Hello everyone...sorry it has been so long since the last post, but things have been crazy lately...anyway, with all the financial news we have been bombarded with lately, all the hurricanes, fires and floods, the question begs to be asked is "Are these events related?" In the following article, I will let you read and decide for yourself:
The Perfect Prophetic Storm
Part 2
By Terry James...rapture Ready
The perfect prophetic storm is upon this last-time generation. To understand the darkly serious truth of America’s tinkering in the matter of forcing Israel to make human peace with its enemies, we must delve heavily into the relevant prophetic Scriptures. We begin by seeing the peace arrangement prophesied by the prophet Daniel:
“And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined. And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate” (Dan. 9: 26-27).
The great prophet Isaiah foretold the ramifications upon Israel and by extension the entire world: “Wherefore hear the word of the LORD, ye scornful men, that rule this people which is in Jerusalem. Because ye have said, We have made a covenant with death, and with hell are we at agreement; when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, it shall not come unto us: for we have made lies our refuge, and under falsehood have we hid ourselves: Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD, Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner stone, a sure foundation: he that believeth shall not make haste. Judgment also will I lay to the line, and righteousness to the plummet: and the hail shall sweep away the refuge of lies, and the waters shall overflow the hiding place. And your covenant with death shall be disannulled, and your agreement with hell shall not stand; when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, then ye shall be trodden down by it” (Isa. 28:14-18).
Jesus himself prophesied Israel’s great trouble, which was previously given by Jeremiah the prophet as recorded in Jeremiah 30: 7. Jesus forewarned the following:
“When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:) Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains: Let him which is on the housetop not come down to take any thing out of his house: Neither let him which is in the field return back to take his clothes. And woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days! But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the sabbath day: For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be” (Matt. 24: 15-21).
Jesus foretells that there is coming the worst time in human history, and that time will be during the seven years immediately preceding His second advent –when He literally returns to the planet to put an end to Armageddon, then set up His millennial throne atop Zion at Jerusalem. Keep in mind that this time is after the holocaust of the Nazi regime and Adolf Hitler. The “prince that shall come” –Antichrist—will perpetrate horrors upon the Jews far worse than the Fuehrer perpetrated!
The question is this: Seeing as how the Lord of heaven always gave warning before pending judgments of the past, is it not logical that He would give even more pronounced warning in the times leading up to the era of His wrath and judgment, which Jesus, who is God himself, said will be the worst time of all human history? And, this brings us to the subject of this essay, “the perfect prophetic storm.”
To repeat the earlier assessment of what is going on in the world today –the strange, volatile times in which we of this generation find ourselves: It seems another perfect storm is coalescing while America’s interference in God’s plan for Israel is taking place. It is a storm that is part geophysical, part socioeconomic, and, to those of us who view Bible prophecy as literal, totally spiritual in the many fronts pulsing from its center.
Nature on the rampage over the past several years coincides closely with America’s and the Quartet’s (U.S., E.U., U.N., and Russia) attempts to force the making of a Palestinian nation upon land that is Israel’s by divine right. The geophysical upheavals have been on the increase in intensity, while America gets more deeply involved in formulating a peace agreement between Israel and her neighbors.
The "Roadmap to Peace" has metamorphosed into a process that now demands that Israel give up not only land she has won with each succeeding attack from her enemies, but that Israel divide Jerusalem, allowing the new Palestinian state, when instituted, to make eastern Jerusalem its capital.
As I’ve written before, the action is the same as poking the Almighty in the apple of His omnipotent eye,. The action will not stand. I believe we are seeing not God’s judgment and wrath at this point, but His solemn warning of things to come. The perfect storm is thus brewing. It has been doing so for several years.
Hurricane Katrina boiled to the surface on August 23, 2005, just off the Horn of Africa, became a 175 mph hurricane on August 28 in the Gulf of Mexico, and slammed into New Orleans and coastlines surrounding that city. The storm claimed a total of 1,836 confirmed dead, with 705 missing. It was the most costly hurricane to date at $8.96 billion.
At the time it was announced that Jerusalem was on the table for division, thus to allow the Palestinians to build a capital there, California’s northern coast exploded in fires from more than 1,000 lightning strikes, an unheard of occurrence in that area of the state. The fires raged south and westward, requiring billions of dollars to attempt containment.
Floods gushed through America’s heartland at the same time, claiming lives and huge portions of land, much of the prime farmland made useless by the flooding. The plains, Mississippi Valley, and much of the Ohio Valley and other areas of middle America suffered with tornado outbreaks that puts the year 2008 on track to be a record year for twisters. Hurricane Gustav, followed on its heels by Hurricane Ike, brought further devastation, affecting petroleum supplies and uprooting people by the thousands. The southeast United States suffered by droughts, in some regions several years long.
While the American secretary of state continues to travel to Israel and other places, twisting the arms of Israeli leadership to divide Jerusalem, and otherwise give land for peace, the perfect prophetic storm continues to coalesce in matters involving the national and, by extension, the global economic markets.
Corporate giants once thought invincible against the blasts of deadly economic storms are in the headlines today. Todd Strandberg correctly assessed the extreme measures being taken to try to prevent the financial part of the perfect prophetic storm’s effects from wreaking total economic collapse.
Todd wrote:
“September 2008 will easily go down as the darkest month in U.S. financial history. We have never seen so many large financial institutions falter in such a short period of time: 1. Mortgage finance companies Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac were taken over by the U.S. government.
2. Lehman Brothers Holdings succumbed to the subprime mortgage crisis. It is the biggest bankruptcy filing in history.
3. Merrill Lynch was saved from bankruptcy by a shot-gun merger with Bank of America.
4. The world’s largest Insurer American International Group was saved from certain collapse by a $85 billion federal loan…” (Todd Strandberg, raptureready.com, Nearing Midnight, Monday Sept. 22, 2008).
The perfect prophetic storm rages as likely precursor to the truly cataclysmic tempests that will come upon a wicked, rebellious world ripe for judgment. Jesus Christ is the only shelter to be found from that coming time of unprecedented turbulence upon Planet Earth.
The Lord promised those who accept His offer of salvation to be removed from that horrendous time (Revelation 3:10). He said the following: “Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also” (Jn. 14:1-3).
--Terry
Monday, September 29, 2008
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
The Church Against the Rapture
Good Morning...as a Southern Baptist Evangelical Preacher, I hold to a Pre-millenial, Pre-Tribulation Viewpoint of Scripture. Many in our world today have such disdain for the Word of God, that this view is very often ridiculed...the following article from the Rapture Alert webiste is very informative as to why:
The Church Against The Rapture
Featured Article by Jack Kelley
When the Christian community gets united behind something we're a force to be reckoned with. The 2004 Presidential election was a good example. Many of those 35 million extra votes George Bush got were from Evangelical Christians. Sadly, things like that don't happen very often anymore. Even 9/11 didn't produce any long term change toward unifying the Body. But try to imagine this if you can. Imagine how different this country would be today if all Christians held a Christian world view, were convinced that the Lord was coming back for us very soon, and were living their lives accordingly. Can you even begin to see the difference we'd be making? It would be amazing. America would be compared to the Israel of Solomon's day.
To prevent the tremendous effect we would have for good, the enemy has implemented a divide and conquer strategy. He knows that as long as he can keep the Body of Christ fractured he can keep us weak. Over the years, he's mounted a number of campaigns to implement this strategy. Gifts vs. no gifts, the inerrancy issue, and the proper method of interpretation come to mind. But one of his most successful efforts has been to take advantage of the fact that for His own reasons, God has chosen to keep the Rapture's timing a secret.
The clues He's given us point to our departure happening prior to the beginning of Daniel's 70th Week. But right from the beginning Satan influenced Church leaders to conclude that denying the pre-trib pre millennial view would keep us focused on the things of this world instead of always looking up, waiting for the Lord. So even though Paul very clearly taught a pre-trib rapture of the Church, and John revealed a 1000 year Kingdom to follow it, alternate views have sprung up almost continuously since then.
Take Your Pick
Amillennialism came along in the early 400's to teach believers not to expect any literal Kingdom, ever. It told believers that the 2nd Coming took place when Jesus came into their hearts, that the Church Age is the Millennium and that end times prophecy is not meant to be taken literally. This removed a major obstacle to having Christianity recognized by Rome.
Post millenialism taught that the 2nd Coming would take place after the 1000 year millennium which is really a golden age of Christian prosperity and dominance in the world. The prosperity gospel and Dominion theology are offshoots of post-millennialism.
The Post Tribulation Rapture view denied the doctrine of imminence by placing the Rapture after the Tribulation. Look for the anti-Christ, it says, not the Christ. Mid-Trib (aka Pre-Wrath) is a compromise between the pre and post trib views that denies imminence as well. Replacement Theology was to deny that the re-birth of Israel is an end times sign. Preterism denies all future prophetic events. Kingdom Now, or Dominionism, contends that the Lord can't come back until we've done our part by converting the world. As a result of Dominionism, millions of believers have been looking all their lives for a great revival that's never coming, instead of looking for the Lord who is.
The combined effect of all this is that most believers have been lulled to sleep with no clue as to how close we are to the End of the Age. While prophecies that Christians have been anticipating for nearly 2000 years are being fulfilled right before their eyes, they're more concerned about the long term mortgages on their homes and the interest free financing on their cars. Having sufficient retirement income far outweighs stockpiling treasure in heaven on their list of priorities. Their endless quest for bigger and better toys distracts them from the boredom of lives that have been rendered meaningless, without purpose. False teaching about the End Times has left them ignorant of the closeness of the Lord's return and complacent about their faith. It has stolen their joy, quenched their spirit, and made them no better off spiritually than the unbelievers who surround us. They sometimes get fired up on Sunday, but by mid-week you'd never know it happened.
Here's what that means. According to recent surveys in the USA, less than 10% of born-again believers have a Christian world view. That means over 90% of us have been seduced into a pursuit of the same materialistic goals as our unbelieving neighbors. Over 40% have never given the first dime to the Lord's work. Even more have never shared the Gospel with anyone. Some studies show that the abortion rate among Christians is the same as for unbelievers, as is the divorce rate, and two out of three of our children will stop going to church the minute they have a choice.
I lay most of the blame for this at the feet of so-called theologians who've let themselves be influenced by Satan while charged with the responsibility of teaching the Word of God. Remember, Paul's words to the Corinthians:
For such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen, masquerading as apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. It is not surprising, then, if his servants masquerade as servants of righteousness. (2 Cor. 11:13-15)
Knowingly or not, these people have bought into Satan's lies and have taught those entrusted to them that God's word isn't true.
The Greatest Generation
What the secular media calls America's greatest generation, those who fought and won WW2, is also the generation that sat in the pews of the great denominational churches of the 40's and 50's. There they were taught that God didn't create the Heavens and the Earth in 6 days and Moses didn't write the Torah. Daniel didn't write Daniel, Isaiah didn't write Isaiah, Jesus didn't feed 5000 or walk on water, and on and on. To make God small enough to fit in their minds the denominational theologians made Him too small to meet our needs. Amillennialism became their eschatology of choice because with a God that small it was easy to believe that nothing was ever going to happen. He isn't really going to return, they say, and even if he does it certainly won't be now. Some were actually saying that he had died. Because of their teaching, millions of Christians are asleep at the switch during the most important and exciting time in the history of man.
It's not because prophecy has ever failed, it's because like the Sadducees before them, the theologians stopped believing it and so the teachers stopped teaching it. Jesus addressed this in his letter to the Church at Sardis, a model of the mainline denominations. Remember, therefore, what you have received and heard; obey it, and repent. But if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what time I will come to you. (Rev. 3:3) The Sadducees missed the chance to be on the Lord's team at the time of the first coming because they stopped believing the prophecies. Liberal theologians and their students are missing the 2nd one for the same reason.
Now another great attack against End Times prophecy has come in the name of the Emerging Church. Leaders of this movement don't teach the Bible much at all because their success is based on saying nothing that could offend the people in their pews. Consequently there's no talk of being born again or getting ready for the Lord's return. They talk of being followers of the Lord not just believers in Him, but in truth there's very little discussion of what either means. Their pews and their bank accounts are full, and their members are kept busy with projects that often do a lot of Earthly good but aren't designed to bring any one any closer to the Kingdom. The study of prophecy is viewed as non productive and a distraction from their goals, one of which is to strive for a 50/50 split in their membership between believers and non-believers. The reason for this is that the non-believers can help to form a consensus that will draw the believers away from the moral and spiritual absolutes of traditional Christianity. As with the revival seeking Charismatics there is a thread of dominionism running through the emerging Church's doctrine. It helps keep them focused on the things of this world.
Which One Are You?
So the liberals are amillennial and couldn't tell a rapture from a rupture. Pentecostal, charismatic, and emerging congregations are often dominionists, although for different reasons. Catholics and some conservative protestants are post-trib. Almost all have been tainted by replacement theology, and hardly any study prophecy. That leaves the evangelicals and even among us there's growing disagreement.
It's popular to just smile and say of the protestant church, "On the essentials of salvation we all agree, but in the non-essentials there's room for lots of different opinions." Baloney. The Bible is not a document written to provide a debating society with lots of different positions. It's the Word of God and it's not subject to man's opinion. Though we may not like it all, we don't have the right to re-interpret it to suit our desires.
But while we sit around arguing about what it says, the world is falling apart and the time is getting short. The Lord's coming back and 90% of the Church is distracted by the world and doesn't have a clue it's about to happen.
God said, "I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come. I say: My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please ... what I have said, that will I bring about; what I have planned, that will I do." (Isaiah 46:10-11) It's not that He's stopped performing on this promise, it's just that most of the Church has stopped believing it and no longer expects it.
Of the 5 crowns believers can win as rewards for the way they live, one will be given to those who long for His appearing. (2 Tim. 4:8) It has always fascinated me that it's called the Crown of Righteousness. Most folks would think that one would go to those who led exemplary lives. Not so. Our righteousness is imputed to us by faith. Longing for His return is a sign of faith in His promise that He will. (John 14:1-3) I wonder how many of those they'll be handing out. My Thoughts 09-13-08
The Church Against The Rapture
Featured Article by Jack Kelley
When the Christian community gets united behind something we're a force to be reckoned with. The 2004 Presidential election was a good example. Many of those 35 million extra votes George Bush got were from Evangelical Christians. Sadly, things like that don't happen very often anymore. Even 9/11 didn't produce any long term change toward unifying the Body. But try to imagine this if you can. Imagine how different this country would be today if all Christians held a Christian world view, were convinced that the Lord was coming back for us very soon, and were living their lives accordingly. Can you even begin to see the difference we'd be making? It would be amazing. America would be compared to the Israel of Solomon's day.
To prevent the tremendous effect we would have for good, the enemy has implemented a divide and conquer strategy. He knows that as long as he can keep the Body of Christ fractured he can keep us weak. Over the years, he's mounted a number of campaigns to implement this strategy. Gifts vs. no gifts, the inerrancy issue, and the proper method of interpretation come to mind. But one of his most successful efforts has been to take advantage of the fact that for His own reasons, God has chosen to keep the Rapture's timing a secret.
The clues He's given us point to our departure happening prior to the beginning of Daniel's 70th Week. But right from the beginning Satan influenced Church leaders to conclude that denying the pre-trib pre millennial view would keep us focused on the things of this world instead of always looking up, waiting for the Lord. So even though Paul very clearly taught a pre-trib rapture of the Church, and John revealed a 1000 year Kingdom to follow it, alternate views have sprung up almost continuously since then.
Take Your Pick
Amillennialism came along in the early 400's to teach believers not to expect any literal Kingdom, ever. It told believers that the 2nd Coming took place when Jesus came into their hearts, that the Church Age is the Millennium and that end times prophecy is not meant to be taken literally. This removed a major obstacle to having Christianity recognized by Rome.
Post millenialism taught that the 2nd Coming would take place after the 1000 year millennium which is really a golden age of Christian prosperity and dominance in the world. The prosperity gospel and Dominion theology are offshoots of post-millennialism.
The Post Tribulation Rapture view denied the doctrine of imminence by placing the Rapture after the Tribulation. Look for the anti-Christ, it says, not the Christ. Mid-Trib (aka Pre-Wrath) is a compromise between the pre and post trib views that denies imminence as well. Replacement Theology was to deny that the re-birth of Israel is an end times sign. Preterism denies all future prophetic events. Kingdom Now, or Dominionism, contends that the Lord can't come back until we've done our part by converting the world. As a result of Dominionism, millions of believers have been looking all their lives for a great revival that's never coming, instead of looking for the Lord who is.
The combined effect of all this is that most believers have been lulled to sleep with no clue as to how close we are to the End of the Age. While prophecies that Christians have been anticipating for nearly 2000 years are being fulfilled right before their eyes, they're more concerned about the long term mortgages on their homes and the interest free financing on their cars. Having sufficient retirement income far outweighs stockpiling treasure in heaven on their list of priorities. Their endless quest for bigger and better toys distracts them from the boredom of lives that have been rendered meaningless, without purpose. False teaching about the End Times has left them ignorant of the closeness of the Lord's return and complacent about their faith. It has stolen their joy, quenched their spirit, and made them no better off spiritually than the unbelievers who surround us. They sometimes get fired up on Sunday, but by mid-week you'd never know it happened.
Here's what that means. According to recent surveys in the USA, less than 10% of born-again believers have a Christian world view. That means over 90% of us have been seduced into a pursuit of the same materialistic goals as our unbelieving neighbors. Over 40% have never given the first dime to the Lord's work. Even more have never shared the Gospel with anyone. Some studies show that the abortion rate among Christians is the same as for unbelievers, as is the divorce rate, and two out of three of our children will stop going to church the minute they have a choice.
I lay most of the blame for this at the feet of so-called theologians who've let themselves be influenced by Satan while charged with the responsibility of teaching the Word of God. Remember, Paul's words to the Corinthians:
For such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen, masquerading as apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. It is not surprising, then, if his servants masquerade as servants of righteousness. (2 Cor. 11:13-15)
Knowingly or not, these people have bought into Satan's lies and have taught those entrusted to them that God's word isn't true.
The Greatest Generation
What the secular media calls America's greatest generation, those who fought and won WW2, is also the generation that sat in the pews of the great denominational churches of the 40's and 50's. There they were taught that God didn't create the Heavens and the Earth in 6 days and Moses didn't write the Torah. Daniel didn't write Daniel, Isaiah didn't write Isaiah, Jesus didn't feed 5000 or walk on water, and on and on. To make God small enough to fit in their minds the denominational theologians made Him too small to meet our needs. Amillennialism became their eschatology of choice because with a God that small it was easy to believe that nothing was ever going to happen. He isn't really going to return, they say, and even if he does it certainly won't be now. Some were actually saying that he had died. Because of their teaching, millions of Christians are asleep at the switch during the most important and exciting time in the history of man.
It's not because prophecy has ever failed, it's because like the Sadducees before them, the theologians stopped believing it and so the teachers stopped teaching it. Jesus addressed this in his letter to the Church at Sardis, a model of the mainline denominations. Remember, therefore, what you have received and heard; obey it, and repent. But if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what time I will come to you. (Rev. 3:3) The Sadducees missed the chance to be on the Lord's team at the time of the first coming because they stopped believing the prophecies. Liberal theologians and their students are missing the 2nd one for the same reason.
Now another great attack against End Times prophecy has come in the name of the Emerging Church. Leaders of this movement don't teach the Bible much at all because their success is based on saying nothing that could offend the people in their pews. Consequently there's no talk of being born again or getting ready for the Lord's return. They talk of being followers of the Lord not just believers in Him, but in truth there's very little discussion of what either means. Their pews and their bank accounts are full, and their members are kept busy with projects that often do a lot of Earthly good but aren't designed to bring any one any closer to the Kingdom. The study of prophecy is viewed as non productive and a distraction from their goals, one of which is to strive for a 50/50 split in their membership between believers and non-believers. The reason for this is that the non-believers can help to form a consensus that will draw the believers away from the moral and spiritual absolutes of traditional Christianity. As with the revival seeking Charismatics there is a thread of dominionism running through the emerging Church's doctrine. It helps keep them focused on the things of this world.
Which One Are You?
So the liberals are amillennial and couldn't tell a rapture from a rupture. Pentecostal, charismatic, and emerging congregations are often dominionists, although for different reasons. Catholics and some conservative protestants are post-trib. Almost all have been tainted by replacement theology, and hardly any study prophecy. That leaves the evangelicals and even among us there's growing disagreement.
It's popular to just smile and say of the protestant church, "On the essentials of salvation we all agree, but in the non-essentials there's room for lots of different opinions." Baloney. The Bible is not a document written to provide a debating society with lots of different positions. It's the Word of God and it's not subject to man's opinion. Though we may not like it all, we don't have the right to re-interpret it to suit our desires.
But while we sit around arguing about what it says, the world is falling apart and the time is getting short. The Lord's coming back and 90% of the Church is distracted by the world and doesn't have a clue it's about to happen.
God said, "I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come. I say: My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please ... what I have said, that will I bring about; what I have planned, that will I do." (Isaiah 46:10-11) It's not that He's stopped performing on this promise, it's just that most of the Church has stopped believing it and no longer expects it.
Of the 5 crowns believers can win as rewards for the way they live, one will be given to those who long for His appearing. (2 Tim. 4:8) It has always fascinated me that it's called the Crown of Righteousness. Most folks would think that one would go to those who led exemplary lives. Not so. Our righteousness is imputed to us by faith. Longing for His return is a sign of faith in His promise that He will. (John 14:1-3) I wonder how many of those they'll be handing out. My Thoughts 09-13-08
Friday, September 12, 2008
Jesus is Coming SOON!
Good afternoon...The Lord Jesus Christ is coming soon! The Bible teaches that Jesus could come at anytime and that there are no further "signs" to occur...on of the end times signs that occured in 1948 was the nation of Israel forming in one day...and it occured just as prophecy, as the book of Ezekiel records, said that it would...that God would call his people back to His land of promise...how many Jews will be called back? Who knows the exact number but there are 5.5 million Jews living in Israel now and at this point there are more Jews living in Israel now than anywhere else in the world, including the United States...But the big news is this: There are fewer and fewer Jews imigrating to Israel today than ever since 1948. Could it be that Jesus is on the door step? Read the following article and see if you can hear the hoof beats of the apocolypse!
Is the era of mass immigration to Israel over?
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080906/ap_on_re_mi_ea/israel_dwindling_immigration;_ylt=ApSdk6m8qrwb9LuqkXRWE64LewgF
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Melissa Schwab is no Zionist zealot. She's not an Orthodox Jew seeking to be nearer to God. She didn't flee anti-Semitism.
So why move nearly 9,000 miles from her home in Hawaii and settle in life-on-the-edge Israel? Because, she says, she likes a lifestyle that is "secular and normal" while offering something "a bit more meaningful."
The 26-year-old American student's decision to make "aliyah" — the Hebrew term for "going up" — makes her part of the Jewish state's vast immigration enterprise, the bedrock of its very existence. But the influx that brought together more than 3 million Jews from more than 100 countries following Israel's creation in 1948 has dwindled to a trickle.
The last great immigration wave — Ethiopian Christians of Jewish ancestry who convert back to Judaism for resettlement in Israel — has just ended, and with it an iconic chapter in Israeli history.
The persecuted and the poor of world Jewry are for the most part already here. So most future immigrants will be people like Schwab, making a private, individual choice.
Israel's appeal to the Jewish Diaspora used to be as a small feisty nation fighting for its survival, or as a socialist alternative to the capitalist rat race. There were kibbutzim to farm and deserts to make bloom.
But today the Jewish state is in many ways a normal industrialized democracy. Its immigrants today are as likely to be job-hunting non-Jews from Africa and Asia, many of them here illegally, as Zionists in search of spiritual fulfillment.
Diaspora Jews are also less likely to leave everything behind for Israel. It's much easier today to be a dual national, living part-time in both worlds. Meanwhile, Israelis have also become frequent fliers. The tech-savvy nouveaux-riches of Tel Aviv joke that a visit to New York is more common than a 40-mile pilgrimage to Jerusalem.
Schwab arrived a year ago from Maui, where she practiced Judaism in an informal "Aloha-style kind of way." She is fluent in Hebrew and studies at an Israeli university. Her boyfriend is a "Sabra" — a native-born Israeli. She lives in Tel Aviv, which next year celebrates its centennial as the world's first purpose-built Jewish city.
She's part of an old ideal, "the ingathering of the exiles" — the raison d'etre of the Zionist movement from its beginnings more than a century ago.
Even before Israel became a state, the Jewish population grew to 600,000 in five great waves of immigration as European Jews beset by pogroms and then the Holocaust realized an age-old Jewish dream of returning to Zion after 2,000 years in exile.
More than 3 million more have followed, and Israel's Jewish population now stands at 5.5 million, plus 1.4 million Arab citizens. Of the world's population of just over 13 million Jews, Israel's is the biggest portion, having surpassed America's in 2006.
"There is no place in the world where the number of immigrants is five times the number of the people who were there. It is unprecedented," said Sergio DellaPergola, a prominent demographer at the Jewish People Policy Planning Institute, a Jerusalem think tank.
The 1950s, according to the Jewish Agency which handles immigration, saw the arrival of 765,000 Jews from North Africa and the Middle East, driven out by the Arab backlash that followed Israel's creation. Next came tens of thousands from the European communist bloc, and then another million from the collapsing Soviet Union.
Starting in the early 1980s, Israel clandestinely airlifted 80,000 members of Ethiopia's ancient Jewish community, nearly 15,000 of them in just two days in 1991.
Today, with no immediate threat to world Jewry, and with the most endangered communities already in Israel, such drama is a thing of the past.
Jews in America and other prosperous Western countries have no pressing motivation to leave everything for Israel, a country founded to provide a safe haven for Jews but which has become one of the most dangerous places for a Jew to live, because of war and terrorism.
Indeed, while the U.S. Jewish community is one of Israel's most important backers, only 120,000 American Jews have immigrated here.
"I am going to destroy a myth here," said Ori Konforti, the Ethiopia envoy for the quasi-governmental Jewish Agency. "Waves of immigration have never been because of the pulling power of Israel but rather because of the pushing power of where those people came from."
Most Jews in poor countries have already left, and for the first time, Israel is nearing zero growth from immigration, with the number of those leaving closing in on the number of those coming, DellaPergola said.
"We have brought all the needy and the situation of the rest of the Jews is pretty well off," he said. "There is not a lot of distress in the Diaspora today so the question is what kind of quality of life Israel can offer these people."
For Israelis, "aliyah," is a revered term symbolizing the hope of a persecuted nation returning to its ancient homeland. Conversely, leaving the country is known as "yeridah," meaning "going down."
But these distinctions have lost their emotional charge. Israelis who leave to further their education or to earn more money are no longer pariahs.
The end of mass immigration comes as Israelis have lost some of their self-confidence, bogged down in their 41-year occupation of the Palestinian territories, perceiving their country to be under weak, corrupt leadership, nostalgic for the frugal socialist era.
But Israel isn't giving up. Ingrained in Israelis' consciousness is the conviction that their country is the world's only guaranteed escape hatch for Jews in peril. They are steeped in the memory of boatloads of Jews fleeing the Nazis, only to be turned away at every port and ending up in gas chambers.
Since France suffered a wave of anti-Semitic violence a few years ago, widely attributed to rising passions over Israeli-Palestinian fighting, Israeli real estate agents have reported a sharp increase in house-buying by French Jews.
Last month, when war broke out in the Caucasus, some 40 Georgian Jews fled to Israel, and another 120 have applied to immigrate, according to the Jewish Agency.
So while it may no longer dream of mass immigration, Israel feels an imperative to keep in touch with the Diaspora.
Birthright Israel offers a free trip to Israel for young Diaspora Jews who have never been here. Another nonprofit, Nefesh B'Nefesh, offers economic incentives and helps immigrants navigate Israel's notorious bureaucracy.
Birthright estimates that some 8 percent of its participants return to Israel within two years, and 5 percent eventually immigrate.
Schwab came with Nefesh B'Nefesh, sensed an idealism she needed in her life, and decided to make it permanent.
"Israel is a lot like the U.S. but there is something a bit more meaningful," Schwab said. "There is a kind of mission for some higher ideal."
Due in part to such projects, immigration from North America has picked up in recent years, with 3,200 arriving in 2006 — a tiny number by past standards, but the highest in 23 years.
Natan Sharansky, the Soviet Jewish dissident who spent more than a decade in prison, immigrated to Israel and become a Cabinet minister, said people like Schwab are proof that Israel's ideology is still alive and well.
"These people decided that Israel is a place that they want to live their life," he said. "That is a victory of Zionism."
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Is the era of mass immigration to Israel over?
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080906/ap_on_re_mi_ea/israel_dwindling_immigration;_ylt=ApSdk6m8qrwb9LuqkXRWE64LewgF
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Melissa Schwab is no Zionist zealot. She's not an Orthodox Jew seeking to be nearer to God. She didn't flee anti-Semitism.
So why move nearly 9,000 miles from her home in Hawaii and settle in life-on-the-edge Israel? Because, she says, she likes a lifestyle that is "secular and normal" while offering something "a bit more meaningful."
The 26-year-old American student's decision to make "aliyah" — the Hebrew term for "going up" — makes her part of the Jewish state's vast immigration enterprise, the bedrock of its very existence. But the influx that brought together more than 3 million Jews from more than 100 countries following Israel's creation in 1948 has dwindled to a trickle.
The last great immigration wave — Ethiopian Christians of Jewish ancestry who convert back to Judaism for resettlement in Israel — has just ended, and with it an iconic chapter in Israeli history.
The persecuted and the poor of world Jewry are for the most part already here. So most future immigrants will be people like Schwab, making a private, individual choice.
Israel's appeal to the Jewish Diaspora used to be as a small feisty nation fighting for its survival, or as a socialist alternative to the capitalist rat race. There were kibbutzim to farm and deserts to make bloom.
But today the Jewish state is in many ways a normal industrialized democracy. Its immigrants today are as likely to be job-hunting non-Jews from Africa and Asia, many of them here illegally, as Zionists in search of spiritual fulfillment.
Diaspora Jews are also less likely to leave everything behind for Israel. It's much easier today to be a dual national, living part-time in both worlds. Meanwhile, Israelis have also become frequent fliers. The tech-savvy nouveaux-riches of Tel Aviv joke that a visit to New York is more common than a 40-mile pilgrimage to Jerusalem.
Schwab arrived a year ago from Maui, where she practiced Judaism in an informal "Aloha-style kind of way." She is fluent in Hebrew and studies at an Israeli university. Her boyfriend is a "Sabra" — a native-born Israeli. She lives in Tel Aviv, which next year celebrates its centennial as the world's first purpose-built Jewish city.
She's part of an old ideal, "the ingathering of the exiles" — the raison d'etre of the Zionist movement from its beginnings more than a century ago.
Even before Israel became a state, the Jewish population grew to 600,000 in five great waves of immigration as European Jews beset by pogroms and then the Holocaust realized an age-old Jewish dream of returning to Zion after 2,000 years in exile.
More than 3 million more have followed, and Israel's Jewish population now stands at 5.5 million, plus 1.4 million Arab citizens. Of the world's population of just over 13 million Jews, Israel's is the biggest portion, having surpassed America's in 2006.
"There is no place in the world where the number of immigrants is five times the number of the people who were there. It is unprecedented," said Sergio DellaPergola, a prominent demographer at the Jewish People Policy Planning Institute, a Jerusalem think tank.
The 1950s, according to the Jewish Agency which handles immigration, saw the arrival of 765,000 Jews from North Africa and the Middle East, driven out by the Arab backlash that followed Israel's creation. Next came tens of thousands from the European communist bloc, and then another million from the collapsing Soviet Union.
Starting in the early 1980s, Israel clandestinely airlifted 80,000 members of Ethiopia's ancient Jewish community, nearly 15,000 of them in just two days in 1991.
Today, with no immediate threat to world Jewry, and with the most endangered communities already in Israel, such drama is a thing of the past.
Jews in America and other prosperous Western countries have no pressing motivation to leave everything for Israel, a country founded to provide a safe haven for Jews but which has become one of the most dangerous places for a Jew to live, because of war and terrorism.
Indeed, while the U.S. Jewish community is one of Israel's most important backers, only 120,000 American Jews have immigrated here.
"I am going to destroy a myth here," said Ori Konforti, the Ethiopia envoy for the quasi-governmental Jewish Agency. "Waves of immigration have never been because of the pulling power of Israel but rather because of the pushing power of where those people came from."
Most Jews in poor countries have already left, and for the first time, Israel is nearing zero growth from immigration, with the number of those leaving closing in on the number of those coming, DellaPergola said.
"We have brought all the needy and the situation of the rest of the Jews is pretty well off," he said. "There is not a lot of distress in the Diaspora today so the question is what kind of quality of life Israel can offer these people."
For Israelis, "aliyah," is a revered term symbolizing the hope of a persecuted nation returning to its ancient homeland. Conversely, leaving the country is known as "yeridah," meaning "going down."
But these distinctions have lost their emotional charge. Israelis who leave to further their education or to earn more money are no longer pariahs.
The end of mass immigration comes as Israelis have lost some of their self-confidence, bogged down in their 41-year occupation of the Palestinian territories, perceiving their country to be under weak, corrupt leadership, nostalgic for the frugal socialist era.
But Israel isn't giving up. Ingrained in Israelis' consciousness is the conviction that their country is the world's only guaranteed escape hatch for Jews in peril. They are steeped in the memory of boatloads of Jews fleeing the Nazis, only to be turned away at every port and ending up in gas chambers.
Since France suffered a wave of anti-Semitic violence a few years ago, widely attributed to rising passions over Israeli-Palestinian fighting, Israeli real estate agents have reported a sharp increase in house-buying by French Jews.
Last month, when war broke out in the Caucasus, some 40 Georgian Jews fled to Israel, and another 120 have applied to immigrate, according to the Jewish Agency.
So while it may no longer dream of mass immigration, Israel feels an imperative to keep in touch with the Diaspora.
Birthright Israel offers a free trip to Israel for young Diaspora Jews who have never been here. Another nonprofit, Nefesh B'Nefesh, offers economic incentives and helps immigrants navigate Israel's notorious bureaucracy.
Birthright estimates that some 8 percent of its participants return to Israel within two years, and 5 percent eventually immigrate.
Schwab came with Nefesh B'Nefesh, sensed an idealism she needed in her life, and decided to make it permanent.
"Israel is a lot like the U.S. but there is something a bit more meaningful," Schwab said. "There is a kind of mission for some higher ideal."
Due in part to such projects, immigration from North America has picked up in recent years, with 3,200 arriving in 2006 — a tiny number by past standards, but the highest in 23 years.
Natan Sharansky, the Soviet Jewish dissident who spent more than a decade in prison, immigrated to Israel and become a Cabinet minister, said people like Schwab are proof that Israel's ideology is still alive and well.
"These people decided that Israel is a place that they want to live their life," he said. "That is a victory of Zionism."
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Never Forget
Good morning...Joel Rosenberg has written an excellent piece that should strike within the heart of every American the resolve to not only continue the war against terror but to actually win it. This is some sobering news:
BIN LADEN SEEKS A NUCLEAR 9/11
Never forget. Never get fogged.
By Joel C. Rosenberg
(Washington, D.C., September 11, 2008) -- During his military tribunal at Gitmo, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed (KSM)-- al Qaeda's chief of external operations until he was captured in Pakistan -- admitted that he was not only responsible for the 9/11 attacks. He also the mastermind of "second wave" attacks and other mega-attacks in the United States, Israel and around the globe.
In a written statement given to interrogators, KSM went on to confess no fewer than thirty-one separate terrorist attacks. Some had already been carried out. Others were foiled by U.S. and foreign security forces, or by the fact that KSM had been arrested. Each provided a sobering insight into what Osama bin Laden and his al Qaeda network really want.
1. I was responsible for the 1993 World Trade Center Operation.
2. I was responsible for the 9/11 Operation, from A to Z.
3. I decapitated with my blessed right hand the head of the American Jews, Daniel Pearl….
4. I was responsible for the Shoe Bomber Operation to down two American airplanes.
5. I was responsible for the Filka Island Operation in Kuwait that killed two American soldiers.
6. I was responsible for the bombing of a nightclub in Bali, Indonesia, which was frequented by British and Australian nationals.
7. I was responsible for planning, training, surveying, and financing the New (or Second) Wave attacks against the following skyscrapers after 9/11:
a. Library Tower, California
b. Sears Tower, Chicago
c. Plaza Bank, Washington State
d. The Empire State Building, New York City
8. I was responsible for planning, financing & follow-up Operations to destroy American military vessels and oil tankers in the Straights of Hormuz, the Straights of Gibraltar, and the Port of Singapore.
9. I was responsible for the planning, training, surveying, and financing for the Operation to bomb and destroy the Panama Canal.
10. I was responsible for the planning, training, surveying, and financing for the assassination of several former American Presidents, including President Carter.
....[NOTE: For the full list of KSM's confessions, see weblog]....
The Ultimate Objective
As horrifying as these operations were, however, they pale in comparison to what al Qaeda has been praying and planning for a decade at least: acquiring weapons of mass destruction - ideally nuclear weapons - to be used against the United States to kill between four and ten million Americans.
Asked in 1998, for example, if al-Qaeda had nuclear or chemical weapons, bin Laden told Time magazine that "acquiring weapons for the defense of Muslims is a religious duty. If I have indeed acquired these weapons, than I thank God for enabling me to do so." The timing of that statement was significant, for 1998 was the year that Pakistan tested nuclear weapons.
Since then, many more disturbing details have emerged about bin Laden's feverish hunt for WMD and his deep-rooted belief that Allah has commanded him to use them to kill Christians and Jews. In the summer of 2002, Suleiman Abu Ghaith, a Kuwaiti-born spokesman for al Qaeda posted the following statement on the internet: "Al-Qa'ida has the right to kill four million Americans, including one million children, displace double that figure, and injure and cripple hundreds of thousands."
In May 2003, al-Qaeda unveiled a fatwa or religious ruling from a leading Saudi cleric that sanctioned the use of nuclear weapons against the U.S. and permitted the killing of up to ten million Americans.
"By some estimates, there is enough highly enriched uranium in global stockpiles to construct thousands of nuclear weapons, and it is safe to assume that there are many individuals who would not think twice about using such weapons." FBI Director Robert Muller told a conference on nuclear terrorism in 2007. "The economics of supply and demand dictate that someone, somewhere, will provide nuclear material to the highest bidder, and that material will end up in the hands of terrorists. Al Qaeda has demonstrated a clear intent to acquire weapons of mass destruction. In 1993, Osama bin Laden attempted to buy uranium from a source in the Sudan. He has stated that it is Al Qaeda's duty to acquire weapons of mass destruction. And he has made repeated recruiting pitches for experts in chemistry, physics, and explosives to join his terrorist movement."
Former CIA Director George Tenet was skeptical, at first, about how seriously to take bin Laden's WMD threats. But over time, he became a believer. He is now absolutely convinced that bin Laden's top priority is to acquire nuclear weapons and detonate them inside the United States.
"Of all al-Qa'ida's efforts to obtain other forms of WMD, the main threat is the nuclear one," Tenet stressed. "I am convinced that this is where [bin Laden] and his operatives desperately want to go. They understand that bombings by cars, trucks, trains, and planes will get them some headlines, to be sure. But if they manage to set off a mushroom cloud, they will make history. Such an event would place al-Qa'ida on a par with the superpowers and make good on Bin Ladin's threat to destroy our economy and bring death into every American household. Even in the darkest days of the cold war, we could count on the fact that the Soviets, just like us, wanted to live. Not so with the terrorists. Al-Qaida boasts that while we fear death, they embrace it."
Never forget the evil done to us seven years ago today. Never get fogged about the evil that will be done to us if we get distracted and confused.
BIN LADEN SEEKS A NUCLEAR 9/11
Never forget. Never get fogged.
By Joel C. Rosenberg
(Washington, D.C., September 11, 2008) -- During his military tribunal at Gitmo, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed (KSM)-- al Qaeda's chief of external operations until he was captured in Pakistan -- admitted that he was not only responsible for the 9/11 attacks. He also the mastermind of "second wave" attacks and other mega-attacks in the United States, Israel and around the globe.
In a written statement given to interrogators, KSM went on to confess no fewer than thirty-one separate terrorist attacks. Some had already been carried out. Others were foiled by U.S. and foreign security forces, or by the fact that KSM had been arrested. Each provided a sobering insight into what Osama bin Laden and his al Qaeda network really want.
1. I was responsible for the 1993 World Trade Center Operation.
2. I was responsible for the 9/11 Operation, from A to Z.
3. I decapitated with my blessed right hand the head of the American Jews, Daniel Pearl….
4. I was responsible for the Shoe Bomber Operation to down two American airplanes.
5. I was responsible for the Filka Island Operation in Kuwait that killed two American soldiers.
6. I was responsible for the bombing of a nightclub in Bali, Indonesia, which was frequented by British and Australian nationals.
7. I was responsible for planning, training, surveying, and financing the New (or Second) Wave attacks against the following skyscrapers after 9/11:
a. Library Tower, California
b. Sears Tower, Chicago
c. Plaza Bank, Washington State
d. The Empire State Building, New York City
8. I was responsible for planning, financing & follow-up Operations to destroy American military vessels and oil tankers in the Straights of Hormuz, the Straights of Gibraltar, and the Port of Singapore.
9. I was responsible for the planning, training, surveying, and financing for the Operation to bomb and destroy the Panama Canal.
10. I was responsible for the planning, training, surveying, and financing for the assassination of several former American Presidents, including President Carter.
....[NOTE: For the full list of KSM's confessions, see weblog]....
The Ultimate Objective
As horrifying as these operations were, however, they pale in comparison to what al Qaeda has been praying and planning for a decade at least: acquiring weapons of mass destruction - ideally nuclear weapons - to be used against the United States to kill between four and ten million Americans.
Asked in 1998, for example, if al-Qaeda had nuclear or chemical weapons, bin Laden told Time magazine that "acquiring weapons for the defense of Muslims is a religious duty. If I have indeed acquired these weapons, than I thank God for enabling me to do so." The timing of that statement was significant, for 1998 was the year that Pakistan tested nuclear weapons.
Since then, many more disturbing details have emerged about bin Laden's feverish hunt for WMD and his deep-rooted belief that Allah has commanded him to use them to kill Christians and Jews. In the summer of 2002, Suleiman Abu Ghaith, a Kuwaiti-born spokesman for al Qaeda posted the following statement on the internet: "Al-Qa'ida has the right to kill four million Americans, including one million children, displace double that figure, and injure and cripple hundreds of thousands."
In May 2003, al-Qaeda unveiled a fatwa or religious ruling from a leading Saudi cleric that sanctioned the use of nuclear weapons against the U.S. and permitted the killing of up to ten million Americans.
"By some estimates, there is enough highly enriched uranium in global stockpiles to construct thousands of nuclear weapons, and it is safe to assume that there are many individuals who would not think twice about using such weapons." FBI Director Robert Muller told a conference on nuclear terrorism in 2007. "The economics of supply and demand dictate that someone, somewhere, will provide nuclear material to the highest bidder, and that material will end up in the hands of terrorists. Al Qaeda has demonstrated a clear intent to acquire weapons of mass destruction. In 1993, Osama bin Laden attempted to buy uranium from a source in the Sudan. He has stated that it is Al Qaeda's duty to acquire weapons of mass destruction. And he has made repeated recruiting pitches for experts in chemistry, physics, and explosives to join his terrorist movement."
Former CIA Director George Tenet was skeptical, at first, about how seriously to take bin Laden's WMD threats. But over time, he became a believer. He is now absolutely convinced that bin Laden's top priority is to acquire nuclear weapons and detonate them inside the United States.
"Of all al-Qa'ida's efforts to obtain other forms of WMD, the main threat is the nuclear one," Tenet stressed. "I am convinced that this is where [bin Laden] and his operatives desperately want to go. They understand that bombings by cars, trucks, trains, and planes will get them some headlines, to be sure. But if they manage to set off a mushroom cloud, they will make history. Such an event would place al-Qa'ida on a par with the superpowers and make good on Bin Ladin's threat to destroy our economy and bring death into every American household. Even in the darkest days of the cold war, we could count on the fact that the Soviets, just like us, wanted to live. Not so with the terrorists. Al-Qaida boasts that while we fear death, they embrace it."
Never forget the evil done to us seven years ago today. Never get fogged about the evil that will be done to us if we get distracted and confused.
Thursday, September 11, 2008
September 11...a day of Remberance...
Good morning...today is September 11, 2008, the 7th anniversary of the cowardly attack by alien muslims here in the United States. As we reflect back on that horrible day when over 3,000 of our fellow citizens went to their death at the Twin Towers, the Pentagon and a grassy field in Pennsylvania, what have we learned? The following article fro K-House News saya it all:
SLEEPING IN AMERICA - (Print)
Ask any baby boomer "Where were you when JFK was shot?" and they will be quick to give you an answer. On Friday, November 22, 1963 the United States of America was caught up by national tragedy. Those who witnessed that event will always remember how they felt the moment they heard the news. Likewise, the question "Where were you on the morning of September 11th, 2001?" will be echoed for generations. On that morning the world stood still and watched in disbelief as the Pentagon burned and the Twin Towers came tumbling down. For three days following the attacks the major television networks suspended all of their scheduled programming – not since the assassination of John F. Kennedy has any single event captivated the nation's attention in such a way.
This week, as we observe the anniversary of the September 11 attacks, most will acknowledge that the world we live in today is very different than it was seven years ago. The 9/11 attacks changed both our perceptions and our reality. In the weeks and months following the attacks many predicted that our nation would experience a broad revival and that Americans would turn back to the World of God for guidance and comfort. Indeed, some have looked to Christ for answers, but those who hoped for national revival and repentance have been disappointed.
The blood shed on September 11, 2001 became the catalyst in the war on terrorism. That tragic event briefly united Americans in a common cause, however that unity has splintered. Growing differences in values and philosophy have driven a wedge down the middle of American society. We are a divided nation. We are divided by ideologies, worldviews, and politics. We are perhaps no stronger, no better equipped or prepared, today to take on the challenges facing our nation than we were seven years ago.
Sleeper Cells
Today the question looms: will terrorists strike us again on American soil? Some say the likelihood of another attack is almost certain, it is only a matter of time. One of the biggest concerns in the intelligence community are reports of Western-born operatives who have received training in Al-Qaeda camps in Afghanistan and Pakistan. Ted Gistaro, of the National Directorate for Intelligence, has warned that "Al-Qaida is identifying, training and positioning operatives for attacks in the West, likely including in the United States. These operatives include North American and European citizens and legal residents with passports that allow them to travel to the United States without a US visa." Some of these operatives are young Caucasian men that are unlikely to attract the attention.
Last week authorities arrested three German citizens in a bomb plot targeting American military personnel stationed in Europe. Police say the three men, two of which are ethnic Germans, were trained by Al-Qaeda in Pakistan. This latest incident is just one example of what intelligence officials say is a growing trend. Al-Qaeda is actively recruiting disaffected Americans and Europeans to join with them in Jihad. The US government believes that Al-Qaeda has trained dozens of Westerners that may even now be part of terrorist cells planning attacks in Europe and North America.
A Wake Up Call
It seems most Americans have closed their eyes to the challenges facing our nation. Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair once aptly stated that: "September 11 for me was a wake up call. Do you know what I think the problem is? That a lot of the world woke up for a short time and then turned over and went back to sleep again."
It has been observed that nations and empires have "life cycles." This has been studied by many historians throughout the years and most have come to the same conclusion: a lifetime of about two centuries. And they all seem to go through the same life cycle: "from bondage to spiritual faith; from spiritual faith to great courage; from courage to liberty; from liberty to abundance; from abundance to complacency; from complacency to apathy; from apathy to dependency; from dependence back again into bondage (Alexander Tyler, 1750)."
Where are we in this cycle? We, too, have gone from bondage to spiritual faith; from faith to great courage which established our precious liberty, which, in turn, has given us unprecedented abundance that has made us the envy of the world. That abundance, however, has led to complacency and apathy. Ask almost anyone, "What is the biggest problem in America? Is it ignorance or is it apathy?" They are likely to answer, "I don't know and I don't care!"
This apathy will ultimately lead to dependency and then return us to the very bondage that this nation was founded to deliver us from. Robert Bork was right when he said that, "the only hope for America is a grass roots revival." Is America ripe for judgment? Billy Graham quipped many years ago, "If God doesn't judge America He will have to apologize to Sodom and Gomorrah!" Likewise, Thomas Jefferson summed it up when he said: "I tremble for my country when I reflect that God is just; and that His justice cannot sleep forever."
This year, on the anniversary of September 11, pray for our nation, pray for our leaders, pray for revival, pray for our enemies, and pray for guidance and correction in your own life. For more on this subject, check out Avi Lipkins briefing titled Sleeping In America: The Secret War.
SLEEPING IN AMERICA - (Print)
Ask any baby boomer "Where were you when JFK was shot?" and they will be quick to give you an answer. On Friday, November 22, 1963 the United States of America was caught up by national tragedy. Those who witnessed that event will always remember how they felt the moment they heard the news. Likewise, the question "Where were you on the morning of September 11th, 2001?" will be echoed for generations. On that morning the world stood still and watched in disbelief as the Pentagon burned and the Twin Towers came tumbling down. For three days following the attacks the major television networks suspended all of their scheduled programming – not since the assassination of John F. Kennedy has any single event captivated the nation's attention in such a way.
This week, as we observe the anniversary of the September 11 attacks, most will acknowledge that the world we live in today is very different than it was seven years ago. The 9/11 attacks changed both our perceptions and our reality. In the weeks and months following the attacks many predicted that our nation would experience a broad revival and that Americans would turn back to the World of God for guidance and comfort. Indeed, some have looked to Christ for answers, but those who hoped for national revival and repentance have been disappointed.
The blood shed on September 11, 2001 became the catalyst in the war on terrorism. That tragic event briefly united Americans in a common cause, however that unity has splintered. Growing differences in values and philosophy have driven a wedge down the middle of American society. We are a divided nation. We are divided by ideologies, worldviews, and politics. We are perhaps no stronger, no better equipped or prepared, today to take on the challenges facing our nation than we were seven years ago.
Sleeper Cells
Today the question looms: will terrorists strike us again on American soil? Some say the likelihood of another attack is almost certain, it is only a matter of time. One of the biggest concerns in the intelligence community are reports of Western-born operatives who have received training in Al-Qaeda camps in Afghanistan and Pakistan. Ted Gistaro, of the National Directorate for Intelligence, has warned that "Al-Qaida is identifying, training and positioning operatives for attacks in the West, likely including in the United States. These operatives include North American and European citizens and legal residents with passports that allow them to travel to the United States without a US visa." Some of these operatives are young Caucasian men that are unlikely to attract the attention.
Last week authorities arrested three German citizens in a bomb plot targeting American military personnel stationed in Europe. Police say the three men, two of which are ethnic Germans, were trained by Al-Qaeda in Pakistan. This latest incident is just one example of what intelligence officials say is a growing trend. Al-Qaeda is actively recruiting disaffected Americans and Europeans to join with them in Jihad. The US government believes that Al-Qaeda has trained dozens of Westerners that may even now be part of terrorist cells planning attacks in Europe and North America.
A Wake Up Call
It seems most Americans have closed their eyes to the challenges facing our nation. Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair once aptly stated that: "September 11 for me was a wake up call. Do you know what I think the problem is? That a lot of the world woke up for a short time and then turned over and went back to sleep again."
It has been observed that nations and empires have "life cycles." This has been studied by many historians throughout the years and most have come to the same conclusion: a lifetime of about two centuries. And they all seem to go through the same life cycle: "from bondage to spiritual faith; from spiritual faith to great courage; from courage to liberty; from liberty to abundance; from abundance to complacency; from complacency to apathy; from apathy to dependency; from dependence back again into bondage (Alexander Tyler, 1750)."
Where are we in this cycle? We, too, have gone from bondage to spiritual faith; from faith to great courage which established our precious liberty, which, in turn, has given us unprecedented abundance that has made us the envy of the world. That abundance, however, has led to complacency and apathy. Ask almost anyone, "What is the biggest problem in America? Is it ignorance or is it apathy?" They are likely to answer, "I don't know and I don't care!"
This apathy will ultimately lead to dependency and then return us to the very bondage that this nation was founded to deliver us from. Robert Bork was right when he said that, "the only hope for America is a grass roots revival." Is America ripe for judgment? Billy Graham quipped many years ago, "If God doesn't judge America He will have to apologize to Sodom and Gomorrah!" Likewise, Thomas Jefferson summed it up when he said: "I tremble for my country when I reflect that God is just; and that His justice cannot sleep forever."
This year, on the anniversary of September 11, pray for our nation, pray for our leaders, pray for revival, pray for our enemies, and pray for guidance and correction in your own life. For more on this subject, check out Avi Lipkins briefing titled Sleeping In America: The Secret War.
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
End Times Info
Good Afternoon! Today as we observe what is happening around us, we can't help but wonder, "How much longer, Oh Lord?" Wilfred Hahn has written the first of a two-part series...hope you enjoy it:
Endtime Trend: Iconic Last Days & False Images—Part I
Wilfred Hahn
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A unique development of our time is the image—the icon, the picture, and the moving video. These images are an inextricable part of our culture. What household today does not have a camera, television or a DVD player?
Writes one observer, “Images. They are so compelling that we cannot not watch them. They are so seductive that they have revolutionized human social communication. Oral and written communication are in decline because a new form of communication, communication by image, has emerged.” [1]
Actually, this age of “image communication” was really born with the invention of photography a little more than 150 years ago … a very recent development, viewed in terms of the human timeline on earth.
As with all such sudden and recent trends that have impacted the world, one must ask: Why now … why during these last days? Is the “image” just another friendly technological development? Or, are there also some side effects to consider, along with novelty and convenience? Could perhaps the video phenomenon be playing handmaiden to key last-day trends?
Worldwide, though the eyes of mankind are engaged as never before with icons and moving pictures, "Though seeing, they do not see” (Matthew 13:13). Being so taken up with communicating through sight, they are largely blinded to the rapidly approaching judgment. Yet, as we will see, this very same society is better equipped than ever before to comprehend the prophetic imagery of the Bible. Not only that, the Bible seems to have anticipated our last-day era, communicating in graphic form much of the last-day prophecy that is yet to be fulfilled.
In this 2-part series, we will first delve into the vulnerabilities of this “image society.” In Part 2, we will further explore the significance of why God so purposed it that He would communicate primarily through visions to the prophets about the last-day pre-millennial period. As well, we will review a companion trend—an explosion of false visions.
A Picture Imperfect World
The emergence of the image has had a great effect upon the world. Following the invention of photography, it then only took 50 years or so for this new method of illustration to become a major influence in the communication of social values. A little later, moving pictures were invented … otherwise known as movies. As old as the moving picture or photography may be, the impact of the image upon society is still unfolding today.
Images are now shot or viewed virtually everywhere, from cell phones, to computers, surveillance cameras and a whole host of other media devices. According to 2005 census data, adolescents and adults now spend, on average, more than 64 days a year watching television and a little over a week using the Internet.[2] Of course, images are found almost everywhere, from newspapers and billboards, to elevator video screens and the exteriors of city buses.
Yet, the invasion of the image continues. According to Gartner, a technology consultancy, over 1 billion phones with cameras (representing as much as 80% of total sales) will be sold in 2010. That would mean that as many as one-half of the world’s population will soon have camera phones. There will hardly be an event or occasion in the world that will not find its way into recorded media.
Not that there haven’t been plenty of things to watch already. Since Louis Lumiere invented the first movie camera in the 1890s, approximately 370,000 motion pictures have been made around the world (to the end of 2002). If the entire universe of original film and video titles produced over that period were played continuously, the show would continue for 2,108 years.[3]
With all the new digital technology these days, increasingly the whole world is on stage. Consider that you are already likely to be caught on closed circuit TV (CCTV) at least several times a day if you are out shopping. In Britain, people are captured on video media an average of at least 8 times a day. Almost every retail store today has surveillance equipment, as do key traffic intersections and highways. A British report in 2004 estimated that there were up to 4.2 million CCTV cameras in that country (about one for every 14 people).[4] With websites proliferating such as YouTube, where people can post short videos of themselves or on virtually any topic or interest, everybody can be on display.
We use and process images virtually everywhere and anytime. Is it not unreasonable to conclude that visual images clog the mind today? From every direction, the human eye is being lured by images and their potentially influential messages. We are attuned to the icon, this communication medium barraging us with worldly values imbedded in both real and un-real images.
The Impact of a Visual Society: Seeing is Believing
There is little doubt that our image culture today opens up mankind to a greater vulnerability to perceptual deception. Images can powerfully manipulate our emotions and perceptions, hampering our ability to interpret facts and truths today.
Of course, modern-day marketers of products well understand the persuasive powers of icons. Not surprisingly, according to estimates, 95% of consumers are more likely to buy a product because of a visual image or a photograph.
However, taking in information through graphic images involves a very different mental process than aurally or through the written word. Studies have shown that “brain images” can even subconsciously affect our perceptions and interpretations even of written text.
It is indeed a documented fact that graphic images, whether moving or stationary, have very powerful and unique impacts upon perception. Images can have emotional or cognitive effects that the viewer may not ever realize. As such, they can be an effective medium for manipulation and deception.
Is it then any wonder that the False Prophet mentioned in Revelation uses an image to deceive the world? Says the Bible, “And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed” (Revelation 13:15, KJV).
How God Communicates
There is little doubt that our generation is being prepared to be deceived by images—ultimately by the images of the beast. However, at the same time, God allowed it to be so that our intensely “image conscious” generation would also be ideally equipped to understand endtime prophecy. To discover why this is the case, we must first briefly review the main form of God’s communication to mankind—the written Word.
God chose to mainly communicate His truth and revelation to most of mankind through written communication. If pictures and moving images had been the more reliable means for mankind to study, interpret and contemplate Scriptures, would God not have used this technique instead? At creation, would He not have designed it that images would be the main form of communication rather than speech and writing? Though a picture may claim to represent a thousand words, the fact is that images alone are inadequate for all communication and are far too unreliable for literal and precise interpretation of truths and facts. Therefore, instead, we were given the written Scriptures.
But just how did the Scriptures come to be recorded? How were prophecies revealed? No Angel Moroni appeared with neatly typeset golden plates as the Mormons claim occurred to Joseph Smith. Indeed, God did write the 10 commandments on 2 tablets and gave them to Moses … twice. Yet, with a few exceptions, all of the original impartations of revelation were not in written form, but rather visual or aural or both (though not necessarily in the physical sense of being actually seen or heard). They received visions and dreams. On this point, God said, "When a prophet of the LORD is among you, I reveal myself to him in visions, I speak to him in dreams” (Numbers 12:6).
Though we may think that the moving picture (the movie) was an invention of the late 1890s, in reality a form of video communication had been already invented by God a long, long time ago. God used visions to communicate with his prophets. We see that the Holy Spirit frequently used “neural movies” to impart the content and meaning of much prophecy.
The Prophet—An Ancient Media Device
Many (if not all) of the major prophets mentioned in the Bible—both Old and New Testament—experienced either visions or dreams. Consider that virtually the entire book of Revelation is the product of a vision. Apostle John wrote down what he saw and heard. Another example is the book of Zechariah, 5 chapters of which consist of 8 separate visions. Other prophets expressly received prophecy in visual form. Examples abound. Said Ezekiel, “the heavens were opened and I saw visions of God (Ezekiel 1:1). “The word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision” (Genesis 15:1). Jeremiah was asked, "What do you see?” (Jeremiah 1:11), and, “God spoke to Israel in a vision at night” (Genesis 46:2). These serve as only some of the examples.
But why did God give visions and dreams to the prophets when the written Word (Scripture) was the intended form of communication to following generations? We see here that a two-stage process was involved. The prophets saw visions and then accurately wrote down what they heard and saw. In a sense, they served as ancient “high fidelity” media players. Crucially, the writing down of these visions was guided by the Holy Spirit. For the Bible says, “For prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit” (2 Peter 1:21). What we see then is that God many times chose to impart revelations in the form of images, then to be written down in words, and not pictures. Why?
There are likely a number of reasons we theorize. For one, God was able to show the prophets things of the future for which adequate words to describe them did not yet exist. Moreover, visions and the symbols could contain much more information than could be understood through hearing.
No doubt there are other reasons. However, we observe a significant fact: A high proportion of prophecies and the greater volume of information that applies to the latter days—the very last of the last days and the events of the Great Tribulation—were given in the form of “image-rich’ visions. Why should God have chosen to communicate more of His prophecies to later generations such as ours, in visions that are full of symbols and imagery?
Could it be true that God knew that our “last day” generation would be an “image conscious” society, one highly attuned to communication through images? As such, it is our generation that has the suitable aptitude to understand and interpret the visions and dreams described in the Bible better than any other. While, on the one hand, our age of visual communications opens up our world to greater manipulation and deception, it also gives this generation the means to better understand prophecy, as we will further show.
Thoughts to Ponder
Our generation, namely the last generation—as the Bible defines this term with respect to the re-establishing of Israel in its own historical land and its reunion with the Messiah—is also the very last to experience actual visions and prophecy. We are not referring here to “personal prophecies” as some like to interpret today, but rather the type of prophecy that is inspired by “the spirit of prophecy,” that being the testimony of Jesus (Revelation 19:10).
Scripture clearly says that there will be no more prophecy after the Tribulation period. "Seventy ‘sevens’ are decreed for your people and your holy city to finish transgression, to put an end to sin, to atone for wickedness, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy and to anoint the most holy” (Daniel 9:24). Here it is confirmed that visions and prophecies will be sealed up after the 70th week (the 7-year tribulation period). That is because no new visions will be necessary after this time. Jesus Christ himself will reign during the millennial period. No longer will it be necessary for Him to enable visions to be uttered and written down by men. His own words are the Word … no visions required.
For today, the Bible expressly promises that the person who studies the book of Revelation will be blessed. “Blessed is he who keeps the words of the prophecy in this book” (Revelation 22:7). Of course, one is only able to keep the words of prophecy if one studies them. Moreover, we are also told in the Book of Daniel—the Old Testament book which most closely parallels Revelation—that the day would come near the end that “Many will go here and there” (Daniel 12:4) to gain the knowledge with respect to its prophecies and the divine plan of God. Both these books of the Bible (as well as Zechariah), which emphasize endtime prophecy, rely heavily upon imagery, symbolism, visions and dreams.
It is true that many of the things prophesied in these books are more understandable today, given the technological advances, scientific knowledge and globalization of our generation. Our video-exposed society today is also ideally suited to this task.
We will further explore these observations in Part 2. Even more interestingly, we will outline other perspectives on endtime prophecy which our generation is the first to uniquely appreciate. However, at the same time, much danger prevails. Like no age ever before, the world is besieged by a last-day flurry of false visions.
SUBSCRIBE TO WILFRED’S FREE NEWSLETTER
For resources on “endtime economics” and to subscribe to the free newsletter, Eternal Value Review, visit Wilfred’s website www. eternalvalue.com or contact him at mulberryministry@telus.net.
About the Author: Wilfred J. Hahn is a global economist/strategist. Formerly a top-ranked global analyst and chairman of the country’s largest global investment operation his writings focus on the endtime roles of money, economics and globalization. He has been quoted around the world and his writings reproduced in numerous other publications and languages. His most recent book is The Endtime Money Snare: How to live free.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[1]J. Francis Davis, Power of Images: Creating the Myths of Our Time. Media and Values, Issue #57 / Winter 1992.
[2] Sam Roberts, Who Americans Are and What They Do. In Census Data, New York Times, Dec. 15, 2006.
[3] How Much Information? UC Berkeley's School of Information Management and Systems, 2003.
[4] A Report on the Surveillance Society. Surveillance Study Network, September 2006. Accessed May 10, 2008.
Endtime Trend: Iconic Last Days & False Images—Part I
Wilfred Hahn
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A unique development of our time is the image—the icon, the picture, and the moving video. These images are an inextricable part of our culture. What household today does not have a camera, television or a DVD player?
Writes one observer, “Images. They are so compelling that we cannot not watch them. They are so seductive that they have revolutionized human social communication. Oral and written communication are in decline because a new form of communication, communication by image, has emerged.” [1]
Actually, this age of “image communication” was really born with the invention of photography a little more than 150 years ago … a very recent development, viewed in terms of the human timeline on earth.
As with all such sudden and recent trends that have impacted the world, one must ask: Why now … why during these last days? Is the “image” just another friendly technological development? Or, are there also some side effects to consider, along with novelty and convenience? Could perhaps the video phenomenon be playing handmaiden to key last-day trends?
Worldwide, though the eyes of mankind are engaged as never before with icons and moving pictures, "Though seeing, they do not see” (Matthew 13:13). Being so taken up with communicating through sight, they are largely blinded to the rapidly approaching judgment. Yet, as we will see, this very same society is better equipped than ever before to comprehend the prophetic imagery of the Bible. Not only that, the Bible seems to have anticipated our last-day era, communicating in graphic form much of the last-day prophecy that is yet to be fulfilled.
In this 2-part series, we will first delve into the vulnerabilities of this “image society.” In Part 2, we will further explore the significance of why God so purposed it that He would communicate primarily through visions to the prophets about the last-day pre-millennial period. As well, we will review a companion trend—an explosion of false visions.
A Picture Imperfect World
The emergence of the image has had a great effect upon the world. Following the invention of photography, it then only took 50 years or so for this new method of illustration to become a major influence in the communication of social values. A little later, moving pictures were invented … otherwise known as movies. As old as the moving picture or photography may be, the impact of the image upon society is still unfolding today.
Images are now shot or viewed virtually everywhere, from cell phones, to computers, surveillance cameras and a whole host of other media devices. According to 2005 census data, adolescents and adults now spend, on average, more than 64 days a year watching television and a little over a week using the Internet.[2] Of course, images are found almost everywhere, from newspapers and billboards, to elevator video screens and the exteriors of city buses.
Yet, the invasion of the image continues. According to Gartner, a technology consultancy, over 1 billion phones with cameras (representing as much as 80% of total sales) will be sold in 2010. That would mean that as many as one-half of the world’s population will soon have camera phones. There will hardly be an event or occasion in the world that will not find its way into recorded media.
Not that there haven’t been plenty of things to watch already. Since Louis Lumiere invented the first movie camera in the 1890s, approximately 370,000 motion pictures have been made around the world (to the end of 2002). If the entire universe of original film and video titles produced over that period were played continuously, the show would continue for 2,108 years.[3]
With all the new digital technology these days, increasingly the whole world is on stage. Consider that you are already likely to be caught on closed circuit TV (CCTV) at least several times a day if you are out shopping. In Britain, people are captured on video media an average of at least 8 times a day. Almost every retail store today has surveillance equipment, as do key traffic intersections and highways. A British report in 2004 estimated that there were up to 4.2 million CCTV cameras in that country (about one for every 14 people).[4] With websites proliferating such as YouTube, where people can post short videos of themselves or on virtually any topic or interest, everybody can be on display.
We use and process images virtually everywhere and anytime. Is it not unreasonable to conclude that visual images clog the mind today? From every direction, the human eye is being lured by images and their potentially influential messages. We are attuned to the icon, this communication medium barraging us with worldly values imbedded in both real and un-real images.
The Impact of a Visual Society: Seeing is Believing
There is little doubt that our image culture today opens up mankind to a greater vulnerability to perceptual deception. Images can powerfully manipulate our emotions and perceptions, hampering our ability to interpret facts and truths today.
Of course, modern-day marketers of products well understand the persuasive powers of icons. Not surprisingly, according to estimates, 95% of consumers are more likely to buy a product because of a visual image or a photograph.
However, taking in information through graphic images involves a very different mental process than aurally or through the written word. Studies have shown that “brain images” can even subconsciously affect our perceptions and interpretations even of written text.
It is indeed a documented fact that graphic images, whether moving or stationary, have very powerful and unique impacts upon perception. Images can have emotional or cognitive effects that the viewer may not ever realize. As such, they can be an effective medium for manipulation and deception.
Is it then any wonder that the False Prophet mentioned in Revelation uses an image to deceive the world? Says the Bible, “And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed” (Revelation 13:15, KJV).
How God Communicates
There is little doubt that our generation is being prepared to be deceived by images—ultimately by the images of the beast. However, at the same time, God allowed it to be so that our intensely “image conscious” generation would also be ideally equipped to understand endtime prophecy. To discover why this is the case, we must first briefly review the main form of God’s communication to mankind—the written Word.
God chose to mainly communicate His truth and revelation to most of mankind through written communication. If pictures and moving images had been the more reliable means for mankind to study, interpret and contemplate Scriptures, would God not have used this technique instead? At creation, would He not have designed it that images would be the main form of communication rather than speech and writing? Though a picture may claim to represent a thousand words, the fact is that images alone are inadequate for all communication and are far too unreliable for literal and precise interpretation of truths and facts. Therefore, instead, we were given the written Scriptures.
But just how did the Scriptures come to be recorded? How were prophecies revealed? No Angel Moroni appeared with neatly typeset golden plates as the Mormons claim occurred to Joseph Smith. Indeed, God did write the 10 commandments on 2 tablets and gave them to Moses … twice. Yet, with a few exceptions, all of the original impartations of revelation were not in written form, but rather visual or aural or both (though not necessarily in the physical sense of being actually seen or heard). They received visions and dreams. On this point, God said, "When a prophet of the LORD is among you, I reveal myself to him in visions, I speak to him in dreams” (Numbers 12:6).
Though we may think that the moving picture (the movie) was an invention of the late 1890s, in reality a form of video communication had been already invented by God a long, long time ago. God used visions to communicate with his prophets. We see that the Holy Spirit frequently used “neural movies” to impart the content and meaning of much prophecy.
The Prophet—An Ancient Media Device
Many (if not all) of the major prophets mentioned in the Bible—both Old and New Testament—experienced either visions or dreams. Consider that virtually the entire book of Revelation is the product of a vision. Apostle John wrote down what he saw and heard. Another example is the book of Zechariah, 5 chapters of which consist of 8 separate visions. Other prophets expressly received prophecy in visual form. Examples abound. Said Ezekiel, “the heavens were opened and I saw visions of God (Ezekiel 1:1). “The word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision” (Genesis 15:1). Jeremiah was asked, "What do you see?” (Jeremiah 1:11), and, “God spoke to Israel in a vision at night” (Genesis 46:2). These serve as only some of the examples.
But why did God give visions and dreams to the prophets when the written Word (Scripture) was the intended form of communication to following generations? We see here that a two-stage process was involved. The prophets saw visions and then accurately wrote down what they heard and saw. In a sense, they served as ancient “high fidelity” media players. Crucially, the writing down of these visions was guided by the Holy Spirit. For the Bible says, “For prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit” (2 Peter 1:21). What we see then is that God many times chose to impart revelations in the form of images, then to be written down in words, and not pictures. Why?
There are likely a number of reasons we theorize. For one, God was able to show the prophets things of the future for which adequate words to describe them did not yet exist. Moreover, visions and the symbols could contain much more information than could be understood through hearing.
No doubt there are other reasons. However, we observe a significant fact: A high proportion of prophecies and the greater volume of information that applies to the latter days—the very last of the last days and the events of the Great Tribulation—were given in the form of “image-rich’ visions. Why should God have chosen to communicate more of His prophecies to later generations such as ours, in visions that are full of symbols and imagery?
Could it be true that God knew that our “last day” generation would be an “image conscious” society, one highly attuned to communication through images? As such, it is our generation that has the suitable aptitude to understand and interpret the visions and dreams described in the Bible better than any other. While, on the one hand, our age of visual communications opens up our world to greater manipulation and deception, it also gives this generation the means to better understand prophecy, as we will further show.
Thoughts to Ponder
Our generation, namely the last generation—as the Bible defines this term with respect to the re-establishing of Israel in its own historical land and its reunion with the Messiah—is also the very last to experience actual visions and prophecy. We are not referring here to “personal prophecies” as some like to interpret today, but rather the type of prophecy that is inspired by “the spirit of prophecy,” that being the testimony of Jesus (Revelation 19:10).
Scripture clearly says that there will be no more prophecy after the Tribulation period. "Seventy ‘sevens’ are decreed for your people and your holy city to finish transgression, to put an end to sin, to atone for wickedness, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy and to anoint the most holy” (Daniel 9:24). Here it is confirmed that visions and prophecies will be sealed up after the 70th week (the 7-year tribulation period). That is because no new visions will be necessary after this time. Jesus Christ himself will reign during the millennial period. No longer will it be necessary for Him to enable visions to be uttered and written down by men. His own words are the Word … no visions required.
For today, the Bible expressly promises that the person who studies the book of Revelation will be blessed. “Blessed is he who keeps the words of the prophecy in this book” (Revelation 22:7). Of course, one is only able to keep the words of prophecy if one studies them. Moreover, we are also told in the Book of Daniel—the Old Testament book which most closely parallels Revelation—that the day would come near the end that “Many will go here and there” (Daniel 12:4) to gain the knowledge with respect to its prophecies and the divine plan of God. Both these books of the Bible (as well as Zechariah), which emphasize endtime prophecy, rely heavily upon imagery, symbolism, visions and dreams.
It is true that many of the things prophesied in these books are more understandable today, given the technological advances, scientific knowledge and globalization of our generation. Our video-exposed society today is also ideally suited to this task.
We will further explore these observations in Part 2. Even more interestingly, we will outline other perspectives on endtime prophecy which our generation is the first to uniquely appreciate. However, at the same time, much danger prevails. Like no age ever before, the world is besieged by a last-day flurry of false visions.
SUBSCRIBE TO WILFRED’S FREE NEWSLETTER
For resources on “endtime economics” and to subscribe to the free newsletter, Eternal Value Review, visit Wilfred’s website www. eternalvalue.com or contact him at mulberryministry@telus.net.
About the Author: Wilfred J. Hahn is a global economist/strategist. Formerly a top-ranked global analyst and chairman of the country’s largest global investment operation his writings focus on the endtime roles of money, economics and globalization. He has been quoted around the world and his writings reproduced in numerous other publications and languages. His most recent book is The Endtime Money Snare: How to live free.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[1]J. Francis Davis, Power of Images: Creating the Myths of Our Time. Media and Values, Issue #57 / Winter 1992.
[2] Sam Roberts, Who Americans Are and What They Do. In Census Data, New York Times, Dec. 15, 2006.
[3] How Much Information? UC Berkeley's School of Information Management and Systems, 2003.
[4] A Report on the Surveillance Society. Surveillance Study Network, September 2006.
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
Why The Media attacks Sarah Palin
I don't want to get off into the political areana, but the following article reveals the real reason why the media attacks Republican Vice-Presidential Candidate, Sarah Palin...It is all about her Christian faith and her belief that every unborn child has a right to life, subjects that can and should be discussed within this blog....
-->
Patrick J. Buchanan
One of Them and One of Us
09/09/2008
One wonders: What did Sarah Palin ever do to inspire the rage and bile that exploded on her selection by John McCain? What is there either in this woman's record or resume to elicit such feline ferocity?
What did we know of her when she was introduced?
That she was a mother of five who had brought into this world a baby boy with Down syndrome, thus living her Christian beliefs. That she was a small-town conservative who had risen from mayor of Wasilla (Pop. 9,700) to be governor of a state twice the size of Texas.
That she was a reformer who had dethroned an Old Boys' Network by dumping a sitting Republican governor. That she had taken on Big Oil, taxed the companies and returned the money in $1,200 checks to every citizen of Alaska. And that she had cut a deal with Canada to build a pipeline to bring natural gas to her fellow Americans.
And, oh, yes. She was "Sarah Barracuda" -- a fierce high school athlete, a runner-up in the Miss Alaska pageant, a Feminist for Life and lifetime member of the NRA. Introduced by McCain, she praised Hillary Clinton and pledged to finish her work by smashing through the glass ceiling in which Hillary had made 18 million cracks.
What, in any or all of this, is there to justify the feral attacks within minutes of her introduction? What had she done to cause this outburst? Answer: absolutely nothing.
No. Sarah Palin is not resented for what she has done, but for who she is: a Christian conservative who believes unborn children are gifts of God, even those with birth defects, and have a God-given right to life.
Normally, the press is reluctant to rummage into the private lives of public servants, unless their conduct affects their duties or they preach virtues they hypocritically do not practice.
Yet, no sooner was Palin introduced, than the media went berserk over the news that her 17-year-old daughter is pregnant. As one in three births in America is out-of-wedlock and Hollywood celebrates this lifestyle, why did The New York Times and The Washington Post splash this "news" on page one above the fold?
How does Bristol Palin's pregnancy disqualify Sarah Palin to be vice president? Why is it even relevant?
They did it because they thought it would damage Sarah Palin in the eyes of a Christian community they do not comprehend.
So out of bounds was the media that Obama, in an act of decency, declared Palin's family off limits and reminded the media that he was himself born to a teenage single mom.
If one would wish to see the famous liberal double standard on naked display, consider.
Palin's daughter was fair game for a media that refused to look into reports that John Edwards, a Democratic candidate for president, was conducting an illicit affair with a woman said to be carrying his child and cheating on his faithful wife Elizabeth, who has incurable cancer. That was not a legitimate story, but Bristol Palin's pregnancy is?
Why did the selection of Sarah Palin cause a suspension of all standards and a near riot among a media that has been so in the tank for Barack even "Saturday Night Live" has satirized the infatuation?
Because she is one of us -- and he is one of them.
Barack and Michelle are affirmative action, Princeton, Columbia, Harvard Law. She is public schools and Idaho State. Barack was a Saul Alinsky social worker who rustled up food stamps. Sarah Palin kills her own food.
Michelle has a $300,000-a-year sinecure doing PR for a Chicago hospital. Todd Palin is a union steelworker who augments his income working vacations on the North Slope. Sarah has always been proud to be an American. Michelle was never proud of America -- until Barack started winning.
Barack has zero experience as an executive. Sarah ran her own fishing fleet, was mayor for six years and runs the largest state in the union. She belongs to a mainstream Christian church. Barack was, for 15 years, a parishioner at Trinity United and had his daughters baptized by Pastor Jeremiah Wright, whose sermons are saturated in black-power, anti-white racism and anti-Americanism.
Sarah is a rebel. Obama has been a go-along, get-along cog in the Daley Machine. She is Middle America. Barack, behind closed doors in San Francisco, mocked Middle Americans as folks left behind by the global economy who cling bitterly to their Bibles, bigotries and guns.
Barack has zero foreign policy experience. Palin runs a state that is home to anti-missile, missile and air defense bases facing the Far East, commands the Alaska National Guard and has a soldier-son heading for Iraq.
Barack, says the National Journal, has the most left-wing voting record in the Senate, besting Socialist Bernie Sanders. Palin's stances read as though they were lifted from Reagan's 1980 "no pale pastels" platform. And this is what this media firestorm is all about.
Mr. Buchanan is a nationally syndicated columnist and author of Churchill, Hitler, and "The Unnecessary War": How Britain Lost Its Empire and the West Lost the World
-->
Patrick J. Buchanan
One of Them and One of Us
09/09/2008
One wonders: What did Sarah Palin ever do to inspire the rage and bile that exploded on her selection by John McCain? What is there either in this woman's record or resume to elicit such feline ferocity?
What did we know of her when she was introduced?
That she was a mother of five who had brought into this world a baby boy with Down syndrome, thus living her Christian beliefs. That she was a small-town conservative who had risen from mayor of Wasilla (Pop. 9,700) to be governor of a state twice the size of Texas.
That she was a reformer who had dethroned an Old Boys' Network by dumping a sitting Republican governor. That she had taken on Big Oil, taxed the companies and returned the money in $1,200 checks to every citizen of Alaska. And that she had cut a deal with Canada to build a pipeline to bring natural gas to her fellow Americans.
And, oh, yes. She was "Sarah Barracuda" -- a fierce high school athlete, a runner-up in the Miss Alaska pageant, a Feminist for Life and lifetime member of the NRA. Introduced by McCain, she praised Hillary Clinton and pledged to finish her work by smashing through the glass ceiling in which Hillary had made 18 million cracks.
What, in any or all of this, is there to justify the feral attacks within minutes of her introduction? What had she done to cause this outburst? Answer: absolutely nothing.
No. Sarah Palin is not resented for what she has done, but for who she is: a Christian conservative who believes unborn children are gifts of God, even those with birth defects, and have a God-given right to life.
Normally, the press is reluctant to rummage into the private lives of public servants, unless their conduct affects their duties or they preach virtues they hypocritically do not practice.
Yet, no sooner was Palin introduced, than the media went berserk over the news that her 17-year-old daughter is pregnant. As one in three births in America is out-of-wedlock and Hollywood celebrates this lifestyle, why did The New York Times and The Washington Post splash this "news" on page one above the fold?
How does Bristol Palin's pregnancy disqualify Sarah Palin to be vice president? Why is it even relevant?
They did it because they thought it would damage Sarah Palin in the eyes of a Christian community they do not comprehend.
So out of bounds was the media that Obama, in an act of decency, declared Palin's family off limits and reminded the media that he was himself born to a teenage single mom.
If one would wish to see the famous liberal double standard on naked display, consider.
Palin's daughter was fair game for a media that refused to look into reports that John Edwards, a Democratic candidate for president, was conducting an illicit affair with a woman said to be carrying his child and cheating on his faithful wife Elizabeth, who has incurable cancer. That was not a legitimate story, but Bristol Palin's pregnancy is?
Why did the selection of Sarah Palin cause a suspension of all standards and a near riot among a media that has been so in the tank for Barack even "Saturday Night Live" has satirized the infatuation?
Because she is one of us -- and he is one of them.
Barack and Michelle are affirmative action, Princeton, Columbia, Harvard Law. She is public schools and Idaho State. Barack was a Saul Alinsky social worker who rustled up food stamps. Sarah Palin kills her own food.
Michelle has a $300,000-a-year sinecure doing PR for a Chicago hospital. Todd Palin is a union steelworker who augments his income working vacations on the North Slope. Sarah has always been proud to be an American. Michelle was never proud of America -- until Barack started winning.
Barack has zero experience as an executive. Sarah ran her own fishing fleet, was mayor for six years and runs the largest state in the union. She belongs to a mainstream Christian church. Barack was, for 15 years, a parishioner at Trinity United and had his daughters baptized by Pastor Jeremiah Wright, whose sermons are saturated in black-power, anti-white racism and anti-Americanism.
Sarah is a rebel. Obama has been a go-along, get-along cog in the Daley Machine. She is Middle America. Barack, behind closed doors in San Francisco, mocked Middle Americans as folks left behind by the global economy who cling bitterly to their Bibles, bigotries and guns.
Barack has zero foreign policy experience. Palin runs a state that is home to anti-missile, missile and air defense bases facing the Far East, commands the Alaska National Guard and has a soldier-son heading for Iraq.
Barack, says the National Journal, has the most left-wing voting record in the Senate, besting Socialist Bernie Sanders. Palin's stances read as though they were lifted from Reagan's 1980 "no pale pastels" platform. And this is what this media firestorm is all about.
Mr. Buchanan is a nationally syndicated columnist and author of Churchill, Hitler, and "The Unnecessary War": How Britain Lost Its Empire and the West Lost the World
The Power of The Gospel
Good afternoon...Joel Rosenberg is a Jewish Christian (or completed Jew) who really has his hand on the pulse of the middle east...if you are not familiar with him I would suggest the book entitled "Epicenter". This is a tremendous work and it shows us just how close we are to the return of the Lord Jesus Christ. The following article from Joel reflects the power of the Gospel of Jesus Christ in the muslim world:
EXCLUSIVE: AL QAEDA TARGETS LEADING ARAB EVANGELIST OPERATING IN THE U.S. FOR PREACHING THE GOSPEL TO MUSLIMS
By Joel C. Rosenberg (Washington, D.C., September 9, 2008) --
You have probably never heard of Father Zakaria Botros. But you need to know his story. He is far and away the most-watched and most-effective Arab-American evangelist focused on reaching the Muslim world, and by far the most controversial. The Rush Limbaugh of the Revivalists, he is funny, feisty, brilliant, opinionated, and provocative. But rather than preaching the gospel of conservatism, he is preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ. And his enemies do not simply want to silence him. They want to assassinate him. Last week, I had the honor of interviewing Botros by phone from a secure, undisclosed location in the United States, where he now resides. He told me that he had just learned that an al Qaeda website had posted his photograph and named him one of the "most wanted" infidels in the world. The Radicals have even put a bounty on his head. The Christian Broadcasting Network reported the figure was as high as $60 million. Botros does not know for certain. But just to put that in context, the U.S. bounty on Osama bin Laden's head is "only" $25 million. Why are the Radicals so enraged by an elderly Coptic priest from Egypt who is in his 70s? Because Botros is waging an air war against them, and he is winning. Using state-of-the art satellite technology to bypass the efforts of Islamic governments to keep the gospel out of their countries, Botros is directly challenging the claims of Muhammad to be a prophet, and the claims of the Qu'ran to be God's word. He systematically deconstructs Muhammad's life, story by story, pointing out character flaws and sinful behavior. He carefully deconstructs the Qu'ran, verse by verse, citing contradictions and inconsistencies. And not only does he explain without apology what he believes is wrong with Islam, he goes on to teach Muslims from the Bible why Jesus loves them and why is so ready to forgive them and adopt them into His family, no matter who they are or what they have done. If Botros was doing this in a corner, or on some cable access channel where no one saw him or cared, that would be one thing. But his ninety-minute program - a combination of preaching, teaching and answering questions from (often irate) callers all over the world - has become "must see TV" throughout the Muslim world. It is replayed four times a week in Arabic, his native language, on a satellite television network called Al Hayat ("Life TV.") It can be seen in every country in North Africa, Middle East, Central Asia, as well as all throughout North America,Europe, Australia, and New Zealand. And not only can it be seen in so many places, it is seen - by an estimated fifty million Muslims a day. At the same time, Botros is getting millions of hits on his multiple web sites in multiple languages. There, Muslims can read his sermons and study through an archive of answers to frequently asked questions. They can also enter a live chat room called "Pal Chat" where they are not only permitted but encouraged to ask their toughest questions to trained on-line counselors, many of whom are Muslim converts to Christianity who understand exactly where the questioners are coming from and the struggles they are having. As a result, Botros - on the air only since 2003 - has practically become a household word in the Muslim world. An Arabic newspaper has named him Islam's "Public Enemy #1." Millions hate him, to be sure, but they are watching. They are listening. They are processing what he is saying and they are talking about him with their friends and family. When Botros challenges Radical clerics to answer his many refutations of Islam and defend the Qu'ran, millions wait to see what how the fundamentalists will respond. But they rarely do. They prefer to attack Botros than answer him. Yet, the more the Radicals attack him, the more well-known he becomes. The more well-known he becomes, the more Muslims feel compelled to tune in. And as more Muslims tune in, more are coming to the conclusion that Botros is right and in turn are choosing to become followers of Jesus Christ. Botros estimates at least 1,000 Muslims a month pray to receive Christ with his telephone counselors. Some of them pray to receive Christ live on their air with Botros. And this surely is only the tip of the iceberg, as it represents only those who are able to get through on the jammed phone lines. There simply are not currently enough trained counselors to handle each call. Many leading Arab evangelists I have interviewed for Inside The Revolution say God is using Botros to help bring in the greatest harvest of Muslim converts to Christianity in the history of Christendom. Botros refuses to take any credit, saying is just one voice in a movement of millions. But he is certainly excited by the trend lines. He does see more Muslims turning to Christ than ever before, and he told me he has cited my book Epicenter at least three times as evidence of the enormous numbers of conversions taking place. What's more, he vows to keep preaching the gospel so long as the Lord Jesus gives him breath. "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son [Jesus], that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life." That verse - John 3:16 - is the verse that drives Botros. He believes passionately God loves the whole world, including each and every Muslim. He believes that "whosoever" believes in the Lordship of Jesus Christ - Jew or Muslim - will, in fact, receive eternal life. He does not believe all Muslims are Radicals, but he does believe all Muslims are spiritually lost, and he wants desperately to help them find their way to forgiveness and reconciliation with the God who made them and loves them. "I believe this is the hand of God," Botros told me. "He is directing me. He shows me what to say. He shows me what to write on…the web sites. He is showing me more and more how to use the technology to reach people with his message of redemption."
EXCLUSIVE: AL QAEDA TARGETS LEADING ARAB EVANGELIST OPERATING IN THE U.S. FOR PREACHING THE GOSPEL TO MUSLIMS
By Joel C. Rosenberg (Washington, D.C., September 9, 2008) --
You have probably never heard of Father Zakaria Botros. But you need to know his story. He is far and away the most-watched and most-effective Arab-American evangelist focused on reaching the Muslim world, and by far the most controversial. The Rush Limbaugh of the Revivalists, he is funny, feisty, brilliant, opinionated, and provocative. But rather than preaching the gospel of conservatism, he is preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ. And his enemies do not simply want to silence him. They want to assassinate him. Last week, I had the honor of interviewing Botros by phone from a secure, undisclosed location in the United States, where he now resides. He told me that he had just learned that an al Qaeda website had posted his photograph and named him one of the "most wanted" infidels in the world. The Radicals have even put a bounty on his head. The Christian Broadcasting Network reported the figure was as high as $60 million. Botros does not know for certain. But just to put that in context, the U.S. bounty on Osama bin Laden's head is "only" $25 million. Why are the Radicals so enraged by an elderly Coptic priest from Egypt who is in his 70s? Because Botros is waging an air war against them, and he is winning. Using state-of-the art satellite technology to bypass the efforts of Islamic governments to keep the gospel out of their countries, Botros is directly challenging the claims of Muhammad to be a prophet, and the claims of the Qu'ran to be God's word. He systematically deconstructs Muhammad's life, story by story, pointing out character flaws and sinful behavior. He carefully deconstructs the Qu'ran, verse by verse, citing contradictions and inconsistencies. And not only does he explain without apology what he believes is wrong with Islam, he goes on to teach Muslims from the Bible why Jesus loves them and why is so ready to forgive them and adopt them into His family, no matter who they are or what they have done. If Botros was doing this in a corner, or on some cable access channel where no one saw him or cared, that would be one thing. But his ninety-minute program - a combination of preaching, teaching and answering questions from (often irate) callers all over the world - has become "must see TV" throughout the Muslim world. It is replayed four times a week in Arabic, his native language, on a satellite television network called Al Hayat ("Life TV.") It can be seen in every country in North Africa, Middle East, Central Asia, as well as all throughout North America,Europe, Australia, and New Zealand. And not only can it be seen in so many places, it is seen - by an estimated fifty million Muslims a day. At the same time, Botros is getting millions of hits on his multiple web sites in multiple languages. There, Muslims can read his sermons and study through an archive of answers to frequently asked questions. They can also enter a live chat room called "Pal Chat" where they are not only permitted but encouraged to ask their toughest questions to trained on-line counselors, many of whom are Muslim converts to Christianity who understand exactly where the questioners are coming from and the struggles they are having. As a result, Botros - on the air only since 2003 - has practically become a household word in the Muslim world. An Arabic newspaper has named him Islam's "Public Enemy #1." Millions hate him, to be sure, but they are watching. They are listening. They are processing what he is saying and they are talking about him with their friends and family. When Botros challenges Radical clerics to answer his many refutations of Islam and defend the Qu'ran, millions wait to see what how the fundamentalists will respond. But they rarely do. They prefer to attack Botros than answer him. Yet, the more the Radicals attack him, the more well-known he becomes. The more well-known he becomes, the more Muslims feel compelled to tune in. And as more Muslims tune in, more are coming to the conclusion that Botros is right and in turn are choosing to become followers of Jesus Christ. Botros estimates at least 1,000 Muslims a month pray to receive Christ with his telephone counselors. Some of them pray to receive Christ live on their air with Botros. And this surely is only the tip of the iceberg, as it represents only those who are able to get through on the jammed phone lines. There simply are not currently enough trained counselors to handle each call. Many leading Arab evangelists I have interviewed for Inside The Revolution say God is using Botros to help bring in the greatest harvest of Muslim converts to Christianity in the history of Christendom. Botros refuses to take any credit, saying is just one voice in a movement of millions. But he is certainly excited by the trend lines. He does see more Muslims turning to Christ than ever before, and he told me he has cited my book Epicenter at least three times as evidence of the enormous numbers of conversions taking place. What's more, he vows to keep preaching the gospel so long as the Lord Jesus gives him breath. "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son [Jesus], that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life." That verse - John 3:16 - is the verse that drives Botros. He believes passionately God loves the whole world, including each and every Muslim. He believes that "whosoever" believes in the Lordship of Jesus Christ - Jew or Muslim - will, in fact, receive eternal life. He does not believe all Muslims are Radicals, but he does believe all Muslims are spiritually lost, and he wants desperately to help them find their way to forgiveness and reconciliation with the God who made them and loves them. "I believe this is the hand of God," Botros told me. "He is directing me. He shows me what to say. He shows me what to write on…the web sites. He is showing me more and more how to use the technology to reach people with his message of redemption."
Monday, September 8, 2008
Air Strike in Iran/Russian Invasion of Georgia Connected?
Good morning!
The recent Russian invasion of the Republic of Georgia has left many wondering what may have really been behind this invasion...Is it connected to a possible airstrike by Israel into Iran? The following article helps clear up the confusion...it is by Terry james of teh Rapture ready website:
Sept 8
The Israel-Georgia Military Axis
The clock continues to tick down on the potentiality of an Israeli airstrike against Iran. Because Israel will want the advantage that comes from a surprise attack, we'll never know exact time frame until bombs start flying. You can tell from the rhetoric used by world leaders that they realize something is coming.
Just this past week, Nicolas Sarkozy, the French president, warned Iran that it was taking a big risk by seeking to obtain a military nuclear capability, saying that one day it could find Israel had decided to attack. In one of the most explicit warnings to Tehran by a western leader, Mr Sarkozy said: "One day, whatever the Israeli government, we could find one morning that Israel has struck." He also said, "The question is not whether it would be legitimate, whether it would be intelligent. What will we do at that moment? It would be a catastrophe. We must avoid that catastrophe."
There was another warning indication from the highly respected Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf. It claimed that a top-secret intelligence operation that had been developed over several years by the Dutch AIVD Secret Service had been aborted. The report went on to claim that one of the agency's top agents had been withdrawn from Iran because of impending U.S. plans to attack Iran.
All these warning signs have had zero impact on bringing Iran into compliance. If it is playing a game of nuclear chicken with the West, it is playing the game very well. For now, Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad seems immune to having any rational thoughts on this issue.
There is one factor that is temporarily helping diplomats sleep better at night. It is commonly believed that the Israelis will wait until after the November election before launching an attack. Of course, with any major new development in Iran's nuclear program, all bets would be off.
The most amazing development of the past week would have to be the revelation that the nation of Georgia is connected to the planning for the attack. Sources contacted by the Jerusalem Post have said that Georgia had a special military relationship with Israel. They also gave a strong reason why Russia might have invaded its southern neighbor.
"In a secret agreement between Israel and Georgia, two military airfields in southern Georgia had been earmarked for the use of Israeli fighter bombers in the event of preemptive attacks against Iranian nuclear installations. This would sharply reduce the distance Israeli fighter bombers would have to fly to hit targets in Iran. And to reach Georgian airstrips, the Israeli Air Force (IAF) would fly over Turkey" (Arnaud De Borchgrave of the UPI news service).
Russians may have been trying to disrupt Israel's staging in Georgia with the invasion. At a Moscow news conference, Gen. Anatoly Nogovitsyn, Russia's deputy chief of staff, noted the extent of Israeli aid to Georgia included "eight types of military vehicles, explosives, landmines and special explosives for clearing minefields." Estimated numbers of Israeli trainers attached to the Georgian army range from 100 to 1,000.
I was shocked to learn that Georgia's Defense Minister Davit Kezerashvili is a former Israeli who has been facilitating Israeli arms sales with U.S. aid. "We are now in a fight against the great Russia," he was quoted as saying, "and our hope is to receive assistance from the White House because Georgia cannot survive on its own."
Georgian Minister Temur Yakobashvili is another leading Jew in that country. He told Israeli Army radio that "Israel should be proud of its military, which trained Georgian soldiers because a small group of our soldiers were able to wipe out an entire Russian military division, thanks to Israeli training."
The Israel-Georgia alliance is a huge boom for Bible prophecy in two ways. The most obvious one is the ability for Israel to easily reach Iran by using bases in Georgia. The second one would be the potential for Russia and Israel to come into direct conflict with each other. In the past, Russia has only opposed Israel by supporting its enemies.
If Israel does use Georgian airfield for its attack, the move could spark Russia to completely invade the country. This move would be a perfect set-up for the Gog Invasion, as it would put Russian forces right at the door step of the Middle East.
"And thou shalt come from thy place out of the north parts, thou, and many people with thee, all of them riding upon horses, a great company, and a mighty army" (Ezek. 38:15).
-- Todd
Ancient Pestilence and Future Famine
I want to devote this Nearing Midnight column to examining a couple of areas contributing to what seems the winding down of human history, in preparation for the things Jesus talked about in the Olivet Discourse almost 2,000 years ago. He was precise in His prophecies about conditions leading up to His second advent. Two of those predictions involve some things manifesting their presence on the scene today. And, there is more to them, I think, than, as they say, meets the eye. Jesus foretold as part of that Olivet Discourse: “For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places” (Matt. 24:7).
We often cover the “nation against nation” portion of this section of prophecy by Jesus. Also, we have pointed many times to the dramatic rise and spread of larger and larger “earthquakes.” I would like to look for this brief time into the “famine and pestilence” part of the Lord’s words–perhaps stretching the literal application of those terms, using metaphorical license just a bit.
Every empire throughout human history has gone through much the same kind of boom and bust cycle. This is because the fallen minds of men set up human government, so the ultimate outcome of empire building–no matter the benevolence with which the effort begins, results in decline and fall.
Sometimes the falls seem abrupt, although they had been deteriorating, like when the Medes and Persians invaded beneath the walls of Babylon to end that great empire that was once the “head of gold” ruled over by the great King Nebuchadnezzar. More often–especially in latter-day times—the empires slowly dissolve, without catastrophic overthrow. Two modern empires to consider in that regard are the Soviet empire, which imploded, then was forced to dissolve and reconfigure in the late 1980s and early 1990s. The British Empire, of course, is now in the throes of dissolution. The sun, which was boasted to never set on the British Empire, has indeed set. The result is that the gospel light is all but turned out and the dark forces of Islam are spreading like the pestilence of Pharaoh's day, when Moses forewarned him of things to come if Pharaoh didn’t let God’s chosen people go.
Perhaps the segue is somewhat less apropos than it could be. However, thinking on pestilence of a religious nature now bringing the British Empire to its final throes of dissolution sparks thought of recent news about pestilence of a biological nature--the way that plague-condition is most often considered. The ancient Roman Empire, once the most glorious empire on earth, is thought to be linked to a modern plague with which our generation is intimately acquainted.
“The spread of the Roman Empire through Europe could help explain why those living in its former colonies are more vulnerable to HIV. The claim, by French researchers, is that people once ruled by Rome are less likely to have a gene variant which protects against HIV. This includes England, France, Greece and Spain, New Scientist reports. Others argue the difference is linked to a far larger event, such as the spread of bubonic plague or smallpox… The idea that something carried by the occupying Romans could have a widespread influence on the genes of modern Europeans comes from researchers at the University of Provence. They say that the frequency of the variant corresponds closely with the shifting boundaries of the thousand-year empire… Dr Susan Scott, one of the researchers, said that the idea of Roman occupation being the driving force behind this was another theory to be considered. ‘We just don't know. This is just another piece of the jigsaw, but we're waiting for the big piece of evidence which will solve this’” ("Roman Empire 'raised HIV threat,’" BBC News, 9/4/08).
Famine is another major signal that the time of Christ’s return is near. The forewarning of massive famine is, in addition to Jesus’ words in the Olivet Discourse, predicted in the ominous passages dealing with the riding forth of the horsemen of the apocalypse. “And when he had opened the third seal, I heard the third beast say, Come and see. And I beheld, and lo a black horse; and he that sat on him had a pair of balances in his hand. And I heard a voice in the midst of the four beasts say, A measure of wheat for a penny, and three measures of barley for a penny; and see thou hurt not the oil and the wine” (Rev. 6:5-6).
Human governments, determined to do things that are right in their own eyes, and to break the safety bands that tether them to the Creator, are most often the cause of the famine that have plagued mankind throughout history, and that continues to do so today. Mounting famine of catastrophic potentiality grows by the hour.
“PATNA, India - Food riots erupted yesterday in eastern India, where more than 2 million people have been forced from their homes and about 250,000 houses destroyed in what officials say are the worst floods in 50 years…Some experts blamed the floods on heavier monsoon rains caused by global warming, while others said authorities have failed to take preventive measures and improve infrastructure…” ("Food riots hit eastern India after worst floods in decades," The Boston Globe, 9/4/08).
The farther mankind moves from the God of heaven, the more trouble comes humanity’s way. While man sows to the wind, he is guaranteed to reap the whirlwind. Such is not what the Lord wants for His rebellious creation, but the cycle that leads to decline and fall is inevitable when God is pushed aside. “Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap” (Gal. 6:7).
Whether nations, empires, or individuals, the Lord must be in control, or pestilences and famines will ultimately come. God’s judgment must fall on rebellion, and the tribulation judgment hoofbeats thunder in spiritually attuned ears today.
--Terry
The recent Russian invasion of the Republic of Georgia has left many wondering what may have really been behind this invasion...Is it connected to a possible airstrike by Israel into Iran? The following article helps clear up the confusion...it is by Terry james of teh Rapture ready website:
Sept 8
The Israel-Georgia Military Axis
The clock continues to tick down on the potentiality of an Israeli airstrike against Iran. Because Israel will want the advantage that comes from a surprise attack, we'll never know exact time frame until bombs start flying. You can tell from the rhetoric used by world leaders that they realize something is coming.
Just this past week, Nicolas Sarkozy, the French president, warned Iran that it was taking a big risk by seeking to obtain a military nuclear capability, saying that one day it could find Israel had decided to attack. In one of the most explicit warnings to Tehran by a western leader, Mr Sarkozy said: "One day, whatever the Israeli government, we could find one morning that Israel has struck." He also said, "The question is not whether it would be legitimate, whether it would be intelligent. What will we do at that moment? It would be a catastrophe. We must avoid that catastrophe."
There was another warning indication from the highly respected Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf. It claimed that a top-secret intelligence operation that had been developed over several years by the Dutch AIVD Secret Service had been aborted. The report went on to claim that one of the agency's top agents had been withdrawn from Iran because of impending U.S. plans to attack Iran.
All these warning signs have had zero impact on bringing Iran into compliance. If it is playing a game of nuclear chicken with the West, it is playing the game very well. For now, Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad seems immune to having any rational thoughts on this issue.
There is one factor that is temporarily helping diplomats sleep better at night. It is commonly believed that the Israelis will wait until after the November election before launching an attack. Of course, with any major new development in Iran's nuclear program, all bets would be off.
The most amazing development of the past week would have to be the revelation that the nation of Georgia is connected to the planning for the attack. Sources contacted by the Jerusalem Post have said that Georgia had a special military relationship with Israel. They also gave a strong reason why Russia might have invaded its southern neighbor.
"In a secret agreement between Israel and Georgia, two military airfields in southern Georgia had been earmarked for the use of Israeli fighter bombers in the event of preemptive attacks against Iranian nuclear installations. This would sharply reduce the distance Israeli fighter bombers would have to fly to hit targets in Iran. And to reach Georgian airstrips, the Israeli Air Force (IAF) would fly over Turkey" (Arnaud De Borchgrave of the UPI news service).
Russians may have been trying to disrupt Israel's staging in Georgia with the invasion. At a Moscow news conference, Gen. Anatoly Nogovitsyn, Russia's deputy chief of staff, noted the extent of Israeli aid to Georgia included "eight types of military vehicles, explosives, landmines and special explosives for clearing minefields." Estimated numbers of Israeli trainers attached to the Georgian army range from 100 to 1,000.
I was shocked to learn that Georgia's Defense Minister Davit Kezerashvili is a former Israeli who has been facilitating Israeli arms sales with U.S. aid. "We are now in a fight against the great Russia," he was quoted as saying, "and our hope is to receive assistance from the White House because Georgia cannot survive on its own."
Georgian Minister Temur Yakobashvili is another leading Jew in that country. He told Israeli Army radio that "Israel should be proud of its military, which trained Georgian soldiers because a small group of our soldiers were able to wipe out an entire Russian military division, thanks to Israeli training."
The Israel-Georgia alliance is a huge boom for Bible prophecy in two ways. The most obvious one is the ability for Israel to easily reach Iran by using bases in Georgia. The second one would be the potential for Russia and Israel to come into direct conflict with each other. In the past, Russia has only opposed Israel by supporting its enemies.
If Israel does use Georgian airfield for its attack, the move could spark Russia to completely invade the country. This move would be a perfect set-up for the Gog Invasion, as it would put Russian forces right at the door step of the Middle East.
"And thou shalt come from thy place out of the north parts, thou, and many people with thee, all of them riding upon horses, a great company, and a mighty army" (Ezek. 38:15).
-- Todd
Ancient Pestilence and Future Famine
I want to devote this Nearing Midnight column to examining a couple of areas contributing to what seems the winding down of human history, in preparation for the things Jesus talked about in the Olivet Discourse almost 2,000 years ago. He was precise in His prophecies about conditions leading up to His second advent. Two of those predictions involve some things manifesting their presence on the scene today. And, there is more to them, I think, than, as they say, meets the eye. Jesus foretold as part of that Olivet Discourse: “For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places” (Matt. 24:7).
We often cover the “nation against nation” portion of this section of prophecy by Jesus. Also, we have pointed many times to the dramatic rise and spread of larger and larger “earthquakes.” I would like to look for this brief time into the “famine and pestilence” part of the Lord’s words–perhaps stretching the literal application of those terms, using metaphorical license just a bit.
Every empire throughout human history has gone through much the same kind of boom and bust cycle. This is because the fallen minds of men set up human government, so the ultimate outcome of empire building–no matter the benevolence with which the effort begins, results in decline and fall.
Sometimes the falls seem abrupt, although they had been deteriorating, like when the Medes and Persians invaded beneath the walls of Babylon to end that great empire that was once the “head of gold” ruled over by the great King Nebuchadnezzar. More often–especially in latter-day times—the empires slowly dissolve, without catastrophic overthrow. Two modern empires to consider in that regard are the Soviet empire, which imploded, then was forced to dissolve and reconfigure in the late 1980s and early 1990s. The British Empire, of course, is now in the throes of dissolution. The sun, which was boasted to never set on the British Empire, has indeed set. The result is that the gospel light is all but turned out and the dark forces of Islam are spreading like the pestilence of Pharaoh's day, when Moses forewarned him of things to come if Pharaoh didn’t let God’s chosen people go.
Perhaps the segue is somewhat less apropos than it could be. However, thinking on pestilence of a religious nature now bringing the British Empire to its final throes of dissolution sparks thought of recent news about pestilence of a biological nature--the way that plague-condition is most often considered. The ancient Roman Empire, once the most glorious empire on earth, is thought to be linked to a modern plague with which our generation is intimately acquainted.
“The spread of the Roman Empire through Europe could help explain why those living in its former colonies are more vulnerable to HIV. The claim, by French researchers, is that people once ruled by Rome are less likely to have a gene variant which protects against HIV. This includes England, France, Greece and Spain, New Scientist reports. Others argue the difference is linked to a far larger event, such as the spread of bubonic plague or smallpox… The idea that something carried by the occupying Romans could have a widespread influence on the genes of modern Europeans comes from researchers at the University of Provence. They say that the frequency of the variant corresponds closely with the shifting boundaries of the thousand-year empire… Dr Susan Scott, one of the researchers, said that the idea of Roman occupation being the driving force behind this was another theory to be considered. ‘We just don't know. This is just another piece of the jigsaw, but we're waiting for the big piece of evidence which will solve this’” ("Roman Empire 'raised HIV threat,’" BBC News, 9/4/08).
Famine is another major signal that the time of Christ’s return is near. The forewarning of massive famine is, in addition to Jesus’ words in the Olivet Discourse, predicted in the ominous passages dealing with the riding forth of the horsemen of the apocalypse. “And when he had opened the third seal, I heard the third beast say, Come and see. And I beheld, and lo a black horse; and he that sat on him had a pair of balances in his hand. And I heard a voice in the midst of the four beasts say, A measure of wheat for a penny, and three measures of barley for a penny; and see thou hurt not the oil and the wine” (Rev. 6:5-6).
Human governments, determined to do things that are right in their own eyes, and to break the safety bands that tether them to the Creator, are most often the cause of the famine that have plagued mankind throughout history, and that continues to do so today. Mounting famine of catastrophic potentiality grows by the hour.
“PATNA, India - Food riots erupted yesterday in eastern India, where more than 2 million people have been forced from their homes and about 250,000 houses destroyed in what officials say are the worst floods in 50 years…Some experts blamed the floods on heavier monsoon rains caused by global warming, while others said authorities have failed to take preventive measures and improve infrastructure…” ("Food riots hit eastern India after worst floods in decades," The Boston Globe, 9/4/08).
The farther mankind moves from the God of heaven, the more trouble comes humanity’s way. While man sows to the wind, he is guaranteed to reap the whirlwind. Such is not what the Lord wants for His rebellious creation, but the cycle that leads to decline and fall is inevitable when God is pushed aside. “Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap” (Gal. 6:7).
Whether nations, empires, or individuals, the Lord must be in control, or pestilences and famines will ultimately come. God’s judgment must fall on rebellion, and the tribulation judgment hoofbeats thunder in spiritually attuned ears today.
--Terry
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
09/11
Good Morning...as we approach the 7th anniversary of o9/11, here is some foood for thought from Olive Tree Ministries:
HOMELAND INSECURITY MOUNTS AS WE NEAR 9/11
By Jan Markell
Is another 9/11 in the wind as we reach the 7th anniversary of the fateful day in 2001? As many on the Left have campaigned these past many months and even years, you would not know we were in the very battle for civilization as we know it. Our intelligence agencies even want us to drop the term "war on terror" because they say it is not politically correct. An interesting perspective comes from the former bodyguard of Israeli Prime Minister Golda Meir, Juval Aviv. He is an intelligence expert and also author of the highly recommended book Staying Safe. He passionately warns that America is not safe. Meir had appointed him to track down and bring to justice the Palestinian terrorists who took the lives of Israeli athletes held as hostages and then killed at the 1972 Munich Olympics. Aviv predicted the date of the London subway bombing on the Bill O'Reilly show stating publicly that it would happen within a week. O'Reilly laughed at him saying that in a week he wanted him back on the show. Unfortunately, O'Reilly had egg on his face as the ordeal in London did happen. In like manner, Aviv warned people in high places in Washington prior to 9/11 that terror plans were in the works. Again, he was rebuffed. Aviv says that terrorists will never try and hijack a plane again as they know the people on board will not go down quietly but will put up a struggle--thanks to Todd Boemer and others on Flight 93 on September 11. But he bluntly states that our airport security is a joke; that we have been reactionary rather than proactive in developing strategies that are truly effective. Aviv does expect some kind of terror activity on American shores in the coming months.
September 11, 2001, has faded in the minds of most Americans who relegate it to ancient history. It makes them uncomfortable and spoils summer vacations and other holidays. It was a fluke, some of them say, and will likely never happen again. Really? If God were not our Homeland Security Director, it would be happening on a regular basis. Consider just a few of these headlines all found here along with about 70 similar stories:
* Pakistani Woman Carried List of New York Terror Targets
* Homeland Security Urges Diligence Over the Next 12 Months
* Internet Ties Link U.S. Terror Cells
* Counterterror Staff Falls by 62%
* Nuclear Lab Fails Terror Exercise
* Fifteen More Cities Considered High Risk for Terror
* U.S. Thwarts 19 Terrorist Attacks since 9/11
* Terror Watch List Swells to 755,000
* Airport Security Heading Backward
* U.S. Concerned about Two-Dozen "Clusters" of Home-grown Terrorists I could go on but you get the point. We are still in danger but few want to acknowledge it. Aviv goes on to say that terrorists will increasingly use suicide tactics rather than airplanes. The suicide tactics are cheap, effective -- and there is always an infinite number of young militants wanting to "meet their destiny." Aviv says that from an intelligence perspective, the U.S. needs to rely less on technology and follow Israel's strategy of hands-on human intelligence both from an infiltration perspective as well as to ask "aware" citizens to help. But some in high places in the U.S. government feel Americans "cannot handle the truth." They think we will panic if we fully understand the realities of terrorism. Have we forgotten the strength of the American people that showed itself on that infamous day in U.S. history? How about letting us try, please, before it is too late?! I am fond of the verse, "I trust in you, O Lord . . . Our times are in Your Hands" (Psalm 31:14, 15). Have you thanked God for protecting America over these last many years? Why not spend a few moments during this season of 9/11 doing just that? Miraculously He stills finds enough favor with America to keep America safe against all odds! And please watch our moving memorial to 9/11 here. May we never forget the heroes and victims of the biggest tragedy on American soil. May we also never forget that the terrorists planned on killing hundreds of thousands. They fell far short. Thank you, Lord.
HOMELAND INSECURITY MOUNTS AS WE NEAR 9/11
By Jan Markell
Is another 9/11 in the wind as we reach the 7th anniversary of the fateful day in 2001? As many on the Left have campaigned these past many months and even years, you would not know we were in the very battle for civilization as we know it. Our intelligence agencies even want us to drop the term "war on terror" because they say it is not politically correct. An interesting perspective comes from the former bodyguard of Israeli Prime Minister Golda Meir, Juval Aviv. He is an intelligence expert and also author of the highly recommended book Staying Safe. He passionately warns that America is not safe. Meir had appointed him to track down and bring to justice the Palestinian terrorists who took the lives of Israeli athletes held as hostages and then killed at the 1972 Munich Olympics. Aviv predicted the date of the London subway bombing on the Bill O'Reilly show stating publicly that it would happen within a week. O'Reilly laughed at him saying that in a week he wanted him back on the show. Unfortunately, O'Reilly had egg on his face as the ordeal in London did happen. In like manner, Aviv warned people in high places in Washington prior to 9/11 that terror plans were in the works. Again, he was rebuffed. Aviv says that terrorists will never try and hijack a plane again as they know the people on board will not go down quietly but will put up a struggle--thanks to Todd Boemer and others on Flight 93 on September 11. But he bluntly states that our airport security is a joke; that we have been reactionary rather than proactive in developing strategies that are truly effective. Aviv does expect some kind of terror activity on American shores in the coming months.
September 11, 2001, has faded in the minds of most Americans who relegate it to ancient history. It makes them uncomfortable and spoils summer vacations and other holidays. It was a fluke, some of them say, and will likely never happen again. Really? If God were not our Homeland Security Director, it would be happening on a regular basis. Consider just a few of these headlines all found here along with about 70 similar stories:
* Pakistani Woman Carried List of New York Terror Targets
* Homeland Security Urges Diligence Over the Next 12 Months
* Internet Ties Link U.S. Terror Cells
* Counterterror Staff Falls by 62%
* Nuclear Lab Fails Terror Exercise
* Fifteen More Cities Considered High Risk for Terror
* U.S. Thwarts 19 Terrorist Attacks since 9/11
* Terror Watch List Swells to 755,000
* Airport Security Heading Backward
* U.S. Concerned about Two-Dozen "Clusters" of Home-grown Terrorists I could go on but you get the point. We are still in danger but few want to acknowledge it. Aviv goes on to say that terrorists will increasingly use suicide tactics rather than airplanes. The suicide tactics are cheap, effective -- and there is always an infinite number of young militants wanting to "meet their destiny." Aviv says that from an intelligence perspective, the U.S. needs to rely less on technology and follow Israel's strategy of hands-on human intelligence both from an infiltration perspective as well as to ask "aware" citizens to help. But some in high places in the U.S. government feel Americans "cannot handle the truth." They think we will panic if we fully understand the realities of terrorism. Have we forgotten the strength of the American people that showed itself on that infamous day in U.S. history? How about letting us try, please, before it is too late?! I am fond of the verse, "I trust in you, O Lord . . . Our times are in Your Hands" (Psalm 31:14, 15). Have you thanked God for protecting America over these last many years? Why not spend a few moments during this season of 9/11 doing just that? Miraculously He stills finds enough favor with America to keep America safe against all odds! And please watch our moving memorial to 9/11 here. May we never forget the heroes and victims of the biggest tragedy on American soil. May we also never forget that the terrorists planned on killing hundreds of thousands. They fell far short. Thank you, Lord.
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