Dr. John Whitcomb
Scripture taken from the New King James Version.
Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.
Used by permission. All rights reserved.
THE TIME OF THEIR MINISTRY
Most dispensational commentators agree that the holy city, Jerusalem, will be"trodden down" by the Gentiles for 42 months during the last halfof the 70th Week of Daniel (Rev.11:2; cf. Luke 21:24)). This time period is identical to the 42 months of Rev.13:5, which is the time God assigns to the Beast, the Antichrist, to blaspheme His name and to persecute His people.
This will be the fulfillment of Daniel's prophecy in Dan. 7:21, that "the little horn" will make war against the saints and will prevail against them until "the Ancient of Days" finally comes. Daniel is also told that "the saints will be given into his hand for a time and times and half a time" (7:25), and that after these three-and-one-half years, "when the power of the holy people has been completely shattered, all these things shall be finished" (12:7).
What,then, are the "one thousand two hundred and sixty days" during which"My two witnesses" will receive authority to "prophesy...clothed in sackcloth" (Rev. 11:3)? Time indicators, such as "1,260days" are to be understood literally. John F. Walvoord explains: "Very prominent in the book of Revelation is the use of numbers, namely, 2, 3, 3 1/2,4, 5, 6, 7, 10, 12, 24, 42, 144, 666, 1,000, 1,260, 1,600, 7,000, 12,000,144,000, 100,000,000, 200,000,000 . . .The general rule should be followed tointerpret numbers literally unless there is clear evidence to the contrary."[1]For several reasons, I suggest that this is the first half of the Seventieth Week. First, there seems to be an intentional distinction between the time of the Gentile occupation of the Temple's outer court and thecity, and the time of the two witnesses, by means of the different time-unitsused: 42 months for the Gentile domination and 1,260 days for the twowitnesses. If the same time period is intended for both groups, why is not the 42-month time-block sufficient to cover both?
Second, and more important, in the very next verse (Rev.11:4), the ministry of the two witnesses is compared to the ministry of the twoolive trees of Zech. 4:3, namely, Joshua the high priest and Zerubbabel the governor of the Jewish remnant, who returned from Babylon to re-establish legitimate worship in Jerusalem (Zech. 3:1 and 4:6). These leaders did not have to wait for the Temple to be rebuilt to begin sacrificingon the altar which they erected on the ruins of Solomon's Temple (cf. Ezra 3:2-3). By the same token, the twowitnesses will not have to wait for the third temple to be built in order to begin sacrificing on a divinely legitimate altar on the present ruins of the second temple. What they will need is supernatural protection to re-institute the sacrifices (cf. Dan. 9:27) in the presence of enormous, even global, opposition (cf. Rev. 11:10).
Thereason why this will happen during the first half of the seventieth week is that"in the middle of the week He [the Antichrist] shall bring an end to sacrifice [zevach = bloodysacrifices] and offering [minchah= non-bloody sacrifices]" (Dan. 9:27). As J. Dwight Pentecost explains,"This expression refers to the entire Levitical system, which suggeststhat Israel will have restored that system in the first half of the 70th'seven.'"[2] Antichristwill replace the legitimate, God-honoring Jewish worship system, which only the two witnesses can inaugurate, with his own system, namely, the abominationof desolation (cf. Dan. 9:27b,12:11; Matt. 24:15; 2 Thess. 2:4; Rev. 13:14-15). But the Antichrist cannotdo this until the 1,260 days of ministry allotted by God to the two witnesseshas been completed (cf. Rev.11:7).
Third, the Lord Jesus issued this command to Jews ofthe tribulation period: "when you see the 'abomination of desolation,'spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place . . . then letthose who are in Judea flee to the mountains . . . For then there will be greattribulation such as has not been since the beginning of the world until thistime, no, nor ever shall be" (Matt. 24:15-21). Here an obvious questionarises: Would the two Jewish witnesses remain in Jerusalem during the 42 monthsof Antichrist's dominion if the Lord Jesus, their Messiah, told them to flee to the mountains?
Fourth, if the 1,260 days occur during the last half of the Week, then the entire world would be celebrating the death of the twowitnesses for three-and-a-half days after the Battle of Armageddon and the destruction of the Antichrist! This is very difficult to imagine. As Gary G. Cohen explains, "at the end of the second three-and-a-half year period, the Beast followers arelamenting over Babylon and the vials, [are] gathered for the great battle atArmegeddon, and [are] finally slain by Christ, whose coming is surrounded with the powers of the heavens being shaken (Rev. 16-18; 19:11-21; Matt. 24:29-30).This picture does not harmonize well with the three-and-a-half days ofrejoicing and gift-giving in which the earth-dwellers participate following themurder of the witnesses. This discordance between the end of the secondthree-and-a-half year period and the three-and-a-half days following the end of the three-and-a-half year ministry of the witnesses makes it most unlikely that the prophesying of God's two servants takes place during the latter half of the week."[3]
Fifth, putting the two witnesses into the last half of the Week compromises the totality of Antichrist's dominion during that sameperiod. How can he bring fire from heaven upon his enemies (through the False Prophet, Rev. 13:13)if the two witnesses are simultaneously bringing fire from heaven upon their enemies (Rev. 11:5)? We are clearly dealing withtwo different time periods: the first half of the Week with the over whelmingpower of the two witnesses, and the last half of the Week with the over whelmingpower of the Beast and the False Prophet.When the world asks the rhetoricalquestion, "Who is able to make war with [the Beast]?" (Rev. 13:4), it seemsobvious that no one can answer, "The two witnesses are able to make war with him," for their 1,260 days of ministry will have ended, and they will be gone.
Sixth, our Lord stated that "Elijah is comingfirst and will restore all things (italicsadded)" (Matt. 17:11). Whoever "Elijah" turns out to be (seebelow, The Identity of the Two Witnesses), his spectacular success (under God)in bringing Israel back to her Messiah must be during the first half of the seventieth week, for Isaiah prophesied thatIsrael will have given birth "to her children" as soon as her time of tribulation begins (Isa. 66:8).
Furthermore,the basically regenerated nation, called "the woman" in Rev. 12, willflee into the wilderness and be nourished by God for 1,260 days (Rev. 12:6, 14;cf. Isaiah 26:20-21), namely, the last half of the week. "The dragon,"Satan, will then "make war with the rest of her offspring, who keep thecommandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ" (12:17),presumably the 144,000 witnesses from the 12 tribes of Israel and multitudes oftheir Gentile converts.
The crucial question, then, is this: by whose testimony is the nation of Israelbrought into the blessings of the New Covenant of Jeremiah 31:31-34 (cf. Jer.32:37-41; Ezek. 36:25-28)? And by whose witness are 12,000 from each of the twelve tribes led to the Lord, in order that, as our Savior promised,"this gospel of the Kingdom will be preached in all the world [during thelast half of the Week] as a witness to all the nations, and then the end willcome" (Matt. 24:14)?
The prophet Malachi provides the answer: "Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before (italicsadded) the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD [i.e., the final 42 months of the 70th week], and he will turn the hearts of the fathersto the children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers" (Mal.4:5-6). Our Lord, of course, was referring to this final statement of the OldTestament when He assured Peter, James and John that, "indeed, Elijah iscoming first and will restore all things" (Matt. 17:11).
Some have mistakenly assumed that Israel as a nation cannot be converted until "theywill look on Me whom they pierced" (Zech. 12:10), namely, at Christ's secondcoming in glory. But our Lord insisted: "Blessed are those who havenot seen, and yet have believed" (John 20:29). These words werespoken to Thomas who refused to believe until he could "see in His handsthe print of the nails" (vs. 25). Was Thomas converted when he did seethe marks of his Lord's crucifixion? No, for he, like the other ten apostles, was already a born-again believer (cf. John 13:10-11). Likewise, Israel will be filled with contrition when they finally see the Savior whom they had crucified, and "will mourn for Him, as one mourns forhis only son," with "all the families that remain, every family byitself, and their wives by themselves" (Zech. 12:14). Doubtless, thiswill also be the occasion when they will cry out, "Surely He has borne ourgriefs yet we esteemed Him stricken, smitten by God and afflicted" (Isa.53:4-5). Thus, there will be at least a 42-month gap between Israel'sconversion and the overwhelming sight of their pierced Savior.
Immediately following the rapture of the church, there will be no believers left on this planet. Assuming that God never leaves Himself without a witness in the world,the two witnesses will suddenly appear in Jerusalem to begin their powerful work. In the words of Alva J.McClain, founder and president of Grace Theological Seminary, "The effect of their testimony is very impressive, appearing very early in the book of Revelation and probably accounting for the martyrs seen under the fifth seal (6:9). In chapter 7 the effect greatly expands, including144,000 Israelites (vss.3-8), and also a great multitude, which no man can number, of all nations" (vss. 9-14).[4]His colleague and successor, Herman A. Hoyt, agreed that "The importance of their testimony cannot be overestimated (Rev. 11:4)By their testimony, it is my opinion, they bring about the conversion of the 144,000 who will become the witnesses during the final half of the tribulation period."[5]In addition to my personal mentors, Alva J. McClain and Herman A. Hoyt, several others have concluded that the two witnesses will proclaim the gospel of the Kingdom (i.e., the true Gospel of the saving work of Christ as a pren requisitefor entering the Kingdom)during the first half of the 70th week.[6]
An interesting parallel to the amazing effects of the preaching of the two witnessesmay be found in the ministry of the Apostle Paul at the school of Tyrannus in Ephesus: "And this continued for two years, so that all who dwelt in Asia heard the word of the Lord Jesus, both Jews and Greeks" (Acts 19:10).
THE IDENTITY OF THE TWO WITNESSES[7]
For 2,400 years Jews have anticipated the literal return of Elijah as the forerunner of Messiah. At the Passover meal (the Seder), "there is an extra place setting and a specialcup on the Seder table designated just for Elijah The meal is followed by aprayer, and a member of the family is then asked to go to the door, open it,and see if Elijah the prophet is coming."[8]This expectation, of course, is based on the final words of the prophet Malachi at the very end of our Old Testament:"Behold, I will send you Elijahthe prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD. And hewill turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers, lest I come and strike the earth with a curse" (Mal.4:5-6).
When Peter, James and John beheld Elijah on the Mount of Transfiguration, they were astounded. Could itreally be true that Elijah would personally, physically, and visibly appear asthe forerunner of Christ at the inauguration of His Kingdom? A week before theyclimbed this mountain, the Lord Jesus had told them: "Assuredly, I say to you, there are some standinghere who shall not taste death until they see the Son of Man coming in His kingdom" (Matt. 16:28). So this was a foretaste, a powerful visual aid, of themanner in which the Son of Man would return to the earth: personally,physically and visibly, in glory (cf. Acts 1:11).
Butwhy did this foreview also include the visible presence of Elijah? Peter, Jamesand John were very concerned about this. Coming down from the mountain, theyasked the Lord: "'Why then do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?' And He answered and said, 'Indeed Elijah is coming first and will restore allthings'" (Matt. 17:10-11). Thus, the Lord Jesus was agreeing with the scribesthat the prophecy of Malachi should be interpreted literally, just as the chiefpriests and scribes had interpreted Micah 5:2 literally when they were asked concerning the birthplace of the Messiah (Matt. 2:3-6).[9]
The Greatness of John the Baptist
Now this created a great dilemma for the disciples. If Elijah was to prepare Israelfor the Kingdom (which they expected to happen at any moment), when and how would he appear, and how did John the Baptist, their former (and now dead) mentor(John 1:35-40) fit into this scenario? Was not the Baptizer "the burning and shining lamp," in whose "light" the disciples "were willing to rejoice" because"he has borne witness to the truth" (John 5:33-35)? Was he not "more than aprophet" (Matt. 11:9)? Was he notthe fulfillment of Isaiah 40:3 ("The voice of one crying in the wilderness:'Prepare the way of the LORD'" cf. Matt. 3:3)? Was he not "My messenger" whom God would send "to prepare the way before Me" (Mal. 3:1; cf. Matt. 11:10)? Infact the Lord Jesus asserted that "among those born of women there has notrisen one greater than John the Baptist" (Matt. 11:11). Thus, in the mind ofour Lord, John was personally and prophetically at least as great as Enoch,Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, Joshua, David, Solomon, Isaiah,Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel, -- and even Elijah!
Israel's Responsibility
Itis perfectly clear, then, that it was not because of some lack of dedication orwisdom that John the Baptizer failed to bring Israel to the place of spiritualreadiness to acknowledge Jesus of Nazareth as the long-awaited Messiah. Thenational rejection of Jesus was entirely the fault of the people and theirleaders! With respect to John, therefore, our Lord explained: "If you arewilling to receive it, he is Elijah, who is to come" (Matt. 11:14). Then,amazingly, He added: "'Elijah has come already, and they did not know him, butdid to him whatever they wished'Then the disciples understood that He spoke to them of John the Baptist" (Matt. 17:12-13).
Thus,John could have been Elijah if Israel had accepted his message. This is a theme that dominates the entire Bible - men are responsiblemoral agents before God, and cannever reject this accountability by arguing that since God is the sovereign LORD of history they cannot make genuine choices (cf. Rom. 9:18-24). Judas Iscariot could have reasoned: "Since my betrayal of the Messiah has been predestined [e.g., Luke 22:22a - "truly,the Son of Man goes as it has been determined"], I have been deprived of my freedom of choice, and am therefore innocent!" But our Lord, anticipating such depraved thinking, added: "but woe to that man by whom He is betrayed!" (Luke22:22b; cf. Acts 2:23 concerning the entire nation). Thus, Joseph could say to his murderous brothers: "As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, in order to save many people alive" (Gen. 50:20).
Thereare at least three reasons for concluding that John was not Elijah. First, the angel Gabriel announced toZacharias the priest concerning his son John: "He will also go before Him inthe spirit and power of Elijah"(Luke 1:17). Therefore, he was not literally Elijah. Second, our Lord stated,soon after the death of John, "Elijah is coming first and will restore all things"(Matt. 17:11). Thus, the Lord Jesus interpreted Malachi's prophecy literally:"Behold, I am going to send you Elijah the prophet" (Mal. 4:5). Third, theleaders of Israel confronted John with a direct question: "Are you Elijah?" His answer was unequivocal:"I am not" (John 1:21).
However,in spite of the fact that John was not Elijah, his offer of the Kingdom toIsrael was absolutely genuine:"Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand" (Matt. 3:2). This identicalappeal was made by our Lord, and by the Twelve and the Seventy. Therefore, noJew could say, "We never heard a clear and genuine offer of the Kingdom!"
The Theological Antinomy
Buthere we must face a great theological antinomy, namely, an apparent contradiction of logic that mere human intelligence cannot resolve: first, theoffer of the Kingdom wasabsolutely genuine. The contingency was this: the coming of the Kingdom was dependent upon thebelieving response of the nation of Israel. Without national repentance on the part of God's chosen people,there can be no Messianic kingdom on this earth (see Romans 11:12, 15, 25-29,and many Old Testament prophecies). Also for individuals, whether Jew orGentile, there can be no salvation without genuine faith in God and His Word.This is a fundamental reality in all human history under God.
Second,at the same time, God had planned from all eternity that the Kingdom offerwould be rejected at Christ's first coming, and would be accepted at His secondcoming. [10] Yes, wealways need to be reminded of Deut. 29:29, "The secret things belong to theLORD our God, but those things which are revealed belong to us and to ourchildren forever," and Isaiah 55:8-9, "'For My thoughts are not your thoughts,nor are your ways My ways,' says the LORD. 'For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts.'"
No Jew could escape the ultimate urgency of the Baptizer's message by reasoning:"John himself admits that he is not Elijah. Therefore, since the Kingdom cannot come until Elijah appears, we have no need to humble ourselves before thisnon-Elijah!" To excuse themselves, the Jewish leaders finally concluded that John had a demon! (cf. Matt. 11:18).
A similar urgent responsibility rests upon people today. No one, however exalted(in political, social, economic, educational, or scientific realms), may dismiss the urgency of the Gospel message because of the personality traits ofthe messenger. Like the Corinthians long ago, people in our day sometimes makea great issue of who won them to the Lord and/or baptized them. Paul's response to the Corinthians was pointed: "Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers through whom you believed, as the Lord gave to each one" (1 Cor. 3:5;cf. 1:12-17; 3:21-23; 4:6).
John'sappearance and life-style (like Elijah's - 2 Kings 1:8; cf. Zech. 13:4) werenot impressive to sophisticated Jews: a garment of camel's hair and a diet oflocusts and wild honey (Matt. 3:4). Who among the leaders would want to be identifiedwith such a strange-looking character? But God intended for his appearance to be a rebuke to the luxurious materialism of the royal family and the Phariseesand the priests (Matt. 11:8). Many of the common people, however, did respondto his powerful preaching (Matt. 3:5-6; 11:12; 21:26).
Thus,to summarize the antinomy: God assures us, on the basis of His unchangeable foreknowledge, that Elijah - not John - will bring the nation to repentance.But human responsibility required that John's message be received with genuinerepentance and faith, just as fervently as if Elijah himself had been God's messenger.
Has Elijah Been Glorified?
Elij a his coming back as a messenger to Israel. But how can he come back to the earth in a physical, mortal body? Was he not last seen being swept "to heaven" by a whirlwind (2 Kings 2:11)? This is a major reason why many evangelical theologians deny that Elijah can literally return to the earth and be killed(Rev. 11:7). If Elijah was glorified without dying, how can he return to theearth and die?
Avery important factor in solving this problem may be found in our Lord'sstatement: "No one has ascended to heaven, butthe Son of Man" (John 3:13). In the immediate context, our Lord was explaining to Nicodemus that He alone could testify concerning things in heaven, because He alone had been there. While this statement sheds significant light on our Lord's unique authority to speak of "heavenly things," His statement also seems to exclude the possibility thatanyone, including Enoch and Elijah, could ever have ascended to the third heaven.
Furthermore,the Lord Jesus was "the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep," in thesense of receiving a glorified body; and no one else will receive such a bodyuntil "those who are Christ's" have that inconceivably marvelous experience "at His coming" (1 Cor. 15:20-23). Technically, of course, it could be argued thatour Lord was referring only to a resurrection from the dead, and that neitherEnoch nor Elijah had died. But, in the light of the "first fruits" statement of1 Corinthians 15:20, 23, it is very difficult to believe that two men couldhave been physically glorified before the Savior was glorified.
Renald E. Showers agrees that "Enoch and Elijah did not receive glorified bodies when God took them from the earth." But he also finds strong evidence in Hebrews11:5 that Enoch did not "see"(=experience; cf. Luke 2:26) death. The textstates that the very purpose for God's taking Enoch was so that he should no texperience death.[11]So we are left with the question of Enoch's condition after he was "taken up."A similar question may be asked concerning Korah, Dathan and Abiram who "went down alive into the pit [Sheol]" (Num. 16:33). My understanding would be thatthey did die afterdisappearing from the sight of men.
After the glorification of Christ, the apostle Paul "was caught up to the thirdheaveninto Paradise" (2 Cor. 12:2, 4).But he was not glorified, for the experience was temporary, and he returned to the earth with a mortal body(complete with a sin nature) and finally died. The truly amazing statement,however, is that he didn't know whether his brief visit in heaven was "in the body or apart from the body" (12:2-3). Renald Showers sees 2 Corinthians 12:2-4, therefore, as indicating that Paul "believed in the possibility of a human being in a mortal body being caught up to and existing in God's heavenfor some period of time."[12]
Thisbrings us again to the fascinating statement of Hebrews 11:5 - "By faith Enochwas taken away so that he did not see death." The termination of his life on earth was totally differentfrom that of any before him - he simply disappeared! Now it should be notedthat two other God-honored men in the Old Testament shared the distinction of leaving this world with no one seeing them dying or dead - Moses (Deut. 32:48-52; 34:1-6) and Elijah (2 Kings 2:11-14). The author of Hebrews stated:"it is appointed for men to die once" (9:27). However, the "mystery" (divinetruth once hidden but now revealed) of the rapture of the Body and Bride ofChrist without dying (1 Cor. 15:51-52; 1 Thess. 4:15-17) is the glorious exception to this "die-once" rule. But is it really legitimate to stretch thisexception to include Enoch or Elijah? Old Testament saints were not members ofthe Body and Bride of Christ to whom this "blessed hope" was exclusively given(cf. Eph. 3:4-10). That Enoch entered the realm of the righteous dead[13]without dying seems to be the teaching of Hebrews 11:5. That he was physically glorified ishighly unlikely.
Enoch did not "see death." But the Scriptures do not say this of Elijah. In fact, there seems to besome support for the concept that Elijah finally did die after he was caught up by a whirlwind. Nearly 900 years after that event, three of our Lord's disciples saw Moses (who haddied 1,400 years earlier) and Elijah together (Matt. 17:1-8). Since Moses could not have had a glorified body (cf. 1 Cor. 15:20, 23), the implication is quite strong that Elijah didnot either.Like Samuel 1,000 years earlier (1 Sam. 28:15), they were temporarily "brought up" from their place of rest in the "Paradise" of pre-resurrection-of-Christ history (cf. Luke 23:43 with 2 Cor. 12:2-4 and Eph.4:8-10), which our Lord also described as "Abraham's bosom" (Luke 16:22), and which was located at that time in "the heart of the earth"(Matt. 12:40 cf. 1Pet. 3:19).
Moses and Elijah appeared briefly to Peter, James and John, but had nothing to say tothem. Instead, they were conversing with their Lord. As they "talked with Him"(Luke 9:30), they "spoke of His decease [Gk. exodus = a euphemism for His death] which He was aboutto accomplish at Jerusalem" (Luke 9:31). They were presumably concerned aboutthe fact that not until their great King/Priest/Messiah shed His blood upon theCross could they be fully redeemed. However, in the meantime, they had beenredeemed, like Abraham (Gen. 15:6), as it were "on credit," because the blood payment of the Lamb of God for pre-Calvary believers was already accomplished inthe mind of God (cf. Rom. 3:25-26; Eph. 1:3-11). If Elijah was concerned aboutthe "decease" which his Lord was soon to accomplish in Jerusalem, theimplication is that he (like Moses) had not yet been physically glorified.Thus, the fact that they appeared "in glory" on the mount was merely atemporary fore taste of their ultimate glorification at the time of Christ's Second Coming. A significant analogy to this experience may be seen in the faceof Moses which glowed brightly after he communed with God on Mount Sinai(Exodus 34:29-35).
Onthe basis of these theological inferences, then, we understand that Elijah willbe brought back from the dead (like Lazarus and several others) to mortal life,and to die again three-and-one-half years later (Rev. 11:3-13). In Bible timesGod raised some people from the dead after only a few hours, and Lazarus after four days (when it was evident to everyone that his bodywas decomposing [John 11:39]). The main point at issue here, however, is thatGod is not limited by time or by the availability of any part of a person'sphysical body in order to perform the miracle of glorious resurrection, or eventhe miracle of resuscitation/restoration to mortal life.
We read in 1 Corinthians 15:38 that God gives "to each seed its own body," and"that which you sow [in death and burial], you do not sow that body that shallbe." This is the basic reality of all resurrections. On the human level, wemight describe it this way:God knows the unique "blueprint" or "DNA information code" of every human being, and is perfectly capable of giving aperson a glorified body, and even another mortal body (complete with theoriginal sin nature) after thousands of years.
Elijah and Moses
Yes,Elijah is coming back to this earth again, and he will not come alone as he did at the beginning of his first ministry. Rarely does God send a servant into asignificant ministry without a coworker. Robert L. Thomas has observed: "The O Trequired two witnesses as competent legal testimony to secure a conviction(Deut. 17:6; 19:15; Num. 35:30; cf. Heb. 10:28). Jesus also made the number two a minimum to confirm a point of discipline (Matt. 18:16) or verify truth (John8:17). Paul too alluded to the need of a plurality of witnesses to validate a judgment (2 Cor. 13:1; 1 Tim. 5:19)."[14]
Butwho will be Elijah's companion witness? Many have suggested Enoch; but this great antediluvian saint and prophet would not be an appropriate fellow-witness with Elijah in a prophetic ministry directed exclusively to Israel.Far more appropriate for such a unique function would be Moses. For future apostate Israel, after the rapture of the Church, no man in her entire history would have greater respect andappreciation than Moses. In fact, Moses is named 80 times in the New Testament (compared to Abraham,73 times, David 59 times and Elijah 29 times)! God raised up these men to confront Israel in times of deep apostasy. Moses was God'sgreat deliverer and lawgiver for Israel, of whom He said: "There has not arisenin Israel a prophet like Moses, whom the LORD knew face to face, in all the signs and wonders which the LORD sent him to do in the land of Egypt and by all that mighty power and all the great terror which Moses performed in the sight of all Israel" (Deut. 34:10-12). By the time our Lord appeared in Israel, theJews actually thought that Moses had given them the bread in the wilderness (John 6:32).
Asfor Elijah, surely one of thegreatest of the prophets,God answered his humble prayer (cf. 1 Kings 18:36-37)by sending fire from heavento consume his sacrifice on Mount Carmel and thus to defeat the 450 prophets of Baal; and finally to vindicate him by means of "a chariot of fire and horses offire" to escort him out of Satan's world (2 Kings 2:11).[15]When he was almost overwhelmed by the spiritual darkness of Israel under the demonic Jezebel, Elijah identified himself with Moses by fleeing to "the cave" (Heb: ha-m e ' ār) where Moses 600 years earlier was hidden by God as His glory passed by (1 Kings 19:9; Exod. 33:21-23). So highly did the Jews of Jesus' day think of Elijah, that when they saw His miracles, some concludedthat Elijah had returned (Matt. 16:14). Also when our Savior cried out from thecross, "Eli, Eli," they believed He was "calling for Elijah" to save Him!(Matt. 27:47-49; Mark 15:35-36).[16]
When the two witnesses appear in Jerusalem at the beginning of the Seventieth Week,"they immediately begin their prophetic ministry. Just prior to this (hours,days, weeks?) the rapture will have removed all believers from the earth.Therefore, there will be no one to train these two witnesses, and no time to train them. They must be men already possessing full knowledge of theScriptures and well seasoned for such a demanding ministry. Moses was the lawgiver; Elijah was the law-enforcer. Both will be men of experience. They will be perfectly equipped for a ministry to Israel before a world-wideaudience."[17]
Neither Moses nor Elijah ever entered Jerusalem, though Moses might have seen it from a distance (Deut. 34:2), and Elijah wrote a letter of judgment to one of theworst kings Jerusalem ever knew (2 Chron. 21:12-15). And, as we have seen, bothMoses and Elijah, emerging temporarily from "Paradise" to appear on the Mountof Transfiguration, were very concerned about something soon to happen in Jerusalem. (cf. Luke 9:31)
TheLord Jesus said that "it cannot be that a prophet should perish outside of Jerusalem" (Luke 13:33)! In the light of this statement, it is note worthy that these two great Israelite prophets will not only enter Jerusalem, but willexperience their second and final physical death in its streets at the hands of "the beast that ascends out of the bottomless pit" at the mid-point of theSeventieth Week (Rev. 11:7-10; cf. Dan. 9:27).
Oneof the most convincing evidences that Elijah and Moses will be the two witnesses in Revelation 11 is the nature of the judgment-miracles these men will perform. "If anyone wants to harm them, fire proceeds from their mouth and devours their enemies These have power to shut heaven,so that no rain falls in the days of their prophecy; and they have power overwaters to turn them to blood, and to strike the earth with all plagues, as often as they desire" (Rev. 11:5-6). The first two types of judgments listed were those which Elijah inflicted upon Israel (three-and-one-half years of drought - 1 Kings 17:1; cf.Luke 4:25; James 5:17; and fire from heaven upon two military detachments sent by King Ahaziah to capture Elijah - 2 Kings 1:10, 12); and the second two types of judgments (blood from water and a variety of plagues) were those which Moses inflicted upon Egypt (Ex. 7-12).
Why are Elijah and Moses not named as the two witnesses in Revelation 11? Perhapsthe Old Testament and the Gospels are so clear on this point that the HolySpirit deemed it unnecessary to identify them by name. Would not the finalwords God addressed to Israel in the Old Testament have been sufficient?[18]"Remember the Law of Moses,My servant, which I commanded him in Horeb for all Israel with the statutes andjudgments [cf. Matt. 24:20]. Behold, I will send you Elijah (italics added) the prophet" (Mal. 4:4-5).[19]
Conclusion
Thetrue Church is not destined to see the Antichrist or the two witnesses inJerusalem. Our "blessed hope" is to see Christ our Bridegroom and our Head(Titus 2:13; 2 Cor. 11:2). Nevertheless, our covenant-keeping God also has aspecial appointment for His Chosen People Israel (Rom. 11:25-32); and thatappointment includes national repentance through the prophetic ministry ofElijah (and Moses). Even before "the great and terrible day of the LORD" (thesecond half of the Seventieth Week) begins, Zion will "give birth to herchildren" (Isa. 66:8), and through them (presumably disciples of the twowitnesses), "this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as awitness to all the nations" (Matt. 24:14). When contemplating the destiny ofethnic Israel in the light of the unconditional and thus unbreakable AbrahamicCovenant promises[20],we can only say with Paul, "Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom andknowledge of God! How unsearchableare His judgments and His ways past finding out!" (Rom. 11:33).[21]
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[1] John F. Walvoord,The Revelation Of Jesus Christ (Chicago: Moody Press, 1966),
28; cf. p. 175; and Robert L. Thomas, Evangelical Hermenutics (Grand Rapids: Kregel, 2002),
232-233.
[2]"Daniel," in The Bible Knowledge Commentary, (Wheaton: Victor Books, 1985), 1365.
[3] Gary G. Cohen,The Chronology of the Book of Revelation(TH.D. Diss., Grace Theological Seminary, May 1966), 251.
[4] Alva J. McClain,The Greatness of the Kingdom (WinonaLake: BMH Books, 1959), 458.
[5] Herman A. Hoyt,Studies in Revelation (Winona Lake, IN:BMH Books, 1977), 74.
[6] James L. Boyer, "Notes on the Book of Revelation" (Syllabi, Christian Workman Schools of Theology), 22.See www.whitcombministries.org for more details; Gary G. Cohen, TheChronology of the Book of Revelation,(TH.D. Diss., Grace Theological Seminary, May 1966), 251-254 and UnderstandingRevelation (Chicago, IL: Moody Press,1978), 46, 133-135; Tom Davis, The Revelation of Jesus Christ (Schroon Lake, NY: Word of Life Bible Institute,2005), 30; Theodore Epp, Practical Studies in Revelation (Back to the Bible, 1970), p. 144; Arno Froese, 119Most Frequently Asked Questions About Prophecy (Columbia, SC: The Olive Press, 2003), 152-153;Arnold G. Fruchtenbaum, The Footsteps of the Messiah, rev. ed. (Tustin, CA: Ariel Ministries, 2003), 240,250; Robert Gromacki, Revelation(Schaumburg, IL: Regular Baptist Press, 2000), 65-66; I.M. Haldeman, Synopsisof the Book of Revelation, 13 (apamphlet series, n.d., listed in Walvoord, p. 178); Hippolytus, in TheAnte-Nicene Fathers 5:248, col. B, ndfragment 39, 184 (documented by J.B. Smith, A Revelation of Jesus Christ, pp. 170-171); Thomas Ice and Timothy Demy, ProphecyWatch (Eugene, OR: Harvest House Pub.,1998), 160, 164; Thomas Ice, "WhyFuturism?" in Tim LaHaye and Thomas Ice, The End Times Controversy (Eugene, OR: Harvest House, 2003), 414; Harry A. Ironside,Revelation (Loizeaux Bros., 1930),191; Alan Johnson, "Revelation" in K.L. Barker and J. Kohlenburger III, eds. The NIV Bible Commentary (Winona Lake, IN: BMH Books, 1994), 1178; Tim LaHaye,"Twelve Reasons Why This Could Be The Terminal Generation," in When theTrumpet Sounds, eds. Thomas Ice andTimothy Demy, (Eugene, OR: Harvest House, 1995), 441; David Larsen, Jews,Gentiles and the Church (GrandRapids, MI: Discovery House, 1995), 274, 293; David M. Levy, Revelation:Hearing the Last Word (Bellmawr, NJ:Friends of Israel, 1995), chart following p. 287; Robert Lightner, Last DaysHandbook (Nashville, TN: ThomasNelson Pub., 1997), 16; William R Newell, The Book of Revelation (Chicago: Moody Press, 1935), 158-160; Charles C. Ryrie,Revelation (Chicago: Moody Press,1996), 84; J.B. Smith, A Revelation of Jesus Christ (Scottsdale, PA: Herald Press, 1961), 170-171; WilburM. Smith, "Revelation" in Wycliffe Bible Commentary, edited by C. Pfeiffer and E. Harrison, (Chicago:Moody Press, 1962), 1510; Gerald Stanton, Kept From the Hour (Miami Springs, FL: Schoettle Pub. Co., 1992),187-188; Lehman Strauss, The Book of Revelation (Loizeaux Bros., 1964), 218; H.L. Wilmington, TheKing Is Coming (Wheaton, IL: TyndaleHouse Pub., 1981), 166.
[7] John C. Whitcomb, Adapted from "Elijah is Coming" in ConservativeGrace Brethren Publications (Warsaw,IN: Lakeland Conservative Grace Brethren Church, June, 1999), 24-34. Used by permission. Cf.Timothy Demy andJohn C. Whitcomb, "Witnesses, Two," in Tim LaHaye and Ed Hindson, eds., ThePopular Encyclopedia of Bible Prophecy(Eugene, OR: Harvest House, 2004), 401-403.
[8] Scott Bruce, The Feasts of Israel (Bellmawr, NJ: Friends of Israel, 1997), 44, 47, 54.cf. Alfred Edersheim, The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah (New York: Longman, Green, and Co., 1896), Vol. I,pp. 142, 43; Vol. II, pp. 706-09.
[9] The ultimatetragedy, of course, was the refusal of the Jews to worship Jesus when theyunderstood perfectly His claim to be God's Son and saw His undeniable Messianicsign-miracles (John 5:18-47). Manyorthodox Jews today are still waiting for a personal Messiah; but they do notbelieve He will have a divine nature. Peter himself, while on the Mount, was confused as to the absoluteuniqueness of the Lord Jesus in contrast to Elijah and Moses (Matt. 17:4), eventhough God the Father had illumined him on this matter a week earlier (Matt.16:17; cf. 2 Pet. 1: 16-18)! God'sexplanation for human suppression of biblical Christology is that "no one cansay, 'Jesus is Lord,' except by the Holy Spirit" (1 Cor. 12:3). For a helpful study of the deity ofMessiah, see Ron Rhodes, Christ Before the Manger: The Life and Times of thePreincarnate Christ (Grand Rapids: BakerBook House, 1992). Cf. John N.Oswalt, The Book of Isaiah: Chapters 40-66 (Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Pub. Co., 1988), 328, 336.
[10] Arnold G.Fruchtenbaum has pointed out, in light of Mark 9:9-13, that "if Elijah had comebefore the first coming of Christ and restored all things, then the propheciesof the sufferings of the first coming would remain unfulfilled" (TheFootsteps of the Messiah [Tustin, CA: ArielPress, 1982], p. 90.)
[11] Personalcorrespondence, Nov. 4, 1998.
[12] Ibid.
[13] Our Lorddescribed this place as "Abraham's bosom" (Lk. 16:22), "Paradise" (Lk 23:43)and a special realm within Sheol/Hades before His resurrection (Lk. 16:23).
[14] Robert L.Thomas, Revelation 8-22: An Exegetical Commentary (Chicago: Moody Press, 1995), 87.
[15] "Themystery surrounding Moses' death (Jude 9) and the translation of Elijah offersome corroborations of these as the two witnesses" - Robert L. Thomas, op.cit., p. 88.
[16] See thehigh praise of Elijah, who will "restore the tribes of Jacob," in Ecclesiasticus (Sirach) 48:10. Cf. H. Bietenhard, "Elijah," in Colin Brown, ed., Dictionaryof New Testament Theology (Grand Rapids:Zondervan, 1975) I, pp. 543-45.
[17] Personalcommunication from Scott M. Libby, Pastor of the Grace Brethren Church,Coventry, VT, September 20, 1998.
[18] It must beemphasized that the book of Revelation stands solidly upon the Old Testament,like the capstone of a pyramid upon all the levels of stone beneath it. "Of the404 verses of the Apocalypse, there are 278 which contain references to theJewish scriptures" (cited by Walvoord, op. cit., p. 31).
[19] Among those who identify one of the two witnesses asElijah are: William Barclay, The Revelation of John, Vol 2, rev.ed. (Philadelphia: Westminster Press, 1976): "much more likely the witnessesare Elijah and Moses," 70; James L. Boyer, op. cit.: "one would be Elijahthe other would probably beMoses," 21; M.R. DeHaan, Revelation(Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1946): "Elijahand Moses," 159; H.W. Frost, Matthew 24 and the Revelation (New York & Oxford, 1924): "Moses and Elijah," 144.(cited by C. Keener, p. 290); Herman A. Hoyt, Studies in Revelation (Winona Lake, IN: BMH Books, 1977): "Without a doubt,one of these witnesses is ElijahMoses may be the other," 75; Robert Govett, TheApocalypse (London: C. J. Thynne,1920): "Elijah and Enoch", 225-250. Cited by Walvoord, op. cit., 179; Craig S. Keener, The NIVApplication Commentary (Grand Rapids:Zondervan, 2000): "Hippolytus, Tertullian, and Jerome believed Enoch and Elijahremained alive and would return as witnessessuch a view is notimpossible. See SIR 48:10; SIFREDEUT 41:4:3; 342; 5:2; 4 Ezra 6:26," 290-91; David Larsen, Jews, Gentilesand the Church (Grand Rapids, MI:Discovery House, 1995): "Probably Moses and Elijah," 293; Hal Lindsey, NewWorld Coming: "Elijah and Moses"162-63 (cited by C. Keener, p. 290); John MacArthur, Revelation 1-11 (Chicago: Moody Press, 1999): "They may be Moses andElijah," 300; Alva J McClain, The Greatness of the Kingdom (Winona Lake: BMH Books, 1959): "As to theiridentity, one is most certainly Elijah," 457; Henry M. Morris, TheRevelation Record (Wheaton: TyndaleHouse, 1983): "it does seem quite probable that [Enoch and Elijah] will be Christ'stwo witnesses," 194-95; Walter K. Price, The Coming Antichrist (Chicago: Moody Press, 1974): "Moses and Elijah," 194;Walter Scott, Exposition of the Revelation of Jesus Christ (London: Pickering & Inglis Ltd., n.d.):"Probably Elijah and Moses," 230; J.A. Seiss, The Apocalypse (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, n.d.): "Elijah and Enoch"(a very detailed discussion), 244-54; J.B. Smith, A Revelation of Jesus Christ (Scottsdale, PA: Herald Press, 1961): "Moses andElijah," 169; The Targums (Aramaic Translation/Interpretation of the HebrewBible, cited by H. Dietenhard, op. cit., p. 544): God will "gather the diasporathrough Elijah and Moses;" Merrill Tenney, Earth's Coming King: Revelation (Wheaton: Scripture Press, 1977): "Elijah and Moses,"55; Robert Thomas, op. cit.: "the balance of the evidence is for an expectationof the actual return of [Moses and Elijah]," 89.
[20] For amasterful refutation of "replacement theology," namely, that the Church haspermanently replaced Israel, see Ronald E. Diprose, Israel and the Church:the Origin and Effects of Replacement Theology (Johnson City, TN: STL Distribution, 2004). 1.800.289.2772
[21] For moreinformation on this subject, listen to Dr. Whitcomb's recording, "Background to'The Two Witnesses of Revelation 11,'" at www.sermonaudio.com/whitcomb.
The Birds and the Bees and the Fish too– Worldwide Wave of Mass Deaths Rocks Animal Kingdom
If you click on the Link above their are two videos about this horrific incident. Moderator
Posted on January 5, 2011 by Moral Low Ground
by Brett Wilkins
We’re not saying that any of mass die-offs in the animal kingdom over the last week are related to each other, and we’re not trying to raise any undue alarm. But we would be remiss if we didn’t point out the stunningly large number of mass wildlife deaths making headlines across the globe.
It started out with a massive fish kill that saw around 100,000 of the dead creatures scattered along a 20-mile stretch of the Arkansas River last weekend. This was followed by thousands of blackbirds dropping dead from the sky just a hundred miles away in Beebe, Arkansas. Two days later, 500 more dead birds fell over Louisiana, 300 miles to the south of Beebe. Last night, hundreds of dead birds were found lying on a bridge in Texas. Authorities say they know why this happened; water birds that do not fly well were struck by cars and trucks on the bridge. Scores of dead birds were found littering a highway in central Sweden today as well.
Now it’s the fish who are dying to make headlines again. Thousands of dead mullet, ladyfish and catfish died in the Spruce Creek in Volusia County, Florida yesterday, washing up and causing a horrible odor and a storm of buzzards and pelicans who are gorging on the all-you-can eat seafood buffet. Witnesses say it’s the worst fishkill they’ve ever seen. In Brazil, at least one hundred tons of dead fish– mostly sardines, croakers, and catfish– have turned up in the southern state of Parana. Seafood sales have been suspended, and the fishkill has threatened the livelihoods of thousands of local fishermen. Today in Great Britain, 40,000 crabs as well as starfishes, crabs, anemones and lobsters washed up dead on the Thanet shoreline of England. Large numbers of dead fish have also been reported in New Zealand, Australia, Wales, Maryland and on the border between Haiti and the Dominican Republic.
Not to be outdone, up to 96% of four different species of bumblebees have recently died off. The four species have historically had some of the largest and most widespread populations in the bee world, but for some unknown reason their numbers and range have been dramatically reduced. Scientists call the decline “alarming.”
Posted on January 5, 2011 by Moral Low Ground
by Brett Wilkins
We’re not saying that any of mass die-offs in the animal kingdom over the last week are related to each other, and we’re not trying to raise any undue alarm. But we would be remiss if we didn’t point out the stunningly large number of mass wildlife deaths making headlines across the globe.
It started out with a massive fish kill that saw around 100,000 of the dead creatures scattered along a 20-mile stretch of the Arkansas River last weekend. This was followed by thousands of blackbirds dropping dead from the sky just a hundred miles away in Beebe, Arkansas. Two days later, 500 more dead birds fell over Louisiana, 300 miles to the south of Beebe. Last night, hundreds of dead birds were found lying on a bridge in Texas. Authorities say they know why this happened; water birds that do not fly well were struck by cars and trucks on the bridge. Scores of dead birds were found littering a highway in central Sweden today as well.
Now it’s the fish who are dying to make headlines again. Thousands of dead mullet, ladyfish and catfish died in the Spruce Creek in Volusia County, Florida yesterday, washing up and causing a horrible odor and a storm of buzzards and pelicans who are gorging on the all-you-can eat seafood buffet. Witnesses say it’s the worst fishkill they’ve ever seen. In Brazil, at least one hundred tons of dead fish– mostly sardines, croakers, and catfish– have turned up in the southern state of Parana. Seafood sales have been suspended, and the fishkill has threatened the livelihoods of thousands of local fishermen. Today in Great Britain, 40,000 crabs as well as starfishes, crabs, anemones and lobsters washed up dead on the Thanet shoreline of England. Large numbers of dead fish have also been reported in New Zealand, Australia, Wales, Maryland and on the border between Haiti and the Dominican Republic.
Not to be outdone, up to 96% of four different species of bumblebees have recently died off. The four species have historically had some of the largest and most widespread populations in the bee world, but for some unknown reason their numbers and range have been dramatically reduced. Scientists call the decline “alarming.”
Seven Reasons From Scripture Why The Gospel Must Go To The Jewish People
By Dr. Todd Baker
B'rit Hadashah Ministries is committed to proclaiming the Gospel to the Jewish people in Israel. So far I have conducted several Gospel outreaches in Israel. We found the Jewish people there to be open, appreciative, and interested in the good news of Jesus the Messiah. Several individuals there have accepted Him as their Lord and Savior and became completed Jews born anew in the Messiah. Taking the Gospel to the Jews of Israel is not an option or choice for us; it is commanded by God in Scripture. In fact the Bible provides seven reasons why this is so. It is no coincidence about the number seven. Seven, in the Bible, is the number of divine completeness. God created and completed the universe in seven days. Christ spoke seven times from the cross when completing the work of redemption. Seven years are left on Daniel's 70 weeks to complete the present age with the return of Christ to earth. And here God gives seven reasons for preaching the Gospel to Israel. Let's look at them in closer detail.
(1) Romans 1:16 plainly says the Gospel is to go to the Jew first. Paul writes in that passage: "For I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation to the Jew first and also to the Gentile." Here we have the divine order of evangelism defined. The Gospel is to go to the Jew first. Why? The answer is not because the Jewish people are somehow superior to the rest of the Gentile world but because God chose their nation and people through whom the Messiah would come and prepared them for this through the Covenants, the Hebrew Scriptures with its many Messianic prophecies, and the Temple and its sacrifices (see Romans 15:8-9 where the divine order of evangelism is confirmed again). Thus Jesus came to save the Jews as a Jew. Jesus came first to offer salvation and the Messianic kingdom to Israel. He said as much during His ministry on earth. When sought by a Gentile Jesus said in Matthew 15:24: "I am not sent but to the lost sheep of the House of Israel." Paul and the Apostles followed this divine order in the book of Acts when going to the Jews in the synagogues first to preach the Gospel. Salvation and the Messiah came directly from the Jewish people. Jesus told the Samaritan woman in John 4:22: "Salvation is of the Jews." The Church is to follow the same order of evangelism given in Romans 1:16 as practiced by the Lord Jesus and the Apostles. We are to witness to the Jews first as they did and commanded us to do.
(2) The Great Commission was given from Jerusalem and the preaching of the Gospel began there. The holy city Jerusalem is mentioned 811 times in Scripture. God has chosen this city as the eternal city where He will place His name there forever (2 Chron. 6:6). Jesus will reign over the world from Jerusalem for a thousand years. Ezekiel 5:5 says God has placed Jerusalem at the center of the earth. There our Lord died for the sins of the world and was raised again. He will return there when He comes again. In Acts 1:8 Christ commanded the Disciples to take the Gospel to the whole world starting in Jerusalem. Jerusalem has been the Jewish capital for 3,000 years. It is not only logical but also strategically smart that if one preaches the Gospel to the Jews you should go to the place they hold highest above all else on earth-Jerusalem.
(3) To fulfill prophecy and hasten the return of the Lord Jesus Christ. There is an obscure and often ignored prophecy found in Matthew 10: 23. Jesus said there "But when they persecute you in this city, flee to another. For assuredly, I say to you, you will not have gone through the cities of Israel before the Son of Man comes." Jesus predicted in this prophecy that the evangelization of the cities of Israel will not be complete before He returns. This prophecy will be fulfilled during the time of the tribulation period when Jewish Christians are persecuted for their Gospel witness in Israel. For nearly 2,000 years of the present Church age the Gospel was not being preached to Jews in Israel because they were scattered throughout the nations of the world since 70 A.D. But all that changed in 1948 when Israel became a nation again and Jews returned en masse to their ancient homeland. The Messianic movement in Israel is growing and now for the first time since the days of Jesus and the Apostles, evangelism and gospel preaching to the Jews is happening in the land again. The fact that this has started and will not be finished before the Second Coming must mean the Lord's return is very soon. Not only do we have a prophecy of this kind found in the New Testament but also one of similar fashion in the Old Testament. It is in Isaiah 62:10-12. Isaiah 62:10-12 is an amazing prophecy that says God will send Gentile believers to Jerusalem "from the ends of the earth" to proclaim to the Jewish inhabitants of Jerusalem that the Savior is coming to redeem and rescue them. Incidentally, the Hebrew word for "salvation" in Isaiah 62:11 is the same word for the name of Jesus in Hebrew - Yeshua, Y'shua or Yeshuach. Yeshua (Jesus in English) means "The Lord is salvation." "She shall bear a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus (Yeshua) (Matthew 1:21). For He shall save His people from their sins." In other words, God wants them to say to Jerusalem Yeshua or Jesus is coming! The chapter closes with the prediction that these Gentile ambassadors of Christ will prepare the way for the return of Y'shua the Savior in much the same way John the Baptist prepared Israel for the Messiah's first coming as predicted in Isaiah 40:3. This interpretation is confirmed as the right one by the fact that Isaiah 63 opens with the second coming of the Messiah in glory after His way has been prepared by His Gentile ambassadors of chapter 62 who come to share the Gospel of salvation to Israel and Jerusalem. The fact that this ministry and others are doing this very thing means prophecy is being fulfilled and Christ's coming is extremely close.
(4) Preaching the Gospel to Israel pays the debt we Gentile believers owe to the Jewish people. Paul said in Romans 15:27 that we are indebted to Israel because of the spiritual blessings they brought to the world. Those blessings that came through the Jewish people are the Bible, the Messiah, and the Judeo-Christian ethic on which the whole of Western civilization is built. The New Testament Church is obligated out of Christ's love to share the Gospel to His ethnic people-the Jews. What greater way to pay that spiritual debt of gratitude than to share with them the great riches of salvation given through Jesus Christ.
(5) To possibly prepare Jewish hearts for the Tribulation. The signs of the Lord's return are here to anybody who has a basic understanding of Bible prophecy. When you witness to an Israeli Jew in this late hour you could very well be planting Gospel seed that will save him after the Rapture and allow him to become part of the 144,000 Jewish evangelists mentioned in Revelation 7. God's Word will not return void. Jews we witness to now who do not get saved, can after the Rapture of the Church when they recall what we told them about this event and the tribulation period to follow.
(6) The Salvation of Israel is the heart cry of God and Jesus. Our Lord wept over the lost condition of Jerusalem saying, "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing" (Matthew 23:37). Jesus lamented over the fact that they would reject Him as their Lord and Savior and suffer eternal loss and ruin. The Spirit of Christ spoke through the Apostle Paul in Romans 10:1 when he expressed that his ardent desire and prayer to God was that Israel might be saved. Jesus still weeps over the lost condition of Israel today. But He has purchased their salvation for them through His death on the cross. All they have to do, like anyone else, is believe and receive Y'shua as their Messiah to be saved. We as a Church must in love, understanding, and patience give them that opportunity by sharing the Gospel with them. If we don't they will remain lost without their true Messiah.
(7) We must take the Gospel to the Jews of Jerusalem because God commands it. Preaching the Gospel to the Jews of Jerusalem, Israel, and the world is not an option for Bible believing Christians. It is commanded by God in Isaiah 40:9-10. We are not only to bring the good tidings of salvation to Israel but we are to do it with boldness and strength. But to do this takes financial support from Christians who love the Jews and want to bless Israel with an opportunity for them to be saved by hearing and believing the Gospel. I can tell you from personal experience the Jewish people are open and willing to listen about why Jesus is the Messiah of Israel and the world. The only way I can carry out this last days Gospel outreach to Israel is if people like you obey the Holy Sprit's leading and give to this ministry. For "How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed. And how shall they believe in Him whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach unless they are sent" (Romans 10:14). What greater blessing to give to the Jewish people than to afford them the opportunity to hear the Gospel and believe it for salvation. God promises a special blessing on those who bless the Chosen People. In Genesis 12:3, the Lord says, "I will bless those who bless you." As you give into this ministry, God will bless you and cause prosperity to abound, "not that I seek a gift, but I seek the fruit that abounds to your account" (Phil. 4:17).
Original Article http://www.brit-hadashah.org/
B'rit Hadashah Ministries is committed to proclaiming the Gospel to the Jewish people in Israel. So far I have conducted several Gospel outreaches in Israel. We found the Jewish people there to be open, appreciative, and interested in the good news of Jesus the Messiah. Several individuals there have accepted Him as their Lord and Savior and became completed Jews born anew in the Messiah. Taking the Gospel to the Jews of Israel is not an option or choice for us; it is commanded by God in Scripture. In fact the Bible provides seven reasons why this is so. It is no coincidence about the number seven. Seven, in the Bible, is the number of divine completeness. God created and completed the universe in seven days. Christ spoke seven times from the cross when completing the work of redemption. Seven years are left on Daniel's 70 weeks to complete the present age with the return of Christ to earth. And here God gives seven reasons for preaching the Gospel to Israel. Let's look at them in closer detail.
(1) Romans 1:16 plainly says the Gospel is to go to the Jew first. Paul writes in that passage: "For I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation to the Jew first and also to the Gentile." Here we have the divine order of evangelism defined. The Gospel is to go to the Jew first. Why? The answer is not because the Jewish people are somehow superior to the rest of the Gentile world but because God chose their nation and people through whom the Messiah would come and prepared them for this through the Covenants, the Hebrew Scriptures with its many Messianic prophecies, and the Temple and its sacrifices (see Romans 15:8-9 where the divine order of evangelism is confirmed again). Thus Jesus came to save the Jews as a Jew. Jesus came first to offer salvation and the Messianic kingdom to Israel. He said as much during His ministry on earth. When sought by a Gentile Jesus said in Matthew 15:24: "I am not sent but to the lost sheep of the House of Israel." Paul and the Apostles followed this divine order in the book of Acts when going to the Jews in the synagogues first to preach the Gospel. Salvation and the Messiah came directly from the Jewish people. Jesus told the Samaritan woman in John 4:22: "Salvation is of the Jews." The Church is to follow the same order of evangelism given in Romans 1:16 as practiced by the Lord Jesus and the Apostles. We are to witness to the Jews first as they did and commanded us to do.
(2) The Great Commission was given from Jerusalem and the preaching of the Gospel began there. The holy city Jerusalem is mentioned 811 times in Scripture. God has chosen this city as the eternal city where He will place His name there forever (2 Chron. 6:6). Jesus will reign over the world from Jerusalem for a thousand years. Ezekiel 5:5 says God has placed Jerusalem at the center of the earth. There our Lord died for the sins of the world and was raised again. He will return there when He comes again. In Acts 1:8 Christ commanded the Disciples to take the Gospel to the whole world starting in Jerusalem. Jerusalem has been the Jewish capital for 3,000 years. It is not only logical but also strategically smart that if one preaches the Gospel to the Jews you should go to the place they hold highest above all else on earth-Jerusalem.
(3) To fulfill prophecy and hasten the return of the Lord Jesus Christ. There is an obscure and often ignored prophecy found in Matthew 10: 23. Jesus said there "But when they persecute you in this city, flee to another. For assuredly, I say to you, you will not have gone through the cities of Israel before the Son of Man comes." Jesus predicted in this prophecy that the evangelization of the cities of Israel will not be complete before He returns. This prophecy will be fulfilled during the time of the tribulation period when Jewish Christians are persecuted for their Gospel witness in Israel. For nearly 2,000 years of the present Church age the Gospel was not being preached to Jews in Israel because they were scattered throughout the nations of the world since 70 A.D. But all that changed in 1948 when Israel became a nation again and Jews returned en masse to their ancient homeland. The Messianic movement in Israel is growing and now for the first time since the days of Jesus and the Apostles, evangelism and gospel preaching to the Jews is happening in the land again. The fact that this has started and will not be finished before the Second Coming must mean the Lord's return is very soon. Not only do we have a prophecy of this kind found in the New Testament but also one of similar fashion in the Old Testament. It is in Isaiah 62:10-12. Isaiah 62:10-12 is an amazing prophecy that says God will send Gentile believers to Jerusalem "from the ends of the earth" to proclaim to the Jewish inhabitants of Jerusalem that the Savior is coming to redeem and rescue them. Incidentally, the Hebrew word for "salvation" in Isaiah 62:11 is the same word for the name of Jesus in Hebrew - Yeshua, Y'shua or Yeshuach. Yeshua (Jesus in English) means "The Lord is salvation." "She shall bear a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus (Yeshua) (Matthew 1:21). For He shall save His people from their sins." In other words, God wants them to say to Jerusalem Yeshua or Jesus is coming! The chapter closes with the prediction that these Gentile ambassadors of Christ will prepare the way for the return of Y'shua the Savior in much the same way John the Baptist prepared Israel for the Messiah's first coming as predicted in Isaiah 40:3. This interpretation is confirmed as the right one by the fact that Isaiah 63 opens with the second coming of the Messiah in glory after His way has been prepared by His Gentile ambassadors of chapter 62 who come to share the Gospel of salvation to Israel and Jerusalem. The fact that this ministry and others are doing this very thing means prophecy is being fulfilled and Christ's coming is extremely close.
(4) Preaching the Gospel to Israel pays the debt we Gentile believers owe to the Jewish people. Paul said in Romans 15:27 that we are indebted to Israel because of the spiritual blessings they brought to the world. Those blessings that came through the Jewish people are the Bible, the Messiah, and the Judeo-Christian ethic on which the whole of Western civilization is built. The New Testament Church is obligated out of Christ's love to share the Gospel to His ethnic people-the Jews. What greater way to pay that spiritual debt of gratitude than to share with them the great riches of salvation given through Jesus Christ.
(5) To possibly prepare Jewish hearts for the Tribulation. The signs of the Lord's return are here to anybody who has a basic understanding of Bible prophecy. When you witness to an Israeli Jew in this late hour you could very well be planting Gospel seed that will save him after the Rapture and allow him to become part of the 144,000 Jewish evangelists mentioned in Revelation 7. God's Word will not return void. Jews we witness to now who do not get saved, can after the Rapture of the Church when they recall what we told them about this event and the tribulation period to follow.
(6) The Salvation of Israel is the heart cry of God and Jesus. Our Lord wept over the lost condition of Jerusalem saying, "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing" (Matthew 23:37). Jesus lamented over the fact that they would reject Him as their Lord and Savior and suffer eternal loss and ruin. The Spirit of Christ spoke through the Apostle Paul in Romans 10:1 when he expressed that his ardent desire and prayer to God was that Israel might be saved. Jesus still weeps over the lost condition of Israel today. But He has purchased their salvation for them through His death on the cross. All they have to do, like anyone else, is believe and receive Y'shua as their Messiah to be saved. We as a Church must in love, understanding, and patience give them that opportunity by sharing the Gospel with them. If we don't they will remain lost without their true Messiah.
(7) We must take the Gospel to the Jews of Jerusalem because God commands it. Preaching the Gospel to the Jews of Jerusalem, Israel, and the world is not an option for Bible believing Christians. It is commanded by God in Isaiah 40:9-10. We are not only to bring the good tidings of salvation to Israel but we are to do it with boldness and strength. But to do this takes financial support from Christians who love the Jews and want to bless Israel with an opportunity for them to be saved by hearing and believing the Gospel. I can tell you from personal experience the Jewish people are open and willing to listen about why Jesus is the Messiah of Israel and the world. The only way I can carry out this last days Gospel outreach to Israel is if people like you obey the Holy Sprit's leading and give to this ministry. For "How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed. And how shall they believe in Him whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach unless they are sent" (Romans 10:14). What greater blessing to give to the Jewish people than to afford them the opportunity to hear the Gospel and believe it for salvation. God promises a special blessing on those who bless the Chosen People. In Genesis 12:3, the Lord says, "I will bless those who bless you." As you give into this ministry, God will bless you and cause prosperity to abound, "not that I seek a gift, but I seek the fruit that abounds to your account" (Phil. 4:17).
Original Article http://www.brit-hadashah.org/
666: The Mark of the Beast
By Chris Schang
One of the most electrifying and fascinating end times issues centers around the diabolical 666 - the mark of the beast. This number, 666, brings immediate fear to many people as a result of the books and movies that portray the satanic design and influence behind it. The Bible tells us that the number 666 is the number of a man, who in fact is the evil Antichrist who will rise up in the last days to rule the world and make war against the Lord Jesus Christ. The number of the future Antichrist is given to us in Revelation 13:18.
Rev 13:18 Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number [is] Six hundred threescore [and] six.
The Antichrist will use this diabolical mark of the beast to make mankind choose between him and God. In order to buy and sell during the Tribulation period, once must take this mark of the beast. We are warned about this in Revelation 13:17.
Rev 13:17 And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.
While the number 666 is the number of the beast or Antichrist, it is not the Antichirst that gets men to worship him. Instead it is the Antichrist's evil side kick who is referred to as the False Prophet who introduces this diabolocial mark of the beast. This is foretold in Revelation 13:11-17.
Rev 13:11 And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon.
Rev 13:12 And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him, and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed.
Rev 13:13 And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men,
Rev 13:14 And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by [the means of] those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live.
Rev 13:15 And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed.
Rev 13:16 And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads:
Rev 13:17 And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.
Rev 13:18 Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number [is] Six hundred threescore [and] six.
The interesting thing to note about this mark of the beast is that people will not be able to buy or sell unless they have the mark. This means that in order to buy groceries, gas, medicine, etc. one will have to have the mark of the beast or the number of the beast which is 666. How this mark is implemented is subject to much speculation here in the last days. For example, there exists the technology today called the "Verichip" which is about the size of a grain of rice and is placed under the skin, usually on the forehead or the hand. The chip is able to store detailed financial, medical, and other kinds of information about the person that it is placed in. Some businesses these days where security is paramount have already incorporated the Verichip into their security plans. For example, a bank may require that individuals who have access to the bank vault be chipped in order to keep detailed records of who went in and out of the vault, which can be used later to narrow down suspects in the case of money shortages. These chips are read by a scanner which would be placed perhaps on either side of the vault door so that detailed records about a person such as what time they entered the vault, how long they were in the vault, etc. might be recorded. Many hospitals in some areas are using the technology to help track patients and to help store their medical records. While the Verichip is a possible forerunner to the actual mark of the beast, it is impossible to know what exactly will be the mark of the beast until it is revealed in the future Tribulation period when it is unveiled by the False Prophet.
On the other hand, some people believe the mark of the beast will not be a chip like that of Verichip, but instead a visible "tattoo" like mark that is visible to all. The tattoo will be the number 666 and not a representation of it. That it will be on the forehead or right hand, not in the forehead or right hand. Whichever the case might be, only time will tell. But for the first time in history the technology has existed whereby mankind can be controlled to the point that no one may buy or seel unless they have the mark of the beast or the number fo the beast which is 666.
The most significant aspect of the of the mark of the beast is that a person who takes the mark is pledging allegience to the Antichrist as his supreme ruler, which in this case will be Satan indwelling the Antichrist. This is why those who take the mark of the beast during the Tribulation period will be forever condemned to the lake of fire. Scripture also makes it clear that those who do not take the mark of the beast will be killed. The Bible also notes that no one will be able to escape the mark as stated in Revelation 13:16, "And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads". People will have to make a conscious decision on whom they will serve, will it be God or will it be the Satan? Mankind has over the past 2,000 years since the Lord gave us the Gospel been able to basically spend a lifetime making this decision. However, in the Tribulation period this will not be the case. Due to the introduction of the mark of the beast, people will finally have to get "off the fence" and make a decision one way or another.
Just as God seals the 144,000 Jewish witnesses during the Tribulation period to preach the Gospel and today seals believers with the Holy Spirit, Satan will try to counterfeit or parody this by introducing his own "seal" that will indentify those that belong to him. Whereas God's seal protects his people, Satan seals condemns them to eternity in the lake of fire.
With the advances in modern technology and the coming "cashless" society, we are literally on the brink of the prophecised mark of the beast system being introduced when the Tribulation period is in full swing. As the result of this mysterious and diabolical mark of the beast, many people over the years have tried to recognize the mark ahead of time. This fascination with the mark of the beast and the number 666 have caused many people to react surprised and shocked to invoices, zip codes, telephone numbers, etc. whenever and wherever the number 666 pops up. Due to the implications of the coming mark of the beast and the number 666 people have oftentimes done extraordinary things to avoid the number. Some people have gone to lunch to only have their bill end up at $6.66, so they add a pack of gum to the bill so that they can avoid the uneasy connotations. But while this is simply superstitious behavior on random and chance occurances of the the number 666, the deadly fact remains that one day the number 666 and the mark of the beast system will finally be introduced during the most chaotic seven years the world has ever encountered - the Tribulation period.
But Christians should not fear the coming mark of the beast nor the number 666. For the Lord has promised that church age believers will be spared the wrath of God and the horrible things of the coming Tribulation period. For those who find themselves in the Tribulation period, they have the advance warning not to take the mark of the beast as there are very dire consequences for doing so. In 2 Thessalonians 2, Paul taught that the Antichrist would not be revelaed until it is his time. This will not occur until sometime after the rapture of the church. So church age believers do not need to worry about the identity of the Antichrist, as this will only be known to people who come to faith in Christ after the rapture of the church. People who become believers after the rapture will know ahead of time that to receive the mark of the beast, means to reject Jesus Christ. Many people will be martyred for refusing the mark of the beast, but at the same time many will be saved and are referred to as Tribulation saints or martyrs as a result of keeping the faith of Jesus Christ.
I hope you will find this article informative and helpful. The Bible tells us that today is the day of salvation. If you are not saved, I would recommend that you not put this matter off any longer. To do so, you run the risk of missing the rapture and meeting the Antichrist. Make that decision for Christ today while there is still time, it's the only way to make sure that you do have to face the mark of the beast.
God bless.
One of the most electrifying and fascinating end times issues centers around the diabolical 666 - the mark of the beast. This number, 666, brings immediate fear to many people as a result of the books and movies that portray the satanic design and influence behind it. The Bible tells us that the number 666 is the number of a man, who in fact is the evil Antichrist who will rise up in the last days to rule the world and make war against the Lord Jesus Christ. The number of the future Antichrist is given to us in Revelation 13:18.
Rev 13:18 Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number [is] Six hundred threescore [and] six.
The Antichrist will use this diabolical mark of the beast to make mankind choose between him and God. In order to buy and sell during the Tribulation period, once must take this mark of the beast. We are warned about this in Revelation 13:17.
Rev 13:17 And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.
While the number 666 is the number of the beast or Antichrist, it is not the Antichirst that gets men to worship him. Instead it is the Antichrist's evil side kick who is referred to as the False Prophet who introduces this diabolocial mark of the beast. This is foretold in Revelation 13:11-17.
Rev 13:11 And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon.
Rev 13:12 And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him, and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed.
Rev 13:13 And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men,
Rev 13:14 And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by [the means of] those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live.
Rev 13:15 And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed.
Rev 13:16 And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads:
Rev 13:17 And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.
Rev 13:18 Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number [is] Six hundred threescore [and] six.
The interesting thing to note about this mark of the beast is that people will not be able to buy or sell unless they have the mark. This means that in order to buy groceries, gas, medicine, etc. one will have to have the mark of the beast or the number of the beast which is 666. How this mark is implemented is subject to much speculation here in the last days. For example, there exists the technology today called the "Verichip" which is about the size of a grain of rice and is placed under the skin, usually on the forehead or the hand. The chip is able to store detailed financial, medical, and other kinds of information about the person that it is placed in. Some businesses these days where security is paramount have already incorporated the Verichip into their security plans. For example, a bank may require that individuals who have access to the bank vault be chipped in order to keep detailed records of who went in and out of the vault, which can be used later to narrow down suspects in the case of money shortages. These chips are read by a scanner which would be placed perhaps on either side of the vault door so that detailed records about a person such as what time they entered the vault, how long they were in the vault, etc. might be recorded. Many hospitals in some areas are using the technology to help track patients and to help store their medical records. While the Verichip is a possible forerunner to the actual mark of the beast, it is impossible to know what exactly will be the mark of the beast until it is revealed in the future Tribulation period when it is unveiled by the False Prophet.
On the other hand, some people believe the mark of the beast will not be a chip like that of Verichip, but instead a visible "tattoo" like mark that is visible to all. The tattoo will be the number 666 and not a representation of it. That it will be on the forehead or right hand, not in the forehead or right hand. Whichever the case might be, only time will tell. But for the first time in history the technology has existed whereby mankind can be controlled to the point that no one may buy or seel unless they have the mark of the beast or the number fo the beast which is 666.
The most significant aspect of the of the mark of the beast is that a person who takes the mark is pledging allegience to the Antichrist as his supreme ruler, which in this case will be Satan indwelling the Antichrist. This is why those who take the mark of the beast during the Tribulation period will be forever condemned to the lake of fire. Scripture also makes it clear that those who do not take the mark of the beast will be killed. The Bible also notes that no one will be able to escape the mark as stated in Revelation 13:16, "And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads". People will have to make a conscious decision on whom they will serve, will it be God or will it be the Satan? Mankind has over the past 2,000 years since the Lord gave us the Gospel been able to basically spend a lifetime making this decision. However, in the Tribulation period this will not be the case. Due to the introduction of the mark of the beast, people will finally have to get "off the fence" and make a decision one way or another.
Just as God seals the 144,000 Jewish witnesses during the Tribulation period to preach the Gospel and today seals believers with the Holy Spirit, Satan will try to counterfeit or parody this by introducing his own "seal" that will indentify those that belong to him. Whereas God's seal protects his people, Satan seals condemns them to eternity in the lake of fire.
With the advances in modern technology and the coming "cashless" society, we are literally on the brink of the prophecised mark of the beast system being introduced when the Tribulation period is in full swing. As the result of this mysterious and diabolical mark of the beast, many people over the years have tried to recognize the mark ahead of time. This fascination with the mark of the beast and the number 666 have caused many people to react surprised and shocked to invoices, zip codes, telephone numbers, etc. whenever and wherever the number 666 pops up. Due to the implications of the coming mark of the beast and the number 666 people have oftentimes done extraordinary things to avoid the number. Some people have gone to lunch to only have their bill end up at $6.66, so they add a pack of gum to the bill so that they can avoid the uneasy connotations. But while this is simply superstitious behavior on random and chance occurances of the the number 666, the deadly fact remains that one day the number 666 and the mark of the beast system will finally be introduced during the most chaotic seven years the world has ever encountered - the Tribulation period.
But Christians should not fear the coming mark of the beast nor the number 666. For the Lord has promised that church age believers will be spared the wrath of God and the horrible things of the coming Tribulation period. For those who find themselves in the Tribulation period, they have the advance warning not to take the mark of the beast as there are very dire consequences for doing so. In 2 Thessalonians 2, Paul taught that the Antichrist would not be revelaed until it is his time. This will not occur until sometime after the rapture of the church. So church age believers do not need to worry about the identity of the Antichrist, as this will only be known to people who come to faith in Christ after the rapture of the church. People who become believers after the rapture will know ahead of time that to receive the mark of the beast, means to reject Jesus Christ. Many people will be martyred for refusing the mark of the beast, but at the same time many will be saved and are referred to as Tribulation saints or martyrs as a result of keeping the faith of Jesus Christ.
I hope you will find this article informative and helpful. The Bible tells us that today is the day of salvation. If you are not saved, I would recommend that you not put this matter off any longer. To do so, you run the risk of missing the rapture and meeting the Antichrist. Make that decision for Christ today while there is still time, it's the only way to make sure that you do have to face the mark of the beast.
God bless.
Antichrist Prophecy
By Chris Schang
One of the most fascinating topics in the Bible is the coming one world government leader known in the Bible as the Antichrist. The Antichrist is Satan's opposite of the Lord Jesus Christ. While Jesus Christ is heralded as the Son of God, the Antichrist will be the Son of Satan and a counterfeit to Jesus Christ. The Bible says that the Antichrist will be a man who rises to great power in the world after the rapture of the church. The Antichrist will stand for everything that Jesus does not stand for. While Jesus Christ stands for purity, righteousness, holiness, and many other things of goodness in contrast the Antichrist will stand for wickedness, evil, lies, and everything evil and wicked.
The Bible gives us numerous prophetic titles for the Antichrist. The Antichrist is often referred to as the man of sin, the lawless one, the son of perdition, the beast, the bloody and deceitful man, the wicked one, the adversary, and many other titles that all paint a dark and grim picture on Antichrist prophecy from the scriptures. The Bible offer quite a few prophecies about the future Antichrist, some of which we will list below. This list is not exhaustive, but will help you in understanding the role the Antichrist will play in the end times. Some Antichrist prophecies for the last days are as follows:
1. The antichrist will be a man - Daniel 7:24-25
2. He will rise among 10 kings - Daniel 7:8 - This 10 nation union will be a revived Holy Roman Empire - Daniel 2:44
3. He will uproot 3 kings from the original 10 kings to gain political power - Daniel 7:8
4. He will confirm a covenant for 7 years - Daniel 9:27
5. His 10 nation union will merge into a world government which he will dominate - Revelations 13:1-2
6. The world government over which he rules will be a red (communistic or socialistic) government - Revelations 17:14
7. He will be promoted and exalted by a miracle working religious partner (false prophet) - Revelations 13:11-12
8. He was, and is not, and yet is - Revelations 17:8
9. He will ascend to power on a platform of peace. By peace, he will destroy many - Daniel 8:25
10. The antichrist will be preceded by 7 kings or rulers. He will be the 8th king. He will also be "of" the 7 - Revelations 17:11
11. He will have a mouth speaking great things. Very boastful - Daniel 7:8
12. His look will be more stout than his fellows - Daniel 7:20
13. He will understand puzzling things - Daniel 8:23
14. He will have a fierce countenance - Daniel 8:23
15. He will cause craft to prosper - Daniel 8:25
16. He apparently assumes world dominating power 3 1/2 years after he confirms the covenant. He then will continue to reign for 42 months - Revelations 13:5
17. The Abomination of Desolation is the event that signals the beginning of this final 42 months - Daniel 9:27
18. He will claim to be God (or an incarnation of God) - 2 Thessalonians 2:4
19. He opposes God - 2 Thessalonians 2:4
20. He will speak marvelous things against the God of gods - Daniel 11:36
21. He will exalt himself above all that is called God - 2 Thessalonians 2:4
22. He will sit in the temple of God - 2 Thessalonians 2:4
23. He will plant the tabernacles of his palace between the seas in the glorious holy mountain - Daniel 11:45
24. He will have power to make war with the saints and to overcome them - Revelations 13:7
25. He will take away the daily sacrifices from the temple - Daniel 11:31
26. He will continue this war with the saints for 3 1/2 years - Daniel 7:21, 25
27. This time of Great Tribulation is launched upon the Earth by the antichrist at the Abomination of Desolation. - Matthew 24:15,21.
28. He will rule a mighty and strong kingdom - Daniel 7:7
29. He was given power over all kindreds, tongues and nations - Revelations 13:7
30. His kingdom will devour the whole earth - Daniel 7:23
31. During this time, the antichrist will scatter the power of the holy people - Daniel 12:7
32. He will try to change times and laws; and they will be given into his power for 3 1/2 years - Daniel 7:25
33. He will give great honor to the God of forces, with gold, silver, jewels, etc - Daniel 11:38
34. He will prosper in everything that he does - Daniel 8:24
35. He will not regard the God of his fathers - Daniel 11:37
36. He will have great military power that will stand behind him, to enforce his laws - Daniel 11:31
37. He will not regard the desire of women - Daniel 11:37
38. All that dwell upon the Earth will worship him, except those who's names are written in the Lamb's Book of Life - Revelations 15:2
39. He will have an image made after him - Revelations 15:2
40. He will fight against Jesus Christ at Armageddon - Revelations 17:14
41. He will stand against the Prince of princes - Daniel 8:25
42. The mark of the beast will be the amount of his name - Revelations 14:11
43. The Lord will consume him with the spirit of his mouth (which is the Word of God) - 2 Thessalonians 2:8
44. The Lord will destroy him with the brightness of his coming (which is his glory) - 2 Thessalonians 2:8
45. He will be cast alive into the lake of fire - Revelations 19:20
46. He will be tormented day and night for ever and ever - Revelations 20:10
47. He will gain his power, authority, and throne from Satan - Revelation 13:1-2
48. He was given power and authority over tribe, tongue, and nation - Revelation 13:7
49. His rigth eye shall be made blind - Zechariah 11:17
50. He will have a mark so that all shall worship him, and those who don't can't buy or sell - Revelation 13:16-17
As we can see from the Antichrist prophecies, the man of sin is destined to be an evil man that will arise as Satan's vehicle to get the world to worship him. Satan will use the man who is to become the Antichrist as a means of getting the world to worship him during the Tribulation period. He will even have a sidekick that helps him accomplish his evil and wicked plans. This man is known in the Bible as the False Prophet. While the Bible doesn't tell us a whole lot about the False Prophet, it does tell us that the False Prophet will lead men in their worship of the Antichrist. The False Prophet will also introuduce the diabolical "mark of the beast" whereby the people of the world will take a mark on their forehead or hand that pledges their allegiance to the Antichrist. If one is caught being forced to choose between this mark of the beast and being martyred for the sake of Jesus Christ, it is strongly recommended that one be martyred as the mark of the beast is a damnable rejection of God and there is only one place assigned for those who take the mark and that is HELL. Do not take the mark of the beast under any circumstance, if you do you have lost forever the chance to be saved.
The mark of the beast will somehow be related to the infamous number 666, as the Bible tells us that the number 666 is somehow the number of the beast. It is suggested that using gematria people left behind during the tribulation period will be able to figure out who the Antichrist will be. Gematria is simply the use of numbers to represent letters in the Hebrew and Greek languages. It is suggested that the Antichrist's name will somehow add up to 666. This is the primary reason that many end times speculators have focused on prominent political leaders of our day in an attempt to try to figure out if any of their names add up to 666. In my humble opinion, this kind of speculating is pretty much a waste of time as the Antichrist will likely not be revealed until after the rapture of the church. Until then, speculating and naming possible Antichrist candidates is simply a good way to ruin the Christian witness we have in the world as there are numerous candidates and they all can't be right. The best thing for us to do is to know what the Bible says about the Antichrist prophecies and to be prepared to warn those who may be left behind.
God bless.
One of the most fascinating topics in the Bible is the coming one world government leader known in the Bible as the Antichrist. The Antichrist is Satan's opposite of the Lord Jesus Christ. While Jesus Christ is heralded as the Son of God, the Antichrist will be the Son of Satan and a counterfeit to Jesus Christ. The Bible says that the Antichrist will be a man who rises to great power in the world after the rapture of the church. The Antichrist will stand for everything that Jesus does not stand for. While Jesus Christ stands for purity, righteousness, holiness, and many other things of goodness in contrast the Antichrist will stand for wickedness, evil, lies, and everything evil and wicked.
The Bible gives us numerous prophetic titles for the Antichrist. The Antichrist is often referred to as the man of sin, the lawless one, the son of perdition, the beast, the bloody and deceitful man, the wicked one, the adversary, and many other titles that all paint a dark and grim picture on Antichrist prophecy from the scriptures. The Bible offer quite a few prophecies about the future Antichrist, some of which we will list below. This list is not exhaustive, but will help you in understanding the role the Antichrist will play in the end times. Some Antichrist prophecies for the last days are as follows:
1. The antichrist will be a man - Daniel 7:24-25
2. He will rise among 10 kings - Daniel 7:8 - This 10 nation union will be a revived Holy Roman Empire - Daniel 2:44
3. He will uproot 3 kings from the original 10 kings to gain political power - Daniel 7:8
4. He will confirm a covenant for 7 years - Daniel 9:27
5. His 10 nation union will merge into a world government which he will dominate - Revelations 13:1-2
6. The world government over which he rules will be a red (communistic or socialistic) government - Revelations 17:14
7. He will be promoted and exalted by a miracle working religious partner (false prophet) - Revelations 13:11-12
8. He was, and is not, and yet is - Revelations 17:8
9. He will ascend to power on a platform of peace. By peace, he will destroy many - Daniel 8:25
10. The antichrist will be preceded by 7 kings or rulers. He will be the 8th king. He will also be "of" the 7 - Revelations 17:11
11. He will have a mouth speaking great things. Very boastful - Daniel 7:8
12. His look will be more stout than his fellows - Daniel 7:20
13. He will understand puzzling things - Daniel 8:23
14. He will have a fierce countenance - Daniel 8:23
15. He will cause craft to prosper - Daniel 8:25
16. He apparently assumes world dominating power 3 1/2 years after he confirms the covenant. He then will continue to reign for 42 months - Revelations 13:5
17. The Abomination of Desolation is the event that signals the beginning of this final 42 months - Daniel 9:27
18. He will claim to be God (or an incarnation of God) - 2 Thessalonians 2:4
19. He opposes God - 2 Thessalonians 2:4
20. He will speak marvelous things against the God of gods - Daniel 11:36
21. He will exalt himself above all that is called God - 2 Thessalonians 2:4
22. He will sit in the temple of God - 2 Thessalonians 2:4
23. He will plant the tabernacles of his palace between the seas in the glorious holy mountain - Daniel 11:45
24. He will have power to make war with the saints and to overcome them - Revelations 13:7
25. He will take away the daily sacrifices from the temple - Daniel 11:31
26. He will continue this war with the saints for 3 1/2 years - Daniel 7:21, 25
27. This time of Great Tribulation is launched upon the Earth by the antichrist at the Abomination of Desolation. - Matthew 24:15,21.
28. He will rule a mighty and strong kingdom - Daniel 7:7
29. He was given power over all kindreds, tongues and nations - Revelations 13:7
30. His kingdom will devour the whole earth - Daniel 7:23
31. During this time, the antichrist will scatter the power of the holy people - Daniel 12:7
32. He will try to change times and laws; and they will be given into his power for 3 1/2 years - Daniel 7:25
33. He will give great honor to the God of forces, with gold, silver, jewels, etc - Daniel 11:38
34. He will prosper in everything that he does - Daniel 8:24
35. He will not regard the God of his fathers - Daniel 11:37
36. He will have great military power that will stand behind him, to enforce his laws - Daniel 11:31
37. He will not regard the desire of women - Daniel 11:37
38. All that dwell upon the Earth will worship him, except those who's names are written in the Lamb's Book of Life - Revelations 15:2
39. He will have an image made after him - Revelations 15:2
40. He will fight against Jesus Christ at Armageddon - Revelations 17:14
41. He will stand against the Prince of princes - Daniel 8:25
42. The mark of the beast will be the amount of his name - Revelations 14:11
43. The Lord will consume him with the spirit of his mouth (which is the Word of God) - 2 Thessalonians 2:8
44. The Lord will destroy him with the brightness of his coming (which is his glory) - 2 Thessalonians 2:8
45. He will be cast alive into the lake of fire - Revelations 19:20
46. He will be tormented day and night for ever and ever - Revelations 20:10
47. He will gain his power, authority, and throne from Satan - Revelation 13:1-2
48. He was given power and authority over tribe, tongue, and nation - Revelation 13:7
49. His rigth eye shall be made blind - Zechariah 11:17
50. He will have a mark so that all shall worship him, and those who don't can't buy or sell - Revelation 13:16-17
As we can see from the Antichrist prophecies, the man of sin is destined to be an evil man that will arise as Satan's vehicle to get the world to worship him. Satan will use the man who is to become the Antichrist as a means of getting the world to worship him during the Tribulation period. He will even have a sidekick that helps him accomplish his evil and wicked plans. This man is known in the Bible as the False Prophet. While the Bible doesn't tell us a whole lot about the False Prophet, it does tell us that the False Prophet will lead men in their worship of the Antichrist. The False Prophet will also introuduce the diabolical "mark of the beast" whereby the people of the world will take a mark on their forehead or hand that pledges their allegiance to the Antichrist. If one is caught being forced to choose between this mark of the beast and being martyred for the sake of Jesus Christ, it is strongly recommended that one be martyred as the mark of the beast is a damnable rejection of God and there is only one place assigned for those who take the mark and that is HELL. Do not take the mark of the beast under any circumstance, if you do you have lost forever the chance to be saved.
The mark of the beast will somehow be related to the infamous number 666, as the Bible tells us that the number 666 is somehow the number of the beast. It is suggested that using gematria people left behind during the tribulation period will be able to figure out who the Antichrist will be. Gematria is simply the use of numbers to represent letters in the Hebrew and Greek languages. It is suggested that the Antichrist's name will somehow add up to 666. This is the primary reason that many end times speculators have focused on prominent political leaders of our day in an attempt to try to figure out if any of their names add up to 666. In my humble opinion, this kind of speculating is pretty much a waste of time as the Antichrist will likely not be revealed until after the rapture of the church. Until then, speculating and naming possible Antichrist candidates is simply a good way to ruin the Christian witness we have in the world as there are numerous candidates and they all can't be right. The best thing for us to do is to know what the Bible says about the Antichrist prophecies and to be prepared to warn those who may be left behind.
God bless.
One World Government: Kosovo and the Preparation of Europe
One World Government: Kosovo and the Preparation of Europe
By Thomas Ice
I believe that God is currently setting the stage for events that will take place after the rapture, during the tribulation. Israel is back in her land and being postured to sign what Isaiah calls "a covenant with death" (Isa. 28:15,18) that will commence the tribulation (Dan. 9:26,27). The other party to that covenant will be a Revived Roman Empire, centered in Europe. I think that the current war in Yugoslavia is making a contribution to the stage-setting for the post-rapture period of history.
Daniel's Outline for History Daniel 2
Daniel 2 contains God's divine outline for history from the sixth century b.c. until the 1,000 year reign of Christ in His kingdom known as the millennium. Nebuchadnezzar's dream, as authoritatively interpreted by God through Daniel, tells us that history will see the rise of four consecutive Gentile world powers, representing the kingdom of man, that will in the end be crushed by our Lord's eternal reign. This message was conveyed through the appearance of a giant statue in Nebuchadnezzar's dream. The head of gold represents Babylon. The breast and arms of silver indicate Medio-Persia. While its bronze belly and thighs symbolize Greece. Rome is the final entity that appears in two phases: its legs of iron (the ancient Roman Empire of the first century) and its feet partly of iron and partly of clay (the Revived Roman Empire of the future tribulation period) (Dan. 2:31-35). Students of Bible Prophecy are interested in learning as much as possible about the final, revived form of the Roman Empire.
Daniel 2:42,43 tells us "And as the toes of the feet were partly of iron and partly of pottery, so some of the kingdom will be strong and part of it will be brittle. And in that you saw the iron mixed with common clay, they will combine with one another in the seed of men; but they will not adhere to one another, even as iron does not combine with pottery." As opposed to Ancient Rome characterized by iron and thus internal strength, Revived Rome with its mixture of iron and clay is a very weak mixture. The fourth kingdom starts off as pure iron and then as you move down the legs to the feet and toes the iron fades out into pieces of iron impregnated into pottery. Daniel interprets this degradation of the pure iron into pottery mixed with iron as a deterioration within the fourth kingdom itself over time. Thus, the picture is that of a heterogeneous composition of the feet and the toes being made partly of iron and partly of clay, is a heterogeneous composition of the culture of the kingdom. Daniel's prophecy tells us of the progressive deterioration of the cultural unity of the succeeding kingdoms. We can look back in history and see exactly what Daniel is talking about.
The Babylonian culture was very unified, very uniform, being dominated by the god Marduk. The Medio-Persian empire was less united made up of two competing cultures which never did really get together. Cyrus himself was a cultural half-breed, his father was a Persian and his mother was a Mede. Going down into the time of the Greeks you have Alexander conquering the world and trying to Hellenize it. Immediately upon his death four generals started competing over the major cultures that made up Alexander's kingdom, that is, Egypt, Syria, Thrance, and Macedonia. Alexander's kingdom suffered because it tried to embrace too many diverse cultures. Later in history Rome brought together every culture under the sun.
Noting the decline in the four kingdoms from strong unity to an enforced unity under the Ancient Roman Empire, it is not surprising to learn that the Revived Roman Empire, that is being prepared in our own day, is made up of just the kind of reluctant mix we see in the Balkans today. Yet that is what is symbolized by the mixture of iron and clay. The move toward the break-up of regions into their ethnic enclaves when a strong centralized power is removed is exactly the picture of the future Revived Roman Empire.
Daniel 7
Any student of Bible prophecy understands that Daniel 7 provides a repeat of the events of Daniel 2 but from another perspective. Instead of a statue, as in Daniel 2, Daniel 7 depicts the true nature of these kingdoms, as beasts. Daniel 7:23,24 tells us, "Thus he said: 'The fourth beast will be a fourth kingdom on the earth, which will be different from all the other kingdoms, and it will devour the whole earth and tread it down and crush it. As for the ten horns, out of this kingdom ten kings will arise; and another will arise after them, and he will be different from the previous ones and will subdue three kings." Daniel 7 tells us that the Revived Roman Empire will come to power via a 10 nation confederacy. Three of those nations will be subdued through the use of force. This will be the springboard for the Antichrist's global empire. Knowing what the current world is moving toward, it is not difficult to see that the overall trends in Europe are moving in this direction.
The Reunification of Europe
What two world wars could not bring to pass, we are seeing develop right before our eyes - the reunification of Europe. Yet, seemingly every poll indicates that most of the people in each country are opposed to what is happening. Nevertheless, unification marches on. With economic union well under way, the NATO bombing of Yugoslavia has revealed a previously slumbering side of Europe as a military power.
Just when many of us thought we had seen it all from the blundering Bill Clinton, he wakes up one morning and decides to start a war in Balkans. But, like all that President Clinton has accomplished, he is moving the world toward the globalism that will clearly attempt to solve the world's problems in the tribulation under the direction of the antichrist. Beyond exhibiting many of the character qualities of the antichrist, this time Clinton's action are once again diminishing American global leadership, while at the same time enhancing the role that Europe will play.
The Stratfor Global Intelligence Update predicts a distancing of Europe from the United States in the future with Europe handling future crisis herself. The Update says:
We believe that the Kosovo conflict will become a definitive event in European history. The failure in Kosovo will cause the United States to recoil from casual interventions. More important, U.S. clumsiness in Kosovo will cause the Europeans to shy away from American leadership, particularly concerning European matters. The likelihood of an American administration herding NATO into another military adventure in Europe is minimal. This is a crucial change. There has been a tremendous asymmetry between Europe as a politico-military entity and Europe as an economic entity. NATO has been the primary politico-military expression of Europe, the EU the primary economic entity. This has made it extremely difficult for Europe to express a coherent viewpoint. The EU and NATO were simply not congruent.
The Europeans do have a vehicle for politico-military thinking, the Western European Union, which excludes the United States and is, therefore, far more congruent with the EU. But even that doesn't get to the heart of the problem. Germany's interests are specifically German. France's interests are French. The UK's interests are the UK's and are quite different from the other two. We expect two results from Kosovo. First, a strengthening of purely European institutions at the expense of NATO. Second, a greater caution by individual nations toward multinational commitments, including purely European ones.
Kosovo will undoubtedly bring to a close what we might call the era of casual intervention for the United States. There is nothing like failure to increase sobriety. We suspect that this is the last major foreign policy adventure for the Clinton Administration and would not be surprised to see Albright, Berger and Holbrooke accepting private sector positions in the near future. Most importantly, Kosovo closes what we regard as the interregnum between eras. The Cold War was not replaced by a unipolar world. That was a temporary anomaly. The new era of one superpower and several great powers, loosely united to limit U.S. power, is now beginning.
We'll tentatively christen this the New World Disorder while we wait for the new era to name itself. ("The World After Kosovo," May 3, 1999)
When the above analysis is combined with the fact that both Israel and the Palestinians have both lost confidence in America's ability to broker the Oslo accords, it is not surprising to find that especially the Palestinians are looking to Europe to impose a solution in the Middle East. The Israeli press has voiced concern that NATO, The United Nations, or Europe will enforce a similar solution upon Israel that is being attempted in Kosovo. Thus, recent developments continue to set the stage for the tribulation.
Israel's Covenant with Death
Daniel 9:27 says, "And he will make a firm covenant with the many for one week, but in the middle of the week he will put a stop to sacrifice and grain offering; and on the wing of abominations will come one who makes desolate, even until a complete destruction, one that is decreed, is poured out on the one who makes desolate." The pronoun "he" at the beginning of the verse refers to the future antichrist. Why? Because the nearest antecedent is clearly a reference to "the people of the prince who is to come will destroy the city and the sanctuary" (Dan. 9:26), which speaks of the Roman destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple in a.d. 70. Thus, "he" is the antichrist who will accomplish the events of 9:27 in the middle of the future 70th week of Daniel known as the tribulation on behalf of the Revived Roman Empire as previously taught by Daniel (Dan. 2,7).
Isaiah speaks of why Israel will sign such a covenant with the antichrist in 28:14-22. As was often done in her past, Israel will sign the covenant with the Revived Roman antichrist with the intent of providing security from her enemies that are pressing her from all sides. Instead of securing a covenant of life, as Israel' s leaders will think, the nation will start the tribulation with what is in reality a "covenant with death" (Isa. 28:15,18). Instead of gaining protection from her European vassal, Israel will experience "the overwhelming scourge" (Isa. 28:15,18) which is a metaphor for military invasion. Further, in the middle of the tribulation, this Roman antichrist who starts the tribulation by promising protection for the nation of Israel, will turn upon her and commence the greatest time of persecution ever upon the Jewish people (see Matt. 24:15-22; Rev. 12:1-17).
We see in our own day the increasing isolation of Israel within the world leading to an effort for her to look for security from man made covenants instead of looking to the Lord for stability. One day a European leader will step forth and appear to solve the Middle East crisis through negotiation and a covenant. In the mean time, God is preparing through contemporary events in our own day a Revived Roman Empire that will be the final phase of the kingdom of man that will put forth its greatest effort against Almighty God. The Kosovo crisis will likely result in the isolation of the U. S. from playing a leading role in European military affairs. Thus, paving the way, not only for the developing economic union of Europe, but a military unification as well. While God is preparing our world for judgment, the Believer should continue to watch and wait for the any-moment return of the Lord in the clouds to snatch away His bride- the church. Maranatha!
By Thomas Ice
I believe that God is currently setting the stage for events that will take place after the rapture, during the tribulation. Israel is back in her land and being postured to sign what Isaiah calls "a covenant with death" (Isa. 28:15,18) that will commence the tribulation (Dan. 9:26,27). The other party to that covenant will be a Revived Roman Empire, centered in Europe. I think that the current war in Yugoslavia is making a contribution to the stage-setting for the post-rapture period of history.
Daniel's Outline for History Daniel 2
Daniel 2 contains God's divine outline for history from the sixth century b.c. until the 1,000 year reign of Christ in His kingdom known as the millennium. Nebuchadnezzar's dream, as authoritatively interpreted by God through Daniel, tells us that history will see the rise of four consecutive Gentile world powers, representing the kingdom of man, that will in the end be crushed by our Lord's eternal reign. This message was conveyed through the appearance of a giant statue in Nebuchadnezzar's dream. The head of gold represents Babylon. The breast and arms of silver indicate Medio-Persia. While its bronze belly and thighs symbolize Greece. Rome is the final entity that appears in two phases: its legs of iron (the ancient Roman Empire of the first century) and its feet partly of iron and partly of clay (the Revived Roman Empire of the future tribulation period) (Dan. 2:31-35). Students of Bible Prophecy are interested in learning as much as possible about the final, revived form of the Roman Empire.
Daniel 2:42,43 tells us "And as the toes of the feet were partly of iron and partly of pottery, so some of the kingdom will be strong and part of it will be brittle. And in that you saw the iron mixed with common clay, they will combine with one another in the seed of men; but they will not adhere to one another, even as iron does not combine with pottery." As opposed to Ancient Rome characterized by iron and thus internal strength, Revived Rome with its mixture of iron and clay is a very weak mixture. The fourth kingdom starts off as pure iron and then as you move down the legs to the feet and toes the iron fades out into pieces of iron impregnated into pottery. Daniel interprets this degradation of the pure iron into pottery mixed with iron as a deterioration within the fourth kingdom itself over time. Thus, the picture is that of a heterogeneous composition of the feet and the toes being made partly of iron and partly of clay, is a heterogeneous composition of the culture of the kingdom. Daniel's prophecy tells us of the progressive deterioration of the cultural unity of the succeeding kingdoms. We can look back in history and see exactly what Daniel is talking about.
The Babylonian culture was very unified, very uniform, being dominated by the god Marduk. The Medio-Persian empire was less united made up of two competing cultures which never did really get together. Cyrus himself was a cultural half-breed, his father was a Persian and his mother was a Mede. Going down into the time of the Greeks you have Alexander conquering the world and trying to Hellenize it. Immediately upon his death four generals started competing over the major cultures that made up Alexander's kingdom, that is, Egypt, Syria, Thrance, and Macedonia. Alexander's kingdom suffered because it tried to embrace too many diverse cultures. Later in history Rome brought together every culture under the sun.
Noting the decline in the four kingdoms from strong unity to an enforced unity under the Ancient Roman Empire, it is not surprising to learn that the Revived Roman Empire, that is being prepared in our own day, is made up of just the kind of reluctant mix we see in the Balkans today. Yet that is what is symbolized by the mixture of iron and clay. The move toward the break-up of regions into their ethnic enclaves when a strong centralized power is removed is exactly the picture of the future Revived Roman Empire.
Daniel 7
Any student of Bible prophecy understands that Daniel 7 provides a repeat of the events of Daniel 2 but from another perspective. Instead of a statue, as in Daniel 2, Daniel 7 depicts the true nature of these kingdoms, as beasts. Daniel 7:23,24 tells us, "Thus he said: 'The fourth beast will be a fourth kingdom on the earth, which will be different from all the other kingdoms, and it will devour the whole earth and tread it down and crush it. As for the ten horns, out of this kingdom ten kings will arise; and another will arise after them, and he will be different from the previous ones and will subdue three kings." Daniel 7 tells us that the Revived Roman Empire will come to power via a 10 nation confederacy. Three of those nations will be subdued through the use of force. This will be the springboard for the Antichrist's global empire. Knowing what the current world is moving toward, it is not difficult to see that the overall trends in Europe are moving in this direction.
The Reunification of Europe
What two world wars could not bring to pass, we are seeing develop right before our eyes - the reunification of Europe. Yet, seemingly every poll indicates that most of the people in each country are opposed to what is happening. Nevertheless, unification marches on. With economic union well under way, the NATO bombing of Yugoslavia has revealed a previously slumbering side of Europe as a military power.
Just when many of us thought we had seen it all from the blundering Bill Clinton, he wakes up one morning and decides to start a war in Balkans. But, like all that President Clinton has accomplished, he is moving the world toward the globalism that will clearly attempt to solve the world's problems in the tribulation under the direction of the antichrist. Beyond exhibiting many of the character qualities of the antichrist, this time Clinton's action are once again diminishing American global leadership, while at the same time enhancing the role that Europe will play.
The Stratfor Global Intelligence Update predicts a distancing of Europe from the United States in the future with Europe handling future crisis herself. The Update says:
We believe that the Kosovo conflict will become a definitive event in European history. The failure in Kosovo will cause the United States to recoil from casual interventions. More important, U.S. clumsiness in Kosovo will cause the Europeans to shy away from American leadership, particularly concerning European matters. The likelihood of an American administration herding NATO into another military adventure in Europe is minimal. This is a crucial change. There has been a tremendous asymmetry between Europe as a politico-military entity and Europe as an economic entity. NATO has been the primary politico-military expression of Europe, the EU the primary economic entity. This has made it extremely difficult for Europe to express a coherent viewpoint. The EU and NATO were simply not congruent.
The Europeans do have a vehicle for politico-military thinking, the Western European Union, which excludes the United States and is, therefore, far more congruent with the EU. But even that doesn't get to the heart of the problem. Germany's interests are specifically German. France's interests are French. The UK's interests are the UK's and are quite different from the other two. We expect two results from Kosovo. First, a strengthening of purely European institutions at the expense of NATO. Second, a greater caution by individual nations toward multinational commitments, including purely European ones.
Kosovo will undoubtedly bring to a close what we might call the era of casual intervention for the United States. There is nothing like failure to increase sobriety. We suspect that this is the last major foreign policy adventure for the Clinton Administration and would not be surprised to see Albright, Berger and Holbrooke accepting private sector positions in the near future. Most importantly, Kosovo closes what we regard as the interregnum between eras. The Cold War was not replaced by a unipolar world. That was a temporary anomaly. The new era of one superpower and several great powers, loosely united to limit U.S. power, is now beginning.
We'll tentatively christen this the New World Disorder while we wait for the new era to name itself. ("The World After Kosovo," May 3, 1999)
When the above analysis is combined with the fact that both Israel and the Palestinians have both lost confidence in America's ability to broker the Oslo accords, it is not surprising to find that especially the Palestinians are looking to Europe to impose a solution in the Middle East. The Israeli press has voiced concern that NATO, The United Nations, or Europe will enforce a similar solution upon Israel that is being attempted in Kosovo. Thus, recent developments continue to set the stage for the tribulation.
Israel's Covenant with Death
Daniel 9:27 says, "And he will make a firm covenant with the many for one week, but in the middle of the week he will put a stop to sacrifice and grain offering; and on the wing of abominations will come one who makes desolate, even until a complete destruction, one that is decreed, is poured out on the one who makes desolate." The pronoun "he" at the beginning of the verse refers to the future antichrist. Why? Because the nearest antecedent is clearly a reference to "the people of the prince who is to come will destroy the city and the sanctuary" (Dan. 9:26), which speaks of the Roman destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple in a.d. 70. Thus, "he" is the antichrist who will accomplish the events of 9:27 in the middle of the future 70th week of Daniel known as the tribulation on behalf of the Revived Roman Empire as previously taught by Daniel (Dan. 2,7).
Isaiah speaks of why Israel will sign such a covenant with the antichrist in 28:14-22. As was often done in her past, Israel will sign the covenant with the Revived Roman antichrist with the intent of providing security from her enemies that are pressing her from all sides. Instead of securing a covenant of life, as Israel' s leaders will think, the nation will start the tribulation with what is in reality a "covenant with death" (Isa. 28:15,18). Instead of gaining protection from her European vassal, Israel will experience "the overwhelming scourge" (Isa. 28:15,18) which is a metaphor for military invasion. Further, in the middle of the tribulation, this Roman antichrist who starts the tribulation by promising protection for the nation of Israel, will turn upon her and commence the greatest time of persecution ever upon the Jewish people (see Matt. 24:15-22; Rev. 12:1-17).
We see in our own day the increasing isolation of Israel within the world leading to an effort for her to look for security from man made covenants instead of looking to the Lord for stability. One day a European leader will step forth and appear to solve the Middle East crisis through negotiation and a covenant. In the mean time, God is preparing through contemporary events in our own day a Revived Roman Empire that will be the final phase of the kingdom of man that will put forth its greatest effort against Almighty God. The Kosovo crisis will likely result in the isolation of the U. S. from playing a leading role in European military affairs. Thus, paving the way, not only for the developing economic union of Europe, but a military unification as well. While God is preparing our world for judgment, the Believer should continue to watch and wait for the any-moment return of the Lord in the clouds to snatch away His bride- the church. Maranatha!
End Time Wars - #2 The First War of Gog-Magog
By Dr. David R. Reagan
Thursday, August 27, 2009
Every time a war breaks out in the Middle East, I receive a flurry of phone calls and email messages asking if it could be the War of Armageddon. This question is prompted by the fact that most people are familiar with only one end time war — the one that has been popularized in movies and novels as the "Battle of Armageddon." In reality, the Bible describes nine separate end time wars.
We have looked at the first of these battles — the War of Extermination based on Psalm 83. Next in the prophetic sequence is the First War of Gog-Magog based on Ezekiel 38-39, the war when Russia invades Israel with certain specified allies, all of whom are Muslim nations today.
2) The First War of Gog & Magog — Ezekiel 38 and 39
The security provided by the Psalm 83 war will not last long. The Arab nations will turn to their natural ally, Russia, and cry out for help.
And the Russians will be very happy to respond, for they have always dreamed of taking the oil fields of the Middle East. They will, therefore, launch an invasion for the stated purpose of helping the Muslims destroy Israel, but their unstated agenda will be to use the Arab invitation as an excuse to expand their sovereignty over all the Middle East. This ulterior motive is described in Ezekiel 38:12 where it says the Russians will come "to capture spoil and to seize plunder."
The invading armies will be supernaturally destroyed by God "on the mountains of Israel" (Ezekiel 39:4). The Lord will accomplish this destruction through earthquakes, pestilence, hail storms, fire, brimstone, and battlefield confusion (Ezekiel 38:19- 22). Even the Jewish people will recognize that the victory belongs to the Lord, and many will open their hearts to the Lord (Ezekiel 38:23). In fact, this event could mark the occasion when the 144,000 Jews of Revelation 7:1-8 accept Yeshua as their Messiah and are sealed by the Lord for special service throughout the seven year period of the Tribulation.
The greatest mystery concerning this war is its timing. Most have placed it at the beginning of the Tribulation. Others delay its start to the middle of the Tribulation. Increasingly in recent years, the tendency has been to place it before the beginning of the Tribulation.
The best discussion of timing that has yet been written can be found in Ron Rhodes' book, Northern Storm Rising. He concludes that it is most likely to occur 3 1/2 years prior to the Tribulation. One of his most important reasons for this conclusion is that Ezekiel 39:9 says the Jews will spend seven years burning the weapons captured in the war, and the book of Revelation says they will be run out of the land in the middle of the Tribulation (Revelation 12:13-17). Since the middle of the Tribulation will occur 3 1/2 years into that seven year period, that means the only way the Jews could spend seven years burning the weapons is for the war to start at least 3 1/2 years before the Tribulation begins. (Note: The "burning of weapons" could refer to captured nuclear fuel.)
Does this mean the wars of Psalm 83 and Ezekiel 38 and 39 must occur before the Rapture? Not at all. The Rapture could occur anytime before, during, or after these wars. Keep in mind that the Rapture is not what marks the beginning of the Tribulation. The Tribulation will begin when the Antichrist signs a security treaty with Israel (Daniel 9:27). There could be a period of several years between the Rapture and the beginning of the Tribulation.
For further information on the Gog-Magog War and its timing, see the article series Timing Gog-Magog.
In the third installment of this "End Time Wars" series, we will look at the third and fourth wars in the end times sequence — both the Conventional and Nuclear Wars of the Tribulation.
Thursday, August 27, 2009
Every time a war breaks out in the Middle East, I receive a flurry of phone calls and email messages asking if it could be the War of Armageddon. This question is prompted by the fact that most people are familiar with only one end time war — the one that has been popularized in movies and novels as the "Battle of Armageddon." In reality, the Bible describes nine separate end time wars.
We have looked at the first of these battles — the War of Extermination based on Psalm 83. Next in the prophetic sequence is the First War of Gog-Magog based on Ezekiel 38-39, the war when Russia invades Israel with certain specified allies, all of whom are Muslim nations today.
2) The First War of Gog & Magog — Ezekiel 38 and 39
The security provided by the Psalm 83 war will not last long. The Arab nations will turn to their natural ally, Russia, and cry out for help.
And the Russians will be very happy to respond, for they have always dreamed of taking the oil fields of the Middle East. They will, therefore, launch an invasion for the stated purpose of helping the Muslims destroy Israel, but their unstated agenda will be to use the Arab invitation as an excuse to expand their sovereignty over all the Middle East. This ulterior motive is described in Ezekiel 38:12 where it says the Russians will come "to capture spoil and to seize plunder."
The invading armies will be supernaturally destroyed by God "on the mountains of Israel" (Ezekiel 39:4). The Lord will accomplish this destruction through earthquakes, pestilence, hail storms, fire, brimstone, and battlefield confusion (Ezekiel 38:19- 22). Even the Jewish people will recognize that the victory belongs to the Lord, and many will open their hearts to the Lord (Ezekiel 38:23). In fact, this event could mark the occasion when the 144,000 Jews of Revelation 7:1-8 accept Yeshua as their Messiah and are sealed by the Lord for special service throughout the seven year period of the Tribulation.
The greatest mystery concerning this war is its timing. Most have placed it at the beginning of the Tribulation. Others delay its start to the middle of the Tribulation. Increasingly in recent years, the tendency has been to place it before the beginning of the Tribulation.
The best discussion of timing that has yet been written can be found in Ron Rhodes' book, Northern Storm Rising. He concludes that it is most likely to occur 3 1/2 years prior to the Tribulation. One of his most important reasons for this conclusion is that Ezekiel 39:9 says the Jews will spend seven years burning the weapons captured in the war, and the book of Revelation says they will be run out of the land in the middle of the Tribulation (Revelation 12:13-17). Since the middle of the Tribulation will occur 3 1/2 years into that seven year period, that means the only way the Jews could spend seven years burning the weapons is for the war to start at least 3 1/2 years before the Tribulation begins. (Note: The "burning of weapons" could refer to captured nuclear fuel.)
Does this mean the wars of Psalm 83 and Ezekiel 38 and 39 must occur before the Rapture? Not at all. The Rapture could occur anytime before, during, or after these wars. Keep in mind that the Rapture is not what marks the beginning of the Tribulation. The Tribulation will begin when the Antichrist signs a security treaty with Israel (Daniel 9:27). There could be a period of several years between the Rapture and the beginning of the Tribulation.
For further information on the Gog-Magog War and its timing, see the article series Timing Gog-Magog.
In the third installment of this "End Time Wars" series, we will look at the third and fourth wars in the end times sequence — both the Conventional and Nuclear Wars of the Tribulation.
The Flotilla of Terror and the Coming Gog and Magog War
The six ships of multi-national anti-Israel terrorists that embarked from Turkey, north of Israel, and sailed to Gaza, actually came to fight against Israel and to arouse the entire world to oppose Israel. It was a step towards the end-time Gog and Magog war against Israel.
This is a time of G‑dly testing for all of humanity. Here is the word of G‑d from Jerusalem to the entire world: "If you stand with Israel, you will stand with Me! If you are against Israel, you will stand against Me!"
Israel is now facing a very critical time in the path toward her redemption. The war of Gog and Magog against Israel and the coming judgment of the nations is at the door (Ezekiel 38 & 39). The entire world is going to face the most significant and difficult period in its history. We can now recognize the beginning steps of this period. At the same time that G‑d's judgment falls upon the nations who persecuted — and continue to persecute — His people Israel, G‑d is going to complete the redemption of His people Israel and the building of his end-time kingdom on the Temple Mount and in Jerusalem. During this godly end-time period and together with his chosen people Israel, He will redesign the face of humanity forever exactly as prophesied in Isaiah 2:1-5.
At this very critical hour Israel, the chosen people of G‑d and His anointed vessel, is facing violence, battles and hatred that are coming from the four corners of the world. Nations and powers — and in the midst of them the Arab and Islamic nations — are leading a cruel fight against the small nation of Israel. They are calling to remove Israel from the map of the world. Their agenda is to stop and to destroy what G‑d is doing together with His people Israel in order to rebuild His Holy Kingdom in Israel so that Israel can fulfill what G‑d anointed her to be: "A holy nation, a kingdom of priests and the light to the nations" (Exodus 19:5-6). Thousands of years ago G‑d called Israel to be His vessel to bring to pass His end-time dream to redesign the face of humanity according to His principles. It is not an accident that G‑d chose our present time, which is such a materialistic and immoral era, to rebuild mankind on a godly moral foundation, which is more necessary than ever before.
All the nations who want to eliminate and destroy Israel are actually and simultaneously waging a fight against the Almighty G‑d of Israel in order to stop His end-time plans concerning all of mankind. The Arab-Islamic nations realize that the G‑d and people of Israel are the only obstacles preventing their plans to control the entire world and to force Islam upon all the nations.
It is not an accident that the eyes and hearts of most of mankind, especially in the Western world, are covered by the excesses of hedonistic materialism that makes them blind and deaf so they can not understand the very dangerous plans of the Arab-Islamic world. At the same time they refuse to recognize what G‑d is doing with Israel for the sake of their own future. They can not hear the call of G‑d to the entire world to stand with Him and with Israel and to be a part of the rebuilding of His holy moral Kingdom that He ordained thousands of years ago to be located atop His Holy Mountain in Jerusalem among His people Israel so that His Word will go out from Jerusalem to all the nations. They prefer cheap oil and other materialistic goods that the Arab-Islamic kingdom provides for them rather than the Kingdom of G‑d with its beneficial spiritual gifts that Almighty G‑d wants to give them through His people Israel. In this way mankind brings itself closer and closer to the end-time war of Gog and Magog and the day of G‑d's judgment.
I am calling every one and every nation in the world — especially the many cruel Arab-Islamic enemies of Israel to give attention to the Word of G‑d:
"For the day of the L‑rd is near upon all the nations: as you have done, it shall be done to you: your deeds shall return upon your own head. For as you have drunk upon my holy mountain, so shall all the nations drink continually, indeed, they shall drink, and they shall swallow down, and they shall be as though they had not been. But upon Mount Zion, there shall be deliverance, and there shall be holiness; and the house of Jacob shall possess their own possessions." (Obadiah 1:15-17)
I call every one of them to consider their ways and immediately stop their plans to remove Israel from the map of the world and from the Land that G‑d gave only to them in an eternal covenant. This vital call is to end their hatred and violence against the people of G‑d and to understand that G‑d will never allow them to fulfill their plans to eliminate Israel. Even more than at any time in the past, Israel today is G‑d's moral testimony to the entire world. The Almighty G‑d of Israel is determined to complete what He started when He re-established the Kingdom of Israel in the year 1948. He will not allow anyone or any power in the world — including the powerful leaders of worldly governments — to change His end-time plans concerning Israel or to stop the redemption of His people and the Land of Israel. G‑d will not allow any one in the world to hurt Israel, not even to touch one hair of her head. His love for Israel is unconditional and eternal.
The Flotilla of Terror From Turkey in the Sea Battle Against Israel
On the 31st of May, six ships of hatred, terror and violence against Israel made their way from Turkey to Gaza with the encouragement of the extremist Islamic government of Turkey, which is controlled by bands of extremist Islamic terrorists that declare again and again like their ally in Iran, Ahmadinejad, that their goal is to destroy Israel and to remove her from the map of the world. Their goal was to open the port of Gaza for the import of all kinds of heavy weapons that will originate from Iran and will help them fulfill their goal to destroy Israel. The six terror ships carried many terrorists, including members of Al-Qaeda, the terror organization that destroyed the twin towers in New York City on September 11, 2001. They brought many weapons with them. Israel could not allow herself to permit them to enter the Port of Gaza and turn it into an open-line of terror against Israel. Israel stated that if the ships wanted to deliver humanitarian products to Gaza, they could bring them to the Ashdod port where Israel would deliver the cargo to Gaza after examining the ships and their cargoes for weaponry. When the Israeli navy stopped the ships and Israeli soldiers boarded the vessels, the soldiers were attacked by the terrorists with knives and other weapons, including live-fire. The hostile terrorists started to lynch the Israeli soldiers. The soldiers had no choice but to protect themselves and to save their lives. Seven Israeli soldiers were injured, two of them critically. Nine of the terrorists were killed when they shot live-fire weapons at the Israeli soldiers. Afterwards the Israeli navy escorted the ships to Ashdod and delivered the humanitarian cargo to Gaza as Israel, herself, does all of the time.
It is a shame that most of the world started to bash and condemn Israel and in this way they gave their support to the terrorists showing their hypocrisy and immoral behavior. Instead of standing with Israel, who has not stopped sacrificing her precious sons and daughters throughout the past 62 years in order to protect herself during seven wars and the continual cruel terror of the Arab-Islamic nations that want to destroy and eliminate Israel from the map of the world. More than 22,000 Israeli soldiers and many, many thousands of civilians have fallen in these wars in order to protect Israel and the Kingdom of G‑d in the Holy Land. Today Israel says to the entire world: "No one will take from us the right to protect ourselves from the evil powers. Never again will we be taken like lambs to the slaughter as was done to us during the Holocaust and during the last 2,000 years of exile." The Almighty G‑d of Israel is together with His people Israel to protect them and to fight with them in all the fields of battle against the many enemies that are coming to destroy them. As He has defeated, together with His Israeli soldiers, all the enemies that have come against Israel, so He will do in the future. All the Islamic enemies of Israel are preparing themselves for the coming war. They believe that this time they have a chance to destroy Israel; however, the G‑d of Israel is waiting for them and is ready to fight against them and to judge all of them. "Then shall the L‑rd go out, and fight against those nations, as when he fought in the day of battle." (Zechariah 14:3).
On the 7th of June, the Iranians declared that they are going to send to Gaza another flotilla of terror that will be followed by Iranian-armed soldiers. This is the Iran that has stated again and again during the last couple of years that her goal is to remove Israel from the map of the world. We can be sure that Israel will not allow this terror provocation and attack against Israel to come to Gaza in order to further arm the Hamas terror organization that continues to attack Israel with rockets and missiles.
The terror ships to Gaza from Turkey and Iran indicate that the end-time Gog and Magog war and judgment of the Almighty G‑d of Israel upon the nations that are coming to destroy His people Israel and to stop the end-time godly event of the redemption of Israel and the entire world is behind the door.
As we see, today Israel is surrounded from every side by Islamic and Arab countries who prepare themselves to remove Israel from the map of the world by war, terror and violence. The holy book of Psalms prophesies about this and calls G‑d to judge these countries:
"Do not keep silence, O G‑d: do not hold your peace, and be still, O G‑d. For lo, your enemies make a tumult: and they who hate you have lifted up the head. They take crafty counsel against your people, and consult against your hidden ones. They have said, Come, and let us cut them off from being a nation; that the name of Israel may be no more in remembrance. For they have consulted together with one consent: they are confederate against you and said, Let us seize for our possession the pastures of G‑d. O my G‑d, make them like the whirling chaff: like the stubble before the wind. As the fire burns a wood, and as the flame sets the mountains on fire; so pursue them with your tempest, and terrify them with thy storm. Fill their faces with shame, that they may seek your name, O L‑rd. Let them be confounded and affrighted forever; and let them be put to shame, and perish: that men may know that you alone, whose name is the L‑rd, are the most high over all the earth." (Psalms 83:1-6,13-19 / Christian Bible: Psalm 83:1-6,12-18)
Now, the enemies of Israel have continued to circle around her from the sea as well. In the east it is Iran that prepares nuclear weapons for the goal to annihilate Israel. Iraq, with her Shi'a majority population (as in Iran) will become a part of Iran, when the American military, under orders from President Obama, will soon be removed from Iraq. Syria and the Hezbollah terrorists in Lebanon continue to form the militant circle around Israel with each of them possessing between 60,000-70,000 missiles directed against Israel that have the ability to strike every centimeter of the Land of Israel. They continually threaten Israel that these missiles will destroy her in the coming war. In the Gaza Strip the Hamas is armed with thousands of rockets and missiles that persistently strike Israel. The extremist Islamic government of Turkey, that sent the ships of terror against Israel, completes from the north the circle of militancy against Israel. Other multi-national ships that are going to be sent to Gaza again to provoke Israel will complete the circle of aggression against Israel. Anti-Israel demonstrations, with thousands of people, are taking place all over the world calling for the elimination of Israel. Some of them are calling for Israel to be sent back to Auschwitz! Others, like the White House journalist Helen Thomas, called for Israelis to be sent to Germany and Poland, where six million Jews were heinously murdered in satanic ways during WWII.
The meaning of all these actions and statements is very clear: the enemies of Israel, backed with the support of most of the world, prepare themselves and are making the first steps of the end-time Gog and Magog War against Israel that was prophesied by the prophets Ezekiel, Zechariah, Joel and others. Through this war the Almighty G‑d of Israel is going to show the entire world His greatness, His love, His faithfulness and commitment to the covenant that He made with His chosen people Israel and His determination to complete in our generation the end-time process of the redemption of Israel, and through Israel, that of the entire world. This will also be as it was prophesied: a war of judgment upon the enemies and nations that came to destroy Israel and G‑d's dream for a godly moral revolution throughout the world. For thousands of years G‑d has prepared His people Israel for this critical hour and promised to protect and stand with them. He called this end-time war of judgment the "Gog and Magog War" that will start from the north (Turkey, Syria, Russia and others):
"Therefore, son of man, prophesy and say to Gog, Thus says the L‑rd G‑d; In that day when my people of Israel dwell safely, shall you not know it: And you shall come from your place out of the far sides of the north, you, and many peoples with you, all of them riding upon horses, a great company, and a mighty army: and you shall come up against my people of Israel, like a cloud to cover the land; it shall be in the latter days, and I will bring you against my land, that the nations may know me, when I shall be sanctified by you, O Gog, before their eyes. And you, son of man, prophesy against Gog, and say, Thus says the L‑rd G‑d; Behold, I am against you, O Gog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal: and I will turn you about, and entice you on, and will cause you to come up from the far sides of the north, and will bring you against the mountains of Israel: and I will smite your bow out of your left hand, and will cause your arrows to fall out of your right hand. You shall fall upon the mountains of Israel, you, and all your bands, and the peoples that are with you: I will give you to the ravenous birds of every sort, and to the beasts of the field to be devoured. You shall fall upon the open field: for I have spoken it, says the L‑rd G‑d. And I will send a fire on Magog, and among them that dwell securely in the coastlands: and they shall know that I am the L‑rd So will I make my holy name known in the midst of my people Israel; and I will not allow my holy name to be profaned any more: and the nations shall know that I am the L‑rd, the Holy One in Israel." (Ezekiel 38:14-16; 39:1-7)
The prophet Joel described this war and day of judgment with very dramatic words and colors that cause us to think of a nuclear war, especially when we see Iran's zeal towards having nuclear capabilities while she declares the removal of Israel from the map of the world. Like the prophet Ezekiel, the prophet Joel prophesies that G‑d will judge all the nations that come against Israel and He will protect His people and the Holy Land of Israel :
"And I will exhibit wonders in the heavens and on the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke. The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the coming of the great and the terrible day of the L‑rd. For, behold, in those days, and in that time, when I shall bring back the captivity of Judah and Jerusalem, I will also gather all nations, and will bring them down into the valley of Jehoshaphat, and will enter into judgment with them there for my people and for my heritage Israel, whom they have scattered among the nations, and have divided up my land." Joel 3:3-4; 4:1-2
The atmosphere in Israel at this special time is that the Gog and Magog war is really at the door. On June 6th, a conference of rabbis took place from the Jewish villages and cities located in the biblical heartland of Gush Etzion in Judea and Samaria. They called to Israel to get ready for the Gog and Magog war that is indicated by the violence surrounding Israel.
Everyone feels the significance of this special godly time. It looks like Israel is again alone among the nations. But everyone in the world should know that we do not feel alone because we know and we feel that G‑d is with us and among us, and we feel very safe with Him. There is no fear in Israel from all those many enemies and nations that are preparing themselves to eliminate Israel. Whom shall we fear if G‑d is with us? In a time when violence and hatred is coming from most of the world against Israel, and the President of the United States, Barack Hussein Obama, is putting pressure on Israel to divide her land and also Jerusalem, and to surrender to her Arab-Islamic enemies, Israel feels that we should answer President Obama: "No!" And to remind all of them of the Word of G‑d to Israel since ancient times: "Israel is a people that shall dwell alone and shall not consider the nations." Numbers 23:9. But Israel should consider, listen and obey only their Beloved Almighty G‑d, the G‑d of Israel. We should always remember what G‑d said to Israel from the ancient times, "I chose you not because you are the majority of all the nations, but because you are the minority of all the nations and I love you. But together with Me, you are the majority and the entire world is the minority":
"For you are a holy people to the L‑rd your G‑d: The L‑rd your G‑d has chosen you to be a special people to himself, above all peoples that are upon the face of the earth. The L‑rd did not set his love upon you, or choose you, because you were more in number than any people; for you were the fewest of all peoples: but because the L‑rd loved you, and because he would keep the oath which he had sworn to your fathers, has the L‑rd brought you out with a mighty hand, and redeemed you out of the house of bondmen, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt. Know therefore that the L‑rd your G‑d, He is G‑d, the faithful G‑d, who keeps covenant and grace with those who love him and keep his commandments to a thousand generations; and repays them that hate him to their face, to destroy them: he will not be slack to him that hates him, he will repay him to his face." Deuteronomy 7:6-10
In these days Israel is lifting her eyes, face and heart to heaven to the G‑d of Israel. We know, as always, that salvation for Israel will come from the beloved G‑d of Israel, who will fight together with His faithful Israeli soldiers that are ready to fight against the many enemies of the G‑d and people of Israel and to sacrifice everything when it is needed for Him, for His people, for His Land and for the betterment of mankind throughout the world.
A few words of love to the many, many friends and lovers of Israel and the Temple Mount and Land of Israel Faithful Movement who are all over the world and are standing strongly with Israel and her Faithful Movement of G‑d at this time of darkness. We feel, and we know, that by this and by your good hearts you have touched the heart of G‑d and were chosen by Him from all the nations to have an important part in His end-time plans. You are carrying the torch of light at this time of darkness and you give hope to the entire world. The G‑d of the people of Israel will never forget what you are doing for the people of G‑d in a time when it is so needed. Soon we shall stand hand-in-hand in the rebuilt Temple of G‑d in Jerusalem, and we shall thank Him for the great privilege that He gave us to serve Him and His end-time plans at such a major, godly time. Thank you again and again so much for all of this and for who you are!
The Temple Mount and Land of Israel Faithful Movement wants to again thank all of you who stand with the Faithful Movement both spiritually and practically with such great faithfulness and love. At this special time the Faithful Movement is fulfilling an important part and role in the midst of all these end-time events that are increasingly focused on the Temple Mount and Jerusalem. From this most holy place starts all the godly end-time events, and here they will soon be completed, when G‑d will dwell in His rebuilt Temple among His people Israel and among all humanity. For this, and for making Israel once again a biblical nation with a biblical mission, the Faithful Movement is dedicated.
Any contribution that will help us complete this holy work, hand-and-hand with your gracious participation, will be accepted with deepest appreciation and can be made by personal check or money order payable to: Temple Mount Faithful Movement and sent to the following address:
In G‑d we trust!!
The Temple Mount and Land of Israel Faithful Movement
P.O. Box 18325, 4 Aliash Street, Jerusalem, Israel
Telephone: 02.625.1112 / FAX: 02.625.1113
© Copyright 1997 - 2010 | Temple Mount and Land of Israel Faithful Movement
The Temple Mount and Land of Israel Faithful Movement is not associated or affiliated with the Temple Institute.
This is a time of G‑dly testing for all of humanity. Here is the word of G‑d from Jerusalem to the entire world: "If you stand with Israel, you will stand with Me! If you are against Israel, you will stand against Me!"
Israel is now facing a very critical time in the path toward her redemption. The war of Gog and Magog against Israel and the coming judgment of the nations is at the door (Ezekiel 38 & 39). The entire world is going to face the most significant and difficult period in its history. We can now recognize the beginning steps of this period. At the same time that G‑d's judgment falls upon the nations who persecuted — and continue to persecute — His people Israel, G‑d is going to complete the redemption of His people Israel and the building of his end-time kingdom on the Temple Mount and in Jerusalem. During this godly end-time period and together with his chosen people Israel, He will redesign the face of humanity forever exactly as prophesied in Isaiah 2:1-5.
At this very critical hour Israel, the chosen people of G‑d and His anointed vessel, is facing violence, battles and hatred that are coming from the four corners of the world. Nations and powers — and in the midst of them the Arab and Islamic nations — are leading a cruel fight against the small nation of Israel. They are calling to remove Israel from the map of the world. Their agenda is to stop and to destroy what G‑d is doing together with His people Israel in order to rebuild His Holy Kingdom in Israel so that Israel can fulfill what G‑d anointed her to be: "A holy nation, a kingdom of priests and the light to the nations" (Exodus 19:5-6). Thousands of years ago G‑d called Israel to be His vessel to bring to pass His end-time dream to redesign the face of humanity according to His principles. It is not an accident that G‑d chose our present time, which is such a materialistic and immoral era, to rebuild mankind on a godly moral foundation, which is more necessary than ever before.
All the nations who want to eliminate and destroy Israel are actually and simultaneously waging a fight against the Almighty G‑d of Israel in order to stop His end-time plans concerning all of mankind. The Arab-Islamic nations realize that the G‑d and people of Israel are the only obstacles preventing their plans to control the entire world and to force Islam upon all the nations.
It is not an accident that the eyes and hearts of most of mankind, especially in the Western world, are covered by the excesses of hedonistic materialism that makes them blind and deaf so they can not understand the very dangerous plans of the Arab-Islamic world. At the same time they refuse to recognize what G‑d is doing with Israel for the sake of their own future. They can not hear the call of G‑d to the entire world to stand with Him and with Israel and to be a part of the rebuilding of His holy moral Kingdom that He ordained thousands of years ago to be located atop His Holy Mountain in Jerusalem among His people Israel so that His Word will go out from Jerusalem to all the nations. They prefer cheap oil and other materialistic goods that the Arab-Islamic kingdom provides for them rather than the Kingdom of G‑d with its beneficial spiritual gifts that Almighty G‑d wants to give them through His people Israel. In this way mankind brings itself closer and closer to the end-time war of Gog and Magog and the day of G‑d's judgment.
I am calling every one and every nation in the world — especially the many cruel Arab-Islamic enemies of Israel to give attention to the Word of G‑d:
"For the day of the L‑rd is near upon all the nations: as you have done, it shall be done to you: your deeds shall return upon your own head. For as you have drunk upon my holy mountain, so shall all the nations drink continually, indeed, they shall drink, and they shall swallow down, and they shall be as though they had not been. But upon Mount Zion, there shall be deliverance, and there shall be holiness; and the house of Jacob shall possess their own possessions." (Obadiah 1:15-17)
I call every one of them to consider their ways and immediately stop their plans to remove Israel from the map of the world and from the Land that G‑d gave only to them in an eternal covenant. This vital call is to end their hatred and violence against the people of G‑d and to understand that G‑d will never allow them to fulfill their plans to eliminate Israel. Even more than at any time in the past, Israel today is G‑d's moral testimony to the entire world. The Almighty G‑d of Israel is determined to complete what He started when He re-established the Kingdom of Israel in the year 1948. He will not allow anyone or any power in the world — including the powerful leaders of worldly governments — to change His end-time plans concerning Israel or to stop the redemption of His people and the Land of Israel. G‑d will not allow any one in the world to hurt Israel, not even to touch one hair of her head. His love for Israel is unconditional and eternal.
The Flotilla of Terror From Turkey in the Sea Battle Against Israel
On the 31st of May, six ships of hatred, terror and violence against Israel made their way from Turkey to Gaza with the encouragement of the extremist Islamic government of Turkey, which is controlled by bands of extremist Islamic terrorists that declare again and again like their ally in Iran, Ahmadinejad, that their goal is to destroy Israel and to remove her from the map of the world. Their goal was to open the port of Gaza for the import of all kinds of heavy weapons that will originate from Iran and will help them fulfill their goal to destroy Israel. The six terror ships carried many terrorists, including members of Al-Qaeda, the terror organization that destroyed the twin towers in New York City on September 11, 2001. They brought many weapons with them. Israel could not allow herself to permit them to enter the Port of Gaza and turn it into an open-line of terror against Israel. Israel stated that if the ships wanted to deliver humanitarian products to Gaza, they could bring them to the Ashdod port where Israel would deliver the cargo to Gaza after examining the ships and their cargoes for weaponry. When the Israeli navy stopped the ships and Israeli soldiers boarded the vessels, the soldiers were attacked by the terrorists with knives and other weapons, including live-fire. The hostile terrorists started to lynch the Israeli soldiers. The soldiers had no choice but to protect themselves and to save their lives. Seven Israeli soldiers were injured, two of them critically. Nine of the terrorists were killed when they shot live-fire weapons at the Israeli soldiers. Afterwards the Israeli navy escorted the ships to Ashdod and delivered the humanitarian cargo to Gaza as Israel, herself, does all of the time.
It is a shame that most of the world started to bash and condemn Israel and in this way they gave their support to the terrorists showing their hypocrisy and immoral behavior. Instead of standing with Israel, who has not stopped sacrificing her precious sons and daughters throughout the past 62 years in order to protect herself during seven wars and the continual cruel terror of the Arab-Islamic nations that want to destroy and eliminate Israel from the map of the world. More than 22,000 Israeli soldiers and many, many thousands of civilians have fallen in these wars in order to protect Israel and the Kingdom of G‑d in the Holy Land. Today Israel says to the entire world: "No one will take from us the right to protect ourselves from the evil powers. Never again will we be taken like lambs to the slaughter as was done to us during the Holocaust and during the last 2,000 years of exile." The Almighty G‑d of Israel is together with His people Israel to protect them and to fight with them in all the fields of battle against the many enemies that are coming to destroy them. As He has defeated, together with His Israeli soldiers, all the enemies that have come against Israel, so He will do in the future. All the Islamic enemies of Israel are preparing themselves for the coming war. They believe that this time they have a chance to destroy Israel; however, the G‑d of Israel is waiting for them and is ready to fight against them and to judge all of them. "Then shall the L‑rd go out, and fight against those nations, as when he fought in the day of battle." (Zechariah 14:3).
On the 7th of June, the Iranians declared that they are going to send to Gaza another flotilla of terror that will be followed by Iranian-armed soldiers. This is the Iran that has stated again and again during the last couple of years that her goal is to remove Israel from the map of the world. We can be sure that Israel will not allow this terror provocation and attack against Israel to come to Gaza in order to further arm the Hamas terror organization that continues to attack Israel with rockets and missiles.
The terror ships to Gaza from Turkey and Iran indicate that the end-time Gog and Magog war and judgment of the Almighty G‑d of Israel upon the nations that are coming to destroy His people Israel and to stop the end-time godly event of the redemption of Israel and the entire world is behind the door.
As we see, today Israel is surrounded from every side by Islamic and Arab countries who prepare themselves to remove Israel from the map of the world by war, terror and violence. The holy book of Psalms prophesies about this and calls G‑d to judge these countries:
"Do not keep silence, O G‑d: do not hold your peace, and be still, O G‑d. For lo, your enemies make a tumult: and they who hate you have lifted up the head. They take crafty counsel against your people, and consult against your hidden ones. They have said, Come, and let us cut them off from being a nation; that the name of Israel may be no more in remembrance. For they have consulted together with one consent: they are confederate against you and said, Let us seize for our possession the pastures of G‑d. O my G‑d, make them like the whirling chaff: like the stubble before the wind. As the fire burns a wood, and as the flame sets the mountains on fire; so pursue them with your tempest, and terrify them with thy storm. Fill their faces with shame, that they may seek your name, O L‑rd. Let them be confounded and affrighted forever; and let them be put to shame, and perish: that men may know that you alone, whose name is the L‑rd, are the most high over all the earth." (Psalms 83:1-6,13-19 / Christian Bible: Psalm 83:1-6,12-18)
Now, the enemies of Israel have continued to circle around her from the sea as well. In the east it is Iran that prepares nuclear weapons for the goal to annihilate Israel. Iraq, with her Shi'a majority population (as in Iran) will become a part of Iran, when the American military, under orders from President Obama, will soon be removed from Iraq. Syria and the Hezbollah terrorists in Lebanon continue to form the militant circle around Israel with each of them possessing between 60,000-70,000 missiles directed against Israel that have the ability to strike every centimeter of the Land of Israel. They continually threaten Israel that these missiles will destroy her in the coming war. In the Gaza Strip the Hamas is armed with thousands of rockets and missiles that persistently strike Israel. The extremist Islamic government of Turkey, that sent the ships of terror against Israel, completes from the north the circle of militancy against Israel. Other multi-national ships that are going to be sent to Gaza again to provoke Israel will complete the circle of aggression against Israel. Anti-Israel demonstrations, with thousands of people, are taking place all over the world calling for the elimination of Israel. Some of them are calling for Israel to be sent back to Auschwitz! Others, like the White House journalist Helen Thomas, called for Israelis to be sent to Germany and Poland, where six million Jews were heinously murdered in satanic ways during WWII.
The meaning of all these actions and statements is very clear: the enemies of Israel, backed with the support of most of the world, prepare themselves and are making the first steps of the end-time Gog and Magog War against Israel that was prophesied by the prophets Ezekiel, Zechariah, Joel and others. Through this war the Almighty G‑d of Israel is going to show the entire world His greatness, His love, His faithfulness and commitment to the covenant that He made with His chosen people Israel and His determination to complete in our generation the end-time process of the redemption of Israel, and through Israel, that of the entire world. This will also be as it was prophesied: a war of judgment upon the enemies and nations that came to destroy Israel and G‑d's dream for a godly moral revolution throughout the world. For thousands of years G‑d has prepared His people Israel for this critical hour and promised to protect and stand with them. He called this end-time war of judgment the "Gog and Magog War" that will start from the north (Turkey, Syria, Russia and others):
"Therefore, son of man, prophesy and say to Gog, Thus says the L‑rd G‑d; In that day when my people of Israel dwell safely, shall you not know it: And you shall come from your place out of the far sides of the north, you, and many peoples with you, all of them riding upon horses, a great company, and a mighty army: and you shall come up against my people of Israel, like a cloud to cover the land; it shall be in the latter days, and I will bring you against my land, that the nations may know me, when I shall be sanctified by you, O Gog, before their eyes. And you, son of man, prophesy against Gog, and say, Thus says the L‑rd G‑d; Behold, I am against you, O Gog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal: and I will turn you about, and entice you on, and will cause you to come up from the far sides of the north, and will bring you against the mountains of Israel: and I will smite your bow out of your left hand, and will cause your arrows to fall out of your right hand. You shall fall upon the mountains of Israel, you, and all your bands, and the peoples that are with you: I will give you to the ravenous birds of every sort, and to the beasts of the field to be devoured. You shall fall upon the open field: for I have spoken it, says the L‑rd G‑d. And I will send a fire on Magog, and among them that dwell securely in the coastlands: and they shall know that I am the L‑rd So will I make my holy name known in the midst of my people Israel; and I will not allow my holy name to be profaned any more: and the nations shall know that I am the L‑rd, the Holy One in Israel." (Ezekiel 38:14-16; 39:1-7)
The prophet Joel described this war and day of judgment with very dramatic words and colors that cause us to think of a nuclear war, especially when we see Iran's zeal towards having nuclear capabilities while she declares the removal of Israel from the map of the world. Like the prophet Ezekiel, the prophet Joel prophesies that G‑d will judge all the nations that come against Israel and He will protect His people and the Holy Land of Israel :
"And I will exhibit wonders in the heavens and on the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke. The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the coming of the great and the terrible day of the L‑rd. For, behold, in those days, and in that time, when I shall bring back the captivity of Judah and Jerusalem, I will also gather all nations, and will bring them down into the valley of Jehoshaphat, and will enter into judgment with them there for my people and for my heritage Israel, whom they have scattered among the nations, and have divided up my land." Joel 3:3-4; 4:1-2
The atmosphere in Israel at this special time is that the Gog and Magog war is really at the door. On June 6th, a conference of rabbis took place from the Jewish villages and cities located in the biblical heartland of Gush Etzion in Judea and Samaria. They called to Israel to get ready for the Gog and Magog war that is indicated by the violence surrounding Israel.
Everyone feels the significance of this special godly time. It looks like Israel is again alone among the nations. But everyone in the world should know that we do not feel alone because we know and we feel that G‑d is with us and among us, and we feel very safe with Him. There is no fear in Israel from all those many enemies and nations that are preparing themselves to eliminate Israel. Whom shall we fear if G‑d is with us? In a time when violence and hatred is coming from most of the world against Israel, and the President of the United States, Barack Hussein Obama, is putting pressure on Israel to divide her land and also Jerusalem, and to surrender to her Arab-Islamic enemies, Israel feels that we should answer President Obama: "No!" And to remind all of them of the Word of G‑d to Israel since ancient times: "Israel is a people that shall dwell alone and shall not consider the nations." Numbers 23:9. But Israel should consider, listen and obey only their Beloved Almighty G‑d, the G‑d of Israel. We should always remember what G‑d said to Israel from the ancient times, "I chose you not because you are the majority of all the nations, but because you are the minority of all the nations and I love you. But together with Me, you are the majority and the entire world is the minority":
"For you are a holy people to the L‑rd your G‑d: The L‑rd your G‑d has chosen you to be a special people to himself, above all peoples that are upon the face of the earth. The L‑rd did not set his love upon you, or choose you, because you were more in number than any people; for you were the fewest of all peoples: but because the L‑rd loved you, and because he would keep the oath which he had sworn to your fathers, has the L‑rd brought you out with a mighty hand, and redeemed you out of the house of bondmen, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt. Know therefore that the L‑rd your G‑d, He is G‑d, the faithful G‑d, who keeps covenant and grace with those who love him and keep his commandments to a thousand generations; and repays them that hate him to their face, to destroy them: he will not be slack to him that hates him, he will repay him to his face." Deuteronomy 7:6-10
In these days Israel is lifting her eyes, face and heart to heaven to the G‑d of Israel. We know, as always, that salvation for Israel will come from the beloved G‑d of Israel, who will fight together with His faithful Israeli soldiers that are ready to fight against the many enemies of the G‑d and people of Israel and to sacrifice everything when it is needed for Him, for His people, for His Land and for the betterment of mankind throughout the world.
A few words of love to the many, many friends and lovers of Israel and the Temple Mount and Land of Israel Faithful Movement who are all over the world and are standing strongly with Israel and her Faithful Movement of G‑d at this time of darkness. We feel, and we know, that by this and by your good hearts you have touched the heart of G‑d and were chosen by Him from all the nations to have an important part in His end-time plans. You are carrying the torch of light at this time of darkness and you give hope to the entire world. The G‑d of the people of Israel will never forget what you are doing for the people of G‑d in a time when it is so needed. Soon we shall stand hand-in-hand in the rebuilt Temple of G‑d in Jerusalem, and we shall thank Him for the great privilege that He gave us to serve Him and His end-time plans at such a major, godly time. Thank you again and again so much for all of this and for who you are!
The Temple Mount and Land of Israel Faithful Movement wants to again thank all of you who stand with the Faithful Movement both spiritually and practically with such great faithfulness and love. At this special time the Faithful Movement is fulfilling an important part and role in the midst of all these end-time events that are increasingly focused on the Temple Mount and Jerusalem. From this most holy place starts all the godly end-time events, and here they will soon be completed, when G‑d will dwell in His rebuilt Temple among His people Israel and among all humanity. For this, and for making Israel once again a biblical nation with a biblical mission, the Faithful Movement is dedicated.
Any contribution that will help us complete this holy work, hand-and-hand with your gracious participation, will be accepted with deepest appreciation and can be made by personal check or money order payable to: Temple Mount Faithful Movement and sent to the following address:
In G‑d we trust!!
The Temple Mount and Land of Israel Faithful Movement
P.O. Box 18325, 4 Aliash Street, Jerusalem, Israel
Telephone: 02.625.1112 / FAX: 02.625.1113
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The Temple Mount and Land of Israel Faithful Movement is not associated or affiliated with the Temple Institute.
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