Thursday, September 8, 2011

Babylon Rising

Then the angel that talked with me went forth, and said unto me, Lift up now thine eyes, and see what is this that goeth forth. And, behold, there was lifted up a talent of lead: and this is a woman that sitteth in the midst of the ephah. And he said, This is wickedness. And he cast it into the midst of the ephah; and he cast the weight of lead upon the mouth thereof. Then lifted I up mine eyes, and looked, and, behold, there came out two women, and the wind was in their wings; for they had wings like the wings of a stork: and they lifted up the ephah between the earth and the heaven. Then said I to the angel that talked with me, Whither do these bear the ephah? And he said unto me, To build it an house in the land of Shinar: and it shall be established, and set there upon her own base.
Zechariah 5:5-11

Where did the unified rebellion against God begin?  Where were a few of the types of the Antichrist seen building and reigning?  What is the second most mentioned place in all of scripture?  What was the first land to destroy and overrun Jerusalem?  What nation's rulers first desecrated the temple of God in Jerusalem?  What city do most of the Old Testament prophets prophesy against other than Jerusalem?  If you said Babylon for every answer, you were correct.


While many have great spiritual interpretations about the identification of Mystery Babylon, the scriptures seem to indicate that a war near the Day of the Lord will restructure the world and create a scenario where the Antichrist will resurrect this long dead city as his new place of rule.  This New Babylon will not only be an economic headquarters, but will be a great religious center where all of the world's religions will unite under one banner.  It is this thought that seems to be the emphasis of Zechariah above. Note that this woman of wickedness was carried to Shinar which is another biblical name for Babylon.  She began in another place but was carried to a new house that was prepared for her.  Harlots in scripture represent perverse religious thought. This is most evident in Numbers 25.  Notice the first two verses, "And Israel abode in Shittim, and the people began to commit whoredom with the daughters of Moab.  And they called the people unto the sacrifices of their gods: and the people did eat, and bowed down to their gods."  The men of the camp were drawn into idolatry through the promiscuity of the temptresses of Moab.  






John saw this great economic, political, and spiritual unification as well, and it is he that coined the term, Mystery Babylon, while under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit.  The scarlet colored beast she rode in Revelation 17 with 7 heads and 10 horns was also clearly described in Revelation 13:1-2, "And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy. And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion: and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority."  Notice the three animals; a leopard, a bear, and a lion.  If we let scripture interpret scripture, these three symbolic animals were already interpreted by Daniel as being symbolic of specific kingdoms.  The leopard represented the Grecian empire, the bear represented Medo-Persia, and the Lion was Babylon.  


The harlot of Babylon will ride a beast that is headquartered in Europe and the Middle East.  She is great wickedness as she denies the true power of salvation--Jesus Christ.  This false religion will have the full backing of Satan and the unholy trinity.  It will unite east and west and all of the world!  She will come about as men try to overcome a recent war with shouts of peace and safety, so they will bow to her wishes as they see this prostitute as a means to accomplish their ends.  Her leader, the Antichrist will seem to be the savior of the world and a man of great peace.  When she is used up, she will be set aside like the trash she is--Antichrist will then call for his deification with Satan's total backing. 


It is impossible to reveal all of the teaching on this subject in just a few paragraphs.  However, if you are paying attention you can see the war that reshapes the Middle East and prepares the way for Antichrist on the horizon.  More important than trying to understand all of the things associated with the Tribulation and the Antichrist, prepare yourself for Jesus' coming and escaping from the hour of trial that is soon 2 come.  While the world is accepting the Harlot of Babylon, Jesus is wedding His chaste bride washed pure in the blood of Calvary who has been removed from the world at the rapture.  There is only one way out, trust Jesus now for the full pardon of your sins and walk with the Lord daily!  Whosoever calls on the name of Jesus shall be saved.  Get ready!  Jesus Christ is Soon2Come!










Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.
Revelation 3:10

Ominous News--Storm Clouds of War!
Palestinians: We won't surrender to U.S. pressure to drop UN bid - Haaretz Daily Newspaper | Israel News
EU Also Fears 'Islamic Winter' - Defense/Security - News - Israel National News *****
US Spied on Israel Embassy in Washington
Trouble for Israel in the Skies Over Turkey? - Defense/Security - News - Israel National News
UN Security Council: Iran violating ban on nuclear weapons programs - Haaretz Daily Newspaper | Israel News
Erdogan: We will not let Israel disrespect Turkey, no matter the price - Haaretz Daily Newspaper | Israel News
Israelis could face trial in the Hague if Palestinian statehood recognized at UN, experts warn - Haaretz Daily Newspaper | Israel News
Turkey set to sign military pact with Egypt after cutting trade ties with Israel - Haaretz Daily Newspaper | Israel News

Tuesday, September 6, 2011

Prophetic Alarm!!!

Keep not thou silence, O God: hold not thy peace, and be not still, O God. For, lo, thine enemies make a tumult: and they that hate thee have lifted up the head. They have taken crafty counsel against thy people, and consulted against thy hidden ones. They have said, Come, and let us cut them off from being a nation; that the name of Israel may be no more in remembrance. For they have consulted together with one consent: they are confederate against thee:
Psalm 83:1-5

As we draw closer to the September 20th vote for a Palestinian state watch for continuing catastrophe.  The Israeli news agencies seem to be warning us that the Psalm 83 war may very well be on the horizon.  This is very serious.  God will not allow Jerusalem to be taken from the Jews!  God says that Jerusalem is a cup of trembling or a cup of poison.  Woe to those who side on the wrong side of the God of Israel or try to take the land of Messiah Yeshua!  This is a serious warning to pray and turn your eyes towards heaven!  Look at the news.




Also, how many noticed that Tropical Storm Lee struck the area of New Orleans on the same weekend that a homosexual rally called "Southern Decadence" was being held?  In 2005, the boast was that God, himself, could not shut this festival down--then Katrina hit!  God hates homosexuality as it is an abomination to His plan of marriage.  If you are caught in this sin, like any other sin God has provided a means of salvation through His son, Jesus.  Please turn to Him!  He cares deeply for you.  

What destroyed King Saul?  He ruined a type by his thoughtless action.  He took upon himself the office of a priest.  After doing so, God gave his throne to David.  It was due partly to destroying the type of Priest/King that Jesus fulfills--the office of a Priest after the order of Melchizedek!  Marriage is a shadow too.  It is the type of salvation and Christ's relationship with the church, God's relationship to Israel, and a believer's personal relationship with Jesus.  Don't mess with God's ordained plans!  It is amazing to see Louisiana flooded and Texas burning--we need to pour our hearts out to God now!  Remember, when God brings punishment, it is meant to cause us to call out to Him and to turn our hearts back to Him.  

Also, there is a planned event in Vermont on September 9-10 called Northern Decadence.  Let's see what happens!


Keep your focus!  Pray Saints! Pray!!!

One final note!  Rebellion is as the sin of withcraft (1 Samuel 15:23).  It puts a spell on you and makes you think you are right when you are dead wrong!  Turn to Jesus--He is Soon2Come!

Monday, September 5, 2011

Maintaining Focus

And Pilate wrote a title, and put it on the cross. And the writing was, JESUS OF NAZARETH THE KING OF THE JEWS.
John 19:19

Occasionally, I like to get away from some of the heavy studies to remind myself of the basics.  The "basics" are those things upon which the entire foundation of an idea, teaching, or concept is supported. When learning the basics, one of the most used means to teach for remembrance is using repetition.  Men have used this means for many years.  How many remember continual drills of math facts over and over ad nauseam?  Those facts are called the basic facts!  One era of mathematics education in America was actually called the "Mind as a Muscle" era.  At that time, they assigned pages full of problems so that the students could exercise their brains as they worked the hundreds of problems assigned by the teacher until they were proficient with the four main math operations. This technique actually does help when you want to teach and maintain the most important foundations of a concept.

God has used it too.  There is one main thought that He wants man to grasp in scripture--redemption.  He also wants them to see the overall subject of that redemption, the person and the work of Jesus Christ. Furthermore, He purposefully repeats the means of that salvation over and over and over as an act of love so that the eternal consequences for rejecting His means is avoided. He does not wish that anyone miss the work of redemption solely in Jesus at Calvary's cross!  Therefore, He took the time to place shadows of the cross throughout the Bible.  Here are a few from the Old Testament.  Simon Peter put it best, "The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance."  2 Peter 3:9  

One of the easiest shadows to see is the pattern of the lamb's blood on the doorpost at the first Passover.  Here is what the directions for applying the blood were.  "And they shall take of the blood, and strike it on the two side posts and on the upper door post of the houses, wherein they shall eat it."  Exodus 12:7  Can you see the cross?


Don't you believe that God wishes a believer to carry the work of the cross in their heart everywhere they go?  Not only that, it is certain that He wants this central theme of salvation carried everywhere as well.  That is why He had Israel to take great care in carrying the tabernacle with them everywhere they went.  The cross is shadowed here as well. Can you see the cross?


Everywhere the Children of Israel went, they were to daily carry the cross.  When they rested, they were to remember the cross.  Maybe that is why the wilderness camp was laid out as a cross.   Can you see the cross?


Even their daily obedience to God as expressed in their keeping of the Ten Commandments and other Torah teachings was to be an extension of their cross bearing.  Have you ever noticed the cross in the Ten Commandments?  The first four deal with our vertical relationship with God.  They are the commands that deal with our love for Him.  Remember, Jesus said, "If ye love me, keep my commandments,"  John 14:15.  The center of the commands is to honor father and mother.  It is the point where our devotion to God joins to our devotion to society.  Then come the horizontal laws.  These are the laws that show our devotion to God in our outward actions to society.  Can you see the cross?


Jesus made it even easier to see the cross with two simple commands!  Love God and love others!  "Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets."  Matthew 22:37-40 


In closing, consider that Jesus is the only acceptable means of salvation ordained by God.  In Jesus' day it was customary to tag your offering with the family name so that the lamb would not get lost in the hundreds of Passover lambs brought to Jerusalem. 

John and the other gospels mention that the cross had a sign placed at the top in Latin, Greek, and Hebrew stating, "Jesus of Nazereth, King of the Jews."

Latin= IESUS NAZARENVS REX IVDAEORVM )Have you ever seen the inscription INRI?

Greek would have been: 
OUTOS ESTIN O BASILEUS TWN IOUDAIWN

Hebrew would have looked like this transliterated from right to left!
HaYehudim W'Melech HaNazarei Yeshua 

Let's put this in the order of it would be said,

Yeshua (Jesus)
Ha nazarei (of Nazareth)
W'melech (the King)
Ha Yehudim (of the Jews)

Notice the first letters of each phrase:

YHWH 

Apparently, the Father marked His lamb too!



Being saved is as simple as seeing the work of Christ on the cross and accepting His sacrifice as your own righteousness.  Won't you trust Jesus today in the full pardon of yours sins?  Do it quickly as he is Soon2Come!

Today's Prayer Concerns in the News