Interesting commentary

A commentary which was published in the LA Times today, with the title "Israel has Iran in its sights" was very interesting and revealing. According to the author, Micah Zenko, who is a fellow in the Center for Preventive Action at the Council of Foreign Relations, September will be a pivitol month in terms of Israel and the Iranian nuclear facility situation.

Article Here

Quotes:

"Iran has until late September to respond to the latest international proposal aimed at stopping the Islamic Republic from developing a nuclear weapon....But if diplomacy fails, the world should be prepared for an Israeli attack on Iran's suspected nuclear weapons facilities. As Adm. Michael Mullen, the chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, recently acknowledged: 'The window between a strike on Iran and their getting nuclear weapons is a pretty narrow window.'"

"If Israel attempts such a high-risk and destabilizing strike against Iran, President Obama will probably learn of the operation from CNN rather than the CIA. History shows that although Washington seeks influence over Israel's military operations, Israel would rather explain later than ask for approval in advance of launching preemptive attacks."

Also in this commentary, the author goes back and reviews similar Israeli actions in the past (1956, 1967, 1981 and most recently, 2007 when a Syrian facility was destroyed) and concludes, "Should Tehran prove unwilling to meet the September deadline and bargain away its growing and latent nuclear weapon capability, we can expect an Israeli attack that does not require U.S. permission, or even a warning."

This fall is shaping up to be very interesting.

For September, we have the "Obama plan" being revealed for the Middle-East, possibly at a UN speech as rumored and now we see this September deadline looming for Iran - a deadline which will most likely determine subsequent Israeli actions.

In October and November, we should know if the Lisbon Treaty will be ratified for the EU, a treaty which will finally, formally consolidate the "power positions" within the EU, creating a "Permanent President" and a very powerful "Foreign Policy" position. During the fall season, we will also have the answers regarding the Swine Flu and what it will actually do - will it be the severe pandemic (crisis) that many fear, similar to 1918? - or will it be just another typical seasonal flu? We should also know how safe or unsafe the vaccine is, as this fall progresses.

Prophecy watching should be quite interesting in the coming months. All in God's time and all in God's will.

Maranatha!

In the news...

There are several interesting news articles out this morning, all under the category of "The headline says it all".



"Palestinian refusal to recognize Israel is destroying peace bids"



"Hezbollah Readies for War as UN Can Only Observe"



"EU Foreign Policy Chief Solana arrives in Syria for peace talks"

This last article is of interest because we expect the final peace plan, as brokered by the antichrist, to come from the revived Roman Empire, aka the EU/Med Union. For years many prophecy watchers speculated on Solana's role, as he is responsible for foreign policy coming from the EU, and is a very powerful figure in EU politics. I personally don't believe this theory (the theory that Solana could ultimately become the antichrist), as the Bible is clear that the Church will have been removed before the antichrist brokers the peace plan for Israel and her neighbors; therefore, on that premise, those who are destined for the Rapture would never know the identity of the antichrist. For this reason alone I am reluctant to speculate on the identity of the antichrist (although it does make for some interesting dinner conversations). Additionally, I have always felt that Solana is becoming less and less powerful as the EU completes the Lisbon treaty, plus, he has made overtures that he will retire soon.

Having said that, it is always interesting to watch the EU's role in the comprehensive peace plan which is currently being prepared for the region. The month of September should be very interesting because a major push for a definitive peace plan in the Middle-East is being discussed within the UN, as well as Obama's plan which is stated to be revealed in September.

Keep your eyes open for these discussions during September as they could prove very revealing; the closer we get to "the" peace plan in the Middle-East, the closer we get to the beginning of the Tribulation, and therefore, closer to the Rapture of the Church. That certainly gets my attention. Its that simple.

Better late than never

After years of covering up the truth, the UN finally gets on board.

"UN: Iran nuclear program may have 'military dimensions'"

Oh really? Ya think?

Quotes from the article:

"...the IAEA report states that Iran may be working towards acquiring a nuclear weapons capability. The report was issued just prior to the annual meeting of IAEA member states which is scheduled to convene next month in Vienna."

"It has become evident that Iran has confirmed, albiet implicitly, that it carried out experiments in order to test the process known as 'detonation', a key stage in the development of nuclear weapons."

Then, in another article we see another typical day in Israel, firmly in the category of "News you can't find in the main-stream-media":

"Qassam strikes southern Israel amid growing border strain".

Quotes:

"Palestinian militants in the northern Gasa Strip fired a Qassam rocket into the western Negev early Saturday. The rocket hit an open area on the Sdot Negev regional council."

"The Qassam, fired at around 6:00 A.M. was one of several incidents along Israel's border with Gaza..."

Just another typical day, here in 2009. Missiles fired into Israel. Iran continues their nuclear weapons program while their leaders call for the complete destruction of Israel.

End Times Wars: Sequence of Events

For a variety of reasons, Psalm 83 and its prophetic view of a war in the Middle-East is receiving much attention within prophecy circles. Basically, Psalm 83 outlines a war between Israel and the surrounding nations, which does not include the Russian-Iranian alliance which is the cornerstone of the "Gog-MaGog" invasion of Israel described in Ezekiel 38-39. Therefore, the prophecy of Psalm 83 appears to involve a different and separate war from the one described in Ezekiel 38-39. Many folks believe that the battle/war of Psalm 83 will precede the "Gog-MaGog" invasion, perhaps even leading into this battle described in Ezekiel 38-39.

I believe this is quite possible, however not for the reasons typically stated. I see a few flaws in the argument around Psalm 83 and the basis for it's descriptive war preceding Ezekiel's prophecy.

The mistake I see, is the attempt to fit current events into prophecy, rather than to understand the prophetic scenarios given biblically and simply watch to see if/when they transpire. In this case, there seems to be an (unnecessary) need to show that Ezekiel's predictions from chapter 38-39 are NOT imminent. For some reason, I keep reading that in order for Psalm 83 to be imminent, then Ezekiel 38-39 isn't imminent. This is an unnecessary (and to me inaccurate) view for the following reasons:

- Ezekiel 38 stated that Israel will be living "securely" and with "unwalled villages". Arguments being made that Ezekiel 38-39 is not imminent, include the idea that currently, Israel is NOT "living securely" nor "unwalled" therefore Ezekiel 38-39 is NOT imminent. (Again, keep in mind, this premise isn't even needed to make the case for Psalm 83 as preceding Ezekiel 38-39).

I disagree with this premise. First of all, Ezekiel 38:11 states that Gog will invade Israel when it is a land of "unwalled VILLAGES" - or current day cities. The argument being made is this: Israel currently has a single, 400 mile wall that runs north and south in order to aid in the fight against the "homicide bombings" that had been occuring. The problem is, this wall doesn't represent a single "walled village" or city as the scriptures demand. In fact, there are no "walled" cities anywhere in Israel (excluding the old city of Jerusalem, which is now only a historical artifact, with no defense purposes). In fact, the thought occured to me, if you were to show Ezekiel modern day Israel, his first question would probably be "where are the walls?" Back in Ezekiel's day, all of the cities were surrounded by walls, for defense purposes. Today, not a single Israeli city is surrounded by walls. So to me, this (unnecessary) premise is clearly incorrect.

Additionally, folks will argue that Israel is NOT living "securely" now, thus, Ezekiel 38-39 is not imminent. I beg to differ with this premise as well. Israel now has the strongest military in the region, by far. Not even close. Israel's technology, their aerial dominance and their nuclear capability gives Israel security like they have never had throughout the history of the Bible. Folks will reference the various homicide bombings and the missiles that come in from Gaza, to prove otherwise - however, overall, the citizens of Israel now live very "securely" - backed by the dominant Israel IDF- as contrasted with past eras in Israeli history. So I disagree with this premise as well.

To be fair, I have heard arguments that "Gog-MaGog" can only occur after the anti-christ implements his peace plan in the Middle-East and grants temporary peace and "security" in the region as described in 1 Thessalonians 5. I can see this point - its a good one thats hard to argue against.

The main point: I believe both Ezekiel 38-39 AND the war described in Psalm 83 are BOTH imminent. There seems to be a need by folks to diminish the imminence of Ezekiel 38-39 in order to prove that Psalm 83 is close. I don't understand this approach. These two events are not mutually exclusive - in fact, I believe that they are closely related. As mentioned many times before, I believe that once that powder keg is ignited, then all subsequent events will occur immediately; thus, if Psalm 83 serves as the "trigger", then we'll see subsequent prophetic events, including the complete destruction of Damascus (Isaiah 17) and the invasion of "Gog-MaGog" occuring in rapid sequence.

This all leads to the main point of this post. Below is a very well-done article by David Reagan, who outlines a potential prophetic sequence of wars in the Middle-East. I happen to agree that his view is quite possible, just not necessarily for the specific reasons stated (those that involve Ezekiel 38-39 not being imminent). But it doesn't matter. They can both be imminent (as I believe they are), and still fit into this sequence. Here it is full link here: [[ Note: I suggest going to the link, if you are interested, as its MUCH easier to read, and it contains some interesting pictures...The link did not transfer well to this blog and is difficult to read, but I included it anyway]]




The Wars of the End Times
How many and when will they happen?
by Dr. David R. Reagan

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."

The concept comes from the book of Revelation where it says that armies will gather in the end times at a place "which in Hebrew is called Har-Magedon" (Revelation 16:16). This term literally means the Mount of Megiddo and refers to the ancient fortress of Megiddo that controlled the Valley of Jezreel. In English the word was transliterated as Armageddon, and the term came to be applied to the Valley of Jezreel which lies in front of Har-Magedon, running diagonally across Israel from Haifa to the Jordan River.

Most people are surprised to discover that there is no reference in the book of Revelation, or any other place in the Bible to the "Valley of Armageddon," nor is there any reference to the "Battle of Armageddon" — but more about that later. People are even more surprised to learn that Bible prophecy reveals nine wars in the end times and that Armageddon relates to only one of these.

The Next Prophetic War

Most prophetic scholars have long believed that the next great end time war will be the War of Gog & Magog that is described in Ezekiel 38 and 39. This, for example is the stated position of Joel Rosenberg in his popular book, Epicenter. This war will start when Russia invades Israel with certain specified allies, all of whom are Muslim nations today.

But I seriously doubt that the conflict described in Ezekiel 38 and 39 will be the next war of end time Bible prophecy. There are two reasons why I feel this way.

First, there is a condition for the war of Ezekiel 38 and 39 that has not been met. Three times in Ezekiel 38 — in verses 8, 11, and 14 — it states that the war described in that chapter will not occur until the people of Israel are living "securely" in "unwalled villages."

Israel is not living in security today. It is bombarded daily by missiles from Gaza, and it is constantly under the threat of missile attacks from Hezbollah in Lebanon. There is also the ever present threat of terrorist attacks, a threat that has forced Israel to construct a 400 mile long wall down the center of the country. In short, it is laughable today to even think of the Jewish people of Israel as living "securely" in "unwalled villages."

The second reason I doubt that the war of Ezekiel 38 and 39 will be the next end time war of Bible prophecy is because the nations mentioned in Ezekiel 38:5-6 as the allies of Russia do not include a single Arab state with a border adjacent to Israel. The nations identified are Persia (Iran), Cush (most likely modern day Sudan), Put (Libya and possibly Algeria and Tunisia), and two regions that lie within modern day Turkey (Gomer and Bethtogarmah). There is no mention of the nations that share a common border with Israel — namely, Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Egypt, and Gaza.

Why are the nations located next to Israel not mentioned as allies of Russia? I believe the best explanation of this mystery is the one supplied by Bill Salus in his book, Isralestine. He proposes that the next end time prophetic war will be the one described in Psalm 83, a war between Israel and its neighbors. He believes this war will produce the conditions that are necessary for the war of Ezekiel 38 and 39, and I agree with that conclusion.

With that point clarified, let's now take an overview of the end time prophetic wars in their likely chronological sequence.

1) The War of Extermination — Psalm 83

The psalm states that the immediate neighbors of Israel will launch a war for the purpose of "wiping out Israel as a nation" (verse 4). The nations described as being a part of this nefarious effort are those with a common border with Israel today (verses 6-8). The rest of the psalm is a prayer for the victory of Israel (verses 9-18).

The outcome of the war is not stated, but we know from other scriptures that Israel will be victorious. For example, in Zechariah 12:6 we are told that in the end times Israel will be like "a firepot among pieces of wood and a flaming torch among sheaves, so they will consume on the right hand and on the left all the surrounding peoples..." Also, in Amos 9:15 we are told that once the Jews are re-established in their land, "they will not again be rooted out from their land."

Bill Salus believes this war will result in an overwhelming victory for Israel, resulting in great territorial expansion and enhanced national resources. It will also produce the security spoken of in Ezekiel 38.


2) The First War of Gog & Magog — Ezekiel 38 and 39


But 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.


3) The Conventional War of the Tribulation — Revelation 6


The book of Revelation states that a major world war will break out soon after the Tribulation begins. This war is described in Revelation 6.

Although the Antichrist will rise to world power in Europe through cunning, deception, and intrigue (Daniel 8:23), he will have to resort to military power to conquer the world. Asia, Africa, and South America have spent too long casting off the shackles of European colonialism for them to suddenly surrender their sovereignty peacefully to a new European dictator — regardless of how brilliant and charismatic he may be.

We are told in Revelation 13:7 that the Antichrist will ultimately achieve "authority over every tribe and people and tongue and nation." This authority will be achieved through war. Revelation 6 records the outbreak of this world war. It results in the death of one-fourth of humanity, or 1.5 billion in today's terms (Revelation 6:8).

The War of Psalm 83 results in the destruction of the inner ring of Muslim states around Israel. The War of Ezekiel 38 and 39 produces the defeat of the immediate outer ring of Muslim states.

But the vast majority of all Muslims live outside the Middle East, the largest Muslim nations being Indonesia (201 million), India (144 million), Pakistan (140 million), and Bangladesh (115 million). These nations are the ones who are most likely to produce the strongest resistance to a Western, non-Muslim dictator, and they will be destroyed either in this war or the one that follows it.

In other words, I believe God is going to use the Antichrist as His hammer of wrath to destroy Islam.

But many other nations in the world will also have to be subdued, and that leads us to the next war of the end times.


4) The Nuclear War of the Tribulation — Revelation 8 & 9

At some point, the book of Revelation indicates that the conventional war will morph into a nuclear holocaust, resulting in the deaths of another one-third of Mankind, or another 1.5 billion people (Revelation 9:15). This means that in the first two wars of the Tribulation, more than one half of humanity will die.

A hint that the conventional war will become a nuclear one is found in Revelation 8:7 where it states that the escalation of the war will result in one-third of the earth being burned up. Another hint is found in Revelation 16:2 — 11 where we are told that "loathsome and malignant" sores will afflict people at the end of the Tribulation, something that would be a natural consequence of radiation from the use of nuclear weapons.

It could very well be that this nuclear holocaust could be what Jesus had in mind when He stated that in the end times men will faint from fear over the expectation of the things coming upon the world, "for the powers of the heavens will be shaken" (Luke 21:26).

This war is portrayed in the book of Revelation in chapters 8 — 9 as a series of "Trumpet Judgments."


5) The War in the Heavens — Revelation 12

The next end time war is totally different in nature from all the rest. It is a supernatural one that will occur in the heavens in the middle of the Tribulation. It is most likely prompted by an attempt of Satan to once again take the throne of God.

Satan and his angels are opposed in this war by Michael and his angels. Michael is an archangel who is pictured in the Hebrew Scriptures as the commander-in-chief of the armies of God (Daniel 10:13, 21 and 12:1). Michael and his angels prevail in this war, and Satan is cast down to earth. His access to God's throne is cut off (Revelation 12:9-10).

When this happens, Satan realizes that his time is short because he knows Bible prophecy (Revelation 12:12). In his rage, Satan decides to destroy the Jewish people, and this decision leads to the next war.


6) The War Against the Jews and the Saints — Revelation 12

Satan hates the Jews with a passion for several reasons:

1. They are the Chosen People of God.
2. God used them to provide the Scriptures to the world.
3. It was through them that the Messiah came.
4. God has promised that He will bring a great remnant of them to faith in His Son at the end of the Tribulation.

There is going to be another holocaust during the latter half of the Tribulation. When Satan is cast down to earth, he will possess the Antichrist (Revelation 13:2) and inspire him to annihilate all the Jews. This is the reason that Jesus referred to the last half of the Tribulation as "the great tribulation" (Matthew 24:21) — not because this half will be worse than the first half, but because the wrath of Satan will be focused on the Jews.

Some of the Jews of Israel will flee to a place in the "wilderness" where they will be supernaturally protected by God (Revelation 12:13-14). Many believe this hiding place will be the ancient city of Petra, located inside a box canyon in modern Jordan. There is good reason for this assumption because Daniel 11:41 says the Antichrist will be prevented from conquering Jordan when it is part of an end time rebellion.

But Zechariah 13:8 indicates that two-thirds of the Jewish people will be killed by the Antichrist during this time, and Revelation 12:17 says the Antichrist will also war against the "offspring" of Israel — namely, those "who keep the commandments of God and hold to the testimony of Jesus." I believe this is a reference to all those who accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior during the Tribulation, both Jews and Gentiles.

It is no wonder that Revelation 7:9-14 pictures a great multitude of martyrs in Heaven, so great that it cannot be counted. They are identified as "the ones who are coming out of the great tribulation, and they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb" (Revelation 7:14).

So the Antichrist will be very successful in his war against the Jews and the Saints, but he will fail in his ultimate goal of annihilating all the Jews. For we are told repeatedly throughout the Scriptures that a great remnant of the Jews will live to the end of the Tribulation at which time they will receive Yeshua as their Messiah. (See: Isaiah 10:20-23; Zechariah 12:10; Romans 9:27-28; and Romans 11:25-26.)


7) The Middle East Campaign of the Antichrist — Daniel 11

Daniel 11:40-45 describes a military campaign of the Antichrist in the Middle East that occurs at the end of the Tribulation.

These verses and related verses in Revelation could very well indicate that when the Antichrist becomes insanely obsessed with destroying the Jews and the Saints, the nations of the world will see an opportunity to rebel against him. The nations in the Middle East will be led by the "king of the North" (most likely Syria) and the "king of the South" (Egypt). The Antichrist responds by invading "the Beautiful Land" and subduing all the area except Jordan.

But just as he seems to be completely victorious, he hears "rumors from the East and from the North" that deeply disturb him. He retreats with his armies to the area "between the seas" where "he will come to his end." The geographical description here of a location between the Mediterranean Sea and the Sea of Galilee corresponds to the Valley of Armageddon.

I believe the rumors that frighten him are, in part, the news that "the kings from the East" (Revelation 16:12) who are bringing huge armies from Asia have arrived at the Euphrates River and are ready to cross into Israel to challenge him. The rumors from the North could relate to a reconstituted rebellious army from Russia.


8) The Battle of Armageddon — Joel 3, Zechariah 14, and Revelation 19

It appears that just as the armies from the East and the North start arriving in the Valley of Armageddon to challenge the Antichrist, the Lord breaks from the heavens, returns to the Mount of Olives, speaks a supernatural word, and all the armies are instantly destroyed.

In other words, there really is no such thing as the "Battle of Armageddon." The armies are assembled to do battle, but the Lord annihilates all of them in a microsecond "with the breath of His mouth" (2 Thessalonians 2:8).

Joel 3:16 says the Lord will "roar from Zion" and "utter His voice from Jerusalem." Isaiah 10:16 says the result will be "a wasting disease." Zechariah 14:12 says it will be a plague that will cause the flesh of the soldiers "to rot while they stand on their feet." Their eyes will rot in their sockets and their tongues will rot in their mouths. It will be like the explosion of a neutron bomb.


9) The Second Battle of Gog & Magog — Revelation 20

Mercifully and joyfully, the "battle" of Armageddon will be followed by one thousand years of peace as the reign of Jesus from Jerusalem results in the world being filled with righteousness and justice (Isaiah 11:4-5,9). Swords will be beat into plowshares and spears into pruning hooks, and "nation will not lift up sword against nation..." (Isaiah 2:4). All the money that is spent today on armaments will be spent on agricultural implements. The world will be flooded with agricultural abundance (Amos 9:13). There will be no homeless or hungry people. Every man will have his own vineyard and orchard (Micah 4:4).

Satan will be bound (Revelation 20:1-3). Sin and crime will be greatly reduced. But there will be seething rebellion in the hearts of many, if not most, that are born during that time.

This is hard for most people to understand. Why would there be resentment in the hearts of people in the midst of such a perfect reign of Jesus?

The initial population of the Millennium will be all those, both Jew and Gentile, who live to the end of the Tribulation and who have accepted Jesus as Lord and Savior. All others will be consigned to death when the Lord returns. So, the Millennium will begin with only believers. But they will begin to propagate, and since death will be curtailed and life spans will be greatly extended (Isaiah 65:20), the population of the world will grow exponentially.

Those born during this time will still have the old sin nature. They will desire all the things of the flesh — booze, drugs, gambling, and promiscuous sex. But they will see that any violation of the Law of God results in swift and certain justice. Immediate arrest will be followed by an immediate trial and an immediate judgment. There will be no appeal, for all judges will be Saints in glorified bodies who will make perfect decisions. So, the average person in the flesh will say, "I love you Jesus!" but he or she will do so with clinched teeth.

The Bible states repeatedly that Jesus will rule with "a rod of iron" (Psalm 2:9 and Revelation 2:26-27). And despite the fact that His reign will produce righteousness, fairness, and perfect justice (Isaiah 11:4-5), most of those living in the flesh will deeply resent the fact that they cannot freely pursue their worldly lusts.

It is no wonder that when Satan is released at the end of the Lord's millennial reign (Revelation 20:7), the majority of those in the flesh will unite in one last rebellion against God that is pictured in Revelation 20:7-9. Led once again by Gog & Magog, this war is often confused with the war of Ezekiel 38 and 39. But the two are very different. The Ezekiel war pictures Russia coming against the nation of Israel with certain specified allies. In Revelation 20 Russia is portrayed as leading all the nations of the world against Jesus Christ.

History is going to end as it began. It started out with two people living in a perfect society, but deciding to rebel against their Creator. It ends with all of humanity living in a perfect society, and the majority making the same decision to rebel against God.

One of the many purposes of the Millennium is for God to prove that Mankind's inherent sin defect can be remedied only by the Holy Spirit through faith in Jesus as Lord and Savior.

The religion of Satan has always been Humanism — the belief in Man. This philosophy teaches that Man is inherently good and is capable of perfection through education and social justice. Humanists therefore believe that if society can be perfected by supplying each person with a guaranteed job and income, Mankind will be transformed.

But the Bible teaches that Mankind is fatally flawed with a sin nature that makes people naturally evil (Jeremiah 17:9). And the Bible teaches that the only solution to the problem is the transformation of the Holy Spirit that begins when a person accepts Jesus as Lord and Savior.

God will prove this beyond doubt when He puts all of Mankind into a perfect society for one thousand years and Mankind responds in rebellion.


The Abolition of War

The Second War of Gog & Magog will be the final war of history. Following it, God will take the Redeemed off the earth and place them in the New Jerusalem He is now preparing. He will then consume the earth with fire to burn away the pollution of Satan's last revolt. Out of that fiery inferno will come new heavens and a new earth — this earth redeemed and perfected (2 Peter 3:10-13). He will then lower the Redeemed down to this earth inside the New Jerusalem (Revelation 21:2-7), and He will come to earth to live in their presence eternally (Revelation 22:1-4).

Eternal peace is coming. War is going to be gone forever. This hope of Mankind will not be achieved by diplomats. It will be a gift of God through Jesus Christ who died to redeem Mankind and all the Cosmos.

Kolom Opini: "Konstitusi dan Aktivisme Yudisial"

KONSTITUSI DAN AKTIVISME YUDISIAL
Oleh: Pan Mohamad Faiz*

Sumber: Kolom Opini Jurnal Nasional - Selasa, 25 Agustus 2009

Belum lama ini, tepatnya pada tanggal 18 Agustus, masyarakat Indonesia baru saja memperingati “Hari Konsitusi” untuk kali pertamanya. Peringatan Hari Konstitusi tersebut setidaknya memberikan gambaran bahwa UUD 1945 dan cita konstitusionalisme semakin diteguhkan sebagai sumber hukum tertinggi dan pedoman dasar dalam kehidupan bernegara.

Walaupun UUD 1945 telah dibentuk 64 tahun yang lalu, namun fase kehidupan dan kesadaran berkonstitusi warga negara terbentuk begitu pesat baru dalam kurun waktu sepuluh tahun terakhir ini. Setidaknya ada tiga faktor yang menyebabkan konstitusionalisme tersebut tumbuh subur di tengah-tengah masyarakat. Pertama, wujud pelaksanaan hasil amandemen UUD 1945 yang diubah pada 1999-2002; Kedua, munculnya puluhan lembaga kajian konstitusi; dan Ketiga, adanya sentuhan yudisial dari pengadilan konstitusi (baca: Mahkamah Konstitusi).

Dalam konteks terakhir, Upendra Baxi menyatakan bahwa pada negara-negara pasca-sosialis atau transisi, seperti misalnya Rusia, Polandia, dan Hungaria, mereka telah berhasil membumikan ruh konstitusinya melalui aktivisme yudisial (judicial activism). Aktivisme demikian terinspirasi dari makna filosofis penafsiran konstitusi yang memandang konstitusi bukan sekedar katalog peraturan hukum, namun lebih sebagai pernyataan prinsip-prinsip pemerintahan konstitusional yang wajib dijalankan.

Aktivisme yudisial sendiri merupakan proses pengambilan putusan pengadilan melalui pendekatan berbeda. Pendekatan ini menurut Satyabrata melebihi filsafat hukum lama, karena dianggap lebih modern dan dekat dengan kehidupan riil masyarakat. Aktivisme yudisial juga dipahami sebagai dinamisme para hakim yang memegang kekuasaan kehakiman ketika membuat putusan tanpa melampaui batas-batas konstitusi (S.P. Sathe, 2002).

Dalam pada itu, signifikasi dan peran hakim dalam menata kehidupan masyarakat sudah sejak lama didengungkan oleh Oliver Holmes dan Roscoe Pound. Sejalan dengan hal tersebut, Benjamin Cordozo dalam bukunya “The Nature of Judicial Process” berpendapat bahwa ketika hukum kehilangan pegangannya, maka para hakim dapat menciptakan hukum sebagai pilihan kreatif melalui empat metode pendekatan, yaitu filosofis, historis, kebiasaan, dan sosiologi. Pandangan demikian oleh para begawan hukum di Indonesia dikenal sebagai aliran hukum progresif (Satjipto Rahardjo, 2006).

Gelombang Pro-Kontra

Dewasa ini, aktivisme yudisial berkembang cepat hampir di seluruh negara dunia, tidak terkecuali pada negara-negara yang menganut sistem civil law. Namun demikian, diskursus mengenai aktivisme tersebut turut pula melahirkan pro-kontra di kalangan para elit, akademisi, praktisi, hingga hakim sekalipun. Akibatnya, hingga akhir 1990-an telah terfragmentasi tiga arus kelompok utama, yaitu: Pertama, kelompok yang berusaha membatasi ruang gerak yudisial (judicial restraint); Kedua, kelompok yang memandang aktivisme yudisial sebagai sine qou non dari pengadilan yang merdeka dan independen; dan Ketiga, kelompok moderat yang berkehendak agar aktivisme yudisial hanya terbatas untuk kasus-kasus selektif dan ekslusif, khususnya yang menyangkut perlindungan terhadap kaum lemah atau minoritas.

Bagaikan injeksi obat dengan dosis yang tepat, aktivisme yudisial dapat menjadi langkah yang tepat dalam mempertahankan sistem demokrasi konstitusional. Akan tetapi sebaliknya, jika terlalu berlebihan justru berpotensi mengakibatkan kontra-produktif. Di sinilah letak kekhawatiran sebagian kalangan yang melihat aktivisme yudisial dapat bermetamorfosa sewaktu-sewaktu menjadi sekedar petualangan yudisial (judicial adventurism) ataupun ekspansi yudisial (judicial expansionism).

Namun pada kenyataannya, tren terhadap aktivisme yudisial tetap menjadi corak esential dalam mengawasi dan menjalankan roda pemerintahan. Dengan demikian, judicial activism dan judicial self-restraint sebaiknya tidak perlu ditempatkan sebagai dogma yang saling bertentangan, sebab keduanya merupakan komponen yang krusial dalam fungsi kekuasaan kehakiman. Pun adanya perpaduan aliran pemikiran hukum yang beragam, seperti aliran positivis, traditional, ataupun progresif, patut dipertahankan karena memiliki nilai lebihnya masing-masing dalam nuansa “pertarungan” pertimbangan hukum pada saat merancang suatu putusan pengadilan.

Praktik Judicial Review

Dalam pemerintahan yang menjunjung tinggi prinsip demokrasi dan nomokrasi di bawah payung konstitusi, pengadilan adalah pengawal sekaligus pelindung hak-hak dasar warga negara. Berkaitan dengan hal itu, rule of law dan judicial review menjadi fitur dasar dari suatu konstitusi yang harus dilakoni. Adalah John Marshall yang pertama kali mempraktikkan aktivisme yudisial ketika memperkenalkan mekanisme judicial review pada tahun 1803 dalam kasus Marbury vs. Madison dengan mengatakan, “Our is a Government of laws and not of men”. Aktivisme ini kemudian terus bergulir setelah adanya pendapat Hamilton dan Jefferson dalam The Federalist (1837).

Hingga kini, praktik judicial review yang kerap mendapat sentuhan aktivisme yudisial marak terjadi di manca negara, seperti di Amerika, Jerman, Australia, India, Korea, dan Afrika Selatan. Sebagai contoh, dalam kasus Brown vs. Board of Education (1954), Mahkamah Agung Amerika telah mengubah total haluan dua putusannya yang terdahulu pada kasus Dred Scott (1857) dan Plessy v. Ferguson (1896) dengan menyatakan bahwa segregasi rasial dalam dunia pendidikan menjadi inkonstitusional. Dalam menjalankan fungsinya, Hakim tersebut menyesuaikan alam pemikirannya dengan terjadinya perubahan sosial kemasyarakatan yang terus berkembang, sehingga kadangkala diperlukan penyampingan formalisme hukum dan lebih mempertimbangkan “requirement of constitutionalism” (Banerjea, 2002).

Sementara itu, disadari atau tidak, Indonesia sendiri telah mempraktikkan aktivisme yudisial tatkala mempertahankan prinsip-prinsip dan hak dasar dalam konstitusi. Dalam lima tahun terakhir, beberapa di antara putusan Mahkamah Konstitusi setidaknya telah memperlihatkan kecenderungan tersebut, yakni pertama kali dimulai dengan adanya yurisprudensi konstitusional bersyarat (conditionally constitutional) dalam UU SDA (2005), lalu empat kali melakukan “tekanan konstitusional” (constitutional pressures) terhadap kewajiban pemenuhan 20% anggaran pendidikan (2005-2008), hingga mendeklarasikan perubahan paradigma dari keadilan prosedural menjadi keadilan substantif yang kemudian menjadi basis adanya perintah penghitungan dan pemungutan suara ulang Pemilu di Jawa Timur dan beberapa wilayah lainnya (2009).

Aktivisme yang tidak akan terlupakan adalah pemuatan ketentuan teknis dalam amar putusan sebagai prasyarat menjalankan suatu ketentuan undang-undang agar tidak bertentangan dengan konstitusi. Contoh ini dapat ditemukan pada putusan judicial review mengenai diperbolehkannya penggunaan KTP dan tata cara penghitungan kursi tahap kedua pada Pemilu 2009 yang lalu. Patut diakui bahwa putusan teknis demikian terkesan telah melampaui batas kewenangan yang dimiliki dalam konteks pemisahan kekuasaan. Akan tetapi, aktivisme yudisial tersebut nyatanya disambut dan diterima dengan baik tidak hanya oleh perorangan, akademisi, ataupun aktivis hukum, namun juga oleh Pemerintah, Parlemen, Partai Politik, KPU, Komnas HAM, dan lembaga-lembaga lainnya.

Dengan demikian, masyarakat Indonesia sejauh ini dapat dikatakan menerima kehadiran aktivisme yudisial sebagai alternatif solusi hukum ketika kondisi memang memperhadapkan antara perlindungan konstitusional vis-a-vis ketiadaan ataupun ketidakberdayaan peraturan hukum (constitutional lawlessness). Dalam sistem demokrasi konstitusional, judicial review dan judicial activism diyakini telah menjadi bagian yang tidak terpisahkan dalam bidang hukum ketatanegaraan. Akan tetapi, antusiasme yang berlebihan justru dapat menyebabkan iklim yang tidak sehat bagi pertumbuhan demokrasi itu sendiri. Untuk menjaganya, maka aktivisme yudisial perlu selalu dikawal dengan kritisasi akademik yang konstruktif, sehingga pengadilan tidak akan kehilangan legitimasinya.

*Penulis adalah Pengadministrasi Yustisial Hakim Konstitusi RI.

The Bride

One of the most beautiful descriptions of "The Church", or the body of believers during this Age of Grace, is that of a Bride to Christ. There is a vast array of scriptures which point to the Church as the Bride of Christ (Ephesians 5:22-32, Matthew 9:14-15, John 3:28-29, 2 Corinthians 11:2, Revelation 19:7-9, etc.). Jack Kelly has written a nice review of the ancient Jewish wedding ceremony and how it is linked to the Rapture of the Church. If you read John 14:1-3, a distinct rapture description, is actually a summary of this wedding ceremony process as it links to the Rapture:







This Week’s Feature Article by Jack Kelley

This is an update of an article originally published in March 2004. While it’s based on the Bible, it also includes Jewish wedding traditions from Biblical times. Some of these traditions go all the way back to Abraham’s time and are described in Genesis 24.

Birth of a Tradition

Abraham was getting old and Sarah had died, so he sent his chief servant to the land of his brother to get a wife for Isaac. The servant loaded up 10 camels with gifts and set off. After some time he arrived in the village of Abraham’s brother Nahor. Approaching a young woman near a well, he asked for a drink, in accordance with a plan he had devised with the Lord. When she offered to draw water for his camels as well, he recognized the confirming sign he had asked for and accompanied her to her home.

That evening he asked her family for permission to take the young woman, whose name was Rebekah, back home to be the bride of his master’s son Isaac. Using the gifts to reward her and compensate the family for the loss of their daughter, he said he wanted to leave immediately. When Rebekah’s father turned to her for final approval, she agreed and they set off the next morning. After several days travel during which the servant told her all about her betrothed, they arrived at Isaac’s home where she met him for the first time. That very evening Isaac and Rebekah were married.
That’s The Way It Goes

Members of royalty often followed a procedure very similar to this in obtaining brides for their sons, sometimes arranging them years in advance of the actual event. Common people also adopted this method, but of course with them the prospective groom acted on his own behalf rather than sending someone in his stead.

Even today in some Middle Eastern cultures arranged marriages are common, with the groom’s mother selecting a bride for her son. The logic here is that a young man’s mother knows her son and his temperament better than anyone and can most accurately predict what kind of woman would please him. On one of our trips to Israel and Jordan, our Jordanian guide told us that his marriage had been arranged in this way and he was very happy with his mother’s selection.
Back To Biblical Times

In those days when a man took a liking to a young woman, he approached her father to ask for her hand in marriage. Due to the prevailing economic conditions back then, it took a long time for a man to become financially stable enough to think about starting a family. When he did, he looked for a bride young enough to bear him many children. So while the man in these cases could be in his thirties, the potential bride would often still be a teenager and would need her father’s permission to marry.

Inviting the man into their home, the young woman’s parents sat down with him around a table while she brought wine and four cups. After she had poured each of them (but not herself) a cup of wine, she listened while this man, who she was meeting for the very first time, described his assets, skills and other qualities that made him a desirable mate. A brief negotiation followed where the price he would have to pay as compensation for the family’s loss of their daughter was determined. It was called the bride price.

If the two men reached an agreeable amount all eyes turned to the daughter who had been listening intently to the entire discussion. She now had to decide if she would take this man to be her husband. If she turned her empty cup upside down, the man went away never to return. But if she filled her cup and took a sip of the wine, she was agreeing to become his wife.

At that point they signed a betrothal agreement, wherein the man promised on oath to return for the young woman when all the wedding preparations were complete. Now they were officially engaged and the relationship could only be terminated by a divorce. He went away to build a home for them on family property next to his father’s house. This could take some time, and the couple rarely met again until the father of the groom pronounced the newly built home fit for habitation. Only then was the wedding date set, and the man given permission by his father to go collect his bride for the wedding.

During this time the young woman was to watch and wait at her parents’ home. She and her bridesmaids had to maintain a constant state of preparedness, since the wedding date would not be revealed to her until the bridegroom actually appeared at her door to take her to their new home.
Surprise, Surprise

For his part, the groom would try to show up unexpectedly to surprise her, carrying her off suddenly “like a thief in the night” when no one would see them. The only advance warning she would get was the sound of his voice shouting her name and the blast of a ram’s horn.

When the bridesmaids discovered that the bride had been “spirited away” they would organize a great torch-lit procession, going throughout the whole town announcing that the wedding banquet was soon to begin. The banquet typically capped off a seven-day celebration during which the bride and groom were hidden away in their private rooms while the whole town made merry. Then they reappeared at the banquet to receive the congratulations of their friends and family, and their married life officially began. The father of the groom picked up the tab for all the festivities.

Maybe you’re beginning to see the similarities. The Lord Jesus, being royalty, does not come directly seeking His bride. His Father sends an unnamed servant on His behalf, just like Abraham did. This servant of course is the Holy Spirit, our Comforter, Who beckons us. Interestingly, the name of Abraham’s servant was Eliezer, which translates “God is my Comforter.” And even more so, in Genesis 24 Eliezer’s name is never mentioned, as if he’s serving as a model of the Holy Spirit, Whose name is also withheld from us.

The role of the Holy Spirit is to extol the virtues of the Son of God, Who when told that the Bride price was nothing less than His own shed blood, agreed to die for us, and for the joy set before Him endured the cross. (Hebr. 12:2). His last word from the cross, recorded in John 19:30, was tetelesti, a Greek word that’s been translated “It is finished.” In the Lord’s time it was a legal term that literally meant, “Paid in full”, It was written across paid invoices and prison documents upon release of prisoners who had served their full terms, and had therefore paid their debt to society. With His death Jesus paid the price in full for His bride.
Who Loves You?

At the Last Supper Jesus had hoisted His cup and said, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.” (1 Cor. 11:25). When we first “take the cup” we’re signifying that we’re officially betrothed, and we’re rewarded with gifts from the Holy Spirit, Who is sealed within us as a guarantee of our inheritance (Ephe. 1:13-14). We then begin our journey, the balance of our life on Earth, while the Holy Spirit continues to teach us about our betrothed and helps us develop behavioral standards that are pleasing to Him.

As He does, we learn to our utter amazement that we have always been our Lord’s consuming desire,

That He lived so that we might come into existence and be set apart,

That He has longed for us to know how much He loves us,

That His every word and action were designed to bring us honor and express His devotion to us,

That He has dedicated Himself to us and covered all of our imperfections with His love, and

That He gave His life for us.

For His part the Lord is even now building a house for us. “You trust in God; trust also in me,“ He said. In My Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me so that you also may be where I am.” (John 14:1-3) He has sworn on oath to return for us when the wedding preparations are complete and take us to His Father’s house, to the place He’s been preparing for us.
Soon And Very Soon

One day when we least expect it, He’ll come like a thief in the night and spirit us away to our new home. For the Lord Himself will come down from Heaven with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so will we be with the Lord forever. (1 Thes. 4:16-17).

In Heaven the King and His Bride will be hidden away in our rooms, while on Earth the last seven years of human history unfold. (Isa. 26:19-20) At the end, following the Marriage Supper of the Lamb (Rev. 19:7-9), we’ll return to Earth together to rule and reign for 1000 years, and then it’s off to our eternal life with Him. Praise the Lord. Selah 08-22-09

Just another day in Israel

If you read the Jerusalem Post, or any of the other main publications in Israel, you will see the same news that we find today. This kind of news won't be seen in the U.S., as such news doesn't fit with the anti-Israel agenda of both the main stream media or the current administration:


"Two mortar shells strike kibbutz near Ashkelon; one lightly hurt"

and

"Soldier Wounded in Mortar Attack, Terrorist Killed"

Just another day in Israel; missiles fired from Gaza or southern Lebanon into Israel, intended to terrorize the citizens of Israel. The world turns and looks away. However, when Israel decides to take action with attempts to destroy such missile launching facilities - they are typically accused of "bloodshed" or killing "innocent settlers" in or around these missile launching bases.

If the news IS carried by the U.S. media, the focus will be centered on the fact that these missiles are inefficient, and "usually" don't hit or kill Israeli citizens. This is supposed to somehow make it "OK" and not newsworthy. Imagine the U.S. response if terrorists were embedded around the Mexican border, and they launched missiles into U.S. cities such as San Diego on a daily basis. But hey, this is Israel, so who cares?

Its important to note these missile attacks before an Israeli response. Because we'll all see any Israeli response on the nightly news, as we'll see how "horrible" Israel is, as they randomly and gleefully kill "innocent Palestinians" just for sport. Or so the media paints the situation.

The expectations of the "world" for Israel:

- Continue to allow the surrounding terrorists groups to send missiles into Israeli cities. Don't complain, don't fight back.
- Continue to "negotiate" with these exact same groups, so that they can have yet more Israeli land, and pretend that their agenda isn't to completely destroy Israel - while pretending that "land for peace" remains a viable option.
- Continue to ignore Iran's rapid obsession with nuclear weapons, and "trust" that the international community will successfully "negotiate" with Iran.

Another day in Israel; more missiles sent into Israel. Just turn your heads and look away - after all only one soldier was injured, so whats the big deal?

And while we're at it, why is Israel so reluctant to give away more land? Don't they want peace? If they JUST give up the West Bank, the Golan Heights, and Jerusalem, THEN we'll see peace in the Middle-East.

Such actions would effectively take the region back to the coveted "pre-1967" borders. That is, the borders that existed prior to the 1967 invasion of Israel by surrounding terrorist-backed states, when Israel fought back (how DARE them) and in the process of defending themselves during this invasion/war, took back these land areas.

If Israel will JUST do this one simple act - giving this land back, then all will be well. Peace will be assured.

As a simple-minded person, I just have one question. If Israel gives up this land (West Bank, Golan Heights, Jerusalem), effectively going back to the "pre-1967" borders, in efforts to create permanent peace -----> then I have to ask this obvious question.

Why did these groups invade Israel in 1967 when they DID have these borders?

Hmmmmmmm....

Warnings

The prophetic scriptures are full of warnings. One of the many reasons for prophecy seems to be various, direct warnings from God: warnings intended to spare us from "bad outcomes" - given to us, because of His infinite love for us.

As mentioned in the audio recently posted, we can look to the prophet Jeremiah and his multiple, repeated warnings to the Nation of Israel, as an example. Jeremiah warned over and over again, that if Israel didn't repent and turn away from their false idols, false gods, uncontrolled sin and many other forms of false worship, that He would allow the Babylonians to come in and destroy Jerusalem and burn the Temple. History tells us that the King ignored Jeremiah and his unpopular message from God, and indeed we know that ultimately, the Babylonians invaded and completely destroyed the last remnants of the Nation of Israel; they destroyed Jerusalem and burned the city down, just as Jeremiah warned.

We have similar warnings intended for this era in history.

Genesis 12:3 gives us a strong warning concerning the nations treatment of Israel:

"I will bless those who bless you and whoever curses you I will curse."


Zechariah 12:3 gives us a similar warning regarding the fate of Jerusalem:

"On that day when all nations of the earth are gathered against her, I will make Jerusalem an immovable rock for all the nations. All who try to move it will injure themselves."

The message is clear. God is still watching over the Nation of Israel.

Another message: Jerusalem will not be moved. God considers Jerusalem as "immovable"; in other words, after its restoration, it will not be given away, or "moved", even in this politically correct world that we find ourselves in. God also issues a warning in this context, and that strong warning is this: countries that attempt to give away Jerusalem or take it from the Nation of Israel will be "cut into pieces", or "injured".

An article has just come in from One Jerusalem, and its title is telling: "Red Alert Red Alert: Obama Planning Israel Ambush at Opening of UN Assembly". Article Here.

In this article we see many ominous signs. Quotes include:

"Several sources have informed One Jerusalem that the Obama Administration is planning to significantly step up the pressure on Israel by announcing a comprehensive plan for Israel and the Palestinians at the opening of the United Nations General in September. Picture this: The anti-Israel nations of the world surrounding President Obama as he demands that Israel give up sovereignty over Jerusalem, abandon settlements and recognize a terrorist state on the West Bank."

There have been other statements that Obama would release his plan for Israel and the Middle-East in September. Even if this UN speech turns out to be rumor, its well known that Obama is favoring Israel's giving up more and more land, including at least half of Jerusalem, the West Bank, and the Golan Heights. If he takes this next step and demands that all of Jerusalem be given to the "Palestinians" (as they are now demanding), it will represent just one more step in dividing the Nation of Israel, as its borders continue to shrink.

If Obama decides to "ambush" Israel, with a speech to the UN including these demands, it will place enormous pressure on Israel to concede giving up significant amounts of land.

One would think that the Gaza experience would have settled the "land for peace" issue long ago. Within days of Israel forcing its own citizens to evacuate Gaza, the immediate influx of "Palestinians" and Hamas began sending missiles into Israel, intended to hit innocent citizens. That was the "thanks" that Israel received by uprooting their citizens and giving their land away. Missiles. These missile attacks continue to this day. So much for "land for peace".

But something else happened just after the Gaza pull out - a pull out that was largely undertaken because of U.S. pressure. The very day that the last Israeli citizens evacuated their homes, their businesses, their farms, their stores, their churches and synagogues, so that their land could be given away - for "peace" - something else interesting happened. A hurricane which was named "Katrina" formed in the Gulf and a few days later virtually destroyed New Orleans. Also interesting, was how quickly and unexpectedly Katrina formed.

I'm not saying that God caused Hurricane Katrina, as I don't pretend to speak for God, or to speculate on His actions. I'm also not going to say that God did NOT cause Katrina, for the same reasons. But facts are facts. There are many examples of situations in which the U.S. made certain demands that Israel give up land, and within days significant natural disasters occured in the U.S. There are books written on this topic. Hurricane Andrew, which hit Florida and destroyed a town also came after similar U.S. actions involving Israel. The list is lengthy.

Prophecy gives us warnings. The Nation of Israel refused to listen to Jeremiah's warnings, and they were subsequently destroyed just as the prophecy - given directly to Jeremiah by God - dictated. Similarly, the current U.S. leadership is ignoring the prophetic warnings regarding the Nation of Israel.

God is most definitely watching this situation - I know this because He said so. He will not be favorable towards nations that attempt to "move" Jerusalem - I know this because He said so.

I have a feeling that decisions regarding U.S. policy towards Israel won't be based on biblical prophecy. That may be too bad for all of us.

Israel

As a follow-up to yesterday's post, the commentary below is provided. One consistent pattern I have observed with many churches today, is denial of Israel's role in our future, and God's continuing love for and intervention for the Nation of Israel. As much denial that is required to NOT recognize the overwhelming signs that we are at the end of the age, a similar dose of denial is required to ignore the role of Israel during this age.

I actually had a conversation recently with a bible teacher who refused to recognize that Israel's miraculous regathering in 1948 was prophetic fulfillment of Ezekiel's vast prophecies which dictated that Israel would be regathered after having been dispersed throughout the nations. We know that in 70 AD, when the final remnants of Israel were destroyed, and the Nation ceased to exist, that the people of Israel were indeed scattered throughout the world. Then, on May 14, 1948, "in a day" as Isaiah predicted, Israel was formed. A miracle indeed; how often do you see an entire nation scattered throughout the world and then regathered into a nation in a single day? Answer? Only once, and that was Israel in 1948. Denial of this as prophetic fulfillment reveals to me some kind of unhealthy denial. I'll leave it at that.

The commentary below addresses these issues, as found on the RaptureAlert website link here, as written by Eric Bruni:



Israel: The X-Factor
It amazes me that so many Christians today still do not support or recognize the importance of Israel in these end times. Many good Christian writers have done some very well informed commentaries on this issue and have exposed it for the ignorance that it is. I’m going to go one step further and say this is not only ignorance but a suppression of biblical fact and is satanically driven.

Israel is so interwoven all through scripture it is impossible to discount God’s “great nation”. To do so is rebellion against what God has decreed to be true.
ISRAEL: WHAT DROVE THE BEGINNING

It was for the establishment of a people for himself that God sent man throughout the earth. The command to, “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” (Genesis 1:27-29), was because God knew that man would fall and one day need a redeemer.

He sent man out to populate the earth and, when man attempted to go against God’s will and began constructing the tower of Babel, God was forced to intervene and “confused the language of the whole world. From there the LORD scattered them over the face of the whole earth.(Genesis 11:8-10).

Why? So that God could set a people “apart from the nations.”(Leviticus 20:23-25)
ISRAEL: ESTABLISHMENT

God eventually finds what He’s looking for in a great man, Abram.

Abram wasn’t perfect. He was far from it. But God saw something in him that even Abram couldn’t see. He saw the man Abram would become. More importantly, it was something HE would do himself.

"I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing.(Genesis 12:1-3)

“I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you."(Genesis 12:2-4)

And so God called him Abraham and the nation of Israel had begun.

It would not be for many years after Abraham’s death that it would happen, but, eventually, through this “great nation”, God would reveal His message of truth to the people. The law.
ISRAEL: THE LAW GIVERS

“When the child grew older, she took him to Pharaoh's daughter and he became her son. She named him Moses, saying, "I drew him out of the water."(Exodus 2:9-11)

Moses would go from a position of power to humility before God and, in doing so, would reveal the glory of God through his dealing with pharaoh. Why? Because he was a man from the “great nation” of Israel . Not because he was raised by pharaoh or was smart or was a ‘really good person’. It would be through Moses that the law of God’s heart would be revealed.

It is my experience that, in my studies of scripture, God regularly shows us a blueprint, if you will, in the past, of events that will take place in the future. One of these events was when God brought the Israelites to the Red Sea, not to lure them to destruction but to show them His glory as their only redeemer in a time of apparent total annihilation. Sound familiar? In a future situation Israel will once again be surrounded by enemies who look as if they are about to destroy them. At that moment, God will take over and by his own doing, wipe out all those who have come against her.

" 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: On that day thoughts will come into your mind and you will devise an evil scheme. 11 You will say, "I will invade a land of unwalled villages; I will attack a peaceful and unsuspecting people—all of them living without walls and without gates and bars. 12 I will plunder and loot and turn my hand against the resettled ruins and the people gathered from the nations, rich in livestock and goods, living at the center of the land." 13 Sheba and Dedan and the merchants of Tarshish and all her villages [d] will say to you, "Have you come to plunder? Have you gathered your hordes to loot, to carry off silver and gold, to take away livestock and goods and to seize much plunder?" (Ezek. 38:10-13)

“18 This is what will happen in that day: When Gog attacks the land of Israel , my hot anger will be aroused, declares the Sovereign LORD. 19 In my zeal and fiery wrath I declare that at that time there shall be a great earthquake in the land of Israel . 20 The fish of the sea, the birds of the air, the beasts of the field, every creature that moves along the ground, and all the people on the face of the earth will tremble at my presence. The mountains will be overturned, the cliffs will crumble and every wall will fall to the ground. 21 I will summon a sword against Gog on all my mountains, declares the Sovereign LORD. Every man's sword will be against his brother. 22 I will execute judgment upon him with plague and bloodshed; I will pour down torrents of rain, hailstones and burning sulfur on him and on his troops and on the many nations with him. 23 And so I will show my greatness and my holiness, and I will make myself known in the sight of many nations. Then they will know that I am the LORD.”(Ezek.38:18-23)

Isn’t prophecy amazing? Through the Red Sea, God eventually brought His people to their promised land. There was no question who saved them and in the future there will be no question again. Israel will be forced to recognize their redeemer again.
ISRAEL: THE MESSIAH

“ But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, Though you are little among the thousands of Judah , Yet out of you shall come forth to Me The One to be Ruler in Israel , Whose goings forth are from of old, From everlasting.”(Micah 5:1-3)

“Remember that Jesus Christ, of the seed of David, was raised from the dead according to my gospel,”(2 Timothy 2:7-9)

It was through Israel that God would bring forth His Messiah, the One that not only would cleanse His “great nation” but the whole world.

God loved Israel so much that He chose to come out of that nation in the body of His perfect Redeemer, the Christ.

“Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,” which is translated, “God with us.”(Matthew 1:22-24)

How incredible!

To hold a people in such high regard that He would allow a mere human woman to bear Him as her child. This is truly love beyond understanding. And then, to suffer and die for an undeserving world.

“But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed.”(Isaiah 53:4-6)

Praise God! Victory through our Lord!
ISRAEL: IMPOSSIBLE ODDS

The very fact that Israel exists today is an impossibility. Think about it.

This nation has been more relentlessly pursued by enemies, attacked more vehemently, and been more conspired against than all other nations combined. The only explanation for its existence today can be found in God’s perfect will.

Take a look at a map sometime. Israel is barely noticeable among its enemies and yet, despite the advantage of sheer numbers, Israel has repelled every attempt to destroy it.

Pharaoh couldn’t do it.

The Romans couldn’t do it.

Hitler couldn’t do it.

The whole Muslim world can’t do it.

What makes you think ANYONE can do it?

For man to come against God is pure prideful arrogance. And when we come against Israel, either militarily or politically, it is spiritual and national suicide. Our nation should take some lessons from history.

ISRAEL: COMPLETION

In the days ahead, and I believe it will be soon, God will again return to His “great nation”. The main reason for the tribulation to come is to complete Israel ’s appointed time.

Yes, it is also to test the nations, but primarily it's to bring Israel to its true role on the earth. 144,000 Jewish witnesses will travel the earth preaching the message of God, sealed and protected by the Creator during the tribulation. And when the Messiah returns, He will establish His kingdom, coming through the eastern gate and setting up His throne in Jerusalem for a thousand years.

All for the glory of God.

Don’t be fooled. God has not forgotten or cast away His chosen people. To assume so is to reject what God Himself has decreed. And that’s just not wise from anyone’s perspective.

Israel was past, is present, and will be future.

If you want to know how late the hour is, check God’s clock.

Check Israel.

God Bless You All,
Eric Bruni

End Times Apostasy

We have recieved many biblical warnings about false teachings, false teachers, false prophets and deception; all of which would occur during these last days. And certainly, those warnings were highly accurate.

Jesus made this point in His Olivet Discourse found in Matthew 24: "At that time, many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people." (Matthew 24:10-11)

The apostle Paul warned extensively about false teachings:

"The spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons. Such teachings come through hypocritical liars, whose consciences have been seared as with a hot iron." (1 Timothy 4:1)

"For the time wil come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths." (2 Timothy 4:3-4)

Below is an article which elaborates on this topic, by Mike Ratliff. I couldn't have said it better myself:

"Declaration of War Against Apostates", (link here)


Declaration of War Against Apostates
August 19, 2009 — Mike Ratliff
by Mike Ratliff
But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing upon themselves swift destruction. (2 Peter 2:1 ESV)

In light of the upcoming Christianity21 conference being put on by Doug Pagitt and Tony Jones in Minneapolis, MN in October, as well as Rob Bell’s continual slide down the slippery slope of apostasy by his embrace of “another gospel,” I would like to take a look at what God’s Word tell us about these sorts of pseudo-Christian “leaders” as well as their eternal destiny. God’s Word tells us that throughout the period between our Lord’s first and and second coming, the Church will be plagued by apostasies being propagated by false teachers and false preachers who have received their “doctrines” from seducing spirits. Also, through this entire period, the Church will have to endure the attacks during very dangerous eras that never end. They simply remain and combine with later apostasies to form ever greater threats to its health. God is allowing these things in order to test His children, to try them in the fire in order to perfect them and prepare them for eternity with Him. However, that does not mean that those to whom He has given over to their false doctrines, which are direct attacks on His pure and true doctrines, He is also preparing judgment especially for them.

Beloved, although I was very eager to write to you about our common salvation, I found it necessary to write appealing to you to contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints. (Jude 1:3 ESV)

3αγαπητοι πασαν σπουδην ποιουμενος γραφειν υμιν περι της κοινης ημων σωτηριας αναγκην εσχον γραψαι υμιν παρακαλων επαγωνιζεσθαι τη απαξ παραδοθειση τοις αγιοις πιστει (Jude 1:3 WHNU)

The Christian is never given the command in Sacred Scripture to let others contend for the faith. In v3 the phrase “to contend for” is one Greek word, επαγωνιζεσθαι. It simply means “to contend earnestly.” For what are Christians exhorted to earnestly contend? It is “the faith” (πιστει). This is not simply faith in something abstract like “change,” but this faith is linked back to “our (ημων) common (κοινης) salvation (σωτηριας)” and was “once for all” (απαξ) delivered (παραδοθειση) to the saints (αγιοις). Our common salvation was delivered to us who are truly in Christ “once for all” or απαξ. This means that all truly in Christ are there because of a single work of our Lord that will never be repeated because it is utterly sufficient. Also, all genuine believers share in common the blessings of God’s saving grace as well as His persevering grace. In light of this, Jude is appealing to all Christians who read this epistle to earnestly contend for the faith because it is under a great threat. What is this threat?

For certain people have crept in unnoticed who long ago were designated for this condemnation, ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God into sensuality and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ. (Jude 1:4 ESV)
4 παρεισεδυησαν γαρ τινες ανθρωποι οι παλαι προγεγραμμενοι εις τουτο το κριμα ασεβεις την του θεου ημων χαριτα μετατιθεντες εις ασελγειαν και τον μονον δεσποτην και κυριον ημων ιησουν χριστον αρνουμενοι (Jude 1:4 WHNU)

This verse describes those who have infiltrated the Church. They do not belong in it, but they have worked their way in as false teachers pretending to be true. They may pass muster with those who have little or no discernment because on the surface they look genuine. However, as soon as they are safely ensconced, their true colors are revealed by what they teach. They are intentionally attempting to lead God’s people astray (Matthew 7:15; Acts 20:29; Galatians 2:4, 5; 1 Timothy 4:1-3; 2 Peter 2:1, 20; 1 John 2:18-23). These men and women, are apostates and Satan’s counterfeits posing as true teachers in the Church (2 Corinthians 11:13-15; 2 Peter 2:1-3; 2 John 7-11). According to Jude in v4 these people are ungodly (ασεβεις) , they perverted (μετατιθεντες) God’s grace (χαριτα) into sensuality (ασελγειαν), and are denying (αρνουμενοι) Christ. An ασεβεις person is godless, without fear and reverence for God. These godless pretenders take God’s grace and pervert it into sensuality or licentiousness. In other words, they tell those they teach that God’s grace is for the spirit not the body and since they are in Christ they can live as they please, it does not matter what sins they commit for they are still in Christ. This lie is a perversion of the good news that all in Christ are reconciled to the Father because they are justified by faith alone. However, this also means that they are new creations who can no longer abide to be dominated by their flesh and live in sin. However, the last charge is the most heinous. They deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ. This means that their doctrines, their teachings, deny the sovereignty of Christ over their lives as well as turning their backs on Christ as their saviour and Lord by their wicked behavior. Apostate teachers in the visible Church always pervert what Scripture declares is true about our Lord Jesus Christ.

Now I want to remind you, although you once fully knew it, that Jesus, who saved a people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed those who did not believe. And the angels who did not stay within their own position of authority, but left their proper dwelling, he has kept in eternal chains under gloomy darkness until the judgment of the great day– just as Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding cities, which likewise indulged in sexual immorality and pursued unnatural desire, serve as an example by undergoing a punishment of eternal fire. (Jude 1:5-7 ESV)

In these three verses, Jude reminds us that our Lord is both a Saviour and a Judge. There are all sorts of teachings going around that Jesus is nothing but Love and and could never judge anyone. Well, those who teach that sort of nonsense do not know their Bibles very well. He continues these examples of God’s judgment against apostates in vv8-16. I would like to skip down to vv17-23.

But you must remember, beloved, the predictions of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ. They said to you, “In the last time there will be scoffers, following their own ungodly passions.” It is these who cause divisions, worldly people, devoid of the Spirit. But you, beloved, building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life. And have mercy on those who doubt; save others by snatching them out of the fire; to others show mercy with fear, hating even the garment stained by the flesh. (Jude 1:17-23 ESV)
In this passage we have reference back to the writings of Peter from 2 Peter 3:3. These scoffers following their own ungodly passions are the apostates who are right now teaching heresy and lies to their people in order to lead them away from God’s truth. Jude tells us that they are worldly people, devoid of the Spirit. Even though these people teach that they have attained the highest spiritual life, they are actually devoid of the Holy Spirit so they are actually spiritually dead. Syncretism and Mysticism are being touted by these people as legitimate forms of our faith. What are we to do in light of these things? We are to build ourselves up in our faith through prayer in the Holy Spirit, keeping ourselves in the love of God, waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus that leads to eternal life. That is a very good description of the spirit-filled life. Prayer is key. We need to walk through each day praying continually, surrendering to our Lord’s control of everything. Then we are to be content and patient in our waiting for our Lord’s return. From this close intimate walk with the Lord, we will naturally show mercy to others and, by the leading of the Holy Spirit, counsel those who doubt and sharing our faith with those who will listen to us as we share the hope we have in us. We should also work to mortify the flesh and the sins it loves.

My brethren, we as Christians are living in a spiritually dark and dangerous time. The most apostate professing Christians seem to have the center of attention because the world loves them. However, genuine Christianity is despised even by other professing Christians. We are under a lot of pressure to compromise and get with the program, but those who truly belong to the Lord will never do this. I urge all reading this to contend earnestly for the faith no matter what others may think about it.
Soli Deo Gloria!

Islam prepares for the coming Mahdi

As mentioned in a post several days ago (see below: "Converging Events" commentary) many Muslims believe that their messiah, the Mahdi is returning soon to institute world-wide Islam. Iran's leadership very much believes this, and one of the main reasons that M. Ahmadinejad is in the position of President is because he shares these views. Also as mentioned, they hold the belief that the Mahdi will come at a time of major conflict in the Middle-East.

A interesting article just came out in "Al Arabiya News" which confirms this.


Muslims must unite for Islam's savior: Iran. Spokesman says Iran's supreme leader represents Mahdi"

In this article we see these quotes:

"The spokesman of Iran's Supreme Leader called on neighboring countries to mobilize their forces in preparation for the coming of the savior of Islam and to unite with the Islamic Republic in paving the way for his arrival, an Iranian news agency reported Sunday."

"'We have to train honest forces that can stop the obstacles that may hinder the coming of the Mahdi like the United States and Israel," Saeedi said in a statement posted by the Iranian Labor News Agency (ILNA). "

"Saeedi also said that the supreme leader of Iran is the direct representative of the Mahdi and that obeying him is like obeying the "guided one", who is the prophesized savior of Islam."

"Since the armed forces are commanded by the Supreme Leader, they are thus obeying the orders of the awaited Mahdi...the Revolutionary Guards and the armed forces in Iran hold religious authority to prepare for the appearance of the Mahdi."

Basically, Ahmadinejad sees himself as the person responsible for setting the stage for the Mahdi. He apparently believes that the US and Israel needs to be destroyed first OR there must be an ongoing conflict that will trigger or prompt the Mahdi to come resolve the situation and then set up Islam rule world-wide.

Many of us believe that it is quite possible that when the antichrist comes to power, he will be seen as this Mahdi by the Islamic community. The parallels are striking.

Oh, and did I mention that Ahmadinejad is trying to develop nuclear weapons capability, and is within months doing so?

Once again, we see converging events.

Swine Flu, Part Deux

The Daily Mail (UK) has published a very interesting article regarding the Swine Flu vaccine that everyone should read before determining what to do when the vaccine reaches American soil.


ARTICLE HERE

In this article, entitled "Swine flu jab link to killer nerve disease: Leaked letter reveals concern of neurologists over 25 deaths in America" we see the following quotes:

"A warning that the new swine flu jab is linked to a deadly nerve disease has been sent by the government to senior neurologists in a confidential letter. The letter from the Health Protection Agency, the official body that oversees public health, has been leaked to The Mail on Sunday, leading to demands to know why the information has not been given to the public before the vaccination of millions of people, including children, begins."

"It tells the neurologists that they must be alert for an increase in a brain disorder falled Guillain-Barre Syndrome (GBS), which could be triggered by the vaccine. GBS attacks the lining of the nerves causing paralysis and inability to breathe and can be fatal. The letter, sent to about 600 neurologists on July 29, is the first sign that there is concern at the highest levels that the vaccine itself could cause serious complications."

"It refers to the use of a similar swine flu vaccine in the United States in 1976 when:

* More people died from the vaccination than from the swine flu
* 500 cases of GBA were detected
* The vaccine may have increased the risk of contracting GBS by eight times
* The vaccine was withdrawn after just ten weeks when the link with GBS became clear
* The US Government was forced to pay out millions of dollars to those affected."

"Concerns have already been raised that the new vaccine has not been sufficiently tested and that the effects, especially on children, are unknown."


This vaccine raises several basic "rules" that I was always taught in medicine:

- Don't let the "cure" be worse than the "disease"
- "Do no harm"
- Always consider the "risk-benefit" of any treatment.

Here, we have a relatively mild flu. The vast majority of folks who get this flu (thus far) have recovered uneventfully. On the other hand, we have an untested vaccine, but a very similar vaccine has been used before and was the cause of many serious side-effects. The vaccine will be sent out before any significant safety testing can be done, particularly any potential long-term side-effects. The fact is, we just don't know if this vaccine is safe or not.

These are the facts. There is also the concern that the virus could mutate, in which case this relatively mild disease becomes a deadly disease and a repeat of 1918 (this, by the way, is my main concern). However, if that does happen, it is quite possible that the vaccine will be rendered ineffective (because it wouldn't be effective against the mutated virus).

This information has been posted just to make folks aware of the risk-benefit profile of this vaccine. There will be enormous pressure for everyone to receive this vaccine, particularly in public schools, where the shots may be given.

Information and knowledge seems more important now than ever before, as this last generation comes to a close. I hope everyone makes the best decisions possible for them and their families. There is a lot of deception, lies and distortions right now - the truth seems more and more elusive as we approach the Tribulation.

Swine Flu Vaccine

The article below is another summary of the Swine Flu vaccine as written by a physician. I'm not sure I agree with every word in the article but he makes two very good points: this vaccine is being sent out with virtually NO safety testing and the government has created a scenario in which it will be very difficult to successfully file a lawsuit if significant adverse effects result from the vaccine. Essentially, those people receiving the vaccine are the test subjects. One MUST consider the "risk-benefit" of taking this vaccine for this relatively mild flu. Additionally, the apparent "rise" in the numbers of people getting the Swine Flu are now suspect, as anyone with similar symptoms (people who could have an array of non-Swine Flu virus') are now being counted as having "Swine Flu"; thus the numbers that we read are becoming suspect.
ARTICLE HERE

Note: I am not "anti-pharmaceutical", nor am I against Pharma companies making profit, nor am I categorically against childhood vaccines. This Swine-Flu situation, and its vaccine however, is VERY atypical and deserves CLOSE attention.

Converging Events

One of the many interesting aspects of watching prophetic fulfillments in our generation, is the fact that so many different "signs" are all progressing towards the Tribulation and Second Coming. None of the signs that have appeared throughout this generation have "reversed course", or moved away from prophetic fulfillment.

Take, for instance the EU/Med Union. If we were to read that the EU was breaking up and the various countries were going back to full independence, with independent, separate country-specific currencies, I would start questioning that particular "sign" and its validity as fulfillment of Daniel 2 and 7. If Israel was to somehow break up and become dispersed throughout the nations (again), then I would immediately question the literal interpretation of Ezekiel 36-39. Or, if Iran were to elect a democratic, non-Islamic government and became close allies with Israel and the U.S., then I would question the popularly held prophetic views that we are watching the growing alliances called for in Ezekiel 38-39 ("Gog-MaGog" alliances).

But this never happens. Watching prophetic signs over the last 25 years reveals that every sign continues to march along, just as one would predict by having read the prophetic scriptures.

One aspect that has been interesting, in this context is the rise of Iran as a nuclear power, and their frequent threats to destroy Israel. Additionally, Iran's president Mahmud Ahmadinejah has specific prophetic views of the Islamic "messiah", known as the 12th descendant of the Prophet Muhammad, also known as the Mahdi, who is expected to return soon to establish Islamic rule throughout the world.

"Could Ahmadinejad's Mix of Mysticism And Politics Lead To A Power Grab": In this article we see a brief outline of how President Ahmadinejad sees himself as someone who is supposed to bring about the Islamic messiah, the Madhi. Ominously, the most popular theory is that the Mahdi will only return at a time of massive warfare in the Middle-East, similar to the biblical descriptions as written in the book of Revelation. President Ahmadinejad seems intent on bringing this scenario about, and the fact that he is pushing through nuclear development is seems to represent yet another "convergence of events".

Quotes from this article:

"This week, just before Ahmadinejad's inauguration for a second term, his government financed an event not seen in the Islamic republic before. Construction workers used water trucks to spray rose water over the entire surface of the mosque of the Mahdi in Qom. The Mahdi, the 12th descendant of the Prophet Muhammad, is the spiritual leader of Iran's majority Shi'ite believers, who await the eventual return to bring order and harmony to the world."

"The perfuming of the mosque, shown on television, is in line with the Iranian establishment's veneration of the Mahdi, who is believed to have gone into hiding as a child in the 10th century to escape enemies. But it is also the kind of symbol that has become a hallmark of Ahmadinejad's administration: setting the stage for the Hidden Madhi's imminent - not eventual - return."

"At the same time, Ahmadinejad, who leaves an empty seat for the Mahdi at his cabinet meetings, has at times appeared to claim his government is specially protected by the Mahdi. Upon his return from a speech at the United Nations in June, 2005, he said that others present saw a "light" envelop him as he spoke."

All of this, as Ahmadinejad races to complete his nuclear weapons development.

Then we see this article: "The Secret Sextet", which is a fascinating inside view of the top decision makers in the Netanyahu administration. We see the following quotes:

"If Iran really wants to, it will have nuclear weapons next summer...When the number of centrifuges in Natanz is not 7,000 but 30,000, Iran will be unstoppable. When it has enough fissible material for a dozen bombs, it will hold all the cards."

And:

"All senior American officials visiting Arab states in recent weeks have broached one issue only - Iran...The message is simple. If Iran goes nuclear, the Middle East goes nuclear. Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Turkey are already preparing for it. The world could become a nuclear jungle before U.S. President Barak Obama's term in office ends."

Another interesting twist to this Islamic view of the Mahdi is this: if you read closely, it is easy to see the parallels of the biblical figure known as the antichrist, and the Mahdi. This leaves the obvious possibility that when the antichrist does come to power, will muslims recognize him as their Mahdi?

Personally, I think its an interesting possibility. The only absolute that I see comes from Daniel 9:26 (see below), where we read that the antichrist will come from the "revived Roman Empire", which we believe to be the EU/Med Union (I say "EU/Med Union" because the Med Union is essentially an extension of the EU, as it continues its growth).

The scripture (Daniel 9:26) informs us that the antichrist will come from the same people that destroyed Jerusalem (70 AD) - and we know from history that it was the Roman Empire who destroyed Jerusalem at that time. The EU/Med Union, also now commonly referred to as the "revived Roman Empire", includes the southern half of the Mediterranean which is predominately Islamic; therefore this scenario would be consistent with Daniel 9:26.

A summary of the parallels between the Islamic Mahdi and the biblical antichrist is found here, on the Rapture Ready site.

I am not endorsing this view, but it is interesting and worth watching. More importantly, we are again seeing events converging. The president of Iran awaiting the Islamic messiah, and he feels it is his job to precipitate war in the Middle East, which will hasten this return of the Mahdi. At the same time, he is drawing closer and closer to his goal of nuclear weapons. All while Israel watches and plans their response.

Converging events. Sooner or later these events will collide; its only a matter of time.

Birth Pains

Sometimes the headlines say it all:

"Typhoon Morakot leaves trail of destruction"

"Earthquakes Shakes Tokyo Area, Indian Ocean"

"Stong earthquake shakes Tokyo area"

Israel News: Fatah prepares two different stories - retains goal of elimination of Israel"

"Israel Bombs Gaza Tunnel in Response to Mortor Attacks"

Its all about Jerusalem

Just as the prophet Zechariah informed us so many years ago. In the first five verses of Zechariah 12, we find that Jerusalem would be the focus of "all nations", all of whom would be aligned against her. He also informed us that all who tried to "move" this "immovable rock" would injure themselves; in other words, attempting to remove Jerusalem from the Nation of Israel, including dividing it, splitting it or giving it away, will all end poorly for those nations involved. The U.S. was not listed as being an exception to this rule. Food for thought.

Today, we see two pertinent articles coming from the Middle-East regarding Jerusalem as part of the so-called peace process:

"All of Jerusalem must be returned before negotiations".

and

"Fatah: We'll sacrifice victims until Jerusalem is ours"

We see from these articles and the various quotes, that now Israel must give up ALL of Jerusalem before there will be peace in the region. Quote: "The status of Jerusalem as the future capital of a Palestinian state is a red line that no Palestinian leader is permitted to cross, President Mahmoud Abbas' ruling Fatah faction declared in the West Bank on Saturday."

"According to Israel Radio, the paper does not make a distinction between eastern and western halves of the capital, nor does it distinguish between the territories within the Israeli side of the Green Line and the areas captured by Israel in the 1967 Six-Day War." (note: that Six-Day War when Israel was unexpectedly invaded and was forced (again) to defend themselves, but I digress...)

Its all happening according to plan. Just as foretold, Jerusalem is the main obsticle to peace in the Middle-East. Once again, the prophets of God are 100% accurate; we shouldn't be surprised.