Prophecy Proof Insights

Examining Isaiah 3 for Potential End Times Relevance

2012-01-27T11:31:00.000-08:00

The prophet Isaiah utilized the term “in that day” in several of his prophecies. The following table lists the verses where the term “in that day” appears in the Book of Isaiah.

Verses Mentioning “In That Day” in the Book of Isaiah
Isaiah 2:11, 17, 20	Isaiah 3:7, 18	Isaiah 4:1-2	Isaiah 5:30
Isaiah 7:18, 21, 23	Isaiah 10:20, 27	Isaiah 11:10-11	Isaiah 12:1, 4
Isaiah 17:4, 9	Isaiah 19:16, 18-19, 21, 23-24	Isaiah 20:6	Isaiah 22:8, 12, 20, 25
Isaiah 23:15	Isaiah 24:21	Isaiah 25:9	Isaiah 26:1
Isaiah 27:1-2, 12-13	Isaiah 28:5	Isaiah 29:18	Isaiah 30:23
Isaiah 31:7	Isaiah 52:6

The term “in that day” in the Book of Isaiah almost always refers to the End Times. For instance, the term “in that day” refers to the Day of the Lord in Isaiah 2:11-12.

Isa 2:11 The lofty looks of man shall be humbled, and the haughtiness of men shall be bowed down, and the LORD alone shall be exalted in that day.
Isa 2:12 For the day of the LORD of hosts shall be upon every one that is proud and lofty, and upon every one that is lifted up; and he shall be brought low:

The term “in that day” appears twice in Isaiah 3. The two verses where the term “in that day” appears are shown below:

Isa 3:7 In that day shall he swear, saying, I will not be an healer; for in my house is neither bread nor clothing: make me not a ruler of the people.

Isa 3:18 In that day the Lord will take away the bravery of their tinkling ornaments about their feet, and their cauls, and their round tires like the moon,

Although these verses include the term “in that day”, the Bible commentaries I’ve read about Isaiah 3 assume that the chapter primarily concerns the past. Given the appearance of the term “in that day” in Isaiah 3, I decided to spend some time examining the chapter to see whether it is safe to assume that Isaiah 3 primarily concerns the past.

I’ll share today why I currently think that Isaiah 3 may have potential End Times implications.

Isaiah 2 is a chapter that I strongly believe concerns the End Times because it references the last days, the Day of the Lord, includes the term “in that day”, and parallels verses like Revelation 6:15-16. These features are displayed in the following table:

Isa 2:2 And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the LORD'S house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it.

…

Isa 2:10 Enter into the rock, and hide thee in the dust, for fear of the LORD, and for the glory of his majesty.

Isa 2:11 The lofty looks of man shall be humbled, and the haughtiness of men shall be bowed down, and the LORD alone shall be exalted in that day.

Isa 2:12 For the day of the LORD of hosts shall be upon every one that is proud and lofty, and upon every one that is lifted up; and he shall be brought low:

…

Isa 2:19 And they shall go into the holes of the rocks, and into the caves of the earth, for fear of the LORD, and for the glory of his majesty, when he ariseth to shake terribly the earth.

Rev 6:15 And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains;

Rev 6:16 And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb:

Rev 6:17 For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?

The reason I mention Isaiah 2 in an article about Isaiah 3 is that many Bible commentators believe that the beginning of Isaiah 3 is a continuation of Isaiah 2.

The division of the Bible into verses and chapters was done by man to make it easier to find and reference Scripture quickly, so the end of a chapter does not necessarily mean that the telling of a prophecy has ended. For more on the division of the Bible into verses and chapters, you can access the following article from Got Questions: Link

One idea conveyed in the latter part of Isaiah 2, particularly in verse 22, is that people should not put their complete trust in man as man is nothing compared to the Lord. Isaiah 3 provides a specific example of why people should not put their complete trust in man. Isaiah 3 mentions that the warriors, political elite, and the religious elite of Jerusalem and Judah will lose their positions when the Lord judges them.

Isa 2:19 And they shall go into the holes of the rocks, and into the caves of the earth, for fear of the LORD, and for the glory of his majesty, when he ariseth to shake terribly the earth.
Isa 2:20 In that day a man shall cast his idols of silver, and his idols of gold, which they made each one for himself to worship, to the moles and to the bats;
Isa 2:21 To go into the clefts of the rocks, and into the tops of the ragged rocks, for fear of the LORD, and for the glory of his majesty, when he ariseth to shake terribly the earth.
Isa 2:22 Cease ye from man, whose breath is in his nostrils: for wherein is he to be accounted of?
Isa 3:1 For, behold, the Lord, the LORD of hosts, doth take away from Jerusalem and from Judah the stay and the staff, the whole stay of bread, and the whole stay of water,
Isa 3:2 The mighty man, and the man of war, the judge, and the prophet, and the prudent, and the ancient,
Isa 3:3 The captain of fifty, and the honourable man, and the counsellor, and the cunning artificer, and the eloquent orator.
Isa 3:4 And I will give children to be their princes, and babes shall rule over them.

The connection between Isaiah 2 and Isaiah 3 is a reason to view Isaiah 3 as a chapter that has potential End Times relevance beyond the fact that the term “in that day” appears twice in the chapter.

Another thing to consider is that there are some significant parallels between Isaiah 3 and Ezekiel 7, a chapter that I think may have significant End Times implications. The first significant parallel is both chapters mention that the Lord will judge and punish His people.

Isa 3:11 Woe unto the wicked! it shall be ill with him: for the reward of his hands shall be given him.

Isa 3:12 As for my people, children are their oppressors, and women rule over them. O my people, they which lead thee cause thee to err, and destroy the way of thy paths.

Isa 3:13 The LORD standeth up to plead, and standeth to judge the people.

Isa 3:14 The LORD will enter into judgment with the ancients of his people, and the princes thereof: for ye have eaten up the vineyard; the spoil of the poor is in your houses.

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

Eze 7:3 Now is the end come upon thee, and I will send mine anger upon thee, and will judge thee according to thy ways, and will recompense upon thee all thine abominations.

Eze 7:4 And mine eye shall not spare thee, neither will I have pity: but I will recompense thy ways upon thee, and thine abominations shall be in the midst of thee: and ye shall know that I am the LORD.

…

Eze 7:8 Now will I shortly pour out my fury upon thee, and accomplish mine anger upon thee: and I will judge thee according to thy ways, and will recompense thee for all thine abominations.

The second significant parallel is both chapters mention that the religious elite and political elite will be targeted with punishment:

Isa 3:1 For, behold, the Lord, the LORD of hosts, doth take away from Jerusalem and from Judah the stay and the staff, the whole stay of bread, and the whole stay of water,

Isa 3:2 The mighty man, and the man of war, the judge, and the prophet, and the prudent, and the ancient,

Isa 3:3 The captain of fifty, and the honourable man, and the counsellor, and the cunning artificer, and the eloquent orator.

Isa 3:4 And I will give children to be their princes, and babes shall rule over them.

Isa 3:5 And the people shall be oppressed, every one by another, and every one by his neighbour: the child shall behave himself proudly against the ancient, and the base against the honourable.

Isa 3:6 When a man shall take hold of his brother of the house of his father, saying, Thou hast clothing, be thou our ruler, and let this ruin be under thy hand:

Eze 7:26 Mischief shall come upon mischief, and rumour shall be upon rumour; then shall they seek a vision of the prophet; but the law shall perish from the priest, and counsel from the ancients.

Eze 7:27 The king shall mourn, and the prince shall be clothed with desolation, and the hands of the people of the land shall be troubled: I will do unto them after their way, and according to their deserts will I judge them; and they shall know that I am the LORD.

The third parallel is both chapters allude to the downfall of the people via a military attack:

Isa 3:8 For Jerusalem is ruined, and Judah is fallen: because their tongue and their doings are against the LORD, to provoke the eyes of his glory.

…

Isa 3:25 Thy men shall fall by the sword, and thy mighty in the war.

Isa 3:26 And her gates shall lament and mourn; and she being desolate shall sit upon the ground.

Eze 7:11 Violence is risen up into a rod of wickedness: none of them shall remain, nor of their multitude, nor of any of theirs: neither shall there be wailing for them.

…

Eze 7:23 Make a chain: for the land is full of bloody crimes, and the city is full of violence.

…

Eze 7:25 Destruction cometh; and they shall seek peace, and there shall be none.

A final item to consider is that the end of Isaiah 3 appears to not be the end of the focus on the women of Jerusalem (the daughters of Zion) “in that day”. Isaiah 4:1 continues the focus on the women while using the term “in that day”. This is noteworthy because the term “in that day” has future connotations in Isaiah 4.

Isa 3:16 Moreover the LORD saith, Because the daughters of Zion are haughty, and walk with stretched forth necks and wanton eyes, walking and mincing as they go, and making a tinkling with their feet:
Isa 3:17 Therefore the Lord will smite with a scab the crown of the head of the daughters of Zion, and the LORD will discover their secret parts.
Isa 3:18 In that day the Lord will take away the bravery of their tinkling ornaments about their feet, and their cauls, and their round tires like the moon,
Isa 3:19 The chains, and the bracelets, and the mufflers,
Isa 3:20 The bonnets, and the ornaments of the legs, and the headbands, and the tablets, and the earrings,
Isa 3:21 The rings, and nose jewels,
Isa 3:22 The changeable suits of apparel, and the mantles, and the wimples, and the crisping pins,
Isa 3:23 The glasses, and the fine linen, and the hoods, and the vails.
Isa 3:24 And it shall come to pass, that instead of sweet smell there shall be stink; and instead of a girdle a rent; and instead of well set hair baldness; and instead of a stomacher a girding of sackcloth; and burning instead of beauty.
Isa 3:25 Thy men shall fall by the sword, and thy mighty in the war.
Isa 3:26 And her gates shall lament and mourn; and she being desolate shall sit upon the ground.
Isa 4:1 And in that day seven women shall take hold of one man, saying, We will eat our own bread, and wear our own apparel: only let us be called by thy name, to take away our reproach.
Isa 4:2 In that day shall the branch of the LORD be beautiful and glorious, and the fruit of the earth shall be excellent and comely for them that are escaped of Israel.
Isa 4:3 And it shall come to pass, that he that is left in Zion, and he that remaineth in Jerusalem, shall be called holy, even every one that is written among the living in Jerusalem:

The potential for Isaiah 3 to have End Times implications is important because the chapter may serve as an additional piece to understanding the End Times siege of Jerusalem mentioned in passages like Zechariah 12:1-2 and Isaiah 51:17 onwards. In addition, the chapter may shed some light into why Jerusalem is referred to as “the great city, which is spiritually is called Sodom” in Revelation 11:8. The sin of Jerusalem’s people is compared to the sin of Sodom in Isaiah 3:9.

Isa 3:8 For Jerusalem is ruined, and Judah is fallen: because their tongue and their doings are against the LORD, to provoke the eyes of his glory.

Isa 3:9 The shew of their countenance doth witness against them; and they declare their sin as Sodom, they hide it not. Woe unto their soul! for they have rewarded evil unto themselves.

Rev 11:8 And their dead bodies shall lie in the street of the great city, which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified.

I hope today’s article was useful in any way. If you have any thoughts about this or any other topic feel free to share in the comments section.

Examining Isaiah 1:24-31 for Potential End Times Relevance

2012-01-25T12:56:00.000-08:00

The Book of Isaiah is one of the most prophecy-filled books in the entire Bible. Isaiah 1 is a chapter that I think merits its own article because it is the first chapter of this prophecy-filled book.

Today I’ll provide my current thoughts on Isaiah 1 with a particular focus on verses 24-31, which I think may have potential relevance to the End Times.

I presently view the first 23 verses of Isaiah 1 as mainly relevant to the past. The main reason I view the first 23 verses as primarily being relevant to the past is that there are a lot of references to sacrifice in these verses (Isaiah 1:11-14).

I think the references to sacrifice in Isaiah 1 unlikely relate to the future. Although there will be temple sacrifice during the End Times, it won’t last long as the Antichrist will put a halt to it at the midway point of the seventieth week of Daniel (Daniel 9:27). In contrast, the Lord mentioned that He had grown tired of the many sacrifices in Isaiah 1:11 and Isaiah 1:13-14; implying that the sacrifices had gone on for an extended period of time.

Isaiah 1:21-23 is interesting because Jerusalem is referred to as a “harlot”, something that proponents of Jerusalem = Babylon the Great will point out, and there is such a strong condemnation of the leadership.

Isa 1:21 Oh how the faithful city has become a harlot! She was full of justice; righteousness lodged in it. But now, murderers!
Isa 1:22 Your silver has become dross; your wine is diluted with water.
Isa 1:23 Your princes are rebellious and companions of thieves. Everyone loves a bribe, and is pursuing rewards. They do not judge the orphan, nor does the cause of the widow come to them,

I presently view Isaiah 1:21-23 as mainly relevant to the past because of the appearance of the word “now” in verse 21, which would fit what Isaiah 1:4 says about the spiritual condition of Israel at that time: “Ah sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, a seed of evildoers, children that are corrupters: they have forsaken the LORD…”

I won’t rule out dual fulfillment here (past fulfillment and future fulfillment), but I mainly see this passage primarily pertaining to the past.

Isaiah 1:24 begins a passage where the Lord discusses how He will deal with the sinners & transgressors and will restore Jerusalem to a faithful city.

Isa 1:24 Therefore saith the Lord, the LORD of hosts, the mighty One of Israel, Ah, I will ease me of mine adversaries, and avenge me of mine enemies:

Many Bible commentators believe that “adversaries” and “enemies” in Isaiah 1:24 concerns the corrupted officials mentioned in the previous verses of the chapter.

I think there is a strong possibility that “adversaries” and “enemies” in Isaiah 1:24 concerns corrupted officials of the past, but I would not rule out a dual fulfillment of this verse because the End Times will be a period when the Lord will avenge His enemies. For instance, Zephaniah 1:7-12 suggests that the Lord will punish corrupt leaders during the Day of the Lord.

Zep 1:7 Hold thy peace at the presence of the Lord GOD: for the day of the LORD is at hand: for the LORD hath prepared a sacrifice, he hath bid his guests.
Zep 1:8 And it shall come to pass in the day of the LORD'S sacrifice, that I will punish the princes, and the king's children, and all such as are clothed with strange apparel.
Zep 1:9 In the same day also will I punish all those that leap on the threshold, which fill their masters' houses with violence and deceit.
Zep 1:10 And it shall come to pass in that day, saith the LORD, that there shall be the noise of a cry from the fish gate, and an howling from the second, and a great crashing from the hills.
Zep 1:11 Howl, ye inhabitants of Maktesh, for all the merchant people are cut down; all they that bear silver are cut off.
Zep 1:12 And it shall come to pass at that time, that I will search Jerusalem with candles, and punish the men that are settled on their lees: that say in their heart, The LORD will not do good, neither will he do evil.

In addition, the following Bible prophecy verses and passages displayed in the table below mention the Lord avenging His foes.

Isa 59:17 For he put on righteousness as a breastplate, and an helmet of salvation upon his head; and he put on the garments of vengeance for clothing, and was clad with zeal as a cloke.

Isa 59:18 According to their deeds, accordingly he will repay, fury to his adversaries, recompence to his enemies; to the islands he will repay recompence.

Isa 59:19 So shall they fear the name of the LORD from the west, and his glory from the rising of the sun. When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the LORD shall lift up a standard against him.

Isa 59:20 And the Redeemer shall come to Zion, and unto them that turn from transgression in Jacob, saith the LORD.

Joe 3:4 Yea, and what have ye to do with me, O Tyre, and Zidon, and all the coasts of Palestine? will ye render me a recompence? and if ye recompense me, swiftly and speedily will I return your recompence upon your own head;

…

Joe 3:7 Behold, I will raise them out of the place whither ye have sold them, and will return your recompence upon your own head:

Isa 66:6 A voice of noise from the city, a voice from the temple, a voice of the LORD that rendereth recompence to his enemies.

Isa 65:6 Behold, it is written before me: I will not keep silence, but will recompense, even recompense into their bosom,

Isa 65:7 Your iniquities, and the iniquities of your fathers together, saith the LORD, which have burned incense upon the mountains, and blasphemed me upon the hills: therefore will I measure their former work into their bosom.

Isaiah 1:25 mentions that a purging process will take place. I think that the wicked will be purged.

Isa 1:25 And I will turn my hand upon thee, and purely purge away thy dross, and take away all thy tin:

One potential fulfillment of Isaiah 1:25 could be the besiegement of Jerusalem by the Babylonians, which is characterized as a refining process in Ezekiel 22:19-22.

Isa 1:21 Oh how the faithful city has become a harlot! She was full of justice; righteousness lodged in it. But now, murderers!

Isa 1:22 Your silver has become dross; your wine is diluted with water.

…

Isa 1:25 And I will turn my hand upon thee, and purely purge away thy dross, and take away all thy tin:

Eze 22:19 Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Because ye are all become dross, behold, therefore I will gather you into the midst of Jerusalem.

Eze 22:20 As they gather silver, and brass, and iron, and lead, and tin, into the midst of the furnace, to blow the fire upon it, to melt it; so will I gather you in mine anger and in my fury, and I will leave you there, and melt you.

Eze 22:21 Yea, I will gather you, and blow upon you in the fire of my wrath, and ye shall be melted in the midst thereof.

Eze 22:22 As silver is melted in the midst of the furnace, so shall ye be melted in the midst thereof; and ye shall know that I the LORD have poured out my fury upon you.

Another potential fulfillment of Isaiah 1:25 could be during the End Times when a refinement and purging of the people of Israel will take place (Ezekiel 20:38). For instance, Malachi 3:2-4 concerns the refinement of the tribe of Levi:

Mal 3:2 But who may abide the day of his coming? and who shall stand when he appeareth? for he is like a refiner's fire, and like fullers' soap:
Mal 3:3 And he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver: and he shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the LORD an offering in righteousness.
Mal 3:4 Then shall the offering of Judah and Jerusalem be pleasant unto the LORD, as in the days of old, and as in former years.

Isaiah 1:26 mentions that Jerusalem will afterwards be called “the city of righteousness” and “the faithful city”:

Isa 1:26 And I will restore thy judges as at the first, and thy counsellors as at the beginning: afterward thou shalt be called, The city of righteousness, the faithful city.

This is a verse that looks like it potentially could have some relevance to the future because it appears Jerusalem will be a city of righteousness when the Lord will reside there.

Zec 8:3 Thus saith the LORD; I am returned unto Zion, and will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem: and Jerusalem shall be called a city of truth; and the mountain of the LORD of hosts the holy mountain.

Isa 62:1 For Zion's sake will I not hold my peace, and for Jerusalem's sake I will not rest, until the righteousness thereof go forth as brightness, and the salvation thereof as a lamp that burneth.

Isa 62:2 And the Gentiles shall see thy righteousness, and all kings thy glory: and thou shalt be called by a new name, which the mouth of the LORD shall name.

Isa 62:3 Thou shalt also be a crown of glory in the hand of the LORD, and a royal diadem in the hand of thy God.

Isaiah 1:27 also looks like it could have some relevance to the future with the mention that “Zion shall be redeemed with judgment”. Isaiah 4:4, a verse which is part of a passage that I believe definitely has future relevance, suggests that Jerusalem will have undergone a “spirit of judgment”.

Isa 1:27 Zion shall be redeemed with judgment, and her converts with righteousness.

Isa 4:2 In that day shall the branch of the LORD be beautiful and glorious, and the fruit of the earth shall be excellent and comely for them that are escaped of Israel.

Isa 4:3 And it shall come to pass, that he that is left in Zion, and he that remaineth in Jerusalem, shall be called holy, even every one that is written among the living in Jerusalem:

Isa 4:4 When the Lord shall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion, and shall have purged the blood of Jerusalem from the midst thereof by the spirit of judgment, and by the spirit of burning.

The attention shifts to the transgressors and the sinners in verse 28:

Isa 1:28 And the destruction of the transgressors and of the sinners shall be together, and they that forsake the LORD shall be consumed.

Verse 28 may have End Times relevance as Isaiah 66:24, a verse that I believe relates to the future, mentions that the wicked shall be consumed (with fire).

Isa 66:24 And they shall go forth, and look upon the carcases of the men that have transgressed against me: for their worm shall not die, neither shall their fire be quenched; and they shall be an abhorring unto all flesh.

Verse 1:29-31 continues the focus on the transgressors and the sinners. The passage notes that the transgressors and sinners will be ashamed of their creations & they and their creations will both be burned.

Isa 1:29 For they shall be ashamed of the oaks which ye have desired, and ye shall be confounded for the gardens that ye have chosen.
Isa 1:30 For ye shall be as an oak whose leaf fadeth, and as a garden that hath no water.
Isa 1:31 And the strong shall be as tow, and the maker of it as a spark, and they shall both burn together, and none shall quench them.

The passage may be related to two other Bible prophecy passages. The similarities between Isaiah 1:29 and these other passages are shown in the following table:

Isa 1:29 For they shall be ashamed of the oaks which ye have desired, and ye shall be confounded for the gardens that ye have chosen. Isa 1:30 For ye shall be as an oak whose leaf fadeth, and as a garden that hath no water. Isa 1:31 And the strong shall be as tow, and the maker of it as a spark, and they shall both burn together, and none shall quench them.	Isa 65:2 I have spread out my hands all the day unto a rebellious people, which walketh in a way that was not good, after their own thoughts; Isa 65:3 A people that provoketh me to anger continually to my face; that sacrificeth in gardens, and burneth incense upon altars of brick;
Isa 66:16 For by fire and by his sword will the LORD plead with all flesh: and the slain of the LORD shall be many. Isa 66:17 They that sanctify themselves, and purify themselves in the gardens behind one tree in the midst, eating swine's flesh, and the abomination, and the mouse, shall be consumed together, saith the LORD.

I think Isaiah 1:24-31 merits further study as a passage that has potential relevance to the End Times. If Isaiah 1:24-31 sees its ultimate fulfillment during the End Times it may be connected to the siege covered in chapters/passages like Joel 2, Ezekiel 7, Zechariah 12, Zephaniah 1, Isaiah 51:17-23, and perhaps Isaiah 5:26-30.

Revelation 17:5...What’s the “Mystery” About Babylon the Great?

2012-01-23T11:07:00.000-08:00

An important step to finding the identity of Babylon the Great is to have some understanding of what “mystery” means in a biblical context. The word “mystery” is important to account for because the word is found in Revelation 17:5, which is the verse where John described the name of the harlot that he saw:

Rev 17:5 And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.

There is debate about what the importance of the term “mystery” is in Revelation 17:5. Some people believe that the word “mystery” is an important part of the harlot’s title while others believe that the word “mystery” should not be a part of the harlot’s title.

Today I’ll give you an idea of where I currently lean in this debate

The Greek word for “mystery” in Revelation 17:5 is “mustērion”. Easton’s Bible Dictionary defines a “mystery” as “a truth undiscoverable except by revelation, long hid, now made manifest”.[1] Meanwhile, Thayer’s Greek Definitions provides several definitions for the word mystery/mustērion, including the following definition:

1c1b) a hidden purpose or counsel of God: the secret counsels which govern God in dealing with the righteous, which are hidden from ungodly and wicked men but plain to the godly.[2]

The reason I’ve shared these definitions of the word “mustērion” is that these definitions are not usually what I think of when I think of the word “mystery”. I tend to think of a mystery as an enigma that is difficult to solve (i.e. a crime mystery). However, the definitions provided above seem to be closer to how the word “mystery” is used in several New Testament passages.

For example, Christ told His disciples that they have been given the aptitude to understand the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven while others would not understand even though they hear the same words.

Mat 13:10 And the disciples came, and said unto him, Why speakest thou unto them in parables?

Mat 13:11 He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given.

Mat 13:12 For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath.

Mat 13:13 Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand.

Mar 4:10 And when he was alone, they that were about him with the twelve asked of him the parable.

Mar 4:11 And he said unto them, Unto you it is given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God: but unto them that are without, all these things are done in parables:

Mar 4:12 That seeing they may see, and not perceive; and hearing they may hear, and not understand; lest at any time they should be converted, and their sins should be forgiven them.

Luk 8:9 And his disciples asked him, saying, What might this parable be?

Luk 8:10 And he said, Unto you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God: but to others in parables; that seeing they might not see, and hearing they might not understand.

The idea that mysteries/hidden truths are made known to certain people is also reflected in 1 Corinthians 2:7-10:

1Co 2:7 But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory:
1Co 2:8 Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.
1Co 2:9 But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.
1Co 2:10 But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.

The idea that mysteries are truths that are revealed to people is also found in the passages displayed in the table below:

Rom 16:25 Now to him that is of power to stablish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began,

Rom 16:26 But now is made manifest, and by the scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, made known to all nations for the obedience of faith:
Rom 16:27 To God only wise, be glory through Jesus Christ for ever. Amen. Written to the Romans from Corinthus, and sent by Phebe servant of the church at Cenchrea.

Col 1:25 Whereof I am made a minister, according to the dispensation of God which is given to me for you, to fulfil the word of God;

Col 1:26 Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints:

Col 1:27 To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:

Col 1:28 Whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom; that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus:

Also consider Revelation 1:20. The word “mystery” appears in connection with the seven stars and seven candlesticks in the first half of the verse. In the second half of the verse, Christ revealed the meaning of the seven stars and seven candlesticks.

Rev 1:20 The mystery of the seven stars which thou sawest in my right hand, and the seven golden candlesticks. The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches: and the seven candlesticks which thou sawest are the seven churches.

Thus, a “mystery” can be viewed as a hidden truth that is revealed to those receptive to God’s words.

Another thing to consider when assessing the importance of the word “mystery” in Revelation 17:5 is the fact that the harlot is not referred to as “Mystery Babylon the Great” anywhere else in the Book of Revelation besides Revelation 17:5. In contrast, the terms “Babylon the Great”, “great Babylon”, "Babylon", and “Babylon the great city” are found.

You’d think the word “mystery” would be included in other references to Babylon the Great if the word "mystery" was an important part of the harlot’s title.

Some argue that the appearance of the word “mystery” does not necessarily mean that the harlot’s title can be interpreted symbolically/spiritually as they claim it is unrelated to the Greek word used to denote “spiritually” in Revelation 11:8: pneumatikōs

Rev 11:8 And their dead bodies shall lie in the street of the great city, which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified.

I am not an expert on the Greek language so I could not tell you definitively whether “mystery” can be viewed symbolically or not. I’ll leave it up to someone who is knowledgeable about the Greek language to make this determination.

Finally, some argue that the word “mystery” (Greek: mustērion) is in apposition to the word “name” (Greek: onoma). Admittedly, I was not familiar with what an apposition is before this study, so I’ll share the following definition of what an apposition is from A Biography of the English Language:

Apposition is a grammatical construction in which two elements, normally noun phrases, are placed side by side, with one element serving to define or modify the other. When this device is used, the two elements are said to be in apposition. For example, in the phrase "my friend Alice", the name "Alice" is in apposition to "my friend".[3]

If the word "mystery" is in apposition to the word "name", it would mean that "mystery" is not a part of Babylon the Great's title.

Once again, I’ll leave it up to someone who is knowledgeable about the Greek language to make this determination. However, it may be difficult to make a determination at all as A.T. Robertson, an expert on the Greek language, was unable to make a determination in his comments concerning the word “mystery” in Revelation 17:5. Robertson wrote: “Mystery (mustērion). Either in apposition with onoma or as part of the inscription on her forehead…” [4]

Given all of this, I currently lean towards the view that the word “mystery” is not an important element of the harlot’s name, but is a word that signifies that information about the harlot will be revealed.

What is the "Mystery" of the Woman?
The angel accompanying John told him that the mystery concerning the beast that carries the woman and the woman will indeed be revealed.

Rev 17:7 And the angel said unto me, Wherefore didst thou marvel? I will tell thee the mystery of the woman, and of the beast that carrieth her, which hath the seven heads and ten horns.

The mystery of the beast that rides the harlot is described in Revelation 17:8-14. Meanwhile, the mystery aspect of Babylon the Great is discussed in Revelation 17:15-18.

Rev 17:15 And he saith unto me, The waters which thou sawest, where the whore sitteth, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues.
Rev 17:16 And the ten horns which thou sawest upon the beast, these shall hate the whore, and shall make her desolate and naked, and shall eat her flesh, and burn her with fire.
Rev 17:17 For God hath put in their hearts to fulfil his will, and to agree, and give their kingdom unto the beast, until the words of God shall be fulfilled.
Rev 17:18 And the woman which thou sawest is that great city, which reigneth over the kings of the earth.

The “mystery” is no longer a mystery after the angel’s words. The woman is revealed to represent a great city that has a very prominent place among nations, multitudes, peoples, and tongues & rules over the kings of the earth.

Final Thoughts
I don’t think that this interpretation of the mystery concerning Babylon the Great automatically means that Babylon, Iraq is the top choice to be “BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH”. Babylon the Great City will be the economic center of the world during the End Times; something that Babylon, Iraq is not close to being at this present time.

As you can tell, I’m still studying the topic of who is Babylon the Great City.

If you have any thoughts about this or any other topic feel free to share in the comments section.

References

[1] Easton, M.G. “Mystery”. Easton’s Bible Dictionary. Thomas Nelson: 1897
[2] G3466 Thayer’s Greek Definitions
[3] Millward, C.M. and Mary Hayes. A Biography of the English Language. Boston: Wadsworth Publishing, 2012. Pg. 118
[4] Robertson, A.G. Robertson’s Word Pictures of the New Testament. Broadman Press. Revelation 17:5

Examining Isaiah 5:26-30 for Potential End Times Relevance

2012-01-20T10:32:00.000-08:00

Isaiah 5 is a chapter that many assume has been completely fulfilled. Consequently, you don’t see many articles connecting Isaiah 5 with the End Times. I’ve been examining Isaiah 5 in search of any verses that may have relevance to the End Times recently. After examining the chapter for the past couple of days I think Isaiah 5:26-30 potentially may have End Times implications.

Today I’ll share why I see potential in Isaiah 5:26-30 to have End Times implications.

I currently view the first 24 verses of Isaiah 5 as mainly relevant to the past and related to the Northern Kingdom of Israel and the Kingdom of Judah (both are mentioned in verse 5:7). I think Isaiah 5:25 relates to a past judgment of the people of Israel, but is particularly noteworthy here because the verse mentions that the Lord’s (His) “hand is stretched out still”.

Isa 5:25 Therefore is the anger of the LORD kindled against his people, and he hath stretched forth his hand against them, and hath smitten them: and the hills did tremble, and their carcases were torn in the midst of the streets. For all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still.

The phrase “His hand is stretched out still” is noteworthy because it means that there is an additional judgment beyond the one mentioned in verse 25 ordained. Isaiah 5:26-30 highlights this additional judgment:

Isa 5:26 And he will lift up an ensign to the nations from far, and will hiss unto them from the end of the earth: and, behold, they shall come with speed swiftly:
Isa 5:27 None shall be weary nor stumble among them; none shall slumber nor sleep; neither shall the girdle of their loins be loosed, nor the latchet of their shoes be broken:
Isa 5:28 Whose arrows are sharp, and all their bows bent, their horses' hoofs shall be counted like flint, and their wheels like a whirlwind:
Isa 5:29 Their roaring shall be like a lion, they shall roar like young lions: yea, they shall roar, and lay hold of the prey, and shall carry it away safe, and none shall deliver it.
Isa 5:30 And in that day they shall roar against them like the roaring of the sea: and if one look unto the land, behold darkness and sorrow, and the light is darkened in the heavens thereof.

One possible fulfillment of Isaiah 5:26-30 is the attack by the Babylonians and their allies. A fulfillment of Isaiah 5:26-30 by the hand of the Babylonians and their allies is a possibility since Babylon appears to have been “far” enough away to be described as “far” in the Bible. For example, Hezekiah lumps Babylon together with a “far country” in Isaiah 39:3.

Isa 39:2 And Hezekiah was glad of them, and shewed them the house of his precious things, the silver, and the gold, and the spices, and the precious ointment, and all the house of his armour, and all that was found in his treasures: there was nothing in his house, nor in all his dominion, that Hezekiah shewed them not.
Isa 39:3 Then came Isaiah the prophet unto king Hezekiah, and said unto him, What said these men? and from whence came they unto thee? And Hezekiah said, They are come from a far country unto me, even from Babylon.

Another possible fulfillment of Isaiah 5:26-30 is the attack by the Romans and their allies. Deuteronomy 28:48-68 mentions a nation that will come “from the end of the earth” to attack the people of Israel. Bible commentators like Albert Barnes and John Gill believe this refers to the Romans. Here are some verses from the passage:

Deu 28:48 Therefore shalt thou serve thine enemies which the LORD shall send against thee, in hunger, and in thirst, and in nakedness, and in want of all things: and he shall put a yoke of iron upon thy neck, until he have destroyed thee.
Deu 28:49 The LORD shall bring a nation against thee from far, from the end of the earth, as swift as the eagle flieth; a nation whose tongue thou shalt not understand;
Deu 28:50 A nation of fierce countenance, which shall not regard the person of the old, nor shew favour to the young:
Deu 28:51 And he shall eat the fruit of thy cattle, and the fruit of thy land, until thou be destroyed: which also shall not leave thee either corn, wine, or oil, or the increase of thy kine, or flocks of thy sheep, until he have destroyed thee.
Deu 28:52 And he shall besiege thee in all thy gates, until thy high and fenced walls come down, wherein thou trustedst, throughout all thy land: and he shall besiege thee in all thy gates throughout all thy land, which the LORD thy God hath given thee.
Deu 28:53 And thou shalt eat the fruit of thine own body, the flesh of thy sons and of thy daughters, which the LORD thy God hath given thee, in the siege, and in the straitness, wherewith thine enemies shall distress thee:

…

Deu 28:63 And it shall come to pass, that as the LORD rejoiced over you to do you good, and to multiply you; so the LORD will rejoice over you to destroy you, and to bring you to nought; and ye shall be plucked from off the land whither thou goest to possess it.
Deu 28:64 And the LORD shall scatter thee among all people, from the one end of the earth even unto the other; and there thou shalt serve other gods, which neither thou nor thy fathers have known, even wood and stone.

I’ve read Bible commentators who concluded that the judgment of Isaiah 5:26-30 was fulfilled by the Babylonians or by the Romans. However, I would not rule out the possibility that Isaiah 5:26-30 sees its ultimate fulfillment during the End Times.

One reason why I would not rule out the possibility that Isaiah 5:26-30 sees its ultimate fulfillment during the End Times is that the passage mirrors Joel 2:3-10, which is definitely a passage which will see its fulfillment in the End Times (the Day of the Lord is mentioned in Joel 2:1).

The parallels between the passages are highlighted in the table below.

Isa 5:26 And he will lift up an ensign to the nations from far, and will hiss unto them from the end of the earth: and, behold, they shall come with speed swiftly:

Isa 5:27 None shall be weary nor stumble among them; none shall slumber nor sleep; neither shall the girdle of their loins be loosed, nor the latchet of their shoes be broken:

Isa 5:28 Whose arrows are sharp, and all their bows bent, their horses' hoofs shall be counted like flint, and their wheels like a whirlwind:

Isa 5:29 Their roaring shall be like a lion, they shall roar like young lions: yea, they shall roar, and lay hold of the prey, and shall carry it away safe, and none shall deliver it.

Isa 5:30 And in that day they shall roar against them like the roaring of the sea: and if one look unto the land, behold darkness and sorrow, and the light is darkened in the heavens thereof.

Joe 2:3 A fire devoureth before them; and behind them a flame burneth: the land is as the garden of Eden before them, and behind them a desolate wilderness; yea, and nothing shall escape them.

Joe 2:4 The appearance of them is as the appearance of horses; and as horsemen, so shall they run.

Joe 2:5 Like the noise of chariots on the tops of mountains shall they leap, like the noise of a flame of fire that devoureth the stubble, as a strong people set in battle array.

Joe 2:6 Before their face the people shall be much pained: all faces shall gather blackness.

Joe 2:7 They shall run like mighty men; they shall climb the wall like men of war; and they shall march every one on his ways, and they shall not break their ranks:

Joe 2:8 Neither shall one thrust another; they shall walk every one in his path: and when they fall upon the sword, they shall not be wounded.

Joe 2:9 They shall run to and fro in the city; they shall run upon the wall, they shall climb up upon the houses; they shall enter in at the windows like a thief.

Joe 2:10 The earth shall quake before them; the heavens shall tremble: the sun and the moon shall be dark, and the stars shall withdraw their shining:

Another reason why I would not rule out the possibility that Isaiah 5:26-30 sees its ultimate fulfillment during the End Times is that verse 5:30 includes the words “in that day”, which is a phrase that often alludes to the Day of the Lord.

Isa 5:30 And in that day they shall roar against them like the roaring of the sea: and if one look unto the land, behold darkness and sorrow, and the light is darkened in the heavens thereof.

A third reason why I would not rule out the possibility that Isaiah 5:26-30 sees its ultimate fulfillment during the End Times is that Isaiah 5:26-30’s details about the attackers brought by the Lord are similar to the details concerning the Lord’s army in Isaiah 13. Isaiah 13 mentions an army brought by the Lord, which He too lifts up a banner (the Hebrew for "banner" in Isaiah 13:2 is the same word used to denote “ensign” in Isaiah 5:26), He too summons, and brings from the end of heaven.

The parallels between Isaiah 5:26-30 and Isaiah 13 are highlighted in the table below.

Isa 5:26 And he will lift up an ensign to the nations from far, and will hiss unto them from the end of the earth: and, behold, they shall come with speed swiftly:

Isa 13:1 The burden of Babylon, which Isaiah the son of Amoz did see.

Isa 13:2 Lift ye up a banner upon the high mountain, exalt the voice unto them, shake the hand, that they may go into the gates of the nobles.

Isa 13:3 I have commanded my sanctified ones, I have also called my mighty ones for mine anger, even them that rejoice in my highness.

Isa 13:4 The noise of a multitude in the mountains, like as of a great people; a tumultuous noise of the kingdoms of nations gathered together: the LORD of hosts mustereth the host of the battle.

Isa 13:5 They come from a far country, from the end of heaven, even the LORD, and the weapons of his indignation, to destroy the whole land.

Isa 13:6 Howl ye; for the day of the LORD is at hand; it shall come as a destruction from the Almighty.

The difference between the two passages is that the attackers in Isaiah 5:26-30 are attacking the land of Israel while the army in Isaiah 13 is attacking Babylon. However, I would not yet rule out the possibility that the army in Isaiah 13 and the attackers in Isaiah 5:26-30 represent the same military force.

An idea I’m currently considering is the possibility that the Lord will utilize an army to attack multiple locations during the End Times. The land of Israel and Babylon would be two potential places that this military force could attack. For more on this idea, you can access the following article: Link

If Isaiah 5:26-30 sees its ultimate fulfillment during the End Times, it may relate to a siege described in Ezekiel 7 and Zechariah 12:2. For more on Ezekiel 7 and Zechariah 12:2, you can access the following article: Link

If you have any thoughts about this or any other topic feel free to share in the comments section.

Insightful Video on the Current Situation Concerning the U.S. and Iran

2012-01-18T10:08:00.000-08:00

Iran has been in the news a lot already in 2012. As you probably know, Iran recently completed 10 days of naval drills and weapons testing nearby the Strait of Hormuz. In addition, Iran recently started up uranium enrichment at an underground facility nearby the city of Qom. Meanwhile, the U.S. is trying to ratchet up pressure on Iran by pressing several countries to agree to sanctions against Iranian oil.

In light of recent events, I thought it would be a good idea to share a video provided by Stratfor on the situation between the U.S. and Iran. I think the analysis provided by Stratfor in this video is quite insightful.

The commentators in the video talk about recent events concerning Iran, including Iran’s growing influence in the Mideast, Iran's recent naval exercises, and the growing U.S. naval presence in the Middle East. The commentators also briefly discuss what it might take to actually affect the Iranian regime, which sounds a lot like war to me.

The part of the video that stands out to me the most is near the end where George Friedman, the head of Stratfor, said that “we are entering the heart of the crisis” between Iran and the U.S. over the balance of power in the Middle East. Friedman’s comment stands out to me because the same thought has crossed my mind recently when I’ve reflected on how much tensions between Iran and the West have escalated in recent weeks.

The video is posted below (if you cannot see the video below you can find it at the following link).

My Thoughts on Ezekiel 32:17-32: The Demise of Pharaoh

2012-01-16T11:36:00.000-08:00

Ezekiel 32:17-32 is an interesting passage because it mentions some of the nations that are expected to have a role during the End Times. For instance, Ezekiel 32:26-28 references Meshech and Tubal, who are mentioned in Ezekiel 38 and Ezekiel 39.

Eze 32:26 There is Meshech, Tubal, and all her multitude: her graves are round about him: all of them uncircumcised, slain by the sword, though they caused their terror in the land of the living.
Eze 32:27 And they shall not lie with the mighty that are fallen of the uncircumcised, which are gone down to hell with their weapons of war: and they have laid their swords under their heads, but their iniquities shall be upon their bones, though they were the terror of the mighty in the land of the living.
Eze 32:28 Yea, thou shalt be broken in the midst of the uncircumcised, and shalt lie with them that are slain with the sword.

Ezekiel 32:17-32 is not often discussed by Bible prophecy commentators, and because of this I feel the need to address it. Today I provide my thoughts on this interesting passage.

Ezekiel is instructed to wail for Egypt because Egypt and its military have fallen to the sword:

Eze 32:17 It came to pass also in the twelfth year, in the fifteenth day of the month, that the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,
Eze 32:18 Son of man, wail for the multitude of Egypt, and cast them down, even her, and the daughters of the famous nations, unto the nether parts of the earth, with them that go down into the pit.
Eze 32:19 Whom dost thou pass in beauty? go down, and be thou laid with the uncircumcised.
Eze 32:20 They shall fall in the midst of them that are slain by the sword: she is delivered to the sword: draw her and all her multitudes.

Verse 21 focuses on “him”, who shall be greeted when he enters hell (Hebrew “Sheol”) by an array of nations, leaders, and warriors [possibly giants depending how you interpret “mighty” (Hebrew: gibbor) in verse 21]. The “him” referenced in verse 21 is revealed to be Pharaoh in Ezekiel 32:31.

Eze 32:21 The strong among the mighty shall speak to him out of the midst of hell with them that help him: they are gone down, they lie uncircumcised, slain by the sword.

Eze 32:31 Pharaoh shall see them, and shall be comforted over all his multitude, even Pharaoh and all his army slain by the sword, saith the Lord GOD.

Eze 32:32 For I have caused my terror in the land of the living: and he shall be laid in the midst of the uncircumcised with them that are slain with the sword, even Pharaoh and all his multitude, saith the Lord GOD.

Many of those mentioned by Ezekiel share a commonality: they caused terror in the land of the living, which is a term meaning the living world. The following nations, leaders, and warriors will greet Pharaoh upon his arrival:

Assyria

Eze 32:22 Asshur is there and all her company: his graves are about him: all of them slain, fallen by the sword:
Eze 32:23 Whose graves are set in the sides of the pit, and her company is round about her grave: all of them slain, fallen by the sword, which caused terror in the land of the living.

Elam

Eze 32:24 There is Elam and all her multitude round about her grave, all of them slain, fallen by the sword, which are gone down uncircumcised into the nether parts of the earth, which caused their terror in the land of the living; yet have they borne their shame with them that go down to the pit.
Eze 32:25 They have set her a bed in the midst of the slain with all her multitude: her graves are round about him: all of them uncircumcised, slain by the sword: though their terror was caused in the land of the living, yet have they borne their shame with them that go down to the pit: he is put in the midst of them that be slain.

Meshech & Tubal

Eze 32:26 There is Meshech, Tubal, and all her multitude: her graves are round about him: all of them uncircumcised, slain by the sword, though they caused their terror in the land of the living.
Eze 32:27 And they shall not lie with the mighty that are fallen of the uncircumcised, which are gone down to hell with their weapons of war: and they have laid their swords under their heads, but their iniquities shall be upon their bones, though they were the terror of the mighty in the land of the living.
Eze 32:28 Yea, thou shalt be broken in the midst of the uncircumcised, and shalt lie with them that are slain with the sword.

Edom

Eze 32:29 There is Edom, her kings, and all her princes, which with their might are laid by them that were slain by the sword: they shall lie with the uncircumcised, and with them that go down to the pit.

Princes of the North & the Zidonians

Eze 32:30 There be the princes of the north, all of them, and all the Zidonians, which are gone down with the slain; with their terror they are ashamed of their might; and they lie uncircumcised with them that be slain by the sword, and bear their shame with them that go down to the pit.

Fulfillment When?
Although Ezekiel 32:17 onwards mentions nations like Meshech and Tubal, I presently think the passage’s fulfillment is in the past. The main reason I presently think Ezekiel 32:17 onwards has been fulfilled is that the passage suggests that the demise of Pharaoh will come after the demise of the nations listed.

Recall that the nations will greet Pharaoh when he arrives in Sheol, including Meshech and Tubal.

I do not see Egypt surviving longer than nations like Meshech and Tubal during the End Times because Egypt will be one of the primary targets of the Antichrist, who will devastate the country:

Dan 11:42 He shall stretch forth his hand also upon the countries: and the land of Egypt shall not escape.
Dan 11:43 But he shall have power over the treasures of gold and of silver, and over all the precious things of Egypt: and the Libyans and the Ethiopians shall be at his steps.

Another reason why I presently think Ezekiel 32:17-32 has been fulfilled is the context surrounding the prophecy. Ezekiel chapter 29 through chapter 32 focuses on the downfall of Pharaoh: from promise to bring down Pharaoh to Pharaoh’s demise.

Ezekiel 29:19-20 contains God’s promise that He will give Nebuchadnezzar the land of Egypt.

Ezekiel 30:10-26 predicts the defeat of Pharaoh and his forces by the hand of Nebuchadnezzar.

Ezekiel 31 compares the fall of Pharaoh to the fall of the Assyrian.

Ezekiel 32 describes the fall of Pharaoh, Egypt, and the Pharaoh’s arrival in Sheol.

I presently view Ezekiel 32:17-32 as the ending portion of a narrative describing the fall of Pharaoh by the hand of Nebuchadnezzar. I presently think this viewpoint makes more sense than to view the passage as something pertaining to the future because this viewpoint fits the context surrounding the prophecy.

A third reason why I presently think Ezekiel 32:17-32 has been fulfilled is that Ezekiel 32:18-19 asks Egypt: “Whom dost thou pass in beauty”?

Eze 32:18 Son of man, wail for the multitude of Egypt, and cast them down, even her, and the daughters of the famous nations, unto the nether parts of the earth, with them that go down into the pit.
Eze 32:19 Whom dost thou pass in beauty? go down, and be thou laid with the uncircumcised.

The question implies that Egypt was a glorious country prior to its downfall.

I do not presently see Egypt being a glorious country prior to its fall during the End Times. However, Ezekiel 31 compares Pharaoh to the Assyrian at the height of his power, so we can deduce that Pharaoh's Egypt was a glorious country prior to its downfall to Nebuchadnezzar.

Another Thing to Consider
I don’t think at this present time that the description of the nations in Sheol necessarily means that the prophecy has to take place following an End Times slaughter of nations. The reason is that there is an instance in Jeremiah 49 where the Lord discussed how He’d defeat a nation that would be in a position to greet Pharaoh upon his arrival in Sheol and then how He'd restore that nation at a future time period. More specifically, the Lord mentioned in Jeremiah 49:39 that He will “bring again the captivity” of Elam in the “latter days” after discussing how He would defeat Elam in Jeremiah 49:35-38:

Jer 49:35 Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Behold, I will break the bow of Elam, the chief of their might.
Jer 49:36 And upon Elam will I bring the four winds from the four quarters of heaven, and will scatter them toward all those winds; and there shall be no nation whither the outcasts of Elam shall not come.
Jer 49:37 For I will cause Elam to be dismayed before their enemies, and before them that seek their life: and I will bring evil upon them, even my fierce anger, saith the LORD; and I will send the sword after them, till I have consumed them:
Jer 49:38 And I will set my throne in Elam, and will destroy from thence the king and the princes, saith the LORD.
Jer 49:39 But it shall come to pass in the latter days, that I will bring again the captivity of Elam, saith the LORD.

The case of Edom opens up the possibility that some of the nations that greeted Pharaoh could recover after their defeat by Nebuchadnezzar.

These are my current thoughts on Ezekiel 32:17-32. The passage is not an easy one to analyze because there are no definitive details that you can use to precisely pinpoint the fulfillment of the passage.

My viewpoint on Ezekiel 32:17-32 is formed on the assumption that Egypt will fall before Meshech and Tubal during the End Times, the assumption that Egypt will not be a glorious country during the End Times, and on the belief that Ezekiel 29 to Ezekiel 32 is a narrative about the fall of Pharaoh.

Feel free to comment if you think my viewpoint on Ezekiel 32:17-32 is incorrect and/or if you think the prophecy will be fulfilled in the future.

My Thoughts on Tyre as a Possible Babylon the Great City Candidate

2012-01-13T12:04:00.000-08:00

I've shared with you my thoughts on whether New York City, Jerusalem, and Babylon, Iraq are potential candidates to be Babylon the Great City mentioned in the Book of Revelation. Today I share my thoughts on the potential for Tyre to be Babylon the Great City mentioned in the Book of Revelation.

I’ll explain why I’ve written an article about Tyre before I begin.

I’ve seen Tyre as a potential candidate to be Babylon the Great during these past several years. In fact, I strongly considered Tyre as a candidate to be Babylon the Great a few years ago after I read Ezekiel’s chapters concerning Tyre.

Another reason why I’ve written an article about Tyre is that some people like Frank Caw considered Tyre to be a strong candidate to be Babylon the Great City.

The Debate about the Prophecies Concerning Tyre
There is debate about whether the prophecies concerning Tyre have been fulfilled yet. Many believe the prophecies have been fulfilled while others think some prophecies remain unfulfilled.

While examining some information in preparation for this article, I encountered two articles that make a compelling case that Ezekiel’s prophecies concerning Tyre may have been fulfilled despite there being a city named Tyre in Lebanon today. One of the articles cites an 12th century traveler known as Benjamin of Tudela, who recorded what he saw when he visited Tyre. Benjamin of Tudela wrote:

From Sidon it is half a day’s journey to Sarepta (Sarfend), which belongs to Sidon. Thence it is a half-day to New Tyre (Sur), which is a very fine city, with a harbour in its midst.... There is no harbour like this in the whole world. Tyre is a beautiful city.... In the vicinity is found sugar of a high class, for men plant it here, and people come from all lands to buy it. A man can ascend the walls of New Tyre and see ancient Tyre, which the sea has now covered, lying at a stone’s throw from the new city. And should one care to go forth by boat, one can see the castles, market-places, streets, and palaces in the bed of the sea.

A common argument found in both articles I read is that the modern day city of Tyre is not located at the same site as ancient Tyre. The articles I read can be found at the following links in case you are interested in reading them:

I won’t dispute the belief that Ezekiel’s prophecies concerning ancient Tyre have been fulfilled. However, I would not completely dismiss the possibility that there may be some prophecies concerning an End Times Tyre that remain to be fulfilled for the following reasons:

Isaiah 23:9 is part of a chapter that focuses a lot on a devastating attack of Tyre. Verse 9 of the chapter suggests that the attack on Tyre is part of an effort to “stain the pride of all the glory, and to bring into contempt all the honourable of the earth”. This detail is significant because it is a characteristic describing the Day of the Lord.

The following table includes references to the Lord bringing down the pride of people, including two verses (Isaiah 2:11 and Isaiah 13:11) that definitely relate to the Day of the Lord.

Isa 23:9 The LORD of hosts hath purposed it, to stain the pride of all glory, and to bring into contempt all the honourable of the earth.	Isa 10:33 Behold, the Lord, the LORD of hosts, shall lop the bough with terror: and the high ones of stature shall be hewn down, and the haughty shall be humbled.
Isa 2:11 The lofty looks of man shall be humbled, and the haughtiness of men shall be bowed down, and the LORD alone shall be exalted in that day.	Isa 13:11 And I will punish the world for their evil, and the wicked for their iniquity; and I will cause the arrogancy of the proud to cease, and will lay low the haughtiness of the terrible.

Another reason why I would not completely dismiss the possibility that there may be some prophecies concerning an End Times Tyre is that Tyre’s name appears in Joel 3:4, which is part of a chapter that many people view as relevant to the End Times.

Joe 3:1 For, behold, in those days, and in that time, when I shall bring again the captivity of Judah and Jerusalem,
Joe 3:2 I will also gather all nations, and will bring them down into the valley of Jehoshaphat, and will plead with them there for my people and for my heritage Israel, whom they have scattered among the nations, and parted my land.
Joe 3:3 And they have cast lots for my people; and have given a boy for an harlot, and sold a girl for wine, that they might drink.
Joe 3:4 Yea, and what have ye to do with me, O Tyre, and Zidon, and all the coasts of Palestine? will ye render me a recompence? and if ye recompense me, swiftly and speedily will I return your recompence upon your own head;

A third reason why I would not completely dismiss the possibility that there may be some prophecies concerning an End Times Tyre is that the “inhabitants of Tyre" are mention in Psalm 83, which is a chapter that many people believe is very relevant to the End Times

Psa 83:5 For they have consulted together with one consent: they are confederate against thee:
Psa 83:6 The tabernacles of Edom, and the Ishmaelites; of Moab, and the Hagarenes;
Psa 83:7 Gebal, and Ammon, and Amalek; the Philistines with the inhabitants of Tyre;

Finally, "the kings of Tyrus" are mentioned in Jeremiah 25:15-38, a passage which I believe is relevant to the End Times.

Jer 25:15 For thus saith the LORD God of Israel unto me; Take the wine cup of this fury at my hand, and cause all the nations, to whom I send thee, to drink it.
Jer 25:16 And they shall drink, and be moved, and be mad, because of the sword that I will send among them.
Jer 25:17 Then took I the cup at the LORD'S hand, and made all the nations to drink, unto whom the LORD had sent me:

…

Jer 25:22 And all the kings of Tyrus, and all the kings of Zidon, and the kings of the isles which are beyond the sea,

This article is written for those who think that there are some prophecies relating to an End Times Tyre. If you believe that every prophecy concerning Tyre has been fulfilled, then just skim over the rest of this article since you probably will have already ruled out Tyre as a Babylon the Great City candidate.

Proponents of Tyre = Babylon the Great City view some of the verses concerning Tyre in the Book of Ezekiel as having relevance to a future Tyre. Although I won’t dispute the belief that Ezekiel's prophecies concerning ancient Tyre have been fulfilled, I will cite verses from the Book of Ezekiel to critique the argument of those who argue that Tyre = Babylon the Great City.

Pros
The Renowned City/The Crowning City
One reason that one might think that Tyre could be Babylon the Great City is that the two are described similarly. Babylon the Great is given the title: the “great city, which reigneth over the kings of the earth” in Revelation 17:18. Meanwhile, Tyre is described in Ezekiel 26:17 as the “renowned city”.

Eze 26:17 And they shall take up a lamentation for thee, and say to thee, How art thou destroyed, that wast inhabited of seafaring men, the renowned city, which wast strong in the sea, she and her inhabitants, which cause their terror to be on all that haunt it!

Similarly, Isaiah 23:8 refers to Tyre as the "crowning city".

Isa 23:8 Who hath taken this counsel against Tyre, the crowning city, whose merchants are princes, whose traffickers are the honourable of the earth?

Enriches the Kings of the Earth:
Another reason why one might think that Tyre = Babylon the Great City is that Tyre is described as a city that "enriched the kings of the earth", which is a characteristic of Babylon the Great City.

The following table illustrates the strong parallel between Tyre and Babylon the Great City with respect to this detail and illustrates the parallel between the sadness people feel following the destruction of Tyre & the sadness people feel following the destruction of Babylon the Great City.

Rev 18:9 And the kings of the earth, who have committed fornication and lived deliciously with her, shall bewail her, and lament for her, when they shall see the smoke of her burning,

…

Rev 18:18 And cried when they saw the smoke of her burning, saying, What city is like unto this great city!

Rev 18:19 And they cast dust on their heads, and cried, weeping and wailing, saying, Alas, alas, that great city, wherein were made rich all that had ships in the sea by reason of her costliness! for in one hour is she made desolate.

Eze 27:30 And shall cause their voice to be heard against thee, and shall cry bitterly, and shall cast up dust upon their heads, they shall wallow themselves in the ashes:

Eze 27:31 And they shall make themselves utterly bald for thee, and gird them with sackcloth, and they shall weep for thee with bitterness of heart and bitter wailing.

Eze 27:32 And in their wailing they shall take up a lamentation for thee, and lament over thee, saying, What city is like Tyrus, like the destroyed in the midst of the sea?

Eze 27:33 When thy wares went forth out of the seas, thou filledst many people; thou didst enrich the kings of the earth with the multitude of thy riches and of thy merchandise.

Downfall
A third reason why one might think that Tyre = Babylon the Great City is that the description of each city’s downfall is similar. The similarities are highlighted in the following table:

Eze 26:19 For thus saith the Lord GOD; When I shall make thee a desolate city, like the cities that are not inhabited; when I shall bring up the deep upon thee, and great waters shall cover thee;

Eze 26:20 When I shall bring thee down with them that descend into the pit, with the people of old time, and shall set thee in the low parts of the earth, in places desolate of old, with them that go down to the pit, that thou be not inhabited; and I shall set glory in the land of the living;

Eze 26:21 I will make thee a terror, and thou shalt be no more: though thou be sought for, yet shalt thou never be found again, saith the Lord GOD.

Rev 18:21 And a mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone, and cast it into the sea, saying, Thus with violence shall that great city Babylon be thrown down, and shall be found no more at all.

Rev 18:22 And the voice of harpers, and musicians, and of pipers, and trumpeters, shall be heard no more at all in thee; and no craftsman, of whatsoever craft he be, shall be found any more in thee; and the sound of a millstone shall be heard no more at all in thee;

Other Items to Consider
Tyre and Babylon the Great City are both described as centers of commerce (compare Ezekiel 27 and Revelation 18) and both view themselves in a high regard.

Eze 27:3 And say unto Tyrus, O thou that art situate at the entry of the sea, which art a merchant of the people for many isles, Thus saith the Lord GOD; O Tyrus, thou hast said, I am of perfect beauty.

Rev 18:7 How much she hath glorified herself, and lived deliciously, so much torment and sorrow give her: for she saith in her heart, I sit a queen, and am no widow, and shall see no sorrow.

Cons
No Calls to Flee from Tyre
The Lord urges His people to flee from Babylon the Great City just prior to its destruction.

Rev 18:4 And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.

The call to flee is noteworthy because Jeremiah 50, which some people believe relates to End Times Babylon, includes a call to flee from Babylon

Jer 50:8 Remove out of the midst of Babylon, and go forth out of the land of the Chaldeans, and be as the he goats before the flocks.
Jer 50:9 For, lo, I will raise and cause to come up against Babylon an assembly of great nations from the north country: and they shall set themselves in array against her; from thence she shall be taken: their arrows shall be as of a mighty expert man; none shall return in vain.

The call to flee is also noteworthy because the Lord does not tell His people to flee from Tyre in the passages concerning Tyre.

The lack of a call to flee from Tyre could be cited as evidence that Tyre does not = Babylon the Great City.

A Difference in the Amount of Mourning
The destruction of Babylon the Great City will be followed by a period of mourning by the kings of the earth, the merchants of the earth, and the sailors who profited from the city's commerce.

Rev 18:9 And the kings of the earth, who have committed fornication and lived deliciously with her, shall bewail her, and lament for her, when they shall see the smoke of her burning,

…

Rev 18:11 And the merchants of the earth shall weep and mourn over her; for no man buyeth their merchandise any more:

…

Rev 18:17 For in one hour so great riches is come to nought. And every shipmaster, and all the company in ships, and sailors, and as many as trade by sea, stood afar off,

In contrast, the destruction of Tyre will be followed by a period of mourning by the princes/kings of the isles, the inhabitants of the isles, and the sea merchants who profited from Tyre’s commerce.

Eze 26:16 Then all the princes of the sea shall come down from their thrones, and lay away their robes, and put off their broidered garments: they shall clothe themselves with trembling; they shall sit upon the ground, and shall tremble at every moment, and be astonished at thee.

Eze 26:17 And they shall take up a lamentation for thee, and say to thee, How art thou destroyed, that wast inhabited of seafaring men, the renowned city, which wast strong in the sea, she and her inhabitants, which cause their terror to be on all that haunt it!

Eze 27:26 Thy rowers have brought thee into great waters: the east wind hath broken thee in the midst of the seas.

Eze 27:28 The suburbs shall shake at the sound of the cry of thy pilots.

Eze 27:29 And all that handle the oar, the mariners, and all the pilots of the sea, shall come down from their ships, they shall stand upon the land;

Eze 27:30 And shall cause their voice to be heard against thee, and shall cry bitterly, and shall cast up dust upon their heads, they shall wallow themselves in the ashes:

…

Eze 27:35 All the inhabitants of the isles shall be astonished at thee, and their kings shall be sore afraid, they shall be troubled in their countenance.

The difference is that the mourning of Tyre is confined to the region around Tyre (the isles) instead of entire world like the mourning of Babylon the Great City will be.

Tyre: A Millennium Trading Center?
Revelation 18 mentions that Babylon the Great City will be “found no more at all” after it is destroyed.

Rev 18:21 And a mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone, and cast it into the sea, saying, Thus with violence shall that great city Babylon be thrown down, and shall be found no more at all.

Meanwhile, Isaiah 23:15-18 mentions that Tyre shall return to prominence after seventy years and that its merchandise will be “for them that dwell before the LORD”.

Isa 23:15 And it shall come to pass in that day, that Tyre shall be forgotten seventy years, according to the days of one king: after the end of seventy years shall Tyre sing as an harlot.
Isa 23:16 Take an harp, go about the city, thou harlot that hast been forgotten; make sweet melody, sing many songs, that thou mayest be remembered.
Isa 23:17 And it shall come to pass after the end of seventy years, that the LORD will visit Tyre, and she shall turn to her hire, and shall commit fornication with all the kingdoms of the world upon the face of the earth.
Isa 23:18 And her merchandise and her hire shall be holiness to the LORD: it shall not be treasured nor laid up; for her merchandise shall be for them that dwell before the LORD, to eat sufficiently, and for durable clothing.

Proponents of Tyre = Babylon the Great City will have to address the fulfillment of this passage: whether it was fulfilled in the past or will it be fulfilled in the future, and if in the future, how can it be reconciled with Revelation 18:21?

I think there is a possibility that Isaiah 23:15-18 may describe the nature of Tyre during the Millennium. Psalms 45 is a chapter that concerns the Millennium, and mentions “the daughter of Tyre” presenting the Lord a gift in verse 12.

Psa 45:6 Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: the sceptre of thy kingdom is a right sceptre.
Psa 45:7 Thou lovest righteousness, and hatest wickedness: therefore God, thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows.
Psa 45:8 All thy garments smell of myrrh, and aloes, and cassia, out of the ivory palaces, whereby they have made thee glad.
Psa 45:9 Kings' daughters were among thy honourable women: upon thy right hand did stand the queen in gold of Ophir.
Psa 45:10 Hearken, O daughter, and consider, and incline thine ear; forget also thine own people, and thy father's house;
Psa 45:11 So shall the king greatly desire thy beauty: for he is thy Lord; and worship thou him.
Psa 45:12 And the daughter of Tyre shall be there with a gift; even the rich among the people shall intreat thy favour.

A final issue to consider is whether Tyre will ever experience the rapid buildup that is necessary to make it a global economic center. Right now Tyre is a tourist destination, but it’s not a place that you would think of as a major global economic center.

Conclusion Based on the Pros and Cons
Although the close parallel between Tyre’s ability to enrich people and Babylon the Great City’s ability to enrich people as centers of commerce are noteworthy, I do not view Tyre as premiere candidate to be Babylon the Great City because the entire world will not mourn following the destruction of Tyre and the Lord does not call for His people to flee from Tyre just prior to its destruction like He calls His people to flee from Babylon the Great City.

Of course, the speculation is moot if Ezekiel’s prophecies concerning ancient Tyre are fulfilled because the Tyre = Babylon the Great City argument depends a lot Ezekiel 26 and Ezekiel 27 having some future application. Once again, I won’t dispute the belief that Ezekiel’s prophecies concerning ancient Tyre have been fulfilled.

Regardless of whether all the prophecies concerning Tyre are fulfilled or not, the prophecies concerning Tyre may shed light on the sheer wealth that Babylon the Great City (wherever it may be) will possess and on the type of role that Babylon the Great City will play in the future economic system of the world.

Joel Osteen’s “I AM…” Teaching Seems to Parallel a New Age Spiritual Practice

2012-01-11T13:00:00.000-08:00

This past weekend the Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN) had a one hour special interview with Joel Osteen, the leader of the largest mega-church in the United States, Lakewood Church. I thought about sharing my thoughts and impressions about the Osteen interview this week, but I thought it would be useful to first watch a recent Lakewood Church service.

Last night I watched one of Osteen’s recent services on one of the religious television channels. I found out while watching that Osteen is promoting a new audio devotional called “I AM…” The broadcast showed Osteen and his wife provide a brief explanation of what the audio devotional was about. The brief explanation of “I AM…” provided by the Osteens set off alarm bells with me because it seemed reminiscent of a spiritual practice connected with the New Age Movement called “I AM Presence” or “I AM Activity”.

I assume that most people have not heard of the I AM Presence Movement. For those unaware, David Barrett, author of Sects, 'Cults', and Alternative Religions: A World Survey and Sourcebook, describes the movement’s teachings in the following passage:

The movement teaches that the omnipotent, omniscient and omnipresent creator God ('I AM' – Exodus 3:14) is in all of us as a spark from the Divine Flame, and that we can experience this presence, love, power and light – the power of the Violet Consuming Flame of Divine Love – through quiet contemplation and by repeating 'affirmations' and 'decrees'. By 'affirming' something one desires, one can cause it to happen.[1]

Ron Rhodes, the author of Find it Quick Handbook on Cults and New Religions, also describes one of the main tenets of the I AM Presence Movement in the following passage:

The "I AM Presence" is said to be in each person and represents a point of contact with divine reality. The I AM Presence is “the Christ”. One can attune to the I AM Presence (or “the Christ”) by chanting I AM decrees. Such chanting reportedly brings about dramatic results in the life of the one chanting.[2]

As Barrett mentioned, the words that followers chant are known as “decrees”. The following video features a I AM Presence teacher explaining the role of decrees:

Note, the speaker mentions a “Saint Germain”. “Saint Germain” is the name of an Ascended Master, a spiritual being referred to as the “spiritual wickedness in high places” in Ephesians 6:12, who purportedly was connected to the founders of the movement (Guy and Edna Ballard).

This video contains a lot of unbiblical content, so feel free to skip the video if you want to spare your eyes and ears from seeing/listening to it.

I found a list of decrees for followers of the I AM Presence Movement to chant. The main theme of the list concerns opulence and supply. Before the list of decrees begins there is a message from Guy and Edna Ballard and their son (Donald). In one part of the message, the Ballards urged followers to call “for an ocean of supply of all good things-including money, to flood you and your world and all who are constructive forever!”[3] Here are a couple of the decrees listed that followers can chant (note, these are some of the least blasphemous ones that I could find):

“I AM” the visible opulence I desire”.

“I AM” the Active Presence, bringing this money into my hand and use instantly”.

I searched for more information concerning Osteen’s new audio devotional after hearing about it. I found that Osteen recently gave a talk about his “I AM…” teaching in a video called “The Power of I AM” (yes the "AM" portion is capitalized in the official title of the talk). The video of Osteen’s talk is shown below (if you cannot see the video below, it can be accessed at the following link).

Note: Out of fairness to Osteen, I will not capitalize “am” when quoting him because I’m unsure whether he intended the “am” portion to be capitalized or not. The title of Osteen’s audio devotional and the title of his video suggests that “AM” was intended to be capitalized, but I do not know for sure whether that was a decision by him or his staff to capitalize it.

According to Osteen in the video, “The I ams that are coming out of your month will bring either success or failure” and “what follows the ‘I am’ will always come looking for you”. Here are six of the examples (three negative and three positive) that Osteen gave to explain what he means:

“I am so clumsy, clumsiness comes looking for you”

“I am so old, wrinkles come looking for you”

“I am so overweight, calories come looking for you”

“I am blessed, blessings come looking for you”

“I am talented, talent comes looking for you”.

“I am healthy, health starts heading your way”

Osteen promises that “when you have the right ‘I ams’ you are inviting the goodness of God. Some of you, if you would just change the ‘I am’-you would go to a new level. Words have creative power. With your words you can bless your future or you can curse your future” Osteen provided several other examples of things people can say including:

“I am anointed”

“I am wise”

“I am a masterpiece”

Osteen gave his followers a suggestion of how to put his I AM… teaching into daily practice:

“It would do us all good to make a list-a dozen or two-of these ‘I ams’. Read over them all through the day. Get them down in your spirit. Meditate on them. They may not all be true right now, but you have to call the things that are not as if they already were. ‘I am blessed’. ‘I am prosperous’. ‘I am free’. ‘I am talented’. ‘I am young’. ‘I am beautiful’. ‘I am attractive’. Remember, what follows the ‘I am’ is going to come looking for you. If you’ll invite the right things into your life, the Creator of the Universe will breathe in your direction”.

Osteen attempts to frame his I AM… teaching around God and tries to cite a few biblical accounts to give his audience the impression that the teaching possesses some degree of scriptural backing.[4] I’ll let you decide whether you buy into Osteen’s teaching or not…

I just can’t help but notice how Osteen urges people to say “I am…(insert whatever word(s) a person chooses)” to get what they want and how the Ballards urged people to say certain I AM decrees to bring about a flood of supply and money. There seems to be parallel between the two ideas to me…

As an aside, Osteen mentions at 8:16 in the video: “When you say. ‘I am beautiful’ not only does beauty, youth, freshness, starts coming your way, but on the inside, your spirit-person comes alive”. I’m not sure what Osteen means by “spirit-person”, but I thought it was worth mentioning...

I anticipate that some loyal followers of Osteen will read this article and will become enraged to the point where they may attack me in defense of Osteen. Let me say before anyone attacks me that I do not have an ax to grind with Osteen. In addition,

I’m not jealous of Osteen’s popularity or his success.

I’m not accusing Osteen or his wife of being followers of the I AM Presence Movement or insinuating that they are (only God knows what the Osteens truly believe).

I understand that the Osteens have helped a lot of people who had tough times in their life, but that should not exonerate them or anyone from being critiqued.

I cannot stop anyone from following or not following anyone, including Osteen, so people are free to continue following Osteen if they desire to.

The intent of this article was to voice an observation about Osteen’s I AM… teaching. Perhaps I’m overreacting to the new audio devotional that the Osteens are promoting. I just think I need to say something because it seems to be some degree of parallel between Osteen’s I AM… teaching and one of the main tenets of the I AM Presence Movement, that is, saying “I AM” followed by some word or phrase will bring you what you say.

Note & References

[1] Barrett, David. Sects, 'Cults', and Alternative Religions: A World Survey and Sourcebook. London: Blandford, 1996.
[2] Rhodes, Ron. Find it Quick Handbook on Cults and New Religions. Eugene: Harvest House Publishers, 2005. Pg. 95
[3] “I AM Decrees” For Ascended Master Supply of All Good Things-Including Money”. 24 Apr. 2010. Last Accessed 11 Jan. 2012. http://www.docstoc.com/docs/35704129/%E2%80%9CI-AM%E2%80%9D-DECREES
[4] Osteen mentions at one point that scripture says “Let the weak say 'I am strong'”. Osteen appears to be referencing the Joel 3:10, which is part of a passage that says

Joe 3:9 Proclaim ye this among the Gentiles; Prepare war, wake up the mighty men, let all the men of war draw near; let them come up:
Joe 3:10 Beat your plowshares into swords, and your pruninghooks into spears: let the weak say, I am strong.
Joe 3:11 Assemble yourselves, and come, all ye heathen, and gather yourselves together round about: thither cause thy mighty ones to come down, O LORD.

I think this is a case of Osteen completely misquoting scripture. The “let the weak say they are strong” in Joel 3:10 is a reference to the arrogance of the Gentiles who gather for battle instead of a call for everyone who is feeling down to say that they are strong.

An Update on the Efforts to Preserve and Rebuild Babylon & Petra

2012-01-09T09:35:00.000-08:00

I was recently asked if I had any updates on the rebuilding of Babylon, Iraq. For newer readers, I wrote an article several months ago detailing the ongoing efforts to preserve and rebuild Babylon at the following link:

http://prophecyproof.blogspot.com/2011/06/detailing-ongoing-efforts-to-preserve.html

I have a couple of recent news items concerning the preservation and restoration of Babylon that I’ll share today in case there is anyone else that is interested with what is going in Babylon. I’ll also share some information that I have on the U.S. government’s funding of preservation and restoration efforts in Petra, Jordan.

The first item is a video by the World Monument Fund. The organization discusses their recent activities preserving Babylon for the future:

Here is a link to the video if you cannot see it below: Link

The second item is an article by Construction Week Online from October 2011 about how the local government set aside $8.5 million to improve the infrastructure surrounding Babylon. The article quotes Mohammed Massoudi, the governor of Babil province, who explained what the funds will specifically be used for:

"The amount will cover the restoration work in some recreational aesthetic places, potable water systems, electricity networks and building of recreational facilities on the banks of the Euphrates River, passing through the historical city".

This update on the effort to preserve and rebuild Babylon does not contain earth-shattering information. That should be expected at this point because more work needs to be done to preserve the site and Iraq does not yet have a lot of money to focus on a rapid buildup of the area.

Petra
As an aside, I wonder how many people know that the U.S. State Department has recently contributed money towards the preservation and restoration of Petra in Jordan.

In 2010, the U.S. awarded $83,700 "to rebuild the ancient Nabatean dam in the Wadi al-Jarra area of Petra"
In September 2011, the U.S. awarded $600,000 “to stabilize, repair and increase accessibility to the Temple of the Winged Lions in Petra”.

The work to preserve and restore Petra may have some importance in the future as Petra is a place where some think the people of Israel will seek refuge from the Antichrist during the End Times. The main passage cited by proponents of this idea is Isaiah 16:1-4 where “Sela” in verse 16:1 is equated with Petra:

Isa 16:1 Send ye the lamb to the ruler of the land from Sela to the wilderness, unto the mount of the daughter of Zion.
Isa 16:2 For it shall be, that, as a wandering bird cast out of the nest, so the daughters of Moab shall be at the fords of Arnon.
Isa 16:3 Take counsel, execute judgment; make thy shadow as the night in the midst of the noonday; hide the outcasts; bewray not him that wandereth.
Isa 16:4 Let mine outcasts dwell with thee, Moab; be thou a covert to them from the face of the spoiler: for the extortioner is at an end, the spoiler ceaseth, the oppressors are consumed out of the land.

I hope people found today’s article informative.

Revisiting My Idea on Moab, Ammon, and Edom

2012-01-06T09:24:00.000-08:00

A couple of weeks ago I wrote an article mentioning that I was thinking of the possibility that Moab, Edom, and Ammon, which comprise modern day Jordan, could be attacked during the End Times by a Gentile military force unaffiliated with the Antichrist. After spending a significant amount of time contemplating this possibility, I share my thoughts on how I view this possibility now.

Moab
At this time I do not think that Moab will be subject to an attack by a Gentile force in the future. Although Bible commentators generally view the fulfillment of Isaiah 16 during the time of the Assyrians, they note a parallel between Isaiah 16 and Jeremiah 48.[1] The following table shows one important example where Isaiah 16 and Jeremiah 48 parallel:

Isa 16:8 For the fields of Heshbon languish, and the vine of Sibmah: the lords of the heathen have broken down the principal plants thereof, they are come even unto Jazer, they wandered through the wilderness: her branches are stretched out, they are gone over the sea.

Jer 48:8 And the spoiler shall come upon every city, and no city shall escape: the valley also shall perish, and the plain shall be destroyed, as the LORD hath spoken.

…

Jer 48:32 O vine of Sibmah, I will weep for thee with the weeping of Jazer: thy plants are gone over the sea, they reach even to the sea of Jazer: the spoiler is fallen upon thy summer fruits and upon thy vintage.

Jer 48:33 And joy and gladness is taken from the plentiful field, and from the land of Moab; and I have caused wine to fail from the winepresses: none shall tread with shouting; their shouting shall be no shouting.

The parallel between these two chapters does not necessarily mean that they describe the same event, but it can mean that each event can happen in a similar manner. The importance of this will be seen next:

Jeremiah 48
Jeremiah 48 was one of the chapters I was examining to see whether Moab could be attacked by a Gentile military force during the End Times. After spending a lot of time reviewing the chapter, I currently think the chapter has already been fulfilled.

The first reason why I think Jeremiah 48 has been fulfilled is that the parallel between Isaiah 16:8 and Jeremiah 48:8, 32-33 suggests that the spoiler mentioned in verse 48:32 and elsewhere in the chapter (like verse 48:8, 48:15, and 48:20) is likely a Gentile force.

Jer 48:8 And the spoiler shall come upon every city, and no city shall escape: the valley also shall perish, and the plain shall be destroyed, as the LORD hath spoken.

…

In contrast, the remnant people of Israel are the ones who are supposed to spoil Moab in the future according to Isaiah 11:14 and Zephaniah 2:9.

Isa 11:14 But they shall fly upon the shoulders of the Philistines toward the west; they shall spoil them of the east together: they shall lay their hand upon Edom and Moab; and the children of Ammon shall obey them.

Zep 2:9 Therefore as I live, saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, Surely Moab shall be as Sodom, and the children of Ammon as Gomorrah, even the breeding of nettles, and saltpits, and a perpetual desolation: the residue of my people shall spoil them, and the remnant of my people shall possess them.

The second reason why I think Jeremiah 48 applies to the past instead of the future is that the attackers will put a halt to those in Moab who worship gods. This suggests past fulfillment instead of future fulfillment since the main religious system during the End Times will be centered on Antichrist worship instead of polytheism.

Jer 48:35 Moreover I will cause to cease in Moab, saith the LORD, him that offereth in the high places, and him that burneth incense to his gods.
Jer 48:36 Therefore mine heart shall sound for Moab like pipes, and mine heart shall sound like pipes for the men of Kirheres: because the riches that he hath gotten are perished.

The Attack of Ammon in Jeremiah 49:
I think the passage concerning Ammon in Jeremiah 49 (Jeremiah 49:1-6) likely has End Times implications, but I do not think at this time that the attacker mentioned is a Gentile force. The main reason is Jeremiah 49:2. The verse mentions that Israel will “be heir unto them that were his heirs”; suggesting that Israel may be the attacker.

Jer 49:1 Concerning the Ammonites, thus saith the LORD; Hath Israel no sons? hath he no heir? why then doth their king inherit Gad, and his people dwell in his cities?
Jer 49:2 Therefore, behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will cause an alarm of war to be heard in Rabbah of the Ammonites; and it shall be a desolate heap, and her daughters shall be burned with fire: then shall Israel be heir unto them that were his heirs, saith the LORD.
Jer 49:3 Howl, O Heshbon, for Ai is spoiled: cry, ye daughters of Rabbah, gird you with sackcloth; lament, and run to and fro by the hedges; for their king shall go into captivity, and his priests and his princes together.
Jer 49:4 Wherefore gloriest thou in the valleys, thy flowing valley, O backsliding daughter? that trusted in her treasures, saying, Who shall come unto me?
Jer 49:5 Behold, I will bring a fear upon thee, saith the Lord GOD of hosts, from all those that be about thee; and ye shall be driven out every man right forth; and none shall gather up him that wandereth.
Jer 49:6 And afterward I will bring again the captivity of the children of Ammon, saith the LORD.

Jeremiah 49:2 was unlikely fulfilled during the days of Nebuchadnezzar because the people of Israel were subjected to the Babylonian captivity. In addition, the detail that Israel would be heir to those who were his heirs appears in several End Times Bible prophecy passages, which are displayed in the table below:

Jer 49:2 Therefore, behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will cause an alarm of war to be heard in Rabbah of the Ammonites; and it shall be a desolate heap, and her daughters shall be burned with fire: then shall Israel be heir unto them that were his heirs, saith the LORD.	Isa 11:14 But they shall fly upon the shoulders of the Philistines toward the west; they shall spoil them of the east together: they shall lay their hand upon Edom and Moab; and the children of Ammon shall obey them.	Amo 9:11 In that day will I raise up the tabernacle of David that is fallen, and close up the breaches thereof; and I will raise up his ruins, and I will build it as in the days of old: Amo 9:12 That they may possess the remnant of Edom, and of all the heathen, which are called by my name, saith the LORD that doeth this.
Eze 39:10 So that they shall take no wood out of the field, neither cut down any out of the forests; for they shall burn the weapons with fire: and they shall spoil those that spoiled them, and rob those that robbed them, saith the Lord GOD.	Zep 2:9 Therefore as I live, saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, Surely Moab shall be as Sodom, and the children of Ammon as Gomorrah, even the breeding of nettles, and saltpits, and a perpetual desolation: the residue of my people shall spoil them, and the remnant of my people shall possess them. Zep 2:10 This shall they have for their pride, because they have reproached and magnified themselves against the people of the LORD of hosts.	Isa 14:1 For the LORD will have mercy on Jacob, and will yet choose Israel, and set them in their own land: and the strangers shall be joined with them, and they shall cleave to the house of Jacob. Isa 14:2 And the people shall take them, and bring them to their place: and the house of Israel shall possess them in the land of the LORD for servants and handmaids: and they shall take them captives, whose captives they were; and they shall rule over their oppressors.

Therefore, I think the remnant of Israel is Ammon’s attacker in Jeremiah 49:1-6 instead of a Gentile force.

Edom: Might Be Attacked Twice In the Future?
I still do not rule out that the possibility that Edom will be attacked by a Gentile force due to the:

The close parallel between the sections concerning Edom in Jeremiah 49 and Obadiah 1:1-8, which both mention a heathen attack on Edom.
The close parallel between Jeremiah 49:12 and Jeremiah 25:28, which is part of a passage (Jeremiah 25:15-38) that mentions Edom as a recipient of punishment and is a passage that I believe is very relevant to the End Times.
The parallel between Jeremiah 49:13, 17-18 and Isaiah 34 with regards to the destruction of Bozrah.

If you want to read more about these three points, please refer to the article I wrote at the following link

Israel Will Attack Edom
Regardless of whether Edom gets attacked by a Gentile force or not during the End Times, I believe that Edom will be attacked by the remnant of Israel someday. Numbers 24:16-20, Ezekiel 25:14, and Obadiah 1:18 tell us that the people of Israel will participate in a judgment of the remnant of Edom.

Num 24:16 He hath said, which heard the words of God, and knew the knowledge of the most High, which saw the vision of the Almighty, falling into a trance, but having his eyes open:

Num 24:17 I shall see him, but not now: I shall behold him, but not nigh: there shall come a Star out of Jacob, and a Sceptre shall rise out of Israel, and shall smite the corners of Moab, and destroy all the children of Sheth.

Num 24:18 And Edom shall be a possession, Seir also shall be a possession for his enemies; and Israel shall do valiantly.

Num 24:19 Out of Jacob shall come he that shall have dominion, and shall destroy him that remaineth of the city.

Num 24:20 And when he looked on Amalek, he took up his parable, and said, Amalek was the first of the nations; but his latter end shall be that he perish for ever.

Eze 25:12 Thus saith the Lord GOD; Because that Edom hath dealt against the house of Judah by taking vengeance, and hath greatly offended, and revenged himself upon them;

Eze 25:13 Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; I will also stretch out mine hand upon Edom, and will cut off man and beast from it; and I will make it desolate from Teman; and they of Dedan shall fall by the sword.

Eze 25:14 And I will lay my vengeance upon Edom by the hand of my people Israel: and they shall do in Edom according to mine anger and according to my fury; and they shall know my vengeance, saith the Lord GOD.

Oba 1:18 And the house of Jacob shall be a fire, and the house of Joseph a flame, and the house of Esau for stubble, and they shall kindle in them, and devour them; and there shall not be any remaining of the house of Esau; for the LORD hath spoken it.

I’ll have more on this topic when I publish the series of articles on Ezekiel 38 and Ezekiel 39 that I'm still working on. The reason why I’ve been thinking about this topic is that I am evaluating the possibility for a major End Times war where the Antichrist is opposed by a Gentile military force. The idea I was contemplating was for the Gentile military force to attack Moab, Edom, and Ammon on their way to attack the Antichrist.

If you have any thoughts about this or any other topic feel free to share in the comments section.

Note

[1] Isaiah 15, Isaiah 16, and Jeremiah 48 parallel each other closely. However, I view Isaiah 16:1-4 as having End Times application as a message to Moab to allow some Israelites to seek refuge from the Antichrist.

My 2012 Forecast

2012-01-04T11:34:00.000-08:00

At the start of last year I provided my thoughts on what events and trends I thought we could see in 2011. Today I share my thoughts on what events and trends I think could happen in 2012.

Before I begin I want to state emphatically again that I am not a prophet. I don’t pretend to be one or ever want to suggest that I am. My 2011 forecast demonstrates that I am totally fallible.

As I mentioned at the start of the 2011 forecast, I believe understanding the spiritual/religious context in which events are taking place is important to anticipating what might happen in any year, including 2012. As I’ve said before, events take place in context of an ongoing spiritual war between the forces of good (God and His heavenly host) and the spiritual forces of evil (Satan and his minions). Therefore, I believe it is a mistake to assume that events take place randomly; without any force guiding them. In addition, I believe it is a mistake to ignore the ongoing spiritual war because by ignoring it you’ll miss out on the driving force behind many events.

The Overall Nature of the Year 2012
I expect 2012 will be a very tumultuous year around the world. The main reason why I expect 2012 will be a tumultuous year is related to the December 21, 2012 phenomenon. Although I do not believe December 21, 2012 will not bring the Apocalypse like some fear, I think it is something that cannot be ignored when trying to anticipate what will happen this year.

I believe the December 21, 2012 phenomenon is inspired by the spiritual forces of evil. The phenomenon is an attempt (at the minimum) to get people interested in New Age spiritual practices and other non-traditional religious views and practices. Given my view that December 21, 2012 phenomenon is inspired by the spiritual forces of evil, I suspect that the spiritual forces of evil want people’s interest in the date and the phenomenon surrounding the date to be as high as possible.

I think more people will be interested in December 21, 2012 if global conditions this year are bad and volatile than if global conditions are good and peaceful because a lot of people hear about how December 21, 2012 is supposed to be the end of the world or a time of "transformation" from the media (people would wonder if the December 21, 2012 phenomenon accounts for the chaos going on in the world). Consequently, if evil spiritual entities have any influence on what events transpire in the world, I think it is reasonable to assume that they will do what they can to make this year tumultuous as they can.

How far evil spiritual entities can go to stir up chaos in the world will ultimately be subject to God because God has the power to limit them as He is in control of everything.

As I mentioned in the 2011 forecast, the Bible suggests that we will see increased famine, pestilence, wars and rumors of war, commotion (i.e. political instability), earthquakes, etc. as we approach Christ’s Second Coming (Matthew 24, Luke 21, and Mark 13). Once again, I anticipate that these “birth pang” signs will become more prevalent or pronounced this year as we are another year closer to the time of Christ’s Second Coming. We could see, among other things, in 2012:

More Social and Political Instability

More Wars and Rumors of War

More Large Magnitude Earthquake Activity

More food shortages in some parts of the world, higher food prices, and/or poor harvests

I expect the following events or trends to take place in 2012:

The Crises in Europe Worsens: I expect the ongoing crises in Europe to escalate in 2012 because the economic situation throughout much of Europe is deteriorating and many people in heavily-indebted countries like Greece and Spain have grown tired of the austerity measures that their governments are trying to implement.

A recession in Europe would likely exasperate the ongoing debt crisis because governments would likely receive less tax revenue to make debt payments and to balance their budgets.

The growing opposition to austerity will make it more politically challenging for the governments of heavily-indebted countries to implement reforms that are needed to combat the ongoing crises.

Barack Obama Wins the 2012 U.S. Presidential Election: Full disclosure, I am a registered Republican (although I am much more of an independent conservative than a party loyalist). With that said, I actually expect Obama to win reelection in 2012 because I don’t think the Republican Party will have a strong candidate to challenge him.

Obama is vulnerable to losing to a strong candidate given the poor condition that the U.S. is in and the dissatisfaction that Americans have with elected officials, but each potential challenger remaining has at least one fatal flaw that Obama and the mainstream media can exploit.

Despite what a lot of people say, of all the Republican candidates, I think Ron Paul has the best chance to defeat Obama as the nominee with his ability to appeal to independent voters (who often decide who wins in a U.S. presidential election). However, Paul’s foreign policy stance may turnoff a lot of voters and I think the political and the media establishment would work very hard to make sure Paul doesn’t win if he is somehow the nominee.

The Fed Launches a 3rd Round of Quantitative Easing (QE3): The Federal Reserve is supposed to be apolitical, but Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke knows that he will lose his job if any of the Republican candidates win the 2012 presidential election. I expect Bernanke to push the Fed into launching QE 3.0 partly as an effort to stimulate the U.S. economy enough to allow Obama to defeat his Republican opponent. Another reason that the Fed may engage in QE3 is that they may feel the U.S. economy needs help in overcoming the effects of what is going on in Europe.

Putin Wins Russia's Presidential Election and Clamps Down on Opposition: I mentioned in a recent article that I thought that the protests in Russia would give Vladimir Putin an excuse to justify a clampdown on political opposition in Russia. I expect Putin to follow through with an effort to clampdown on political opposition after he wins March’s Russia presidential election.

Little to Nothing Gets Done in Congress Before November 2012: The same dynamics that brought the U.S. a dysfunctional Congress in 2011 remain in 2012. There might even be less done this year legislatively because congressional lawmakers will be focused on trying to win reelection in the latter part of the year.

China’s Economic Health Finally Becomes A Concern: I mentioned in my review of my 2011 forecast that some have grown concerned in recent weeks about the health of China’s economy and the health of China’s financial system. I expect 2012 will be the year that we hear a lot more concern about China’s problems.

I would also not be surprised if the following events or trends took place in 2012.

Foreign Military Intervention in Syria: It would not be inappropriate to describe the situation in Syria as a civil war. The anti-Assad opposition in Syria is strong enough that it has its own military force (the Free Syrian Army) to combat against Assad's security forces. A diplomatic resolution to this conflict is unlikely as demonstrated by the recent failures of the Arab League to broker a lasting peace in Syria.

I would not be surprised if the situation in Syria became so dire that some countries eventually intervene in an effort to stop the killing of civilians. Turkey is possible candidate to lead the effort as it already has contingency plans to impose a no-fly zone in Syria. There is a remote possibility that the United States gets involved too as it is developing its Syria options right now, including a military intervention option.

The Occupy Movement in the U.S. Grows: Benjamin Creme (the official spokesmen of Maitreya, the leader of the Ascended Masters-a group of spiritual beings referred to as the “spiritual wickedness in high places” in Ephesians 6:12) claims that Maitreya is influencing the Occupy Wall Street Movement. If that is the case, then the occupy movement is unlikely going away anytime soon. Regardless of what Creme claims, I would not be surprised if the occupy movement grows as more people become dissatisfied with the status quo.

Apparently, there is an Occupy Congress protest scheduled for January 17. I would not be surprised if the occupiers gained some supporters by focusing on Congress because Congress is extremely unpopular in the U.S.

Israel vs. Iran Finally Happens: I would not be surprised if Israel engaged in a preemptive strike against Iran's nuclear program at some point in 2012 because Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak mentioned in the latter part of last year that there is less than a year left to stop Iran before its nuclear weapon development program reaches a point where it cannot be stopped from producing a nuclear weapon.

If Barak and other Israeli officials believe that time is running out, you’d think that they will act before time has run out.

Note of Caution: The events and trends I discussed in this article may or may not actually happen in 2012. If not, there's the potential for these events to still happen later... Ultimately, God is in control so He decides when events do and do not take place. We must acknowledge Him and understand there is probably a good reason if something expected or unexpected does or does not happen this year.

The Effort to Bring a New World Order: Jan 2012 Share Intl Review

2012-01-02T11:44:00.000-08:00

Pre-Article Disclaimer for Newer Readers: If you are reading this blog for the first time or are not totally familiar with my work, I am a 100% Christian writer who analyzes things from a Christian point of view. I sometimes research into what the spiritual forces of evil are up to in hopes of gleaning information to help us Christians figure out what is going on or to figure out what Satan has planned. You can read more about why I dare consider these unbiblical sources at the following link Now on to the article...

I devoted an article last month to the comments that Benjamin Creme (the official spokesmen of Maitreya, the leader of the Ascended Masters-a group of spiritual beings referred to as the “spiritual wickedness in high places” in Ephesians 6:12) made concerning the Occupy Wall Street Movement. To summarize for new readers, Creme claimed that Occupy Wall Street was being influenced by Maitreya and that Occupy Wall Street represented the beginning of the “transformation” of the United States.

Today I share some of my thoughts on what is found in the December 2011 issue of Creme’s magazine because the magazine once again covers the occupy protests that have been seen in the U.S. and elsewhere around the world.

As usual, the magazine begins with an article by the Ascended Master who advises Creme (transcribed by Creme). The article’s central message is that the present time of turmoil in the world will eventually give way to a New Age. The article makes a few claims about the role Maitreya and the Ascended Masters are allegedly playing in the present turmoil in the world.

The article claims that Maitreya is “inspiring” a generation of activists that are working for new structures in the world.

The article claims that there are Ascended Masters working with groups of people around the world to bring change to the world in a manner that seeks to minimize turmoil.

The claims imply that there may be something going on behind the scenes spiritually to bring on a New World Order. This idea that there are activists working under spiritual guidance to bring a New World Order reminds me of a video interview that I watched last night (posted by Christian author Constance Cumbey on her blog) from a New Age media outlet featuring a man who claims that there are high-level people working behind-the-scenes to bring a new global economic system and a new global currency

The interviewer suggested near the 20 minute mark of the video that the spiritual entities she contacted (most likely fallen angels or demons) told her that we will see a New World Order and a one-world currency come to pass.

The video is posted below. If you cannot see it, you can find it at the following link

Every month Creme's magazine features a question and answer section where Creme tries to provide answers to reader questions (or at least that is how it’s presented in the magazine). Creme made the following claims in the question and answer section. My thoughts on Creme’s claims are in parenthesis.

Iran’s intention is to develop a peaceful nuclear program, but they also want a nuclear weapon to retaliate against attacks on the country (My personal opinion is that Iran primarily wants a nuclear weapon).

The “freeing” of Syria will take longer than what happened in Libya, Egypt, and Tunisia (I would not be surprised if the situation in Syria continued for at least several more weeks-if not months).

The pace that the world will change shall accelerate during the next couple of years (I don’t disagree with this. I expect we’ll see more change in the world).

There will be Ascended Masters who will work in the field of politics in the future. (I wonder if that means evil spiritual entities will play a role in advising world leaders to follow the Antichrist’s orders).

The magazine had two articles about Occupy Wall Street and the occupy protests taking place throughout the world. As expected, both articles gave positive coverage of the protesters’ actions. Interestingly, the magazine decided to use the subtitle: “The New Progressive Age has begun” in its article about Occupy Wall Street, which was also a phrase found in a New York Times op-ed article by Jeffery Sachs.

I can only speculate, but I suspect the decision of Creme’s magazine to use the phrase “The New Progressive Age has begun” as a subtitle to an article about Occupy Wall Street reflects the opinion of the magazine staff and Creme that the occupy protests will contribute to bringing on a New World Order/New Age.

These are some of my thoughts relating to the latest issue of Creme’s magazine. I hope you found this article useful.

Revisiting My 2011 Forecast

2011-12-30T11:28:00.000-08:00

At the start of the year I provided a forecast of what I expected to see take place in the year 2011. Now that it is the end of the year I thought I would revisit my 2011 forecast to show you how I faired attempting to anticipate what happened this year.

The following items in bold are the events/trends that I thought would take place in 2011. I provide my thoughts on what actually happened after each item mentioned.

More Larger-Magnitude Earthquakes: 2011 already has begun with a couple of strong earthquakes. On New Year’s Day Argentina experienced a magnitude 7.0 earthquake while central Chile experienced a magnitude 7.1 earthquake on Sunday.

This statement was focused on the number of large-magnitude earthquakes that we would see instead of the intensity of the large-magnitude earthquakes that we would see. As I mentioned in the previous article, 2011 saw a slight decline in the number of magnitude 7.0 and greater earthquakes versus 2010 levels. However, 2011 featured one of the strongest earthquakes in recorded history: the magnitude 9.0 March 11 Japan earthquake.

More Wars and Rumors of Wars: A report issued the International Crisis Group suggests that there are currently at least sixteen politically unstable areas around the world that could potentially escalate this year to become the world’s next conflicts.

This year did see a significant rise in the amount of armed conflict in the world, particularly in the Middle East. For more on armed conflict in 2011, you can access the following article

Greater Political and Social Instability: I expect there to be far more unrest in Europe this year than in 2010. The latter part of 2010 saw a noticeable pickup in instability throughout Europe with violent protests in places like Rome and Britain. One reason why unrest is likely going to pick up further in Europe is that heavily-indebted countries like Spain and Portugal are likely going to need a bailout to the dismay of other Europeans whose taxpayer dollars may have to be used to bailout them. Another reason why unrest is likely going to pick up further in Europe is that European governments are likely going to attempt to implement reforms and benefit cuts that are unpopular with their citizens. These factors and probably more are likely going to make massive demonstrations and probably some violent demonstrations more common in Europe in 2011 than in 2010.

I thought that we would see the bulk of the social unrest in the world take place in Europe when I wrote the statement above. Although there was increased social unrest in Italy, Britain, Greece, and Spain (as people protested against austerity measures), the main focus of unrest this year was concentrated in North Africa and the Middle East. The change that took place in the Middle East and North Africa this year has been remarkable because so much has changed in a short amount of time.

I mentioned in my forecast article that I would also not be surprised if the following events or trends took place in 2011:

Europe Achieves Greater Union: Many experts believe that European leaders ultimately face a tough choice: end the Euro or have Europe become more unified (i.e. accept fiscal union). I believe it is more likely that European leaders will work to bring more unity to Europe than to end the Euro this year.

It’s hard to quantify how much more unified Europe became this year, but it seems Europe is moving towards further integration. The ongoing crises in Europe have compelled key European leaders like German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Nicolas Sarkozy to push for more fiscal integration and even fiscal union. In fact, European leaders (except for Britain’s David Cameron) have agreed to work on ratifying a new European Treaty that is intended to strengthen fiscal discipline by giving the EU the ability to impose sanctions on countries that have a Debt/GDP level above 3% (ironically, many European countries already violate this threshold and would qualify for sanctions).

The Federal Reserve Engages in Quantitative Easing 3.0 (QE3): The Federal Reserve hopes that the widely unpopular Quantitative Easing 2.0 (QE2) is enough to prevent a major downturn in the U.S. economy. However, not long after QE2 was announced the Federal Reserve already began to publicly hint that QE3 could take place if needed. I expect the Federal Reserve to pursue QE3 at some point in 2011.

The Federal Reserve has resisted the urge to engage in QE3 so far. However, some believe the Federal Reserve has engaged in QE 2.5 through “Operation Twist”, which is a program where the Fed sells short-term debt and reinvests the proceeds in long-term debt. This action is intended to suppress long-term interest rates, which the Fed hopes will spur companies' willingness to borrow and to spend.

Prices of Essential, Everyday Items Rise: Countries across the globe are competing in a global currency war. The objective for these countries is to devalue their currencies so they can gain an export trade advantage. A consequence of currency devaluation is that paper money is able to buy less. I expect this global currency war to continue in 2011, so the paper money people have will buy less of the everyday items they need, or in other words, the price of everyday items in terms of paper money will go up.

I’m not sure what it is like elsewhere in the world, but gasoline prices, food prices, and the prices of other important items are higher where I live than they were a year ago.

Nothing Substantial Gets Done in the U.S. Congress: To get things done in the U.S., Congress (the House of Representatives and Senate) and the President have to work together. Right now only the Senate and the President are aligned. The House of Representatives are full of Republicans who are likely going to pursue an agenda that is opposed to the President and the Senate’s agenda. As a result, it should be very difficult for any major laws to get passed in the U.S. in 2011.

The U.S. Congress managed to pass bills like the controversial NDAA and managed to approve the increase of the debt ceiling in 2011, but Congress is so dysfunctional right now that it seems that U.S. lawmakers can't pass any important pieces of legislation without facing a deadline or resorting to brinkmanship. The inability of the congressional super committee to meet a November deadline to agree to deficit reduction measures is an example of how dysfunctional Congress is.

The Growing American Tea Party: If little gets done in Congress there could be an even greater level of dissatisfaction with the status quo and with political elites in office. You could see a significant rise in Tea Party membership as more Americans join to voice their displeasure.

I expected the U.S. Congress to be extremely unpopular in 2011, but I thought the American Tea Party would be the primary beneficiaries of the extreme dissatisfaction with Congress. Instead, we saw some of the dissatisfaction with the status quo help fuel the rise of Occupy Wall Street Movement.

The Chinese Economy Becomes A Concern: Some pundits for years have forecasted a slowdown in the Chinese economy without a slowdown actually taking place. Currently, the risk of a slowdown in the Chinese economy is higher than ever because Chinese policymakers are purposely attempting to slow it down to stop a terrible inflation problem that could destabilize Chinese society if it is not stopped. If a major slowdown in the Chinese economy takes place it could be a new source of global and economic instability.

There is some growing concern about the health of China's economy. For instance, Ambrose Evans-Pritchard, the Daily Telegraph’s International Business Editor, wrote an article a couple of weeks ago discussing some significant warning signs concerning China’s economy and financial system. However, the concern about the health of China’s economy is not a story that is making daily headlines. It seems the weakening of China’s economy is going to be more of a 2012 story than a 2011 story.

I’ll let you judge how well or how poorly I faired attempting to anticipate what happened this year. The results definitely show that I am not a prophet (nor do I claim to be one) because there were things that I got wrong or failed to anticipate. I plan to share a 2012 forecast in the coming days. In the meantime, I like to wish everyone a Happy New Year and thank you for reading!

Where 2011 Ranks Historically in Terms of Magnitude 7.0 & Greater Earthquake Activity

2011-12-28T09:38:00.000-08:00

Earlier this year I published a study about trends in magnitude 7.0 and greater earthquake activity over the past 100 years and a study about trends in magnitude 8.0 and greater earthquake activity over the past 100 years.

In August I provided an update to the study on the trends in magnitude 7.0 and greater earthquake activity after a 5.8 magnitude earthquake impacted the east coast of the U.S.

Now that it is the end of the year I thought it would be good to provide another update to the study about trends in magnitude 7.0 and greater earthquake activity. Today I’ll show you where 2011 ranks historically in terms of magnitude 7.0 and greater earthquake activity.

I again utilized two data sources to account for the magnitude 7.0 and greater earthquakes that have taken place since 1900.

The U.S. Geological Survey’s Centennial Earthquake Catalog data set. I rely on this data set to account for magnitude 7.0 and greater earthquakes that have taken place from 1900-1972.

The U.S. Geological Survey’s Preliminary Determination of Epicenters (PDE) data set. I rely on this data set to account for magnitude 7.0 and greater earthquakes that have taken place between 1973 and today.

The following (updated) graph illustrates magnitude 7.0 and greater earthquake activity each year from 1900 to today (link to the chart in case you are unable to see it on your screen).

Recall that I also used the U.S. Geological Survey’s data to calculate the following summary statistics about magnitude 7.0 and greater earthquake activity from 1900 to 2010:

Average # Per Year: 15.78
Median: 15
Standard Deviation: 4.82

We had 20 magnitude 7.0 and greater earthquakes this year. In view of that, 2011 was an above average year compared to what happened from 1900 to 2010. In fact, 2011 ranks as one of the Top 17 most active years since 1900.

Magnitude 7.0 and greater earthquakes did not occur at regular intervals this year. The first three months of 2011 saw a lot of magnitude 7.0 and greater earthquake activity while next three months saw relatively little activity. Magnitude 7.0 and greater earthquake activity picked up in the third quarter of 2011, but quieted down in the final part of the year. The following table provides a comparison of magnitude 7.0 and greater earthquake activity at different periods in 2011.

Time Period	# of 7.0+ Magnitude Earthquakes
January 1- March 31	8
April 1- June 30	2
July 1 – September 30	7
October 1 – End of 2011	3
Total	20

I hope you found this article on where 2011 ranks historically in terms of magnitude 7.0 and greater earthquake activity informative. Despite the slight decline in activity this year from 2010 levels, I still expect the number of large magnitude earthquakes to increase in the coming years as we approach the End Times…

A Sober Reminder on December 25

2011-12-26T12:34:00.000-08:00

Yesterday afternoon I was looking to see what was on television when I briefly encountered the end of a show that disturbed me on one of the many religious stations that DirecTV has to offer. The television show featured a person who openly calls themselves a “prophet” and who claims to manage a team of so-called “prophets”. From what I saw, the person is a prosperity preacher who asks viewers to send them money in exchange for some sort of blessing. The person’s team of so-called “prophets” will provide a person who calls a certain phone number (and probably pays a large fee) a prophecy concerning them that allegedly came from God.

The few minutes of the show that I was able to watch disturbed me for the following reasons.

A true prophet from God must be accurate 100% of the time with their predictions (Deuteronomy 18:22). I can safely say after watching this individual speak for a few minutes that there is no way this person could make accurate predictions 100% of the time. The fact that this person can be wildly successful by promoting themselves as a “prophet” to a nationwide audience is indicative that a lot of people don’t know what a true prophet is.

I don’t know whether this individual paid for the television time on the religious station or is paid by the religious station to promote their message. Whatever the case may be, the fact that the religious station permitted this person to promote themselves as a “prophet” suggests that this religious station has poor standards when it comes to selecting religious content. It’s indicative that are decision makers who are more concerned about making money than concerned about the religious/spiritual content of the message that is being spread.

The few minutes of this television show I watched reminded me that we are living in a time when there are some prominent religious speakers who are not giving their audience sound information and who are more concerned about increasing the size of their wallets than providing their audience with sound information:

2Ti 4:3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears;
2Ti 4:4 And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.

1Ti 4:1 Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils;
1Ti 4:2 Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron;
1Ti 4:3 Forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth.

We should not be totally surprised that there are people like this out there because the Bible warns us about them. However, at the same time, it is sad to see that many people are so easily deceived by them.

An Idea on My Mind About Edom, Moab, and Ammon During the End Times

2011-12-23T11:33:00.000-08:00

Today I feel like sharing an idea on my mind regarding Edom, Moab, and Ammon, which are located in modern day Jordan, as a way to help myself collect my thoughts on something I’m studying. I also want to share this idea because it may give something for people to think about.

Daniel 11:41 suggests that the Edom, Moab, and Ammon will escape out of the Antichrist’s hand.

Dan 11:41 He shall enter also into the glorious land, and many countries shall be overthrown: but these shall escape out of his hand, even Edom, and Moab, and the chief of the children of Ammon.

I think the reason for this is that there will be some people of Israel attempting to seek refuge at these locations.

Although Daniel 11:41 suggest that Edom, Moab, and Ammon will be spared from the Antichrist, I’m not sure that Edom, Ammon, and Moab will be completely spared from an attack by the nations during the End Times. The reason I’m not sure is that Jeremiah 49 appears (at the moment) to be a chapter that possibly could have some End Times implications, particularly when it comes to Edom.

I think the entire chapter of Obadiah may have some End Times relevance. This is important because the sections concerning Edom in Jeremiah 49 parallel Obadiah 1:1-8 very closely. For instance, Jeremiah 49:14 and Obadiah 1:1-2 suggests that Edom will be attacked by heathen forces:

Jer 49:14 I have heard a rumour from the LORD, and an ambassador is sent unto the heathen, saying, Gather ye together, and come against her, and rise up to the battle.

Jer 49:15 For, lo, I will make thee small among the heathen, and despised among men.

Oba 1:1 The vision of Obadiah. Thus saith the Lord GOD concerning Edom; We have heard a rumour from the LORD, and an ambassador is sent among the heathen, Arise ye, and let us rise up against her in battle.

Oba 1:2 Behold, I have made thee small among the heathen: thou art greatly despised.

Another consideration is that Jeremiah 49:12 closely parallels Jeremiah 25:28, which is part of a passage (Jeremiah 25:15-38) that mentions Ammon, Edom, and Moab as recipients of punishment and is a passage that I believe is very relevant to the End Times.

Jer 49:12 For thus saith the LORD; Behold, they whose judgment was not to drink of the cup have assuredly drunken; and art thou he that shall altogether go unpunished? thou shalt not go unpunished, but thou shalt surely drink of it.

Jer 25:21 Edom, and Moab, and the children of Ammon,

…

Jer 25:28 And it shall be, if they refuse to take the cup at thine hand to drink, then shalt thou say unto them, Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Ye shall certainly drink.

A third consideration is how Jeremiah 49’s characterization of Bozrah’s (the capital of Edom) desolation parallels Isaiah 34’s characterization of Bozrah’s desolation. The parallel is important because Isaiah 34 is a chapter that is definitely associated with the Day of the Lord.

Jer 49:13 For I have sworn by myself, saith the LORD, that Bozrah shall become a desolation, a reproach, a waste, and a curse; and all the cities thereof shall be perpetual wastes.

…

Jer 49:17 Also Edom shall be a desolation: every one that goeth by it shall be astonished, and shall hiss at all the plagues thereof.

Jer 49:18 As in the overthrow of Sodom and Gomorrah and the neighbour cities thereof, saith the LORD, no man shall abide there, neither shall a son of man dwell in it.

Isa 34:6 The sword of the LORD is filled with blood, it is made fat with fatness, and with the blood of lambs and goats, with the fat of the kidneys of rams: for the LORD hath a sacrifice in Bozrah, and a great slaughter in the land of Idumea.

Isa 34:7 And the unicorns shall come down with them, and the bullocks with the bulls; and their land shall be soaked with blood, and their dust made fat with fatness.

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

Isa 34:9 And the streams thereof shall be turned into pitch, and the dust thereof into brimstone, and the land thereof shall become burning pitch.

Isa 34:10 It shall not be quenched night nor day; the smoke thereof shall go up for ever: from generation to generation it shall lie waste; none shall pass through it for ever and ever.

I’m evaluating the idea/the possibility that there could be a Gentile military force-unaffiliated with the Antichrist-that attacks Edom, Moab, and Ammon at some point in the End Times given the possibility that Jeremiah 49:14, which recall mentions a heathen military force, may have some End Times relevance.

The main thing that makes me question whether a Gentile military force will attack these areas is that I have yet to find convincing evidence that Moab and Ammon will be attacked by a Gentile military force during the End Times. I’ve been reviewing Isaiah 15, Isaiah 16, and Jeremiah 48, and Jeremiah 49:1-6 closely in search of the evidence, but I’m not sure yet about these chapters.

However, Moab and Ammon are north of Edom geographically. One would think that a military force would have to go through Ammon and Moab before arriving in Edom (unless the military force attacked from the east).

Another thing that makes me question whether a Gentile military force will attack these areas is the question: "Why would Moab, Ammon, and Edom be attacked by a Gentile military force that is unaffiliated with the Antichrist when it is spared from an attack by the Antichrist?"

Feel free to share any ideas or thoughts that you may have pertaining to this topic (or others). My Christmas weekend is probably going to be spent trying to figure this out.

A Biblical Critique of December 21, 2012

2011-12-21T09:12:00.000-08:00

Today is Wednesday, December 21, 2011. Exactly seven months ago some incorrectly believed that Judgment Day/the Rapture would take place. Exactly one year from now there will be a lot of people afraid that the world is coming to an end.

Indeed, we are only one year away from December 21, 2012, a time period that I’m not looking forward to-not because I’m concerned that the world is coming to an end. I am simply not looking forward to the time period surrounding December 21, 2012 because there is going to be so much disinformation and hype coming from the media about that date. Imagine the hype concerning May 21, 2011 and multiply it by 1,000,000… it is going to almost unbearable as 2012 promoters and the media hype the date while failing to consider a biblical viewpoint.

Today I’ve decided to post portions of a report that I’ve written about 2012 (with a few minor changes) that answer whether three major End Times-related events can possibly happen on December 21, 2012: Armageddon, the revealing of Antichrist’s true identity, and the start of the End Times.

The hope is that posting the portions of the report that concern these issues here will make it easier for people who are looking for answers to find them.

The End Times seven-year period is known as the seventieth week of Daniel (also commonly known as the “tribulation”). Most of the future events prophesied in the Bible will occur during this seven prophetic year time frame. The seventieth week of Daniel is prophesied to last 2520 days (Daniel 12:7, 7:25, Revelation 12:6, 14, and 11:2-3, also see the appendix).[1] Since the length of the seventieth week of Daniel is a defined period of time we can use it to assess whether Armageddon, the revealing of Antichrist’s true identity, or the start of the End Times can possibly happen on December 21, 2012.

Armageddon?
Some people claim that Armageddon will commence on December 21, 2012. I feel that people who claim this need to strongly reconsider what the Bible says. The world must first go through the seventieth week of Daniel before the Battle of Armageddon can occur. For December 21, 2012 to be the date when the Battle of Armageddon occurs, the seventieth week of Daniel must have begun in 2005. You would be very hard pressed to find many Bible believers who believe the End Times began in 2005, including those who believe that we are living in the End Times right now. Therefore, the world will not end on December 21, 2012.

The Start of the End Times?
However, what about the possibility that the seventieth week of Daniel begins on December 21, 2012? I pose this question because some think that the End Times may begin on this date.

I believe it is impossible for the End Times to begin on December 21, 2012 due to the way the seventieth week of Daniel is likely going to end. There is a strong indication in End Times-related verses that the seventieth week of Daniel will end on a Yom Kippur, which is the holiest Jewish holiday; falling on Tishri 10 of the Jewish calendar or sometime between September and October on our calendar.[2] The following table illustrates whether it is possible for the seventieth week of Daniel to begin on December 21, 2012.

	Our Calendar	Hebrew Calendar
Start of the 70th Week of Daniel	December 21, 2012	Teveth, 8 5773
Add 2520 Days
End of the 70th Week of Daniel	November 15, 2019	Heshvan 17, 5780

This calculation demonstrates that the seventieth week of Daniel cannot begin on December 21, 2012 because it would be at odds with the designation of when the End Times will end after adding 2520 days from the start of the seventieth week of Daniel.

Antichrist Reveals His Identity?
Some claim that the Antichrist may reveal his true identity to the world on December 21, 2012. The Antichrist is prophesized to reveal his true identity to the world halfway through the seventieth week of Daniel when he breaks a seven-year treaty he confirms with Israel and desecrates a newly built temple located in Jerusalem.

Dan 9:27 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.

2Th 2:3 Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;
2Th 2:4 Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.

The halfway point of the seventieth week of Daniel will come 1260 days before the seventieth week of Daniel ends as 2520 divided by 2 is 1260. The following table illustrates whether it is possible for the Antichrist to reveal his true identity to the world on December 21, 2012.

	Our Calendar	Hebrew Calendar
Start of the 70th Week of Daniel	July 10, 2009	Tammuz 18, 5769
Halfway Point of the 70th Week of Daniel	December 21, 2012	Teveth, 8 5773
Add 1260 Days
End of the 70th Week of Daniel	June 3, 2016	Iyyar 26, 5776

This calculation demonstrates that the Antichrist cannot reveal his true identity on December 21, 2012 because it would be at odds with the designation of when the End Times will end after adding 1260 days from the halfway point of the seventieth week of Daniel. In addition, the seventieth week of Daniel would have to begin on July 10, 2009 for December 21, 2012 to be the halfway point. Recall, the seventieth week of Daniel is initiated with the confirming of a (new) seven year treaty between Antichrist and Israel. There was no such announcement on July 10, 2009 as Israel was not negotiating with the Palestinians.

Therefore, Bible believers should not view December 21, 2012 as a tremendously important day because nothing monumental can happen, like the start of the End Times, the revealing of the Antichrist, or the end of the world, on this date. Could an event that helps bring us closer to the start of the End Times happen on December 21, 2012? Yes, but we can say that about any date on the calendar…

Appendix

[1] The length of a prophetic year differs from the length of year on our calendar. A prophetic year is 360 days in length. For more about the 70th Week of Daniel and the length of prophetic weeks and years access this link or read the appendix.
[2] The purpose of the 70 Weeks of Daniel is to atone for the sins of Jerusalem and the Jewish people (Dan 9:24). Since Yom Kippur is the Day of Atonement on the Jewish calendar it is fitting that the final atonement of sins is completed on the Day of Atonement. For more access this link...

The Length of the 70th Week of Daniel
Gabriel told Daniel that 70 weeks have been given to the people of Israel and the city of Jerusalem to end their disobedience, atone for their sins, and to be saved.

Dan 9:24 Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy.
Dan 9:25 Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks: the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times.
Dan 9:26 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.

Most Christians who study Bible prophecy agree that the first 69 weeks of this prophecy was fulfilled over a several-hundred year period with a call to rebuild Jerusalem in the 20th year of Artaxerxes Longimanus’s reign (Nehemiah Ch. 2:1-5) and the death and ascension of Christ. Therefore, Gabriel did not mean 70 literal weeks where each week is 7 days in length. The Hebrew translation of the word “week” in Daniel is shâbûa‛, which actually means “seven”. Therefore we can also refer to Daniel’s prophecy as “the 70 sevens”.

The length of a “prophetic week” can be determined by analyzing the structure of the 70th week of Daniel. Daniel’s 70th week is divided into two halves. In the first half Antichrist will confirm a covenant with many, but will break it halfway through the seven.

Dan 9:27 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.

The second half of the week is a period of severe persecution. This period of time will last for “time, times, and a half”. The Hebrew word for “time” is “mô‛êd”, which also can mean “a year”. Nearly every commentator who analyzes Daniel’s 70 week prophecy agrees that “time, times, and a half” means 3 ½ years. Therefore, a “prophetic week” is a seven (prophetic) year period.

Dan 7:25 And he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time.

In Revelation 12:14 we learn that 3 ½ “prophetic years” is the equivalent of 1260 days. If we divide 1260 days by 3 ½ years we will find that a prophetic year is 360 days long.

Rev 12:14 And to the woman were given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness, into her place, where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent.

Rev 12:6 And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God, that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and threescore days.

Similarly, 3 ½ years is also defined as 42 months since seven years is the equivalent to 84 months. Therefore a “prophetic month” is 30 days long since 1260 days divided by 42 months equals 30 days/month.

Rev 11:2 But the court which is without the temple leave out, and measure it not; for it is given unto the Gentiles: and the holy city shall they tread under foot forty and two months.
Rev 11:3 And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth.

Given this information, we can confirm that the 70th Week of Daniel will be 2520 days long three different ways.

30 Days (in a Prophetic Month) x 42 Prophetic Months (in Half a Prophetic Week) x 2 Halves = 2520 Days
7 Prophetic Years (in a Prophetic Week) x 360 Days (in a Prophetic Year) = 2520 Days
1260 Days in “Time, Times, and Half” x 2 Halves = 2520 Days.

For more about the 70 Weeks of Daniel you can access my research study where I provide a completely new explanation of the prophecy by clicking this link.

Theorizing About What Creme Meant by the "Transformation" of America

2011-12-19T11:43:00.000-08:00

Pre-Article Disclaimer for Newer Readers: If you are reading this blog for the first time or are not totally familiar with my work, I am a 100% Christian writer who analyzes things from a Christian point of view. I sometimes research into what the spiritual forces of evil are up to in hopes of gleaning information to help us Christians figure out what is going on or to figure out what Satan has planned. You can read more about why I dare consider these unbiblical sources at the following link Now on to the article...

I mentioned in my article last week on Occupy Wall Street that Benjamin Creme (the official spokesmen of Maitreya, the leader of the Ascended Masters-a group of spiritual beings referred to as the “spiritual wickedness in high places” in Ephesians 6:12) claimed that Occupy Wall Street represented the beginning of the “transformation” of America. I mentioned that I was not completely sure what Creme meant by the “transformation” of America, but thought it could relate to America’s place in the world.

I spent some time this past weekend investigating what Creme might have meant by the “transformation” of America because it is something that some readers have also wondered about (or at least theorized about). I found that Creme and the Ascended Master who advises him have talked about a so-called change/transformation in the “American soul” for years. They claim that America will eventually become a country that will share its wealth, including its vast resources, with the rest of the world.

They even claim that the America will someday participate in a new, global Marshall Plan.[1] [2] From what I gather, the new Marshall plan is basically the plan to have a U.N. agency manage the redistribution of the world’s resources.

Creme and the Ascended Master who advises him claim that America will not be fully transformed until after Maitreya publicly reveals his identity to the world.[3] [4]

Relating this back to Occupy Wall Street, the reason I think Creme believes that Occupy Wall Street is the start of the “transformation” of America is that many of the occupiers are calling for the redistribution of wealth. The occupiers are basically calling for something that Creme believes many more Americans will demand for/support in the future.

Regardless of what Creme and the Ascended Master who advises him claim, I can see the U.S. cooperating with the Antichrist during the End Times since Daniel 7 and Revelation 13 suggest that the Antichrist will have a kingdom that will dominate the world for 3.5 years.

Dan 7:23 Thus he said, The fourth beast shall be the fourth kingdom upon earth, which shall be diverse from all kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down, and break it in pieces.

…

Dan 7:25 And he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time.

Rev 13:5 And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months.

Rev 13:6 And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven.

Rev 13:7 And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations.

The thing that remains to be seen is whether the U.S. will still be in a leadership role at that time. I think it will not be easy for the U.S. to maintain its leadership role in the world with all the problems it faces, including the impending debt disaster that it faces.

References

[1] The Master (through Benjamin Creme). “The Waiting World”. 13 Nov. 2009. Last Accessed 19 Dec. 2011. http://share-international.org/master/2003/ma_may03.htm
[2] Share International Magazine. July. 2004. http://www.share-international.org/magazine/old_issues/2004/july_04.htm
[3] Share International Magazine. May. 2011. http://www.share-international.org/magazine/old_issues/2011/2011-05.htm
[4]The Master (through Benjamin Creme). “The Waiting World”. 13 Nov. 2009. Last Accessed 19 Dec. 2011. http://share-international.org/master/2003/ma_may03.htm

An Attempt to Show Trends in Ghost-Related Programming From 1890 to Today

2011-12-16T09:51:00.000-08:00

Last week I posted an article on the rise of alien-related programming in television, movies, video games, and short films. My attention now turns to ghost-related programming because, as with aliens and UFOs, there seems to be a lot of paranormal shows relating to ghosts on television these days. For instance, one of Travel Channel’s top television shows is Ghost Adventures while one of SyFy’s top television shows is Ghost Hunters.

I recently examined the Internet Movie Database (IMDb) to see whether there has been a noticeable trend in the amount of programming featuring ghosts over time.

I share some of what I found with you in this article.

Before I begin, I'll state my position on ghosts for those who are unaware. I believe “ghosts” are actually evil spiritual beings who simply do not have good intentions instead of the disembodied souls of people. I have a full article about ghosts available at the following link

As with alien programming, IMDb is a far from perfect website to get data from since it is largely user-driven, but it provides enough information to make it possible to estimate trends in programming featuring ghosts over time. The IMDb’s keyword search feature enables users to search for programming that relates to “ghosts”. At the time of this writing, IMDb lists 2666 titles of television shows, movies, video games, and short films that users identified as having something to do with ghosts.

I utilized the IMDb’s database to create the following graph illustrating the trend in the total number of ghost-related video games, television shows, movies, and short films created from 1890 to Today by decade.[1]

If you cannot see the graph below, you can access it at the following link: Link

You can see a general upward trend in the number of ghost-related television shows, movies, video games, and short films over the last few decades. The most recent decade saw an explosion in the amount of ghost-related programming according to the IMDb database. While the huge increase in ghost-related programming is startling, it’s unsurprising that the trend is upward since there is currently a lot of public interest in the paranormal.

I also utilized the IMDb’s database to create the following graph illustrating the trend in the total number of ghost-related movies created from 1890 to Today by decade.

If you cannot see the graph below, you can access it at the following link: Link

I expected a gradual, upward trend in the number of ghost movies over time since the topic of ghosts has been on people’s minds for a long time. Instead, you can see a large jump in the number of new ghost-related movies in the 1980s, but this jump pales in comparison to the massive jump in the past decade.

I wonder how much impact the Ghostbusters movie franchise had on stimulating public interest in the paranormal in the 1980s.
As for the past decade, I wonder how much of a role Harry Potter had to play in stimulating public interest in paranormal topics.

I also utilized the IMDb’s database to create the following graph illustrating the trend in the total number of ghost-related television shows created from 1890 to Today by decade.

If you cannot see the graph below, you can access it at the following link: Link

You can see a major increase in the total number of ghost-related television shows in the past decade, which is unsurprising given the high-level of public interest in the paranormal.

I noticed while looking at the IMDb database that there were more television series that focused on ghosts/the paranormal as the main topic than in previous decades. The IMDb often lists each ghost-related episode for television series that relate to the paranormal, so that may explain the large increase in the number of listings for the period 2000-2009.

Notes of Caution: As with the study concerning alien-related programming, there are several limitations to this study that I feel should be recognized like in the study…

1. This study does not account for the frequency that we see ghost-related programming on television. The only way to measure the trends in the frequency that we see ghost-related programming on television is to get a lot of television schedule data and compare the data trends of that over time.

2. This study does not cover one major area where people are exposed to ghost-related information: books. Like with aliens, it would be interesting to see whether there has been an increase in the number of books relating to ghosts in recent decades.

3. Since the IMDb is user-driven, it is possible that some programming included in their database is miscategorized.

4. Another consequence to the user-driven aspect of IMDb is that it is possible that some ghost-related programming is not reported in their database.

Despite the limitations, the results today suggest that we are seeing more ghost-related programming from a variety of mediums, including television, movies, and video games compared to a few decades ago.

The concern I have with the growing amount of ghost-related programming is that could help stimulate people’s desire to contact the spirit world, which then puts them at risk of being possessed or being misled by evil spiritual entities.

Regardless of how I feel about the issue, I expect that we are going to continue to see an increase in ghost-related programming because paranormal topics are popular with the public.

Notes

[1] I did not include entries that will be released after 2011.

Reconciled Version of National Defense Authorization Act on Track to Become Law Shortly

2011-12-15T09:43:00.000-08:00

Last week I shared a couple of my concerns about the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) with regards to the vagueness in the provisions pertaining to the detainment of people indefinitely without a trial. The vagueness in the provisions concerned me because it leaves open the possibility for someone in the future to exploit the vagueness in the provisions to do things which the authors of the law may not intended the law to do.

It was unclear last week whether the controversial sections of the NDAA would survive the remaining stages of the lawmaking process. The House of Representatives and the Senate finally agreed to a compromise bill earlier this week, which the House approved on Wednesday and the Senate is expected to approve shortly. Meanwhile, Barack Obama has dropped the veto threat, so the NDAA is likely going to become law shortly.

I found the latest copy of the NDAA bill to see whether there were any significant changes to the vague provisions that I was concerned about last week. I noticed that the provisions that I was concerned about are still in the bill and virtually unchanged. However, after reading the sections of the compromise bill repeatedly I now think the question of whether the NDAA authorizes the detainment of U.S. citizens depends a lot on what past laws allow for since there is a provision (in Sec 1021 of the compromise bill) that stresses that the controversial sections are not intended to impact existing U.S. law.

(e) AUTHORITIES.—Nothing in this section shall be construed to affect existing law or authorities relating to the detention of United States citizens, lawful resident aliens of the United States, or any other persons who are captured or arrested in the United States.

This does not necessarily mean that my concerns about the NDAA have gone away since there are a lot of laws out there that people don’t know about and lawmakers often approve bills without knowing what is exactly is in the legislation.

As an aside, I was informed a couple of days ago that the Senate version of the NDAA would soften the law concerning sodomy and bestiality in the military by repealing a law that punishes these acts. I searched the compromise NDAA bill to see if the repeal remained. It appears the negotiators for the House of Representatives managed to remove the repeal, so the law that punishes these acts will remain.

Creme on Occupy Wall Street

2011-12-14T11:06:00.000-08:00

Pre-Article Disclaimer for Newer Readers: If you are reading this blog for the first time or are not totally familiar with my work, I am a 100% Christian writer who analyzes things from a Christian point of view. I sometimes research into what the spiritual forces of evil are up to in hopes of gleaning information to help us Christians figure out what is going on or to figure out what Satan has planned. You can read more about why I dare consider these unbiblical sources at the following link Now on to the article...

Christian author Constance Cumbey, who warned Christians and others about the dangers of the New Age Movement in her book Hidden Dangers of the Rainbow, has written several blog posts recently about how New Agers view Occupy Wall Street (OWS) and has posited that OWS and the occupy protests around the world are part of a “New Age Worldwide Revolution”.

I’ve refrained from commenting much on OWS over the past couple of months because I wanted to see what types of claims Benjamin Creme (the official spokesmen of Maitreya, the leader of the Ascended Masters-a group of spiritual beings referred to as the “spiritual wickedness in high places” in Ephesians 6:12), would make about the movement.

The November 2011 edition of Creme's magazine addresses OWS, so I’ll finally cover the subject now.

Before I begin, I want to make it clear that I am not saying that everyone who participate in the occupy protests are followers of the New Age Movement. Most occupy protesters probably have never heard of Benjamin Creme, Alice Bailey, Helena Blavatsky, Helena Roerich, and Maitreya and many probably know nothing about the New Age Movement. In addition, occupiers in the United States have a First Amendment right to voice their displeasure regardless of how much I may or may not agree with them. I also recognize that not every protester shares the same viewpoint-that there are issues where protesters have disagreements about. Lastly, there are probably some issues where I can find some common ground with those protesting.

I am just reporting about the claims being made and trying to make sense of these claims. I hope some people will find this article informative.

My suspicion over the past few months was that Creme would claim that Maitreya was the driving force behind OWS and the other occupy protests taking place around the world for a couple of reasons.

One reason is that some things that some protesters support remind me of things that Creme supports. For instance, some occupy protesters support the redistribution of wealth, which reminds me of Creme’s support for the redistribution of the world’s resources.

Another reason is that recent editions of Creme’s magazine (particularly the June 2011 edition) talked about how protests demanding for change would spread to various countries around the world.

Unsurprisingly, the November 2011 edition of Creme’s magazine provides positive coverage of the Occupy Wall Street Movement. The magazine includes a pro-OWS slanted article concerning the background of the movement formulated from pro-OWS media outlets like Democracy Now and The Nation. In addition, Creme made the following claims about the OWS Movement in the question and answer section of the magazine:

Creme claims that the OWS Movement is the beginning of the “transformation” of the United States. I’m not sure what that means yet, but I think it may relate to the United States' place in the world…

Creme claims that Maitreya is having some influence on the Occupy Wall Street protests and other occupy protests in the U.S. (30% is the figure he gave to describe the amount of influence Maitreya has on the movement within the U.S.).

Creme claims that Maitreya has not yet physically visited any OWS protests like he allegedly visited the protests in Tahrir Square earlier in 2011.

Creme claims that Maitreya could try to galvanize the occupy movement so that it spreads to even more locations around the world.

Creme’s claims imply that there may be something going on behind the scenes spiritually with Occupy Wall Street and the other occupy protests taking place around the world. If there is something going on, it is possibly an effort to pressure leaders into introducing changes/reforms that bring greater redistribution in a variety of areas, including resources.

Greater resource redistribution is something that is discussed on a major OWS forum.

Two of the false teachers who the spiritual forces of evil have utilized to lead many astray suggest that the “plan” is to eventually have the United Nations be in charge of the redistribution of the world’s most important raw materials, including oil and iron ore, and food.[1] [2] Coincidently, this topic was discussed in a section of Creme’s latest magazine.

I don’t know whether Occupy Wall Street and other occupy groups will have a major effect on leaders at this present time. However, I think Occupy Wall Street and other occupy groups could have an effect if they are still around after the global economic and financial collapse that I'm expecting because people following a collapse may be more willing to try “new” ideas to build a new world (order).

References

[1] Bailey, Alice. The Externalization of the Hierarchy. New York: Lucis Trust Publishing Co. 1957 580-581.
[2] “Maitreya’s Priorities”. 19 Jun. 2009. Last Accessed 6 Jul. 2009. http://www.share-international.org/maitreya/Ma_prior.htm.

Will Vladimir Putin Survive the Current Challenge to His Political Power?

2011-12-12T10:15:00.000-08:00

As you all know, 2011 has been a year of significant political change in various places around the world. We have seen people rise up against their longstanding leaders and demand for (and in some cases receive) political change. Given what has taken place this year, we should not be totally surprised that there are now political protests in Russia, a country which does not often see large political protests.

Tens of thousands of Russians protested this past weekend against parliamentary election results which many believe were fraudulent and demanded for new, free elections to be held. This event was particularly noteworthy because protesters also called for the ouster of current Russian Prime Minister and 2012 Russian presidential candidate Vladimir Putin.

Today I want to discuss whether Putin will survive this challenge to his political power and discuss what may happen in Russia as result of this challenge to Putin’s political power.

I do not believe that Putin will yield to political pressure like other leaders have this year for a couple of important reasons:

Russia’s upcoming presidential election is about Putin rather than about his political party. Putin remains a popular figure in Russia despite the recent calls by protesters for him to go. A recent Levada Center poll found that Putin's approval rating is at 67%. Although Putin’s approval rating probably has dropped after Russia’s controversial parliamentary election, an approval rating in the low 60s or upper 50s is something virtually any democratic leader would love to have fewer than three months away from an election.

There is no other presidential candidate who has a chance at beating Putin according to a political analyst Masha Lipman and according to this poll which shows Putin’s opponents getting hardly any support. The second most popular political party in Russia is the Communist Party, which is not a viable alternative for most Russians. Billionaire Mikhail Prokhorov announced his intention on Monday to challenge Putin, but he’s entering at a late stage with elections less than three months away.

Where This Might Be Heading?
My gut feeling is that Putin is going to utilize these protests to help justify a major clampdown on the political speech and political opposition within Russia. The possibility of a political clampdown in Russia is something that should not be seen as fear mongering. Putin hinted at a United Russia Party regional conference months before he announced his intention to run for the presidency that he will cleanse Russian Politics following the presidential election in March 2012.

"I shall go to wash, in the hygienic sense of the word but also in the political sense".

I think of the political purges that took place in the Soviet Union under Joseph Stalin when I think of political cleansing in Russia. Although a clampdown in Russia is unlikely going to be anything close to as severe and brutal as Stalin's purges, I think you could see Putin significantly ratchet up persecution against his political opponents and push for the passage of laws that increase restrictions on public gatherings and speech.

I can see Putin citing the protests as an example of how there is a threat to Russia's stability while attempting to justify the imposition of new restrictions as a way to "protect" Russia from descending into chaos. Putin has stressed before that he believes political stability is key to helping Russia endure difficult times:

"When a country is experiencing difficult, hard conditions, when it is emerging from crisis and getting back to its feet, these elements of stability -- including in the political sphere -- are extremely important"

Putin sees himself as the caretaker of Russia. Putin is a man that cited Franklin Delano Roosevelt, who won four terms as U.S. President spanning from the Great Depression through World War 2, to make the case that people should not worry about how long he rules for. Putin believes Russia needs to be stable under his control, so do not be surprised if Putin finds a way to utilize these protests against Russia's political establishment to push for changes that further ensure and strengthen his control of the country.

Russia's Constitution gives Putin the opportunity to hold the Russian presidency through 2024 if he can win two consecutive six-year terms. I believe Putin will have no problem winning the first of the two six-year terms. However, I do not envision Putin maintaining control of Russia all the way through 2024 because it will be extremely difficult for him (as it will be for many other world leaders) to politically survive the coming global economic and financial collapse I see coming. Even if Putin can hang onto power through the turmoil he may not politically survive the Antichrist’s efforts to amass power…

An Attempt to Show Trends in Alien-Related Programming from 1900 to Today

2011-12-09T10:47:00.000-08:00

It seems that there are shows about aliens and UFOs every night on television. The History Channel (an American television channel that used to broadcast television shows that related to history in a meaningful way) broadcasts television shows about aliens several times a week. For instance, the History Channel aired a television show about what the U.S. government knows about UFOs on Wednesday night. The History Channel also broadcasts a popular series called Ancient Aliens.

The widespread prevalence of television shows about aliens and UFOs stoked my curiosity about whether we are being exposed to more programming about aliens and UFOs than ever before. Yesterday, I examined the Internet Movie Database (IMDb) to see whether there has been a noticeable trend in the amount of programming featuring aliens over time.

Today I share with you some of what I found with you

Before I begin, I'll state my position on aliens for those who are unaware. My belief is that “aliens” are fallen angels. I think that the best chance for “alien contact”/an ”alien invasion” to take place is when Satan and his angels are cast to Earth following the completion of the war in Heaven mentioned in Revelation 12:7-9.

Rev 12:7 And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels,
Rev 12:8 And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven.
Rev 12:9 And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.

IMDb is a far from perfect website to get data from since it is largely user-driven (more on that later), but it provides enough information to make it possible to estimate trends in programming featuring aliens over time. The IMDb’s keyword search feature enables users to search for programming that relates to “aliens”. At the time of this writing, IMDb lists 1833 titles of television shows, movies, video games, and short films that users identified as having something to do with aliens.

I utilized the IMDb’s database to create the following graph illustrating the trend in the total number of alien-related video games, television shows, movies, and short films created from 1900 to Today by decade.[1] [2]

If you cannot see the graph below, you can access it at the following link: Link

You can see the upward trend in the number of alien-related television shows, movies, video games, and short films over the last few decades. The most recent decade saw the highest number alien-related programming on record. This is unsurprising as public interest in the topic seems very high right now.

I also utilized the IMDb’s database to create the following graph illustrating the trend in the total number of alien-related movies created from 1900 to Today by decade.

If you cannot see the graph below, you can access it at the following link: Link

The 1950s experienced the first significant jump in the number of alien-related movies made. My guess is that the events of Roswell in 1947 might have played a role in raising the public’s interest in the topic of extraterrestrials enough that Hollywood sought to capitalize on it.

You can see a major jump in the number of alien-related movies in the 1980s. I’m not sure why that is the case, but I know E.T. was a very popular movie that came out in the early 1980s. Perhaps the popularity of E.T. motivated Hollywood to make a lot more alien-related movies?

I also utilized the IMDb’s database to create the following graph illustrating the trend in the total number of alien-related television shows created from 1900 to Today by decade.

If you cannot see the graph below, you can access it at the following link: Link

You can see a large increase in the total number of alien-related television shows made beginning in the 1980s (perhaps the jump is related to the same phenomenon that led to a jump in the number of alien-related movies made during the same time period). According to IMDb, the last decade did not see as many new television shows featuring aliens created as the 1990s. I don’t know if that is a matter of reality or just the nature of the IMDb database (see next section on the limitations of the data for more).

Notes of Caution: There are several limitations to this study that I feel should be recognized…

1. This study does not account for the frequency that we see alien-related programming on television. The only way to measure the trends in the frequency that we see alien-related programming on television is to get a lot of television schedule data and compare the data trends of that over time.

2. This study does not cover one major area where people are exposed to alien-related information: books. It would be interesting to see whether there has been an increase in the number of books relating to aliens in recent decades.

3. Since the IMDb is user-driven, it is possible that some programming included in their database is miscategorized. For instance, I had to eliminate several entries from the 1930s in this data because “aliens” referred to immigrants instead of extraterrestrials (see end notes for more).

4. Another consequence to the user-driven aspect of IMDb is that it is possible that some alien-related programming is not reported in their database.

5. IMDb’s database treats televisions series that relates to aliens as a single entry. Consequently, the database may underestimate the amount of alien-related programming that exists.

Despite the limitations, the results today suggest that we are seeing more alien-related programming from a variety of mediums, including television, movies, and video games compared to a few decades ago.

Some may argue that the increase in alien-related programming is part of an effort to condition people to expect “alien contact” in the future. I would not be surprised if that is part of the reason why we have seen an increase in alien-related programming over the past few decades.

Regardless of what the reasons are behind the increase in alien-related programming over the years, I think we are going to continue to see an increase in alien-related programming because it is a topic that fascinates a lot of people, especially in this era of Youtube videos where people can share videos of potential UFO sightings with others around the world almost instantaneously.

Notes

[1] I did not include entries that will be released after 2011.
[2] I only included Flash Gordon and Mars Attacks the World in the 1930s because the other 1930s entries related to immigration. I did not include Smugglers and Public Enemies in the 1940s and An Argentinean in New York in the 1990s because these entries relate to immigration also.

Daniel 12:4 “Many Shall Run to and Fro, and Knowledge Shall Increase”

2011-12-07T11:16:00.000-08:00

Daniel 12:4 is a verse that most people who study Bible prophecy are aware of. The verse mentions that “many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased”.

Dan 12:4 But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased.

Today I would like to share my own interpretation of this particular statement as there are many different interpretations that are out there on this topic.

I think the phrase “many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased” means that people over time will gain more knowledge about what God has planned during the End Times by continually studying scripture. More specifically,

The “run to and fro” aspect refers to the process of searching back and forth through scripture to find how one verse/passage/chapter relates to another.

The “knowledge” aspect relates to understanding of what God has planned during the End Times.

God controls when knowledge shall be increased.

As I’ve mentioned on numerous occasions, Bible prophecy is the ultimate puzzle with there being so many pieces that must be accounted for in order to gain a fuller understanding of what God has planned in the future. The complex nature of the ultimate puzzle requires us to spend a lot of time examining verses/passages/chapters and comparing them with other verses/passages/chapters. Like putting together normal puzzle pieces, we can gain a better understanding of how various Bible verses/passages/chapters fit together as we put in the time to examine them.

I learn best when I focus on a single Bible prophecy event (like the Antichrist’s future attack on Egypt), gather all the verses which mention or potentially mention the event, and then compare the similarities and differences between the verses to get a fuller picture of what will take place and when it will take place.

I have no doubts that God is the allowing knowledge to increase quickly as we approach the End Times. I would also add that we live in an era where technological advancements have helped to create an environment where knowledge can increase faster than ever before.

Recent advancements in technology enable us to envision how certain events described in Bible prophecy can transpire. For instance, people 100 years ago may have found it difficult to envision how the Antichrist (with the help of the False Prophet) will be able to install a Mark of the Beast system worldwide in a short period of time. We know now that the Mark of the Beast system could be installed quickly with global communication systems ready to tell people how to get the mark, global databases in place to ensure that only those eligible can buy or sell, and a wide-array of technologies available to install whatever the Mark of the Beast may resemble in/on people.

The Internet enables us to share ideas and quickly access the works of Bible prophecy researchers who came before us.

Bible software enables us to speed up the process of comparing verses and studying how certain words are used in the Bible (which then speeds up our ability to find out how a verse/passage/chapter relates with another). I personally rely a lot on Bible software to conduct my research because it is often too time consuming for me to flip through physical pages to find the verses I’m looking for.

I feel I’ve learned a lot during these past several months as I’ve reexamined Ezekiel 38, Ezekiel 39, and other related chapters. I’ve noticed nuances about these chapters which I had not noticed before as I’ve gone back and forth through scripture to closely examine details concerning Ezekiel 38 and Ezekiel 39 that are often overlooked by Bible prophecy writers. I’m still in the process of writing a series of articles detailing what I’ve noticed about theses important chapters and others. I have several articles completed, but there is still more work to do before I am ready to share them. I hope these articles will be well worth the wait.

My Thoughts on the Controversial Provisions in the NDAA

2011-12-05T10:45:00.000-08:00

The Senate version of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) (which passed 93 to 7) is legislation that has raised some eyebrows over the past few days by those who are concerned about civil liberties in the United States. Some critics argue that the legislation, which is mainly focused on providing funding to military personnel, the ongoing wars, and other programs, contains provisions that give the U.S. government the power to detain U.S. citizens indefinitely without a trial while others argue that the NDAA provisions are not a threat to U.S. citizens and are only intended to go after those who want to do harm to the United States.

I spent some time this past weekend to read the controversial provisions in an attempt to see with my own eyes whether there is anything to be concerned about. Today I’ll share a couple areas of concern I have about the controversial NDAA provisions.

I know many people who read this are not Americans. I think it is important for non-Americans to be aware of this topic because if a controversy like this can happen in America it can definitely happen in your country too (if it has not already happened).

Before I begin, I want to make it clear that I support aggressive methods to combat terrorism and to preempt any potential terror threats. In fact, I do not have a problem with detaining members of al-Qaeda and members of the Taliban. My concerns about the NDAA provisions are primarily about the vagueness of the language and not about the idea of doing what it takes to combat terrorism.

Here are the primary provisions in the NDAA that have attracted the attention of people concerned about civil liberties.

SEC. 1031. AFFIRMATION OF AUTHORITY OF THE ARMED FORCES OF THE UNITED STATES TO DETAIN COVERED PERSONS PURSUANT TO THE AUTHORIZATION FOR USE OF MILITARY FORCE.
(a) In General – Congress affirms that the authority of the President to use all necessary and appropriate force pursuant to the Authorization for Use of Military Force (Public Law 107-40) includes the authority for the Armed Forces of the United States to detain covered persons (as defined in subsection (b)) pending disposition under the law of war.

(b) Covered Persons – A covered person under this section is any person as follow:
(1) A person who planned, authorized, committed, or aided the terrorist attacks that occurred on September 11, 2001, or harbored those responsible for those attacks.
(2) A person who was a part of or substantially supported al-Qaeda, the Taliban, or associated forces that are engaged in hostilities against the United States or its coalition partners, including any person who has committed a belligerent act or has directly supported such hostilities in aid of such enemy forces.

(c) Disposition Under Law of War – The disposition of a person under the law of war as described in subsection (a) may include the following:
(1) Detention under the law of war without trial until the end of the hostilities authorized by the Authorization for Use of Military Force.
(2) Trial under chapter 47A of title 10, United States Code (as amended by the Military Commissions Act of 2009 (title XVIII of Public Law 111-84)).
(3) Transfer for trial by an alternative court or competent tribunal having lawful jurisdiction.
(4) Transfer to the custody or control of the person’s country of origin, any other foreign country, or any other foreign entity.

(d) Construction- Nothing in this section is intended to limit or expand the authority of the President or the scope of the Authorization for Use of Military Force.

(e) Requirement for Briefings of Congress – The Secretary of Defense shall regularly brief Congress regarding the application of the authority described in this section, including the organizations, entities, and individuals considered to be ‘covered persons’ for purposes of subsection (b)(2).

SEC. 1032. REQUIREMENT FOR MILITARY CUSTODY.
(a) Custody Pending Disposition Under Law of War -
(1) IN GENERAL – Except as provided in paragraph (4), the Armed Forces of the United States shall hold a person described in paragraph (2) who is captured in the course of hostilities authorized by the Authorization for Use of Military Force (Public Law 107-40) in military custody pending disposition under the law of war.

(2) COVERED PERSONS – The requirement in paragraph (1) shall apply to any person whose detention is authorized under section 1031who is determined–
(A) to be a member of, or part of, al-Qaeda or an associated force that acts in coordination with or pursuant to the direction of al-Qaeda; and
(B) to have participated in the course of planning or carrying out an attack or attempted attack against the United States or its coalition partners.

(3) DISPOSITION UNDER LAW OF WAR – For purposes of this subsection, the disposition of a person under the law of war has the meaning given in section 1031(c), except that no transfer otherwise described in paragraph (4) of that section shall be made unless consistent with the requirements of section 1033.

(4) WAIVER FOR NATIONAL SECURITY – The Secretary of Defense may, in consultation with the Secretary of State and the Director of National Intelligence, waive the requirement of paragraph (1) if the Secretary submits to Congress a certification in writing that such a waiver is in the national security of the United States.
(b) Applicability to United States Citizens and Lawful Resident Aliens -
(1) UNITED STATES CITIZENS – The requirement to detain a person in military custody under this section does not extend to citizens of the United States.
(2) LAWFUL RESIDENT ALIENS – The requirement to detain a person in military custody under this section does not extend to a lawful resident alien of the United States on the basis of conduct taking place within the United States, except to the extent permitted by the Constitution of the United States.

I believe the provisions’ main target is those who want to do harm to the United States-not ordinary American citizens. However, there are a couple of areas in Section 1031 and Section 1032 which seem vague enough to legally allow someone in the future to use the provisions in a manner which the authors may not have intended them to be used for.

The main concern I have is that the provisions are not completely clear about who is eligible to be detained. While it’s true that those connected to al-Qaeda and the Taliban are identified as those subject to military detainment, the provisions mention a vague category of people called an “associated force”. Here are the sections from the provisions which mention the “associated force”:

(A) to be a member of, or part of, al-Qaeda or an associated force that acts in coordination with or pursuant to the direction of al-Qaeda; and
(B) to have participated in the course of planning or carrying out an attack or attempted attack against the United States or its coalition partners.

A person who was a part of or substantially supported al-Qaeda, the Taliban, or associated forces that are engaged in hostilities against the United States or its coalition partners, including any person who has committed a belligerent act or has directly supported such hostilities in aid of such enemy forces.

One could say that the “associated force” is meant to be connected with al-Qaeda and the Taliban. I think this probably was the intent of those who wrote these passages, but shouldn’t these passages say something as simple as the following?

A person who was a part of or substantially supported al-Qaeda, the Taliban, or forces associated with al-Qaeda, and/or the Taliban

I think the vagueness of provisions in regards to this leave it up to the U.S. government to spell out who belongs to an “associated force”. Consequently, this vagueness leaves open possibility that the U.S. government someday could define an "associated force" as a political group of people that oppose many of the U.S. government's policies (perhaps the possibility of the U.S government doing this is remote, but it is a possibility that cannot be ruled out since the vagueness exists).

The second area of concern relates to the provision that appears directed towards absolving U.S. citizens from being detained in military custody. Here is the passage:

(1) UNITED STATES CITIZENS – The requirement to detain a person in military custody under this section does not extend to citizens of the United States.

The use of the word “requirement” in this context creates some vagueness that could be exploited in the future. For example, one possible way to interpret the above passage is the following: “authorities are not forced to keep U.S. citizens in military custody (not required), but they could if they desired to”. I think the intended meaning of the passage would be much clearer if it said the following:

(1) UNITED STATES CITIZENS – Citizens of the United States are not authorized to be detained in military custody.

I don’t think there would be nearly as many people concerned about the possibility of U.S. citizens being detained in the future if the passage concerning U.S. citizens said something as clear as the proposed passage given above. It would be clear that U.S. citizens are not allowed to be taken into military custody.

It is important to note that the NDAA, including these provisions, is not law yet.

The Senate must negotiate with the House of Representatives to create a common piece of legislation for Barack Obama to sign.

Even if both houses of Congress accept the Senate's version of the legislation as it is now, there is no guarantee that Barack Obama would sign it. Obama Administration officials have suggested that the legislation could be vetoed.

Even if the legislation as it is now is signed into law, the controversial provisions could eventually be subject to a Supreme Court ruling.

Once again, my concerns primarily relate to the vagueness of the language in the provisions. I hope the remaining steps the NDAA will undergo before it becomes law remedies the vagueness in the controversial provisions so that the provisions become something that is focused only on stopping those who want to harm the United States.

I am not a lawyer, so I acknowledge that there is a possibility that I have misunderstood things about the controversial NDAA provisions. If you feel I have misunderstood things please explain in the comments.

A Summary of What Is Going On In the World

2011-12-02T10:16:00.000-08:00

I was asked several days ago for my thoughts about what is going on in the world. I attempted to answer the question via email, but I wrote so much that I figured that I should share some of what I wrote with everyone else.

Today I attempt to provide a summary of what is going on in the world from a big picture standpoint.

The Islamization of the Middle East & North Africa Politics
Political change is providing opportunities for Islamic groups to gain political influence in Middle East and North Africa countries. We have already seen Islamic groups positioned to gain more influence in the following countries:

Morocco: The Islamist Justice and Development Party won a majority of parliamentary seats in a recent election

Tunisia: The Islamic Ennahda Party leads an assembly assigned with the task of formulating Tunisia’s new constitution.

Libya: The role of Islam is expected to play a large role in Libyan society in the future. The leader of the National Transitional Council announced recently that Libya’s laws will be based on Sharia law. In addition, experts believe that Islamic parties like the Libyan Muslim Brotherhood, will have an advantage over secular parties if/when elections take place.

Egypt: Islamic parties, including Salafists (who far are more extreme than the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood), reportedly have performed very well in the first round of parliamentary elections in Egypt. It’s unclear whether Islamic parties will control a parliamentary majority, but the expectation is that Islamic parties will have a lot more influence in Egypt than they had under Mubarak.

Increasing Political Volatility in the Mideast & North Africa
As I’ve pointed out before, the political change in the Middle East and North Africa may actually make these areas even more politically volatile in the future because countries that undergo the transition from an autocratic system to a democratic system tend to experience the most political instability.

Iran’s Nuclear Program and Israel
The Iranian nuclear issue has been on the mind of Israeli and many world leaders for the past several years. The last thing that Israel wants to see is for Iran to develop a nuclear weapon given the Iranian regime’s disdain for Israel. The release of an IAEA report in November confirmed suspicions that Iran is still working towards developing its first nuclear weapon. Something will need to be done about Iran's nuclear program sooner rather than later.

There is a real possibility that Israel may someday launch a preemptive attack on Iran's nuclear program as Israeli leaders have not ruled out the military option and have declined the U.S.'s request to give them advanced notice in the event that Israel launches an attack on Iran's nuclear program.

I do not rule out the possibility of a conflict arising in the Middle East if/when Iran's nuclear program is attacked.

Israeli-Palestinian Conflict
The Israeli-Palestinian conflict is still ongoing although the two sides are mostly opposing each other diplomatically instead of militarily at the moment. I don't expect a peace deal between the two to arise from the current efforts by the Quartet (the U.S., the E.U., Russia, and the U.N.) or from the Palestinian Authority's efforts at the U.N. because there are so many complicated and difficult issues that need to be addressed for a peace deal to arise at this present time (it’ll probably take the Antichrist to broker a deal-perhaps the seven year "covenant with many" mentioned in Daniel 9:27). The probable outcome if/when the diplomatic process fails is an escalation of violence between Israel and the Palestinians.

The Transformation of the European Union
I believe what is going on in Europe with the sovereign debt crisis and banking crisis is important. As I've written numerous times (including last week), the ongoing crises in Europe are potential catalysts which could accelerate the transformation of the European Union so that it resembles the Europe that many people envision during the End Times: a political entity.

There is a major European summit on December 9 where European leaders may agree to much deeper European integration.

The ongoing crises in Europe are also important because the possibility exists for them to serve as catalysts that push the world closer to economic and financial collapse if the crises cannot be contained.

A High-Level of Discontent
We've seen a lot of protests take place around the world this year. We have seen protests in Middle Eastern countries like Syria, Egypt, and Jordan and protests outside the Middle East in countries like Britain, Italy, Spain, and the U.S. Whether one agrees or disagrees with those protesting (I personally do not share the same views as those participating in Occupy Wall Street), it is difficult to deny that there are a lot of people who are unhappy about the way things are going with the current set of leaders in power.

The high-level of discontent could help fuel a major anti-incumbent vote in countries which are holding democratic elections soon (like the U.S. in 2012) and could help fuel people’s desire to oust leaders in countries which do not hold democratic elections.

An Impending Debt Disaster in the U.S.
People hear about the debt disaster countries like Italy, Greece, and Spain face, but not enough is said in the media about the debt disaster that the U.S. is soon going to face. The U.S.'s Debt/GDP, a measure of how much debt a country has relative to the size of its economy, is comparable to the Debt/GDP of several heavily-indebted European countries.

The following graph from Reuters provides a comparison of the U.S.’s Debt/GDP with several heavily-indebted European countries and a comparison of the U.S.’s government deficit as a percentage of GDP, a measure of how large a country’s budget deficit is relative to the size of its economy, with several heavily-indebted European countries:

If you cannot see the graph below you can access it at the following link

You can see from the graph that the U.S.’s Debt/GDP is comparable to Italy, Portugal, and Ireland and the U.S.’s government deficit as a percentage of GDP is actually greater than Italy, Spain, Portugal, and Greece.

The U.S.’s debt problem is rapidly getting worse. Two weeks ago the U.S.’s total debt surpassed $15 trillion. Since then, the U.S.’s debt has risen by another $100 billion.

I don’t see how the U.S. can deal with its debt problem without eventually triggering hyperinflation. I am highly pessimistic about the prospects for U.S. leaders to reduce the country’s deficit/debt through changes in spending and taxation policies. The recent failure of the congressional super committee to agree to a deficit reduction plan is an indictment of how incapable U.S. leaders are at addressing the country's deficit/debt problems when facing a deadline to make a deal. It seems the only realistic way for the U.S. to pay for its obligations is to print money.

Heading in the General Direction Towards the Start of the End Times
I believe the world is currently heading in the general direction towards the start of the End Times. Several of the events we see today, particularly in the Middle East, are events which can play a role in bringing the world closer to the start of the End Times.

For instance, an escalation in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict or an attack on Iran’s nuclear program & subsequent response by Iran could lead to the outbreak of a significant Middle East conflict that eventually paves the way for the rise of the Antichrist.

Only God knows how close or how far away we truly are from the start of the End Times. In the meantime, we can keep watch, prepare, and alert others about what is going to come when the End Times finally begin.