Are They Ready For This?

Thank you, Alex! You have some excellant reading material here. I love reading what you and Keifer will come up with next!

The God Without ... Thanksgiving Message

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Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth. Worship the LORD with gladness; come before him with joyful songs. Know that the LORD is God. It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.

Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. For the LORD is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations. (Psalm 100)


On Thursday we celebrated Thanksgiving in the US. It's a holiday begun by the early settlers to express their gratitude to God for a bountiful harvest, and it's patterned after the Jewish Feast of Tabernacles.

Each fall in ancient Israel Jews from all over the country would gather in Jerusalem for a week long celebration. This was to commemorate the time God had spent with them in the wilderness and to give thanks for another good harvest. All year they saved up their tithes, the first born of their flocks and herds, the first sheaves of grain, the first grapes, figs, olives and other fruit and vegetables and brought it all to Jerusalem where they cooked and ate it all in a national celebration of praise.

After surviving a very difficult year in the new world, the Pilgrims of New England instituted a similar, though much smaller, thanksgiving feast again with the intent of praising God. It took a couple of centuries but this event finally became an official national holiday in the US.

I remember one of my early adult culture shocks, when on a family trip to New Zealand we arrived on Thanksgiving Day only to realize that it wasn't a holiday there. Even while serving in the Navy, Thanksgiving was always celebrated no matter where the ship I was on happened to be. It wasn't that I didn't know it's an American Holiday; it's just that it felt funny missing its observance.

(We felt the same way upon arriving in Mexico, so now the American missionaries here help us serve a traditional Thanksgiving dinner to everyone in our church after the first Sunday service following Thanksgiving. This year we'll cook dinner for nearly 250 of our Mexican brothers and sisters as a way of thanking the Lord for His blessings.)

Growing up, our family always remembered that it was the Lord Who had provided for us so generously and so Thanksgiving was almost a religious observance in our house. Prayers were offered and each family member gave thanks for all the nice things the Lord had done for us.

We believed, as the Bible tells us, that even though my parents worked hard all year, it was the Lord who had given them their strength and ability and created opportunities for them. (Deut. 8:17-18) After all lots of people work hard all their lives and never seem to get anywhere. It's not that we were so well off, but that we knew where our blessings had come from.

As an adult I got involved in the self-development field and began hearing about the "god within", an internal force I could tap into and use to "maximize my potential." This appealed to my ego and made me seem like the master of my own fate. I forgot all about the Lord's admonition to remember Him. When I was born again at age 40 I finally saw that this "god within" was really the "God without" Who had been blessing me all along even though I was taking all the credit. Once, as I was praying about this, the phrase "God Without" kept repeating itself in my mind. Was the Lord trying to tell me something?

The word "without" applies to lots of things where the Lord is concerned, and as I continued to pray several of them came to mind. If you're looking for things to give thanks for (even if you live in a country where Thanksgiving isn't celebrated) try some of these "withouts". I'll bet the Lord will bring more to your mind.

Love Without Limits ... For God so loved the world that He gave His only Beloved Son, that whoever believed in Him would not perish but have everlasting life. (John 3:16)

Forgiveness Without Question ... Ask and you will receive. Seek and you will find. Knock and the door will be opened to you. (Matt 7:7) If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9)

Performance Without Exception ... All that the Father gives me will come to me and whoever comes to me I will never drive away. And this is the will of Him Who sent me, that that I shall lose none of all that He has given me, but raise them up on the last day. (John 6:37, 39)

Promise Without Equivocation ... I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times what is still to come. I say, "My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please … what I have said, that will I bring about and what I have planned, that will I do." (Isaiah 46:10-11)

Blessings Without Number ... You will be blessed in the city and blessed in the country (wherever you are). The fruit of your womb will be blessed (your children), and the crops of your land and the young of your livestock-the calves of your herds and the lambs of your flocks (your work). Your basket and your kneading trough will be blessed (you'll have plenty of food). You will be blessed when you come in and blessed when you go out (when you come home at night and when you leave in the morning). (Deut 28:3-6)

Mercy Without Measure .... It is because of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness. (Lamentations 3:22-23)

Faithfulness Without Failing ... Know therefore that the Lord your God is God; he is the faithful God, keeping his covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love him and keep his commands. (Deut. 7:9)

Redemption Without Retraction ... In love he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will-- to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace that he lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding. (Ephesians 1:5-8)

Salvation Without Merit ... But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life (Titus 3:4-7).

Grace Without Guilt ... Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them. (2 Corinthians 5:17-19)

So in a time when mankind has all but forgotten that the Lord is the Giver of every good and perfect gift, the Author of all our victories, who arranges every opportunity and fashions every blessing, these "withouts" might serve as good reminders to give thanks where thanks is due.

And now may "The LORD bless you and keep you; the LORD make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you; the LORD turn his face toward you and give you peace." (Numbers 6:24-26) Happy Thanksgiving.

Joel Speaks Again

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Blow the trumpet in Zion; sound the alarm on my holy hill. Let all who live in the land tremble, for the day of the LORD is coming. (Joel 2:1)

Joel could be called the unknown prophet because outside of his three chapter book and one reference in Acts 2:16 there's not much said about him anywhere. Not in the Bible and not in the history books. His father Pethuel (the name means vision of God) was unknown as well. In the absence of fact scholars rush in with opinion but there's no consensus among them as to when Joel wrote his book. Some say it was in the 9th Century BC and others claim it was 300 years later, after the return from Babylon. Interpreting Joel's book of prophecy doesn't depend upon knowing the correct date of its publication so we won't get into that debate except to say that what little evidence there is favors the early date, around 850 BC. The Book of Joel must have carried a lot of weight right from the beginning, because it appears from their writings that Amos, Micah, Zephaniah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel all borrowed phrases from it.

There is agreement that Joel was speaking to what would become the Southern Kingdom, seeing the massive locust plague and severe drought that were devastating Judah at the time as a model of the Great Tribulation. Therefore his message is one of repentance, comparing the locusts to armies sent by the Lord to judge the nation for its sins. Unlike some contemporary scholars who see the Day of the Lord as being a time of judgment upon the Gentiles while bringing deliverance for Israel, Joel knew that the unfaithful of Israel would be taken to task as well. Only following their judgment would Israel be restored. This is consistent with Jeremiah's later admonition that although the nations will be completely destroyed during the Great Tribulation, Israel will not go entirely unpunished but will be disciplined (Jere. 30:11). And Zechariah compared the Day of the Lord to a refiners fire, by which Israel's impurities will be removed before the Kingdom age begins. (Zech. 13:9).

With that brief introduction, let' see what Joel has to say to Israel at the End of the Age.

Joel 1, An Invasion Of Locusts
The word of the LORD that came to Joel son of Pethuel. Hear this, you elders; listen, all who live in the land. Has anything like this ever happened in your days or in the days of your forefathers? Tell it to your children, and let your children tell it to their children, and their children to the next generation. (Joel 1:1-3)

Joel's name means “The Lord is God” and he opened by claiming that what we're about to read are the Lord's own words, flowing through Joel's pen. The Lord commanded the first generation of readers to pass this along through those who would follow.

What the locust swarm has left the great locusts have eaten; what the great locusts have left the young locusts have eaten; what the young locusts have left other locusts have eaten. (Joel 1:4)

There are 24,000 varieties of locusts, some up to 10” long, and they live for 6-7 years. Some unexplained hormone change causes them to swarm unexpectedly. When that happens they don't really fly but are carried on the wind, completely divesting the place they land on of every trace of vegetation before being carried off again. People who've experienced a locust plague claim the swarms are so large and so dense they darken the sun, and at night as you lie in bed you can actually hear them chewing outside your window.



While the exact meaning of the Hebrew here is unclear, it appears to be describing four different kinds of locusts, coming one after the other until there's nothing left.

We're going to resist the temptation to allegorize this plague as some commentators do, seeing the four kinds of locusts as being representative of the four Gentile Kingdoms that eventually brought about the disappearance of Israel. It's pretty clear that in the beginning Joel was describing the devastation of an actual plague of locusts. But rest assured, he'll be talking about the End of the Age soon enough.

The Drunks
Wake up, you drunkards, and weep! Wail, all you drinkers of wine; wail because of the new wine, for it has been snatched from your lips. A nation has invaded my land, powerful and without number; it has the teeth of a lion, the fangs of a lioness. It has laid waste my vines and ruined my fig trees. It has stripped off their bark and thrown it away, leaving their branches white. Mourn like a virgin in sackcloth grieving for the husband of her youth. (Joel 1:5-8)

The crops will be completely destroyed, and those who habitually consume them will mourn like a bride-to-be grieving over the loss of her betrothed, all the hopes and dreams of marriage snatched away before even one of them comes true. This was considered to be one of the most severe kinds of emotional loss, and the drinkers of wine would experience that same feeling when they saw the crops destroyed without warning before they got a single taste.

The Priests
Grain offerings and drink offerings are cut off from the house of the LORD. The priests are in mourning, those who minister before the LORD. The fields are ruined, the ground is dried up; the grain is destroyed, the new wine is dried up, the oil fails. (Joel 1:9-10)

The grain offering was a voluntary act of worship in recognition of God's goodness and provision. The drink offering accompanied the twice daily burnt offering given for the general protection of the people. The locust plague made these daily offerings impossible, preventing the people from expressing their worship of the Lord. At opposite ends of the social spectrum, the priests would mourn their inability to worship, just as the drunks mourned their inability to imbibe.

The Farmers
Despair, you farmers, wail, you vine growers; grieve for the wheat and the barley, because the harvest of the field is destroyed. The vine is dried up and the fig tree is withered; the pomegranate, the palm and the apple tree— all the trees of the field—are dried up. Surely the joy of mankind is withered away. (Joel 1:11-12)

Farmers were the most directly affected, the fruit of their labor destroyed before it could replenish their depleted stores or be exchanged for compensation. A whole year's work for naught. Some would not even have sufficient grain for seed, making the next harvest unlikely as well.

These three groups are meant to be representative of the entire community, from the lowest to the highest and everyone in between. No one would emerge from this unscathed.

A Call to Repentance
Put on sackcloth, O priests, and mourn; wail, you who minister before the altar. Come, spend the night in sackcloth, you who minister before my God; for the grain offerings and drink offerings are withheld from the house of your God.

Declare a holy fast; call a sacred assembly. Summon the elders and all who live in the land to the house of the LORD your God, and cry out to the LORD. Alas for that day! For the day of the LORD is near; it will come like destruction from the Almighty. (Joel 1:13-15)

The transition has been made. Having begun by describing a plague of locusts Joel now sees the coming Day of the Lord, and calls everyone to fast and pray.

Has not the food been cut off before our very eyes— joy and gladness from the house of our God? The seeds are shriveled beneath the clods. The storehouses are in ruins, the granaries have been broken down, for the grain has dried up. How the cattle moan! The herds mill about because they have no pasture; even the flocks of sheep are suffering. To you, O LORD, I call, for fire has devoured the open pastures and flames have burned up all the trees of the field. Even the wild animals pant for you; the streams of water have dried up and fire has devoured the open pastures. (Joel 1:16-20)

At the outset of Daniel's 70th week the anti-Christ will make his initial appearance as the rider on a white horse (Rev. 6:2). He'll come to power in the guise of a peacemaker (Daniel 8:28) following the Battle of Ezekiel 38-39, and will fool everyone. But it's a big lie and while people are saying “Peace and safety” destruction will come upon them suddenly and they will not escape. (1 Thes. 5:3) With the arrival of the rider on the red horse peace will be taken from the Earth and war will suddenly break out again. (Rev. 6:4)

This will bring a time of famine in the midst of plenty. There'll be shortages almost everywhere. As if that isn't bad enough, runaway inflation will price even those foods that can be found out of the reach of many. It'll take an average day's wages just to feed one person. (Rev. 6:6) Those who can't support themselves will be left to starve with no one able to help them. Then, as the Trumpet Judgments begin, one third of of the trees and all the green grass will go up in smoke (Rev. 7:7) destroying the animals' pastureland.

War also renders public health services ineffective. Sanitation facilities stop working. Power and water longer flow. Hospitals can't handle the burden so disease runs rampant, causing even more death. The Great Tribulation is still ahead and yet in 1/4th of the world, millions of people will have already died from the wars, famine, and plagues. Even the wild animals will be going crazy from lack of food and water, brazenly attacking humans for sustenance. (Rev. 6:8). This is no longer a mere plague of locusts that happened 29 centuries ago. This is the run up to the Day of the Lord, and we're the generation for whom Joel's warning is intended. Stay tuned, there's plenty more ahead. 12-05-09

Joel Speaks Again, Part 2

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This week we're continuing our series on Joel with a survey of Chapter 2, the heart of Joel's prophecy. (By the way, the Jewish Feast of Hanukkah began on December 11th. For our study on this eight day Festival go to http://gracethrufaith.com/selah/holiday ... -prophecy/ ) Now let's turn to Joel 2.

Blow the trumpet in Zion; sound the alarm on my holy hill. Let all who live in the land tremble, for the day of the LORD is coming. It is close at hand- a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and blackness. Like dawn spreading across the mountains a large and mighty army comes, such as never was of old nor ever will be in ages to come. (Joel 2:1-2)

The End of the Age is finally arriving. The phrase “Blow the Trumpet in Zion” indicates there's an Old Covenant keeping remnant of Jews in the promised land. The sound of a trumpet can mean either great news or terrible news in Israel. In this case, the phrase “the Day of the Lord is coming” means it's the most terrible news imaginable. Any more references to locusts are now symbolic of the judgment that's coming upon the whole world, to test those who who live on the Earth. The Lord has promised to keep the Church out of both the time and place of this event (1 Thes. 1:10 & Rev. 3:10) but no such promise has been made to Israel, and certainly not to the unbelieving world, which is about to be totally destroyed.

Before them fire devours, behind them a flame blazes. Before them the land is like the garden of Eden, behind them, a desert waste— nothing escapes them. They have the appearance of horses; they gallop along like cavalry. With a noise like that of chariots they leap over the mountaintops, like a crackling fire consuming stubble, like a mighty army drawn up for battle. At the sight of them, nations are in anguish; every face turns pale. (Joel 2:3-6)

In Rev. 8-9 we read of the Trumpet judgments and encounter wording so similar it might have been lifted from the pages of Joel 2. All the grass of the land is burned up (Rev. 8:7) The locusts have the appearance of horses (Rev. 9:7) and make a noise like that of chariots (Rev. 9:9) as they leap over the mountain tops. Men are in anguish and every face turns pale (Rev. 9:6).

They charge like warriors; they scale walls like soldiers. They all march in line, not swerving from their course. They do not jostle each other; each marches straight ahead. They plunge through defenses without breaking ranks. They rush upon the city; they run along the wall. They climb into the houses; like thieves they enter through the windows. Before them the earth shakes, the sky trembles, the sun and moon are darkened, and the stars no longer shine. The LORD thunders at the head of his army; his forces are beyond number, and mighty are those who obey his command. The day of the LORD is great; it is dreadful. Who can endure it? (Joel 2:7-11)

In his book “The Late Great Planet Earth” Hal Lindsey saw Rev. 9 as John's attempt to describe fleets of attack helicopters filling the skies above the battle ground. Our exposure to war movies makes this easy to imagine, and we can almost hear their unique ground thumping sound as they swoop in to release another barrage of rockets. Their number is so great that just the sound of them makes the Earth tremble, and they blot out the sun and moon (Rev. 9:2). John gave the number of mounted troops they support as 200 million (Rev. 9:16) an incredible force. Before they're finished 1/3 of mankind will die (Rev. 9:18). And this is just the beginning. The full fury of God's wrath will be released in His final effort, the Bowl Judgments.

Some incorrectly interpret the Bowl judgments as the only time of God's wrath, but that's not how John described it. He said that the wrath will begin with the Seal Judgments (Rev. 6:17) and will be completed with the Bowl Judgments (Rev. 15:1), not begun there. By the time He's finished the nations to which His people have been dispersed will have been completely destroyed (Jere.30:11) all the cities of the world will have been reduced to rubble (Rev. 16:19) and every island and mountain will have disappeared (Rev. 16:20)

I believe that one purpose of the Tribulation judgments will be to return Earth to the condition it was in when God created it, in preparation for the Millennium. The elimination of the mountains and islands may point to the reversal of changes brought about in the Great Flood. Psalm 104:8 says the flood waters flowed over the mountains and down into the valleys God prepared for them. Some scholars interpret this to mean that at the time of the Great Flood, the mountains were raised up and the valley floors depressed to make room for all the water generated in the flood. Those deep valleys are now the floors of the sea.

Perhaps this act will be reversed, eliminating the high mountains and raising up valley floors. And if the continents are brought back together into one land mass, as some scholars speculate they once were, there will be no islands, either. Looking at a map of the continents, you can see how they're shaped in such a way as to hint that they may have all been joined together in the distant past. Scholars have named this single land mass Pangea, which means All-Earth, or One World. Some believe that Genesis 1:9 describes Pangea and that Genesis 11:25 says it was divided into the seven continents we know after the flood.

Isaiah 65:20 hints at the return of long life spans, such as was the case in the earliest days. This was made possible by a water vapor canopy that surrounded the Earth until the Flood. (Genesis 1:6-8) Since Rev. 21:1 says there'll be no more sea, this water could likely be used to restore the canopy.

If all this is true, then passages like this one from Habakkuk are not just poetic license but are describing very scary times ahead.

He stood, and shook the earth; he looked, and made the nations tremble. The ancient mountains crumbled and the age-old hills collapsed. His ways are eternal. (Habakkuk 3:6)

Rend Your Heart
"Even now," declares the LORD, "return to me with all your heart, with fasting and weeping and mourning."

Rend your heart and not your garments. Return to the LORD your God, for he is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love, and he relents from sending calamity. Who knows? He may turn and have pity and leave behind a blessing— grain offerings and drink offerings for the LORD your God. (Joel 2:12-14)

Even in wrath God remembers mercy (Habakkuk 3:2). In the midst of judgment, all we have to do is admit our sin and seek His forgiveness. Some form of the phrase “slow to anger and abounding in love” appears eight times in the Old Testament. Eight is the number of new beginnings, meaning the Lord is always ready to start over with us. His mercies are new every morning. (Lament. 3:22-23)

Blow the trumpet in Zion, declare a holy fast, call a sacred assembly. Gather the people, consecrate the assembly; bring together the elders, gather the children, those nursing at the breast. Let the bridegroom leave his room and the bride her chamber. Let the priests, who minister before the LORD, weep between the temple porch and the altar. Let them say, "Spare your people, O LORD. Do not make your inheritance an object of scorn, a byword among the nations. Why should they say among the peoples, 'Where is their God?' " (Joel 2:15-17)

This will be a time for every man, woman, and child to petition the Lord for mercy. From the elders to the nursing babies, and every one in between. Not even the bride and bridegroom sequestered in their bridal chamber will be exempt. The priests ministering in the Temple will stop what they're doing and beg the Lord to spare them.

"Come, let us return to the LORD,” they'll say. “He has torn us to pieces but he will heal us; he has injured us but he will bind up our wounds. After two days he will revive us; on the third day he will restore us, that we may live in his presence. Let us acknowledge the LORD; let us press on to acknowledge him. As surely as the sun rises, he will appear; he will come to us like the winter rains, like the spring rains that water the earth." (Hosea 6:1-3)

The LORD's Answer
Then the LORD will be jealous for his land and take pity on his people. The LORD will reply to them: "I am sending you grain, new wine and oil, enough to satisfy you fully; never again will I make you an object of scorn to the nations. I will drive the northern army far from you, pushing it into a parched and barren land, with its front columns going into the eastern (Dead) sea and those in the rear into the western (Mediterranean) sea. And its stench will go up; its smell will rise."

Surely he has done great things. (Joel 2:18-20)

If this judgment were left to run to its logical concllusion, not a single soul would survive, but for the sake of His elect, the Lord will bring it to an end (Matt. 24:22) Locust plagues move in the direction and at the speed of the wind. They typically end when the swarms are blown into the desert or out to sea. It's an act of God, and that's how Joel characterizes the end of the Great Tribulation.

Be not afraid, O land; be glad and rejoice. Surely the LORD has done great things. Be not afraid, O wild animals, for the open pastures are becoming green. The trees are bearing their fruit; the fig tree and the vine yield their riches. Be glad, O people of Zion, rejoice in the LORD your God, for he has given you the autumn rains in righteousness. He sends you abundant showers, both autumn and spring rains, as before. The threshing floors will be filled with grain; the vats will overflow with new wine and oil. (Joel 2:18-24)

In the Kingdom Age the land will once again be plentiful. And though He has shaken the mountains and removed the hills, the Lord's unfailing love for them will never be shaken, nor His peace removed. (Isaiah 54:10)

"I will repay you for the years the locusts have eaten— the great locust and the young locust, the other locusts and the locust swarm — my great army that I sent among you. You will have plenty to eat, until you are full, and you will praise the name of the LORD your God, who has worked wonders for you; never again will my people be shamed. Then you will know that I am in Israel, that I am the LORD your God, and that there is no other; never again will my people be shamed. (Joel 2:25-27)

The Lord will restore Israel to its former glory as the pre-imminent nation on Earth. Instead of disgrace His people will rejoice in their inheritance. They will inherit a double portion in their land and everlasting joy will be theirs. (Isaiah 59:7)

The Day of the LORD
"And afterward, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions. Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days. I will show wonders in the heavens and on the earth, blood and fire and billows of smoke. The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD. And everyone who calls on the name of the LORD will be saved; for on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there will be deliverance, as the LORD has said, among the survivors whom the LORD calls. (Joel 2:28-32)

This prophecy achieved only a partial fulfillment on the day of Pentecost when the Church was born (Acts 2:17-21) and the Holy Spirit was given. Its ultimate fulfillment awaits the time when the Sun turns to darkness again and the Moon becomes blood red before the coming of the great and dreadful Day of the Lord (Rev. 6:12). Once more the Lord will pour out His Spirit and everyone who calls upon the His name will be saved.

We'll conclude this study next week. See you then. 12-12-09

Joel Speaks Again, Part 3 ... Conclusion

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Having experienced an actual plague of locusts in Israel, which he described in chapter one, Joel understood that the Lord was causing him to see it as a vision of the End Times leading up to the Day of the Lord. He began recording His description of this vision in chapter 2 bringing it to its conclusion in chapter 3, which is the topic of this study.

"In those days and at that time, when I restore the fortunes of Judah and Jerusalem, I will gather all nations and bring them down to the Valley of Jehoshaphat. There I will enter into judgment against them concerning my inheritance, my people Israel, for they scattered my people among the nations and divided up my land. They cast lots for my people and traded boys for prostitutes; they sold girls for wine that they might drink.” (Joel 3:1-3)

This is an overview statement that speaks of crimes that have been committed against the Jews during the Times of the Gentiles and culminates in the judgments during the Great Tribulation and following the 2nd Coming. In Jeremiah 30:11 the Lord promised to destroy all the nations into which Israel had been scattered in the Diaspora and here He added a penalty for dividing up His land among them, another crime for which the Gentile nations bear responsibility. The destruction of their nations is part of the punishment. The survivors' consignment to the place prepared for the devil and his angels after the Lord's return completes it. How do we know this? The Hebrew word for nations here is Goy which commonly refers to non-Jewish people. Jehoshaphat means Jehovah judges and its location is that part of the Kidron Valley lying between the Temple Mount and the Mount of Olives. The time of judgment is right after the 2nd Coming when the Lord judges the nations. (Matt. 25:31-46).

"Now what have you against me, O Tyre and Sidon and all you regions of Philistia? Are you repaying me for something I have done? If you are paying me back, I will swiftly and speedily return on your own heads what you have done. For you took my silver and my gold and carried off my finest treasures to your temples. You sold the people of Judah and Jerusalem to the Greeks, that you might send them far from their homeland.

"See, I am going to rouse them out of the places to which you sold them, and I will return on your own heads what you have done. I will sell your sons and daughters to the people of Judah, and they will sell them to the Sabeans, a nation far away." The LORD has spoken. (Joel 3:4-8)

It's noteworthy that the first names mentioned are the ones representing Hizbollah (Tyre and Sidon are cities in Lebanon) and Hamas (Gaza was a major Philistine city). In the next verses we'll see that these two get theirs before the nations are even called to prepare for war. Is this a hint that the destruction of Israel's antagonistic next door neighbors could precede the better known end time judgments? If so it's further evidence that the Battle of Psalm 83 will take place before Ezekiel 38-39.

And what's this reference to the Greeks? They didn't show up until 400 years after Joel wrote these words. A look at the original language here brings one of those “aha” moments. The Hebrew word translated Greek literally means miry clay. It's a form of the same word used in Daniel 2:41 to describe one of the materials of which the feet of Nebuchadnezzar's statue was composed. The statue represented Gentile Dominion, four kingdoms that would rule the world from Daniel's time to the 2nd Coming.

The Biblical Roman Empire was responsible for dispersing the Jews through out the world. It was represented in the statue by two legs of iron. The feet are its end times version, which we call the revived Roman Empire. At the End of the Age a Rock cut without hands (the Messiah) will smash all that the statue represents so thoroughly they will become like chaff in the summer wind, never to be seen again. (Daniel 2:44-45) Given the context of Joel's message, I think it's appropriate to see the word Greek as representative of the End Times version of Gentile dominion. As we can already see, there's a concerted effort underway again to divide the Promised Land and there's even even talk of sending them far away from their homeland.

The Sabeans occupied the southern part of the Arabian peninsula in what's called Yemen today. The actual timing of the fulfillment of this prophecy has not been made known to us. Perhaps the current war between Yemen and Saudi Arabia will offer some clues. Iran and the US are already taking (opposite) sides, and Jordanian special forces are involved in the fighting.

Proclaim this among the nations: Prepare for war! Rouse the warriors! Let all the fighting men draw near and attack. Beat your plowshares into swords and your pruning hooks into spears. Let the weakling say, "I am strong!" Come quickly, all you nations from every side, and assemble there. Bring down your warriors, O LORD! "Let the nations be roused; let them advance into the Valley of Jehoshaphat, for there I will sit to judge all the nations on every side.” (Joel 3:9-12)

Turning plowshares into swords and pruning hooks into spears is the exact opposite of Isaiah 2:4 where swords are turned into plowshares and spears into pruning hooks at the outset of the Lord's reign of peace. This means the worst fighting leading up to the End of the Age is still ahead of us in Joel's narrative. Remember, the Valley of Jehoshaphat is that part of the Kidron Valley between the Temple Mount and the Mt. Of Olives. It's just East of Jerusalem, so the nations must be positioning themselves to battle for control of Jerusalem, and the entire planet.

Swing the sickle, for the harvest is ripe. Come, trample the grapes, for the winepress is full and the vats overflow— so great is their wickedness!" (Joel 3:13)

This thought was carried directly into Revelation 14:14-20 where it's called the Harvest of the Earth. Outside Jerusalem, the blood flowed like a stream that rose as high as the horses' bridles for a distance of 175 miles, the distance from Har Megiddo, staging area for Armageddon, to Petra, where Israel's believing remnant will be sheltered.

Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision! For the day of the LORD is near in the valley of decision. The sun and moon will be darkened, and the stars no longer shine. The LORD will roar from Zion and thunder from Jerusalem; the earth and the sky will tremble. But the LORD will be a refuge for his people, a stronghold for the people of Israel. (Joel 3:14-16)

More language from the End of the Age. This time from Matt. 24:29 (the sun and moon darkened) and Zechariah 14: 2-3. which says;

I will gather all the nations to Jerusalem to fight against it; the city will be captured, the houses ransacked, and the women raped. Half of the city will go into exile, but the rest of the people will not be taken from the city. Then the LORD will go out and fight against those nations, as he fights in the day of battle.

The obvious point of calling It “The Valley of Decision” is that by showing up for this battle, the nations will have decided to take up arms against the almighty in fulfillment of Psalm 2:1-3. But I believe there's a sense in which the phrase “valley of decision” could also refer to Matt. 24:22 where the Lord said in effect that if He didn't decide to put an end to the destruction of those days, not a single soul would survive the Great Tribulation. But for the sake of the elect He will put an end to it. John explained how this will happen in Rev. 19.

I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice he judges and makes war. His eyes are like blazing fire, and on his head are many crowns. He has a name written on him that no one knows but he himself. He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God. The armies of heaven were following him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean. Out of his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations. "He will rule them with an iron scepter." He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty. On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written:
KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.



And I saw an angel standing in the sun, who cried in a loud voice to all the birds flying in midair, "Come, gather together for the great supper of God, so that you may eat the flesh of kings, generals, and mighty men, of horses and their riders, and the flesh of all people, free and slave, small and great."

Then I saw the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies gathered together to make war against the rider on the horse and his army. But the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet who had performed the miraculous signs on his behalf. With these signs he had deluded those who had received the mark of the beast and worshiped his image. The two of them were thrown alive into the fiery lake of burning sulfur. The rest of them were killed with the sword that came out of the mouth of the rider on the horse, and all the birds gorged themselves on their flesh. (Rev. 19:11-21)

That should do it.

Blessings for God's People
"Then you will know that I, the LORD your God, dwell in Zion, my holy hill. Jerusalem will be holy; never again will foreigners invade her.

"In that day the mountains will drip new wine, and the hills will flow with milk; all the ravines of Judah will run with water. A fountain will flow out of the LORD's house and will water the valley of acacias. (Joel 3:17-19)

In our study on the End Times According To Isaiah we saw how beautiful the Land will become after the Lord returns. Joel offered only the briefest summary of this miraculous re-creation.

But Egypt will be desolate, Edom a desert waste, because of violence done to the people of Judah, in whose land they shed innocent blood.

Judah will be inhabited forever and Jerusalem through all generations. Their bloodguilt, which I have not pardoned, I will pardon." The LORD dwells in Zion (Joel 3:19-21)

After His beating, when Jesus stood bloody but unbowed before Pilate, the people responded to Pilate's offer to set Him free. “Crucify Him,” they shouted. Pilate took water and symbolically washed his hands of the matter.

“I am innocent of this man's blood,” he said. “It is your responsibility”.

All the people answered, “Let His blood be on us and our children!” (Matt. 27:22-25)

And so it's been. Who knows how many Jews have died because of the blood guilt they called down upon themselves that day.

But one day soon all that will be behind them. Toward the end of the Great Tribulation, they'll officially petition His return, as prophesied in Hosea 6:1-2. Zechariah 12:10 says that in response God will pour out on them the Spirit of grace and supplication, and they'll look upon Him, the one they have pierced, in a long overdue recognition of their Messiah. Some say their public confession, written by Isaiah so long ago, will follow.

He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him. He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering. Like one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not.

Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed.

We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all. (Isaiah 53:2-6)

Then, finally, they'll mourn for Him, like one mourns for an only child, and grieve bitterly for Him as one grieves for a first born son. On that day the weeping in Jerusalem will be great, and all through the land, the people will mourn. (Zech 12:11-14) Their blood guilt, which God has not pardoned, He will pardon, and the Lord will once again dwell in Zion (Ezekiel 43:6-7) Hallelujah! 12-19-09

Messianic Prophecy In The Old Testament

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In the time after their sin and expulsion from the Garden Adam and Eve must have felt incredible despair. They had experienced life both before and after the curse, the only ones to do so, and had first hand knowledge of the difference. And what a difference it was. Even the part of it we can relate to had to have been devastating.

For example suppose that one day you were the resident manager of the world’s richest and most luxurious estate, with all of its comforts and privileges, and the next you were a poor hardscrabble farmer, at the opposite end of the economic and social structure. And that was just the beginning. How about no longer being immortal, no longer one with Him in spirit.

The Seed Of The Woman
To keep them from becoming exceedingly despondent, God had promised them a redeemer. In Genesis 3:15 we read,

And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring (seed) and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.”

He was speaking to the one indwelling the serpent and in Hebrew the promise contains a biological impossibility. Seed comes from the male. It’s the Bible’s first hint of a virgin birth. An offspring of the woman’s would destroy Satan and reverse the consequences of the act he had manipulated, redeeming mankind from its bondage to sin.

Two chapters later in Genesis 5 the Bible gives us another hint of this. The Hebrew root words of the names of the 10 patriarchs listed there form a sentence. In English it reads like this.

“Man is appointed mortal sorrow, but the blessed God will come down teaching that His death will bring the despairing rest.” (For detail click here)

It’s a prophecy that God Himself would come to Earth as the Seed of the Woman, and man’s redeemer.

Centuries later, this was confirmed by the Prophet Isaiah.

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. (Isaiah 9:6)

As New Testament believers we can see that the five names listed here describe all three members of the Trinity. Wonderful is the name by which The Angel of the Lord identified Himself while visiting Samson’s parents. (Judges 13:18) When the phrase “The Angel of the Lord” appears in the Old testament, it’s in conjunction with a pre-incarnate visit by the Lord Jesus. That He’s being referenced here is confirmed by the title, Prince of Peace. Jesus called the Holy spirit the Counselor in John 14:26, and Mighty God and everlasting Father can only refer to God.

A Descendant Of Abraham
In Genesis 12:1-3 the origin of this redeemer becomes clearer. There God promised Abraham that all the nations of Earth would be blessed through him, and in Genesis 22 had Abraham act this out with the sacrifice of Isaac, Abraham’s “only son” on Mt. Moriah. 2000 years later another Father would offer His only Son as a sacrifice for sin in that same place. Abraham knew this and named the place Jehovah Jireh, saying, “On the mountain of the Lord it will be provided” (Gen. 22:14).

The Lion Of Judah
Later, as Abraham’s grandson Jacob neared death, he narrowed it down still more by saying that all of Israel’s kings including the ultimate one, “the one to whom it belongs”, would come from among the descendants of one of his sons, Judah, (Gen. 49:10) giving birth to the title “Lion of Judah” as a Messianic reference.

The Son Of David
In 2 Samuel 7:12-15 we read that David longed to build a Temple for God, but God refused him, saying that it would take a man of peace to build a house for Him. He said that David’s son Solomon would be that man, and during Solomon’s reign Israel experienced peace as never before or since. But to ease David’s disappointment God promised to build him a “house” and the Davidic Dynasty was founded. Hence forth there would always be a direct descendant of David’s on the throne of Israel. It was an everlasting promise made in about 1000 BC, and Solomon would be the first fulfillment. But since neither Solomon nor any other Davidic King was flogged by men for “doing wrong” (2 Sam. 7:14) there’s a lot more going on here than meets the eye. The wording casts shadows of the Messiah.

So through God’s progressive revelation we’ve narrowed things down from learning that the redeemer would be a son of Eve’s, which would exclude no one, to the family of Abraham, then Judah, then David. But we’re not finished yet. Over the next 400 years the Davidic Kings went from bad to worse with few exceptions. Finally, in the time of the Prophet Jeremiah God had had enough and pronounced a blood curse on the Davidic line, saying that no son of then King Jehoiachin would ever rule over Israel. (Jere. 22:30) The Davidic line, begun with Solomon, was seemingly ended and God’s promise to David broken.

The Branch
However, before the nation was taken to Babylon, while a Davidic King still sat on the throne, God had Ezekiel announce that the line was being suspended and wouldn’t be restored until “He comes to whom it rightfully belongs.” (Ezekiel 21:27) recalling Jacob’s prophecy to mind. In 519 BC, after the Jews had returned from the Babylonian captivity, God said that a man He called The Branch would be that one, and that He would hold the priesthood as well, combining the two. (Zechariah 6:12). There are four references to The Branch in the old testament and all point to the Messiah.

Born Of a Virgin, Born In Bethlehem
But how was God going to get around the blood curse? For the answer to that, we have to back up to about 750 BC. In that time two of the most specific Messianic prophecies ever given narrowed the field down to just one possibility. In Isaiah 7:14 the Lord proclaimed that the Messiah would be born of a virgin, and in Micah 5:2 that he would be born in Bethlehem, the City of David.

In order to legally qualify for a seat on David’s throne, the Messiah King would have to be of the house and lineage of David. To be from the house of David means being a biological descendant of David’s. Being of David’s lineage means belonging to the Royal Line. How can this be?

When we read the Lord’s genealogies in Matt. 1 and Luke 3, we can see differences beginning at the time of David. Matthew’s genealogy runs through Solomon, the cursed royal line. But Luke’s goes through Solomon’s brother Nathan. Nathan’s line wasn’t cursed, but neither were they kings. Further study reveals that Matthew is actually giving us Joseph’s genealogy while Luke shows us Mary’s. Both were descended from David, and in addition Joseph was one of many who were heir to David’s throne but unable to claim it because of the curse on his line.

So through His mother Mary, Jesus was a biological descendant of David’s. When Mary and Joseph became husband and wife, Jesus also became Joseph’s legal son and heir to David’s Throne. But not being biologically related to Joseph, He didn’t have the blood curse. He was of both the house and lineage of David. To this day He’s the only man born in Israel since 600BC with a legitimate claim to David’s throne. The angel Gabriel confirmed this to Mary when he told her that although a virgin, she would soon give birth to the Son of God, who would occupy it forever. (Luke 1:32-33) Isaiah 9:7 had revealed the same fact centuries earlier. God’s promise to David stands.

Daniel And The Magi
200 years after Micah identified Bethlehem as the Messiah’s birthplace, The Lord told Daniel the time of His death. It would be 483 years after the decree to rebuild and restore Jerusalem following the Babylonian captivity, but before an enemy army came to destroy it again. (Daniel 9:24-27) This places the Messiah’s death somewhere between 32 and 70 AD according to our reckoning of time.

Daniel formed a group of Persian Priests to pass this information down from father to son, and according to tradition set aside the bulk of his personal wealth as a gift for them to present to the Messiah when the time came for His birth. He apparently also gave them a confirming sign to look for from Numbers 24:17, later known as the Star of Bethlehem. By recreating the ancient skies through computer modeling, scientists have recently announced the discovery of this star, actually a conjunction of Jupiter and Venus, that next to the moon was the brightest light in the middle eastern sky at the time of the Lord’s birth.

The descendants of these priests, now a very influential political force in Parthia (as Persia came to be known), remained true to Daniel’s commission, and upon seeing the star set out for Jerusalem. Arriving there they sought an audience with King Herod, asking for the whereabouts of the one born to be King of Israel. Summoning the chief priests, Herod repeated the question and was referred to Micah 5:2 where Bethlehem is identified. The Parthian priests, or Magi as we call them, went there and found the baby Jesus.

The field of candidates for Redeemer of Mankind, the Seed of the Woman, the Descendant of Abraham, the Lion of Judah, the Son of David, the Messiah of Israel, had been narrowed down to one. His name is Jesus.

Faith In Action
By faith, with nothing more than Daniel’s word to their ancestors, the Magi mounted up and undertook a dangerous 800 mile trip into enemy territory to meet the Messiah. (The Parthians and Romans were technically at war.) With 4000 years of fulfilled prophetic scripture in their hands, the chief priests, who no longer took it literally, refused to join them for the last 5 miles from Jerusalem to Bethlehem to see if God’s Word really was true. In so doing, the leaders of the people He came to save missed out on the central event in human history, consigning themselves to eternal separation from the very God they had been seeking.

If history repeats itself like they say it does, then when He comes back many of today’s religious experts, who also don’t take the prophecies literally, will make the same mistake. As you recall the Reason for the Season, take time to thank Him for making you like the Magi instead of like them. Merry Christmas 12-26-09

Seven Major Prophetic Signs Of The Second Coming

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9th Annual Update January 2010

There are seven major prophetic signs of the Second Coming, and currently all of them are in some stage of fulfillment. As in years past, I'll list the seven with their primary biblical references and offer commentary from current events.
1. Israel Will Be In The Land... Ezekiel 36:24, 37:21
For I will take you out of the nations; I will gather you from all the countries and bring you back into your own land .

This is what the Sovereign LORD says: I will take the Israelites out of the nations where they have gone. I will gather them from all around and bring them back into their own land.

In 1948, when Israel took its place among the nations of the world again for the first time in nearly 2000 years, students of prophecy recognized the fulfillment of the primary sign that the end of the age was upon us. Isaiah 11:11-12, Ezekiel 36:8-12 and Amos 9:14-15 had also clearly foretold this. Jesus said that some from the generation being born when this happened would still be alive when He returned (Matt. 24:34).

The fulfillment of this prophecy caused another reaction as well. Satan reads prophecy too, and began exerting even more influence on world leaders in his continuing effort to thwart the plan of God. As a result, Israel has fought six major wars in the last 62 years, each of them an attempt to erase the Jewish Homeland from the face of the Earth. And it's clear that this effort will continue, with the biggest battle of all looming on the horizon, foretold by Ezekiel in chapters 38-39. Israel's enemies, both physical and spiritual, won't let up until they've either succeeded (their view) or been destroyed (God's view).

This past year we've seen unparalleled efforts by friend and foe alike to diminish both Israel's influence and its size. Much of the attack has been focused on the capitol city, Jerusalem. The new leadership the USA, traditionally one of Israel's most loyal allies, has caused many to doubt its willingness to stand with Israel by calling East Jerusalem occupied territory and demanding that no more Jewish homes be built there. At year's end the European Union called for an official declaration dividing Jerusalem to make way for a future Palestinian State to have part of the city as its capital. And several Middle Eastern countries are said to be working with the Palestinians to introduce a UN resolution that will unilaterally declare a Palestinian state on Israeli land, with East Jerusalem as its capital.

But try as these nations might to destroy Israel, God has a different outcome in mind for Israel.

In that day the Lord will reach out his hand a second time to reclaim the remnant that is left of his people from Assyria, from Lower Egypt, from Upper Egypt, from Cush, from Elam, from Babylonia, from Hamath and from the islands of the sea. He will raise a banner for the nations and gather the exiles of Israel; he will assemble the scattered people of Judah from the four quarters of the earth. (Isaiah 11:11-12)

"You, O mountains of Israel, will produce branches and fruit for my people Israel, for they will soon come home. I am concerned for you and will look on you with favor; you will be plowed and sown, and I will multiply the number of people upon you, even the whole house of Israel. The towns will be inhabited and the ruins rebuilt. I will increase the number of men and animals upon you, and they will be fruitful and become numerous. I will settle people on you as in the past and will make you prosper more than before. Then you will know that I am the LORD. I will cause people, my people Israel, to walk upon you. They will possess you, and you will be their inheritance; you will never again deprive them of their children. (Ezekiel 36:8-12)

"I will bring back my exiled people Israel; they will rebuild the ruined cities and live in them. They will plant vineyards and drink their wine; they will make gardens and eat their fruit. I will plant Israel in their own land, never again to be uprooted from the land I have given them," says the LORD your God. (Amos 9:14-15)

And the nations who tried to divide Israel?

I will gather all nations and bring them down to the Valley of Jehoshaphat. There I will enter into judgment against them concerning my inheritance, my people Israel, for they scattered my people among the nations and divided up my land. (Joel 3:2)

2. Jerusalem Will Be In Jewish Hands... Luke 21:24
They will fall by the sword and will be taken as prisoners to all the nations. Jerusalem will be trampled on by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.

The Lord prophesied that the reunification of Jerusalem as a Jewish City would be a sign that foreign (gentile) influence over His land, and indeed the world, was about to end. Fulfillment of this prophecy began in 1967, and scholars saw it as another major sign that the End of the Age had begun. The almost world wide effort to take the city apart again is in essence a battle of wills. Almost every Israeli leader has stood firmly on a pledge to keep Jerusalem united forever as Israel's capital, but the unbelieving leaders of the world are just as resolutely determined to divide it. Behind all this of course is a spiritual battle of massive proportions. While there's no doubt as to the out come, the battle will be a fierce one.

I've come to believe that Jerusalem won't really be free of Gentile "trampling" until the Lord returns. Daniel's prophecy that Gentile Dominion would not end until the Lord establishes His kingdom (Daniel 2:36-45), Zechariah's prophecy of the city being captured and divided just before the Lord's return (Zech. 14:2), and John's observations in Rev. 11:1-2 of the gentiles trampling the outer court of the Temple during the Great Tribulation all confirm this.

The ongoing fulfillment of these major prophecies concerning Israel has caused confusion in the minds of some commentators. It centers around an incorrect interpretation of Matt. 24:34, that all end times prophecies would be fulfilled within a generation, nominally 40 years, of Israel's re-gathering in 1948. That error made 1988 seem like the likely time for the End. But when 1988 came and went scholars focused on the Jerusalem date, 1967, and began adding 40 years to that, advancing their predictions to 2007. The rationale for this is that the timing of the First Coming prophecies in Daniel 9:24-27 keyed off the rebuilt city, not off the return to the Land. But that date proved wrong as well.

The problem is, the Lord didn't promise that all end times prophecies would be fulfilled within a generation of their beginning, only that the generation being born at the time of the first of the signs would still be alive to see their completion. According to Psalm 90:10 an average Biblical life span is 70 years, so predicting the approximate time of the End requires the addition of 70 years to 1948, not 40.

As it draws nearer, the approximate timing of the 2nd Coming will become more and more obvious. Those people around when a treaty is enforced permitting the Jews to build their Temple in Israel will know that it's about seven years away. (Daniel 9:27) Those who witness the anti Christ standing in that Temple proclaiming himself to be God will know there are only 1260 days left until the end of the Great Tribulation, and the 2nd Coming happens shortly after that. (Matt. 24:15,21 & 2 Thes. 2:4) But even so, the Lord did state quite clearly that those alive on Earth at the end of the Great Tribulation would not know the exact day or hour of His coming until He actually appeared. (Matt. 24:42 & 44, 25:13)

3. A Moslem Coalition Armed And Led By Russia Will Attack The Holy Land... Ezek. 38:2-6
"Son of man, set your face against Gog, of the land of Magog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal; prophesy against him. This is what the Sovereign Lord says: I am against you, O Gog, chief prince of Meshech and Tubal. I will turn you around, put hooks in your jaws and bring you out with your whole army--your horses, your horsemen fully armed, and a great horde with large and small shields, all of them brandishing their swords. Persia, Cush and Put will be with them, all with shields and helmets, also Gomer with all its troops, and Beth Togarmah from the far north with all its troops--the many nations with you."

Over 130 historical references make it plain that Magog stands for modern Russia, and the other countries named here form a coalition based on their common religion, Islam. (Today Russia is 30% Moslem and growing.) Among them are Iran, several North African countries, Eastern European countries along the Danube, and the Turkic nations of Asia Minor. A quick look at a world map will reveal that these areas are home to some of the most radical Islamic groups. (For a detailed explanation of the modern nations to which these Biblical names refer, read "An In Depth Look At The Modern Equivalent To Biblical Names in Ezek.38)

The Russians are already a major supplier of arms for the Moslem coalition, just as Ezekiel prophesied, and will be drawn into joining in this battle by God Himself. Russia's barely disguised policy of becoming the major outside force in the Middle East is playing right into the Lord's hands. Iran and Russia are well into the implementation of a $50 billion deal to provide Iran with nuclear power. The 10 reactors called for in the deal are supposedly for electrical power generation, but most western leaders suspect they'll be used to build bombs, too. Some experts claim that Iran will become a nuclear power this coming year, but others think a bomb is still a year or two off. Israel has again vowed to prevent that ever happening, but don't be surprised if the US continues to back away from its similar promise, even though at year end the language coming out of Washington seems to be getting tougher again. I read recently that Pres. Obama and PM Netanyahu have agreed on delaying talk of military action until the spring of 2010 to give the next round of sanctions a chance. Netanyahu had previously announced a Dec. 2009 deadline for evidence of diplomatic progress.

Russia has also formed commercial and military alliances with Turkey and Syria, and has become Turkey's 2nd largest trading partner after Germany. They've sold Damascus a state of the art anti-air defense system along with their latest generation missiles and anti-tank rockets and are building a major military seaport in northern Syria, in preparation for moving components of their Black Sea fleet there. In Lebanon, Russian Military Intelligence has just about taken over the town of Sidon, spying on Israel for Iran and Syria. Iran has taken delivery of a Russian air defense system too, to protect its Bushier reactor site, first in the series Russia has promised to build.

The major obstacle to an early fulfillment of this prophecy is the reference to its occurrence at a time when Israel is "a peaceful and unsuspecting people" (Ezekiel 38:11). This certainly is not the case today, but in Psalm 83 there's a yet-to-be-fulfilled prophecy that appears to involve all of Israel's next door neighbors in another unsuccessful attempt to wipe the Jewish nation off the map. The psalmist pleads with the Lord to intervene and defeat Israel's attackers. If this happens, it will help explain why none of them are named in Ezekiel's list of antagonists, and how Israel could be living in a perceived state of safety as Ezekiel 38:11 requires. Two of Israel's neighbors, Hamas and Hizbollah are making frantic preparations for war and are on record as saying they expect one soon. Not surprisingly, these preparations are being bought and paid for by Iran.

But two other pre-requisites for Ezekiel's battle are clearly being met. The Gaza war strained Israel's relationship with Turkey to the breaking point, and as I've shown Turkey will be on the Moslem side in Ezekiel's battle. Public support in Turkey for membership in the EU is also declining, another sign that attitudes toward the West are changing. Turkey's Prime minister Erdogan believes Turkey's destiny is to rebuild the Ottoman Empire into the new Middle Eastern powerhouse. He's getting cozy with Iran and Syria to accomplish this. It won't be long before Turkey lands solidly in the camp of the Moslem coalition. Israel's recent offshore natural gas discovery, said to be of "historic" proportions, could create the wealth necessary to make Israel an attractive target, fulfilling the prophecy of Ezekiel 38:13 that Russia will be looking for plunder. Till now Israel really hasn't had any wealth to speak of, but the natural gas discovery is worth billions, and in the past few weeks oil has been found near Tel Aviv as well. There's no specific information yet on how big the strike might be, but it could be significant and it already has people excited.

I believe that the removal of the US as Israel's powerful ally is also necessary to pave the way for Ezekiel's battle, because I don't think the Moslem coalition will attack until they're sure the US won't retaliate. Any one of several scenarios currently being played out could accomplish this, especially since our national policy toward Israel is already changing. A deepening recession could turn the nation inward again and cause us to lose interest in defending Israel. Further decline of the dollar on world markets could even render us financially unable to do so. The funds would have to be borrowed, and our ability to repay current debt is already being questioned. The threat or actual occurrence of a major terrorist attack could cause us to stand down. And finally, the Rapture of the Church could deprive the US of both the leadership and manpower to respond. Any one of these would mean serious trouble for the US and all of them have a better than average probability of coming to pass in the coming years. In summary, it's a whole lot easier to see the US abandoning its commitment to Israel than it was just a short time ago.

When the time is right, having recently taken His church to Heaven, the Lord will use this battle to orchestrate His reconciliation with Israel, and on its heels the anti Christ will emerge with a peace plan that includes a Jewish Temple. So once this battle takes place, end times prophecy will go on fast forward.

4. The Ancient Roman Empire Will Re-Emerge As A Political Force... Rev 17:9-10
"This calls for a mind with wisdom. The seven heads are seven hills on which the woman sits. They are also seven kings. Five have fallen, one is, the other has not yet come; but when he does come, he must remain for a little while." (This one is a little obscure if you don't know your history. When John was writing this, about 95AD, there had been five great world powers; Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, Persia, and Greece. All were conquered and absorbed. The current power was Rome, which was never really conquered and will re-emerge at the end of the age, according to Daniel 9:26.)

Daniel 2:36-45 describes Gentile Dominion from Daniel's time forward (Egypt and Assyria had already fallen) in the form of a giant statue representing the four remaining Kingdoms. Babylon was the head of gold. Persia was the chest and arms of silver. Greece was the belly and thighs of bronze, followed by the two appearances of Rome, two legs of iron (Biblical Rome) and two feet of iron mixed with clay (the revived Roman Empire). Read it carefully and you'll find some interesting things in the description of the two feet upon which the statue stands. In the first place iron and clay don't mix. We can imagine sticky clay serving as glue sticking pieces of iron together, but the language describes a clay that's made of dust and already baked ... hard and brittle like shards of pottery. You can't make random pieces of iron and pottery adhere.

The two iron legs of the statue describe the two divisions of the Roman Empire of Biblical times, Western and Eastern. Today the territory of the Western division is occupied by Europe, while the Eastern territory holds the Islamic countries of the Middle East. They're the two feet of iron mixed with clay. Both divisions are steadily becoming more and more powerful. Some experts insist that the combined defeats spoken of in Psalm 83 and Ezekiel 38-39 will render the Eastern, Islamic, leg incapable of becoming part of the World Empire of the End Times. But rough estimates indicate that as little as 15% of the Islamic world will be represented by the forces aligned against Israel, and remember it's only their soldiers who die in battle, not their total populations. And besides, Daniel had both the statue's feet in view in chapter 2 so both divisions of the Roman Empire have to be present at the End of the Age. The next step will be an uneasy alliance between these two divisions. Daniel's use of iron and pottery in their makeup speaks to the difficulty the Western and Eastern cultures will have in remaining united. But the fact that Daniel only identified four empires means the last one can only be some form of ancient Rome. (I find it interesting that with the inroads Islam has already made in western Europe, some commentators have already named it "Eurabia".)

5. The World Will Embrace A Single Religion... Rev 13:8
All inhabitants of the earth will worship the beast--all whose names have not been written in the book of life belonging to the Lamb that was slain from the creation of the world.

Make no mistake about it. Islam is the major religious force in the world today and their goal is nothing less than world domination, by any means necessary. It's the world's fastest growing religion and is second only to Christianity in number of adherents. Already nearly one out of every four inhabitants of the world is Moslem, and like most Christians and Jews they don't really know what they believe or why. I'm no prophet, but as I look into the future, it's much easier for me to see Islam riding its current wave of momentum to fill the void left by the departure of the Church than it is to imagine some watered down mix of apostate Christianity and New Age Mysticism doing so.

Much has been written recently about al Mahdi, a figure out of Moslem prophecies that are strikingly similar to Christian prophecies of the anti-Christ. Both show a leader coming on the scene during a time of great turmoil on Earth. Both depict him as man of peace who will have a seven year reign, head up a one world religion and one world government, and claim supernatural origins. Both prophecies culminate in a battle between good and evil that brings about Earth's final judgment. It's as they're pointing to the same person. The difference is that in Islam he's a good guy, while the Bible calls him evil.

Take this charismatic political and religious leader with his supernatural power, add the widely held but incorrect belief that God and Allah are the same, and that Islam is a religion of peace, and then subtract the spirit of discernment that will disappear with the Church and you can see how he could be the straw that a world on the brink of disaster grasps for survival.

6. The World Will Accept A Single Government... Rev 13:3
The whole world was astonished and followed the beast.

The last US presidential election showed how quickly a fearful and disillusioned people will get behind someone who promises to change things. When you look at the shape of the world it doesn't take much to imagine circumstances getting to a point where the whole world will agree to follow a leader who will promise to bring order out of chaos. Whether it's Global Warming (now called Climate Change) or the decline of the US dollar, the one solution everyone is talking about is some form of one world government. With the things that already threaten world stability getting worse by the day, how much more frantic will people be after millions of their neighbors suddenly disappear without warning or explanation, and there's been a nuclear exchange that brings destruction from Europe through the Middle East and into Russia? All it will take is a leader who can persuade people he can fix things to bring this prophecy to fulfillment.

7. Babylon Will Re-Emerge As A Prominent City In World Affairs... Rev 18:2-3
With a mighty voice he shouted: "Fallen! Fallen is Babylon the Great! She has become a home for demons and a haunt for every evil spirit, a haunt for every unclean and detestable bird. For all the nations have drunk the maddening wine of her adulteries. The kings of the earth committed adultery with her, and the merchants of the earth grew rich from her excessive luxuries."

You may not know it, but Babylon is being made ready to accept its destiny as a city of power in the end times. It's just a ceremonial city right now, but 20 years ago nobody even knew it existed at all. One of the shocks of Gulf War 1 was the discovery of Babylon standing there on the banks of the Euphrates again. Now there's a concerted effort underway to complete what Saddam Hussein began and return Babylon to world prominence. The US has agreed to underwrite a feasibility study, and the government of Iraq has decided that making Babylon an international tourist destination is in the country's best interest.

You may think that being little more than a tourist attraction is a far cry from being a center of world power, but not too long ago some of Iraq's new political leaders were calling for their nation's capital to be moved to Babylon, too. The logic behind this is that Baghdad was Saddam's capital, and the new Iraq needs a new capital, more consistent with its heritage. Babylon fills the bill, and becoming the capital of Iraq would be a giant step toward achieving its transformation into a center of power.

Because of Babylon's current lack of importance in the world, some students of prophecy search for an allegorical fulfillment of its destruction in Rev. 18, and of course many see the USA or some city therein as a logical candidate. But remember, even though in Revelation 17:9 John describes "mystery Babylon" as seated on seven hills (meaning Rome), a prophecy in Zechariah 5:5-11 shows it being moved "to the plains of Shinar" a reference to ancient Mesopotamia called Iraq today. We can't switch from literal to allegorical interpretations of Scripture without clear direction, and where Babylon is concerned no such direction exists. In fact the opposite is true.

Birth Pains
You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of birth pains. (Matt. 24:6-8)

Then he said to them: "Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be great earthquakes, famines and pestilences in various places, and fearful events and great signs from heaven. (Luke 21:10-11)

"There will be signs in the sun, moon and stars. On the earth, nations will be in anguish and perplexity at the roaring and tossing of the sea. Men will faint from terror, apprehensive of what is coming on the world, for the heavenly bodies will be shaken. At that time they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. When these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near." (Luke 21:25-28)

WARS AND RUMORS OF WARS ... According to intelligence reports that include all our current wars as well as conflicts where a cease fire exists but are still unresolved, 47 wars are currently being fought around the world. But some reports say there may be as many as 200 additional disputes threatening to erupt into armed conflict.

THE INCREASE OF NATURAL DISASTERS ... More frequent and more severe hurricanes, more frequent and more intense earthquakes continue to dot the news. According to the USGS there were 73 "significant" earthquakes around the world in 2009. This compares with 58 in 2008 and 55 in 2007. (Source: www.earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/eqinthenews)

SIGNS IN THE SUN, MOON, AND STARS ... The Magnetic Polar Reversal, predicted by computer model for 2012 is gaining more attention since its likelihood was first announced. While the effects of a Magnetic Polar Reversal have never been observed by mankind, it has apparently happened in the distant past. What's unique this time is that the Sun is due for a polar reversal at the same time. What this means is that while the Sun will be experiencing its most intense radioactive storms, Earth's magnetic field (that protects us from these Sun storms) will be at its weakest and may even be non-existent in some parts of the world. No one knows the extent of the damage this could cause, but based on expert opinion I've speculated that the combined effects of the 2 polar reversals could fulfill the 6th Seal judgment of Revelation 6 and if the projected time of 2012 is correct, it fits into the early stages of Daniel's 70th Week that I believe will begin sometime in 2011.

PESTILENCE... Not only new diseases like HIV and SARS, but also the return of old ones like Whooping cough. The big news this year was the swine flu which has so far failed to materialize into the pandemic experts were predicting.

THE LOVE OF MOST WILL GROW COLD ... 3500 people die every day in defense of the Christian faith. Run away crime, children being abused and murdered by their parents, children killing children. Murder trials as public entertainment soon to be followed by televised executions. Ethnic cleansing, rape and forced pregnancy, pedophilia, random shootings, the incidence of disrespect is enough to make you sick.

THIS GOSPEL WILL BE PREACHED IN ALL NATIONS ... Looking at the state of the world, it's hard to be encouraged. But as world news gets worse and worse, more people are turning to the Lord for solace. According to some reports as many as 175,000 new believers are born again every day, mostly in Africa, China, and India. Reports of these conversions are accompanied by accounts of miracles, people receiving supernatural healings and even being raised from the dead. It appears that Just as He did at the beginning of the church Age the Holy Spirit is moving mightily at its End. I believe the Lord is issuing a giant "last call" before He suddenly takes the church out of here to begin the End Times judgments.

As you know these signs from the Olivet Discourse (Matt 24, Mark 13, Luke 21) are progressive and all are described as beginning well before the end. Their main interest to us is found in the phrase "beginning of birth pangs." Natural disasters, the tendency toward war as a tool of diplomacy, famine amidst plenty (35,000 children die each day of starvation and related diseases) and pestilence are described as being common to the era but increasing in frequency and intensity as the end approaches.

It's true that for over 100 years folks have been saying, "how much worse can it get?" Sadly, the answer now as it was then is, "Much!" It seems man's depravity knows no limits. But take heart. Though we are in the world, we are not of the world. We don't belong here, being citizens of heaven. And one day soon our long awaited King will return to take us there. Maranatha!

2010 … What's Likely, What's Not

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The following is not intended as prophecy. The only thing I can safely say I got from the Lord is the idea to write it. But with things happening so quickly these days I think it's good to get some perspective on Biblical events that may affect our lives in the coming 12 months. It'll be a good follow-up to our recap of 2009.

The Battle of Psalm 83 … Likely.
Something big seems to be brewing on both Israel's northern and southern borders. In the south, Egypt and the US are said to be teaming up with Israel. Their plan is to drive Hamas from power in Gaza. Egypt is already building an iron wall along its border to prevent Palestinian entry into the Sinai desert. There are 2 motivating factors at play. One is that the US seems determined to broker a peace agreement this year. To accomplish this, Hamas has to be taken out of the way so Mahmoud Abbas can be the undisputed leader of the Palestinians. The second is the fact that al Qaida is building a strong presence in Gaza. Egypt sees this as a national threat. Some are already calling Gaza the new Yemen.

Israeli experts at Jerusalem and Tel Aviv Universities strongly believe that in the north, Iran is preparing to preempt a military attack against its nuclear program by going to war against Israel, using Hezbollah and several other Palestinian militias from Lebanon as proxies. These experts say that such a move by Iran will give Israel the needed justification to wage a destructive war of unprecedented proportions against both Hezbollah and Lebanon, totally crippling their capabilities for many years to come. They predict that with the resolve of Israel's current leadership it will only take them 5-6 weeks to liquidate Hezbollah and dismantle the Lebanese Army.

They also believe the Netanyahu government will use the opportunity to widen this war to include Damascus and Northern Syria, wiping out Syria's chemical and nuclear programs in the process. In the wake of all these dramatic events, Syria and Lebanon will have no other option but to sign a peace treaty on Israel's terms. (Source: Hamid Ghoriafi, journalist and Middle East analyst in a report to the Lebanese Canadian Coordinating Council.)



If this happens it will explain why none of these entities was named in Ezekiel's roster of enemy combatants.

The Battle of Ezekiel 38 … Not Likely
Reading Magog's (Russia's) mind God said, “You will say, 'I will invade a land of unwalled villages; I will attack a peaceful and unsuspecting people—all of them living without walls and without gates and bars. I will plunder and loot and turn my hand against the resettled ruins and the people gathered from the nations, rich in livestock and goods, living at the center of the land.' “

“Sheba and Dedan and the merchants of Tarshish and all her villages will say to you, 'Have you come to plunder? Have you gathered your hordes to loot, to carry off silver and gold, to take away livestock and goods and to seize much plunder?' ” (Ezekiel 38:11-13)

Three factors argue against Ezekiel's Battle coming this year. First, Turkey hasn't yet completed its change of allegiance from Europe to the camp of Islam, although this could be completed very soon.

Second, Israel hasn't acquired the wealth necessary to make it a tempting target to Russia, as required by Ezekiel 38:13. The multi-billion dollar gas strike off the Mediterranean coast, and the recent discovery of oil near Tel Aviv could soon provide sufficient motivation to meet this requirement as well.

But third and most importantly, Israel is not living carelessly in a state of perceived peace, and has neither dismantled the security wall that divides it from the Palestinians, nor relaxed its guard in any other way. On the contrary, the military has just concluded successful tests of its “Iron Dome” missile shield in preparation for installation. While Israel sincerely desires peace, the country is not unsuspecting of attack, and is in fact preparing to either receive one from Hizbollah, or launch one against Iran or both.

Current news out of the State Department indicates that the US may have abandoned its effort to impose stronger economic sanctions on Iran, for all practical purposes leaving only the military option. I really think that unless Iran's nuclear ambitions are curtailed in some other fashion, the Israelis will be looking for an opportunity to take care of the matter themselves and therefore will not be taken by surprise this year.

The Four Horsemen Of The Apocalypse … Not Likely
For several years people have been asking if we're in the Seal Judgments of Rev. 6. They ask these questions because some teachers say the first seals are already open. But the opening of the seal judgments requires the 70th Week of Daniel to have begun, and that can't happen until Israel is officially back in a covenant relationship with God. That means God will have revealed Himself to them by defeating their attackers in the Battle of Ezekiel 38 (Ezek. 39:21-22) It's helpful to remember that from chapter 6 thru chapter 19, the Book of Revelation is a commentary on Daniel's 70th Week, a period of time during which the Church is not present on Earth.

Further Decline Of The US … Likely
Since the US is not mentioned in End Times prophecy, although it's been a dominant world power for nearly all of our life times, its further decline in 2010 is likely. Here's why I think the US will be increasingly irrelevant as the End Times approach.

More and more “experts” are saying that the recession is not only not over but in 2010 will take an even larger bite out of our economy. Continuing to create money out of thin air to cover our soaring deficit will eventually catch up with us and when it does prices will begin to increase rapidly as the dollar loses what little value it still has. Some say we'll begin to see the effects of this in 2010. Massive irregularities in the distribution of “bail-out” money are coming to the surface and are likely to further erode our confidence in what our government is telling us.

Most unnerving of all is the lack of trustworthy information from any source. Liberals say the worst is over and things are getting better. Conservatives say we haven't seen the end yet and things will get worse. With the liberal media pretty much in the government's pocket and the whackos on the right telling us to buy some guns and find a cave to hide in, where's the voice of reason to give us the straight story? Or doesn't any body know?

Experts are beginning to admit that neither political party has the will to do what's required to save the US from economic ruin. The only question is how long it will take for us to self destruct. Some are saying that by the end of 2010 our situation may well be far worse than it is today.

The Rapture Of The Church … Likely
These days, any talk of coming events has to include the Rapture of the Church. To say that it's unlikely to happen in 2010 would be misleading, because with each passing day it becomes more and more likely. Even though the timing of the rapture is based upon the number of Church members (Romans 11:25) and not a date, there are other dates that offer clues as to how close we're coming.

In Matt. 24:34 Jesus said that the generation being born at the time of the first End Times signs would still be alive at the 2nd Coming. The first sign is almost universally recognized as the re-birth of Israel in 1948. 'For I will take you out of the nations; I will gather you from all the countries and bring you back into your own land.' (Ezekiel 36:24). From Psalm 90:10 we learn that although some may live longer, an average lifespan is about 70 years. 70 years from 1948 would be 2018. Both Romans 11:25 and Acts 15:13-18 indicate that the 70 Weeks of Daniel, interrupted 7 years short of its promised 490 year duration, would resume after the Lord has taken His Church from among the gentiles. Subtracting 7 years from 2018 puts the latest time for the rapture sometime in 2011. Since it could happen at any time, and will happen before Daniel's 70th week begins, we can realistically look for the rapture to happen any time now.

Every Jewish person dreams of one day celebrating Passover in Jerusalem and so at the end of the Passover Seder, a final toast is traditionally offered. Everyone raises their glass and drinks to the fulfillment of that dream, saying, “Next year in Jerusalem!” Maybe in Church gatherings during 2010 Christians will begin raising their glasses to the toast, “Next year in the New Jerusalem!” It could happen. You can almost hear the footsteps of the Messiah. 01-09-10

Pray For The Peace Of Jerusalem

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(note: I originally published this article in 2000, but with the Obama administration's renewed emphasis on achieving an agreement between Israel and the Palestinians, I've updated it and offer it for your consideration.)

Right from the beginning, most informed commentators have predicted that the only logical conclusion to the so-called Middle East Peace process would be war. Contrary to what our leaders have told us, the Palestinian goal has never been to accept a two state solution. They've already turned that deal down at least twice. No, the goal has been to eliminate the Jewish state altogether. As long as they could win concessions at the bargaining table war could be avoided, but the day would obviously come when no more concessions could be given, and the only option would be to go to war for the rest. That day may have come, and of course the stumbling block is Jerusalem.



I Am Going To Make Jerusalem A Cup That Sends All The Surrounding Peoples Reeling ... Zech. 12:2
How have we come to this? Let's review the real issues. The Koran teaches that any land conquered in the name of Islam will never be lost. The very existence of the nation Israel is a violation of that teaching because the land of Israel, including and especially Jerusalem, was once conquered for Islam. Since 1948 the utter destruction of Israel has been the stated Moslem goal, but half a dozen wars have taught them that Israel was too strong to be destroyed militarily. The brilliance of the "Peace Process" is that it enables the Palestinians to win back much of the land through inexpensive negotiations. This has the effect of simultaneously weakening Israel and giving the Moslem forces time to gain the necessary strength to take the rest.

Land For Peace?
What most people don't realize is that with the speed of modern aircraft and missiles, conventional warfare requires more geography rather than less to give defenders sufficient time to react to an attack. Taking land from central Israel (the West Bank) means that attack aircraft could traverse the country in about 8 minutes. This is not enough time to react with effective counter measures. Giving up the West Bank would make Israel less secure rather than more.

Also, Israel's enemies have used the time spent in negotiations to create long-range ballistic missile and biological warfare capabilities in an effort to neutralize Israel's nuclear threat. A nasty situation all around. Most informed observers believe that as soon as the Moslems have gained everything possible from negotiating and believe they're strong enough to destroy Israel, they'll attack. And unless major changes in the Jewish position concerning the sovereignty of Jerusalem are forth coming, the negotiations are effectively over. Whether Israel's enemies are strong enough yet for a military victory may soon be revealed. Combatants on both Israel's Northern and Southern borders seem ready to find out.

I Make Known The End From The Beginning ... Isaiah 46:10
Over 2500 years ago the Lord informed Ezekiel of a great battle involving a coalition of nations who would align themselves against Israel (Ezek. 38-39). He said this battle would take place in the latter days, after the Jewish people had been gathered in the land from many nations following a great war, and would be a surprise attack on the mountains of Israel (West Bank). But he also said the people would think they were living in safety when the attack came (Ezek. 38:8), a peaceful and unsuspecting nation (Ezek. 38:11). But that doesn't seem to define their current state.

Recently a little known prophecy from Psalm 83 that might be a bridge between here and Ezekiel 38 has come to the surface. Psalm 83 is a prayer that God would defeat a coalition of nations that could represent Israel's current next door neighbors, who the Psalmist accuses of conspiring against God's people, threatening to destroy them as a nation. There is no evidence in the historical record that such a coalition ever rose up against Israel, so Psalm 83 may very well be speaking of an attack that a growing number of strategists expect to come in 2010. If so then it's obvious Israel will emerge victorious and will fall into the state of complacency suggested by Ezekiel 38:8-11. This would also explain why none of the nations named in Psalm 83 are included among the attackers of Ezekiel 38. (Read about Psalm 83 here)

Who Started This?
The so called Arab-Israeli conflict has actually been brewing for over 4000 years. It began with Isaac and Ishmael, the sons of Abraham, escalated in the time of Jacob and Esau, the sons of Isaac, and continued through out the Old Testament. It became a Moslem-Jewish conflict with the advent of Islam in the 6th century AD. But behind the scenes the real battle has always been a spiritual one, because ever since God chose the Jews as His people, Israel as His land, and Jerusalem as His city, Satan has been working overtime in an effort to take the land away from Him by destroying His people. After all, he thinks Planet Earth is his. So this is not just a political matter or even a religious one. It's a spiritual matter and will not be resolved until Satan is defeated and the Lord Himself causes every knee to bow and every tongue to confess that He (alone) is Lord (Phil 2:10-11).

Why Pray For The Peace Of Jerusalem?
On several occasions I've been asked something like, "If this is a great cosmic problem that won't ever be solved until the 2nd coming, how can our prayers help?" Here are some good reasons why we should pray for the peace of Jerusalem.

1st, speaking of the Jewish people the Lord said, "Whoever touches you touches the apple of my eye" (Zech. 2:9) and to tribulation survivors He'll say, "Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me" (Matt 25:40). I know it breaks His heart to see the way His city has been defiled by hate and bloodshed. As Bob Pierce, founder of World Vision has said, "Let my heart be broken by the things that break the heart of God." It's good for us to be on the Lord's side.

2nd, He has commanded it and rewards us for obedience. All of Psalm 122 speaks of the special nature of Jerusalem, the one place on Earth God specifically chose for His dwelling, and promises prosperity to those who pray for its peace. Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: they shall prosper that love thee. (Psalm 122:6 KJV)

And 3rd, when you pray for the peace of Jerusalem, you're praying for the Messiah to come and establish His Kingdom. Maybe that's the best reason of all. You can almost hear the Footsteps of the Messiah. 01-16-10

Rapture References

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Recently I was challenged to make a list of all the passages in the Bible that hint of a pre-trib rapture. As you may know I believe Paul was the first person on Earth to present a clear pre-trib teaching, about 20 years after the cross. Before that time it was unknown because Jesus didn't teach it to His other disciples during their time together. And since the Olivet Discourse is directed at Israel, there's no mention of it there either, even though the end times is in view. Israel will not participate in the rapture.

Now I'll be the first to admit that doing this requires that you already have a working knowledge of the pre-trib position, because without it you wouldn't recognize some of these references as being pertinent to the subject. But ever since Paul revealed the rapture, scholars have been seeing hints of it here and there, even in the Old Testament.

Before we begin, in 1 Cor. 2:6-8 Paul explained why God's plans for the church had been kept secret until after the crucifixion. He said that if the rulers of this age (Satan & Co.) had understood all that God intended for us they would not have crucified the Lord. Not that they could have stopped it, of course. But had they known God was going to use the murder of His Son to save us all, they wouldn't have gone ahead with it, and in fact would have tried to prevent it. It wasn't until He was on the cross that they discovered the Lord's death was going to become payment in full for all our sins, so instead of it being cause for a great celebration it totally disarmed them and made them into a public spectacle (Colossians 2:13-15). Then, 20 years later, they learned about the rapture. These were both things that God had planned from the beginning, but a good general keeps his strategy a secret in order to take his enemy by surprise, so God didn't let Satan (or anyone else) know about these things until it was too late for him to react. Even now, Satan doesn't know when the rapture is coming. All he knows is what we know, that each new believer could be the last one, the one that takes us all out of here and beyond his reach forever.

I'm convinced that God's plan requires the Church to disappear before Daniel's 70th week begins. Remember, the Lord set aside 70 weeks (490 years) for Israel to accomplish 6 things (Daniel 9:24). At the end of 69 weeks (483 years) Jesus was crucified, the clock suddenly stopped and Israel disappeared along with its Temple and Old Covenant worship. Daniel's prophecy was left incomplete and from that time on, God's focus was on the church.

The reappearance of Israel in 1948, the promised rebuilding of a Temple, and resumption of Levitical sacrifice during the 70th week make it clear that the Church didn't end the dispensation of Law but only interrupted it seven years short of its intended duration. We would all agree that if the introduction of a dam into a stream of water interrupts its flow, then it's reasonable and logical to conclude that removal of the dam will be necessary for the flow to resume. Therefore if the introduction of the Church after the 69th week of Daniels prophecy caused the interruption in its fulfillment, it's reasonable and logical to conclude that the Church will have to be removed before the final seven years of the dispensation of Law can run their course and Daniel's prophecy can be fulfilled.

Of course there are other sound reasons why the church has to disappear before the End Times begin in earnest. Not having a destiny on Earth, our presence here would serve no purpose during the time of Earth's liberation from bondage (Romans 8:19-21). Not being subject to judgment the Church has no unfinished business with God that could be concluded during the End Times. Unlike Israel we don't need to be made righteous because we're already as righteous as God is (2 cor. 5:21).

Jeremiah 30:11 says the End time judgments will serve a two fold purpose, to completely destroy all the nations among which Israel has been scattered and to discipline Israel. Since God does not consider the Church to belong to either group our presence on Earth during that time would be irrelevant.

But the most important reason, as we'll see, is that God said we won't be here. Those who teach the Church's presence on Earth during any part of Daniel's70th Week have to re-define grace, re-invent the church and re-interpret the Scriptures to support their position.

With that introduction, let's look at some of the clearest hints God placed in the Scriptures to show He has always planned for a pre-tribulation rapture of the church. Naturally, we'll begin in the Old Testament.

Enoch Disappeared
Enoch walked with God; then he was no more, because God took Him away. (Genesis 5:24)

In Matt. 24:37, Jesus said that the time of His coming would be like the days of Noah. He went onto explain that just as all the unbelievers perished in the flood, all unbelievers would perish at the time of His 2nd coming as well. Those who survive the devastation of the Great Tribulation will immediately face judgment and be taken off the planet. The parables of the servant, the ten virgins, and the talents explain this, as does the account of the Sheep and Goat judgment. (Matt. 24:45-25:46)

But if you give the Lord's statement its widest possible application, you can see that as the time of the Great Flood drew near there were 3 kinds of people on Earth. There were the unbelievers who perished in the flood, Noah and his family who were preserved through it, and Enoch, who was taken by the Lord well before it.

Just so, as the End of the Age draws near there will still be three kinds of people on Earth. They are the unbelievers of our time who will perish in the End Times judgments, modern Israel who will be preserved through them, and the Church who will be taken by God well before they begin.

There some interesting similarities between Enoch and the Church. For starters, the name Enoch comes from a root which means to train or teach. To the church Jesus said, “Go and make disciples (students) of all men. (Matt. 28:19) And according to Hebrew tradition, Enoch was born on the day that would become Pentecost. It's the same day the Church was born. I believe Enoch was an early type of the Church and his disappearance before the flood gave the first hint of a pre-tribulation rapture.

Lot Had To Leave Sodom
But flee there quickly, because I can not do anything until you reach it. (Genesis 19:23)

Abraham had struck a bargain with the Lord that if even 10 righteous people could be found in Sodom and Gomorrah He would spare the cities. The fact that the cities were destroyed indicates 10 righteous people could not be found there. But there was one, and though He wasn't bound to do it, the Lord instructed the angels to get Lot out of town before commencing their judgment. Peter referred to Lot's rescue from Sodom as evidence that the Lord does not judge the righteous with the wicked (2 peter 2:7-9) Lot therefore becomes a model of the Church, who with a righteousness imputed by faith, has to be removed from the time and place of judgment before it begins.

Where Was Daniel?
Daniel 3 contains one of the most popular children's stories of the Old Testament. Many don't realize that it's also one of the clearest models of the End Times anywhere in the Bible. King Nebuchadnezzar represents the anti-Christ who decrees that anyone who refuses to bow down and worship the statue he has made will be put to death in the fiery furnace, which represents Great Tribulation. Daniel's three friends, representing Israel, refuse to worship the image and are thrown into the furnace to die. While in there they encounter the Lord, are preserved through the judgment, and are elevated to positions of honor in Babylon.

But where was Daniel? He was a prominent figure both before and after chapter 3. But in this episode his name was not even mentioned. Did he worship the statue to escape judgment? If you think that, you don't know Daniel. Did he refuse to bow down but was not accused? If you think that, you don't know his enemies. After all they rounded up his three closest friends. For the purposes of this story it's as if he has disappeared altogether. In chapter 3, Daniel was a model of the Church, who during the End times judgments will have disappeared altogether, while Israel will be preserved through them, meet the Lord in the midst of them, and be elevated to positions of honor in the Kingdom Age.

Isaiah Said It Best
But your dead will live; their bodies will rise. You who dwell in the dust, wake up and shout for joy. Your dew is like the dew of the morning; the earth will give birth to her dead.

Go, my people, enter your rooms and shut the doors behind you; hide yourselves for a little while until his wrath has passed by.

See, the LORD is coming out of his dwelling to punish the people of the earth for their sins. The earth will disclose the blood shed upon her; she will conceal her slain no longer. (Isaiah 26:19-21)

Without a doubt this is the clearest statement of the Lord's intentions for the Church anywhere in the Old Testament. It can't be tied to any event in history, but clearly awaits a future fulfillment. And it can't be intended for Israel, whose resurrection will come after the time of God's wrath, not before it. (Daniel 12:1-2)

Some day soon a group of people will suddenly rise from the dead. Another group, still living, will be whisked away to rooms prepared for them to be hidden from the time of God's wrath. Then the Lord will punish the people of the Earth for their sins. The fact that the groups being resurrected and hidden are not objects of his wrath is indicated by the switch from second person (resurrected and hidden) to third person (punished). Notice how similar the wording is to 1 Thes 4:16-17 & 5:9, Paul's teaching on the rapture.

But your dead will live; their bodies will rise. (The dead in Christ will rise first).

Go, my people, enter your rooms and shut the doors behind you; (After that we who are alive and left will be caught up to meet the Lord in the air)

It's appropriate to insert John 14:2-3 here as well to see what rooms Isaiah was talking about.

In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.

This promise does not point to the 2nd Coming when the Lord will come to Earth to be with Israel here, where they are. This is a promise to the Church that He has gone to His father's house to prepare our rooms for us. Then He will come for us to take us there, where He is.

See, the LORD is coming out of his dwelling to punish the people of the earth for their sins. (For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.)

I'm convinced this is the passage Paul had in mind when he said “According to the Lord's own word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left till the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep.“ (1 Thes. 4:15). I say this because with the exception of 1 Thes 4:16-17 there is no passage in all the Bible that so clearly describes the pre-trib rapture of the Church.

This is not the sum of Old Testament verses that point to a pre-tribulation rapture. But it's a good sample of the clearest ones, to help you see that God always intended to take us to be with him before He unleashes the End Times judgments upon the unbelieving Earth. Next time we'll take a similar survey of the New Testament. See you then. 01-30-10