Tag Archives: #Prophecy-NT

Fundamental flaw in Western society – re. Greece-Europe crisis, Humanism

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“What qualifies you to comment on such a technically complex politico-economic topic?” you may ask. You could well think a hunch or mere coincidences, as in the preamble, to be just mere conjecture or insubstantial supposition.

Question Answered by Prophetic Word

Detail from Eagle-eyed by John Mark Long: www.propheticartists.comMore than being an informed observer, I humbly submit a qualification additional to that of being a biblical student of history. Admittedly, it’s of an immaterial nature: a Holy Spirit gifting!  Six years ago Isabel Allum, the well-known teacher of prophecy, discerned it and thereby validated my decision 3 months earlier to write regularly because of an insight on the Bible (The ‘Endgame’ is now in play).

Forgive me for being so personal. It’s the first time of publicly sharing this, not to boast but to answer the above kind of question which readers’ may rightly entertain. In part, the prophetic insight Isabel brought us was as follows (with her emphases):

“…And I heard the Lord saying brother, you are a man of wisdom…He’s coming to release a new level of wisdom in you that far surpasses the wisdom of man and He’s going to make you a man of…

“And I heard the Lord say, an impartation like Daniel had is going to come into you and you will start understanding the ‘riddles’ of the Lord in a different way – the gift of interpretation itself as Daniel and Joseph had is going to come to you and God is going to open up your understanding to hear from heaven, not necessarily to understand the way men do but you will see; like Joseph said, interpreting dreams is God’s business not man’s business and dreams from the Lord cannot be interpreted through symbolism or analysis, only through revelation.

“And the Lord is going to give you the real thing and you will bring it and you will answer the questions of many. But I also heard the Lord saying He’s going to open up nations for you…”

Hence, my many references to sensing ‘God-incidents’ / ‘Invisible jigsaw’!

With that said, let’s turn our attention to the matter in hand:

A Niggling Notion

Kononia eNews_Breakup-of-EUAs stated in the preamble, this matter wouldn’t go away last week – it kept tapping within my spirit. Then along came inspiration in material hidden away ‘upstairs’. That post’s sandwich-style format applies here too: black text for first thoughts already drafted, as below; blue text relating to later ‘God-incidental’ finds; and black again for the conclusion, now expanded.

(Additionally, after writing both drafts yet another ‘confirmation’ came from the same source, but this time in a mailed letter!!)

Here are some brief thoughts on the financial collapse of Greece from a scriptural and spiritual perspective. In view of the direct historical relationship, this also applies to the pinnacle of Western civilisation in its supposedly advanced forms in Europe and North America.

The foundations of European and American civilisations are built upon ancient Greece, not on the later Roman Empire.  All our scholastic, intellectual, scientific, literary and political history and institutions are modeled upon those of the ancient Greeks’ patterns of thought. And most importantly, our free, democratic self-government is styled upon the example set by ancient Greece.

greek-democracy-symbol

Traditional and reformed churches so admired those ancient philosophers that theology got skewed away from the original, Hebraic foundations of our Christian faith.  Greek ideas of the human constitution as being composed only of body and soul omitted the third part which, according to a Hebraic understanding, is our personal human spirit.  We have a triune nature because we’re created in the Almighty’s image.

Hence, the importance of the discovery of notes from 2012 inserted into the preamble’s ‘taster’ on ‘Intellect or Revelation?’!!

The following quotations come from a paper I’d referred to during online discussion on Greek philosophy in December 2012 and ‘coincidentally’ found in our loft last week. It’s apposite to insert them in blue text (as explained above) into my remarks, between the drafted introduction and conclusion.

Humanism – Forerunner for Antichrist

As a consequence of the pre-reformation and reformed Church’s and the subsequent Enlightenment’s interest in ancient Greece, a subtle, misleading influence upon Western culture and religion developed through the introduction of humanism and its associated agnosticism and atheism.

Derek Prince was a fellow of King’s College Cambridge and a senior research student who specialised in the philosophy of Plato. Although highly qualified to comment upon the ancient Greeks and their subsequent influence, he had a life-changing encounter with the author of the Bible after being called up into military service in the Second World War. Derek was ‘born-again’ and became an very influential Christian teacher

Decades later, in 1993-4, he was given an insight into developments in USA and Israel and the conflict spanning both heaven and earth, as follows:

“The governments and the armies of this world, operating solely on the natural plane, have no understanding of the conflict and no power to deal with the satanic forces in the heavenlies. On the contrary, without realizing it, they themselves are manipulated and controlled by those forces. One essential requirement for victory is to identify the nature of the forces that are at work in any given situation.

“In recent months [in early 1990s] as I have been meditating on developments in the world—especially in the U.S.A. and Israel—and I believe that God has shown me the identity of the evil, deceptive power that Satan plans to use to consummate his purposes for the end of this age. It is HUMANISM.”

Derek had always thought humanism was “a comparatively harmless error” but upon consulting a dictionary he was taken aback by its definition, viz:

“…the denial of any power or moral value superior to that of humanity; the rejection of religion in favour of a belief in the advancement of humanity by its own efforts.

“I realized that humanism is not spiritually neutral. On the contrary, it is a deliberate denial and rejection of God’s power and authority. It is an anti-religious religion. For this reason, it can be—and often is—taught in educational systems, such as that of the USA, which prohibit the teaching of religion in its usual sense.” (Emphases added.)

In tracing this Greek concept back in time he noted its direct linkage in the dream image of Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar in chapter two of the Book of Daniel:

“I realised that it was Greece – more than any of the other empires – which, through its philosophy, reproduced itself in subsequent cultures“.

Beginning with their earliest philosopher they asserted that man is the highest authority in the universe and idolized the human mind, Derek writes,

“Aristotle’s concept of God was a perfect mind contemplating itself—because nothing less was worthy of its contemplation. Out of this the whole philosophy of rationalism has developed”.

With this idolatry came glorification of the male body and, “the Greeks also tended to downgrade the marriage relationship between a man and a woman, and to view a homosexual relationship between two men as being more “intellectually fulfilling”. 

Derek continues by pointing out that the “so-called ‘gods’ of Greece exhibited all the moral failings of humanity…a complete absence, in fact, of any binding moral code. This left man free to be his own god, and to establish his own moral code. After all, no people can be expected to live above the level of its own gods“.

Spirit of Humanism’s Offensive

“In 1992 the spirit of humanism launched a major new offensive against both the USA and Israel. Almost simultaneously, a cloud of dense spiritual darkness descended upon both nations.

“In their national elections that year the spiritual force that brought to power both the Clinton administration in the USA and the Labor Coalition in Israel was blatant, undiluted humanism. Both administrations represent an open and deliberate rejection of God’s righteous laws and of the covenants He made with man, first through Moses and then through Jesus Christ. They have demonstrated that, carried to its ultimate, humanism will believe anything  but the truth and will tolerate anything but righteousness.

“This exaltation of man is the force which will finally give rise to the Antichrist, whose name is the number of man (Rev. 13:18), the man of lawlessness, who opposes and exalts himself above everything that is called God or is worshiped, and even sets himself up in God’s temple, proclaiming himself to be God (2 Thess 2:3–4).

With this he heads into a magnificent conclusion: 

“Before this final period of tribulation, however, God still has tremendous purposes to work out for both Israel and the Church. A harvest of mercy will precede the harvest of judgment. God’s preparation for this is revealed in Zechariah 9:13: “I will raise up your sons, O Zion, against your sons, O Greece…”  The “sons of Greece” are those who embrace the deception of humanism. The “sons of Zion” are those who take their stand upon the infallible Word of God, embracing both its promises and its covenants.”

It’s fascinating to dig this paper out of old folders for insertion herein only to find Derek’s conclusion is the same as that which was already in my mind!  But a republished letter on its way to me from his ministry has him adding an incisive scripture. More soon…

[Quotations from Humanism: Forerunner for Antichrist pdf, by courtesy of Derek Prince Ministries. Also read brief biography, About Derek Prince.] 

The Current Crisis

Several times the elected leaders of Greece have rejected legitimate demands for debt repayment by the nation’s European and IMF creditors. There’s been a massive run on the banks and the nation is completely bankrupt.

Telegraph Business front page today refers to a leaked IMF report saying “Greece will need drastic debt forgiveness” and warns that “Europe’s leaders must contemplate breaking EU treaty law to provide “Deep up-front haircuts” on Greece’s debt mountain”.

In IMF stuns Europe with call for massive debt relief, the leading financial journalist Ambrose Evans-Pritchard writes about the revolutionary nature of this report,

‘The International Monetary Fund has set off a political earthquake in Europe, warning that Greece may need a full moratorium on debt payments for 30 years and perhaps even long-term subsidies to claw its way out of depression.

“The dramatic deterioration in debt sustainability points to the need for debt relief on a scale that would need to go well beyond what has been under consideration to date,” said the IMF in a confidential report…

‘The findings are explosive. The document amounts to a warning that the IMF will not take part in any EMU-led rescue package for Greece unless Germany and the EMU creditor powers finally agree to sweeping debt relief…’

All this is especially interesting with 2014-2016 being Shemitah and Jubilee years, when ancient Israel cancelled all debts (see Wikipedia).

In tandem with financial turmoil, we’re also witnessing widespread rebellion in Europe and America against the moral and spiritual standards ordained by the Almighty. Those who once set the motto ‘In God We Trust’ (which is treated like a mascot!) have leaders who allow His commands to be treated with greatest contempt!  That nation born out of Europe proudly claimed ‘exceptionalism’, when in fact it’s no longer exceptional but apostate!

And the state named after its warrior leader and first president, George Washington, has been experiencing unusual temperatures consistently over 100 degrees Fahrenheit!

To my mind, these combined events speak strongly about the state of our ‘evolved’ Western society and civilisation – its beginning and its end.

Hopefully, it’s a warning that both ends of Euro-American civilisation are bankrupt – one the ancient historic root, the other its modern descendants –  one financially, the other morally and spiritually, with all the attendant consequences!!

Now it just so happens a couple of letters to one of the first churches planted in Europe are very instructive on this matter:

Apostasy and Deception

The Book of Acts records that, whilst on a mission in Asia Minor, the apostle Paul was supernaturally called to visit Macedonia over in mainland Europe (Acts 16). In about 49 AD he arrived in the port of Philippi in northern Greece and planted a house church led by a business woman known as Lydia. From there he and his companion Silas went south to Salonika (Thessalonica), found the Jewish synagogue and preached there. A thriving church of devout Greeks and some Jews was established, but they helped Paul to escape from his violent opponents. Within a couple of years he wrote from Corinth two concise letters to those new believers to clarify points arising from his teaching.

One of those themes was upon the expected return of the Lord Jesus Christ and Paul’s second letter clarified the brief reference made in the first, as follows.

Now, brethren, concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him, we ask you, 2 not to be soon shaken in mind or troubled, either by spirit or by word or by letter, as if from us, as though the day of Christ had come. 3 Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition, 4 who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God. [2 Thessalonians 2 NKJV per BibleGateway.com – Emphasis RB]

He proceeds at length to explain that the ‘mystery of lawlessness’ is already at work, but that someone who will be the very personification of evil will be revealed and come onto the world stage. Then the Lord will come from heaven and destroy him by the glory of His physical return to earth (2Thess 2:8)

Today – now – we’re well into that first stage, the ‘falling away’ from true faith in Jesus Christ, and which is also known as the ‘Great Apostasy’, as is so abundantly evident across the once-Christian Western world. (Eg. recent video clip on John Kilpatrick vision: ‘The United Apostates of America’.)  Paul proceeds,

The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders, 10 and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved.

This means that those who fall away from the fullness of faith as originally taught by the Apostles will become so unrighteous in God’s sight that they will be wide open to being deceived by Satan and his agents. They bring a distortion and twisting of the Gospel to accommodate people’s preferences and desires instead of obeying God’s commands.

It is clear this deception is the consequential result of not loving the truth, who is the very Word of God in the person of Jesus Christ, and thus not desiring Him and the salvation He bought them by dying in their stead on the cross.

The next verse is extremely ominous. Paul explains that, because their attitude remains deliberately ungodly, the Almighty is not only allowing them to be strongly deceived but is sending an irresistible delusion, the consequences of which will condemn them:

And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie, 12 that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.

By way of a careful caveat we need to note that a number of believers too readily quote verse 9 about some people through whom miracles, signs and wonders are displayed. As in my recent post on the accuser of the brethren attacking prophecies such self-appointed inquisitors claim all such demonstrations are deception. But upon reading and understanding the chapter in its entirety (as here) we find their claims to be rather judgemental.

Verse 12 gives the game away! Only those who despise the truth of the Gospel will be misled and suffer the consequences. Only a few years later Paul gave a full exposition on God’s wrath on unrighteousness in the early verses of his letter to the church in Rome – see Romans 1:18-32. (This too was written in Corinth, Greece.)

Conclusion

In my humble opinion this momentous economic crisis in the nation and continent which are the very roots of western civilisation is highly significant. It is not only a warning of economic but also of spiritual shaking.

Our leaders and fellow citizens who have chosen to rebel against the Holy One of Israel and His only begotten Son Jesus Christ, are now being warned of the consequences.

Soon there will no longer be any grace covering and blessing for reprobate, unrepentant hearts. Once they’re following the deceiver in his various guises, the Holy One Himself will let them stay deluded by their own lies and salvation will no longer be available!  A truly terrible personal place!

In all these musings it is significant, therefore, to re-discover the above quoted paper by Derek Prince. Equally amazing is the fact that as I was drafting both posts last week, a copy of his teaching letter Taking God Seriously was on its way in the post from his ministry!

This letter opens,

…If a person speaks to us, but we ignore — or even reject — much of what he says to us, we certainly are not taking him seriously. In fact, we are guilty of disrespect.

The same applies to God. If we ignore or reject much of what He says to us through the scriptures, we are not taking Him seriously. We are, in fact, treating Him with disrespect.

Yet this is how many Christians are relating to God. They treat His Word like a smorgasbord, picking out those portions that appeal to their taste and passing the others by.

Also, it concludes in the same vein as my preceding thesis by focussing upon the above verses 2 Thessalonians 2:9-10.

If we consider chapter two of the second letter to ‘Salonika’ in a reverse sequence, like reading an email thread, it helps me to gain a clear understanding of what the Lord is allowing and why – and then what will happen. I submit to you, this may bring a different focus from a usual reading and helps us to see things from the Lord’s perspective.

Undoubtedly, we’re now in ‘The Great Apostasy’ and Paul’s letter to the early church in Greece tells us what’s happening, what’s coming and why – and what the end will be!

May the Lord bless you and keep you…

NB: see Addendum of prophetic words brought in April 2010 relating to this subject.

Prophecies about the birth of Jesus Christ

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Prophetic Truths p1

Prophetic Truths p2

Thanks again to Acorn Christian Healing Foundation for including these prophecies in an excellent Advent Quiet Day led by Revd Elizabeth Knifton. They are offered for everyone’s edification. (Copyright unknown.)

May the Lord bless you with personal revelation of His Living Word.

What Jesus is saying to His Church…

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STOP PRESS: Am interrupting preparation of the next post because the scripture I visited this morning was confirmed and reinforced upon opening today’s word from Glasgow Prophetic Centre (emphases mine):

I WILL CLEANSE YOU AND FREE YOU

“I am calling my Bride to purity and holiness.

– You ask me, ‘What does this look like in my life, Lord?’

– It is choosing to set yourself apart and living like my Bride, keeping yourself pure and spotless until the day of my return. Do not live like the other people do. Do not partner with sexual perversion and lust. But keep yourself spotless by refraining from the activities that the world sees as a ‘personal right’ and ‘normal’.

“You are called to be different to set a new ‘tone’ and a new ‘norm’ which is unsullied and holy.  Pay attention to what you watch, look at, how you act and what your mind is focused on. Let me help you focus on things that are pure, untainted and blameless in my sight.

“Fix your gaze on me and I will enable you to walk free of all that has hindered you in this area. I will cleanse you and free you from all that entangles and snares you. Come to me.”

1 Peter 2:9-12 But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. Dear friends, I urge you, as foreigners and exiles, to abstain from sinful desires, which wage war against your soul. Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.
Leviticus 18:1-5;30 The Lord said to Moses, “Speak to the Israelites and say to them: ‘I am the Lord your God. You must not do as they do in Egypt, where you used to live, and you must not do as they do in the land of Canaan, where I am bringing you. Do not follow their practices. You must obey my laws and be careful to follow my decrees. I am the Lord your God. Keep my decrees and laws, for the person who obeys them will live by them. I am the Lord. Keep my requirements and do not follow any of the detestable customs that were practiced before you came and do not defile yourselves with them. I am the Lord your God.”.

What was I studying beforehand? – and why?

In observing the debate on Gillan’s blog about the Anglican church’s deliberations over same-sex marriage I’d noted hardly anyone bothers with what the Son of God , our Saviour Jesus the Messiah, has to say on the issue.

What Jesus would say to individuals and churches today must surely be the same as 2,000 years ago, would it not?  He is the same yesterday, today and forever (Heb 13:8)  After visiting seven of the earliest churches in Asia Minor Jesus dictated a message to each one.

Therefore, ALL believers (clergy and laity alike) should take note of every rebuke and commendation, each good and bad point in those reports, learn from them all and make sure they’re applied in church today. As statted therein, Jesus “hates” all doctrine and deeds of idolatry and sexual immorality (“the depths of Satan”) that He observed in the churches of Pergamos and Thyatira in particular. (Chapters 2 and 3, Revelation)

Therefore, my receipt of today’s highly encouraging Lion Bites reiterated and confirmed this issue.

Monday’s Lion Bites is also directly applicable and I would emphasise its associated scripture:

CLEANSING FIRE

“Are you willing to be baptised afresh today – to be purified by the intense holiness and cleansing fire of God? Father God longs to turn up the heat, to burn up the dross – the sin that so easily entangles – so that we can stand before Him with clean hands and a pure heart.

“Are you willing… so that we can stand before Almighty God as a pure and spotless bride, holy and set apart for Him, the King of all Kings and the Lord of all Lords?”

Matthew 3:11-12   I baptise with water those who repent of their sins and turn to God. But someone is coming soon who is greater than I am – so much greater that I’m not worthy even to be his slave and carry his sandals. He will baptise you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. He is ready to separate the chaff from the wheat with his winnowing fork. Then he will clean up the threshing area, gathering the wheat into his barn but burning the chaff with never-ending fire.

The rabbi’s note, the PM’s death and the angel’s word – part 1

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What do last month’s death of Ariel Sharon, previous Prime Minister of Israel – a sealed note on a revelation to that country’s leading rabbi, Yitzak Kaduri, that was kept for the first anniversary of his own death 8 years earlier – and Gabriel’s prophetic word to Jesus’ mother 2,000 years previously – all have in common?

A Matter of Timing

‘To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven: a time to be born and a time to die; a time to plant and a time to pluck what’s planted…’ (Ecclesiastes 3:1-2)

That wisdom would apply not only to the connections between the above three persons but also to today’s blog. Note I didn’t write, ‘to the three persons’ lives’. Of course it does relate to that but, I’d submit, it also applies to their prophetic common denominator!

[Aside: interesting to note the preceding verse 2:26 begins, God gives wisdom and knowledge and joy to a man who is good in His sight…]

Days before last Christmas I was struck by one of the main verses always featured in the festivities – something angel Gabriel said to young Mary, as blogged a few weeks ago (here). That post considers the prophetic and creative nature of his words brought direct from The Almighty. It closes by promising to explain the relevance of Gabriel’s prophecy of Jesus’ kingship to a vision received by rabbi Kaduri.  Prior to that continuation, I suggested readers may like to read a brief blog on Jewish expectation of a saviour, or messiah.

Good as the promise is and with first paragraphs already drafted, I didn’t get around to finishing it in view of other topical material and home priorities.

In fact, it seems the time just wasn’t right. The unintentional delay opened up a window of opportunity for a confirmation to come along that I was on the right track. It must have been the Lord’s doing – and it’s good to know I wasn’t off-beam or had gone off at a tangent!

Now, in writing about it, I believe He’s pointing me to relevant scriptures and bringing  further insights…bring it on Lord!  I trust you will bear with my building upon what started out as a brief flash of inspiration – it all hangs together.

[Am reminded this is Jewish year 5774 (The Open Door) and what I’ve described above is like entering that doorway and noticing what’s at hand, then looking all around when  past the threshold. Also, on checking this draft I hadn’t thought to write ‘flash’ but now recollect seeing several in the sky just before waking today. The last and brightest flash filled the whole sky and I thought it could be the lightning of Jesus’ return in glory.]

SO, back to what Gabriel said:

Gabriel’s Declaration

After reading out Luke 2 at a carol service I wanted to check the first chapter. There, part of what Gabriel said popped up off my Bible’s page and ‘hit me between the eyes’! And it buzzed in my brain for days, nay weeks, afterwards!

It was one of those ‘aha!’ moments when a scriptural insight strikes like a lightning bolt. Since childhood I’d heard of Jesus Christ as ‘King of the Jews’ many times. But this time a new understanding took me by surprise.  More was yet to come about that prophecy recounted in the first part “I am Gabriel, …”. But what set everything off was distinctly different to what I wrote about in there. To recap:

In speaking to Mary, Gabriel told her about conceiving a child and giving him a specific name. And he went on to state what Jesus would become, “He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end…”.

An Insight

Suddenly, I realised the phrase underlined above meant Jesus would become the king of all descendants of the ancient Israelites, and the Jews in particular. But far more than that – Jesus has always been King of the Jews.

It hit me hard that in The Almighty’s sight, the crucified saviour of all Jews and Gentiles has been ‘King of Jacob’s descendants’ ever since His life on earth.  Although not enthroned, proclaimed, recognised and reigning as such, none of that makes any difference as far as Yeshua Ha-Mashiach (Jesus the Christ) is concerned.

That is, He regards each and every Jew as one of His subjects and loves each of them – from His birth and throughout 2,000 years of rejection, and then to His return to reign and into the future ‘forever’…which is what I’m about to focus upon.

But the people’s leaders didn’t want to acknowledge that fact. They saw the northern rabbi from Galilee of the Gentiles as a dire threat because the populace had watched Him bring dead Lazarus out of his tomb alive, and thus believed in Him and may become followers.

In council with chief priests and Pharisees over how to prevent the Romans quelling the inevitable disturbance, high priest Caiaphas rebuked his fellows, “You know nothing at all, nor do you consider that it is expedient for us that one man should die for the people, and not that the whole nation should perish”.  A negative political stance, it was nevertheless a prophetical utterance. Jesus’ disciple John explains that peculiarity as, and making this the latest ‘whack on the forehead’.:

Now this he did not say on his own authority; but being high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus would die for the nation, and not for that nation only, but also that He would gather together in one the children of God who were scattered abroad. (Emphasis mine)

[Note: John was known to the high priest and recorded his above presumption about the Romans taking away their temple and nation. Caiaphas warned Pontius Pilate  against releasing Jesus and accused him of acting against Caesar. So, the continued reliance on the term ‘King’ by the Jews is key in the decision to crucify Him.  See John 11:45-57 and 18-19. Also, let’s not forget the magi came seeking Jesus as ‘King of the Jews’, which disturbed king Herod.]

Gospel accounts state Pilate was reluctant to order Jesus’ execution and then caved in to pressure from Caiaphas and the Sanhedrin, who all wanted Him dead. Thus, it’s easy to assume Pilate pacified them in order to avoid disturbances when Jerusalem was packed with pilgrims. However, the fact Herod Agrippa was the Judean monarch, as vassal of the emperor, indicates the Jews’ claim about Jesus, which Jesus did not deny, was similar to a charge of treason.

Therefore, Pilate had the reason for the death sentence affixed to the execution stake, or cross, namely ‘I.N.R.I’, which means ‘Jesus the Nazarene, King of the Jews’.

In so doing, Pilate unwittingly validated what the angel had declared in a message from the Throne of God. (The second he’d been assigned to deliver and declare with all the creative power of prophecy, as discussed in my earlier post.)

Regrettably, throughout its history the Church has been no better in its treatment of those who refused to recognise Jesus as their real Messiah. Until Emperor Constantine’s reign the Roman church financially supported churches in the Holy Land led by ‘desposyni’; that is, ‘The Lord’s blood-kindred’. However, this brotherly provision ceased after a dispute with Pope Sylvester. Under the new emperor the church in Rome became officially recognised and established with power across the empire.

Son of David

Although Gabriel hadn’t explicitly described Mary’s future child as ‘King of the Jews’, that’s what ‘the throne of his father David’ implies.  And reference to Jesus as reigning over ‘the house of Jacob’ means He would be not only king of the tribe of Judah but also of the other eleven tribes descended from Jacob.

David had ruled 1,000 years earlier and unified Judah and the other eleven tribes, or Israel. Collectively they were known as ‘Bene Ya’aqob’, Sons of Jacob, also as ‘Bene Yisrael’ from his new name after having wrestled like a soldier with the Lord, or an angel – Yisrael, or ‘Prince with God’. (See Genesis 32, interlinear)

As a nation-state once again exists in the ancient land God promised to descendants of Abraham then that title of kingship applies to modern Israel too! In other words, Jesus is that nation’s unrecognised and unseen King, but Who is destined to rule and reign in the flesh, as proclaimed by the ancient prophets and himself during His last Passover meal.

Furthermore, as John explains, Caiaphas’ prophecy refers not only to Jesus giving His life for the Jews but also for other people. Also that Jesus would gather together from all over the world, uniting all who believe in God the Father, no matter whether Jew or Gentile.

Is this stupendous prophetic plan of action being fulfilled in our lifetime?  That possibility will be considered in part 2…

Update 4 Dec 2014 – that second part remained unwritten but, as in the first section’s header, it was really a ‘matter of time’. What I intended writing has been overtaken by events, as reported on 26th November in Israel Today – see Arabs and Jews unite to agree only solution to Israel-Palestine issue.

Note on Christian prophecy and The Apocalypse

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Digging into the difference of opinion noted in the re-post from Joel Rosenberg unearthed an interesting find – one connecting into what I wrote ten weeks ago today about the origin of this blog. I’ll say more about that later.

Some readers may have queried my covering comment to Joel’s post; (it) “includes opinions of a Bible teacher who thinks its prophecies have happened“.  This merely reflects the actual content of The Blaze interviews.

As Hank Hanegraaff’s online radio show is called ‘Bible Answer Man’, my remark may seem to question that title. Those reading the linked article would note journalist Billy Holloway’s statement that Hanegraaff has “a wildly different take on the matter” to that of Rosenberg for he, “rejected the notion that Revelation and other alleged prophecies apply to today’s world”.

How come? Aren’t both men Christians? A little elucidation is called for…

Doubtless both men meet the basic criterion for a born-again believer, as in the Spirit-inspired instruction of the apostles Paul and John:

…9 if you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord”, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved. (Chapter 10 of Paul’s letter to the Romans; New International Version)

16 For God so loved the world (that’s you, my reader) that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.18 “He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. (Chpt 3 of the Gospel according to John; NIV)

So, to have faith in Christ it isn’t absolutely necessary to believe everything in the Bible. In fact, some believers disregard prophecy and scholars have various opinions upon this topic and when, if at all, predicted events will occur. Also, are such things to be taken figuratively?  The widest divergence in opinion is over the Bible’s closing book – ‘The Apocalypse’, or ‘Book of Revelation’. In the original Greek this Book opens as follows.:

‘Apocalupsis iEsou christou…’

‘The unveiling of Jesus Christ (anointed one)’, per the Greek Interlinear Bible, or as the New King James Version translates it:

The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show His servants—things which must shortly take place. And He sent and signified it by His angel to His servant John,  2 who bore witness to the word of God, and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, to all things that he saw. 3 Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written in it; for the time is near. (Revelation 1)

John is thought to have been the closest disciple of Jesus, and could thereby personally attest to Jesus’ awesome origin, as in the first of three short letters to believers:

That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, concerning the Word of life—2 the life was manifested, and we have seen, and bear witness, and declare to you that eternal life which was with the Father and was manifested to us…(1 John 1)

The Apocalypse opens by stating its purpose: an unveiling of God’s plans that He gave to Jesus Christ, for sharing through his surviving first disciple several decades after he witnessed Jesus’ resurrection from death. This account tells how John acquired this information. He became Jesus’ amanuensis in writing exactly what Jesus dictated as personal letters to seven churches in Asia as a result of His having visited them.

White Door in SkyNext, John was caught up to God’s Throne Room in heaven where he heard and saw visions about what was going to happen shortly and in the distant future when the Age will be drawn to a close with the bodily return of Jesus Christ to rule and reign upon earth. John had to be reminded to write it all down!

NB: It is the only Book in the Bible to open with a blessing for all who read it and ‘keep’, or observe, what’s written therein, and closes with a curse (of loss of inheritance in the Kingdom) for anyone who tampers with its text and changes its message. The Book of Revelation is primarily for believers, not unbelievers.

In Unlocking The Bible, David Pawson defines this genre of literature as follows:

Unlocking The Bible‘Apocalyptic’ is history written from God’s point of view.  It gives the total picture.  It enlarges our understanding of world events by seeing them in the light of what is above and beyond our limited perception.  This gives us both insight and foresight…far beyond that of the normal historian.

He also gives this snippet:

God is working out his plans and purposes within time…He is the Lord of History.  But it is his pattern, which can only be discerned when he has revealed the missing pieces of the jigsaw. (Emphasis added)

(Now where did we come across that notion before?  See Invisible Jigsaw.)

He points out that the first characteristic of the ‘apocalyptic’ genre is that it’s basically moral. Secondly, that it’s often symbolical so the unknown can be communicated in terms of what is familiar, as in analogy or parable, because it involves not only information but also imagination. 

Interpretation of The Revelation

Thus, this complex ‘end-times’ revelation can only be understood with God’s overall purpose for humanity in mind. So, it’s not surprising that scholars are divided over the Book’s meaning and predictions for the end of 1st Century and any later events it may forecast for the world and the Church.

There are four main ‘schools’ of exposition based upon interpretations of when these predictions would be fulfilled, as below:

  1. Preterist  – during the first centuries AD with the decline/fall of Roman Empire
  2. Historicist – all centuries between the First and Second Advent of Jesus Christ
  3. Futurist – end of final century AD (held by early Church and evangelicals today)
  4. Idealist – any century AD, none in particular (treats the Book as spiritual ‘myth’).

We can now appreciate Hank Hanegraaff’s ‘preterist’ position that Revelation refers only to John’s days 1900 years ago and the persecutions that took place. But he fails to take the whole account into consideration because its closing chapters clearly refer to things that have not happened yet. For example, unprecedented global catastrophes, return of millions of deceased Christians alongside Jesus to overthrow Satan and rule upon earth, Satan’s final rebellion with many nations and demise in the lake of fire, the arrival of the ‘holy city’ and ‘wedding of the Lamb’!

So how are we to understand The Apocalypse? David Pawson suggests using the four ‘schools’  in conjunction for each of the three main time periods, the present, the near future and the far future (not ignoring the switching between earth and heaven).  Yet,

..the fundamental question is not ‘when?’ but WHY?

Pawson’s answer:

Not just to tell us what is going to happen but to get us ready for what is going to happen…Revelation is a ‘manual for martyrdom’…which is why this book becomes so meaningful to Christians under persecution. Maybe this is also why Western Christians in comfortable churches fail to find it relevant.

Structure of The Revelation

 “Do not be afraid; I am the First and the Last.  18 I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. And I have the keys of Hades and of Death. 19 Write the things which you have seen, and the things which are, and the things which will take place after this.  (Rev 1:17-19 NKJV)

  • The Present:
  • chpt 1. Vision of the Son of Man, the one ascended Lord
  • chpt 2-3. Letters to seven churches (and for all churches)
  • chpt 4-5. Vision of heaven, the Lion of Judah and the Lamb
  • The Near Future:
  • chpt 6-11. Judgements, great tribulation, martyrs and two witnesses
  • chpt 12-16. Woman, child, dragon, beast 666, antichrist, false prophet
  • chpt 17-19. Fall of Babylon, Messianic judgement of Armageddon
  • THE RETURN OF ‘THE KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS’ 
  • The Far Future:
  • chpt 20. The Millennium, Satan rebels/defeated, Judgement, lake of fire
  • chpt 21. New heaven and new earth, the Bride, the New Jerusalem
  • chpt 22. River of Life from God’s throne, Tree of Life for healing the nations.

David Pawson explains that each future period has bad news and things get much worse, but the good news is that things will get very much better afterwards. Through it all Jesus encourages his people to ‘endure’ and ‘overcome’ until He returns.

First, Jesus tells the churches they must deal with internal problems if they are to face external pressures. Compromise in belief of behaviour, tolerance of idolatry or immorality, weaken the Church from within. (LESSON FOR TODAY!)

For the 2nd period He shows the worst that can happen but believers will not have to go through anything worse! “And the very worst time ahead will be at most a few years”.

Then, Jesus reveals the wonders that will follow in the 3rd period when all believers will be with Him.

Conclusion

On a personal note, what impresses me is the comparison of this closing book with the Bible’s first book, Genesis.  Revelation promises a full restoration not only for those who believe in God, to life with Him, but also and because of that for the earth too. The Tree of Life is a main feature in the garden of Eden, in the beginning, but through it Satan perverted Adam and Eve’s relationship with their fatherly Creator and so they lost and fell from their glory. In the end that usurper gets his just desserts, the saved return to living in the glory of God in the New Jerusalem and the Tree’s leaves bring healing to all people, as it is written.:

But I saw no temple in it, for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. 23 The city had no need of the sun or of the moon to shine in it, for the glory of God illuminated it. The Lamb is its light. 24 And the nations of those who are saved shall walk in its light, and the kings of the earth bring their glory and honour into it. 25 Its gates shall not be shut at all by day (there shall be no night there). 26 And they shall bring the glory and the honour of the nations into it. 27 But there shall by no means enter it anything that defiles, or causes an abomination or a lie, but only those who are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life. (Revelation 21 NKJV)

This short blog can never hope to do justice to the Book of Revelation. It is an awesome subject but you may wish to meditate upon it yourself along with suitable aids such as in the links below.

Acknowledgements – thank you to:

  • David Pawson, for Unlocking the Bible and books & audio series here and here.
  • Neil MacKereth, for several in-depth courses at Winchester Vineyard church using Chuck Missler’s and David Pawson’s extensive teachings.

PS – click to read about what happened after writing the above post!

Is the ‘Petrus Romanus’ prophecy of God? – continued

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John 17 records that, after praying for His first disciples, Jesus asked His Father,

“I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word;  that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me…”

It’s fitting for us to bear that prayer request in mind as we continue our conversation on the new Pope Francis and the alleged Malachy prophecies of the Popes.:

Fresh CoffeeAs we get a fresh Cuppa I introduce a friend who’d joined us at the start of our chat. Bill’s an itinerant preacher, teacher and author (of   Feasting on The Father). We met years ago at a weekend’s worship and fellowship in Portsmouth for those blessed by the Toronto Refreshing, or associated with the Toronto Airport fellowship. ln turn, I introduce Kenny,  who convened our chat, as well as a regular contributor to my blog, Tony from Tucson.

Bill and I have kept in touch and he admits to not being a great ‘end times’ follower. He tells us his priority is to,

“…follow the desire of my heart to go into all the world and disciple the nations. To see the church of which Jesus is the Head, grow in the reality of righteousness and holy, joyful separation from the spirit of this age and world. To see us become more blatantly passionate pursuers of King Jesus, passionate lovers and servants of one another and healers of a broken, fear-filled world. From this, I believe, will come the unfolding of the end times, however that unpacks.”

“Yes agreed,” I reply, “Along with many others I believe the worldwide Church is moving fully into doing the greater works Jesus indicated; and in our becoming ‘Sons of God’ at the same time persecutions intensify. We can’t be too literal and precise in dating end-times but simply watch for the signs, as Jesus said. [Luke 21:36]

“We both know many within the Roman church who are truly born-again, faithful lovers and followers of Jesus. Unlike a number of non-Catholics I’m not against Rome, the Papacy or its new …”

“My spirit,” interjects Bill, “Registers that despite all the man-made stuff, this beautiful, compassionate man is of God for this time, and I pray he grows in demonstrating the reality of the Gospel before the eyes of the world”.

“Amen!” we all say…

Kenny adds, “In your first mention of Pope Francis, Richard, you blogged about having read of this Roman Catholic prophecy in your ‘old life’. Tell us more!”

“Well I must admit,” I reply, “That and some other things have put me in a bit of a spot – an unusual one. And it could prove God wastes nothing in our lives, even our days as unbelievers. Everything gets redeemed. So here goes…

“In 1970s I read a book on the possibility of getting outside time. One chapter covered the Prophecies of the Popes, or visions that came to the Archbishop of Armagh, later canonised as St Malachy.  If it were an accurate prophecy, I guessed it would place the reign of the pope sitting at the end of his list as being about 60 years in the future. So, I probably wouldn’t be alive at that time. BUT the future has arrived – much sooner than anticipated. Hence, my personal interest. Also, my experience brings some insights for you.

“For those who’ve just brought their first Cuppa, let’s briefly…

“Recap…

“The whole thread of posts about the new Pope was triggered by a friend’s email which gave the 12th alert about God doing a new thing. I had a mental image of God putting a piece of an invisible jigsaw into place.  ‘Invisible Jigsaw’ was my blog’s original name!  But that didn’t happen ’cause I couldn’t find, or create, a suitable graphic design.

“Having been ‘redirected’ from what I’d intended writing, I had a distinct sense this ‘new thing’ may be related to the change in popes. Furthermore, I wondered how it might apply to St Malachy’s mottos. Then whilst writing, an insight suggested the Roman catholic church is to be returned to Jesus’ original purpose – back to the blueprint!  I had a sense, therefore, of a huge cycle but not returning to exactly what it was 1,980 years ago – more like a progressive spiral turn…

“So, what I was getting is radically different to anything sensationalist conspiracy or the  doomsday merchants presume the Malachy prophecies mean. After writing that blog, I was amazed to immediately come across an analysis that lent some credence to my notion…and more stuff came to open up a broader perspective…”

Bill leans forward, “Nevertheless, the first thing that struck me about Shane Schaetzel’s piece was the ‘error of isolation’. His emphasis on it being a catholic word for catholics alone flies in the face of us being one body, one people, one building, one bride…”

“Yes, that’s so, but maybe the fire in a Catholic in the Ozarks is that of a relatively new, fervent convert, as well as being brassed off with the sensationalist hype displayed in the video that opens his piece.  I didn’t bother watching it ’cause I wanted Shane’s own ideas and not be distracted.”

“I don’t want to cover Shane Schaetzel’s detailed examination of the prophecies in great depth, but here’s my ‘take’ on several points..:

Review

1. Shane is reasonably well-informed and tries to be objective. Some of his argument, however, is confused and biased by Roman Catholic exclusivity. He fails to understand non-Catholics’ interest in an ‘obscure’, ‘alleged’ and unverified prophecy. But in fairness, his claim of their inconsistency in rejecting the more legitimate aspects of Catholicism is quite reasonable.

2. I agree in his stressing context – ‘You simply can’t pluck out one particular prophecy, isolate it in a vacuum, and then come up with your own interpretation that has no connection to the overall narrative of all Catholic prophecies’.

There must be not only a witness in our own spirit of what is from Holy Spirit but also a confirmation, or thread, of similar from other prophets and fits the tenor of scripture. [For example, see review prophetic words on new move of God.]

3. To put the Malachy prophecies into proper context, therefore, Shane provides an example from 14th Century’s remarkable ‘Worthy Shepherd Prophecy’.

This speaks of an unexpected, major restoration for the papacy “by about twelve years after the millennium have passed”, and closes with reference to a renewal in faith and restoration of the Church. Shane also notes, “As coincidence would have it….They both coincide perfectly with the time period we have just entered”.

This priest displays unfamiliarity with God-incidence in a prophetical perspective! He does not grasp its importance and brushes it aside as simple ‘coincidence’.  ‘By the mouth of two or three witnesses the matter shall be established’ [Deut 19:15 NKJV] may also be applied to prophecy. This must have been in Paul’s mind when directing believers in prophesying, per 1 Cor 14:29-33.

4. After this consideration, Shane proceeds to discuss the attributes, character and work of ‘Peter The Roman’.  I’m especially interested in his perceiving a return of that church to its first purity, as surmised in my 4th point on Pope Francis – and which took me by surprise.  And this harmonises with prophecies about new, historical moves of God in Europe. [See prophecy #11 herein.]

5. I’ve commented on Shane’s blog about the Petrus Romanus prophecy’s reference to judgement, and he kindly replied. [Comments at the foot of his analysis refer.]

I disagree on two counts with his conclusion that an archbishop such as Malachy would have plainly stated the ‘dreadful judge’ is ‘Jesus Christ’, if that’s who he meant. First, the description ties in with and thus may allude to the scripture about all believers standing before the ‘bema’ judgement seat of Christ in 2 Cor 5:9-11, namely:

9 Therefore we make it our aim, whether present or absent, to be well pleasing to Him. 10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad. 11 Knowing, therefore, the terror of the Lord, we persuade men; but we are well known to God, and I also trust are well known in your consciences. (NKJV emphases added)

Secondly, the reference reminds me of the Orthodox concept of Christ Pantocrator, or almighty judge. The typically Roman concept of a Christian secular leader rescuing the church is inappropriate, as may be surmised from Europe’s current state. Furthermore, the Malachy motto is about persecution, which accords with OT prophet Daniel’s ‘little horn’ waging war against, not judging, the saints. [Daniel 7]

6. Shane draws to a close by taking issue with ‘Fundamentalists’ and mainline media’s translation of ‘persecutione extrema’ as ‘final persecution’. He claims they’re wrong to do so:

It’s supposed to be translated as “extreme persecution,” but for some reason people are mistranslating it as “final persecution,” which changes the entire meaning of the text, giving the reader the impression that Saint Malachy was talking about the end times, when the Church is supposed to go under the “final persecution” of the Antichrist.  But that isn’t what this text says!

He implies they’re using Malachy’s prophetic motto to support their own particular brand of Biblical prophecy. Let’s look at the text again, courtesy of Wikipedia:

In perſecutione extrema S.R.E. ſedebit – Petrus Romanus, qui paſcet oues in multis tribulationibus: quibus tranſactis ciuitas ſepticollis diruetur, & Iudex tremẽdus iudicabit populum ſuum. Finis. This translates as follows:

In the final persecution of the Holy Roman Church, there will sit – Peter the Roman, who will pasture his sheep in many tribulations, and when these things are finished, the city of seven hills [i.e. Rome] will be destroyed, and the dreadful judge will judge his people. The End.

Shane also provides a photocopy of this part of the original for scrutiny purposes, and to make his point.  [I note this copy’s omission of ‘er’ from ‘pfecutione’, and correct printing of letter ‘s’ in its regular, medieval typeface.]

Now here’s where I part company with Shane.  As a child I hated Latin – got it at church and in class at grammar school. But I can now appreciate it and show Shane’s ‘coup de grace’ translation is, at best, not iron-clad and, at worst, incorrect. He attempts to use Latin to demolish end-times proponents’ claims that the Malachy revelations fit in with their eschatological opinion.

However, Shane mistakenly confuses the meaning of Latin ‘extrema’ by translating it from English, instead of from Latin. That is, he states ‘extrema’ means ‘extreme’ and, thus, is not the same as ‘final’, as supposed by Protestant eschatologists.

Now, Online Etymological Dictionary defines ‘Extreme’ as early 15c, from Old French extreme (13c), from Latin extremus “outermost, utmost, farthest, last”.  Oxford English Dictionary also has the origin of ‘extreme’ in Middle English, via Old French from Latin extremus outermost, utmost. [My pocket-size Collins Gem Latin Dictionary has the very same definitions.]  Can’t these translations of ‘extrema’ (feminine ‘extremus’) of ‘utmost’ and ‘last’ also be taken as meaning ‘final’?  Shane Schaetzel thinks not!

Therefore, ‘final persecution’ is a correct translation of ‘persecutione extrema’.

This does not change the entire meaning of the text, as he thinks, but gives legitimacy to an ‘end-times’ description. That is, the St Malachy prophetic mottos may well refer to the closing days of this era in history. [See comments on Shane’s blog about this point.]

Conclusion

“In my opinion, Shane Schaetzel’s analysis is worth perusal by students of eschatology. There is a seventh aspect over which he makes much ado that I want to address – ie. Catholic prophecies. In view of my earlier connections, I’d like to offer an insight or two over a Cuppa sometime soon.

“It seems we’re reaching a conclusion that the ‘Petrus Romanus’ prophecy could be of God…How say you?

“Perhaps we could discuss the other indicators on a later date?”

Why I’m on the lookout

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Why? In short: I was told to watch – plus a spectacular event made it personal. Yet why do that? To answer this, and other questions, take a quick trip with me back in time.

Like scrolling page to page on pc, tablet or smartphone brings different images to your own virtual or cyber realm, use your mind’s eye to imagine yourself getting into a ‘time machine’. Are you sitting down? Then let’s go for a spin’…

Off Beyond The Med…

Set your watches (or digital calendars) back by -1,975 years. We head beyond the Eastern Mediterranean’s shore towards the Dead Sea’s deep valley well below sea level. A hill-top city quickly appears wherein we zoom into a large closed room. Here, we find ourselves in the midst of about 120 men and women – Jesus Christ’s original disciples.

We learn that Jesus had commissioned twelve of these men as apostles, or ‘ones sent forth’. He not only authorised but also empowered them to continue His teaching – with miracles – and to establish groups of believers. [See opening chapter of ‘The Acts of the Apostles’ in the Bible’s New Testament.]

Peter had been charged with leading these followers in spreading the ‘good news of Jesus Christ’; i.e. the kingdom of God’s love, as fully demonstrated by Jesus’ life and ministry to the ‘lost’. Their remarkable ‘rabbi’ had told them,

“…You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be My witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth”. (Acts 1:8 NIV).unt of Jesus’ public ministry.  This will be known as ‘The Gospel According To Mark’.  His account is the earliest of four to be recognised as authentic, inspired by God’s Holy Spirit and, thus, authoritative or canonical.

“But what’s all that to do with this blog?”, you may ask. Let me explain:

Mark, also known as ‘the interpreter of Peter’, wrote what Jesus had privately confided to his very first followers, James and John plus Peter and Andrew, about God’s plans for the near and far future. Jesus gave them the startling promise that He would return in the flesh to reign as ruler of God’s fully established kingdom!

To help you get a handle on this;

If those disciples were our contemporaries and Peter’s eye-witness account were to be published for the first time TODAY, then his story would cover events of less than 40 years ago – that is, since the Falklands War. Now, back to the point:

Jesus told both pairs of brothers that certain events would clearly indicate His return is imminent. Future followers would know, therefore, what to look out for just prior to the bodily return of Messiah (anointed redeemer) Yeshua onto the world stage.  This future event is known as The Second Advent; the First Advent being when Jesus was born in Bethlehem, in the Roman province of Judea (see map).

Hence, the four weeks preceding Christmas are designated within the western church calendar as Advent, from Latin ‘adventus’, meaning ‘arrival, approach’, also ‘coming’.  (Read here to learn about the personal relevance of both Advents.)  This year it began on Sunday 28 November 2011.

What’s That To Do With Us?

Apparently, for every prophecy in the Old Testament about Jesus’ birth and life during the Ancient Roman Empire, there are 7 to 8 times as many about His Second Advent – what’s more, it’s increasingly likely to occur in our lifetime!  (I’ll explain elsewhere why this is so.)  Jesus stressed the great importance of that future event. For example, in His instruction to the four who’d been with him from the beginning, as recorded at Mark 13:33-37:

“Take heed, watch and pray; for you do not know when the time is. It is like a man going to a far country, who left his house and gave authority to his servants, and to each his work, and commanded the doorkeeper to watch.

“Watch therefore, for you do not know when the master of the house is coming – in the evening, at midnight, at the crowing of the rooster, or in the morning – lest, coming suddenly, he finds you sleeping! And what I say to you, I say to all, ‘Watch!’.”

That’s why I’m on the lookout – and, believer or not, you’re included in the action!  So, if you don’t know Him yet, I trust that something you may read herein will enable you to recognise, and want to get to know personally, the author of your and my salvation, the Lord of Lords – Jesus Christ.  It’s all about Him!  I wonder, do you know Him yet?

If not, this stirring 3 minute video clip describes so well who Jesus is.:

Preacher Sam has a terrific way with words in describing where God came from.:

We may meet the Lord of Time later…but first, here’s his key to prophecy!

Not many people know this…

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This post, one of my first blogs in November 2011, later featured on the Home page to inform visitors of the acceleration of prophetic fulfillment, as may be inferred from the links to confirmatory events two years later:

As you may have gathered from my Welcome, I’m into eschatology – the theological study of the destiny and judgement of nations and all people, even angels!  You may know it as ‘The Last Days’ or, more popularly, as ‘End-Times’. The origin of this term is in the ancient Hebrew Torah’s description: Acharit Hayamin, ie. ‘Last of the Years’.

Let me take you for a very brief visit into one of my favourite classes where Dr Chuck Missler is asking his students, ‘Why Eschatology?‘

“It is very practical”, he answers himself and explains:

“Apparently, we’re being plunged into a period of time about which the Holy Bible says more than any other period – including the time when Jesus walked by the Sea of Galilee!

“Now that’s a preposterous statement – and I challenge you to challenge my statement! To do so you need to do two things:

1  Find out what the Bible itself says about this and – this is a bit harder,

2  Find out what’s really going on – but you won’t get that on the ten o’clock news!

“Fortunately, thanks to the internet, the alternative press and to talk-radio you can do some homework and find out what really is going on. The more you do those two things the more you’ll understand why many scholars are extremely excited about the horizon we’re moving into – because it all deals with the return of Christ to rule earth.

“It really is remarkable how controversial this topic is, but there are:

  • over 1800 references in the Old Testament to this event – 17 Old Testament books give prominence to the event.
  • over 300 references in the New Testament – 216 chapters in 23 of its 27 books give prominence to this primary issue: the return of Jesus to rule on earth.

“You may not believe what the Bible says, but what’s utterly astonishing is that so very many claim to believe in Jesus yet have no grasp of the idea Christ is to literally return and rule!”

I respect Chuck for frequently stressing that we shouldn’t take what he says as ‘Gospel’ but always do a ‘Berean check’ per Acts 17:11; that is, to search the scriptures to find out whether or not his ideas line up with them. Also, I admire his public apology for admitting that, having long taught about an anticipated Middle Eastern war from a certain scriptural stance, he’s gained a better understanding from other passages. So Chuck explained why he’d changed his mind.  For more information visit his website at Koinonia House.

What are we to do when mainstream news doesn’t help?  To find out, click here…

Footnote

The following posts are just a few examples among many of subsequent eschatalogical developments: