prophecy – Page 60

Iran pulls Quds back to "neighboring states", sinkhole still getting bigger, global blasphemy law

Posted on September 21, 2012 by elizabethprata

Some news for you at this week’s end. Have a wonderful weekend everyone. Our home is in heaven, and what a day that will be! Meanwhile, there’s kids to feed and a dog to walk!

Iran’s Supreme Guide orders Quds Force to focus on neighboring states: source
“Iran’s Supreme Guide Ali Khamenei gave his instructions to the country’s Revolutionary Guard, and all its affiliated units, especially the Quds Force, to stop their activities worldwide, especially in Africa and Latin America, and to focus on the neighboring countries, Al Arabiya reported on Friday, citing a source at the Iranian Revolutionary Guard. The Quds Force, an elite special operations unit, is an arm of the Guard that is active abroad. The Quds Force is tasked with carrying out operations outside Iran — official and clandestine. It has several thousand members, and it is especially active in the Middle East, according to Western analysts. The source, who talked to Al Arabiya on the condition of anonymity, explained that the Supreme Guide fears a possible military strike against Tehran by Israel, on the one hand; and the grave financial effects of the international sanctions against Iran over its nuclear program, especially regarding the funds provided to the Revolutionary Guard and its affiliated units.”

Deep-focus quakes at Fiji:

Two quakes occurred at Fiji that were of the deep-focus variety. Deep focus quakes are earthquakes that occur at depths where they should not be able to occur. Geologists didn’t even know deep-focus quakes existed until 1922 until HH Turner of Oxford England provided evidence that they do indeed occur. Confirmation came in 1931. It was only in the lifetime of a person in one generation that seismology was turned upside down with the evidence that quakes are occurring “in diverse places,” lol.

I’ve written about deep-focus quakes before, when several happened in quick succession in the Philippines in 2010. I’d quoted then from a scientific article:

“Geophysicists are really not certain what causes the very deep quakes, because at 640 kilometers rocks are so hot that they flow rather than snap under geological stresses. The more common, shallow earthquakes are generally created when rocks snap and fracture.” (source)

Wikipedia explains the depth levels,

The majority of tectonic earthquakes originate at the ring of fire in depths not exceeding tens of kilometers. Earthquakes occurring at a depth of less than 70 km are classified as ‘shallow-focus’ earthquakes, while those with a focal-depth between 70 and 300 km are commonly termed ‘mid-focus’ or ‘intermediate-depth’ earthquakes. Deep-focus earthquakes may occur at much greater depths (ranging from 300 up to 700 kilometers).

Here is the quake data-
Friday: magnitude 4.7, South of the Fiji Islands, 572.0 km deep
Thursday: magnitude 5.7, 35km ESE of Ndoi Island, Fiji 544.2 km deep

The sinkhole in Louisiana is still percolating and expanding. Concerned residents met last night. The emergency has been going on for four months.

Assumption group still seeks answers
“PIERRE PART — Residents and evacuees along with environmental groups and others worried about a large sinkhole, tremors and natural gas releases in the Bayou Corne area detailed on Thursday their concerns about the emergency dating four months with the appearance of mysterious bubbles in waterways.”

The movie “Innocence of Muslims” sparked violent protests his week all over the world. The subsequent publication by French media of Muhammad cartoons fueled it. Did you know that for several years now, Muslims have been pushing for a Global Blasphemy Law? Well it died (again) last year but the notion has again been revived.

The Muslim News has the story:

Saudi Arabia: World Islamic body pushes global blasphemy law
The world Islamic body signaled on Wednesday that it will revive long-standing attempts to make insults against religions an international criminal offense. The bid follows uproar across the Muslim world over a crude Internet video clip filmed in the United States and cartoons in a French satirical magazine that lampoon the Prophet Mohammad. But it appears unlikely to win acceptance from Western countries determined to resist restrictions on freedom of speech and already concerned about the repressive effect of blasphemy laws in Muslim countries such as Pakistan. Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, secretary-general of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), said the international community should “come out of hiding from behind the excuse of freedom of expression”, a reference to Western arguments against a universal blasphemy law that the OIC has sought for over a decade. He said the “deliberate, motivated and systematic abuse of this freedom” were a danger to global security and stability.”

A crazy thing is happening now in a small town of Haren in the Netherlands. A 16-year old girl organized a party, posted the invites to Facebook, but forgot to turn it to private. Thousands showed up to her party and a riot ensued. At least 20 people are hospitalized and riot police had to be called in from all environs to quell the violence. Even the journalists covering the riot were in turn attacked by the attackers. It still isn’t under control, the Haren mayor says. More here, and it is a really weird story.

A man has ended up in a tiger’s den in the Bronx Zoo. He had jumped the zoo’s monorail ride. No one knows why he jumped. He got his leg eaten off for his troubles.

People are acting C-R-A-Z-Y! Really! I don’t want to do a ‘back in my day’ kind of speech, but man, back in my day…people didn’t riot when they turn up uninvited to some teenager’s party, jump off a zoo ride and hurl themselves at a tiger, and riot when a cartoon is published. I never thought I’d say it but the 1960s are starting to look tame compared to all this.

Here are some recommended essays:

Ask for Tolerance
“If you’re placed in a situation where you suspect your convictions will be labeled intolerant, bigoted, narrow-minded, and judgmental, turn the tables. When someone asks for your personal views about a moral issue—homosexuality, for example—preface your remarks with a question…”

Weird Stuff People Do on Facebook By : Jordan Hall
Have you done any of them that are listed? LOL, I have.

Kittehs!

Interview: Photographer of World’s Cutest Kitten

Because who doesn’t need a cute kitten picture at the end of a long week?!

ishmael, jihad, jihad girl, muslim, prophecy

Jihad girl: "Nobody is too young" for jihad says 8-year-old

Posted on September 20, 2012 by elizabethprata

The Australian Herald Sun reports this morning of a Muslim conference where an 8-year-old girl wants children of her age to join jihad.

“This is a recording of 8-year-old Ruqaya urging other children to join the fight for a global Islamic state. As she sees it, “nobody is too young”. Ruqaya delivered her speech to an audience of 600 at a conference called Muslims Rise, hosted by an Islamic group called Hizb ut-Tahrir. It was held in Bankstown in Sydney’s west on Sunday. Muslims Rise advocates the restoration of the Islamic caliphate – a global government for all muslims, operating under strict sharia law. Ruqaya was one of nine speakers in a considerable line-up, which included a controversial keynote from Taji Mustafa, described by the Opposition as a “hate preacher”. … “Children as young as myself can be seen on the streets joining the uprisings, risking their lives to bring food, water and medicine to their wounded family members, some of them never returning to their mothers … Nobody is too young, she said.”

2-minute video below.

Oh, Islam! ‘Appeasing the unappeasable’ is what the world did with Hitler. Though Hitler unleashed much evil, God used it for His good and in His plan & timing. That generation was horrified as they watched the evil Nazi stain march across the continent. Those carted off to the Camps cried out, “Why?” Those imprisoned and tortured by evil men struggled to understand what good could ever come. However, the Lord does use evil for His good and for His glory.

The distance of time has showed us what the good was. In 1948, Israel was reborn according to scripture. God is mighty. His word will come to pass. ‘I have declared it, saith the LORD.’

Now we have another evil stain, Islam, marching across the globe. The Muslims believe themselves to be the prophesied vehicle to bring about holy jihad. Their commitment to jihad supposedly demonstrates to Muhammad how serious they are for His name. Thus endearing themselves to him through blood and killing, Muhammad will return and take over the world. This in turn will please their false god ‘Allah.’

This isn’t the first rise of Islam. I do feel it will be the last, however.

It all stems back to Ishmael and Isaac, Jacob and Esau.

Though God had promised a son to Abraham and Sarah, ten long years had passed and they weren’t getting any younger. Sarah and Abraham took matters into their own hands and in the custom of the day, Abraham went to Sarah’s handmaiden and conceived a child with her. Culturally, the child would be considered his and Sarah’s. That child was Ishmael. Later, Isaac was born of Sarah, just as God had said.

Though Ishmael was not the covenant child God promised to the patriarch, the child was promised to receive blessings.

“As for Ishmael, I have heard you; behold, I have blessed him and will make him fruitful and multiply him greatly. He shall father twelve princes, and I will make him into a great nation. But I will establish my covenant with Isaac, whom Sarah shall bear to you at this time next year.” (Genesis 17:20-21).

“And I will make a nation of the son of the slave woman also, because he is your offspring.”Up! Lift up the boy, and hold him fast with your hand, for I will make him into a great nation.” (Gen 21:13, 18)

Unfortunately it was also prophesied by God that Abraham and Hagar’s son Ishmael would be contentious.

“He shall be a wild donkey of a man, his hand against everyone and everyone’s hand against him, and he shall dwell over against all his kinsmen.” (Genesis 16:12).

Ishmael became the father of the Arabs, many of whom today are Muslim. Ishmael, Hagar, and Abraham are all part of Muslim tradition.

The conflict continued with Ishamel’s sons… “His descendants settled in the area from Havilah to Shur, near the border of Egypt, as you go toward Asshur. And they lived in hostility toward all their brothers.” (Genesis 25:18)

Back to Abraham. Abraham’s son Isaac and Rebekah had twin sons, Jacob and Esau. God determined that His covenant would continue through Jacob, later named Israel. Though God did not choose Esau to be the recipient of the covenant promises, He still blessed Esau in many ways.

Unfortunately, Esau had issues, too. The bible says that we pray “that no one is sexually immoral or unholy like Esau, who sold his birthright for a single meal. For you know that afterward, when he desired to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no chance to repent, though he sought it with tears. (Hebrews 12:16-17, also Genesis 25:33).

Esau became the father of the Edomites. God hated the Edomites (“Jacob I have loved, but Esau have I hated,” Malachi 1:2-3). Obadiah and Malachi tell the story of God’s constant hatred of the Edomites and why. “For the violence done to your brother Jacob, shame shall cover you, and you shall be cut off for ever,” (Obadiah 1:10)

So while the Muslims say they will bring about the jihad, they are just about right, but they don’t know it. God planned a series of Islamic wars in the very last days which have not yet been fulfilled. Edom (Jordan) has not been cut off forever. Isaiah 17, Isaiah 19, Psalm 83, Ezekiel 37-38 and other chapters and verses describe that the old enmity between Ishmael, that wild donkey of a man, and his brothers is almost fully here. War from the Muslim world has arrived. My opinion is, when I say that the coming Muslim wars will be the last is because those books and chapters I mention will break Islam. It will not be a contender for much longer. This is my opinion,based on the wars Israel will win and by definition the Muslim states will lose.

Islam began when Muhammad allegedly received divine revelations in 610AD from an unholy angel alleging to be Gabriel. He started preaching these revelations and at first had few followers. Muhammad encountered hostility from Jewish sects and Meccans. Eventually what has come to be known as Islam gained traction. It is the fastest growing religion today.

But what of Islam as a nation? Or an empire?

The Byzantine Empire (remnants of old Roman Empire) fell when Constantinople (Istanbul) fell in 1463. This began the rise of the (Muslim) Ottoman Empire. The Ottoman Empire reached its peak in 1683 and fell in 1922. The caliphate was disbanded in 1923 and its authority was given to modern Turkey’s Grand National Assembly.

The Ottoman Empire encompassed the following lands (Source, Wiki).

It was a big empire!

People today have no idea how large and powerful the Ottoman Empire was. Many dismiss Turkey today as a backwater nation of little consequence. Not so! Turkey is the seat of the presently disbanded caliphate power. Turkey has the second largest military in NATO- after America. 99.8% of Turks are Muslim, according to the government anyway. Turkey will be an ally with Russia and Iran in the Gog-Magog surprise attack against Israel, as described in Ezekiel 37. As a matter of fact, some think the Ottoman Empire may be the 7th kingdom mentioned in Revelation 17:9-11.

While some say that the 7th kingdom will be a revived Roman Empire, the Romans split their empire at the time of the Byzantines, as illustrated by the two legs Nebuchadnezzar’s statue (Daniel 2:31-35). The capital of the empire at that time was Rome and Constantinople, now Istanbul. So the horn mentioned in the Revelation verse could easily be Ottoman, if I’m wrong and the Muslim world does survive the Psalm 83/Isaiah 17/Isaiah 19/ Ezekiel wars.

As for all this history and biblical prophecy and Ishmael and Esau and the Muslims…perhaps it will make it easier to love them knowing God has a plan for them. His plan for them is just as valuable to Himself as His plan for His people the Jews.

I get caught up in hating their violence done in the name of a false God. I strive to pray and remember that God will take His vengeance on those who blaspheme His holy name and who bow to idols and then I feel calm again.

I have a harder time with their abuse of their children. Molech sacrifice is alive and well. That little girl calling for children to be used in a violent jihad is just as surely being passed through the belly of Molech as a sacrifice as those idolaters did in the ancient days. (1 Kings 23:10; Jeremiah 32:35; 2 Kings 16:3;21:6; 2 Chronicles 28:3; I). I can’t imagine the children there being indoctrinated into a hate religion in the name of a false god or even sacrificed. If they aren’t now, they will be. Remember, that little girl was in Australia, not Jordan and Not Turkey. I can’t imagine life for a Turkish daughter…

Our God is a good God. If not a sparrow falls without Him knowing about it, how much more will he take the precious children to His bosom. Their eyes will be cleared of the hate and they will see only love. Little Ruqaya, you may love Allah and hate Christians, but hopefully soon you will meet God. God IS love.

“but Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 19:14).

end of days, prophecy

Praise the Lord, we live in interesting times!

Posted on September 19, 2012May 9, 2016 by elizabethprata

There is quite a bit of interesting news out today with prophetic implications. I am making another post of the actual news. This post is to praise the Lord for the news.

There is a proverb/curse of alleged Chinese origin, “May you live in interesting times.” The implication is that a life lived in interesting times is less desirable than one lived in peace and tranquility. To be sure, the danger and uncertainty and lack and want of these years are difficult to manage sometimes, but surely it is better to live in interesting times than uninteresting. Why? Jesus.

We could change that phrase to “May you live in prophetic times” and it would be better applicable for the believer. For those who are IN the Lord, believers in Jesus and saved by His grace, we know that though difficult, the times that are more “interesting” offer more growth in sanctification than times when everything is going along peacefully. If I had my druthers, I would prefer to live in prophetic times. LOL, I don’t have my druthers, He put me here, of all us are here, for just such a time as this.

The tremendous opportunity we have to actually watch God at work in the world in such an interesting and visible way fuels my love for Him and my amazement at His sovereignty. Yes, a life in a previous time might well have been more peaceful, but less astonishing. And the difficult times offer us the opportunity to grow in Jesus. He is the Potter. He sanctifies us and shapes us through trials and challenges. And my, what challenges these times offer. Therefore the growth in Christlikeness should be even greater than when living in uninteresting times.

I agree, the times are hard. No one likes living in the era when our beloved nation America failed, collapsed, and imploded. Instead, let’s focus on what God is doing. He is so high above us, yet He told us ages ago what He would do. And now He is doing it. This is cause for praise and celebration.

What is God doing on earth? He said He would judge nations, set up kings and take them down.

“but it is God who executes judgment, putting down one and lifting up another.” (Psalm 75:11). Also see Daniel 2:21)

Imagine being in heaven where we can recount His mighty deeds from our own generation! ‘In 1990, God threw down Gog and in 2000 He raised Him up again!” Or, ‘His might destroyed Damascus, just like He said He would!’ Or, “I lived in America, the greatest nation in centuries but He completely struck that nation down for idolatry and godlessness in just four years!’

Keep that Psalms & Daniel verse in mind as election season approaches. A Pastor friend of mine wrote: “Our vote does not determine who will be elected to serve in any political office. God ordains and appoints who will serve and for how long. … Our vote reveals our convictions and value system; what we believe.”

We can be mindful and diligent in our voting but if the outcome seems drastic (like Obama re-elected) or is not your preferred outcome, then just remember He is doing a work! We get to see it! And then we get to praise Him!

“A Psalm of Asaph. God takes His stand in His own congregation; He judges in the midst of the rulers.” (Psalm 82:1).

Matthew Henry explains, “Good princes and good judges, who mean well, are under Divine direction; and bad ones, who mean ill, are under Divine restraint.”

Obama is under restraint. What is happening is under God’s divine plan. Russia’s Putin is under restraint. Iran’s Ayatollah Khamenei and Ahmadinejad are under restraint. Even Hitler was under restraint. The Holy Spirit sends His restraining power upon the earth. No king, or president or Prime Minister or dictator is doing anything God does not want to happen.

But… woe to the inhabitants of the earth when the Spirit is taken out of the way!

“And you know what is restraining him now so that he may be revealed in his time. For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work. Only he who now restrains it will do so until he is out of the way.” (2 Thessalonians 2:6-7)

The world really does feel like it is out of control. But it isn’t. See, this verse comforts:

“We give thanks to you, O God; we give thanks, for your name is near. We recount your wondrous deeds. “At the set time that I appoint I will judge with equity. When the earth totters, and all its inhabitants, it is I who keep steady its pillars.” (Psalm 75:1-3).

The LORD will steady its pillars. May you live in prophetic times! (and enjoy them!)

Diaoyu islands, kings of the east, prophecy, Senkaku islands

UPDATED. China protests turning violent: Kings of the East now in play

Posted on September 17, 2012May 9, 2016 by elizabethprata

UPDATE: Today in an unusual move, a Chinese General today said ‘Prepare for Combat‘. Top Chinese general in unusual move tells troops to ready for combat with Japan
———————————–
It’s amazing to see the Lord work His sovereign will in the world. Over the last few years we have seen the Gog-Magog alliance shape up, Russia’s return to power, the incendiary fanaticism of Iran, the abandonment of Israel, The emergence of the Arab Spring and Muslim brotherhood’s rise to power, Egypt and Jordan breaking their peace treaties with Israel (or almost), the inclusion of Libya and Sudan on the world prophetic stage, the near-collapse of the EU, and the decline of the US. The nations He intends to use in the very last days prior to the rapture and during the Tribulation are in play.

The only arena left out is Asia. Where are the Kings of the East? Well, they showed up, big time.

You might remember on August 18 I’d posted about an obscure standoff between Japan and China over even more obscure islands. I thought it was something at the time, and it has turned into something indeed. Here is the August news excerpt.

The latest dispute began in August, with Japan detaining 14 Chinese activists who clambered onto a bleak little islet claimed and controlled by Tokyo. The activists, who had set sail from Hong Kong, dodged Japanese coast guard vessels and planted Chinese and Taiwanese flags on one of the Senkaku islands, which are also claimed by China and Taiwan. The Chinese call them the Diaoyu islands. Map is from Wikipedia.

“The incident has the region in something of an uproar, especially in China. Global Times, a mainland newspaper with a nationalist bent that is affiliated with the Chinese Communist Party, ran a photo on its front page on Thursday of an activist standing on an outcrop and waving the Taiwanese flag. A state-run media outlet showing the flag of China’s “breakaway republic,” well, it’s almost unimaginable.’ “

The article makes the case that the dispute is “not about oil, gas, or fish, it is about World War II. It is about national pride. And they’re about historical scar tissue that refuses to heal.”

Well the issue has flared up a lot the past two days. The Voice of Russia reports-

1,000 Chinese fishing boats make for disputed islands
“A flotilla of one thousand Chinese fishing boats is on their way to the Senkaku, or Diaoyu, Islands, which are at the heart of a dispute between Tokyo and Beijing. The news has been reported by Japan’s Kyodo news agency with reference to the Internet site of China’s government radio. Japanese Coast Guard frigates are currently on naval alert in the disputed island area, in the East China Sea. Tokyo does not rule out that the Chinese may attempt to land on the Senkaku archipelago. Meanwhile, mass-scale anti-Japanese protests have been on in China for a week now. The protests flared up after Tokyo bought out the islands from private owners last week. The dispute over the islands was aggravated after oil and gas fields were discovered on the islands in the 1970s.”

on the mainland, protests by the Chinese against the Japanese are like a prairie fire, popping up everywhere.

China-Japan hostilities are always simmering. This latest flare-up over the islands is only a pretext, much like the alleged Muslim protests against the West is a pretext based on the youtube low-budget film they claim insulted Muhammad.

The protests in China against the Japanese are taking on a disturbingly violent tone. BBC reports,

“Never forget the national humiliation,” and “Protect China’s inseparable territory,” read some. More disturbing: “Let’s kill all Japanese,” and “Nuclear extermination for wild Japanese dogs.” Those are some of the sentiments irate Chinese are displaying on protest banners across the country, as demonstrators in more than a dozen cities including Beijing, Shenzhen, Guangzhou, and Nanjing take to the streets, angry about Japanese control of the disputed Senkaku islands—known as Diaoyu in China—an uninhabited but possibly resource-rich atoll in the East China Sea.”

The Chinese protests are getting so violent that today several major businesses packed up and closed for a few days, hoping it would all blow over. Temporarily suspending operations were Panasonic, Canon, Honda, Mazda and Nissan

Now, why they would burn a US flag, I don’t know. The caption from the article says it is a combination US-Japan flag… A person on twitter stated that the Chinese writing on the banner next to the flag burners is “a taoist curse hurled at U.S. & Japan, claiming their rage is that of Supreme Lord.” I don’t know if that is true but there you have it.

These are not small demonstrations!

So what do massive protests in China against the Japanese (and the US) have to do with prophecy? Because an important arena of influence and military might in the Tribulation is from the East, the Orient. And until now, they had seemed to be escaping the fray of global general violent anger and protest against the current system.

Revelation 16:12 says, “The sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river Euphrates, and its water was dried up, to prepare the way for the kings from the east.”

A parallel verse to this one is in Isaiah, the LORD will dry up the Euphrates.

“The LORD will dry up the gulf of the Egyptian sea; with a scorching wind he will sweep his hand over the Euphrates River. He will break it up into seven streams so that men can cross over in sandals” (Isaiah 11:15 NIV).

The Euphrates is a great river and is mentioned many times in the bible. The eastern border of the land originally intended for Israel was from the Mediterranean all the way over to the Euphrates at the east. (Genesis 15:18, Deuteronomy 1:7, Joshua 1:4, Deuteronomy 11:24).

So the Kings of the East will unite and march to the Battle at Armageddon. It is demonic spirits that induce them to come at that future time. Now, we see the beginning of that inducement. The world is going crazy and that is not a coincidence. Individuals everywhere and whole nations are violently turning on other individuals and other nations. The violence is over small and stupid things, like the rocky outcrop of the contended islands, a youtube video, slashed salaries or even wants for higher salaries.

The Orient is now having their share of irrational violence, and it is evident that the Lord is allowing satan to heighten their anger, in preparation for the First and Second seals being broken in the Tribulation (Revelation 6:1-4).

It may sound strange to anyone reading this that I speak of satanically induced anger, or demons and their whipping up of violence. But the bible tells us that the god of this world is satan (2 Corinthians 4:4) and that we believers “do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.” (Ephesians 6:12).

For the most part, the struggle has been invisible, with a few exceptions, such as when satan appears as an angel of light (2 Corinthians 11:14). But in the Tribulation the battle will become visible as God allows hell on earth to be unleashed. That the Chinese are whipped up and their multitudes are violently protesting a few rocks in the East China Sea just tells me that the latest player in God’s prophetic timeline has arrived.

prophecy, rapture, rosh hashanah

Rosh Hashanah begins tomorrow

Posted on September 15, 2012May 9, 2016 by elizabethprata

Rosh Hashanah begins Sunday at sundown (6:43PM Jerusalem time). For many years, people have been saying that the rapture will likely (or as some have said, definitely) occur during the Feast of Trumpets, also known as the Jewish high holiday of Rosh Hashanah. I do not think the Jewish feasts are tied to the Times of the Gentiles because the two are distinct and mutually exclusive. (more here). However the rapture could happen at any time, so this weekend is as good a time as any. Only the Lord knows.

What IS Rosh Hashanah?

From Chabad.org:

“The festival of Rosh Hashanah—the name means “Head of the Year”—is observed for two days beginning on 1 Tishrei, the first day of the Jewish year. It is the anniversary of the creation of Adam and Eve, the first man and woman, and their first actions toward the realization of mankind’s role in G‑d’s world.”

“The central observance of Rosh Hashanah is the sounding of the shofar, the ram’s horn, which also represents the trumpet blast of a people’s coronation of their king. The cry of the shofar is also a call to repentance, for Rosh Hashanah is also the anniversary of man’s first sin and his repentance thereof, and serves as the first of the “Ten Days of Repentance” which culminate in Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement. Another significance of the shofar is to recall the Binding of Isaac which also occurred on Rosh Hashanah, in which a ram took Isaac’s place as an offering to G‑d; we evoke Abraham’s readiness to sacrifice his son, and plead that the merit of his deed should stand by us as we pray for a year of life, health and prosperity.”

The Feast of Trumpets, along with the other six festivals of the LORD, foreshadowed certain aspects of the ministry of Jesus Christ. The shofar blown on Rosh Hashanah may or may not be the trumpet blown to capture the Church up to heaven in the rapture. I do believe the rapture is incredibly close, though.

History Channel explains, “The sounding of the shofar—a trumpet made from a ram’s horn—is an essential and emblematic part of both Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. The ancient instrument’s plaintive cry serves as a call to repentance and a reminder to Jews that God is their king. Tradition requires the shofar blower to play four sets of notes on Rosh Hashanah: tekiah, a long blast; shevarim, three short blasts; teruah, nine staccato blasts; and tekiah gedolah, a very long blast. Because of this ritual’s close association with Rosh Hashanah, the holiday is also known as Yom Teruah—the day of the sounding of the shofar.”

The last note for Rosh Hashanah is the Teki’ah Gedolah (very long sound) Exodus 19:16,19. It sounds like this-

Friends, the last sound we will hear on earth will be the tekia gedolah, and the first sound we hear as glorified children of Jesus will be His call, probably something like, “Come up here!” (Revelation 4:1)

“For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. Therefore encourage one another with these words.” (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17).

AMEN!!!!!!! AMEN!!!!!!! AMEN!!!!!!! AMEN!!!!!!! AMEN!!!!!!! AMEN!!!!!!!AMEN!!!!!!! AMEN!!!!!!! AMEN!!!!!!! AMEN!!!!!!!

demons, israel, lebanon, prophecy, us

Lebanon protesters burn US, Israeli flags

Posted on September 14, 2012May 9, 2016 by elizabethprata

Lebanon is getting in on the act…

We awake this morning to see that the world’s most hated nation, Israel, is under vicious demonic attack- again. And the most feared nation on earth, The United States, is now ripe for the picking, mocking, and likely attack. Muslims see Israel as Little Satan and the US as Great Satan. They are quite serious about wanting to wipe Israel off the map.(Psalm 83:4)

Lebanese Muslim demonstrators burn the US (R) and Israeli flags during a protest against a film mocking Islam in Abra, east of Sidon, on September 13, 2012 (AFP Photo / Mahmoud Zayyat)

“Several hundred people have rallied in the Lebanese city of Tripoli, burning American and Israeli flags in outrage over an American-made film mocking Islam’s prophet, Muhammad. The streets of Tripoli saw a heavy police presence on Thursday despite the fact that only around 200 people took part in the demonstration. There were no reports of violence or clashes during the demonstration.”

“Protesters carried black banners bearing the traditional Islamic message, “There is no god but Allah and Muhammad is His Prophet.” Several protesters burned American and Israeli flags while chanting “God is great!” Another demonstration took place in the southern city of Sidon, on Lebanon’s Mediterranean coast. Offended men and women showed posters containing slogans like “freedom does not mean insults to religion” and “who are you, you lowlifes, to insult what is good for people.”

Isaiah 28:20-24 has a prophecy against Sidon:

Prophecy Against Sidon

20The word of the Lord came to me: 21“Son of man, set your face toward Sidon, and prophesy against her 22and say, Thus says the Lord God:

“Behold, I am against you, O Sidon,
and I will manifest my glory in your midst.
And they shall know that I am the Lord
when I execute judgments in her
and manifest my holiness in her;
23 for I will send pestilence into her,
and blood into her streets;
and the slain shall fall in her midst,
by the sword that is against her on every side.
Then they will know that I am the Lord.

24“And for the house of Israel there shall be no more a brier to prick or a thorn to hurt them among all their neighbors who have treated them with contempt. Then they will know that I am the Lord God.”

This prophecy tells us not only about the nation of what is now Lebanon, but also that the demonic forces are behind many kings, including the King of Tyre which is the ancient name of Lebanon, as described in verses 11-19.

Much of this prophecy has already come to pass. Tyre and Sidon were vanquished when Alexander the Great came to town. Yet the last parts of are still to come: Lebanon will be completely neutralized and of no threat to Israel any more. Since there are at this moment thousands of rockets stations on Lebanese soil aimed at Israel, and the Lebanese do not know the LORD, we can expect the last verses of the prophecy to come to pass. Matthew Henry says of this prophecy,

“The Sidonians were borderers upon the land of Israel, and they might have learned to glorify the Lord; but, instead of that, they seduced Israel to the worship of their idols. War and pestilence are God’s messengers; but he will be glorified in the restoring his people to their former safety and prosperity.”

I’d said in comments last night on another blog entry that I believe the killing of the Ambassador and the attacks on the Cairo and Libyan embassies were the dam breaking. I wrote that when I heard about the embassies I got a knot in my stomach. When I heard it was planned and coordinated ahead of time, the knot deepened. When I read that Obama knew 48 hours ahead that it was likely to happen- AND DID NOTHING- I felt that this was truly the Franz Ferdinand moment (the Bosnian King who was assassinated, sparking WWI). I think the embassy violence is the dam breaking. The dam has broken open. As Obama does nothing, the Muslims become emboldened. There will be no stopping them.

“House Intelligence Committee Chairman Mike Rogers (R-Mich.) warned Thursday that escalating attacks on American embassies in the Middle East could develop into “real trouble” and said that the United States needed to clearly signal the ramifications of future attempts to breach diplomatic missions abroad.”

John McTernan wrote that ‘the violence in the Embassies is the fuse lit to Armageddon.‘ I am inclined to agree. The downward slope is slippery and the momentum is beyond catchable now.

I think we should expect an attack on our soil in the coming weeks. My opinion. Why do I think this? The US used to be the world’s policeman. It stands to reason, because this nation has the most Christians, and was used mightily to further the kingdom. Just as a town or a city needs policemen, so does the world. And that role fell to the US. We were used mightily not only to further His kingdom by sending missionaries He raised up, but to hold back the hellish kingdom by policing the evil men. In the first case, missionaries were used to bring the Gospel and thus, to break the spiritual demonic strongholds in a nation person by person. In the second case, the US was used to police a nation, and thus break an evilly controlled man’s strongholds on a country.

What we’re seeing is the diminishing of our role as policeman and the result is the criminals are running wild. The Middle East’s violence is not human excitation, it is demonic fervor. In Revelation 16:16 we read that it is the demonic spirits that gather the armies to Armageddon. The demons so hate Jesus, His people the Jews, and their children the Christians, that they whip up ALL the world’s armies into a frenzy and gather them there to fight Jesus.

What we see today on earth is the beginning of that demonic fervor being unleashed to what will soon be Revelation’s final filling at Armageddon. It is not rational. It is not logical. It is demonic hatred from the pit of hell. There is no reasoning with it. There is no diplomacy with it. By this point in the prophetic agenda, it is my belief that only prayer and appeal to Jesus, individual by individual, for unbeliever’s salvation and for believer’s sanctification will suffice. The Gospel is more important than ever because it is the only rescue and the only refuge. It only ever was, but by now while we are on the cusp of the rapture and the unleashing of hell on earth, repeating that people need to repent because Jesus saves, is the only message that matters.

beth moore, bill hybels, gnosticism, gnostics, neo-gnosticism, prophecy, rick warren

Gnosticism Part 4: Ceremonies & Rituals

Posted on September 12, 2012May 9, 2016 by elizabethprata

If you read Colossians, you quickly become aware that Paul was busy refuting some false teachings that had begun to affect the church at Colossae. Epahras had sent Paul a letter about this, and Colossians was Paul’s response. Though Paul never mentioned “Gnosticism” by name, it becomes obvious that’s what he was referring to, because of his use of certain words and phrases.

Gnosticism is less a religion than a loose patchwork of philosophies and doctrines from other religions and disciplines, blended into an amorphous set of beliefs that taint the true faith as delivered by Jesus. There never was a church of Gnostics, or a firm set of Gnostic tenets, just beliefs certain people promoted as a subtle blend of Christianity and good-sounding religious practices from elsewhere, mostly the Eastern mystical religions. But in general, we can list six elements contained in most Gnostic teachings, courtesy of the Zondervan NIV bible, which in turn is based on Paul’s mention of them in Colossians.

1. secret knowledge, (refuted in Col 1:27; 2:3)
2. asceticism, (Col 2:18)
3. depreciation of Christ (lowering Him in name and in glory), (Col 2:18b)
4. strict rule-keeping, ceremonies, or rituals ( Col 2:23)
5. worship of angels, ( Col 2:18)
6. and reliance on human wisdom and traditions (Col 2:20b-22)

When we come through the door of justification, and before we exit life through the door of glorification, we engage in a life-long process of sanctification. This is the work of the Holy Spirit upon us to make us more Christlike and to consecrate us for holy work on earth. “There are many false paradigms of sanctification, and there always have been. The problem is, there is only one method of sanctification and that is through the Spirit. The false paradigms of sanctification cannot restrain the flesh. Though some paradigms or strategies of sanctification purport to restrain the flesh and make one holy, they don’t do that, any more than a false Gospel could save. … [Gnostic/Mysticism] “is the notion that there is within a person a mystical, intuitive capability that causes, if manipulated correctly, a person to rise in spiritual formation”, said John MacArthur, in his new blog series addressing mysticism/gnosticism and spiritual formation, in his part 2 called “Spiritual Formation and Biblical Sanctification.”

BibleGateway summarizes Gnosticism, “The heresy taking root in Colossae was a form of gnosticism, which taught (among other things) that humans could transcend evil and the corruptions of the world through asceticism and their own strength of will. …”

The early church was much plagued by Gnostics throughout the first through third centuries. Colossians and 1 John are the most pointed refutations of this false doctrine, but several other New Testament books dealt with it too, including 1 Timothy 6, Titus, and other books as well.

Gnosticism is a self-centered, and not a Jesus centered doctrine, meaning, they attempt to attain sanctification themselves. They also believe in a progressive sanctification. It was through completion of rituals and participation in ceremonies that Gnostics believed progressed one’s sanctification ever upward. Mormonism, Scientology, and many of the ‘secret societies’ like Odd Fellows, Red Men and Freemasonry have steps for the devotee to attain. Sometimes these steps are called “degrees”, as in Freemasonry. In Scientology they are called “levels”.

Gnostics brought a teaching, but their rituals varied widely, that is, until Aleister Crowley wrote one. Crowley was a British mystic and occultist who, when in Egypt in 1904, “received” a text known as The Book of the Law from what he believed was a divine source. From this basis Crowley built a theology of Gnosticism called Thelema. In 1913, he wrote a Gnostic Mass. The mass contained Crowley’s scripted rituals. Crowley was also a pansexual and a recreational drug user, which may explain his crazy eyes.

Left, Aleister Crowley in ceremonial garb. Wiki source

Crowley explained why he undertook to codify Gnostic teachings into spiritual practices expressed through a ‘mass’. He said in his Confessions, “Human nature demands (in the case of most people) the satisfaction of the religious instinct, and, to very many, this may best be done by ceremonial means. I wished therefore to construct a ritual through which people might enter into ecstasy as they have always done under the influence of appropriate ritual.”

But Paul said, “Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day.” (Colossians 2:16).

As for ecstasies, “Some charismatic Christians practice ecstatic states (called e.g. “being slain in the Spirit”) and interpret these as given by the Holy Spirit.”

Since Gnostics deny the sufficiency of Christ’s work on the cross in His flesh, and they deny the Spirit’s work in sanctification, they need these rituals to make themselves thing they are accomplishing their own sanctification. All false religions, including Gnostics, focus on what the individual can do to attain heaven, or a higher consciousness, or transcendence, or any other phrase they claim will be the result of performing a certain ritual. In other words, I can do it, no God needed, thanks.

In Colossians 2:20, Paul exhorted, “If with Christ you died to the elemental spirits of the world, why, as if you were still alive in the world, do you submit to regulations—”

The above verse is explained, “‘Your union with Christ in his death has caused you to die to the rudiments of the world’, meaning, your union with Christ in his death has caused you to be separated from human religion, and human religion is based in legalism and mysticism and self denial and all those works kind of things. But he says the redeemed are set free from self-styled, man made rules designed to make you holy.” (source)

For a pagan, including Gnostics, “salvation is not brought from above to below by divine visitations, but rather occurs through the Gnostic’s contemplative ascent through ever higher levels of the divine realm.”

“One version of a Gnostic ritual or ceremony was marking the various stages of a visionary ascent with certain baptisms, sealings, washings in various “waters.” Another ritual was utilizing a self-performable technique of successive stages of mental detachment from the world of multiplicity, and a corresponding assimilation of the self to the evermore refined levels of being.” You’ll find this is in Roman Catholic asceticism and Buddhism.”

“Other rituals and ceremonies included sexual sacramentalism, verbal performances through ritual speech, which can include glossalalia, traditional verbal formulae, spells, oaths, conjuration, invocations, evocations, voces mysticae, and prayers of various sorts addressed to transcendent powers, good and evil alike, and/or symbolic actions such as a ritual handshake. (source, University Nebraska-Lincoln)

You will note the incipient Gnosticism inherent in the Pentecostal ‘language of tongues’ (glossolalia) and levels of spiritual maturity through having had a “baptism of the Spirit.”

As you read the examples above, perhaps the modern re-emergence of these old Gnostic practices will have already been brought to your mind. The current evangelical craze for contemplative prayer, Lectio Divina, meditation, “Christian yoga“, expressive praise dance & mime performance, labyrinth walking, and becoming detached from the world to await a small voice in which conversations are held with the ‘Divine,’ are now apparent to you in the Gnostic teachings of Beth Moore, Ann Voskamp, Sarah Young, Bill Hybels, Rick Warren, Mark Driscoll, and many others.

The devilish influence of these practices are collectively known as “spiritual formation” and I mentioned them in part 2 four days ago. Since then, John MacArthur has also begun a blog series on spiritual formation and he is defining these false practices, blog by blog, so that the believer can be aware of their evil influence.

In 1932 the Polish cracked the Germans’ war codes. Just weeks before WWII broke out in 1939, they gave the information to the Allies. We called it “The Enigma Machine“. “The intelligence gleaned from this source, codenamed “Ultra” by the British, was a substantial aid to the Allied war effort. The exact influence of Ultra on the course of the war is debated; an oft-repeated assessment is that decryption of German ciphers hastened the end of the European war by two years. Winston Churchill told the United Kingdom’s King George VI after World War II: “It was thanks to Ultra that we won the war.”

You know, Solomon said that there is nothing new under the sun. (Ecclesiastes 1:9). Every false religion can be traced back to the Garden of Eden. Satan’s first words in the bible are recorded as ones which question the sufficiency and accuracy of the information God delivered to humans. He went on to imply that God was holding out on Adam and Eve, (God is a liar) that if Eve performed an action (eat the fruit) she would know as much as God, and that we can be like God. Gnosticism can be traced to those very words. There is no new false doctrine. They are all recycled bits from old satanic lies.

We do not need an enigma machine! We do not need to decipher our enemy’s plans! Why? Because we are not unaware of his schemes! (2 Cor 2:11). God has generously given us His word, inside of which is everything profitable for us (2 Timothy 3:16) to live and work out our salvation in fear and trembling. (Philippians 2:12). He laid out for us that satan is a liar and the father of lies. Under inspiration of the Holy Spirit, the bible is replete with examples of the lies of satan, warnings that he seeks someone to devour, (Luke 22:31; 1 Peter 5:8). He shows us what kind of lies he perpetrates (Genesis 3:1-5, Colossians 1-2; and many other NT books).

If we read the bible diligently we will be solidly infused with His word. Saturate yourself in Truth! When you come across falsity, for example if your church wants to institute contemplative prayer, build a labyrinth, send you to a yoga workshop, or start a praise dance ministry…you will be able to detect it.

“When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come.” (John 16:13). “He shall not speak of himself means He shall teach nothing contrary to what I have taught you:” we read in Clarke’s Commentary.

Just to reinforce for a moment that there is no new doctrine under the sun, here is the culminating prayer from the 1913 Liber XV Mass that Crowley wrote, which adheres to a position that Gnostics of earlier centuries believed, right down to Paul’s time:

“Lord most secret, bless this spiritual food unto our bodies, bestowing upon us health and wealth and strength and joy and peace, and that fulfilment of will and of love under will that is perpetual happiness.”

It is the Prosperity Gospel!

I am against Expressive, Choreographed Dance in Worship. I do not believe it to be an acceptable form of worship in a service. With that in mind, here is Stephen Colbert in “Just Say No to Liturgical Dance”. He provided his own liturgical dance version of the hymn “King of Glory” on the show Strangers with Candy. I think this shows the ridiculousness of praise dancing. I do not doubt the sincerity of many who perform this kind of dance in church, and I applaud them for wanting to serve Him, but I think it detracts from the fact that we must always keep Jesus as the focus, especially in these Gnostic days.

Gnosticism series:
Introduction
Part 1: Secret Knowledge
Part 2: Asceticism
Part 3: Depreciation of Jesus
Part 4: Ceremonies & Rituals
Part 5: Worship of Angels
Part 6: Human Traditions
Conclusion

gnosticism, gnostics, prophecy, secret knowledge

Gnosticism is alive and well…and gaining. Introduction

Posted on September 7, 2012 by elizabethprata

In studying Colossians it occurred to me that an exploration of Gnosticism would be a good idea. We started studying the book last night at church, and I get so worked up over the Gnostic doctrines that influenced and polluted the church at Colossae, and affect us today, that I became almost inarticulate with anger. I hate Gnosticism. HATE. IT.

I get very upset because I see so much Gnosticism in this day coming in through many of the most popular teachers, and I’m not talking about the slick, money-grubber false preachers we can easily identify on TV as cranks, but teachers and preachers even in the Southern Baptist Convention who have huge followings. It hurts me so much to see precious brethren drawn away, because it is all so unnecessary.

In his essay, “Gospels, Gospels Everywhere? Gnosticism and the New Testament Canon”, Mark A. Pierson wrote, “For once Christians fail to defend their faith effectively, the new Gnosticism pounces, equipped with convoluted responses that many lay people are incapable of dismantling.”

Irenaeus wrote in “Against Heresies, Book 1, which was a detailed attack on Gnosticism: “Error, indeed, is never set forth in its naked deformity, lest, being thus exposed, it should at once be detected. But it is craftily decked out in an attractive dress, so as, by its outward form, to make it appear to the inexperienced (ridiculous as the expression may seem) more true than the truth itself.”

So true! Gnosticism is difficult to dismantle it because it is so subtle, it sounds Christianese because scriptures are used (though not correctly), and there is no one smoking gun statement or creed one can point to and say ‘AHA! False!” If it was so easy to dismantle, I suppose the first century Christians at Colossae under Epahras and Paul’s preaching would have spotted it!

So I decided to write a 7-part series. The first part is this one, the introduction. I’ll define Gnosticism and list 6 elements that comprise this false doctrine. Then each succeeding part will individually explore each of the 6 elements in more detail. I’ll also name names, share book titles, and provide quotes from modern day Gnostics, so you know who they are and we can uncover their works of darkness.

So, in Colossians Paul wrote from jail to the believers at Colossae about man-made doctrines that were taking them away from their sure foundation of the faith: Jesus alone. Colossians 1-2 are especially poignant. Paul dealt with Gnosticism again in Galatians, and it is believed 1 John 4 was addressing the problem of Gnosticism, also. There is another mention in 2 Timothy 3 and again in 1 Timothy 6. It was a huge problem for the first-century church. It is a huge problem for us today.

What is Gnosticism?

Strong’s Concordance defines Gnosticism as “Gnosticism” is literally, “the cult based on having special, personal knowledge”.

It is seeking of knowledge apart from God, secret knowledge that will provide salvation to those few who found the secret. Gnosticism (the ‘g’ is silent), is from the word Gnosis. Wikipedia defines “Gnosis as the common Greek noun for knowledge. In the context of the English language gnosis generally refers to the word’s meaning within the spheres of Christian mysticism, Mystery religions and Gnosticism where it signifies ‘spiritual knowledge’ in the sense of mystical enlightenment.”

In other words, Gnostics seek spiritual enlightenment apart from God’s word. Gnostics seek enlightenment from visions, dreams, experiences, traditions of men, rituals, and philosophies. (Col 2:8). They believe they have the power or insight or luck to find and draw out mysterious knowledge that will put them on a better path or a higher path or a more spiritual path to heaven, and thus get closer to God.

They could not be more wrong.

Gnosticism has been around since the Garden, and is directly one of the reasons for the Fall from grace. Genesis 3:1-6 has the story.

“Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden’?” And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden, but God said, ‘You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.’” But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate.”

Satan said, ‘if you eat the fruit, you will KNOW’ (be wise, have insights, Gen 3:4-5). Yet Eve already had the word of God as delivered through Adam. She had the direct Presence of God as she walked and talked with Him. But people fall for satan’s trick every day; saying, if you do this – read this – listen to this, you will KNOW.

Satan melded the truth and lies when he conversed with Eve. He said that if she ate, she would not die. He was right- she did not die … physically. But she did die spiritually. Satan said to Eve that she would know good and evil, and this was true, but not profitable for her. He omitted the penalty for disobedience. And the entire conversation was one where satan intimated that God was holding out on the humans, but satan had the key to the good stuff.

Gnostics in Pauls’ day used the same tactics to draw away the Colossians. Gnostics use the same tactics today. Gnostics will mention scriptures, refer to scriptures, twist scriptures, but Gnosticism’s foundation is not ON scriptures. The Forerunner Commentary explains, “more than what was contained in Scripture, Gnostics valued what they experienced, what elders told them, or what they learned from “angels,” astrology, or chemistry (alchemy).”

In Colossians 1:9, Paul wrote:

“And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding,”

His use of the word ‘knowledge’ is “epígnōsis (from Strong’s 1909 /epí, “on, fitting” which intensifies 1108 /gnosis, “knowledge gained through first-hand relationship.”

An intense first-hand relationship is where the knowledge comes, and that relationship between the penitent/disciple/ servant of Christ and Christ is the foundation of Christianity. Christianity is not an institution, it is a relationship.

A first-hand relationship with Jesus is such a wonderful basis for knowledge. That word ‘know’ in Colossians 1:9 is different from the word “know” (gnosis) as applied to Gnostics. Strong’s again-

1108 /gnṓsis (“applied-knowledge”) is only as accurate (reliable) as the relationship it derives from. For example, the Gnostics boasted of their “applied knowledge” gained by their personal spiritual experiences – and it was (is) disastrous!”

In 1 Timothy 6:20, Paul wrote, “O Timothy, guard the deposit entrusted to you. Avoid the irreverent babble and contradictions of what is falsely called “knowledge,”’ and Paul here used the word pseudōnumou gnoseos, meaning, what is falsely called knowledge.

Not all knowledge is good. Just knowing stuff doesn’t make a person more spiritual or better than the next guy, if the knowledge is from personal experience, man-made doctrines, or other sources apart from God’s revelation to us through the bible and His creation. (Special revelation, and general revelation.)

Another major part of Gnosticism is the Gnostics’ abhorrence of flesh, or actually, matter. They hated the material so much they disbelieved Jesus came in the flesh, was not actual matter. Forerunner Commentary explains, “Gnostic Christians borrowed the idea of redemption through Christ, but rather than believing that He redeemed them from sin, they believed that He would redeem them from matter – that is, from the flesh, which they considered to be inherently evil. At the core of Gnosticism is the belief that knowledge, typically secret knowledge – knowledge from angels, from the stars and planets, from the ancients – was the path to holiness and salvation. They believed that the path of redemption was through knowledge, and that the worst evil was ignorance. Thus, they did not endeavor to overcome sin, but ignorance.”

Zondervan’s NIV bible lists 6 elements that comprise Gnosticism. They are:

1. secret knowledge,
2. asceticism,
3. depreciation of Christ (lowering Him in name and in glory),
4. strict rule-keeping, ceremonies, or rituals
5. worship of angels,
6. and reliance on human wisdom and tradition.

Tomorrow, God willing, I’ll write on the secret knowledge, a main element of Gnosticism, and who among those teachers and preachers and writers today is promoting it.

The best knowledge is from God. As Proverbs 2:5-7 tells us

“then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God. For the Lord gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding; he stores up sound wisdom for the upright; he is a shield to those who walk in integrity,”

Blessings!

Gnosticism series
Introduction
Part 1: Secret Knowledge
Part 2: Asceticism
Part 3: Depreciation of Jesus
Part 4: Ceremonies & Rituals
Part 5: Worship of Angels
Part 6: Human traditions
Conclusion

god-given, hate speech, jesus, prophecy

A time of encouragement

Posted on September 6, 2012 by elizabethprata

What a day. There was a 7.9 earthquake at Costa Rica (later reduced to a 7.6) which sparked a Caribbean-wide tsunami warning for a while.

There is a report of propaganda artwork from street vendors at the Democratic National Convention directly likening Obama to Jesus.

There is the DNC’s floor fight using God as a political football to keep the term God-given in their party platform and to keep pro-Jerusalem language in it too.

There is a report of 100 Muslim delegates at the DNC, a quadrupling in number since 2004.

There is a video of a FL DNC Jewish Chairman who says any friendship with Christians is a false friendship, because the fundamentalist Christians only want Jews converted and slaughtered so the Second Coming can be ushered in.

I would include links but I really want to personally avoid this news and I don’t want to promote it. If you’re interested, google the terms and you’ll find plenty. These news items were from today.

I find this news sickening, upsetting, and an omen of how close we are to the rapture. So rather than go into detail about the news, which should be obvious in its import, I’ll go straight to the blessed Hope, which is Jesus, His Spirit who inspired the Word, and our Holy Father who providentially holds us in His hand.

‘Do not fear, for I am with you; do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, surely I will help you, surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.’ (Isaiah 41:10).

Is there any better place to be than His righteous right hand?? No.

“for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.” (2 Timothy 1:7)

Is there any better way to act than that? No. And the best part is that acting that way is not up to us, but we have the Spirit to help us in His power be loving and self-controlled!

“The LORD your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing.” (Zephaniah 3:17)

If you are in Jesus, the Lord God loves you! Did your read that verse slowly? He is in our midst! He saves! He rejoices over His children! He calms and quiets us by His love! And He sings exultantly over His people. I have a hard time visualizing God singing loudly over His people but the bible says He does, so there ya go. This is not because we are so great, but before the foundation of the world He loves us whilst we were still sinners. His glory is shown through His salvation to sinners.

Be encouraged. God, Jesus, The Spirit who are our Triune God is at work in every corner of the earth and every point of heaven. And in that work, He is mindful of you and me, down to the hairs on our head and our innermost thoughts. His Day will right all wrongs. Meanwhile, all we have to do is love Him and walk in His ways, praying ceaselessly for strength and love, and He will give it.

jordan, molech, prophecy

Jordan has a great role to play in the end times

Posted on September 5, 2012 by elizabethprata

Jordan has a very interesting and important role to play in end times prophecy. We often focus on Syria, Egypt, Lebanon, etc because of they’re always in the secular news and because their prophetic ends are easier to determine, being for the most part contained in one book of the bible. The prophecies about Jordan are scattered between the Old Testament and the New, and piecing together what is in store for them is takes more study. But it is worth it.

Now, I know I will not do it justice here, there is a lot and I’ve only scratched the surface. But isn’t that the great thing about the bible? There are always more pieces to study! New revelations the Spirit will deliver and more wisdom of the word He will supply. And as always, be sure to study these things yourself, to see if they are true.

Jordan is a pretty new country. It was created in 1922 as a UK protectorate after WW1 when the British carved up parts of the Middle East as spoils of war from the losing Ottoman Empire. The Balfour Declaration of 1917 decreed that the UK recognized the establishment of a Jewish homeland in Palestine. However at the last moment, Britain reneged on their promise and only a fraction of the bounded land that was supposed to go to a new Zionist state actually went to it, most of it going to create the new state of Trans-jordan in 1922. And it was 31 years later and after a bunch of Arab uprisings that Israel finally declared herself a state in 1948. After capturing the West Bank area of Trans-jordan during the 1948–49 war with Israel, Abdullah took the title King of Jordan, and he officially changed the country’s name to the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan in April 1949. The following year he annexed the West Bank.

The Jordan of today can be said to be three biblical nations. From north to south we have Ammon, Moab, and Edom. If you remember, in Genesis 19 when Sodom was smote with brimstone for its homosexuality, and Lot and his two daughters fled to Zoar, the daughters thought the three of them were the only living beings left in the world. They got their father drunk and lay with him, incestuously and wrongfully. They each got pregnant, and the result was Ben-Ammi, the father of the Ammonites, and Moab. (Gen 19:37-38). Esau is Edom (Genesis 36:1). Edom also became known as Idumea in the Greek.

Amman is the capital of Jordan and is the largest city. Like Damascus, it is considered one of the oldest continually inhabited cities in the world. That is why, when we read Jeremiah 49:2 the prophecy calling for Amman to become a desolate heap, we know it is a prophecy that has not yet been fulfilled.

“Therefore, behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will cause an alarm of war to be heard in Rabbah of the Ammonites; and it shall be a desolate heap, and her daughters shall be burned with fire: then shall Israel be heir unto them that were his heirs, saith the LORD.” [note that the ancient name for Amman was Rabbah]

Ezekiel 25:1-7 also contains a prophecy against Ammon-

“The word of the Lord came to me: “Son of man, set your face toward the Ammonites and prophesy against them. Say to the Ammonites, Hear the word of the Lord God: Thus says the Lord God, Because you said, ‘Aha!’ over my sanctuary when it was profaned, and over the land of Israel when it was made desolate, and over the house of Judah when they went into exile, therefore behold, I am handing you over to the people of the East for a possession, and they shall set their encampments among you and make their dwellings in your midst. They shall eat your fruit, and they shall drink your milk. I will make Rabbah a pasture for camels and Ammon a fold for flocks. Then you will know that I am the Lord. For thus says the Lord God: Because you have clapped your hands and stamped your feet and rejoiced with all the malice within your soul against the land of Israel, therefore, behold, I have stretched out my hand against you, and will hand you over as plunder to the nations. And I will cut you off from the peoples and will make you perish out of the countries; I will destroy you. Then you will know that I am the Lord.”

The prophecy continues with a judgment against Moab, and a judgment against Edom. So from north (Ammon) to central (Moab) to the south (Edom) the nation that is currently called Jordan will be no more, and given to Israel. This is re-stated in Jeremiah 49:1-3:

“Has Israel no sons? Has he no heir? Why then has Milcom dispossessed Gad, and his people settled in its cities? Therefore, behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will cause the battle cry to be heard against Rabbah of the Ammonites; it shall become a desolate mound, and its villages shall be burned with fire; then Israel shall dispossess those who dispossessed him, says the Lord. Wail, O Heshbon, for Ai is laid waste! Cry out, O daughters of Rabbah! Put on sackcloth, lament, and run to and fro among the hedges! For Milcom shall go into exile, with his priests and his officials.”

This prophecy is especially exciting. First, note that the King of Jordan and the Hashemite Kingdom is Abdullah, who is a 41st generation direct descendant of Mohammad. Jordan is 92% Muslim, and with the King claiming to be direct descendant of the false “prophet” Mohammad, it is false god central! Secondly, note the the mention of Milcom in the Jeremiah 49:3 verse. Milcom is another name for the false god the people worshiped at that time, AKA Molech. Molech is the false god the people sacrificed their children to, the one whom God called the “detestable god of the Ammonites” (1 Kings 11:7). The child sacrifice of Molech-Allah continues- Are not Muslim boys trained as suicide bombers? Are not Muslim girls sacrificed into marriages while still children? Molech-Allah is still claiming his children in this day and age, isn’t he?!

Verse 3 of the Jeremiah verse contains a promise from God that when Ammon is reduced to a heap (Jeremiah 49:2) Molech (Milcom) “will go into captivity with all his priests and officials”. Does that mean we can interpret that Allah will be defeated and Islam come to an end in the last days before Jesus returns? I hope so!! In any case, it is exciting to think of the day when God will be acknowledged as the only God!

Another interesting prophetic piece is that Jordan is prophesied to be the only nation to escape the conquering of the antichrist. (Daniel 11:41-42). Perhaps this is because when the abomination of desolation comes upon the Jews, and Jesus had told them to flee, He said to flee to the mountains. (Matthew 24:16). The mountains near to Judea are the mountains at Petra, the rock city where the Jewish remnant will be nourished for the remaining three and a half years of the Tribulation.

Revelation 12:14 tell us that “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.”

Scholars believe that place the remnant will flee to over the mountains and in the wilderness is Petra, the practically impregnable fortress at the southern end of Jordan, in old Edom. (See map). They believe this because at the last day, when Jesus finally returns, He comes from Bozrah. Bozrah means sheep fold. Bozrah is mentioned in this verse from Isaiah 63:1 as being in Edom:

“Who is this who comes from Edom, in crimsoned garments from Bozrah, he who is splendid in his apparel, marching in the greatness of his strength? “It is I, speaking in righteousness, mighty to save.”

When the Lord returns, He lands at the Mount of Olives. His feet touch down and the mount is split in two. (Zech 14:4). He also goes to the Valley of Har Megiddo, where the battle of Armageddon is taking place. (Rev 16:16; Rev 19:19). But He also goes to Bozrah to rescue His remnant. I don’t know where He goes first and second and third, but by the time He comes from Bozrah, His clothes are stained red with blood. (Isaiah 63:1)

Barnes Notes says of the Isaiah-Bozrah verse:

“Who is this – The language of the people who see Yahweh returning as a triumphant conqueror from Idumea. Struck with his stately bearing as a warrior; with his gorgeous apparel; and with the blood on his raiment, they ask who he could be? This is a striking instance of the bold and abrupt manner of Isaiah. He does not describe him as going forth to war nor the preparation for battle; nor the battle itself, nor the conquests of cities and armies; but he introduces at once the returning conqueror having gained the victory – here represented as a solitary warrior, moving along with majestic gait from Idumea to his own capital, Jerusalem.”

Our Jesus is a solitary warrior, solitary because there is no other! He returns victorious to conquer the enemies and restore His remnant to their place! He has been aiming toward this moment since before the foundation of the world! And Jordan is one nation that He uses mightily, first as a judgment for the sin of cursing His people and their land, second as a place saved out of the antichrist’s hand so that Israel will no longer have a malicious neighbor pricking them as thorns (Ez 28:24), third as the place where He will finally dispense with Molech, the “detestable god of the Ammonites” and his clerics and priests, and fourth as the nestling place where His people are nourished and saved during the holocaust of the Great Tribulation!

Keep your eyes on Jordan. That nation figures prominently in God’s glorious plan!