The coming Iranian invasion: West and South come into focus

Posted on Wednesday, 1 April, 2015 by Richard Barker

Further to the previous on today’s fulfilment of Daniel’s visions in which I referred to Mark Davidson’s work, it’s fitting to consider his viewpoint and updated map for the situation, as below. I’d add it’s reported two Iranian Revolutionary Guard battalions now overlook the strategic Bab el-Mandeb straits and Khamenei is sending the Iranian navy. Also, US national security ‘experts’ have long seriously underestimated the Saudi royal family and expected it to collapse. Hence, Obama’s clandestine wooing of Iran. (See Goldman’s opening remarks here) Is it any wonder the CIA doesn’t know why Muslims join ISIS?

THE FOUR SIGNPOSTS

The Second Signpost is the invasion of the Middle East by Iran. Daniel 7:5 and 8:3-4 tell us about it. The former passage tells us that many countries will be ravaged by Iranian forces, and the latter passage tells us that Iranian forces will advance in three directions. About three and a half years ago I created the map of the Second Signpost, shown as Figure 10-2, for my first book Hidden In Plain Sight, published in January 2012. That map is shown below as Map #1.

Map #1. The original map showing possible Iranian military advances during the Second Signpost. (From Hidden In Plain Sight, Nov. 2011)

Map #1, showing the invasion by Iran, was based solely on my interpretation of Scripture (Dan. 7:5, 8:3-4, i.e. the Second Signpost) overlaid on my research of the geopolitical and military landscape in the Middle East. The map was also…

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Bible’s prophetic vision of Daniel being fulfilled today

Posted on Tuesday, 31 March, 2015 by Richard Barker

Astonished! And doubly so! LOL! Not by events, actions or words – but by a map on Friday.

And astonished today too! First thing, I got an email from the designer of a map that I’d started writing about yesterday – he too was working on the same map yesterday!

Christians have no excuse for not knowing End-times prophecies began coming to fruition a hundred years ago in the Holy Land. After learning about them 30 years ago and then being born-again, I noticed the pace of prophecy picking up around the Millennium. In launching this blog I referred to the importance of eschatology and the acceleration in End-times – and others more qualified than me were saying so (Not many people know this). Now, we’re witnessing the modern manifestation of the battles foreseen in Daniel chapter 8, not between ancient empires but their descendants.

But now, in 2015, the manifestation of yet-to-be fulfilled Biblical prophecies is rapid!

At morning coffee last Friday we quickly scanned our newspaper’s front page. Nina tore out the crossword and I went straight for Con Coughlin’s op-ed buried in the middle pages. This expert with 25 years experience on international terrorism and Middle-East, writing in Saudi airstrikes add fuel to bitter rivalries about Yemen, asks “Whose wars are we fighting in the Middle East?”

Courtesy of DebkaFile

It was a welcome rest after a busy day getting a long post published as I’d worked on it for three weeks. But within an hour incoming news needed to be inserted. It was about Sunni Arab leaders taking military action but without any reference to Washington; and my post of August 2010 had referred to the diplomatic unease. As I like maps I’d noted the associated map shown here – click thereon for link to Special Report.

So that was at the back of my mind on Friday. But now I saw, slap-bang in the middle of Con Coughlin’s piece, this huge map taking up half the width of the Telegraph broadsheet page. It depicts countries following different forms of Islam:

In connection with that Thursday post’s reference to ‘squabbles over succession’ upon Muhammad’s death, Con explains how this brought a rift in Islam,

The split between Sunnis and Shias begins with the death of the prophet Mohammed in 632 AD, and the battle to succeed him as the first Muslim caliph. Sunnis say his brother-in-law Abu Bakr was the rightful heir; Shias say it should have been his cousin and son-in-law, Ali. It came to a head at the Battle of Karbala in modern-day Iraq in 680 AD with the death of Ali’s son Hussein at the hands of the Sunni army – an event which is still commemorated today.

Prophetical maps

However, my immediate first impression was of this map’s similarity not to the Debka map but to two others shown in Daniel Revisited. Mark Davidson illustrates how Old Testament prophet Daniel’s visions of far-future battles between powerful nations, as symbolised by a ‘ram’ and a ‘goat’ in Daniel 8, may relate to ones yet to come between Shiite Iran and Sunni Egypt, Turkey and Arabia. Upon checking this, I was again astonished to note the emphasis of Iranian action towards Yemen, as below:

From Daniel Revisited: COPYRIGHT Mark Davidson 2012, used with permission.

Furthermore, the latest news was of Saudi Arabia AND Egypt attacking Yemen to break Iranian influence, particularly to protect shipping – especially oil tankers! – to/from the Suez Canal via the Red Sea:

Courtesy of Mark Davidson, from Daniel Revisited.

From Daniel Revisited: COPYRIGHT Mark Davidson 2012, used with permission.

For an introduction to Mark’s important thesis read Four Signposts of the Books of Daniel and the Apocalypse (highly recommended overview). His latest sound analysis on Iran is at Daniel 8 and the First Signpost.

Another article in Friday paper’s business section about a war between Saudi Arabia and Iran raising anxiety over oil prices reminded me of what I’d suggested in July 2014. On this I concluded Middle-East events and fulfillment of Bible prophecy as follows:

In my opinion, we may be about to witness major upheavals that will affect not only the ancient world’s centers of civilisation but also the modern world’s global petro-economy.

I had in mind that hostile disputes could lead to Iran closing the Straits of Hormuz into the Persian Gulf, thereby stopping international shipping of oil. Now, if Yemen falls to Iran then its proxy forces can overlook the Bab el-Mandeb straits and control the entrance to the Red Sea. Thus, Iran could control both corners of the Arabian peninsula and threaten the global economy. This would turn existing economic sanctions against Iran on their head!.

That post was followed a couple of months later with Mark’s The Petrodollar’s creator: Iran greater threat than ISIS. He quoted Henry Kissinger as saying,

“There has come into being a kind of a Shia belt from Tehran through Baghdad to Beirut…This gives Iran the opportunity to reconstruct the ancient Persian Empire — this time under the Shia label — in the rebuilding of the Middle East that will inevitably have to take place when the new international borders [are] drawn. The borders of the settlement of 1919-’20 are essentially collapsing.”

The latest from respected financial commentator Ambrose Evans-Pritchard is that Saudi oil infrastructure is at risk as Mid-East conflagration spreads!

What is certainly happening is the strengthening of the Arab League under the direction of Saudi Arabia. David Goldman, a Senior Fellow at The London Centre for Policy Research explains in The Middle-East Metternichs of Riyadh that the 10-nation coalition that Riyadh assembled to counter Iranian intervention in Yemen has a broad mandate to contain Iran throughout the region. Most surprisingly this includes Sudan and Quatar. And Pakistan is now sending its troops, as reported here yesterday.

More emphatically, Goldman concludes that Riyadh acted without the help of the US and in direct contravention of American policy of bringing Iran into Mid-East regional security architecture as an important player. Readers who like in-depth background will find his article highly informative. (Austrian Chancellor Klemens von Metternich introduced the Congress System of diplomacy to balance imperial power after the Napoleonic wars.)

With March 31 deadline fast approaching, growing number of experts warn against deal with Iran.

Posted on Monday, 30 March, 2015 by Richard Barker

Also noteworthy are comments of an Iranian editor who defected during the talks, ““The US negotiating team are mainly there to speak on Iran’s behalf with other members of the 5+1 countries and convince them of a deal”! (Link to article)

Joel C. Rosenberg's Blog

Officials of Britain, Russia, China, France, Germany, European Union, the United States and Iran wait for the start of a meeting on Iran’s nuclear program at the Beau Rivage Palace Hotel in Lausanne, Switzerland Monday, March 30, 2015. Negotiations are entering a critical phase with differences still remaining just two days before a deadline for the outline of an agreement. (AP Photo/Brendan Smialowski, Pool)

(Central Israel) — Less than 48 hours remain for a nuclear deal to be worked out with Iran before the March 31st deadline is reached.

Details of a potential deal are leaking out of the marathon talks being held in Lausanne, Switzerland, but they are far from encouraging.

In fact, a growing number of highly respected leaders, nuclear experts and Middle East analysts — both Democrats and Republicans — say they are deeply troubled by the apparent concessions being made to Iran, as well as Iran’s increasingly aggressive actions…

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What’s weird about writing about Iran

Posted on Thursday, 26 March, 2015 by Richard Barker

Subscribers quick off the mark to read the previous post (2 of 3) upon publication may recall having read its second paragraph, which is now relocated here:

“Note it’s taken all morning to polish this in minor ways because of online problems! (Internet Explorer kept failing to connect and load tabs, and when it did I couldn’t get into WordPress. So I used Google, which is faster but has its limitations and, on both, a WP formatting issue needed sorting.) I wonder, could aggravation indicate this post may be of some significance?”

There was a distinct sense of having been in that same scenario before – ‘deja vu’.

And it’s not a coincidence – probably not of the Godly variety, or God-incidence, either.

And previously, a lot of synchronous stuff on today’s topic was happening around the blog’s second anniversary – as in A Weird Mix-up! (Likewise, in recent weeks!)

007 author Ian Fleming’s comment on such repetitive events fits the bill. He’s quoted as saying,

“Once is happenstance. Twice is coincidence. Three times is enemy action!” (Courtesy of Brainyquote.com)

How highly appropriate for this blog – Iran is the common denominator on FOUR such synchronous occasions!!!!

The last time, November 2013, was also one of unusual, annoying technical connection problems, and today it involved my PC’s operation as well as internet drop-outs.

Then, it was the third time! So I blogged, Did my triple warning about Iran affect my WordPress connections? which begins,

“Publishing this and the previous post proved arduous. In telling why, it may cross your mind I could be getting a tad paranoid – but actually it’s funny; yet perhaps there’s a grain of truth buried away here…

“Was what I was trying to write about so revelatory that another ‘invisible hand’ came in causing chaos to connections?? Perhaps it’s not such a daft idea, you know.

“Guess what I was writing about the previous time this happened! The very same topic – Iran, and its leaders’ policy to bring about their notion of End-Times!! Oh, that’s just a coincidence. Well, what are the odds of such a cross-connection between two lots of technical trouble; in addition to the other oddities that occurred recently?”

Then I gave details of the components of the synchronous events:

“For the record these are the previous posts: Joel Rosenberg’s Iran leader: We must prepare for the ‘End-Times’, my Iranian leader’s End-Times declaration which appeared after Sharanelle Clark’s Getting ready for His return. (For anyone wishing to check my claims see my original support request and covering mammoth one of 373 posts.)”

Technically savvy folk may like to check out the detail – if so, continue reading here.

Now it gets even more interesting in what I didn’t dwell on above, for it involves that previous post’s report “on something so weird it’s beyond coincidental”. The upcoming post ‘3 of 3’ will plug right into that previous post – The Invisible Hand re-appears!

So why not take a peek? And hold onto your seats…

2 of 3: devilish plot to pre-empt the Bible’s ‘endgame’

Posted on Thursday, 26 March, 2015 by Richard Barker

Thank you to this week’s visitors and subscribers in helping me with this post, which has been in preparation as and when possible throughout this month. Your interest in one of last year’s posts enabled me to a draw it to a specific conclusion, as you’ll read below.

UPDATE 5/5/15: Tony Puccio has reminded me of a dream in July 2013 of a spinning top in connection with the Devil speeding up events – Vision of a Spinning Top.

Continued from 1 of 3: the ‘End-game’ gets ramped up another level

In that post’s History cycles around I covered events in 2009 directly relating to today’s ‘hot potatoes’: US appeasement of Iran on nuclear energy and president Obama making Israeli PM Netanyahu the ‘bogeyman’ against discussions, as well as other nations dismay with USA. (See previous post for latest developments.)

That part summarised a reason for the increase in worldwide troubles lying in tactics to delay, or better still, to prevent the return of Jesus Christ to reign and rule on earth. This way, maybe Satan avoids his fate of not only being defeated but also being thrown into the lake of fire, as prophesied in The Book of Revelation. I gave evidence for this strategy by way of events; or ‘pieces’ that had popped to mind as though being placed into the Lord’s invisible jigsaw

In fact, the week of 16 -21 February was unusual. It was as though a physical cycle of events intertwined with the non-physical, or spiritual, one I was sensing. ‘Bells were ringing’ and I was ‘buzzing’ and aspects of the cycle are still bubbling away, as will be explained in Part 3.

My attention had been re-directed and thoughts unfurled to point to a possible counter-strategy to the Bible’s End-times scenario! Menacing events are not only escalating but also accelerating rapidly! (And I’m now reminded of the urgent word Neville Johnson brought last year about Yom Kippur 2014 being ‘a cut-off in God’s timeline’.)

In mulling over all that I was ‘prompted’ to dig into my first emails on End-time events and found items relevant to what’s happening these days, as well as to what another blogger posted that same week. (It’s related to what kick-started my interest in End-times! And last week I noticed another relevance!)

The first draft of this post had become too bulky so it got split into two parts. In closing part 1 of 3 on history repeating itself, I said a forgotten idea kicked around in an old email had just popped up in the previous fortnight.

That idea is the subject of this second part.:

Pre-empting End-times prophecies

Snippets of detail and other’s disclosures about today’s Sunni vs Shiite (ISIL vs Iran) war in Iraq reminded me of an aspect of Biblical events that’s been unfolding for years.

August 2010

Asking Could This Weekend Change The World? I referred to Iranian leaders’ plans to hasten the appearance of their ‘Hidden Imam’ (aka ‘Mahdi’) by bringing nuclear conflict to the Middle-East. I quoted security analyst Ryan Mauro and Israeli PM Netanyahu on “an apocalyptic cult controlling atomic bombs”.

At that time Russia was about to get Iran’s first nuclear reactor at Bushehr operational ahead of the internationally agreed schedule. In the above email I commented,

Once that happens the balance of power in the region tilts completely as all Sunni Muslim States in Persian Gulf will have to turn away from a weak USA and kowtow to an extremist Shiite regime – ONE THAT HAS THREATENED TO ANNIHILATE ISRAEL and will have the ability to carry out its intentions and achieve Hitler’s goal far more efficiently and effectively. Both Iran’s President and supreme spiritual leader anticipate an apocalyptic war heralding the appearance of their crescent-moon god’s Mahdi (accompanied by Jesus!) and bringing peace to a world that’s come into the ‘house of submission’ [ie Islam].

The good thing about this is that all the rational Sunni Arab leaders are wanting America and/or Israel to take out the facilities (as they did with Iraq’s and Syria’s reactors). But Israel would have to go it alone as Obama wouldn’t commit to action. Debka’s sources report an Iranian phantom fighter and unidentified drones crashing nearby and into the reactor buildings.

[Since assuming office president Obama forced US Middle-Eastern policy into a U-turn. And so strategic US influence in the region has all but vanished: see last footer below and latest on Egyptian navy defending Gulf of Aden and Red Sea. Also apropos the email, early this month a rumour surfaced about him having ordered the shooting down of Israeli jets over-flying Iraq to attack Iran’s reactor, as here.

The Middle-East nuclear race is now under way. Last week BBC interviewed Saudi Prince al-Faisal on their deep unease (since Obama took office) over Iran being allowed to have nuclear energy and develop weaponry. Consequently, Saudi Arabia is planning to build its own nuclear power plants. Also, this week Reuters reports Jordan has signed a contract for Russia to build them a nuclear power plant.]

In view of my preceding remarks I wanted to ‘bounce’ the following off my contacts,

I recall a speaker saying satan is attempting to bring forward End-Time events in order to nullify God’s schedule and thereby wrong-foot God. His logic, perhaps, is to avoid his demise in the Lake of Fire? The revelation Jesus received from God and which He gave to John states that will happen after He returns and defeats Satan. Prophecy points to this being centred on Jerusalem and the Jews will at last recognise Jesus as their true messiah.

The latter part served as a scriptural reminder and, I shared my thoughts on how such a pre-emptive aim could be achieved. Only lately have I since revisited this notion:

The obvious way out of this [scriptural] scenario is to ensure there are no Jews whatsoever left alive for Jesus to come back for and, if Jerusalem is still standing, then its population should be followers of a false god. Indeed, Hasan Nasrallah, head of Hezbollah (Party of God!), wants all Jews to come to Israel because that makes it so much easier to despatch them in one fell swoop!!

[As al-Qaeda activity had died down and was mainly active in central Asia, persecution and removal of Christians from the Middle-East didn’t figure in my conjectures.]

The world is now faced with precisely the above scenario – many others recognise it and are now warning in-depth about it!

Reluctantly, I mused upon those possible tactics in the latest Paws 4 thought. Within days the appalling martyrdom of Egyptian Copts in Libya supported my ideas. As said before, had it not been for that week being half-term, thus delaying Nina’s surgery, I would have overlooked all these things. Their cyclical relevance would have gone unnoticed too.

My covering note to Joel Rosenberg’s re-blog about this butchery led into a two-part outline of historical evidence for our enemy’s tactics. However, the heart of the matter is directly relevant to this theme and had to be addressed later – as herein.

Kindly forgive and bear with me in the following vile quotations, which are included only as an informative necessity. Also, the Lord loves these people and weeps over their wicked actions. They need our prayers – read Canon J.John on how. Also, remember apostle Paul had been the first to hunt down Christians. Let’s pray these murderers will have just as thorough and an awesome conversion experience as did Paul.

Revelation 13

Courtesy Victor Books, The Bible Reader’s Companion by Lawrence O. Richards (1991)

1st Account

Joel’s report of the Libyan atrocity refers to one murderer’s videoed remarks, as reported by AP in Cairo. It reminded me of Revelation chapter 13’s prophecy of a demonic beast rising out of the sea, and the above modern illustration, because the villain declared:

“All crusaders: safety for you will be only wishes, especially if you are fighting us all together. Therefore we will fight you all together,” he says. “The sea you have hidden Sheikh Osama bin Laden’s body in, we swear to Allah we will mix it with your blood.”

It’s another example of Islamists brainwashed by ‘the myth’. Moreover, we see Satanic control of their irrational beliefs. The reference to ‘sea’ and a dead leader’s body and believers’ blood is redolent of Rev 13:1-10 (credit BibleGateway).:

Then I stood on the sand of the sea. And I saw a beast rising up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and on his horns ten crowns, and on his heads a blasphemous name. ²Now the beast which I saw was like a leopard, his feet were like the feet of a bear, and his mouth like the mouth of a lion. The dragon gave him his power, his throne, and great authority. ³And I saw one of his heads as if it had been mortally wounded, and his deadly wound was healed. And all the world marveled and followed the beast. ⁴So they worshiped the dragon who gave authority to the beast; and they worshiped the beast, saying, “Who is like the beast? Who is able to make war with him?”

⁵And he was given a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies, and he was given authority to continue for forty-two months. ⁶Then he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme His name, His tabernacle, and those who dwell in heaven. ⁷It was granted to him to make war with the saints and to overcome them. And authority was given him over every tribe, tongue, and nation. ⁸All who dwell on the earth will worship him, whose names have not been written in the Book of Life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.

⁹If anyone has an ear, let him hear. ¹⁰He who leads into captivity shall go into captivity; he who kills with the sword must be killed with the sword. Here is the patience and the faith of the saints.

I submit this is strongly suggestive of today’s re-emergence of Islam’s original spirit that directed its founder and followers to attack, conquer and subjugate neighbouring territory and peoples. (He personally led 27 battles and planned 39 others. No wonder his disciples squabbled madly over succession! Compare this with Jesus and his disciples!)

The beast from the sea has a direct similitude to the third of the four beasts in prophet Daniel’s dream-vision (Dan 7:6). On page 658 of Unlocking the Bible David Pawson speculates this ‘leopard’ represents the Arab world – not in Daniel’s days but today.

In Daniel Revisited also, Mark Davidson considers the description links the beast from the sea to those of Daniel 7, which has a four-winged leopard. He makes a most pertinent observation about the symbolism of leopard on page 215:

“The lion will give chase to its prey but the leopard will stealthily wait and watch until it finally pounces…the prey is totally surprised”.

This describes exactly how Islamic terrorists operate.

2nd Account

Raymond Ibrahim’s background and qualifications in writing The Al-Qaeda Reader give him a unique advantage in discussing Islamist terrorism. In Libya’s War on Christians he reveals another eschatological implication, as reported in Coptic Solidarity’s account of the lead executioner boasting of savagery and hatred of the cross of Christ:

“Oh people, recently you have seen us on the hills of as-Sham and Dabiq’s plain [Syrian regions], chopping off the heads that have been carrying the cross for a long time. And today, we are on the south of Rome, on the land of Islam, Libya, sending another message.”

Their other account quotes: “We will fight you until Christ descends, breaks the cross and kills the pig” (all eschatological actions ascribed to the Muslim “Christ,” Isa).

As the instruments through which his authority over mankind was broken, Satan hates the Cross and Blood of Jesus Christ. Recent events nearer to home gives an example of this, as in my covering note about Wales in re-blogging Justin Abraham’s tribute to John Paul Jackson.

The area of the Preseli Mountains has a reputation for witchcraft and the occult. Such practitioners have objected to the presence of a large cross and requested its removal. The objection is that it nullifies their powers. The cross’ location in solid rock astride the shoulder of ‘The Hill of Angels’ displays the Lord’s direction in furnishing and installing it in the consecrated grounds of the prayer and retreat centre at Ffald-y-Brenin.

Therefore, the absolute hatred of the Cross of Christ and Christians is entirely spiritual and demonstrates their god definitely is not the same as the Lord Almighty, Father of Jesus Christ – and ours too! As apostle John warns in his first letter:

“Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world. By this you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God, and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. And this is the spirit of the Antichrist, which you have heard was coming, and is now already in the world.” (1 John 4:1-3 NKJV, per BibleGateway)

Analysis

Joel Rosenberg summarises this apocalyptic pre-emptive plot in his abridged version of What does ISIS want? To usher in the End of Days by Graeme Wood (click here for his in-depth article). Some of Joel’s points are as follows:

ISIS and its supreme leader, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, is consumed by a Radical Sunni Islamic version of eschatology, or End-Times theology.
US president and senior team do not see this, and this is one of the most serious mistakes they are making. We cannot defeat an enemy we refuse to define. I realize eschatology is a topic foreign — even bizarre — to most political, military and intelligence officials.
But to truly understand what ISIS wants, and how far they are willing to go to get it, our leaders absolutely must study and understand it.
One of the most intriguing and disturbing developments of our times is that we now have two nation states — the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Islamic State — driven by adherents to apocalyptic, genocidal forms of End-Times theology.
The Iranian leaders hold to a Shia brand. ISIS leaders hold to a Sunni brand. But both are driven by a belief that their messiah is coming and judgment with him.
The Iranians believe they must lay the groundwork for the messiah (Mahdi) to come and build his caliphate or kingdom. ISIS isn’t waiting. They have launched a jihadist rampage to build the caliphate now, so that the Mahdi will come soon.

A Vision

About 2007-8, two friends living on opposite sides of the globe – Paul Keith Davis and Neville Johnson – had the same vision on the same weekend as the other did of all hell being let loose. (Teaching series In the Days of Noah, disc 1.)

Happily, the vision did not end with darkness for, according to Paul Keith, the Lord said,

“I am sending messengers of My Face” and He told me there are angels that have stood in the Presence of Almighty God from the beginning of time that have waited for this generation. There is a holy heavenly host that has been waiting for this generation for this hour for this confrontation. They have been especially prepared… I looked up and I saw a door being opened in Heaven and I saw a flood of angels from heaven who had stood in the Presence of God since the beginning of time. I saw them coming and teaching people in their bedrooms. We have to respond to the level of darkness and evil coming to this generation ‘in like fashion’.” (Courtesy Justin Abraham)

A Prophecy

In the middle of preaching, English evangelist Nathan Morris prophesied from the Lord for 2012: Setting the stage for the End-Times. He opens very notably with,

“For lawlessness will abound as nations and their leaders meet together to try and make alliances and make allegiances seeking peace. They shall seek peace, but shall not find it – they shall seek peace, but shall not find it! This will cause many to cry out for resolution but it shall still elude them for a time for further unrest will be their reward.

“For even in 2012 there shall be great events that will change the course of this world, as you know it! For as many pour out their resources to find solutions of peace, another crisis will drain them of knowledge and resolution.

“For I would know that My people would hear My voice, that I am setting the stage for that which I have foretold in My Word and it will quickly and swiftly come to pass. For the days are coming when the lawless one shall be revealed and the son of perdition shall take his stand.

Conclusion

There’s indisputable evidence for the Islamist impetus to bring worldwide calamity and to eradicate Christianity, thereby preventing fulfillment of the prophetic timetable, as outlined in the Bible.

Those above accounts show the falsehood of Islam’s belief in recognising Jesus, but as the Muslim Mahdi’s underling! Pew Research Centre stated in 2012 that well over half, and over 2/3 in some countries, the Muslim world expects the return of Jesus within their own lifetime. Their 2010 results for the number of American Christians expecting Jesus’ return was much lower and very mixed!

Now, as for the would-be usurper of the Almighty’s throne trying to pre-empt His plan and timetable for the End-times, it’s worth noting something that happened whilst polishing off this post’s latest draft. AND, it’s thanks to you my readers and visitors for pointing me towards the conclusion the Lord may want me to draw…

Some old posts keep showing up in the Popular Posts listing. One was ‘top of the pops’ over Mon-Wed and I thought of reminding myself of its content. It’s Neville Johnson’s urgent word brought last August about a cut-off date in God’s timeline. The Lord told him,

“Neville, it is over – there is no more extension of time!”

This prophetic declaration and decree, as well as holy scripture, supersedes anything the father of lies is scheming and doing. In no way could he possibly pre-empt the Lord’s end-game! The Almighty – not the creature – calls the shots!

This timing is completely the Father’s prerogative. Neither Jesus (when He was on earth) or the angels know the schedule for His return. (Mathew 24:36 and Acts 1:7 refer.)

Although this may not be the definitive or final word on this issue, most importantly, we know we’re on the winning side – thank and praise you Jesus!

You may be interested to read about the difficulties in publishing this post, as reported in What’s weird about writing about Iran.

In Part 3 we will look at the Lord’s use of American leaders for his End-times purposes.

As Khamenei urges “Death to America,” Kerry insists progress being made on nuclear deal. Obama administration is playing with fire.

Posted on Monday, 23 March, 2015 by Richard Barker

Readers wanting some Biblically-related background will find Mark Davidson’s recent thoughts on Daniel 8 of interest, as here.

Joel C. Rosenberg's Blog

“Death to America!” says Iran’s Supreme Leader, the Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

We are rapidly approaching the March 31st deadline for the Iran nuclear negotiations. Yet while Iran makes few if any concessions, the P5+1 continues to make more and more concessions to the tyrants of Tehran.

Iran’s leaders keep openly and unabashedly threatening America and Israel with annihilation. Yet the Obama administration and the major world powers keep giving Iran what it wants. Under the current deal that’s being discussion, Iran does not have to dismantle its nuclear infrastructure. It will still be allowed to enrich uranium. It does not have to disclose its nuclear weaponization efforts. It does not have to modify much less abandon its efforts to build ICBMs. And it will be given assurances that all economic sanctions will be removed from Iran in due time, and all nuclear inspectors will be removed, as well.

This is a dangerous road. The…

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1 of 3: The ‘Endgame’ gets ramped up another level

Posted on Thursday, 5 March, 2015 by Richard Barker

A fast fortnight ploughed a deep furrow along a cycle of time – ‘a wheel within the greater wheel’ of End-time events…

Bells start ringing that we’ve been here before – and at this time of year too! – like fresh, bright-yellow daffodil bells I see springing up outside! Let me to add to what others are doing as ‘prep’ for 2015…

Time is non-linear. Our analytical mindsets think time’s a straight line. Often we see time-lines listing events in history – or use one for our own life.

The passage of time and events is seasonal; ie. cyclical. I regard time like a spiral for, when considered dynamically under the interaction of various influences, it’s just like a corkscrew being turned. Nature provides an excellent example that carries information – the DNA spiral.

Another example: on a spiral staircase we pass by different walls. If it’s in a castle turret there’d be a doorway on each floor and in the same vertical wall of the well. Regard this wall as a certain kind of event and note how it connects with us, or is relevant to us, at different times and levels.

Hence, various types of event can crop up in a cyclical pattern of repetitions at different levels and show some development has taken place. So it is in history and with God’s plans too, could we but be aware, or receive revelation.

Before I heard about Jonathan Cahn’s US best-seller The Harbinger, I’d outlined the Biblical analysis of historical and financial cycles in one of my first months’ blogs, Points to Ponder 2011-2012. (For more see below.)

Quick recap

Last week I promised to reveal how a possible option between either one of two weeks for surgery affected, or even enabled(!), further insights into something we’d recently mulled over on this blog – Satan’s strategy to avoid the Lake of Fire.

Please accept my apologies for not having done so in ‘the next post’. So much was still surfacing – from both the past and the present – that I had to take stock. To my great surprise a cycle of events was laid bare.

Once again, more of the ‘Invisible Jigsaw’ is appearing, as blogged extensively in 2014 (click image to read about its themes).

So, I’ll explain this year’s view of ‘the grand design’ for you to follow my logic. Let’s look at the jigsaw pieces we’ve placed down thus far.

I mused upon how Satan could have adopted tactics to avoid his destined demise in the Lake of Fire and a progression of ‘pieces’ was revealed as follows:

Paws 4 thought: devilish plot to avoid the Lake of Fire – the removal of conditions necessary for Jesus’ prophesied return: no Jews alive in Jerusalem and Mid-East and disunity among Christians, plus not living in Holy Spirit’s power and a deep rejection of Jews and Israel on supposedly ‘scriptural’ grounds!
An insight into global Satanic strategy: Part 1 – misinformation from many political leaders. ‘Coincidently’, Archbishop Welby denounced anti-Semitism and had its most vociferous vicar silenced.
An insight into global Satanic strategy: Part 2 – history of Islam from start up to the Crusades and exposure of the myth they taught Muslims to hate and attack Christians. It originated in Western intellectuals, whose fallacies within academia continue unabated!
Anti-terrorism summit confirms this week’s insight – Within a day of blogging as above, international news on security confirmed my conclusions. But technical hitches hindered my publishing this, which revealed I faced ungodly opposition!

History cycles around

On top of those concepts, accelerating developments in the Middle-East only add to the mix. Therefore, an appreciation of my background in this will be of some help.

Pertinent to today’s issues is a personal event that hooked me into Eschatology, as well as subsequent developments, viz:

Mid-1980s

As stated in this blog’s Welcome, the Iran-Iraq war opened my eyes as an unbeliever because I’d been given an unusual ‘secular’ book on OT prophecies of modern events. Whilst watching a TV documentary about that war I flicked through the brand-new book and noted references to the significance of Jerusalem. THEN I heard the TV narrator speak about, and showed, elite units from both sides rehearsing together an attack upon Jerusalem! – despite being at war with one another!! So I’ve since kept an eye on international affairs.

Once again, conflict in Iraq involving Iran is in the news because of ISIS’ invasion of Iraq in 2014.

2009

Six years ago last weekend, on 28th February 2009, I started what would become a series of private emails to Christian friends and church leaders drawing attention to the plain fact that events are fitting more clearly into Biblical prophecy.

We’d already debated the Lakeland, Florida, outpouring as I’d known of Todd Bentley before-hand. However, the new direction had become abundantly obvious and so I emailed them, The ‘Endgame’ is now in play.

It was only much later, in Autumn 2011, that the Lord prodded me into going public with this blog. (If you’re interested in numbers; the 700th post is one the above ‘insights’.)

As said, significant End-time events began to escalate. To appreciate how they’ve again become ‘hot potatoes’ you may like to dip into later emails of May and July 2009 noting especially as below:

Today’s Importance In History – reference to Obama’s ‘back channels’ (secret diplomacy) contact with and appeasement of Iran, and consequential dismay in Egypt and Saudi Arabia – and their cooperation with Israel.
Middle-East Update July 2009 – Obama’s making Netanyahu the bogeyman in preventing nuclear-arms discussions with Iran. Obama’s character.

2010

An entirely forgotten idea privately posited with those friends popped up again unbidden in the last fortnight. Part 2 will show how the shuffled surgical schedule reported in The Shepherd, the Shadow and the ‘Spread’ fits into our ‘jigsaw’.

I hope you’ll have time to dip into those archived papers whenever possible.

Continued in Part 2 >>

More on cycles

[‘Spiral Stairway To Clouds’ by Victor Habbick and ‘Spiral Stairs’ by Franky242, courtesy of Freedigitalphotos.net]

Iran’s leaders reject Obama deal, calling it “unacceptable.” It’s been a bizarre few days. Here’s the latest.

Posted on Wednesday, 4 March, 2015 by Richard Barker

As one of my subscribers comments elsewhere, “It’s a reminder that the heart of the king is in God’s hands”!

Joel C. Rosenberg's Blog

US Secretary of State John Kerry meets with Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, for a new round of nuclear negotiations on Monday, March 2, 2015. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

(Washington, D.C.) — Consider the odd developments of the past few days:

* The leader of our most faithful and trusted ally comes to Washington to warn of a mortal and rising threat from a dangerous and deceiving enemy.

* The President of the United States refuses to meet with him.

* The President sends his VP out of the country to avoid our ally.

* The President sends the Secretary of State out of the country to avoid our ally, and instead to meet with our enemy.

* The President refuses to allow any of his Cabinet Members attend the speech by our ally.

* The White House pressures Members of Congress to boycott the speech of our ally.

* The President’s…

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On eve of Purim, Netanyahu warns of new Persian threat to Israel & the world.

Posted on Wednesday, 4 March, 2015 by Richard Barker

A momentously significant day in world history; thank you Joel.

Joel C. Rosenberg's Blog

The Prime Minister of Israel addressing a Joint Session of Congress on March 3, 2015.

(Washington, D.C.) — That was one for the ages.

In 25 years living in or near the nation’s capital, I have never actually been to a Joint Session of Congress. But if there was ever a speech I wanted to hear, it was this one.

I wish you could have been there with me. It was so fascinating — and so humbling — to be in the House Chamber as the Prime Minister of Israel arrived to thunderous and continuous applause.

As I listened to him speak, I felt I was witnessing history being made, as if Winston Churchill himself were personally warning us of the gathering storm.

On the eve of Purim, the Jewish holiday remembering the Biblical book of Esther and the Persian plot to annihilate the Jewish people 2,500 years ago, Prime Minister…

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Anti-terrorism summit confirms this week’s insight!

Posted on Saturday, 21 February, 2015 by Richard Barker

Opening Part 2 of An insight into global satanic strategy, I mentioned a few fascinating things happened over its content – and its timing! Maybe God-incidence? Let me tell you what I read whilst relaxing over a morning coffee yesterday:

First, recall that most of my work recently has been re-blogs of others’ posts as a result of home circumstances affecting my regular blogging time-slots. We’re trusting the Lord in all this, but a change in schedule was necessary. Yet I had time to write more fully this week.

Also, be aware my plan was to finish and publish what I’d already drafted on a dubious aspect of Churches Together prayer-focus for Lent (started last Wednesday). So that got well and truly waylaid – martyrdom of Egyptian Copts demanded my attention! And then my brief covering note to Joel’s piece on that led directly into the 2-part ‘insight’.

In other words, on two counts that ‘insight’ would not have seen the light of day! Over two half-days I wrote the full piece and then separated into 2 parts; published the first half on Thursday and scheduled the second half for Friday morning.

Yet that second part didn’t see the light of day either! A few teaks were needed and so I postponed its appearance for another day. But I reckoned without 3 technical issues!

1st Technical Glytch

What a game that was! As you know, Fridays to Sundays I’m normally off-line and we were heading out for the morning. So just a quick tap into my smartphone straight into WordPress to reset the date would do the trick!

No it didn’t!

There were connection issues trying to adjust the publication date – annoying! So I had to boot-up the pc, wait for that to load, log-in Norton security, launch WP and do the job.

That was the first spanner in the works! I did get the date adjusted and off we went…

Stunning Confirmation

A superb cappuccino and croissant in Caffé Nero, Petersfield with Nina tackling the paper’s crossword and me digging dug inside…I read that Barack Obama has referred the previous day at a counter-terrorism summit to “twisted interpretations” and “lies”! That’s more or less the focus in my 2-part ‘insights’, both published and yet to be published parts!!

Furthermore, Britain’s Home Secretary addressed the Washington summit about the immediate need for an unprecedented need for a global response to the threat of ISIL!! Now that’s exactly why the Crusades were launched – note well Mr Obama!

The Telegraph reporters open with (emphases added):

ISIL will develop into “something even more grotesque and inhumane” unless the world acts now, Theresa May, the Home Secretary, said yesterday…

“There is simply no choice…The extraordinary nature of the threat posed requires an extraordinary response. It must be international in reach, unprecedented in scale and immediate“.

They go on to report:

Mr Obama…said that, while Western nations must take care not to vilify and marginalise their Muslim minorities, Muslim leaders “have a responsibility to push back, not just on twisted interpretations of Islam, but also on the lie that we are somehow engaged in a clash of civilisations”.

He added: “The notion that the West is at war with Islam is an ugly lie”.

Hmm, I was amazed! (See copy of the full report below.)

2nd Technical Glitch

As Nina’s daughter is here for the day and took mum out for the morning I published Part 2, and can spend time on this post.

When I looked for the digital version of what I read in yesterday’s paper there was only an earlier piece by one of the journalist’s. (Nothing further has followed online or in today’s Telegraph, but the Guardian has White House resists call to focus on Islamist terrorism at 3-day summit – for a paper keen on security and focussing on the Ukraine this is a poor show for the Telegraph.)

3rd Technical Glitch

In trawling for the summit through the Telegraph’s recent archive my Internet Explorer encountered a ‘buffering event’ that IE couldn’t repair! Google couldn’t get any network connection either.

The home network had vanished and Windows couldn’t repair the connection after its auto-diagnosis!! The router’s settings had been trashed!!!

Re-booting and repeating re-boot twice didn’t clear the problem. Fortunately, there’s a handy laptop…and it worked. Thank you Lord

So more time had been wasted and it seemed I was being prevented from publishing Part 2. Something spiritually unclean doesn’t like what I’ve found and am writing about!

SO THIS MUST BE VERY IMPORTANT

As this doesn’t exist on-line, here’s the hardcopy I read:

(The closing paras’ reference to youngsters leaving Britain to join the terrorists is borne out in last night’s news. See also Frontpage Mag Obama’s Summit of Jihad Denial.)

[Puzzle in Sky by Idea Go, courtesy Freedigitalphotos.net]

Egypt’s president el-Sisi orders military strikes after ISIS beheads 21 Egyptian Christians. Details & analysis.

Posted on Monday, 16 February, 2015 by Richard Barker

Lest anyone’s unaware: Islamists have declared and are waging war against the world. Americans will have noted their leader continues to insult one’s intelligence (misleading comments at US National Prayer Breakfast: read Douglas Murray & Raymond Ibrahim). To correct this, Dr Bill Warner compiled over 100 facts, the vast majority of which were military attacks. Thus, over 460 years of JIHAD CAUSED THE CRUSADES – NOT THE OTHER WAY ROUND!! When will Western leaders learn? See also Four Myths about the Crusades [Latest: Egypt’s airforce struck at dawn today UPDATE 28 Feb: Egypt goes to war on ISIS, masses troops against Islamist Libya stronghold.]

Joel C. Rosenberg's Blog

ISIS jihadists prepare to behead 21 Egyptian Christians in Libya. (source: screen capture from new ISIS video)

UPDATED: Much of the West remains asleep or lethargic concerning the threat posed by the Islamic State, even as the movement’s gruesome killing spree continues unabated.

The latest: an Islamic State affiliate has beheaded 21 Egyptian Coptic Christians who were working in Libya, according to a new ISIS video released on Sunday. “In the video, militants in black marched the captives, dressed in orange jump suits, to a beach the group said was near Tripoli,” reported Reuters. “They were forced down onto their knees, then beheaded.”

“The people of the cross, followers of the hostile Egyptian church,” read a caption on the five minute video, Reuters noted.

President Obama spent eight hours golfingon Sunday.

But Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi vowed to “avenge” the “criminal killings.” He immediately ordered the Egyptian air force to…

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Amidst Obama retreat from Mideast, three regional leaders forming quiet but fiercely determined alliance against Iran & ISIS.

Posted on Monday, 16 February, 2015 by Richard Barker

Who needs America? Not these three wise warriors! As ever, Joel offers solid analysis and this alliance is especially noteworthy in the light of the ‘4 Signposts’ scenario…

Joel C. Rosenberg's Blog

King Abdullah and PM Netanyahu.

President el-Sisi and King Abdullah II.

Something curious is happening in the Middle East.

Amidst President Obama’s repeated moves to withdraw American military power and influence from the Middle East and “pivot” to Asia, three regional leaders in the epicenter are forming a quiet, unexpected but fiercely determined alliance.

Why? To protect their people against two existential threats, one posed by the Shia Radical Islamists of Iran, the other posed by the Sunni Radical Islamists of ISIS.

Who are they?

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu;
Jordan’s King Abdullah II; and
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi.

They are meeting secretly. They are talking regularly by phone, as well as with other leaders in the region from Saudi Arabia to the Gulf. Their senior advisors are also in regular contact, coordinating moves to counter their most serious enemies. They are not waiting for Washington. Indeed, they often see the White House and State Department as less than helpful, and…

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Yes, Saddam Hussein is also tied to the Shemitah

Posted on Monday, 9 February, 2015 by Richard Barker

I strongly agree there’s ‘a divine rhythm in timing’ Mark. No doubt you were inspired to make this fascinating find! (See Wall St considers Biblical basis for economic crashes and Prophetic points to ponder on 9/11 for more on ‘The Harbinger’.)

THE FOUR SIGNPOSTS

This came as a surprise to me. I was doing some research on Saddam Hussein this past week and stumbled across a little-reported fact. The Second Signpost may yet prove it is to happen on or around the end of this current Shemitah year. As we know from Cahn’s book The Harbinger, the 9-11 attack and the financial crisis both happened on the last day of the Shemitah in 2001 and 2008, respectively. My own experience also became tied to this current Shemitah.

What is the Shemitah? It is the seventh year and last year of a Biblical seven-year cycle found in Leviticus. Though Biblically it is tied only to the land of Israel, this concept of a seven-year cycle is showing up in many places and ways. The Signposts, the Tribulation and even the return of Christ may all be tied to the Shemitah. I don’t know for…

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Four ‘Signposts’ of the Books of Daniel and The Apocalypse

Posted on Monday, 26 January, 2015 by Richard Barker

The prime purpose of this blog is to inform the public and students of Bible prophecy about its relevance to contemporary world events. Recent research prompts a fresh look at long-cherished scholarly assumptions on scripture and history.

Thus, Mark Davidson’s analysis of the Book of Daniel enables us to keep an even more informed watch upon changes taking place in the Middle-East, especially those on the Gog-Magog alliance foretold in the Book of Ezekiel.

On holiday last year I was enthralled to read his latest book, Daniel Revisited, and want to give an overview of its fascinating thesis. Mark’s following summary of his findings will enhance readers’ understanding of the previous post on Roman history and Daniel’s ‘sealed visions’:

The Four Signposts: A Summary

“The Four Signposts are four sets of events which will occur, one after the other, prior to the Tribulation or Rapture. These events are derived from the Biblical prophecies of the four beasts in Daniel 7:1-27, the ram and goat in Daniel 8:1-26, and the four horsemen in Revelation 6:1-8. The fulfillment of these events identified in prophecy, have been, and will continue to be, reported as news stories in the Middle East.

“In my book, Daniel Revisited, I go into detail of why these three prophecies qualify as identifying the Four Signposts. These three prophecies all share three things in common:

They are all applicable to, and will be fulfilled in, modern-day end times just prior to the Tribulation (passages in Daniel 7 and 8 indicate this is so);
They all describe the nations involved in, the actions of these nations, and the societal conditions of the geographical areas involved, during the times just immediately prior to the appearance of Antichrist;
They all describe the same set of events, just from different perspectives.

“The First Signpost includes the lion with wings that is forced to stand upright and its heart replaced, and the first horseman that rides a white horse. The democratizing of the nation of Iraq and the career of its former leader Saddam Hussein, are the news events that fulfilled these prophecies.

“The Second Signpost includes the bear that is higher on one side, the ram with two long horns, and the second horseman that rides the red horse. The supreme leader of Iran is the first long horn on the ram; the leadership of Iran’s IRGC is the second horn coming up last and longer. Iran will invade many countries and cause chaos across much of the Middle East. They will most likely interrupt the Gulf oil supply and end America’s petrodollar causing economic chaos.

“The Third Signpost includes the four-headed leopard, the goat with the one great horn, and the third horseman who rides the black horse. The news events to fulfill this signpost are still completely in our future. It will include a four-nation Sunni confederacy taking back the conquests of Iran, and ending Iran in the form that it currently exists. Due to the probable cut-off of oil, food will be available but will be very expensive. We do see today some events setting up the Third Signpost. In addition to food price hikes we have seen in the last few years, the governments of Turkey, Egypt and Syria are becoming Islamist. This situation is required for fulfillment of the Third Signpost.

“Finally, the Fourth Signpost includes the terrible ten-horned beast, the little horn on one of the four horns of the goat, and the fourth horseman who rides the green horse. The news events to fulfill this signpost are even further in our future. It starts at the end of the Third Signpost where the great new nation that covers much of the Middle East fragments into four pieces. The man who is to be Antichrist will arise out of one of these four new nations, take it over, conquer two others, and have the fourth submit to him. The remainder of the Islamic realm then will also submit to him. At this point, a pre-Trib Rapture and the seven-year Tribulation are imminent.

“These Four Signposts are warnings to God’s Church. By watching these Signposts, we may know – as our world goes through each week, month, and year – what season of God’s plan we are in during these end times prior to the Tribulation. These news events will be truly terrible due to their causing economic and mental anguish among the populations of the world due to the cutoff of oil. Islam may be seen as gaining the upper hand and western civilization as being on the decline. But these events, instead of being continual bad news, can be seen instead as fulfillment of detailed and absolute prophecy that must be fulfilled in order for God’s promises to come to fruition.

“Those of us who are His must prepare. Those on the fence in the churches will have their last chance to repent and follow Christ wholeheartedly. The unbelievers can be witnessed to and shown that the Bible is the living and breathing word of God and is telling all of us what is playing out right before our eyes.”

[Illustrations courtesy of Mark Davidson.]

The man most used by God to seal Daniel?

Posted on Monday, 26 January, 2015 by Richard Barker

This by Mark Davidson is not only a helpful follow-on to Sealed up until the End of Time but it also introduces his well-researched book Daniel Revisited and website The Four Signposts. Mark’s thesis reveals that scholars and theologians failed to recognise how the Bible foretold the rise of Islam and its geo-strategic End-time role in the Middle-East. (Also note the subsequent comments.) When I tried to re-blog this on Saturday a Word-Press glitch prevented logged-on interaction between our blogs – intriguing!

THE FOUR SIGNPOSTS

Meet Trajan, Emperor of Rome from AD 98 to AD 117. That’s his marble bust below. Known as one of the Five Good Emperors, historians even after nineteen centuries know him as the Roman emperor who ruled with public welfare programs, building programs, philanthropy, and military expansion of the Empire. Every emperor that followed Trajan was honored by the Roman Senate with the wish: “be luckier than Augustus and better than Trajan.”

Trajan, 13th Emperor of Rome, 98-117 AD

So why would this man be tied to the sealing of the book of Daniel which was written 650 years earlier?

“The vision of the evenings and mornings that has been given you is true, but seal up the vision, for it concerns the distant future.” (Daniel 8:26)

“But you, Daniel, close up and seal the words of the scroll until the time of the end. Many will go here…

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A Trend Continues: Iran’s Rise in Influence

Posted on Thursday, 15 January, 2015 by Richard Barker

It’s reported this week that ISIS wiped out the forward command group of an Al Qods Brigades commando force early Monday, Jan. 12, killing its commander (Debkafile). Also, ISIS systematic targeting of top officers fighting them in Iraq, especially the Iranians, led to an assassination attempt upon the C-in-C of that elite IRGC force. See also the comment which expands upon this news.

THE FOUR SIGNPOSTS

Prior to the Second Signpost which is the invasion of the Middle East by Iran, we would expect to see Iran’s power and regional influence continue to increase. We saw in this post Iran’s increasing power, and in this post its increasing influence in the region, particularly in Iraq.

This is a trend that should continue for months (or possibly years) prior to the Second Signpost. Adding another data point to this trend, this news story was just released. According to a poll taken of Iraqis, Iran – and not the U.S. – is seen to be Iraq’s best ally when it comes to fighting the Islamic State (IS).

Iraqi Hezbollah march in Baghdad with a portrait of Iran’s Supreme Leader

In a post from six months ago, Is ISIS the Trigger for the Second Signpost? I wrote,

“I could very well be wrong, but here is my opinion nonetheless. Indications show…

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Prophetically relevant gov’t news from the UK and USA

Posted on Monday, 8 December, 2014 by Richard Barker

Last week, apparently unrelated events involving Prime Minister David Cameron and President Obama could show an out-working of prophecies about accelerating events. Although being mutually exclusive, the effects of these events have global ramifications.

We’ll look at those words first and then the events, then their common denominator and the relevance of those contemporary, as well as of ancient, prophecies to the events.

So first, carefully consider what Neville Johnson brought in August for this new Hebraic year:

“The issue of sowing and reaping is becoming critical. Everything is speeding up. The process of sowing and reaping is being shortened over recent times. Scary because we don’t always sow the right things, and it’s coming back quicker!” (See Urgent prophetic words about a cut-off date in God’s timeline, point 3)

Secondly, in March John Kilpatrick brought:

“In the season that we’re entering into the Lord says, “I’m going to cut things short”…listen carefully, we don’t realise how fast God’s going to speed things up and expedite things!” (See A season of ‘suddenlies’ AND a shifting)

Now the events:

1. Cameron v. BBC

PM Cameron and Chancellor of the Exchequer Osborne took serious objection to the Blatantly Biased Corporation’s lack of objectivity and consequential political interference in reporting the budgetary Autumn Statement. The Telegraph editorial of 5th December opens with the assumption that, given its obligation as national public service broadcaster, the BBC’s obligation is to be balanced. Going into depth and referring to other instances, the editor remarks,

Anyone who retorts that they were irritated by just one report needs to view it in the wider context of BBC bias.

Read How a 3-min dawn broadcast generated a full-blown clash between the Beeb and Number 10, with fuller background at Under siege the ‘biased’ BBC fights for its life – but that’s nothing! There’s also the huge raft of issues monitored by BBC Watch, as in their latest on BBC’s Arab-Israel conflict obsession distorts history.

Regular readers are aware of many instances of pointing out the BBC’s unethical and unprofessional deep-seated prejudice that makes its reporting totally unreliable – even seeming to support terrorism (BBC tag refers)!

Hopefully, the reaction by the government’s Tories will severely shake the BBC and delay the renewal of its Charter, and even scrap the totalitarian levy of its annual licence fee.

2. Obama v. Netanyahu

In its exclusive report on Thursday DebkaFile reported Obama set on obstructing Netanyahu’s re-election. This report begins,

‘President Barack Obama and his White House National Security team headed by Susan Rice have decided to seize on the political crisis besetting the Israeli government and the upcoming general election on March 17 for action to bar Binyamin Netanyahu’s re-election to a fourth term as prime minister…

‘This White House campaign would be accompanied by leaks from Washington for putting Netanyahu and his policies in a derogatory light…some senior sources in the US capital confided to DebkaFile that administration joy over political developments in Israel could quickly prove premature – either in view of another round of violence overtaking the Middle East, or by once again misreading Israel’s political map before stepping in and so failing in its object..’.

In my opinion interference in the internal political process of another nation, especially a democratic ally, is unconscionable. Obama’s well-known disdain for Bibi Netanyahu is poisoning Israeli politics. Clinton did the same during Netanyahu’s first term as PM – and we know the humiliating impeachment he suffered! Therefore, the US may now be in for some surprises in the next few months.

UPDATE 9/12: Washington Beacon – Congress demands Obama explain rumoured sanctions against Israel.

3. Common Denominator

The underlying common denominator in both instances is God’s plans and purposes for His covenantal people, the Jews and the land He designated for their homeland. In their unabashed hostility to them the BBC and President Obama have chosen to go against the One who is not to be mocked.

Also, let’s not overlook an early revelation about the Day of the Lord, as delivered by the prophet Obadiah:

“For the day of the LORD upon all the nations is near; As you have done (to Israel) it shall be done to you; Your reprisal shall be upon your own head”. (Obadiah 15 NKJV, emphasis added)

Perhaps pay-back time for the ‘Beeb’ and ‘Potus’ is rapidly approaching? News of other developments suggests that may not be wishful thinking…

THIS WEEK

In a more detailed analysis of several developments DebkaFile refers to a meeting of 6 Gulf Cooperation Council rulers scheduled for this week in Doha. It bears the hallmarks of extensive yet quiet cooperation between Israel and key Arab leaders and the report reveals,

‘Its agenda is topped by moves to finally unravel the 2010 Arab Spring policy championed by US President Barack Obama…The Doha summit is designed to crown a historic effort led by Saudi King Abdullah…to undo the effects of the Obama administration’s support for elements dedicated to the removal of conservative Arab rulers, such as (by the Muslim) Brotherhood. They have found a key ally in this drive in Israel’s PM Netanyahu…’

The report also makes claims for the PM’s rare achievement of close coordination with the most important Arab leaders, as follows:

allowing Egypt to deploy 13 battalions in demilitarized Sinai to combat terrorists,
diplomatic operation instrumental in obstructing US-Iran deal on nuclear weapons,
Jordan’s replacement of Islamist security guards on the sensitive Temple Mount,
Saudi and Gulf funding to Palestinian areas of Jerusalem defused recent rioting,
Egypt and Gulf have influenced PA’s Abbas to reduce his incitement and invective,
because these Arab leaders are marginalizing the Palestine issue, Hamas leader Meshaal tried re-igniting violence in Jerusalem but he went unheeded!

So the report concludes,

‘Netanyahu may or may not opt to brandish Israel’s breakthrough to the Arab world as campaign fodder to boost his run for re-election. Whatever he decides, the rulers of Saudi Arabia, the Arab emirates and Egypt have turned out to have acquired an interest in maintaining him in office as head of the Israeli government, in direct opposition to President Obama’s ambition to unseat him.’

The heart of these issues lies in Obama’s Cairo speech and later betrayal of Egypt’s president Mubarak by elevating the Muslim Brotherhood, encouraging its revolution and allowing infiltration into the USA. (Walid Shoebat, ex-Palestinian extremist with many contacts in the Middle East, reports Obama’s half-brother is influential in the MB.) Saudi Arabia took grave exception to Potus’ several actions, as noted in my correspondence on those events.

So maybe it’s time to even the score? What fascinating times we’re living in!

Let’s keep watching…

As fires rage across the Mideast, a key man to watch is Jordan’s moderate King Abdullah II.

Posted on Monday, 17 November, 2014 by Richard Barker

Interesting that this was published on Oct 7th, the day before the outbreak of violence at the Temple Mount. (In his previous re-blogged post, Joel scrutinises the important role played by his ‘Key Person for 2014’ in working to bring calm into the situation.)

Joel C. Rosenberg's Blog

A key man to watch: Jordan’s moderate King Abdullah II.

On January 10th of this year, I began writing a series of columns on key people in the epicenter who I planned to keep an eye on in 2014. The first name on my list was Jordan’s King Abdullah II.

Sure enough, the King has proven himself a central player in a region set aflame by the forces of Radical Islam this year.

As the flames get higher, several critical questions come to the fore:

Will ISIS or other Radical groups try to topple the King and raise their black flag over Amman?
Will the U.S., NATO and other allies stand closely together with the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, one of our most important allies in the region, to make sure this does not happen?
Will the U.S., Israel and Sunni Arab countries such as Jordan, Egypt, Saudi Arabia — as well as some…

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As radicals try to blow up Israel-Jordan relations and ignite “Third Intifada”, Netanyahu heads to Amman for emergency talks.

Posted on Saturday, 15 November, 2014 by Richard Barker

UPDATE Mon 17 Nov: The Times of Israel quotes Hebrew news site NRG’s report on Thursday’s meeting that Jordan’s King Abdullah II expressed dissatisfaction regarding Jewish Knesset members who’d recently visited the Temple Mount…yet acknowledged President Reuven Rivlin and Prime Minister Netanyahu’s recent requests that right-wing MKs refrain from visiting the contested holy site, and noted last week’s decline in such visits…Netanyahu reiterated his commitment to Abdullah and Kerry that Israel has no intention of changing the delicate status quo at the Temple Mount, which includes the controversial Israeli policy of banning prayer by non-Muslim visitors…he reminded Abdullah that Jordan maintains administrative control of the holy site, and encouraged him to take a larger role in restoring quiet…also pointed out the recent clashes were carried out with the full knowledge of the Jerusalem Waqf (responsible for maintaining administrative charge of the holy site under the terms of the Israel-Jordan peace treaty).

Joel C. Rosenberg's Blog

“His Majesty King Abdullah holds talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US Secretary of State John Kerry in Amman on Thursday.” (Photo courtesy of Royal Court/AFP/Jordan Times)

(Central Israel) — Radical Islamists are trying hard to ignite a “Third Intifada,” engulf Jerusalem in violence, and blow up relations between Israel and Jordan, twenty years after the two countries courageously signed a peace treaty.

A close look at events here in recent weeks suggest that without much prayer for the peace of Jerusalem, wise leadership, patient diplomacy, and the grace of God, the Radicals could very well succeed.

But they haven’t yet. With violence in and around Jerusalem spiking, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu flew to Amman on Thursday evening for emergency talks with Jordan’s King Abdullah II and Secretary of State John Kerry. The goal: to find a way to de-escalate tensions — quickly and carefully.

The three leaders also held a conference call…

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If Palestine becomes a state, will Christians return to Bethlehem? Part 1

Posted on Thursday, 23 October, 2014 by Richard Barker

“In 1992 Bethlehem was 92% Christian, now it is only 8% Christian.” (Mordechai Ben-Menachem 14 October 2014)

That surprising claim led to the header’s question. I’d put the lid down on blogging about the possibility of Palestinian statehood, but both new points need addressing after they cropped up over the weekend.

And another’s important: what’s the proper Christian perspective? This will cover some essential theology which, with my earlier post on the 1967 war, could give my readers, believer or not, some fresh insights.

The Church of the Nativity at Manger Square, the oldest standing church in the Holy Land ; courtesy Obethlehem.com

Bethlehem is, after all, the birth-place of Jesus Christ. His yet-again dispersed followers would need a special reason to take the immense trouble of returning home. Perhaps after a period of complete cessation of hostilities? That would need miraculous changes in human nature – not impossible – plus dismantling of extensive demonic strongholds.

Personal visitations of Jesus to individual Jews and Muslims continue and many more are becoming secret believers since this email of November 2010 about them, for God is pouring out His Spirit on all flesh in these latter days.

My answer to my question is, “No, I think not; not until Jesus returns!” – as He himself promised He will do. But as He’s already putting in private supra-natural appearances then one could suggest that, after a fashion, He’s already ‘returning’ (eg. the Emmaus road encounter of Jesus in ‘another form’ – Mark 16.12 and Luke 24:13-35).

I offer no apology for temporarily continuing with the Palestinian issue because it’s closely connected with ‘the apple’ of the Lord’s eye – Jerusalem – as revealed in His Word (see Zecharia 2:8) Also, major events over recent years point inescapably and unequivocally to prophetical scriptures foretelling what’s happening, or soon about to, in this ancient city sacred to three major faiths.

The Christian exodus

The opening quotation is from an in-depth interview with William Koenig, accredited Christian journalist at The White House and published in last week’s ‘Eye-View’ report.

As a scientist technologist, former researcher/lecturer at Ben-Gurion University who is professionally engaged in systems/software engineering, and prolific author of books and professional papers in various areas, Mordechai should be a well-informed person. His reference to Bethlehem was only one point in a wide-ranging conversation covering such topics as 1,400 years of Arab colonisation, ethnicity, Egypt, Europe, Iran, Iraq, Israel and Islam.

Nevertheless, his claim needs checking.

Wikipedia refers to 1948 and 1967 censuses showing Christian/Muslim demographic ratios as 85%:13% and dropping to 46%:54%. The Palestinian Authority’s 1997 census doesn’t distinguish between the religions but in 2005 and 2009 the Christian percentage falls to 40% and then 15% (sources uncited).

Referring also to Daniel Pipes’ wealth of knowledge, I found he started a report in 2001 with a specific reference to Bethlehem, viz:

“The ‘Middle East Quarterly’ begins its eighth year with its first issue devoted to a single topic—that of disappearing Christians in the Middle East.

“The transfer of power of Bethlehem from Israel to the Palestinian Authority just before Christmas 1995 inspired a spate of articles on Bethlehem’s diminishing Christian presence. They noted that a place not long ago 80 percent Christian is now but one-third Christian. For the first time in nearly two millennia, the most identifiably Christian town on earth has lost its Christian majority. The same changes have taken place in two other famously Christian towns, Nazareth and Jerusalem….”

His article has several updates to 2012, but perhaps the increasingly frequent news of persecution has made it difficult to incorporate subsequent events. Some posts on this blog tagged ‘persecution’ indicate the enormity of this issue.

On the other hand, last month in Christian Arab presence in Bethlehem in Crisis, Arab Daily News reported as follows:

“Today, according to Christian activists who are struggling to survive in Bethlehem, the Christian population there has been eclipsed by a growth of both Muslim refugees who are relocating to avoid the persecution by Israel in Hebron and by the increasing number of Israeli Jews who are taking Christian lands to build exclusively jewish-only settlements.”

After remarking about the hostility of Muslim Arabs and their activists and then quoting a Christian activist’s email, the reporter Ray Hanania writes,

“As both Israeli and Muslim activist groups grow, the Christian voice has remained stagnant and almost insignificant. Christian speakers are invited to speak at Muslim and Jewish organization events more as a political statement. Jews invite Christians to their conferences in order to use the Christians as a criticism against Islam while Muslims also invite Christians to their conferences in order to use the Christians as a criticism against Israel and Zionism.”

Ray’s well-balanced article is worth taking the time to read. He examines the issues in some depth, noting that the Christians are manipulated and muted by both Islamist and Jewish factions against their opponents. Also, the troubles and their significant effect upon tourism have made it very hard to sustain a living.

Consequently, he admires the campaign by George Sleibi to encourage support for the Christian community in the Holy Land, “in response to the growing regional Israeli-Palestinian conflict and decline of the Christian minority”. He is affiliated with a group of denominations’ informative website OBethlehem.com, which covers the challenges facing Christians. Ray quotes him as saying,

“The Christian presence in the Holy Land is declining daily. Currently, the Holy Land’s Christians comprise only 2% of the population. The continued emigration of Christians as a result of ongoing instability is having a negative impact on their presence in the land where Jesus was born, crucified and resurrected. Should this trend continue, an important spiritual destination, shared by billions throughout the world, will become nothing more than a museum, as the indigenous Christian community who represent the Christian presence in the Holy Land cease to exist.”

Alarming, yet in the light of a just-published study we appreciate the possibility of Ray being cautiously circumspect (see Study: self-censorship rife among Palestinian reporters).

Here’s one instance of the effect the Israeli-Palestinian troubles had upon the birth-place of Jesus Christ.

Bethlehem hostage crisis

Canon Andrew White was called by Yasser Arafat, and later by the Israeli government, to act as intermediary for the 39-day siege of The Church of the Nativity, Bethlehem, during April-May 2002. It was the result of homes in the predominantly Christian town of Beit Jala having been forcibly taken by Palestinians for firing rockets and mortars the short distance down and across a valley into the Jewish new town of Gilo.

“As expected”, writes Canon White, “The Israelis responded by sending in helicopters to destroy the homes (the militants’ positions) from which the missiles were fired. Once again Christians were caught in the middle“ (emphasis RB).

The militants then retreated to Manger Square, took control of the Church of the Nativity and took hostage of clergy and worshippers. PM Ariel Sharon and Arafat refused to climb down and international diplomacy was brought to bear in finding countries which would accept 13 leaders into permanent exile and 26 others for trial. (As they went to Gaza no trial was held.)

Again in that November 2010, I referred to this event and quoted Canon Andrew on the difficulties in the three faiths agreeing on the historic Alexandria Declaration, as coming from

“…the Christians who often feel they have to be even more Palestinian than the Muslims, to show they are committed to the cause.”

This declaration was one of the first initiatives to bring together Christians, Jews and Muslims in pursuit of peace in the region and the first major event of 2002 in which Andrew took a leading and pivotal role.

Andrew had no wish to be ordained because he’d qualified and was practising as an anaesthetist, yet felt God was calling him into the Church of England – and it was later confirmed by a prophetic word, as below!

He became very interested in Judaism and rabbinical studies during his theological education. This gave him the opportunity to take further his interest in international affairs, especially in the Middle-East. So he travelled around those parts and became acquainted with various leaders, as well as in Cambridge.

Although ordination in 1990 involved London parish work, his involvement in Jewish-Christian relations continued along with a new interest in Islam. To the surprise of his vicar, Andrew even had regular audiences with the Pope to brief him on his work and contacts in the political and diplomatic areas soon developed.

An aside: I was going to describe Andrew White as Archbishop of Canterbury Carey’s emissary in the Middle-East. But upon checking his biographical The Vicar of Baghdad, I was surprised to find a mutual connection with one of our church leader’s mentors.:

“On a second visit to Jerusalem, between graduation from Cambridge and my ordination, I was instructed by an ultra-Orthodox rabbi to go and see a woman known as Sister Ruth Heflin, who ran a very charismatic and rather American church called the Mount Zion fellowship. She proved to be the most forceful person I have ever met. Indeed I was scared of her. At the end of the first meeting I attended, at her house in East Jerusalem, she came up to me and started to prophesy over me.

“She had never met me before and knew nothing about me, but she declared that my calling in life was, “to seek the peace of Jerusalem and the Middle East”.

“At that stage, I couldn’t make any sense of this (and I certainly had no idea that ‘the Middle East’ might include Iraq) but what I did understand was that her home was filled with the glory of God as I had never experienced before.” (As our local sister can verify!)

To be continued in Part 2 with interesting references to several Palestinian Christians.

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If Palestine becomes a state, will Christians return to Bethlehem? Part 1

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