The Coming Break-up of the European Union

In The Spirit of Prophecy I predicted the break-up of the European Union as far back as 2009. One doesn’t have to be a prophet to see that the EU isn’t working, and can’t work in its present form. You can’t have a country where one region works, and the other regions take from the workers, to support millions of deadbeats. Sooner or later people will get fed-up, and there will be a revolt!

I was also looking at how this entity will fit into the bible’s End Times prophecies, and it is obvious that it doesn’t fit in its present form. Well, it could fit, but I think it will be more useful to Satan if it breaks-up into two or more “daughter” unions.

I am specifically thinking that one of those unions will contain ten European nations.

Other prophecy scholars will tell you that this ten-nation-confederacy is the ten nations of Revelation 17-18, and its leader is the Antichrist. I am here to tell you that it is not, and he is not!

In the Spirit of Prophecy I speculated that there would be an east-west division of the EU. That was merely speculation, and I am no longer thinking that the coming division will be only east-west, but also north-south. The economic engine of Europe is Germany, England and France, with the former Eastern Block countries of Poland, Czech Republic, and Romania also playing a role.

The nations commonly referred to as the PIIGS (Portugal, Ireland, Italy, Greece, and Spain) are the ones who are a drain on the Union.

Greece, with their leftist Syriza government, and their demands for more war reparations payments from Germany, seventy years after the end of the second World War, is putting more pressure on the EU. Think about it; Germany has already paid reparations to Greek families who lost loved ones, and all the guilty perpetrators are long dead. Any German soldiers still living are in their eighties or older.

Why punish a nation for the sins of its grandfathers? Nothing Germany now has is the result of profiteering from their attack on Greece. Germany profits today because its industries and workers work hard to produce quality products from which the world benefits.

The problem with the Greek leftists is the same as leftists the world over; they do not understand that wealth comes from human labour. When you take wealth from someone else, you destroy their incentive to work, and ultimately destroy your own economy. This is why Muslim nations are still using slavery today. Their religion teaches them that they do not need to work, but should be able to benefit from the work of others! This also explains why 80% of European Muslims are living on welfare payments; they consider it jizya, a tax on non-Muslims!

Here’s the thing; the mindset of leftists the world over, is virtually the same as that of Muslims. Essentially that “The world owes me a living”! We can see this in the black racist groups of the United States, where they are teaching their children that “because white men enslaved your ancestors, some 150 years ago, now whites owe you a living”!

It is this same entitlement mentality that is destroying Greece. I would not be surprised to see Greece become the first nation to be kicked out of the EU.

But these are human, and logical reasons. The over all reason is that God is in control, and not only this, but God uses Satan to accomplish His goals. No matter how hard he tries, Satan always ends up supporting God’s program.

Would Satan want Europe to break down into two or more daughter associations? Undoubtedly, yes! Everyone knows about the ten-nation-confederacy of Revelation 17, but not everyone understands which group of nations this refers to. Satan wants to keep people confused, or focusing on the wrong group of nations.

Satan also benefits from people’s desires to have the worst over. So, he will give them the wrong ten-nation-confederacy, and lead that confederacy into a major war under a dictator; A war many will identify as Armageddon. Then he can destroy the dictator and the confederacy in this war, and the world will be looking for a saviour, which he will be happy to supply.

This is what the bible says, after all; that after Armageddon, Jesus Christ will return. Only, instead of Jesus Christ returning after this particular war, another world leader will rise, and because they want to believe this is a man of God, the world’s professing Christians will allegorize the return of Christ, and profess that this man is here “in the Spirit of Christ”.

This is what happens when you start allegorizing Scripture; there is nothing to stop you but your own imagination, until you end up crowning the Antichrist!

If you haven’t guessed it, the war I am referring to is the Gog and Magog war of Ezekiel 38-39.

1 And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, 2 Son of man, set thy face against Gog, the land of Magog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal, and prophesy against him, 3 And say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I am against thee, O Gog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal: 4 And I will turn thee back, and put hooks into thy jaws, and I will bring thee forth, and all thine army, horses and horsemen, all of them clothed with all sorts of armour, even a great company with bucklers and shields, all of them handling swords: 5 Persia, Ethiopia, and Libya with them; all of them with shield and helmet: 6 Gomer, and all his bands; the house of Togarmah of the north quarters, and all his bands: and many people with thee. Ezekiel 38:1-6

Noah’s family started off with only 8 people and from them the entire world was populated, so this small group of tribes eventually scattered far and wide, with various branches going in opposite directions. It should not surprise us that sometimes closely related people groups went in opposite directions from each other. Neither should it surprise us if a woman married into another tribe, and then named her sons after her own grandfather.

In the Spirit of Prophecy, I quoted from an article which says that the people of south-east asia are descendants of Gomer. The name Khmer is common in those tribes, and is how they refer to themselves.  There are also places having variations of this name. Did this name come from the biblical Gomer?  It is likely that it did.  Are they then descendants of Gomer, or part of his tribes?

I think it is likely that some of the granddaughters of Gomer probably married into the tribes that founded the Asian peoples, at Babel. When the tongues were confused, and the people scattered, it would have been natural for some of them to name their children after loved ones who had gone in opposite directions, but does this mean that these people are a part of the tribes of Gomer?

I don’t think so, simply because the biblical tribal designations always follow father-to-son, and the women are considered a part of their husband’s family. Thus, though the people of south-east Asia are related to Gomer, they are not considered to be a part of his tribes.

In the list of nations that are involved in the Gog/Magog war, there is a curious entry “Gomer, and all his bands”. Most of the other names are without much controversy; Meschech and Tubal were the fathers of modern Russia. Magog is the group of nations from eastern Europe, all the way to Georgia. Persia is Iran, and Libya is Libya. By using the phrase “Gomer, and all his bands” the author implies that Gomer would have many descendants, and that they would be scattered far and wide. This is the case.

So, who are the descendants of Gomer?

And the sons of Gomer; Ashkenaz, and Riphath, and Togarmah. Genesis 10:3

This is where it gets a little confusing.

The Jews who lived in Germany, and western Europe, are called “Ashkenazi” Jews, not because they are from Ashkenaz, but because of the people they lived with; the Germans. The Germans are descendants of Ashkenaz, as in fact are all the Germanic tribes. Thus nations like Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Holland, and England will also be a part of this coalition! Don’t forget that the Anglo-Saxons were a German tribe who left Germany, and Denmark, and invaded the British Isles sometime around the sixth century AD.

Have you ever wondered why the British royal family never goes to Israel?  It appears that they have bought into the lie of British Israelism!  An anti-Semitic heresy if ever there was one!  This idea, however, does explain some of the mentality that will lead England to join this ill-fated endeavour!

The Armenians also have a tradition that they are descendants of Ashkenaz. I believe that both the Germans and Armenians are a part of this same family.

The descendants of Gomer’s second son, Riphath, are the Celtic tribes. These tribes originally went to Armenia in the Ural mountains, and then gradually made their way westward throughout Europe, until they settled in the British Isles and parts of France. The Irish, Welsh, Scots and the Bretons of France are descendants of Riphath, along with the Armenians.

Don’t forget that the majority of North Americans were at one time from the British Isles, and if we add-in the other northern Europeans with either Germanic or Celtic backgrounds, the majority of North Americans are still likely to be descendants of Gomer. Will North America join the Gog/Magog war against Israel? I doubt it. North Americans don’t live in tribal units like most of the world, being a kind of “melting pot” of ethnicities. I really think North America will sit-out the conflict, but suffer God’s judgment anyway for living “carelessly in the Isles” when they are needed by Israel. (Ezekiel 39:6)

So who is the third son of Gomer; Togarmah?

The largest concentration of Togarmah are the Turkic tribes, which extend from Turkey, through Azerbaijan, and Turkmenistan, all the way to the Uighurs in China.

My own ancestors came from the Czech lands, who have occasionally been identified as descendants of Magog.  I am beginning to believe they are correct.

The Hungarians are also descendants of Magog.  You will find it interesting that their name for themselves is Magyar, which itself is a corruption of Magog.

If you look on the map I have provided, you will see that while these nations are geographically close, they are not now one political union, although they were semi-united as Warsaw Pact countries during the cold war. Is “Gog” a ruler of a unified Eastern European Union? In that case it is possible that the EU might break-up into three entities; Southern Europe including Greece, Italy, Spain and Portugal; Western Europe including France and the Germanic nations; and Eastern Europe!

Magog_Map_2

You will notice that I have left Greece, Italy, Spain, and Portugal in grey.  This is because I think they will form the backbone of a new Southern European Union.  I am not sure exactly which nations will be involved,  but I think there will be ten of them.  This is another of Satan’s deceptions.

China and Mongolia are also left greyed out, because while some have identified them with Magog, I don’t agree.  China is a part of the “kings of the east”, who will attack Israel later, during Armageddon, with an army of 200 million.  The people of Magog are the Georgians, and other eastern European nations, from Poland to Bulgaria, and the Ukraine.

The people of Afghanistan, Pakistan, Uzbekistan, and Kazakhstan, are of a similar ethnicity to the Iranians, (mixed with large numbers of Turks) and will also be a part of this war. 

The Pathans of Afghanistan and Pakistan are currently sheltering large numbers of the people of Israel.  While these Israelite tribes have converted to Islam, I expect most of them to return to Israel, and the God of their fathers, after a major defeat of Islam.  Whether this will be after the Psalm 83 war, or the Gog/Magog war, I am not yet sure.  One thing is certain, when they do go back there won’t be enough room for all of them in Israel proper, and some of them will have to go to Lebanon! (Zechariah 10:9-10)  This fact itself, implies that Lebanon, will not be run by Hezbollah, nor ISIS, by the time these people return.

I once worked with a man from Kashmir, and I asked him about the Pathan tribes.  His answer was “We don’t like them, they are not from our area”.

The Gog-Magog war will be an extremely large conflict, with people involved from the borders of China all the way to the British Isles. It will be as large as World War 2, with more deadly weaponry!  To many who witness it, it will seem like Armageddon!

On the other side will be Israel, the Arabs, and the nations who have agreed to protect her after the Psalm 83 war, the ten nation confederacy from southern Europe, which is still yet to form.  The Psalm 83 war goes a long way to explaining the situation Israel, the Arabs, and the Europeans will find themselves in, at the start of this conflict.

Are we seeing the beginnings of this group of nations with the current Greek financial crisis? I don’t know for sure, but it sure looks like it!

At the same time, as Greece is agitating the other members of the EU, they are already cooperating militarily with Israel. It is in their interest to do so, and I think that this cooperation will blossom after the Psalm 83 war, and after the break-up of the European Union. This cooperation will be a decisive factor in the destruction of Rome during the Gog/Magog war. It will be the reason why Rome will be targeted by the invading armies!

Dan

For further reading, and in no particular order;

http://www.soundchristian.com/man/

http://www.frontpagemag.com/2015/bruce-thornton/the-e-u-experiment-has-failed/

http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/192357#.VP8jNuFyh_F

http://www.wsj.com/articles/europe-stocks-sink-to-11-year-low-against-dollar-1425977896

http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/0/6f80896e-c738-11e4-9e34-00144feab7de.html#axzz3U2OZcLFu

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/greek-bailout-crisis-athens-threatens-to-seize-german-assets-as-compensation-for-nazi-war-crimes-10101329.html

http://www.breitbart.com/national-security/2015/03/15/israels-leftist-dreams-will-end-in-nightmare/

http://www.soundchristian.com/man/

Posted in Christian Doctrine, Prophecy, World Events | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Wine and the Christian Church

Have you ever noticed that when most Christians get together, the subject of Jesus hardly, if ever, comes up? They might talk about church activities, and sometimes they might even pray over a meal, but talking about Jesus, and the teachings of the bible, is almost never mentioned?

Of course, talking about Jesus and the teachings of the bible is always controversial, and people don’t want to ruffle feathers. I understand that, but it is still refreshing when someone wants to talk about Jesus.

So last night I was at my nephew’s wedding, and I was seated with an uncle who loves to talk about the things of God. So I was happy, but also had my feathers ruffled a bit.

For most of the things we talked about we were in almost complete agreement, but then he broached the subject of wine and the Christan. Well, he repeated many of the points I grew up with in Baptist churches, and it got me thinking;

So many verses are taken out of context, on the subject of wine and the Christian, that it is hard to know where to start. Maybe we should start with the basics?

Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. 2 Tim. 2:15

First of all, there are over 600 passages in Scripture which mention wine. Some are negative and some are positive. We simply cannot understand the whole biblical teaching on this subject by reading only a handful of verses, especially if we take them out of context.

So Uncle J. quoted a few verses to me like this;

“Abstain from all appearance of evil.” 1 Thes. 5:22

“Drinking alcohol looks evil”

“And be not drunk with wine…” Eph. 5:18

“The best way to avoid getting drunk is to abstain from consuming alcohol”

Look not thou upon the wine when it is red, when it giveth his colour in the cup, when it moveth itself aright. Prov.23:31

On his first point, I note that drinking wine looks no different from drinking cranberry juice, or grape juice. How does this look evil? Staggering around, or acting beligerent like a drunk, does indeed look evil, but putting a glass to your lips is something that every person on the planet does daily, unless they are on an IV drip.

No I am sorry, but drinking anything does not look evil. It just looks like a person drinking something.

About the second point; Clearly Christians are commanded to avoid drunkenness, but does the bible teach that all Christians should abstain from alcohol and wine? Does it teach that Jesus abstained from drinking and serving wine?

Absolutely not!

Jesus turned water into wine at a wedding in Cana of Galilee. Have you ever been to a wedding that didn’t have children there?  I was at one last night and the youngest person there was less than a year old.  Jesus didn’t have a problem with serving alcohol to children!  That is another subject on which our society thinks it knows more than God!

Here is the account of what the governor of the feast said to the bridegroom;

When the ruler of the feast had tasted the water that was made wine, and knew not whence it was: (but the servants which drew the water knew;) the governor of the feast called the bridegroom, 10 And saith unto him, Every man at the beginning doth set forth good wine; and when men have well drunk, then that which is worse: but thou hast kept the good wine until now. John 2:9-10

The idea is that once people’s judgment is slightly impaired by alcohol, the normal practice was to bring out the inferior wine, but this man saved the best for the last. Jesus made sure we know what is meant by “better wine” in His statement recorded by Luke;

No man also having drunk old wine straightway desireth new: for he saith, The old is better. Luke 5:39

In Scripture the better wine is older, fermented, wine. Wine that has aged and mellowed. The governor of the feast in Cana was clearly echoing these sentiments!

I have never heard a Baptist pastor put these two passages together, but it is a legitimate comparison since they are on the same subject. Could it be that it conflicts with their agenda? Absolutely! A great many pastors think the purpose of the Church is to make the world a better place to live, and they believe it is their job to clean-up the place!

The actual job of the Church, and individual Christians, is to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ.

The third point is that the passage has been taken out of context. Lets read the whole thing;

29 Who hath woe? who hath sorrow? who hath contentions? who hath babbling? who hath wounds without cause? who hath redness of eyes? 30 They that tarry long at the wine; they that go to seek mixed wine. 31 Look not thou upon the wine when it is red, when it giveth his colour in the cup, when it moveth itself aright. Proverbs 23:29-31

It is so easy to simply read the whole passage in context, and when you do that you can see that it is about drinking to excess. It has nothing to do with simply looking at wine, or even having a glass, but is about trying out different combinations of drinks, without restraint!

Pastors, especially Baptist pastors, like to do this. To isolate one verse, or a portion of one verse, and take it out of the immediate context, and make it say something that it does not really say.

Maybe they think wine is a small thing, and doing this in order to keep people from getting drunk is for a good cause. And, isn’t it OK to twist Scripture if it is in the interest of making people, and society, better?

This is what I like to call “The Good Cause Syndrome”. It may seem a small thing on a relatively minor matter like this, but if this is how you treat Scripture on one subject you will ultimately end up supporting the Antichrist, in the interest of supporting a “good cause”!

But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God. Matthew 4:4

We have a natural tendency to want to simplify things, but there are no short-cuts with the Word of God. We have to study it, and we have to do it over and over again. When we think we know everything there is to know about it, that is a sign that we need to start at the beginning again, and go over it once more, without our pre-conceived blinders on! Don’t read Scripture looking for what you want to see, but look for what is really there.

 When a man grows up in the home of an alcoholic, and sees the sin and abuse associated with this abuse, he has a natural tendency to look for verses he could use to get people to reject this substance.  This may be natural, but we are called to be spiritual and not natural!

God knew science before He created the world. Human Scientists have been playing catch-up since the beginning, and though we know a lot more now than we did 5 years ago, we are far from knowing everything.

God, however, made His laws knowing the Science involved, from the very beginning. The symbolism made sense to the Greatest mind ever, long before we started to catch-on. This is why He commanded that the drink offerings were to be “strong wine”.

And the drink offering thereof shall be the fourth part of an hin for the one lamb: in the holy place shalt thou cause the strong wine to be poured unto the LORD for a drink offering. Numbers 28:7

The drink offering was to be offered in the Temple of God.

What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? I Corinthians 6:19

In the anaerobic fermentation process yeast changes sugar molecules into alcohol molecules by removing part of the molecule, and obtaining energy for itself in the process. Unfortunately for the yeast, alcohol is a poison that eventually kills the yeast that created it. This usually occurs when the concentration of alcohol reaches a point of between 10-12% by volume. When fermentation stops the wine is either filtered, or the yeast allowed to settle, and the wine is decanted from off of it, without disturbing the sediment.

Thus, in the final analysis, properly made alcoholic wine has no active yeast in it.

This is important because yeast has the biblical symbolism of sin, but wine has the “sin” removed!

The passover feast has the elements of unleavened bread, and wine. The unleavened bread represents the body of Jesus Christ, who was without sin, and yet striped (with a whip) for our iniquities (Isaiah 53:5). The wine represents the blood of Christ. The alcohol actually represents judgment against sin. The judgment is created by the sin itself, and destroys that sin. Jesus took our judgment on Himself, and was punished for our sins, so that we could become the righteousness of God!

Thus the alcoholic component of wine is an essential component of the Christian Communion service!

When you have a bottle of grape juice, which has been sterilized by some industrial process; as soon as you open the bottle, you are allowing yeast spores to enter the juice and fermentation immediately begins! Every cubic meter of air has yeast spores in it. Our planet is covered in yeast! (Our planet is covered in sin!)

So, what happens when churches use fresh grape juice in their communion services? They are always serving a live yeast culture in every cup! Thinking themselves wise, these men have completely destroyed the picture of judgment that God set-up in the communion service! Drinking the fresh grape-juice during the communion service of these churches is kind of like drinking a cup of sin, and pretending that it is the cup of the Lord!

Oh, I know that you can’t see the fermentation process taking place in these communion cups. They are prepared shortly before the service begins, and it has not had enough time to become fully active, but make no mistake it is actually there, working to corrupt the juice at the very time we take it thinking we are honouring the Lord!

For 1850 years Christian Churches of all denominations used alcoholic wine in their communion services. It is no coincidence that the time that Christians began to reject the bible’s commands regarding communion occurred at the same time that Evolution, and Communism began to be popular. It is the same mentality that powers all of these ideas; a rejection of God’s clear commands, and a belief that man’s own understanding is greater than the God of the bible!

It is time for true Christians to get back to the bible!

 

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Is Alexis Tsipras the Antichrist?

Of Lions and Beasts

I was listening to one of Chris Pinto’s broadcasts the other day, and he was describing a hunting technique used by lions.

It seems that often a group of lions, a pride, will split into two groups. They then will move to opposite sides of a herd of animals, with one group remaining hidden in tall grass or bushes. The other group will roar, and startle the prey who will run in the opposite direction, right into a trap. When the herd is within striking distance the hidden group of lions will spring out of hiding and take down some of the prey.

I seem to remember seeing this on some TV show, when I was a kid, but I had forgotten about it.

I find this interesting because both Satan and the Lord Jesus Christ are compared to lions in Scripture;

Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: I Peter 5:8

Therefore I will be unto them as a lion: as a leopard by the way will I observe them: I will meet them as a bear that is bereaved of her whelps, and will rend the caul of their heart, and there will I devour them like a lion: the wild beast shall tear them. Hosea 13:7-8

And one of the elders saith unto me, Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Juda, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof. Revelation 5:5

Is it possible that both the Lord and Satan use this same technique? Don’t forget the Lord programmed lions to behave this way. Yes! This is exactly what we see in biblical prophecy, and don’t forget that Satan himself counterfeits the real thing.

Satan knows he has very little time left, and he is desperate. He will use the fear of one person, or group, to drive people into the arms of the Antichrist! The first group will be people Satan has set-up for the exact purpose of this deception.

God, on the other hand, will use the Beast to wake people up, and drive some of them into the arms of the Saviour!

There are a number of prophecy ministries writing about the new prime minister of Greece, one Alexis Tsipris, as if he might be the Antichrist. As we rocket towards the end of the age, all politicians are persons of interest, to be sure, but does this man actually fit the prophecies concerning the man of sin, the Antichrist?

alexis-tsipras-650x400

Alexis Tsipras, the charismatic new prime minister of Greece

 

It is true that most are not actually saying that Tsipras is the Antichrist, but they seem to have decided that he is close enough to call him an “archetype of the Antichrist to come”.

An archetype is defined as “ the original pattern or model of which all things of the same type are representations or copies : prototype; also : a perfect example”. http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/archetype

The true Archetype of the Antichrist is actually Tammuz of ancient Babylon, and the next is Antiochus Epiphanes IV.

Now, I do not doubt the sincerity of the authors, but one thing I find that they have missed is rather glaring; The Antichrist is not an Atheist, and Alexis Tsipras is!

Tsipras rather, better fits the idea of the Antichrist which Roman Catholic Priest Robert Hugh Benson wrote about in his book “Lord of the World”  In that book the final battle comes down between those of “faith” versus Athiests and humanists.

Hmm! Do you think that if there was a battle between Communists, Atheists, and humanists on one side, and people of faith, any faith, on the other, that this might be used as a motivator for Christians to set aside their beliefs and come together to combat this menace?

I think it would, and I think that this is exactly what Satan has planned for us. What a wonderful way to create the Harlot of Revelation 17; as a response to a perceived Antichrist and Tribulation! People of faith could unite to combat Atheism, Communism, and the “Antichrist”, and usher in the millennial reign!

After a war where Atheism and Communism come very close to destroying the world, religious people will rush together to save the world from a repeat of such a disaster. This war will be the war written about in Ezekiel 38-39,where millions of people will die, and Rome itself is likely to be destroyed, along with parts of Russia, Iran and Turkey.

And, here’s the thing, human efforts cannot stop such a tragedy from recurring!

This may come as a shock, but the human race is not in control of the events on this planet! God is!

So, does Alexis Tsipras show the characteristics that would qualify him as the Antichrist? As Geri Ungurean put it;

“His name is Alexis Tsipras, and it seems that he meets much of the criteria of the prophesied Antichrist. He was just elected as the Prime Minister of Greece. He is an atheist and a far left winger. His party in Greece is called SYRIZA. He has appeared out of nowhere in the last couple of years, almost magically. He has landed himself in a most precarious situation. Greece is broken. Is he the one to fix it, and also the EU which is struggling and groping at almost anything to revive Europe? All eyes are on this man.” http://www.nowtheendbegins.com/blog/?p=30736

The atheist thing is what most are pointing to, but will the Antichrist be an atheist? What do the Scriptures say?

But in his estate shall he honour the God of forces: and a god whom his fathers knew not shall he honour with gold, and silver, and with precious stones, and pleasant things. Daniel 11:38

They focus on the previous verse, but ignoring verse 36 and 38 is taking it out of context. Lets look at the whole passage in context;

36 And the king shall do according to his will; and he shall exalt himself, and magnify himself above every god, and shall speak marvellous things against the God of gods, and shall prosper till the indignation be accomplished: for that that is determined shall be done. 37 Neither shall he regard the God of his fathers, nor the desire of women, nor regard any god: for he shall magnify himself above all. 38 But in his estate shall he honour the God of forces: and a god whom his fathers knew not shall he honour with gold, and silver, and with precious stones, and pleasant things.

So, first he says “marvelous” things against the God of gods. This does not necessarily mean that he says the God of gods does not exist. It may actually mean that he claims to be the Son of that God! Of course he will redefine that God at the same time, as many professing Christians, and Jews, have done for thousands of years. In fact both Catholics and Protestants have so re-defined God, that their God bears little resemblance to the God of the Bible though they may know Him by the same name!

As Paul said about the Antichrist;

Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God. 2 Thessalonians 2:4

While atheists do claim to be their own God, they do not normally claim to be the God of all Creation (although frequently they act like they think they are!). The fact that he honours the “God of forces” with gold and silver also gives us a clue that he is not an atheist, but a religious enemy of the God of the bible. Uniting with this religious man, against atheists and communists would probably not be a good idea, but this is exactly what Babylon the Harlot will do.

The ten nation confederacy spoken about in Revelation 17:12, is not a part of Europe, but a world government which will divide the world up into ten regions, and each “king” will be the leader of one of these “super nations”. The Club of Rome described this plan in their 1974 book “Mankind at the Turning Point”

Interestingly this same book described how they would use global warming, or global cooling, as a means to push for this world government. At that time they had not decided which would be most effective, but the popular media of the last 20 years has made it quite apparent that global warming was the choice.

Europe is in the midst of a financial crisis, which is not likely to leave it unscathed. What is the probability that Europe will divide into two or more units, comprising of several nations each? I would say this probability is very high. The productive nations such as Germany, England, Poland, etc. are getting tired of bailing out the lazy socialist nations of the south. This situation could easily lead to a break-up of the Union. In fact, a socialist like Alexis Tsipras, with Obama-like policies, could easily offend parts of the Union, and lead to a break-up.

Is it possible that a component of the southern EU comprising ten nations, including Italy and Greece, might leave the EU and form their own union? Would this be the fulfilment of Revelation 17:12?

The answer is “No!”, but many professing Christians will interpret it as being exactly that! Why? Because this is Satan’s deception. He has to make people believe that someone else is the Antichrist, and that some other war is Armageddon. So, could Alexis Tsipras become the president of this union? He could, although there are some other candidates in the running as well, including Italians Mateo Renzi, and Nichi Vendola.  (See my article “The rise of the Euroskeptics”)

Mateo Renzi,P prime minister of Italy since 22 Feb. 2014

Nichi Vendola, president of Italy’s Apulia region

What if the leader of this new European Union brokers a peace treaty between Israel and the Arabs, would that make him the Antichrist? Again, No! Peace between Israel and the Arabs is a goal of many world leaders, but even if one of them succeeds, even if it is the actual treaty that the real Antichrist eventually confirms, the original signer is still NOT the Antichrist!

It will just seem like it to many people.

This is why the bible says the Beast “confirms” a covenant (Daniel 9:27). He will not originate it, but it will be in place for several years after the Psalm 83 war. It is a treaty that will prove to bring peace and prosperity between Israel and the Arabs, and in the aftermath of the Gog/Magog war, a world leader will reinstate this treaty between Israel and the nations of that war. That person will be the Beast, the Antichrist!

Regardless of which European politician becomes the leader of a southern European ten-nation-union, the basic premise of The Spirit of Prophecy is correct, that this is a part of Satan’s plan to deceive the world; to make the world believe the Tribulation is over when in fact, it has not yet begun!

Where will all the prophecy scholars and teachers be, if Tsipras, or one of these other gentlemen becomes a European dictator?  Will they be rushing to claim that they were the first one to identify the Antichrist?  I hope not, because none of these men is the Antichrist, but just bit players in Satan’s grand scheme!

Whether it is Tsipras, or someone else who takes control of Europe, they will be only a part of Satan’s lion-like plan to drive people toward the Antichrist!

Dan

For further reading (note, I disagree with all of these authors on some major points, but present these links for educational purposes);

 Antichrist Archetype Emerges

Alexis The Great, Hope Of Greece, Europe And The World? By Cynthia Nuara

A CHARISMATIC NEW WORLD LEADER APPEARS FROM NOWHERE AND TAKES CONTROL OF GREECE 

ALEXIS TSIPRAS QUICKLY FORMS UNEXPECTED ALLIANCE BETWEEN GREECE AND RUSSIA

 Alexis Tsipras is not the Antichrist

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The Pope’s recommendation for your reading

Disclaimer: The author intends these articles to assist the reader in understanding the End Times prophecies of the Holy Bible. There is no intention to provoke hatred towards any group, tribe, or nation. Even the family of the Antichrist deserves to hear the Gospel of Jesus Christ! The book of Revelation states that there will be members of every tribe, nation, kingdom, and tongue, in Heaven! It is the hope of the author to provoke Christians to witness of the love and forgiveness of God toward all who will listen! It is his hope that we will share in the joy of seeing even family members of the Antichrist himself, in Heaven with Jesus!

There is a book pope Francis wants you to read; “Lord of the World” a 1907 novel by Catholic priest, Robert Hugh Benson. Interestingly, this is a novel about the End Times, the time in which we live, and the one fact that I and the pope would actually agree on.

Lord of the World, by Robert Hugh Benson

I would recommend that you read the Wikipedia entry for “Lord of the World” but that is all you really need to know about it. The theology is Roman Catholic, and the End Times view it promotes is serious error.  I have written about this error in my own book “The Spirit of Prophecy”. It is not that it is totally in error, but that it is promoting an interpretation of near events which will lead to great error!

Those events can be found in the bible, but they are not the Tribulation. Not even a part of it!

Here is some of what the Media Research Center website has to say about this book;

“Lord of the World” portrays a dystopian vision of the future and culminates in the final battle between humanism and Catholicism, which eventually leads to Armageddon.

The author depicts a Marxist world in which a charismatic senator from Vermont named Julian Felsenburgh promises world peace if world’s citizens follow him obediently.

He is made president of Europe, and then the world, due to his charisma and promises of utopia, but little remains known about him, even after his rise to power. He replaces the belief in God with secularism and tortures and kills those who oppose his doctrine.

As it becomes clear that the Felsenburgh is, in fact, the “anti-Christ,” the Pope gathers with the Cardinals in Rome in an effort to avoid the coming apocalypse.

In the end, Felsenburgh ends up destroying Rome, killing the Pope and with the assistance of other world leaders and destroys the remaining vestiges of faith on Earth.”

When reading this description I was amazed at the similarity between this book and a section of my book “The Spirit of Prophecy”. I had never heard of “Lord of the World” until January 2015.

In my studies I came to the conclusion that Satan is preparing the world for his own version of the Tribulation, complete with a decoy Antichrist and false prophet, and a war which many will identify as Armageddon. Satan has a plan to reinterpret two biblical wars as being the Tribulation itself, and has had help setting up the scenario by large numbers of bible scholars, and prophecy teachers. In order to do this he will have to recreate many of the events of the book of Revelation.

Have you ever heard a preacher, or prophecy teacher, say that the Gog/Magog war of Ezekiel 38-39, is a part of the Tribulation, or even Armageddon itself? I have several times, and I have even heard Jewish teachers say the same thing! Essentially that “Gog/Magog is the Time of Jacob’s Trouble”. Well, it is not. It is the last pre-Tribulation war which will occur during the closing days of the Church-Age. It is also very likely that Rome will be destroyed during this war. This is Satan’s deception.

The destruction of Rome will be a large factor in Satan’s End Times deception. You see, if Rome was the city of Revelation 17, and if it was destroyed during the Gog/Magog war, in a surprise nuclear attack, then this would be fulfilment of the destruction of the Harlot city in Revelation 18!

Here’s the thing; Rome probably will be destroyed during the Gog/Magog war, as this novel states, but this still is not Armageddon, and Rome is NOT the city of either Revelation 17 or 18.

A European leader will broker a peace treaty between Israel and the Arabs, after Israel uses their nuclear devices to repel the Arab attack of Psalm 83. They will promise Israel that they will come to Israel’s aid if attacked. So, when the Russo-Iranian coalition plans their attack against Israel, they will have to neutralize the European threat before they attack!

Destroying the European leader, in Rome, with a nuclear attack will throw Europe into panic, and paralysis, and the Russo-Iranian attack against Israel will go off without resistance. This is why God will intervene on Israel’s behalf. They will be helpless, and sitting ducks, and if God didn’t intervene they would be destroyed!

The problem is that the Jews will interpret the Lord’s direct intervention as divine endorsement of their theology! At this point they will begin to persecute the Christians in their midst, both Arab and Jewish, and the events of Isaiah 3:9-26 will ensue.

Most bible commentators believe that verse 15 is past history, but history has a habit of repeating itself. In fact the whole chapter of Isaiah 3 will repeat itself in the days and hours shortly before the Tribulaton;

What mean ye that ye beat my people to pieces, and grind the faces of the poor? saith the Lord GOD of hosts. Isaiah 3:15

Israel is famous for their tolerance today, but after surviving two major attacks by Muslim nations, surviving without American aid, and experiencing the Lord’s divine intervention, they will believe their theology is justified, and they will again persecute the true Church.

With Rome destroyed in the second war, most Christians will be telling Israel that the Time of Jacob’s trouble is over, and now they can enjoy a time of world peace. Israel will finally have all the land the Lord promised them. This is the time spoken of in Isaiah 27

12 And it shall come to pass in that day, that the LORD shall beat off from the channel of the river unto the stream of Egypt, and ye shall be gathered one by one, O ye children of Israel. 13 And it shall come to pass in that day, that the great trumpet shall be blown, and they shall come which were ready to perish in the land of Assyria, and the outcasts in the land of Egypt, and shall worship the LORD in the holy mount at Jerusalem. Isaiah 27:12-13

The “channel of the river” is the Euphrates, and the “stream of Egypt” is the Nile (not the wadi El Arish, as some teach). Israel will control all the territory from the Nile to the Euphrates, and will believe that they finally have peace and safety. God will allow them to believe that they have already been through the Time of Jacob’s trouble, and now is the time of the restoration of Israel!

This is His “hiss” for them!

Zechariah 10:8
I will hiss for them, and gather them; for I have redeemed them: and they shall increase as they have increased.

A hiss is the sound that a serpent makes. A hiss is never friendly, and God’s hiss for Israel is no exception to the rule. Frankly, I think this hiss is God using Satan to get the people of Israel to return.

Israelis are smart people. They won’t return unless they believe that the danger is past; the danger of the Day of the Lord. They know that the bible, the Jewish bible, declares that two thirds of Israel will perish during the Tribulation, just a little later in the same book (Zechariah13:8). Since God doesn’t lie, He will use Satan’s lie to bring them back, but you can be sure it is God’s will!

The word “redeemed” does not mean “saved’, it means “purchased”. When Jesus died on the cross, he purchased the whole world from His Father, including His fellow Jews! (Not from Satan, Satan never owned this world; he is just its god!)

The city of seven mountains of Revelation 17 is actually Amman, or Philadelphia, as it was known in the first century. This is the true city of the Antichrist, but with the world believing that the Antichrist has been destroyed in Rome, they will not be watching Amman. This city will become a world-leading city after the Psalm 83, and Ezekiel 38-39 wars.

In fact it is likely that after the Psalm 83 war, Amman will change its name back to the old name of Philadelphia, again a deception of Satan. They will want to distance themselves from the excesses of Islam, and the wars they have caused, but this will add to the End Times deception.

Philadelphia of Revelation 3 was the most blessed church of the book of Revelation. That Philadelphia was promised by God to be kept out of the Great Tribulation, but that city was in Turkey, not in the nation of Israel’s closest relatives. God actually promised to destroy Amman by fire (Jeremiah 49:2), using the old name of Rabbah of the Ammonites, and changing its name will not stop His wrath! But this will be a deception that false Christians will latch-on to.  No doubt the Antichrist will call his church, the church of Philadelphia!

But what will happen when Rome is destroyed, as “Lord of the World” describes? What will the surviving Catholics do? You can be sure that one thing they will do is to admit that Preterism was wrong, and that the world prior to this time was actually in a pre-Millennial state!

For protestants this will be music to their ears! At a time when it will be undeniable that the Gog/Magog war has just occurred, and, since so many protestants have stated that this war is a part of the Tribulation, with the destruction of Rome behind them, and this being interpreted as having been the fulfilment of Revelation 17-19, the next event on the prophetic horizon is the Millennial reign of Christ!

Only it won’t be Jesus, but the Antichrist!

With “the Harlot” destroyed, and the “millennial reign” looming on the horizon there will be nothing to stop the world’s surviving Churches to unite! Nothing except those few pesky Christians who say “That wasn’t the Tribulation, but only a couple of pre-Tribulation wars, and the man you are about to crown is the Antichrist!”

Dan Knezacek

Also see;

http://www.cruxnow.com/church/2015/01/25/apocalyptic-beliefs-may-explain-why-francis-is-a-pope-in-a-hurry/

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Rules of Scripture Interpretation

One of my correspondents recently pointed out a “rule” to me that some scholar told her; Whenever “that day” is used in Scripture it always refers to the Tribulation.

I think that we need to read words in the plain sense, normal usage of the words involved.  Creating rules in this way could interfere with our understanding of Scripture.

“That day” in 2 Thessalonians 2:3 is referring back to the previous two verses.

1 Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him,  2 That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand.  3 Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;

No doubt “that day” refers to the Tribulation period itself, but it also refers to “our gathering together unto Him”.  The people Paul was writing to were concerned that they had missed the rapture and were going into the Tribulation period itself.  Paul is addressing both concerns, because they are one and the same.  If you miss the rapture you will go into the Tribulation period.

Speaking of rules of Scripture interpretation…

Zephaniah 2 leads us to create a rule about Scripture interpretation; Since chapter 2:1-2 indicates that Israel must be fully gathered before the Tribulation, then any prophecy that speaks of Israel being gathered must occur before the Tribulation.

  1 Gather yourselves together, yea, gather together, O nation not desired;  2 Before the decree bring forth, before the day pass as the chaff, before the fierce anger of the LORD come upon you, before the day of the LORD’S anger come upon you.

I didn’t create this rule; it was the Lord.  I just noticed it.  Israel must gather before the Tribulation begins.  There are millions of Israelites living as Muslims today, in places like Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Afghanistan, and Pakistan.  They must return to the God of their fathers, and to the land of Israel before the Tribulation begins.  This does not mean a part of Israel, not even a part of every tribe; It means everyone who has an Israelite background.

Thus Ezekiel 37:19, chapters 38-39, Isaiah 11:11, 27:12-13, and any other prophecies concerning the return of Israel to the land, must be timed BEFORE the Tribulation; i.e. during the Church Age!

As many prophecy scholars have noted, the first 3 1/2 years of Daniels 70th week are relatively peaceful, we will not expect many wars to occur during that time; they must occur before the week begins. The Antichrist’s covenant will appear to work for a time. Armageddon occurs after this time.

What else can we say about this covenant? It is a response to the war that Israel has just been through, Gog/Magog, and based on the agreement that ended the Psalm 83 war, which did bring some peace to the region for the time between these two wars.

A lot of prophecy scholars talk about a time between the rapture and the Tribulation as being an indefinite time where things will ramp up to the Tribulation. They put these wars in that time frame. I see no indication of this time frame in Scripture. It doesn’t exist. The world will go from the Church Age back to the Age of Israel instantaneously, at the rapture!

So these wars must occur while the Church is still here on the earth.

Lastly, consider Hosea 5:15-6:2. This passage tells us that Jesus will return for Israel “in the third day”. Peter tells us that a day with the Lord is as a thousand years, in the context of the End Times, so we can be sure that Jesus will not return until after the second thousand years is over.

15 I will go and return to my place, till they acknowledge their offence, and seek my face: in their affliction they will seek me early. 6: 1 Come, and let us return unto the LORD: for he hath torn, and he will heal us; he hath smitten, and he will bind us up.  2 After two days will he revive us: in the third day he will raise us up, and we shall live in his sight.

It is still possible that the rapture could occur some 7 years before this time, but it is not likely to occur before then.

So when was the cross? We don’t know for sure, but the best estimates are somewhere between 28-33 AD. If God went by 360 day years, we are already beyond that time, but I think He goes by 365 day years. This is why He told Adam to count the seasons by the sun and stars, and not the phases of the moon.

So, taking the earliest date, 28 AD, as the basis point for our two days, then seven years before the second day is 2021 AD, only six years from now. But the crucifixion may have been as late as 33 AD, so in that case the Tribulation could not start until 2026.

Does the Tribulation occur entirely during the last seven years of the second day, or does it straddle the two days? This is something I am not entirely sure, but I am certain it is related to these two days, and definitely ends in the third.

There is still plenty of time for a pseudo-Tribulation. And you will notice that I have not said a day not an hour.

Why would God allow Satan to do this? I think it is because He is setting a trap for false Christians!  He is quite willing to trap those who think they know God, but don’t bother studying His Word.

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The importance of keeping your word

For those who have read this site from time to time, you probably have read that I have come to the conclusion that God is not opposed to one man having several wives,commonly referred to as polygyny.

My reading of Isaiah 3 and 4, especially 4:1, leads me to the conclusion that Jesus will use this form of marriage in the early stages of His millennial reign. Isaiah 3:25 shows that Armageddon will see the male population of the planet decimated to a seven times greater extent than the female population. For the surviving women, this system of marriage will be the only way for them to have a family, in a world where there are seven women per man.

The subject is based on God’s love for women, as well as the fact that it is still His plan to fill the earth with people. He never rescinded the command to “be fruitful and multiply”.

Some people have accused me of holding this belief because I want another wife. This is not the case.

When I told my mother my findings she said to me “you’re not being fair to Bev”, as if I was reading my own desires into Scripture. To be fair this is what a lot of professing Christians actually do!

A cousin who read “The Spirit of Prophecy” sent me several gushingly positive emails, as she went from chapter to chapter, at one point saying “this is the best prophecy book I have ever read”.  And then she read the introduction to Chapter 8. At that point she put the book down and refused to read any more.

I started the book with a chapter on biblical interpretation, where I showed how we must read the plain-sense of Scripture, and harmonize the whole book, while listening to the Holy Spirit. This is called the literal hermeneutic, and is the same method of hermeneutics that most fundamentalist bible believers espouse.

Take it literally, unless it uses language that indicates it is to be taken figuratively.  If it uses the word “like”, as in “something is like something else”, then you know that it is not literal, but allegorical, for comparison’s sake.  Other times it will say that it is a “parable”, or “spiritual”, and then you know that what it says is not to be taken literally.  

A perfect example is when Jesus said that we must eat his body, and drink his blood, if we are to be saved (John 6:53-58).  Later on he stated “It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.” So we know that he was not talking about eating his flesh, and drinking his blood, literally, but spiritually. Not symbolically, but actually taking his words, and making them a part of ourselves.  So the Roman Catholic Church totally misses the point here, taking allegorically something that is literal, and taking something literal that was meant to be allegorical.

Most conservative preachers will preach, and follow, this method of hermeneutics until they come across a subject they disagree with. At that point their own understanding trumps the plain sense of Scripture.

The problem is that I used the literal method of Scripture interpretation in “The Spirit of Prophecy“, for prophetic Scriptures, and continued through Jesus’, and Moses’, teachings on marriage. I have been consistent throughout.

I was indeed able to harmonize all the Scriptures on this subject, but my conclusion is not the same as is commonly taught in Christian circles. For this I am not welcome among many Christians.

Last year, on Facebook, I befriended Andy Woods of Sugarland Bible Church, but after a few months he posted an article which said that polygyny is wrong. I gave him some biblical passages, in context, showing that what he was saying is biblically incorrect, and as a result he unfriended me.

That is not entirely unexpected, since most Christians hold their traditions to a higher level than the Holy Scriptures.

The truth is that the “Christian” tradition that polygyny is wrong actually can be traced to the political practices of ancient Greece, and Rome. During the time of Christ, Israel was the only part of the Roman empire which allowed men to marry more than one woman. The Roman Senators were not more moral men than the men of Israel, in fact they were famous for their affairs.  What this law did was to condemn the children of these relationships, and protect their fathers from their responsibility!

When Rome became “Christian” they simply incorporated their political teachings into the “Christian” church, and looked for Scriptures which might be used to support their tradition.

It’s not hard to do this if you take Scripture out of context.

In the fall of 2014, I joined another Facebook group “Modern Christian Polygyny”. Since they used the name Christian, and had come to a similar conclusion to this subject, I thought they would be interested in what the Scriptures say on this subject.

As it turns out, while there actually appeared to be one or two real Christians in the group, the administrators were not entirely welcoming to the literal understanding of Scripture.

There was a discussion where someone brought up the idea that women could be involved in Lesbian relationships, so long as they were covered under an “umbrella” relationship, of having being married to the same man.

I pointed out to them that Jesus said;

And he answered and said unto them, Have ye not read, that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female… Matthew 19:4 

Now clearly Jesus was talking about divorce, but in the process of a talk on marriage and divorce, Jesus clearly states that marriage is between a man and a woman. There is no room for homosexual relations within a polygamous/polygynous marriage.

When David married Abigail and Ahinoam, he had an individual marriage relationship with each of them, but the women were not married to each other! This is the same in every polygynous marriage you can find in the bible. Lesbianism is not mentioned in the context of these marriages, because the thought did not even occur to them! It was not a part of their culture at all!

This idea is something that is modern, as a result of our modern western depravity.

Their answer was “that’s your opinion”.

I then showed them what Paul said regarding homosexuality in Romans 1;

24 Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves: 25 Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen. 26 For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: 27 And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet.

Actually I think I only posted verses 26-27, but the truth of the whole passage is visible in these two verses.

Their answer was again “that’s your opinion”.

I then pointed out to them that the word “likewise”, as found in verse 27, means “in the same way” or “in the same manner”, and clearly links the sin of the women with the sin of the men. The women and men who received Paul’s judgment in Romans 1 were both involved in homosexuality, and it is irrelevant whether, or not, they were married to a person of the opposite sex at the same time.

If you study the history of homosexuality in the ancient world, especially Greece, you will find that most of the men were actually married to women, and had children, but that they also had their homosexual relationships on the side. It was not as if they refused to have children, and married men instead. Even Nero married women, before he married the young man, Sporus.

By the way, an excellent resource on the subject is “The Pink Swastika” by Lively and Abrams. Not only do they delve into the homosexuality of the German Nazi party, but they trace it back to ancient Greece and Rome, and to philosophers such as Plato. 

So anyway, once I had explained that the condemnation of Paul towards homosexuality extends to Lesbianism, as well as male/male homosexuality, I was unfriended again! (As I went to post this I searched Facebook, and the group is gone. Maybe I got to them? Or, maybe the Lord got to them through something I said?  Maybe they just didn’t want their practices to be exposed.)

My so-called “interpretation” was to simply accept the plain-sense meaning of the words in Scripture.

Some people look for license in Scripture, to do things which are sinful, and claim “the Lord never prohibited this behaviour”! The truth is that God gave us everything we need in the pages of His Word!

So, I came to the conclusion that God is not opposed to polygyny over 15 years ago, so why haven’t I married another wife by now?

As I said before, we need to harmonize all of Scripture. We can’t take one part and place it higher than another part. It all works together to form our minds into the image of Christ.

Remember when Israel was wandering in the wilderness, and God commanded them not to make an alliance with the nations of Canaan?

“And when the LORD thy God shall deliver them before thee (Israel); thou shalt smite them, and utterly destroy them; thou shalt make no covenant with them, nor shew mercy unto them:” Deuteronomy 7:2

In Joshua 9, the Gibeonites wisely tricked Israel into making a covenant with them(Judges 9:14-15). Three days later they discovered that they had been tricked, but by then it was too late. God expected Israel to abide by the treaty that He had specifically prohibited them from making!

Why? God keeps His promises, and expects His people to honour their promises, even ones they should not have made in the first place! There were times when God wanted to destroy the whole human race, but because of His word, He didn’t do it.

It is the same today on the subject of marriage; Even though God nowhere commands men to promise that they would have no other woman, once you have said it in your wedding vows, He expects you to keep it. It is a matter of honour.

As Jesus said;

“But let your communication be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay: for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil.” Matthew 5:37

Jephtha understood this, and when he had made a foolish promise to God, to sacrifice as a burnt offering, whatever was the first thing to come out of his house, after his victory in battle, he knew he was obligated to keep his word. Unfortunatelly for him, it was his daughter who came out to greet him!

Read the story in Judges 11:30-40. Jephtha even allowed his daughter the chance to escape, sending her away for two months to “bewail her virginity” but when she returned he had to keep his vow. In keeping his vow, however, Jephtha became a type of God the Father, and his daughter became a type of Christ! The Father sacrificed His Son for you, in spite of His great love for His Son!

Those who reject Jesus are also rejecting the Love of God!

Who was it who chose Jephtha’s daughter for the sacrifice? There can be no doubt that it was the Lord Himself; Jephtha gave the Lord the opportunity to chose His own sacrifice! Once he had done that, he knew that it was wrong to break a promise, especially one to the Lord!

It is a serious thing to break a vow. Don’t do it!

If you have already broken your vow, now is the time to repent, and do what is right. Don’t do it again!  But remember that the law reveals the Lord’s character to us on every subject that it touches;

And if a man entice a maid that is not betrothed, and lie with her, he shall surely endow her to be his wife. Exodus 22:16

Jephtha is named in Hebrews 11:32, in the “hit parade” of men of faith, as an example for the Christian Church! And no, Jephtha is not an example of what-not-to-do, but an example of how we too ought to take our promises very seriously!

Do you take your word as seriously as Jephtha took his? If not, now is the time to start. Remember that “the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom”? The fear of the Lord is not something that was done away with at the cross;

And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. Matthew 10:28

But in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him. Acts 10:35

So this is why I cannot be a polygynist, but what should you do if a Muslim polygynist gets saved and comes to your Church? Let’s talk about that next time.

Dan

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An example of what the Antichrist will look like

There is a politician in the world today who exemplifies the way the Antichrist will behave, at least in the early stages of his reign.

Would you think I am talking about B. Hussein Obama? Well, actually no. Lots of people speculate that Obama is the antichrist, but he is too divisive to be that person. America is more divided now than it was in 2009 when Obama took over. Obama specializes in pitting people against each other. This is not a characteristic of the biblical Antichrist.

How about the pope? I hear lots of people saying that pope Francis is the Antichrist, or at least the false prophet. The pope is very Antichrist-like, to be sure, but he is not the Antichrist, nor the biblical false prophet, of Revelation 13:11. The false prophet comes our of the “land” which is a reference to Israel. He is Satan’s attempt to get Israel to worship the Antichrist, and thus needs to have a Jewish background in order to have credibility with Israel, and Jews.

The pope is also very divisive, and many of his pronouncements have alienated many conservative Roman Catholics against their leader!

The pope is alienating conservatives

No, the pope may be A false prophet, but he is not THE false prophet, nor the Antichrist.

As I have said in “The Spirit of Prophecy” the pope is a stand-in for the false prophet. Satan is creating a villain, in the pope, so he can be destroyed to distract attention from the real False Prophet, and Antichrist. He is a decoy, and a dupe.

You can also expect that Satan will set up some world leader to take the fall for the Antichrist.  Because of what Christians have been saying about the Antichrist we can expect this person will most likely come from Rome, Italy, or at least the EU or some successor to the EU.   He will be another decoy.

But, there is a world politician today who is a better fit with the Antichrist, than either Obama or pope Francis; General al Sisi of Egypt.

Al Sisi at St. Mark Cathedral Christmas 2014

Please don’t get me wrong; I am not saying that al Sisi is the actual Antichrist. Not at all. I am only saying that his character is more like the Antichrist, than anyone else I can think of.

General Al Sisi is a unifier, and is smarter than just about any political leader in the west. He is also kind to minorities.

As Raymond Ibrahim noted in a recent article about al Sisi, during a Christmas meeting in St. Mark Cathedral, a Coptic Church, he was constantly met with cries of “We love you!” and “Hand in hand!” from the Christians at that Church. Al Sisi is the first Egyptian leader to have entered a Christian Church at Christmas.

This is the kind of welcome the Antichrist will receive around the world!

And through his policy also he shall cause craft to prosper in his hand; and he shall magnify himself in his heart, and by peace shall destroy many: he shall also stand up against the Prince of princes; but he shall be broken without hand. Daniel 8:25

And in his estate shall stand up a vile person, to whom they shall not give the honour of the kingdom: but he shall come in peaceably, and obtain the kingdom by flatteries. Daniel 11:21

The Antichrist, the Beast, shall conquer the world with peace, not through war. He will come in by being charming, and kind, and behind-the-scenes-manipulation, and will only show his true colours at the mid-point of the Tribulaton, after he has consolidated his power. By then it will be too late, of course.

I know this is confusing to some but there will be at least two major wars before the Tribulation begins; Psalm 83 and Ezekiel 38-39. These are Church-Age wars, and in the aftermath of these major destructive wars, the Antichrist will come bearing an olive branch, and shall promise peace.

Like al Sisi, the Antichrist will have a Muslim background, and in the same way, he will disregard the laws of his father’s God; Shariah!

To Christians this is a good thing! Shariah is very evil, but I believe it was created for the same purpose that Satan created the Roman Catholic Church; to distract the world from the greater evil which is coming. Can the Antichrist’s rejection of Shariah be found in the bible? Yes it is! You can see it in Daniel 11:37

36 And the king shall do according to his will; and he shall exalt himself, and magnify himself above every god, and shall speak marvellous things against the God of gods, and shall prosper till the indignation be accomplished: for that that is determined shall be done. 37 Neither shall he regard the God of his fathers, nor the desire of women, nor regard any god: for he shall magnify himself above all.

Notice that verses 36-37 separate “the God of his fathers” from “the God of gods”. The god of his fathers is a monotheistic god, who is not the God of gods; not the God of the bible.  The best guess would be the god of the Qur’an, known as Allah.

He will take over at a time when the world is recovering from the Gog/Magog war, when only one in six of the invading soldiers returns home.

And I will turn thee back, and leave but the sixth part of thee, and will cause thee to come up from the north parts, and will bring thee upon the mountains of Israel: Ezekiel 39:2

The attacking nations of Ezekiel 38-39 are almost entirely Muslim, and when they return home they will expect to be able to marry multiple wives, as has been a practice in that part of the world since ancient times. This time, however, a governor, or administrator, shall be appointed who will prohibit this practise.

This event will be met by applause from western Christians, but what they will not realize is that they are applauding the Antichrist!

(Compare the Antichrist’s policy to that of Jesus Christ in Isaiah 3:25-4:6)

A lot of Christians, even western Christians, like what they see in al Sisi. A lot of Muslims like him too, and even a lot of Jews like him. After the barbarism of the Muslim Brotherhood, he is like a breath of fresh air! He is a man who could make Egypt great again, and a light of tolerance to the world! (Lucifer means “light bringer”)

After saying this, I must reiterate; No I do not think al Sisi is the Antichrist. He’s more like a dress-rehearsal, and I think it is likely that he will be deposed by the Muslim Brotherhood, and/or ISIS, before the Psalm 83 war.  

The truth is that I like what I see in al Sisi!  When we see the Antichrist, at first, we will like what we see; Only discernment from the Holy Spirit will show us who he really is!

The real Antichrist will come from the little nation across the river from Israel, but he will be a lot like al Sisi, at least in the early stages of his reign.

Dan

For a more in depth analysis of the bible’s End Times prophecies, read Dan’s book “The Spirit of Prophecy”

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/10/29/AR2010102907016.html

The Most Divisive President Ever in the History of the U.S. …

Posted in Christian Doctrine, Prophecy, World Events | Tagged , , , , | 5 Comments

Islam and the Destruction of History

This year has started off with a bang, hasn’t it?  While horrified by the events in Paris, I was not surprised.  There will be more, I am certain.

I must also apologize for the lack of attention I have been spending on this blog.  Having a health issue has distracted me somewhat over the last few months.  I am hoping to have it dealt with over the next few weeks, and then I should be able to concentrate on prophecy, and world events more fully.

Back before the US invasion of Afghanistan, I was disturbed, as many in the west, by the Taliban’s destruction of the Bamiyan Buddhas.

Please don’t get me wrong, I have no regard for statues, or even Buddhism, but the art and history should have been preserved. It turns out that there was a long history of Muslim leaders attempting to destroy those statues, with the final successful destruction at the hands of the Taliban, in 2001.

Taller_Buddha_of_Bamiyan_before_and_after_destruction
This is a part of the long history of destruction of historical artifacts and records that is not only characteristic of Islam, but also frequently practised by leftists and Socialists, often referred to as historical revisionism. The mindset is simple; If people can’t read alternative views, they have only one choice left; Believe your view!

Notably, even the victors of WW2 practised the same destruction with Nazi documents.  Still I would tend to agree with that destruction to a certain extent; belief in those lies was what caused World War 2, and some 50 million deaths!

The Nazis were famous for their book burning, as were the communists of Russia and China. All of these groups collected books written by those of competing ideologies, and burned them. Because of their insecurity, regarding the truth of their claims, they attempt to destroy any, and all, competing historical narratives.

In the last few weeks we have seen the Islamic State destroying the tomb of Jonah (Younis) the prophet, and now threatening the walls of ancient Nineveh.

Prophet-Younus - Jonah-Grave-Destroyed

ISIS hoods destroying the tomb of Jonah in 2014

tomb of prophet Jonah or Younis

The tomb of Jonah, now destroyed

 

It was the same when Mohammad Morsi, of the Muslim Brotherhood, took power in Egypt. The first thing to happen was Muslim calls to destroy the pyramids of Giza! Thankfully, Morsi was deposed, and cooler heads prevailed…for now!

Now ISIS is threatening to destroy the walls of the ancient city of Nineveh in Mosul!  Did you even know that these 2,700 year-old walls were still standing?

Remains of Nineveh walls

The walls of ancient Nineveh, with the modern city of Mosul in the background.

 

ancient-walls-of-nineveh-iraq-2

Ancient Nineveh wall

The walls of ancient Nineveh, along with the tomb of Jonah, provide evidence that the biblical story of Jonah is true.  We can believe the story without the corroborating evidence, because it is true in and of itself, but it is nice to have the evidence!  These walls are literally priceless!

It is the same mindset that refuses to allow any debate in universities and college campuses, regarding creation vs. evolution, Christianity vs. Islam, Conservatism vs. Liberalism, etc. They know that if they allow debate, that some people will be swayed by the arguments of their competitors! This is because the arguments of evolution, liberalism, the left, and Islam, cannot stand open and honest scrutiny!

220px-Bundesarchiv_Bild_102-14597,_Berlin,_Opernplatz,_Bücherverbrennung

Opernplatz, Berlin book burnings

The official name of the NAZI party was Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei or the Nationalist SOCIALIST German Worker’s Party.  Hitler was a Socialist, and no more dangerous than modern socialists! (He set the world on fire, as modern socialists are going to do!)

The belief in evolution is a mindset that allows persecution of other human beings to an extent not equaled by any other religion in history, with the possible exception of Islam.  Once you believe that there is no God to be responsible to, you can justify the worst acts of cruelty imaginable!

I am sure some would point out to me the book burning found in the book of Acts, to say “See Christians burn the books of competitors too”;

“Many of them also which used curious arts brought their books together, and burned them before all men: and they counted the price of them, and found it fifty thousand pieces of silver.” Acts 19:19

Please understand the huge difference; The Christians of the book of Acts were bringing their own property to be burned, because they had repented of their idolatry. They did not want to be responsible for others believing in the errors those books represented.  There is no evidence that they confiscated the property of pagans!

Christianity is alone among world religions to allow a free and open debate!

I don’t mean every “Christian”, of course, but Christianity in general believes that the truths of the bible can stand scrutiny, and free and honest debate. We have true science on our side! “Christians” who burn people, and other people’s property at the stake, are not true Christians but disobedient impostors, who do not share the faith of Jesus Christ.

“But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;” Matthew 5:44

Evolution is not a true science, of course, but a competing faith-based religion, and it cannot stand open and honest scrutiny. When evolutionists honestly examine their hypothesis, in the light of science, they invariably leave to become creationists! In fact the majority of Creation Scientists are former evolutionists!

It is the same when Muslims compare their book, the Qur’an, to the bible. They find that the Qur’an cannot stand up to the light of the bible, and even to its own inconsistencies! The bible stands head and shoulder above all other religious books combined!

Thus, like evolutionists and communists, Muslims must persecute Christians and prohibit the bible in their lands. Open and honest debate cannot be engaged in, because if they did Muslims would leave in droves!

Christians have God on our side, and He is able to destroy whatever stands in His way. If something is still standing, like the Sphinx, the Qur’an, or the myriad of pagan temples around the world, it is because He can work in human hearts regardless of whether or not these structures still exist. They are not an obstacle to God’s agenda!

Praise the Lord!

Dan Knezacek

http://www.aina.org/news/20150101190138.htm

http://www.breitbart.com/national-security/2015/01/02/isis-targets-2000-year-old-ancient-nineveh-walls-in-iraq/

http://levantreport.com/2014/07/30/isis-detonates-jonahs-tomb-and-related-tales-from-mosul/

http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2014/07/25/ISIS-destroys-tombs-of-two-prophets-in-Mosul.html

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=1jITkdB2xZM

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buddhas_of_Bamiyan

http://www.danielpipes.org/blog/2012/07/islam-vs-history

http://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/3449/destroy-sphinx-pyramids

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_book-burning_incidents

 

 

 

 

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Signs Missed

As we saw in my last post, 2 Thessalonians 2:1-9 speaks of a dual unveiling of the Antichrist; He will be revealed to one group of people BEFORE the rapture, and to another group AFTER the rapture. You can see this when you read the whole passage at once, and don’t focus on one part over another.

So many speak of the rapture as if it will be a large event with many millions missing; perhaps even more than a billion souls could instantly vanish! This is the hypothesis of the “Left Behind” series, written by Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins. In fact the series speculates that even the pope, and millions of Roman Catholics, will be raptured with the Church.

All this flies in the face of frequent biblical teaching that Jesus’ Church is a “little flock”, and a “remnant”. Even the passage we looked at last week speaks of a “falling away” happening before the rapture. (2 Thes. 2:3)

Some claim that the word for “falling away”, “apostasia”, can mean “a departure” and thus claim that this means that a departure from the earth will occur before the Tribulation. This would mean that “Before the rapture occurs (our gathering together unto Him), the rapture must occur”! No. Sorry! That interpretation flies in the face of logic and the plain-sense interpretation of Scripture!

The rapture will indeed occur before the Tribulation, but this is not what this verse is teaching. This is talking about professing Christians departing from the faith, combined with the appearance of the Antichrist, as a sign of imminent rapture.

You can be sure that professing Christians who depart from the biblical faith will not be participants in the rapture of the Church. I use the word “professing” because there are a lot more people who profess to be Christians, than there are those who are truly born-again!

The rapture will actually be a very small event, with perhaps only a few million, or maybe even hundreds of thousands, actually being snatched and taken to Heaven!

So many professing Christians will be left behind, that they will deny the event had actually been the rapture at all! Pastors, Elders, Evangelists, Prophecy Scholars, and even entire Churches will be left behind!

Rather than examine their own faith, and their relationship with God, they will attack the character of those who have been taken, and turn the greatest blessing any person has ever received, into a curse, and judgment!

They will claim that this was not the rapture, because those who have been taken were “evil people”!

Having your conversation honest among the Gentiles: that, whereas they speak against you as evildoers, they may by your good works, which they shall behold, glorify God in the day of visitation. I Peter 2:12

They may even use Proverbs 10:30 to deny that the rapture has occurred, but will claim that those taken were taken in judgment, to Hell! The truth is that this would be taking Scripture out-of-context, but this is exactly what the modern seeker-driven, purpose-driven, churches make a habit of doing! You should expect nothing less!

The righteous shall never be removed: but the wicked shall not inhabit the earth. Proverbs 10:30

At the end of the Tribulation period, the evil people shall be entirely removed, but the righteous, who trust Jesus, shall inherit the earth for the millennial reign, and the new earth after!

Jesus’ last command was that His followers should teach their students to “observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you”(Matthew 28:20), but it can be demonstrated that many things taught by professing Christians have either a pagan origin, or are twisted biblical commands! Like the Jews of Jesus’ day, professing Christians have added hundreds of commandments to Scripture, and at the same time, disobey commandments taught by God!

We have no excuse, for we still have a bible which conveys accurately what He wants us to do and believe! (This is the Authorized Version, for those who are interested!)

Last week we established that the Antichrist will be revealed before the rapture of the Church, so how is it that signs of the Antichrist will be missed?

The bible was written by a God who sees all of human history at once. He “sees the end from the beginning”, and thus has the whole big picture in mind even when He speaks of seemingly unrelated subjects. For instance; no doubt He had the mark of the Beast in mind when He told Israel “Ye shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead, nor print any marks upon you: I am the LORD.” Leviticus 19:28

The Jews, alive after the rapture, who obey this 3,500 year-old-command will protect themselves from the mark of the Beast, when it is imposed by the false prophet, and the Antichrist!

Similarly, biblical morality not only reveals the character of God to us, but a correct understanding actually will reveal the identity of the Antichrist, to those who are there when he is revealed.

In the bible, a lot of the statements of the Antichrist’s life and ministry are given without context; it simply says that at some point in his life he will do this, and this, and this. For instance;

“Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.” II Thessalonians 2:4

These are all things the Antichrist will do at some point in his tenure, but the passage in question does not say exactly when he will do them. As we compare Scripture with Scripture, we eventually come up with a picture of the order in which things will occur, and sometimes, as we gain more knowledge, we need to fine tune the picture to further conform with Scripture.

Here is another one;

36 And the king shall do according to his will; and he shall exalt himself, and magnify himself above every god, and shall speak marvellous things against the God of gods, and shall prosper till the indignation be accomplished: for that that is determined shall be done. 37 Neither shall he regard the God of his fathers, nor the desire of women, nor regard any god: for he shall magnify himself above all. Daniel 11:36-37

Here we have a statement that the little horn, the Beast, will;

1) Exalt himself above every god

2) Speak marvellous things against the God of Gods

3) Prosper till the indignation (the Tribulation) is finished

4) Not regard or respect, the God of his fathers

5) Not regard, or respect, the desire of women

6) Not regard any god

7) Exalt himself above all gods (repeat of point 1)

The Antichrist will not do all of these things at the beginning of his rise to power. Such an action would cause alarm bells to ring for many people, but like the proverbial “frog in a frying pan” he has to be wise about what order he reveals his hand. Once he has his power established, and opposition stamped out, then he will be free to let it all hang out!

If you have read this blog for any length of time, you will know that I have provided substantial evidence that the Psalm 83 war, and Ezekiel’s war of chapters 38-39, will both occur during the closing stages of the Church-Age. These two wars will be led by Muslims, and they will be devastating over large parts of the world.

After these wars are over, and the dust settles, the world will be very suspicious of Muslims, as well they should be. Antagonism toward Muslim practices will be an an all time high, unlike today where they are favoured beyond all reason!

The Antichrist himself will come from a Muslim family. As noted in the passage above, while he says amazing things against the God of Gods, the God of the bible, he will also not respect the God of his fathers, the Allah of the Qur’an.

In fact he will disrespect the God of his fathers long before he says things against the God of Gods. How else would he obtain the support of Babylon the Harlot, of Revelation 17?

The Antichrist, will rise in a post-war world, which is recovering from a time of war at least as devastating as World War 2, and probably even worse!

A Sign Missed

Do you remember when Israel was wandering in the wilderness, how the Lord commanded them not to make peace agreements with the land of Canaan? You can read about it in Joshua chapter 9, in which the Gibeonites tricked Israel into making a treaty with them.

After Israel made this treaty, against the wishes of God, it was God Himself who expected them to keep their word!

Later on, when the judges ruled Israel, Jephthah made a foolish promise to the Lord;

30 And Jephthah vowed a vow unto the LORD, and said, If thou shalt without fail deliver the children of Ammon into mine hands, 31 Then it shall be, that whatsoever cometh forth of the doors of my house to meet me, when I return in peace from the children of Ammon, shall surely be the LORD’S, and I will offer it up for a burnt offering. Judges 11:30-31

The Lord gave Jephthah the victory in the battle, and when he got home it was his daughter who came out of the house first to meet him!

Most modern men would have broken their promise to the Lord. After all who would ever expect the Lord to accept a human sacrifice? Nevertheless Jephthah knew that it was the Lord Himself who had chosen his daughter for this sacrifice! He even gave her the opportunity to escape, but probably to his chagrin, she returned, and he had to carry out his promise!

I have heard pastors use this passage to say that you shouldn’t make foolish promises to the Lord. This is partly true, but the other lesson from the passage is that we need to keep the promises we have made, even if it turns out that the Lord Himself did not command that we make the promise in the first place. Breaking a promise to God is a serious matter, because He is The Promise Keeper, and He has the keys to Hell and death!

As a result of his faith, Jephthah is included in the parade of faith in Hebrews 11!

So what does this have to do with our subject? I am about to say that God does not oppose polygamy, but He does indeed expect you to keep your marriage vows, even if He did not command you to make those particular vows to begin with! (Oh, I guess I said it!) If you made a vow to “have none other” when you got married then you owe God faithfulness to that vow!

But let your communication be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay: for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil. Matthew 5:37

That the Antichrist will not “regard” the God of his fathers, nor the desire of women, in Daniel 11:37 is simply a reference that in his rise to power, the future Antichrist will prohibit Shariah (Islamic Law), and polygamy, in the areas of his jurisdiction.

Daniel is not saying, one way or the other, whether this is a good thing or not, it is only stating a fact, a sign, which will be observable all over the world.  This is a sign which many Christians will miss.

Ezekiel 39:2 tells us that the armies of the Gog/Magog war will die in a ratio of 5:1 when they attack Israel. Since these armies are mostly Muslim they will return home to have six women available for every man, only their homeland will now be administered by either Israel, or the UN, and one of the persons who act in a governing role will be the man who will become the Antichrist.

The Muslim women will expect that they can now have a family in polygamous families, only now the Antichrist will prohibit this practise, which they have practised for thousands of years. By this prohibition he will increase the number of unwed births, but western Christians will look at this prohibition as an indication that he is a Christian!

Now compare this idea to the desire of women found in Isaiah 4:1

1 And in that day seven women shall take hold of one man, saying, We will eat our own bread, and wear our own apparel: only let us be called by thy name, to take away our reproach.

If you read the next verses you will see that this is the time when the Branch is ruling in Jerusalem. Jesus is the Branch, and this indicates that in a similar situation, after the armies of the world have died at Armageddon, women will desire to double-up on the remaining men, in the ratio of 7:1!

These women are all believers in the Lord Jesus Christ, and the passage, which takes place after the Lord’s return, strongly hints that He actually approves of this practise!

The bible is giving us a contrast between Jesus and the Antichrist in Daniel 11:37, and Isaiah 4:1, and the Antichrist’s view of polygamy is actually closer to the modern Christian Church than that of Jesus Christ!

This will be the first sign of the Antichrist, which many professing Christians will miss!

As I said above, you don’t have to be a polygamist yourself to accept that this is a legitimate form of marriage for some people.

Make sure your view of everything conforms to God’s view as revealed in the bible! Your life depends on it!

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The Signs of the End Times

Rethinking 2 Thessalonians 2

I was trying to remember, this week, what got me started on this journey of discovery in the bible’s End Times prophecies. Since I was a child I had a curiosity in End Times prophecies, but something triggered a deeper search than merely accepting the system I grew up with. Something in the Word of God changed my thinking.

Many charge that pre-Trib rapturists believe in a pre-Trib rapture because they don’t want to be here for the Tribulation. The truth is we should not want to be here for the Tribulation;

Woe unto you that desire the day of the LORD! to what end is it for you? the day of the LORD is darkness, and not light. Amos 5:18

No, we should not want to be here for the Tribulation, but that is not why I believe in a pre-Tribulation rapture.

My journey started with a literal reading of a foundational passage in 2 Thessalonians 2;

1 Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him, 2 That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand. 3 Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; 4 Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God. 5 Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things? 6 And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time. 7 For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way. 8 And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming: 9 Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, 10 And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. 11 And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie:

I grew up in Dispensationalist circles, who emphasize verses 7-8. These verses say that something first, the taking away of “him who letteth (hinders)”, must occur before the Antichrist is revealed. Dispensationalists say that the “he” of this passage is the Holy Spirit. I agree.

The Holy Spirit was always here on the earth during the Old Testament times. You can read about how He came upon David, or Moses, or any of the Old Testament prophets. Something changed at Pentecost, after the Lord’s ascension, and the way the Holy Spirit interacts with humanity changed that day. It is this interaction which will change. The World will actually go back to the Old Testament times, at the rapture. The Holy Spirit will revert to dealing with the world through Israel, instead of the Church, but Israel will not be permanently indwelt as the Church is. (The possible exceptions are the 144,000, and the two witnesses)

I have heard prophecy teachers, and pastors, say that “I am not looking for the Antichrist, I am looking for the return of Jesus Christ”, to which I say “amen”. What they are ignoring, however, is that Paul is telling us, in 2 Thessalonians 2:1-3, that the revelation of the Antichrist is a sign of Jesus’ coming for His Church! That’s right! The Antichrist himself is a sign of the rapture!  The rapture will not be imminent until the Antichrist is revealed!

I don’t have an argument with Dispensationalists about their interpretation of verses 7 and 8, but I do have an issue with their ignoring verses 1-3. They seem to view these verses as part of a preamble, and not really important to the text, but the truth is that this section is equally important as verses 7-8.

In order to understand Scripture we need to learn to harmonize all of it, with the help of the Holy Spirit. If we leave relevant passages out, we will get a distorted view of prophecy! A prime example of this is Amillennialism, invented by Augustine of Hippo. This view of prophecy, along with the related views of Preterism and Post-Millennialism, are so twisted that they will actually lead professing “Christians” to embrace the Antichrist!

Pre-wrath, and Post-Tribulation rapturists focus on verses 1-3, and say that the Church will be here when the Antichrist is revealed. They are correct in this, but then they usually go on to state that the Church will be here for either the first half of the Tribulation period, or for the whole thing.  In this they are wrong!

The passage only says that the believers will be here when the Antichrist is revealed, it does not say we will be here for the Tribulation itself!

But, here is the thing; both camps somehow seem reluctant to address the passages the other camp focuses on, however both are in the same chapter, and both were inspired by the Holy Spirit.

So, Paul is essentially saying that the Antichrist will be revealed before the rapture (vs 1-3), and he is also saying that the Antichrist will be revealed after the rapture (vs. 7-8)!

At first blush this seems like a contradiction in the bible; How can the Antichrist be revealed before, and after, the rapture?

Well, the answer is rather simple. Here is a clue;

Surely the Lord GOD will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets. Amos 3:7

You see this is a dual revealing. There are two groups of people in view in these passages; The Antichrist is revealed to one group before the rapture, and then he is revealed to another group after the rapture.

The first group are those who are in the place of the prophets today.  They will be raptured.

No doubt many groups, and individuals, would claim that honour, but the truth is that today the heirs of the prophets are not the big names, but just humble members of the Lord’s Church; People who study Scripture, and who listen to the Holy Spirit as He speaks through His Word.

These people will understand who the Antichrist is, long before anyone else, and as faithful members of the Lord’s Church they will endeavour to warn their society of the danger. The problem is that the lost have no spiritual discernment, and the signs of the Antichrist will be mistaken as positive signs of a “man of God”, even by many in the “Church”!  Why?  Because most of the Church has accepted tradition as an authority over the plain teaching of the Scriptures!

I will leave it here, for now, and discuss some of the relevant signs next week.

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