Prophecy
Update 2003
New Year’s Eve
Iraq
How does the current situation in Iraq
Iraq Babylon
If the current crisis in Iraq
About the only thing possible is if Iraq Israel Israel Israel
Terrorism
(Luke 21:26 KJV)
Men's hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things
which are coming on the earth:
(Luke 21:26 NIV)
Men will faint from terror, apprehensive of what is coming on the world
Worldwide Terrorism. Need I say more?
Israel
Israel
If I only had to give you one word that would give you a clue that we are
in the end times, it’s Israel Israel
Jesus said,
(Mat 24:32-33 KJV) Now learn
a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh: {33} So
likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at
the doors.
Whether you take the “fig tree” as symbolic of Israel Israel Israel
The World’s hate for Israel
(Zec 12:2-3 KJV) Behold, I will make Jerusalem Judah Jerusalem Jerusalem
This is speaking specifically about a time in the Tribulation, but we see
today that most of the world is already against Israel
We seem to be Israel Israel Israel
Whenever peace in the Mideast
is discussed, we tend to line up with Israel Europe , lines up with the
Palestinians.
From Jerusalem 2/13/2001
European Union backs PA
on starting point for negotiations
By Herb Keinon
JERUSALEM (February 13) - The European Union has come out on the side of the
Palestinians on the question of whether ideas raised at Camp David and Taba should serve as the point of departure for further
negotiations…
The Temple
The Temple Temple
(Rev 11:1-2 KJV) And there
was given me a reed like unto a rod: and the angel
stood, saying, Rise, and measure the temple of God
John was told to measure the Temple Temple Jerusalem
Be sure to check out www.templeinstitute.org
to see how far the plans are for the next Temple
Many of the Temple
The Red heifer
The ashes of a special red heifer are an important aspect of the restarting
of Temple Worship
(Num 19:1-2 KJV) And the
LORD spake unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying, {2} This is the ordinance of the
law which the LORD hath commanded, saying, Speak unto the children of Israel,
that they bring thee a red heifer without spot, wherein is no blemish, and upon
which never came yoke:
This special heifer was to be sacrificed in a special ritual, and then the animal was to be burned completely to ashes. The ashes were to be collected and mixed with water to create what was called the “water of separation”. This special water/ash mixture was a part of the ceremonial cleansing that the priests were to go through.
(Num 19:13
KJV) Whosoever toucheth
the dead body of any man that is dead, and purifieth
not himself, defileth the tabernacle of the LORD; and
that soul shall be cut off from Israel
If a man were to enter into priestly ministry and not be completely cleansed from “uncleanness” …
(Num 19:20
KJV) But the man that shall be unclean,
and shall not purify himself, that soul shall be cut off from among the
congregation, because he hath defiled the sanctuary of the LORD: the water of
separation hath not been sprinkled upon him; he is unclean.
Up until recently, there has not been one of these
special “red heifers” available. There have been various attempts over the
years to produce a red heifer that met the qualifications, but each time a calf
was born that looked right, it eventually grew “blemishes” and was declared
unfit.
This year a red heifer was born.
From the Temple Institute: NEWS FLASH: Red Heifer Born in Israel
April 8th, 2002
It can now be revealed that less than
one month ago, a red heifer was born in Israel Friday, April 5th, 2002 , Rabbi Menachem Makover and Rabbi Chaim Richman
traveled to the farm where the heifer is located, to inspect and validate her
status. The rabbis found her to be kosher and were satisfied that this heifer
could indeed be a candidate to be used in the process of purification described
in the book of Numbers, chapter 19. This is an important development towards
the rebuilding of the Holy Temple
Update: As of July 1st, 2002 , the red heifer born in Israel
Europe
Daniel has a famous prophecy known as the “Seventy Weeks”. One of the amazing things of this prophecy is that it pinpoints the date of the Messiah’s coming to the day (but that is another story).
This prophecy is about “seventy weeks”, or, seventy periods of sevens. We have come to realize that these are seventy periods of seven years. The first sixty-nine weeks were fulfilled with the coming of Jesus, but with Jesus’ death on the cross, God’s time clock was stopped.
(Dan 9:26-27 KJV) And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined.
This is when the clock stopped.
Jesus died and the clock stopped.
Jerusalem
{27} And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and
in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to
cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate,
even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the
desolate.
This last week is what we call The Great Tribulation. It is a period of seven years that is coming
on the earth, some of which we read about in the book of Revelation. During this time, the “prince”, known as the
Antichrist, will make some sort of treaty with Israel Temple
What is pertinent to our point is the phrase in verse 26, “the people of
the prince that shall come shall destroy the city”. The “prince” refers to the antichrist. The “people” that came were the Romans. There will be some sort of a revived Roman
empire in the last days from which the antichrist will come. I believe this may be taking place today in
what we call the European Union.
Daniel has two other places that seem to refer to this revived Roman
empire .
In Daniel 2, pagan Nebuchadnezzar has that weird dream about a statue. In this dream, he finds out that he has
dreamt about four world empires, the fourth empire being that of Rome
Each empire was described as a part of this statue, but the fourth empire was described in two parts, as “legs of iron” and as “feet and toes” both of “iron” and “clay”.
The legs would refer to the first Roman Empire .
The feet and toes would refer to the form of the empire that we see taking
place in Europe today:
(Dan 2:40-44 KJV) And the
fourth kingdom shall be strong as iron: forasmuch as iron breaketh in pieces and subdueth all things: and as iron that breaketh all these, shall it break in pieces and bruise.
{41} And whereas thou sawest the feet and toes, part
of potters' clay, and part of iron, the kingdom shall be divided; but there
shall be in it of the strength of the iron, forasmuch as thou sawest the iron mixed with miry clay. {42} And as the toes
of the feet were part of iron, and part of clay, so the kingdom shall be partly strong, and partly broken. {43} And whereas thou sawest
iron mixed with miry clay, they shall mingle themselves with the seed of men: but they shall not
cleave one to another, even as iron is not mixed with clay. {44} And in the
days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never
be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall
break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever.
There will be a sense of strength mixed with weakness. The strength is in power and ability to conquer. The weakness will be in the inability of this empire to hold itself together. I wonder if this isn’t a picture of the fragile democracy that is being formed in the current European Union?
Slowly a nation is being formed out of many nations. It started with economic ties, and currently
This is from the London Dec. 17, 2002 ):
Alarm at 'EU
Pentagon' plan
By Ambrose Evans-Pritchard
in Brussels
(Filed: 17/12/2002 )
The European Union is drawing up plans for a "Euro-Pentagon" in Brussels
The proposals call for an EU defence secretary with responsibility for running operations.
…The document says the world has changed so dramatically since September 11, 2001 , that national
defence is "no longer sufficient".
The plans go far beyond the EU's 60,000-man rapid reaction force, which is to take on its first peacekeeping mission in the Balkans early next year.
Daniel gives us more insight into coming things when he has his own vision in Daniel 7.
His vision is similar in several respects with the earlier dream of
Nebuchadnezzar. Instead of a statue,
Daniel sees four different “beasts” coming up out of the “great” sea, and they
happen to be the same four kingdoms that Nebuchadnezzar had forseen. The “great sea” in the Old Testament is a
phrase often referring to the Mediterranean . These four empires were centered around the Mediterranean .
Again, the focus would be on the fourth beast, which was to be the beast that would be destroyed when the Messiah would come back. Daniel describes this beast as having “ten horns”.
(Dan 7:23-26 KJV) Thus he
said, The fourth beast shall be the fourth kingdom
upon earth, which shall be diverse from all kingdoms, and shall devour the
whole earth, and shall tread it down, and break it in pieces. {24} And the ten
horns out of this kingdom are ten kings that shall arise: and another shall
rise after them; and he shall be diverse from the first, and he shall subdue
three kings. {25} And he shall speak great words against the most High, and
shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws:
and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing
of time. {26} But the judgment shall sit, and they shall take
away his dominion, to consume and to destroy it unto the end.
This “tenth horn” is the Antichrist.
He will come to power in this Roman empire by
“subduing” three kings, or, possibly three nations.
He will be known for having “great words”, being able to say things that will sway people.
He will have a period of 3 ½ years (time, times, and the dividing of time),
the last half of the Tribulation, where he will wreak havoc on the world. But he will come to a final end when Jesus
returns.
I believe it is pretty safe to say that the Antichrist will come out of some sort of European government.
Antichrist
John in his vision of Revelation also speaks about the Antichrist.
He talks of two “beasts”. We usually think of the first “beast” as the Antichrist and the second beast as his sidekick, a “false prophet”.
Of the first beast, John writes that he had a “wound” to “death” and was healed (Rev. 13:3)
This may refer to a nation, like the Roman empire ,
being revived. Some have suggested that
the Antichrist will be someone who is killed and raised from the dead just like … Jesus.
Of the second beast, John writes,
(Rev 13:11-14 KJV) 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. {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. {13} And he
doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down
from heaven on the earth in the sight of men, {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.
There will be a great delusion during the Tribulation. We can often think that if someone performs a miracle, they must be from God. But these folks will do great miracles, even things that previously had only been attributed to God, making fire come from heaven.
Cloning
(Rev 13:15 KJV)
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.
There will be some sort of “image” of the beast that is given “life” by the false prophet.
Years ago we thought this might be something like a computer.
I wonder about the current news items regarding human cloning. Whether the “Raelians” have really cloned a baby or not, the day is coming when it will happen. Could someone “clone” the antichrist? Could someone clone “Hitler”? I wouldn’t be surprised if someone tried.
From MSNBC (12/27/02 )
Chemist
claims first cloned human
The Mark
(Rev 13:16-18 KJV) 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: {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. {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.
We’ve been looking for years for some sort of “numbering” system to appear to track people.
We’ve seen the emergence of chip implants that are able to be tracked by satellite.
But lately, the new ingredient is Terrorism. Whereas we have people who have resisted things like a “national ID” system, we might find ourselves looking at it in light of the terrorist threat. Maybe one day having a “world ID”?
From Newsweek, 1/6/03
issue:
The Biggest
Hole in the Net
One day soon,
Jan. 6 issue — Buried on page 177 of the new law establishing the Department of Homeland Security is a one-sentence provision that has so far escaped public notice: “Nothing in this act shall be construed to authorize the development of a national identification system or card.”
The whole purpose of the article was to argue for the point that because of the terrorist threat, we will sooner or later need to have a national ID card so we can tell who the good guys and bad guys are.
From Macedonian Press Agency (12/21/02 )
The
indication of religion, even optionally, will be removed from identity cards,
according to the ruling of the
The
indication of religion is not useful to the identification of a person, and its
optional recording may lead to discrimination against certain citizens, while
it violates the right of religious freedom, pointed out the Court's ruling,
which found the priests' and theologians' appeal to the Council of the State
unacceptable to begin with.
Isn’t it interesting that someone even “proposed” that “religion” be
included on Europe ’s ID cards?
This from CBN news
By George Thomas
CBN News Reporter
Passing
a controversial anti-cult law,
CBN.com - One of
Passing a controversial anti-cult law,
McDonalds
For several years now, I’ve been contemplating the possibility that the antichrist is Ronald McDonald. I have new evidence.
McDonalds is contemplating changing the taste of their burgers. This is partly due to the fact that for the first time in 47 years, McDonalds has posted its first quarterly financial loss.
Change of season at
McDonald’s?
By Jane Weaver
MSNBC
NEW YORK
This change in taste may be done by adding different seasonings to the meat to make it more “flavorful”.
I think there may be something sinister going on here. This is clearly somebody trying to do what only God can do. God is the only one who should “change seasons”:
(Dan 2:20-21 KJV) Daniel
answered and said, Blessed be the name of God for ever and ever: for wisdom and
might are his: {21} And he changeth the times and the seasons: he removeth kings, and setteth up kings: he giveth
wisdom unto the wise, and knowledge to them that know understanding:
Could this have great prophetical interest? Probably not.
Lesson
Keep your sense of humor. J
I think that sometimes we need to maintain a balance in our lives of
seriousness and humor. Don’t get me
wrong, I believe the things we’re looking at are very serious. I believe that
the issues that surround these things are very
important. But I also believe that there
is a place for laughter in life. I do
not believe that the Christian who never smiles or laughs is not a healthy
Christian.
Pre-Trib Rapture
The Rapture of the church is an event when the Lord will come and snatch away His church and give each person who is alive at that time a glorified body.
(1 Th 4:13-18 KJV) But I would not have you to be ignorant,
brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others
which have no hope. {14} For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even
so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. {15} For this we say
unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the
coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. {16} For the Lord
himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the
archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:
{17} Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them
in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the
Lord. {18} Wherefore comfort one another with these words.
(1 Cor 15:50 -53 KJV) Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and
blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God
Though there are some who teach that this event might happen during the coming Tribulation period when the antichrist is revealed and there are others who teach that this will happen at the end of the Tribulation, we believe that this event will occur before the time known as the Great Tribulation.
Reasons for a Pre-Trib
Rapture:
1. The Outline of Revelation:
This is by no means a conclusive argument, but I think it has some merit to it.
The Book of Revelation is broken down into three segments by the Lord. Jesus told John:
(Rev 1:19
KJV) Write the things which thou hast
seen, and the things which are, and the things which shall be hereafter;
As you study the book, you find that the “things which thou hast seen” are the things that John saw in his vision of Jesus in chapter one.
The “things which are” are the things of chapters two and three, the letters to the seven churches. It is all about the church. In a sense it covers the history of the church.
The “things which shall be hereafter” refers to the things in chapters
4-22. The phrase “after these things”
starts chapter 4:1, and is the exact same phrase in 1:19 . The events
from chapters 4-22 take place after the time of the “church” on earth.
As you read and study the book of Revelation, there are a couple of things
that hint at a pre-trib rapture.
a. John describes everything from chapters 4-22 from the perspective of heaven.
Why does John write from heaven's perspective to describe the tribulation?
Because John is writing to the church (remember the seven letters?), and I believe the church is going to be seeing these things happen from the perspective of heaven.
The church is going to be raptured BEFORE the Great Tribulation period, which starts in chapter 6.
b. The presence of the church.
The word "church" (eklessia) is found 18 times prior to chapter four (during the times that "are"), and only once after chapter four (during the times "after these things"), at the end, when Jesus says:
Re 22:16 I Jesus have sent mine
angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring
of David, and the bright and morning star.
Once John is in heaven, his focus is directed primarily to the things on earth.
Because there is no church on the earth, there is no mention of it.
c. John’s own actions.
After the segment dealing with the church, John starts the last section of the book with:
(Rev 4:1-2 KJV) After this I
looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I
heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up hither,
and I will show thee things which must be hereafter. {2} And immediately I was
in the spirit; and, behold, a throne was set in heaven, and one sat on the
throne.
I don’t think it’s a coincidence that the section that
begins to detail the unfolding of the Great Tribulation begins with a sort of
“rapture”, of John being caught up into heaven.
2. Wrath and church don't mix.
The tribulation is a time of wrath
(Rev 6:17
KJV) For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?
God does not intend for His church to experience wrath. Jesus died for us so we would escape wrath.
(1 Th 5:9 KJV) For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord
Jesus Christ
3. Jesus said the faithful would escape the Tribulation.
He said,
(Luke 21:34-36 KJV) And take
heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with
surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon
you unawares. {35} For as a snare shall it come on all them that dwell on the
face of the whole earth. {36} Watch ye therefore, and
pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy
to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the
Son of man.
To the church in Philadelphia
(Rev 3:10
KJV) Because thou hast kept the word of
my patience, I also will keep thee from
the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the
world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.
temptation – peirasmos – an experiment, attempt, trial, proving
This same word is translated “trials” in:
(1Pe
(James 1:2 NASB)
Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials,
The faithful church is kept from the tribulation, the great time of “testing” that is coming upon the earth.
This doesn’t mean that we won’t go through difficult times.
Jesus also said,
(John 16:33 KJV)
These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In
the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the
world.
There are plenty of Christians today who are going through greatly
difficult times. But it doesn’t mean
they will go through THE Great Tribulation.
Old Testament examples:
Both Noah and Lot are held up by Peter (2Pet.2) as
examples of this.
They both escaped times of judgment (the flood, Sodom
Then Peter writes:
2Peter 2:9 The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations
(NIV - "trials"), and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment
to be punished:
This was the center of Abraham’s negotiating with God over Lot ’s
life:
(Gen 18:22-25 KJV) And the
men turned their faces from thence, and went toward Sodom
God would not destroy Sodom
This raises a question, will the unfaithful go through the Tribulation?
Jesus said to the unrepentant in Thyatira:
(Rev 2:22
KJV) Behold, I will cast her into a bed,
and them that commit adultery with her into great tribulation, except they
repent of their deeds.
Kind of sobering, huh?
4. The purpose of the Tribulation.
We’ve already seen that the Tribulation will be a time of God’s wrath on the earth, but it also will be a time of bringing the Jews back to Him.
The Tribulation is recognized at the “70th” week of Daniel, a period of 70 x 7 years, of which 69 were accomplished by the time Jesus came the first time.
The Tribulation period is the last unfulfilled week of Daniel’s prophecy.
Look who the tribulation is for:
(Dan 9:24
KJV) Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy
holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to
make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness,
and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy.
Who are Daniel’s “people”? Israel
This is why it’s important that we understand the distinction between Israel
There are some folks who feel that God is finished with Israel Israel
(Zep 2:3 KJV) Seek ye the LORD, all ye meek of the earth,
which have wrought his judgment; seek righteousness, seek meekness: it may be ye shall be hid in the day of the
LORD'S anger.
They will say that this refers to the scenario in Rev.12, with the woman running from the dragon. They say that God will supernaturally protect the church in the Tribulation.
But the woman in Rev. 12 is “Israel Israel
God isn't finished with Israel
(Rom 11:1 KJV) I say then, Hath God cast away his people?
God forbid. For I also am an Israelite, of the seed of
Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin.
5. The element of surprise.
The Scripture talks about the suddenness of the second coming.
(Mat 24:36 KJV) But of that
day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of
heaven, but my Father only.
(Mat 24:44 KJV) Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the
Son of man cometh.
Yet Scripture also gives us the day when Jesus will come back, tied to an event during the tribulation period.
(Dan 12:11
KJV) And from the time that the daily
sacrifice shall be taken away, and the abomination that maketh
desolate set up, there shall be a thousand two hundred and ninety days.
How can there be a surprise, when it's something that can be calculated?
This is because the Rapture comes first, unexpectedly, not tied to events in the Tribulation.
The actual Second Coming, when we return with Jesus, will be calculated, 1290 days after the abomination of desolation.
We get the idea in Scripture that when Jesus comes back, the armies of the earth are gathered together to fight against Him. They are expecting Him!
If the Rapture came at the end, right before Jesus comes back, there would be no surprise, we’d all be marking our calendars.
Lesson
Live as if it could happen at any
moment.
Jesus said,
(Mat 24:42-51 KJV) Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour
your Lord doth come. {43} But know this, that if the goodman
of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have
watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up. {44} Therefore
be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.
{45} Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his lord hath made ruler
over his household, to give them meat in due season? {46} Blessed is that
servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing. {47} Verily I say
unto you, That he shall make him ruler over all his goods. {48} But and if that
evil servant shall say in his heart, My lord delayeth
his coming; {49} And shall begin to smite his fellowservants,
and to eat and drink with the drunken; {50} The lord of that servant shall come
in a day when he looketh not for him, and in an hour
that he is not aware of, {51} And shall cut him asunder, and appoint him his
portion with the hypocrites: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
Jesus could come back for us at any moment.
What will He find us doing? Will
He find us doing things we might be embarrassed about or ashamed of? Will He find us doing the kinds of things He
wants us to be doing?
I think we are often unaware of who is with us.
We can walk into a room and think that we’re alone, but we’re not. We can close the door behind us and think that no one can see what we’re doing, but it’s not true.
In a sense, it’s as if we have a spiritual “blindfold” on. We may not realize it, but we’re not alone. Jesus and His angels are right here.