And there is ‘no pause button’, as Pastor JD Farag likes to say. Though Abram lobbied for Lot, he could not and did not dissuade the Angel from his plan to destroy Sodom.

Personally I believe we see so many of the almost-fulfilled prophecies that there is no pause button. That we passed the point of no return. There have been many times in the last decades where we approached the brink. The 1990 Oslo Accords was a major brink. September 11, 2001 was a major brink. The 2008 election, economic crash, and Japan tsunami were major brinks. The overthrow of Gaddafi and Mubarak were major brinks. But each time we’ve ratcheted back and things calmed down a bit. But the overall trajectory has been forward motion. Over the last two years especially, I believe it has gone even faster. This is my opinion.

Damascus is being destroyed as is Syria, the peace talks (covenant?) are gaining traction, the weather has been strange long enough so that many nations’ grain reserves are low or nil, new diseases are popping up every day, Jerusalem is truly isolated diplomatically, Iran just about has the bomb, Russia is once again strong and pugnacious…

Could God pull back on all those and calm the tone and then ratchet it all back up in ten years? Sure. But will He? I personally believe no.

Now to the news which is causing concern, and I believe shows just how easy it would be to ignite it all. Just as sulfur rained down on Sodom one sunny morning, so could the terrorists’ bombs ignite the final confrontations. Since 9/11, technology has advanced to incredible proportions. We have robot drones, Google street view, clear satellite photos, internet spying…and now this:

19 US posts to remain closed this week, as lawmakers say terror threat ‘specific’ and ‘serious’
The State Department has announced that it will keep 19 embassies and consulates in the Middle East and Africa closed throughout the week “out of an abundance of caution” in the wake of terror threats that shut them down. Posts in Abu Dhabi, Amman, Cairo, Riyadh, Dhahran, Jeddah, Doha, Dubai, Kuwait, Manama, Muscat, Sanaa, Tripoli, Antanarivo, Bujumbura, Djibouti, Khartoum, Kigali and Port Louis have been instructed to close for normal operations from Monday through Saturday, department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said. …

Rooney suggested Sunday the travel warning will not be lifted soon. “If I had plans to travel to certain places in the Middle East, I would probably go ahead and cancel them,” he said. Rooney’s comments followed Georgia Sen. Saxby Chambliss, the top Republican on the Senate Intelligence Committee, telling NBC’s “Meet the Press” that the threats are “very reminiscent of what we saw pre-9/11.” He also described the threats as “the most serious … I’ve seen in a number of years.” …

New York Republican Rep. Pete King, who leads the House Homeland Security subcommittee on counterterrorism and intelligence, said the threat included dates but not locations of possible attacks. “The threat was specific as to how enormous it was going to be and also that certain dates were given,” he said on ABC.

They seem very serious about this. More so than the run of the mill “oh no!”

ABC news reports, “The senior U.S. official said there is concern about devices that could be implanted inside the body of a terrorist. “We are concerned about surgically implanted devices,” they said. “These are guys who have developed the techniques to defeat our detection methods.” The official also said authorities were stunned that the group broke “operational security” — meaning they talked likely knowing it would be picked up by intercepts.”

Implanted in the body?? There is no way to defeat that. This Slate report from July 7 of 2011 has more.

“By year’s end, the SITE Intelligence Group had captured a detailed online exchange among al-Qaida followers. “What is your opinion about surgeries through which I can implant the bomb … inside the operative’s body?” one writer asked. Others advised him to stitch plastic or liquid explosives into the martyr’s abdominal cavity.”

This site reports even more specifics back from 2010.

“I am waiting for the interaction of the experienced brothers [doctors and scientists] to connect the two sciences together and produce a new kind of terrorism, Allah willing,” he wrote, according to a translation by terror experts at the SITE Intelligence Group.” (source).

It appears that the last few years the terrorists’ focus on creating ‘Frankenbombers’ has been successful. Hence, the renewed concern and focus of the stated and credible threat today.

Given the size and magnitude of the threats, the new technology, and stunning confidence of the terrorists, and their satanic, singular intent to wreak havoc, it is going to happen. It is just a question of when.

So that brings us back to the vanishing point track line. Where are we on the track? Given all that we see happening, and given that the outcry today is so very great as it was in Lot’s time, (Genesis 18:20-21, 19:13), is the Day near? It could well be. Just remember, that it begins suddenly.

If the Day is not today, my faith will not be shaken. I have a kingdom perspective. What this means that the time counts as nothing. I am an eternal person and I know my eternity is with Jesus. Eternity is a long time. Another year, or five years or ten years before He comes is a vapor compared to that. (Or I might die tomorrow, for I know not what tomorrow holds, Proverbs 27:1).

If indeed the time is near, (and it is, James 5:8), then the question becomes, “Am I ready?” Am I ready to be taken bodily up to heaven to be with Jesus?” What will make you ready is that you recognize you are a sinner, and that your sins disqualify you from being with God in heaven. Since everyone sins, everyone is disqualified. Jesus came to earth to live the perfect life as the Spotless Lamb (1 Peter 1:19) and then to shed His blood to cover our sins. He did this on the cross where He absorbed all Gods wrath for sin. God His Father, pleased with His Son’s sacrifice, accepted it, exhausted His wrath, and raised Jesus from the dead. Now all one needs to do is believe the aforementioned, repent of your sins and believe on the name of Jesus for eternal life.

“because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” (Romans 10:9).

“They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved–you and your household.” (Acts 16:31)

“but also for us, to whom God will credit righteousness–for us who believe in him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead.” (Romans 4:24)

“Now, brothers and sisters, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain. For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures” (1 Corinthians 15:1-4)

Please consider these things. The time is near.

gog magog, oil, prophecy, russia, syria

Pakistanis hoard food, Australia stikes big oil, Syria crumbles, US mulls military intervention

Posted on July 25, 2013 by elizabethprata

I think this is a big deal- Netanyahu pondering a massive withdrawal from West Bank.
(Joel 3:2, And I will enter into judgment with them there, on behalf of my people and my heritage Israel, because they have scattered them among the nations and have divided up my land,)

Netanyahu to bring referendum bill up for cabinet vote on Sunday
“Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu intends to bring in the referendum bill for a cabinet vote on Sunday, and then submit it to the Knesset for a preliminary vote on Wednesday before the parliament disbands for summer recess. The bill stipulates that if an agreement that is reached with the Palestinians calls for Israeli withdrawal from territory, the public would have to approve it in a referendum for it to take effect. Netanyahu is expediting the bill in response to pressure from the right wing, spearheaded by Economy Minister Naftali Bennett.”

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If the Aussies become self-sufficient, or a global oil power, that might make Russia more jealous for the remaining oil in their neck of the woods. Remember the Gog Magog war begins because they come to take a spoil. (Ezekiel 38:12).

Oil find ‘can fuel Australia’
“SOUTH Australia is sitting on oil worth more than $20 trillion, enough for Australia to become a self-sufficient fuel producer. The Advertiser reports Brisbane company Linc Energy yesterday released two reports, based on drilling and seismic exploration, estimating the amount of oil in the as yet untapped Arckaringa Basin surrounding Coober Pedy ranging from 3.5 billion to 233 billion barrels of oil. At the higher end, this would be “several times bigger than all of the oil in Australia”, Linc managing director Peter Bond said. This has the potential to turn Australia from an oil importer to an oil exporter.”

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I feel terrible about people who don’t have enough to eat! Imagine the hoarding and fighting when famine is in the land, and a loaf of bread costs a day’s pay! (Revelation 6:6, Revelation 6:8, Matthew 24:7).

Hoarding drives up food prices in Pakistan
“Prices of food usually rise during the month of Ramadan. But in Pakistan, it is not so much supply shortages that are causing the inflation, but hoarding by criminal gangs. Prices of food usually rise during the month of Ramadan. But in Pakistan, it is not so much supply shortages that are causing the inflation, but hoarding by criminal gangs. With the onset of Ramadan in Pakistan, the Nawaz Sharif government has set up special food markets across the country to provide affordable food items to all. However not all are satisfied with what is on sale, with some complaining about the quality of products and the range of items on sale.”

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Oh, Syria! Syria! What is to be done? (Isaiah 17:1-3a), “Damascus will be destroyed, The cities of Aroer are deserted; they will be for flocks, which will lie down, and none will make them afraid. The fortress will disappear from Ephraim, and the kingdom from Damascus”)

Syrian rebels capture key village near Aleppo city
“Syrian rebels seized a strategic village on the edge of the northern city of Aleppo on Monday, activists said, just a day after opposition fighters sustained some of their heaviest losses in months in battles to the south near Damascus. Government troops killed at least 75 rebels in and around the Syrian capital on Sunday, the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said Monday. It was one of the deadliest single-day tolls for opposition fighters recently.”

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Who do we root for?? No one! Joel Rosenberg’s analysis:

“Who exactly would we arm and assist? We’re talking about a civil war that is pitting Shia radicals (Assad’s regime, Iran and Hezbollah) against “the rebels,” most of whom are Sunni radicals (including al Qaeda and Muslim Brotherhood forces). I don’t want any of them to win. Are there small numbers of rebels who might be better if they could really come to power? Perhaps. But the fact is they have very limited chances of getting to the top of the greasy pole. Indeed, if the wrong people seize control of Syria, the situation for the Israel, Jordan, Lebanon and the West could actually become much worse.”

Joel Rosenberg again from a different article,

Iran, Hezbollah are actively moving to take over Syria, says new Israeli report.
“A new analysis by an Israeli national security think tank argues that Iran not only sees Syria as strategically vital to the mission of the Islamic Revolution in the Middle East, and is determined not to let it fall into enemy hands, but is thus actively planning to take over the nation of Syria and effectively make it part of sovereign Iranian territory. The report, “Iran’s Plans To Take Over Syria,” suggests upwards of 150,000 troops from Iran, the Hezbollah terrorist movement in Lebanon, and some Shia forces from the Gulf states, are involved in the take over. The report was written by retired IDF Brigadier General Dr. Shimon Shapira and was recently published by the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs.”

And yet, there is still talk of military intervention.

General outlines options for U.S. intervention in Syria
“As the U.S. begins to wind down the war in Afghanistan, some members of Congress are trying to pressure President Obama to take more direct action to stop the bloodbath in Syria. More than 100,000 people — mostly civilians — are believed to have died in the civil war. In a letter to the Senate Armed Services committee, America’s top military officer outlined several possible plans for U.S. intervention. But each plan comes with a heavy price.”

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I can’t remember a time when the headlines were so sick, depraved, atrocious. I know there has always been bad news, but not to this level. And no, these aren’t the worst. I choose not to read or publish the worst.

SHOCK VIDEO: Students sign petition to legalize abortion AFTER childbirth…
Neuroscientists plant ‘false memories’ in brain…
FEDS demand firms turn over passwords…
Small plane crashes into house in Indiana…
Dead body falls from plane preparing to land in Niger…
Train derailment kills 77 in Spain…worst disaster in 40 years…
North Korea floods leave 23,000 homeless, crisis worsens…

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I don’t have any prophetic insight, all that is contained in the bible, so you know what I know and I know what you know. But the spiritual pregnant pause is excruciating. The pressure is intense, it seems to me. Does it feel like something big is about to happen, or what?

Jesus has it all in hand. He is on His throne. Blessedly, we were given a glimpse of it! Truly, I can’t stop thinking about this scene

The Throne in Heaven

“After this I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven! And the first voice, which I had heard speaking to me like a trumpet, said, “Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this.” At once I was in the Spirit, and behold, a throne stood in heaven, with one seated on the throne. And he who sat there had the appearance of jasper and carnelian, and around the throne was a rainbow that had the appearance of an emerald.”

You know, WE WILL SEE THAT! If you are in Christ, born again and thus saved from the wrath of God, you will be in front of that throne, and Jesus will smile at you and say, “well done good and faithful servant, welcome home.”

israel, kerry, peace talks, prophecy, tribulation

After four years, the Israel-Palestinian peace talks resume. How does this fit in prophecy?

Posted on July 19, 2013 by elizabethprata

Here is some news just out-

Kerry: Direct Israeli-Palestinian peace talks to resume next week in Washington
“U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry announced Friday in a press conference in Amman that direct Israeli-Palestinian talks are due to begin next week in Washington. The announcement comes after Kerry had traveled to the region six times within four months and spent countless hours in talks with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. “We have reached an agreement that establishes a basis for resuming direct final status negotiations between the Palestinians and the Israelis,” he told reporters in Jordan. “The agreement is still in the process of being formalized.”

According to Wikipedia, there are numerous issues to resolve before a lasting peace can be reached, including the following:

Borders and division of the land;
Strong emotions relating to the conflict on both sides;
Palestinian concerns over Israeli settlements in the West Bank;
Status of Jerusalem;
Israeli security concerns over terrorism, safe borders, incitements, violence;
Right of return of Palestinian refugees living in the Palestinian diaspora.

Prophetically we know several things. Overall, we know that there will be no lasting peace until Messiah comes. (Isaiah 2:3-5).

The world will be against Israel in the final days. (Zechariah 12:2-3)
The LORD will allow the nations to invade and (mostly) defeat Israel (Zechariah 14:2, Rev 11:2)
They have divided His land, angering the LORD (Joel 3:2)
He will save a remnant, all Israel will be saved (Romans 11:25-26)
While they are saying peace and safety sudden destruction will come upon them (1 Thessalonians 5:3)

Here is the biggie:

A covenant will be confirmed. A pact. A treaty.

“And he shall make a strong covenant with many for one week, and for half of the week he shall put an end to sacrifice and offering. And on the wing of abominations shall come one who makes desolate, until the decreed end is poured out on the desolator.” (Daniel 9:27)

Othe translations say-

“And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week” (KJV)
“He will make a firm covenant with many for one week” (Holman Standard)
“He will confirm a covenant with many for one ‘seven.'” (NIV)

This indicates that some kind of treaty or pact is already in existence and will be confirmed among the many, rather than a new one being created or formulated at the time.

This covenant satisfies Israel. We know this because firstly, they participate in its confirming, and secondly, they are allowed to begin sacrificing at the temple again. All seems well for three and a half years, until the antichrist reveals himself by stepping into the temple. He declares himself God and commands all worship must focus on him. Until then, we do not know who the antichrist is, although he does participate in the original confirming of the covenant three and a half years earlier. (2 Thessalonians 3:6).

It is this moment which Jesus spoke of in Matthew 24:15-17, “So when you see standing in the holy place ‘the abomination that causes desolation,’ spoken of through the prophet Daniel–let the reader understand-Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains: Let him which is on the housetop not come down to take any thing out of his house: …”

Any time many nations are involved in forming a treaty or pact with Israel, it is time to heighten attention to the prophetic words of His prophets. It is time to pray for Israel even more fervently. It is time to pray for the pagans and Gentiles who live in that region with vigor. It is time to pray for the Christians witnessing to Messiah in the Land that they would be the Light so many will be saved and thus escape the horrors to soon come. It is time to strengthen our own faith and straighten our own walk, so that we may be ready for the trumpet call to stand unashamed before Him in glory.

Seeing the scaffolding having been erected for the Tribulation we know that soon the rapture call will occur, because the Bride will be called home before the judgments begin. So look to the Middle East with the political doings, and look up. Is our Redemption drawing nigh? I believe so, every day brings us closer. With the resumption of peace talks, the inching forward just took a giant leap.
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