Is the Gazprom deal the hook in Gog’s jaws?

Posted on November 11, 2012 by dknezacek

(Israel playing with fire in Gazprom deal)

Russian state-owned energy giant, Gazprom, is bidding for a stake in Israel’s Leviathan natural gas field. At present this is the favoured bid.

Is the Gazprom deal the “hook” in the Russian leader’s jaw?

The cost of the partnership will be a 30% stake in the gas produced.

During the last decade or so, Russia has become the number one source of natural gas for Europe. This gives them tremendous economic, as well as political, clout. With Israel’s natural gas find, they have found their geopolitical influence to be in jeopardy, but with a stake in Israel’s gas, they will have secured their dominant position.

Or so they think.

As one report has put it, “Has Russia sold out Iran for a stake in Israeli gas?”  Russia is primarily concerned with Russia’s power and influence. As usual, they will back away from their “friends” if there is a chance to increase their influence.  (We shouldn’t be shocked at this kind of behavior, as we have seen the same thing with the USA, as far back as Carter’s betrayal of the Shaw of Iran, in 1979, and with Obama’s betrayal of Mubarak as well.)

As I see it, this agreement, if it transpires, will only be temporary. Russia may believe that they will be able to push Israel around, if they are involved in this deal. They may, to a certain extent, but there is only so much pressure Israel will take before they will push back.

This deal may go a long way to explaining why Russia is not listed among the antagonists of the Psalm 83 conflict. If they are on friendly terms with Israel at the time, and in the process of developing the Leviathan gas fields, they will sit it out when the Arabs attack, not wishing to jeopardize their financial interests.

There will be a time of peace between the Psalm 83 war and the Ezekiel 38-39 wars. During this time Israel will become an economic powerhouse. I think the evidence is that some time during this period, the Gazprom deal will go sour.

Many have noted that the coalition which will attack Israel, during the Gog and Magog war, will include both Russia and Iran, so their falling-out will only be temporary. One of the reasons given in Ezekiel for this attack is economic, so it appears that Russia will feel that they have a right to Israel’s wealth;

10 Thus saith the Lord GOD; It shall also come to pass, that at the same time shall things come into thy mind, and thou shalt think an evil thought: 11 And thou shalt say, I will go up to the land of unwalled villages; I will go to them that are at rest, that dwell safely, all of them dwelling without walls, and having neither bars nor gates, 12 To take a spoil, and to take a prey; to turn thine hand upon the desolate places that are now inhabited, and upon the people that are gathered out of the nations, which have gotten cattle and goods, that dwell in the midst of the land. 13 Sheba, and Dedan, and the merchants of Tarshish, with all the young lions thereof, shall say unto thee, Art thou come to take a spoil? hast thou gathered thy company to take a prey? to carry away silver and gold, to take away cattle and goods, to take a great spoil? Ezekiel 38:10-13

The motivation (the hook) in the mind of the leader of this attack is purely greed, in contrast to the religious motives of his companions. I think the Gazprom deal will play a part in his rationalization. If Russia helps Israel develop the Leviathan field, and then sometime later is cut out of the deal, they will think they have a right to attack to grab some of that wealth for themselves.

The failure of the Gazprom deal may well be the hook that God puts in the jaws of the Russian leader!

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: Ezekiel 38:4

So, who is behind the deal, and who will be behind its failure?  God, of course.  And, because the leaders of these countries don’t read the bible, they will be totally in the dark as to what their role is, or what their fate will be.

Yes indeed, we are seeing the fulfilment of biblical prophecy in our daily news!

Shalom,

Dan Knezacek

For further reading;

Gazprom bids highest for Leviathan partnership

Asia Times Gazprom seeks Israeli gas

Has Russia sold out Iran for a stake in Israeli gas?

http://www.omegaletter.com/articles/articles.asp?ArticleID=7472

Posted in Christian Doctrine, Prophecy, World Events | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 21 Comments

Dinesh D’Souza’s ethical faux pas

Posted on November 6, 2012 by dknezacek

Anyone who has been watching the political situation in the US will be familiar with Dinesh D’Souza, because of his best-selling book, and movie of the same name, “Obama’s America 2016, Love Him, Hate Him, You Don’t Know Him”

Mr. D’Souza was the President of King’s College in Manhattan, up until October 18. He has been forced to resign over an incident that took place in late September, and was reported on by World magazine, a leading Christian publication in mid October.

The incident took place at First Baptist North in Spartanburg, S.C. during a Christian worldview conference. While having been married to his wife Dixie, for some 20 years, at the conference he was accompanied by a young woman, whom he identified as his fiancée.

The World article claims that they had stayed together in the same room at the hotel. Mr. D’Souza, in his rebuttal claims that they are putting words in his mouth, and that they stayed in separate rooms.

Dinesh D’Souza

I first heard about this incident while listening to Brannon Howse’s program from October 18,2012. Because I usually save his programs and listen to them later, while exercising, I didn’t hear this one until just a couple of days ago. By then it had been removed from his website.

Most of what Brannon said I would have to agree with, but there are some things that trouble me.

Brannon was reading from Mr. D’Souza’s rebuttal to World magazine, specifically point 3;

  1. I sought out advice about whether it is legal to be engaged prior to being divorced and I was informed that it is. Denise and I were trying to do the right thing. I had no idea that it is considered wrong in Christian circles to be engaged prior to being divorced, even though in a state of separation and in divorce proceedings. Obviously I would not have introduced Denise as my fiancé at a Christian apologetics conference if I had thought or known I was doing something wrong. But as a result of all this, and to avoid even the appearance of impropriety, Denise and I have decided to suspend our engagement. (Full article here)

At this point Brannon said “That’s good”, regarding their decision to suspend their engagement.

He went on to talk about Dinesh’s statement that “I had no idea that it is considered wrong in Christian circles to be engaged prior to being divorced,”. Brannon was flabergasted that a Christian College president would not know what is considered wrong in Christian circles. In Mr. D’Souza’s defence I want to note that if one were to examine the lifestyles of professing Christians today, as an example of Christian teaching, one would not be any wiser than Mr. D’Souza!

Unfortunately as he went on I realized that, while Dinesh D’Souza does not appear to have a handle on what the bible says about divorce and remarriage, neither does Brannon Howse, nor the people at World magazine, nor Christianity Today either!

Biblical ignorance is an epidemic in these last days!  It appears that no one reads, or believes their bible!  Some follow tradition, and others do what they feel like!

Brannon is correct that it is considered wrong by most Christians to be engaged to another woman while still being married to one’s first wife. In Christianity today it is considered appropriate to divorce your first wife BEFORE being engaged to another woman. This, however, is the exact opposite of what Jesus taught!

Jesus taught that if you divorce your wife and then marry another woman you are committing adultery! Here’s what he said;

It hath been said, Whosoever shall put away his wife, let him give her a writing of divorcement: But I say unto you, That whosoever shall put away his wife, saving for the cause of fornication, causeth her to commit adultery: and whosoever shall marry her that is divorced committeth adultery. Matthew 5:31-32

And they said, Moses suffered to write a bill of divorcement, and to put her away. And Jesus answered and said unto them, For the hardness of your heart he wrote you this precept. But from the beginning of the creation God made them male and female. For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and cleave to his wife; And they twain shall be one flesh: so then they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder. Mark 10:4-9

Later on Jesus elaborated further:

7 They say unto him, Why did Moses then command to give a writing of divorcement, and to put her away? 8 He saith unto them, Moses because of the hardness of your hearts suffered you to put away your wives: but from the beginning it was not so. 9 And I say unto you, Whosoever shall put away his wife, except it be for fornication, and shall marry another, committeth adultery: and whoso marrieth her which is put away doth commit adultery. Matthew 19:7-9

Most Christians imagine that Jesus was denouncing, or rendering Moses’ writings irrelevant here, but in fact, He was in complete agreement with Moses! It comes down to how you define one word! The exception Jesus noted can actually be found in Moses writing! It is the only legitimate reason for a divorce in God’s eyes. Moses wrote it in such a way that it could be misconstrued, but the truth is there;

When a man hath taken a wife, and married her, and it come to pass that she find no favour in his eyes, because he hath found some uncleanness in her: then let him write her a bill of divorcement, and give it in her hand, and send her out of his house. Deuteronomy 24:1

The debate in Jesus’ day was over this one word “uncleanness”. Moses had already stated that when a married woman has sex with a man she is not married to, both she and he should be put to death. Because of this the Jews did not understand that the “uncleanness” in Deuteronomy 4:1 was referring to the exact same situation. In essence God was giving Israel a way out. Since the husband who has been wronged is also a sinner, deserving of God’s judgment, he has a choice of insisting on the letter of the law, and death, or he can choose mercy, life, forgiveness, and divorce. (Please read Jesus story of the ungrateful servant in Matthew 23:35. God never changes!)

So, if Mrs. D’Souza has not been unfaithful to Dinesh, then he has no biblical basis for divorcing her. It is right for him to resign from being the president of a Christian College if he is divorcing a faithful woman. He should repent from his divorce.

Jesus, in the above passages is also making a direct reference to another passage from Moses, and this is also something that most Christians, including Brannon Howse, don’t understand. The passage concerns a woman who has been purchased as a slave, and as a result becomes the wife of her master;

7 And if a man sell his daughter to be a maidservant, she shall not go out as the menservants do. 8 If she please not her master, who hath betrothed her to himself, then shall he let her be redeemed: to sell her unto a strange nation he shall have no power, seeing he hath dealt deceitfully with her. 9 And if he have betrothed her unto his son, he shall deal with her after the manner of daughters. 10 If he take him another wife; her food, her raiment, and her duty of marriage, shall he not diminish.Exodus 21:7-10

What is it if you take away the “food, clothing, and duty of marriage” from your wife? This is another way of describing what happens in a divorce, isn’t it? In all of the New Testament passages about marriage, there is not one place where it contradicts what Moses said here. In fact what Moses applied to the marriage of a slave girl, Jesus applied to all marriages!

The problem for most modern Christians is that verse 10 allows the man to marry another woman, while still being married to his first wife. The condition stated is that he must continue to support both women! This is something the Jews of Jesus’ day rebelled against, and it is something that the western world has also rebelled against! It all comes down to money!

The “Romantic” view of marriage has a word embedded in it that gives away the origin of this philosophy; Rome. The idea that a man can only have one wife at a time, did not come from the bible but from pagan Rome. In the Roman empire, the only nation which allowed polygamy was Israel. The Church was founded by Israelis with Israeli views. Sometime during the last two thousand years, professing Christians adopted Rome’s view of marriage, and began to interpret the Scriptures based on this mis-understanding.

Don’t tell me the Roman Senators were more moral than the people of Israel.  They were famous for their debauchery, and affairs!  In Suetonius’ “The Twelve Caesars” he documents how 11 of the first 12 Caesars were all accused of sexual immorality, including homosexuality!  Nero even went so far as to marry a man who had been castrated! (The origin of gay marriage!)

Now we have a modern Church who’s view on marriage, and divorce, is the direct opposite of the teachings of its founder, Jesus Christ!

In fact the bible specifically singles out polygamists as not being qualified as being leaders in the Church (1 Tim. 3:2, 12, & Titus 1:6), but it nowhere says they can’t be members!

Paul said that we should obey the law of the land as much as possible, but on this situation the bible, as always, has the last word;

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

Moses never specified that the man in question must be single before he should obey this command. His marital status didn’t matter. What mattered was her status, if she was single he was to marry her.

If Mr. D’Souza and Denise Odie Joseph II have been having an affair, which he denies, but if they have, then they ought to obey God and not men, and get married! This is what the Word of God says on this matter, and I challenge any detractors to prove otherwise.

Be a Berean!

Dan

Note: This is not the first time I have written on this subject. For those interested in examining the End Times implications of polygamy, please see my article Why didn’t God condemn polygamy.  I can assure you, the Antichrist will have a policy on this practice, and if you don’t know the truth, you will think he is a Christian!

For further reading:

http://www.worldmag.com/2012/10/king_s_crisis

http://www.dineshdsouza.com/archives/news/response-to-world-magazine/

http://blog.christianitytoday.com/women/2012/10/why-the-dinesh-dsouza-scandal.html

Posted in Christian Doctrine, World Events | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

Was the New Testament originally written in Hebrew?

Posted on November 1, 2012 by dknezacek

Have you ever found a website, and been initially impressed with your first encounter, only to find that other pages and articles reveal the authors to be raging heretics?

This has happened to me many times, not only on the Internet, but even with authors, and radio, and TV personalities.

Sometimes it’s not so much what they say but who they hang out with, although I’ve usually found that if a person hangs around bad company, it is only a matter of time before they begin to say the same things.

With me it is usually because I am always looking for answers about the Scriptures. Politics, and hobbies take a back seat to my studies in the Word of God. When I come across something that stumps me I often find myself going to the web to see what others are saying. I know! I should pray first. I usually end up praying, especially when I come close to getting sucked in to things that could be dangerous.

This week I came across an article that states that the New Testament must have been written in Hebrew before it was ever written in Greek. I had heard of this idea before, but had never taken a serious look at it, but now I had to dig into the Scriptures to find out the truth.

It turns out that this idea, like all heresies, may sound pious and sincere on the surface, but in fact is a subtle attack against the character of God!

Don’t get me wrong. I love the Hebrew language, and have made several attempts to learn it over the last couple of years, and though I find it difficult, I am still studying it. (I am currently using Pimsleur’s “Quick and Easy Method” and I think it may actually work)

The problem with this idea is there is no evidence for it. There are no ancient manuscripts of the New Testament in Hebrew. Zero!

What these people are saying is that God inspired the New Testament in Hebrew, and was not able to preserve it in that language! Now it is up to some Hebrew scholars to restore the original Hebrew text. God can’t do it Himself and He needs these “scholars” to do it for Him!

For someone to say something like that, it betrays a very low view of God. You really can’t say that and believe in the all-powerful God of the bible!

Where is the “original” New Testament Hebrew text? If it was originally Hebrew, and not a single copy exists on earth, then God was not capable of preserving it. Such a God is weak, and does not match the characteristics of the God of my bible.  Nor does such a God deserve worship!

The truth is that the New Testament was originally written in Greek. The working language of the Jews of Galilee was Greek, though there is evidence that Jesus and the disciples were indeed bilingual. The New Testament was written to be spread to as many people as possible, and thus the common language of the day, Greek, was used, though the Jewishness, and Jewish mindset of the authors is evident throughout.

The first place we need to look is in the New Testament itself. In the very first chapter of the New Testament we have evidence that the language it was written in was not Hebrew;

Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us. Matthew 1:23

Look at the word “interpreted”. This word is in all the texts, and refers to the Hebrew word Emmanuel. If the language Matthew was Hebrew he would not need to state that Emmanuel means “God with us”. That meaning is apparent to a Hebrew reader, but not to a Greek.

There are several other places where this term is used, and each case it provides evidence that the original language was not Hebrew, or Aramaic;

And he took the damsel by the hand, and said unto her, Talitha cumi; which is, being interpreted, Damsel, I say unto thee, arise. Mark 5:41

And they bring him unto the place Golgotha, which is, being interpreted, The place of a skull. Mark 15:22

And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani? which is, being interpreted, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? Mark 15:34

Then Jesus turned, and saw them following, and saith unto them, What seek ye? They said unto him, Rabbi, (which is to say, being interpreted, Master,) where dwellest thou? John 1:38

He first findeth his own brother Simon, and saith unto him, We have found the Messias, which is, being interpreted, the Christ. John 1:41

And Joses, who by the apostles was surnamed Barnabas, (which is, being interpreted, The son of consolation,) a Levite, and of the country of Cyprus, Acts 4:36

In John 5:2 it is noted that the name Bethesda is a Hebrew name. If the original language had been Hebrew there would have been no need to note that its name was Hebrew.

Now there is at Jerusalem by the sheep market a pool, which is called in the Hebrew tongue Bethesda, having five porches. John 5:2

When Pilate was examining Jesus, shortly before the crucifixion, it was noted that the place called the Pavement, had a different name in Hebrew. Again it is very obvious that the original language was not Hebrew.

When Pilate therefore heard that saying, he brought Jesus forth, and sat down in the judgment seat in a place that is called the Pavement, but in the Hebrew, Gabbatha. John 19:13

The sign which Pilate had placed on Jesus’ cross was trilingual, indicating that there were three common languages being used in the area at the time.

This title then read many of the Jews: for the place where Jesus was crucified was nigh to the city: and it was written in Hebrew, and Greek, and Latin. John 19:20

Paul spoke in Hebrew at times. It is noted because this was not the language he normally spoke in. As a Pharisee Paul would have studied Hebrew, and to this group he spoke in it because it gave him more authority than using Greek would have at that time. He used Hebrew because it got their attention;

And when he had given him licence, Paul stood on the stairs, and beckoned with the hand unto the people. And when there was made a great silence, he spake unto them in the Hebrew tongue, saying, Acts 21:40

(And when they heard that he spake in the Hebrew tongue to them, they kept the more silence: and he saith,) Acts 22:2

Paul also shows in his testimony of his encounter with Jesus that the language he was speaking in was not Hebrew;

And when we were all fallen to the earth, I heard a voice speaking unto me, and saying in the Hebrew tongue, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks. Acts 26:14

Jesus, here, was using Hebrew to speak to a Pharisee, because it got his attention, the same tactic Paul had used later in Acts 21 & 22.

When the disciples began to speak in tongues, in the book of Acts, pay close attention to where the listeners were from.

7 And they were all amazed and marvelled, saying one to another, Behold, are not all these which speak Galilæans? 8 And how hear we every man in our own tongue, wherein we were born? 9 Parthians, and Medes, and Elamites, and the dwellers in Mesopotamia, and in Judæa, and Cappadocia, in Pontus, and Asia, 10 Phrygia, and Pamphylia, in Egypt, and in the parts of Libya about Cyrene, and strangers of Rome, Jews and proselytes, 11 Cretes and Arabians, we do hear them speak in our tongues the wonderful works of God. Acts 2:7-11

The passage indicates that the Galilæans spoke a different language than those from Judaea. If the language of the apostles was the same as the language of those from Judea there would be no need to note their presence there. The Judeans could understand the apostles just as well as the others in attendance. The language of Judea was Aramaic, a sister language to Hebrew. Thus we have another indication that the everyday language of the apostles was not Hebrew, nor Aramaic.

What else does the bible have to say on this issue? Psalm 12 has something very important to say;

6 The words of the LORD are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times. 7 Thou shalt keep them, O LORD, thou shalt preserve them from this generation for ever. Psalm 12:6-7

The use of the word “pure” does not mean that God must speak in Hebrew. Even parts of the Old Testament were written in Aramaic. No, it means the meaning of God’s words is pure, regardless of the language used, and it means that God will sovereignly preserve His word from the generation in which it was written, throughout all eternity.

So what can we say about the fact that there are no Hebrew manuscripts of the New Testament? We can know that it was not originally written in Hebrew, and God has divinely preserved it as He said He would.

There are over 5,000 manuscripts which are in unanimous agreement (I think the total may actually be over 6,000 by now), and even the 250 doctored manuscripts are mostly in agreement. Some of the earliest manuscripts actually date back to the second century AD. If you are using a bible based on the Greek Textus Receptus, like the Authorized, or King James version, you can be certain that you have a bible that is a faithful representation of the original.

What of the Jewish idioms used in the New Testament? Does this mean that it was originally written in Hebrew? No. The authors were Jews, and thought as Jews even though they wrote in Greek. Logically then, their Jewishness was incorporated in the Greek text. It does not mean that the text was Hebrew.

The people who promote this heresy often go to the extent that they say the only legitimate name of God is the Hebrew יהוה (Yahweh or Yehovah). This begs the question “did God leave Himself without a witness in the Gentile world?”

When the early Christian missionaries went to the Germanic peoples they found that the being known as “God” had the same characteristics as theיהוה (Yahweh or Yehovah) of the bible.

When the early Christian missionaries went to the Czech people they found that there was a God known as “Boha”, and the characteristics of Boha were exactly the same as the characteristics of יהוה of the Tanakh.

What is the word used for יהוה in the Septuagint (LXX) or other early Greek translations of the Tanakh? Here is what Wikipedia says about it “The Greek word Kyrios (κύριος) means “lord, Lord, master“. In religious usage it designates God. It is used in both the Septuagint translation of the Hebrew Bible and the Greek New Testament.”

The conclusion that I have come to is that Kyrios (κύριος) is the same being, the same God, as יהוה . The Jewish translators of the Septuagint also believed this, so I am in good company. It is the same today; the Arabic translations of the bible use “Allah” as the name for God, but the “Allah” of the Qur’an is a different “Allah” than the Allah of the bible. The name is the same but the characteristics are different, and thus it is a different God.

I started by saying I had been disappointed by a seemingly good website. I had found one that had much of the same information I had come across on my own, and even some more, but as I searched the site, I found that they are a little anti-semitic. I won’t encourage anyone to visit anti-semitic sites, regardless of how good they are in other areas, and for this reason I won’t pass on their URL.  Another site had some good information on some subjects, but then presented the heresy addressed above.  Check out the references above and you will see that I have not taken anything out of context. If I have please let me know.

Dan Knezacek

Posted in Christian Doctrine, Prophecy | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

“Someone” has attacked an arms plant in Sudan

Posted on October 26, 2012 by dknezacek

Sometime over night on Wednesday October 24, 2012, four military jets coming from the east over the red sea, entered Sudanese airspace and attacked the Yarmouk military plant in south Khartoum.

Onlookers gather to looks at a huge fire that engulf the Yarmouk ammunition factory in Khartoum October 24, 2012. REUTERS-Stringer

Onlookers gather to look at a huge fire that engulf the Yarmouk ammunition factory in Khartoum October 24, 2012. REUTERS-Stringer

The planes went undetected by radar, and consequently their origin and destination are unknown, but Khartoum has publicly blamed Israel.

The USA has several aircraft carriers in the Middle East, so it could just as easily have been them.

Only two Sudanese were killed in the attack, which shows the amazing care of the attackers.  Had the attack occurred during the day there would have undoubtedly been dozens of casualties.  The Sudanese terrorists don’t deserve such concern for their welfare!

This concern for the welfare of their enemies would naturally point the finger at Israel, for no other nation has ever shown such concern for reducing enemy civilian casualties, as Israel consistently shows.

Why would they blame Israel?  It most likely is the result of a guilty conscience.  The plant is owned by the Iranian Revolutionary guard, and has been linked to arms smuggling by Hamas into Gaza.

Ehud Yaari Says Sudan Arms Factory Bombing Means Israel Can Strike Iranian Nuclear Facilities

Red points on Israel Channel 2 map graphic show Fordo (Iran) to the east, Israel in the center and Khartoum to the south

Was it Israel?  I don’t know, but I hope so.  This is what “deterrence” is.  You show your enemies that you have the capability, and will, to stop them from attacking you.  You show them that you can bring the fight to them.  When you do that most bullies will back off.

If it was Israel, the above map shows that the distance they traveled was farther than they would have to go to attack Iran’s nuclear enrichment facilities in Fordo.

Was Israel making a statement for the benefit of the Iranians?  I don’t know, but I think the Iranian leadership should take note.  Obama is not sincere in his statements about his commitment to protect Israel.  This leaves Israel’s security in the hands of the Israeli government, and God.

Ultimately, the Israeli government will fail, when they make a deal with the Antichrist, and then it will be totally in God’s hands!   Until then they have a job to do, and I applaud whoever it was who took out the Yarmouk facility!

 

 

Posted in Prophecy, World Events | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Another “Aid ship to Gaza” intercepted by the Israeli Navy.

Posted on October 21, 2012 by dknezacek

There was no humanitarian aid on board, according to the IDF. It appears that the whole purpose of the trip was to provoke Israel, and to make them look bad.

Unlike the incident on the Mavi Marmara in 2009, there was no need of force, and the ship was taken without incident, and brought to the port of Ashdod, where police and immigration authorities processed the ships passengers.

The spin has already begun, with passengers claiming that they were “attacked” by the Israeli Defence force. Considering that there was no force required, and no injuries sustained, such a claim is an obvious exaggeration, and a provocation. They were ordered to change course, and when they refused to do so, the IDF had no choice but to board and take control of the vessel.

“Victoria Strand, a Stockholm-based spokeswoman for the campaign, told AFP the Estelle, a 174-foot (53-meter) schooner, came “under attack” shortly after the Israeli vessels approached it. Dror Feieler, an Israeli activist aboard the ship, was quoted by AFP as saying the ship was “attacked at 10:15 a.m.”

The IDF has a different view of the day’s activities;

“A short while ago, Israeli Navy soldiers boarded the Estelle… The boarding was carried out in accordance with international law, with directives of the Israeli government and after all attempts to prevent the vessel from reaching the Gaza Strip were made, both via direct contact and through diplomatic channels, but to no avail,” the IDF said.

It added: “As a result of their [the activists’] unwillingness to cooperate and after ignoring calls to change course, the decision was made to board the vessel and lead it to the port of Ashdod.”

The Navy “took every precaution necessary to ensure the safety of the passengers. After boarding the vessel by IDF soldiers, who did not need to use force, the passengers were attended to and offered food and beverages,” the IDF said in the statement.

Haters of Israel won’t let the truth get in the way of a good story.

For the life of me, I can’t understand how these haters of Israel get so much publicity, and how so many people take them seriously. Common sense, and the facts, seem to have no place in the main stream media’s reporting of anything that happens in the Middle East. There is only one real answer, and it is found in the bible;

And in that day will I make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all people: all that burden themselves with it shall be cut in pieces, though all the people of the earth be gathered together against it. Zechariah 12:3

While the context of Zechariah 12 is the Day of the Lord, and Armageddon, the process of making Jerusalem a “burdensome stone” began a long time ago, at least as far back as 1967, though the truth is that the Arabs had made their first attack against the tiny nation of Israel, immediately after it was declared a state, in 1948. Even further back the Palestinian Arabs supported Hitler in World War 2, and assisted in rounding up Jews for execution.

So, according to Zechariah 12:3, who is responsible for making Jerusalem a “burdensome stone”? It’s the Lord God, isn’t it? Here, and in other parts of Scripture He says that He will bring the nations of the world against Israel. This is a judgment against Israel, but an even greater judgment against the nations of the world.

God has said, over and over again, that he has given the land, formerly known as Canaan, then Israel, and now Palestine, to the descendants of Jacob, the people we know today as Jews and Israelis. Armageddon is a judgment against those who don’t believe the bible.

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

When He says “beat off” he means literally that Israel’s enemies will be beaten-off in battle, a battle that they will start. I think this is a reference to the Psalm 83 war, but it probably also means the Ezekiel 38-39 war, where God will personally intervene.

The area that they will be beaten-off of will stretch from the Euphrates river, in Iraq and Syria, to the “Stream of Egypt” which is the Nile. I believe the evidence is that the branch of the Nile referred to here is the Tanitic branch. The older Pelusian branch dried up long ago, and now the eastern-most branch is the Tanitic. This will extend Israel’s territory to the place where they lived for hundreds of years as slaves of the Pharaohs. That would be poetic justice.

18 In that day shall five cities in the land of Egypt speak the language of Canaan, and swear to the LORD of hosts; one shall be called, The city of destruction. Isaiah 19:18

While Isaiah 19 is specifically a reference to the Millennial reign of Christ, I believe Israel will take this territory before the “Time of Jacob’s Trouble”, the Tribulation, begins. God is going to bring the children of Israel back to the land, and as rational people, they won’t all come as long as they think the Muslim threat is real and imminent. The nations God says He is going to “beat-off”, in both the Psalm 83 war, and the Ezekiel 38-39 war, are almost all Muslim today.

This is why God says He will bring back the last remnants of Israel at the end of the Gog and Magog account;

25 Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Now will I bring again the captivity of Jacob, and have mercy upon the whole house of Israel, and will be jealous for my holy name; Ezekiel 39:25

That little comma, between the phrase “the captivity of Jacob” and “and have mercy upon the whole house of Israel” is a time period of at least seven years. The final seven years missing from Daniel 9:24-26, which is the “week” from verse 27, that the Antichrist confirms his “covenant” for.

For it is the day of the LORD’S vengeance, and the year of recompences for the controversy of Zion. Isaiah 34:8

If you believe that the land of Israel belongs to the Palestinians, you are an unbeliever. Many people, claiming to be Christians, are taking up the cause of the Palestinians, in spite of the facts. Don’t think that if you call yourself a Christian, that the God of Christianity cannot bring His righteous wrath against you. God looks at the heart, and has no interest in the labels we give ourselves. If you don’t believe His Word, including the parts about Israel, you are none of His!

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. 3 Seek ye the LORD, all ye meek of the earth, which have wrought his judgment; seek righteousness, seek meekness: it may be ye shall be hid in the day of the LORD’S anger. Zephaniah 2:1-3

In this little passage from Zephaniah, which is a clear pre-tibulation rapture passage, we see that the meek of the earth are commanded to “work his judgment”. This does not mean picking up the cause of the Palestinians. God has clearly stated that the land from Egypt to the Euphrates will belong to Israel. This is God’s judgment. Anyone who says that Israel has no right to build settlements in Jerusalem is working against God’s judgment. They will not be hid in the day of the Lord’s anger.

But this I confess unto thee, that after the way which they call heresy, so worship I the God of my fathers, believing all things which are written in the law and in the prophets: Acts 24:14

Paul has just defined a biblical Christian for us.  Christians believe all things which are written in the law and the prophets, as well as the New Testament.

But what does the bible say about the plight of the Palestinians? It actually has something to say;

14 Thus saith the LORD against all mine evil neighbours, that touch the inheritance which I have caused my people Israel to inherit; Behold, I will pluck them out of their land, and pluck out the house of Judah from among them. 15 And it shall come to pass, after that I have plucked them out I will return, and have compassion on them, and will bring them again, every man to his heritage, and every man to his land. 16 And it shall come to pass, if they will diligently learn the ways of my people, to swear by my name, The LORD liveth; as they taught my people to swear by Baal; then shall they be built in the midst of my people. 17 But if they will not obey, I will utterly pluck up and destroy that nation, saith the LORD. Jeremiah 12:14-17

The god of the Qur’an, has more in common with the god Baal, than he does with the God of the bible. The Palestinians today are 99% Muslim, and if they don’t abandon their false god, and turn to the God of the bible, they will not only be driven from that land, but, in the Tribulation, and Armageddon itself, they will be removed from this planet. Those who do follow the God of the bible, Jesus, will be able to live as brothers and sisters with the people of Israel!

The controversy of Zion has been set up by God Himself, as a trap for His enemies. The activists on the Mavi Marmara, and the Estelle, and all the anti-Israel activists all over the world, have fallen for a trap, and if they don’t repent, they will perish. Either way they will glorify the God of the bible, Jesus Christ (Yeshua ha Mashiah)!

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Malala Yousafzai walking

Posted on October 20, 2012 by dknezacek

The Times of Israel is reporting that Malala Yousafzai is now walking for the first time since she was shot by Taliban gunmen. She is also communicating by writing. Unfortunately, they are also saying that the bullet wound has become infected.

15-year old Pakistani shooting victim Malala Yousufzai, who is recovering in Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham, England, after being attacked and shot in the head by Taliban gunmen in Pakistan for advocating education for girls.

Since the Taliban is still making death threats against her life, it would be best for her and her family if they were to find refuge in another country. Pray for her safety, and that she will have the opportunity to hear the gospel. Pray that God’s will is done in her life. We know that it is His will that all would come to the knowledge of Jesus Christ as Savior.

The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. II Peter 3:9

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The lost tribes in the daily news

Posted on October 14, 2012 by dknezacek

The world was shocked when, on october 9, 2012, a young Pakistani blogger, named Malala Yousafzai, was shot by Taliban gunmen. Malala, all of fourteen years, has been an education activist and a regular blogger, writing of her life under Taliban rule since she was eleven.

Malala Yousafzai in better times (Photo: Reuters)

Pakistan and the rest of the world were shocked by the cowardly attack on this courageous young woman. To date she is recovering in hospital, but the Taliban is still making threats against her life!

Malala needs our prayers, for recovery and protection, but most of all she needs to hear of what Jesus did for her on the cross.

Malala comes from a Muslim family, living in a Muslim tribe, but few in the west understand that the people called Yousafzai are actually descendants of one Joseph, the son of Jacob, the patriarch of Israel!

A few years ago a Canadian-Jewish filmmaker named Simcha Jacobovici produced a documentary called Quest For The Lost Tribes. In Quest, Mr. Jacobovici traces the route of the northern tribes of Israel after they were captured by the Assyrians, and he actually found several of these tribes in places like Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, Burma, and China!

I saw this documentary on CBC television sometime in the late 1990s, and it is now available in DVD format from Amazon.

Mr. Jacobovici spent some time among the Pathan tribes of Afghanistan and Pakistan, and was able to give substantial evidence that these people are actually remnants of the tribes of Israel, who converted to Islam some 1,100 years ago.

I have heard some say that if Israelites converted to other religions, then the promises of God no longer apply to them. I would have to say that if this is the case then those who follow the Babylonian Talmud would also no longer belong to Israel, nor have the promises of God apply to them either! The Talmud is a New-Age, pagan, reinterpretation of the Old Testament! The god of the Talmud is a corruption of the God of the bible, and is indistinguishable from pagan gods. Israel, however, is full of such people.

No! When God made promises to the descendants of Abraham, He is able to keep them even if they follow other gods, for a time. In fact these people are actually a fulfilment of Old Testament prophecy themselves;

Therefore will I cast you out of this land into a land that ye know not, neither ye nor your fathers; and there shall ye serve other gods day and night; where I will not shew you favour. Jeremiah 16:13

The LORD shall bring thee, and thy king which thou shalt set over thee, unto a nation which neither thou nor thy fathers have known; and there shalt thou serve other gods, wood and stone. Deuteronomy 28:36

And the LORD shall scatter thee among all people, from the one end of the earth even unto the other; and there thou shalt serve other gods, which neither thou nor thy fathers have known, even wood and stone. Deuteronomy 28:64

The people of Pakistan are praying for little Malala Yousafzai, but God won’t hear them because they are mostly praying to a false god, one Allah of the Qur’an! Christians need to pray for her in the name of Jesus, because God only hears prayers made in the name of his only begotten son!

13 And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it. John 14:13-14

An excellent study of the Pathan tribes can be found here. Notice the similarity of the tribal names to the names of Israel.

“No less interesting and significant are the names of the tribes which bear close resemblance to the Tribes of Israel. The Rabbani Tribe is really Reuben, the Shinware Tribe is Shimon, the Lewani Tribe is Levi, The Daftani Tribe is Naphtali, and the Jaji Tribe is Gad, and the Ashuri Tribe is Asher, The Yusefsai Tribe is sons of Joseph, and the Afridi Tribe is really Ephraim. These are the names of the Ten Lost Tribes of Israel.” http://moshiach.com/tribes/ns/3.html

While the world is shocked at the brutality of the Taliban, and they should be, please understand that these people are most likely from the same tribe as Malala. Furthermore, Jesus died for the Taliban, as much as he died for you and me.  No one deserves salvation, not you, nor me, nor Malala, nor the Taliban.  It is to God’s glory that He can save such wretched sinners.

The day is coming when the Pathan tribes will lose faith in the false god of the Qur’an, and turn back to the God of the bible. That day is drawing close, and while I can’t say exactly when it will occur, I expect that it will be in the aftermath of the Psalm 83 war, or failing that, it will occur after the Gog and Magog war. Both of these wars involve a major defeat of several Muslim nations, and both are preparing the world for the Great Tribulation. By the time these wars are over the Muslims will be ready to crown the Antichrist, just as the Christian west will be in full agreement!

Here is what the bible says about the regathering of Israel;

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. 3 Seek ye the LORD, all ye meek of the earth, which have wrought his judgment; seek righteousness, seek meekness: it may be ye shall be hid in the day of the LORD’S anger. Zephaniah 2:1-3

They will turn to the God of the bible in name only, in lip service. In fact they will rejoice in the freedom they will have obtained, after some 1,100 years of Muslim tyranny, and will go wild! The early parts of Isaiah 3 describe the flaunting of sexuality, and debauchery, they will go through, until Armageddon. Isaiah 4 describes the aftermath of Armageddon, when Jesus comes to reign. They will be a very different people then, than they are now.

Notice that Zephaniah 2 describes Israel as a “nation not desired”. This is because they are still in the same condition that they were when they were scattered, some 2,700 years ago. In all this time they, for the most part, have not learned anything.

I have heard some say that the lost tribes will remain lost until after the Tribulation, when they will come back in belief. This is based on a misinterpretation of Ezekiel 39:25

25 Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Now will I bring again the captivity of Jacob, and have mercy upon the whole house of Israel, and will be jealous for my holy name; 26 After that they have borne their shame, and all their trespasses whereby they have trespassed against me, when they dwelt safely in their land, and none made them afraid. 27 When I have brought them again from the people, and gathered them out of their enemies’ lands, and am sanctified in them in the sight of many nations; 28 Then shall they know that I am the LORD their God, which caused them to be led into captivity among the heathen: but I have gathered them unto their own land, and have left none of them any more there. 29 Neither will I hide my face any more from them: for I have poured out my spirit upon the house of Israel, saith the Lord GOD. Ezekiel 39:25-29

It will indeed occur that God will pour out His Spirit, and mercy, on Israel, after the Gog and Magog war, but first they will go through the Tribulation. Just as there are other gaps in Scripture, that are not readily apparent in the text, so there is one here. They will be gathered after the Gog and Magog war, then the Tribulation will come upon them, and then they will repent, and Jesus will personally save them.

There really is a gap there, but you can only see it if you cross reference all the pertinent Scriptures, especially Zephaniah 2:1-3.

So yes, pray for Malala Yousafzai. Pray for the Taliban, and pray that some of them will come to know Jesus Christ, the God of Israel. Pray that they will make it safely home to Israel. There are some fifteen million of them, so you know that when they do return, Zechariah 10:10 will be literally fulfilled (note that Gilead is the Golan, and Lebanon is Lebanon);

I will bring them again also out of the land of Egypt, and gather them out of Assyria; and I will bring them into the land of Gilead and Lebanon; and place shall not be found for them.

For further information:

http://www.forbes.com/sites/markfidelman/2012/10/11/the-taliban-just-made-malala-yousafzai-heroine-for-life/

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-19899540

http://moshiach.com/tribes/ns/3.html

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Self-elevated Little Popes

Posted on October 13, 2012 by dknezacek
Every once in a while I come across articles that are worth passing on.  This article by Erin Benziger is right in line with my post The Pastor vs. the Elder.  While Aurthur Pink was a Calvinist, and I am not, the quotes from him in this article are entirely biblical, and I have to agree with him, and Erin, 100%.   The term “little Popes” indicates that these churches, who would often repudiate Rome, have incorporated Rome’s methodology at the same time!  In fact many of these churches have gone beyond Rome, since each “pastor” has no-one to answer to except God, and that only at Judgment Day!
My experience at Heritage Baptist Church, in Barrie, Ontario, and Lighthouse Baptist Church, in Baxter, Ontario, has shown me that this kind of biblical teaching is sorely lacking in Independent Baptist Churches today.
I have not asked for Ms. Benziger’s permission to re-post this article as I am sure she wants to get the information out.  You can read the original post here.

Self-elevated Little Popes

By ∙ 8 October 2012 ∙ In Devotion/Teaching ∙ Bookmark permalink
Photo: Wikimedia

Biographer Iain Murray has said of evangelist and scholar A.W. Pink that “the widespread circulation of his writings after his death made him one of the most influential evangelical authors in the second half of the twentieth century.” The teachings of Pink led to an increase in expository preaching and appeals for holy living for those who have been saved by Christ.

In an article entitled, “Private Judgment,” Pink warns against those ministers of the gospel who would seek to usurp the authority of Christ, imposing upon their congregations their own dictates rather than, or in addition to, the commands of Scripture.

In every generation, there are those of an officious spirit who aspire to leadership, demanding deference from their fellows. Such men — especially when they are endowed with natural gifts above the average — are the kind who become the founders of new sects and parties, and insist upon unqualified subjection from their followers. Their interpretation of the Scriptures must not be challenged, their dictates are final. They must be owned as “rabbis” and submitted to as “fathers.” Everyone must believe precisely what they teach, and order all the details of his life by the rules of conduct which they prescribe — or else be branded as a heretic, and denounced as a gratifier of the lusts of the flesh.

There have been, and still are, many such self-elevated little popes in Christendom, who deem themselves to be entitled to implicit credence and obedience, whose decisions must be accepted without question. They are nothing but arrogant usurpers, for Christ alone is the Rabbi or Master of Christians; and since all of His disciples are “brethren,” they possess equal rights and privileges.

“Do not call anyone on earth your father; for One is your Father, He who is in Heaven.” (Matt. 23:9). This dehortation has ever been needed by God’s people, for they are the most part simple and unsophisticated, trustful and easily imposed upon. In those verses, the Lord Jesus was enforcing the duty of private judgment, bidding believers allow none to be the dictators of their faith, or lords of their lives. No man is to be heeded in spiritual matters, any further than he can produce a plain and decisive, “Thus says the LORD” as the foundation of his appeal. To be in subjection to any ecclesiastical authority that is not warranted by Holy Writ, or to comply with the whims of men, is to renounce your Christian freedom. Allow none to have dominion over your mind and conscience. Be regulated only by the teaching of God’s Word, and firmly refuse to be brought into bondage to “the commandments and doctrines of men,” with their “Touch not; taste not; handle not” (Col. 2:21-22). Instead, “Stand fast therefore in the liberty with which Christ has made us free” (Gal. 5:1); yet “not using your liberty for a cloak of maliciousness, but as the servants of God” (1 Pet. 2:16) — yielding unreservedly to His authority alone. Rather than conform to the rules of the Pharisees, Christ was willing to be regarded as a Sabbath-breaker!

“Not for that we have dominion over your faith, but are helpers of your joy: for by faith you stand” (2 Cor. 1:24). Weigh well those words, my reader, and remember they were written by one who “was not a whit behind the very chief apostles” (2 Cor. 11:5); and here he declaims all authority over the faith of these saints! In the previous verse, he had spoken of “sparing” them; and here, “Lest it should be thought that he and his fellow ministers assumed to themselves any tyrannical power over the churches, or lorded it over God’s heritage, these words are subjoined” — John Gill (1697-1771).

The word “faith” may be understood here as either the grace of faith or the object thereof. Take it of the former: ministers of the Gospel can neither originate, stimulate, nor dominate it — the Holy Spirit is the Author, Increaser, and Lord of it. Take it as the object of faith, that which is believed: ministers have no divine warrant to devise any new articles of faith, nor to demand assent to anything which is not plainly taught in the Bible. “If any man speaks, let him speak as the oracles of God” (1 Pet. 4:11), neither withholding anything revealed therein, nor adding anything of his own thereto.

Paul’s work was to instruct and persuade, not to lord it over his converts and compel their belief. He had written his first letter to the saints in answer to the queries they had sent him; and at the beginning of this second epistle explains why he had deferred a further visit to them, stating that he was prepared to stay away until such time as they had corrected the evils which existed in their assembly. He refused to oppress them.

“Faith rests not on the testimony of man, but on the testimony of God. When we believe the Scriptures, it is not man, but God whom we believe. Therefore, faith is subject not to man, but to God alone…The apostles were but the organs of the Holy Spirit; what they spoke as such, they could not recall or modify. They were not the lords, so to speak, of the Gospel…Paul therefore places himself alongside of his brethren, not over them as a lord, but as a joint believer with them in the Gospel which he preached, and a helper of their joy, cooperating with them in the promotion of their spiritual welfare” — Charles Hodge (1797-1878). If Paul would not, then how absurd for any man to attempt to exercise a spiritual dominion in matters of faith or practice!

“The elders who are among you, I exhort…Feed the flock of God which is among you…not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind; Neither as being lords over God’s heritage, but being examples to the flock” (1 Pet. 5:1-3). These are part of the instructions given unto ministers of the Gospel as to how they are to conduct themselves in the discharge of their holy office, and we would earnestly commend them to the attention of every pastor who reads this article. They are divinely forbidden to abuse their position and assume an absolute authority or rule imperiously over the saints. Their task is to preach the truth and enjoin obedience to Christ, and not unto themselves. They are not to act arbitrarily or in a domineering spirit, for though they are set over believers in the Lord (1 Thess. 5:12) and are to “rule” — and therefore to be submitted unto in their lawful administration of the Word and the ordinances (Heb. 13:17) — yet they are not to arrogate to themselves dominion over the consciences of men, nor impose any of their own inventions; but instead, teach their flock “to observe all things whatever [Christ has] commanded” (Matt. 28:20).

The minister of the Gospel has no right to dictate unto others, or insist in a dogmatic manner that people must receive what he says on his bare assertion. Such a spirit is contrary to the genius of Christianity, unsuited to the relation which he sustains to his flock, and quite unfitting to a follower of Christ. No arbitrary control has been committed to any cleric. True ministerial authority or church rule, is not a dictatorial one, but is a spiritual administration under Christ. Instead of lording it over God’s heritage, preachers are to be “examples to the flock” (1 Pet. 5:3): personal patterns of good works, holiness, and self-sacrifice; models of piety, humility, and charity.

Arthur W. Pink, “Private Judgment.”

Note by Dan: Note the following in Peter’s first letter, the word “all” is a rather inclusive word.  No one is left out, not even the elder!  And remember, all New Testament churches have more than one elder!

Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble.  I Peter 5:5

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Obama wears a Muslim ring

Posted on October 10, 2012 by dknezacek

A lot of people have suspected, for a long time, that B. Hussein Obama is a Muslim.

His foreign policy has been the most anti-Israel and anti-Semitic the US has ever seen.  While he talks like a friend of Israel, his actions don’t match his words.

Now World Net Daily has published an article about the ring President Obama wears on his wedding-ring finger.  It appears that the inscription is “There is no god except Allah.”

Obama wearing his ring with the inscription “There is no God except Allah”

It seems that Obama wore this ring long before he was married, and wore it again after his marriage to Michelle.  It looks like he gave it to her to give back to him.  He wore it as a university student, long before he was married.

The inscription is a part of the Shahada, one of the “five pillars of Islam” the rest of it being “and Muhammad is His prophet“.  It is accepted as evidence of conversion to Islam, when said sincerely.  It is also a part of the Muslim’s daily prayers.

While the Qur’an forbids Muslim men from wearing gold jewelery, it is an accepted practice in many Muslim countries, especially when it contains statements in favor of Islam.

This is strong evidence that Obama is a Muslim.  Read the article at World Net Daily, there is much more information there.

 

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Romney wants to aid Syrian Rebels

Posted on October 8, 2012 by dknezacek

Mitt Romney, the US Republican presidential candidate, is now saying that if elected he will aid the rebels in Syria;

“Iran is sending arms to Assad because they know his downfall would be a strategic defeat for them. We should be working no less vigorously with our international partners to support the many Syrians who would deliver that defeat to Iran – rather than sitting on the sidelines,”

Mitt Romney’s proposal would mark a significant shift from Barack Obama’s policy of trying to keep the conflict a low-intensity one. Photograph: Jewel Samad/AFP/Getty Images

While condemning the Obama administration’s reaction to the killing of US ambassador to Libya, Christopher Stevens, Romney is now acting in the same way in Syria, as Obama did in Egypt, and Libya.

Didn’t Romney learn anything from the comedy of errors the US policy has been on Libya and Egypt?  It appears not.

A lot of speculation has questioned the apparent absence of the United States of America in biblical prophecy.  What is the role of the USA in prophecy anyway?

I think, from the events of the last four years, the USA is an enabler of the Muslim Brotherhood.  By supporting the rebellions in the Arab world, the USA is assisting the Muslim nations of the Middle East to form the coalition found in Psalm 83, the coalition that makes an all-out attack on Israel!

5 For they have consulted together with one consent: they are confederate against thee: 6 The tabernacles of Edom, and the Ishmaelites; of Moab, and the Hagarenes; 7 Gebal, and Ammon, and Amalek; the Philistines with the inhabitants of Tyre; 8 Assur also is joined with them: they have holpen the children of Lot. Selah Psalm 83:5-8

Just who are these tribes mentioned today?  As I have documented more thoroughly in The Spirit of Prophecy they are;

Edom = The southern part of the nation to the east of Israel

Ishmaelites = Saudi Arabia and perhaps Yemen, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, etc.

Moab = Northern part of the nation directly to the east of Jerusalem

Hagarenes = The Arabs of southern Syria (1 Chronicles 10:10, 19, 20)

Gebal = A city of Lebanon

Ammon =   The city of Amman is named after this tribe

Amalek = The Arabs of the Sinai peninsula, Egyptian citizens today.  They will drag Egypt into this conflict.

Phillistines = The inhabitants of the Gaza strip

Tyre = Another city of Lebanon

Assur = The ancient Assyrians, living mainly in Northern Iraq

“The children of Lot” are the Ammonites and Moabites of the nation directly to the east of Jerusalem.  The repetition of these names might just indicate their central role in this war.

While the psalm does not indicate the result of this war, I think you can find those results in places like Isaiah 17:1, Isaiah 19, and Zechariah 11.

1 The burden of Damascus. Behold, Damascus is taken away from being a city, and it shall be a ruinous heap. Isaiah 17:1

In that day shall five cities in the land of Egypt speak the language of Canaan, and swear to the LORD of hosts; one shall be called, The city of destruction. Isaiah 19:18

1 Open thy doors, O Lebanon, that the fire may devour thy cedars. 2 Howl, fir tree; for the cedar is fallen; because the mighty are spoiled: howl, O ye oaks of Bashan; for the forest of the vintage is come down. Zechariah 11:1-2

The Psalm 83 war is almost imminent.  We are watching the coalition being put together on our daily news.  It is almost all together now, it is just the final shuffling that needs to take place.  Iran is not part of that coalition.  Something will happen there to remove them from the fight.

Lebanon and Iraq are today a part of Iran’s axis.  We will see something happen in those nations, to change their orientation to that of the Sunni Muslims of Saudi Arabia.  I can’t say exactly what will occur, but the fall of Assad in Syria will cut off Hezbollah from Iran, and Sunni terrorists are already on the offensive in Iraq.

Yes indeed, the Americans are not making the situation in the Middle East any better.  It almost seems like everything they do there, in recent years, has been counter-productive!

When God told king Saul that “rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft”, we ought to have taken note!  Whether Obama, or Romney, those who support rebellion are not friends of God!

For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the LORD, he hath also rejected thee from being king.  I Samuel 15:23

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