Archive for February, 2013

Revelation 8:10-11 Wormwood and Meteors

Posted in Prophecy with tags , , , , , , , , , on February 27, 2013 by paulthepoke

Revelation 8:10-11 The third angel sounded, and a great star fell from heaven, burning like a torch, and it fell on a third of the rivers and on the springs of waters. The name of the star is called Wormwood; and a third of the waters became wormwood, and many men died from the waters, because they were made bitter.

This is the second event noted. The event takes place during the tribulation. God’s word leaves no doubt, this is a falling star. The star is described as a great star. The Greek word for great is mega. Again, this is a mega star. It is a huge, large object. This time it hits land and affects rivers and springs. Again, there is fire associated with the star as noted in verse 8-9 and as recently noted with the videos of the Russian meteor. These objects explode in midair.  Balls of fire with trails of smoke are visible for people to see. Parts of the star impact the rivers. Parts of the star are large enough to penetrate the earth’s crust and impact the water springs underground. In total, one third of the rivers and springs are affected.

Remember this book of Revelation was written by an old, elderly man, John, on the island of Patmos as a prisoner on a labor camp. He did not have the benefit of cable TV in the first century to see these events over and over. He did not have the benefit of the scientific community to explain what he saw. John had to take and believe God’s word. John’s written description looks exactly like what we have seen in February 2013 on TV, Youtube, or the Internet with our own eyes here in the 21st century.

The water supply of humanity is impacted by this mega falling star. According to multiple sources, less than 1% of all the water in the world is fresh water for human consumption. Pray this falling star does not impact the Great Lakes area. These lakes account for 84% of the fresh water in North America according to the Environmental Protection Agency.

Wormwood is a bitter herb that was used to kill intestinal worms (NET Bible). The bitter star taints the water supply and people die.

Matthew 24:8 “But all these things are merely the beginning of birth pangs” –Jesus, Olivet Discourse.

We see and read the end result in Revelation. But these birth pangs have to start somewhere in time. Birth pangs have a beginning. They become more frequent and more intense as the time draws near. Have the birth pangs started???

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Isaiah 7:15 Refuses Evil and Chooses Good

Posted in Isaiah with tags , , , , , , , , , , , , on February 24, 2013 by paulthepoke

Isaiah 7:15 “He will eat curds and honey at the time He knows enough to refuse evil and choose good,

Curds and honey were foods of the common person. These foods were staples in the diet of the time. Typically, they are symbols of abundance. God referred to the land of Israel as a land flowing with milk and honey in Exodus 3:8a “So I have come down to deliver them from the power of the Egyptians, and to bring them up from that land to a good and spacious land, to a land flowing with milk and honey… At this point in history with Ahaz as king, curds and honey are the only foods remaining. The food supply had been decimated.

The “He” in verse 15 is Jesus. These are the credentials of the One who was born of a virgin and named Immanuel in verse 14. He will eat the food, curds and honey, of the common man. He does not have the diet of royalty.

Christ was tempted by Satan in the wilderness in Matthew 4:1-11. Jesus was tempted with food when He was hungry. Satan tempted Him with His life. Jesus was tempted with absolute power if He would submit to Satan. The tempter tried to entice the Son to reject the words of the Father and follow him. He chose good and refused evil.

It is stated two times. He will refuse evil and choose good. Hebrews 4:15 For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin.

Isaiah 7:16 “For before the boy will know enough to refuse evil and choose good, the land whose two kings you dread will be forsaken.

In other words, Ahaz relax. Syria and the northern kingdom are toast. You all will be okay. Historically, Syria and the northern kingdom alliance get theirs way before the birth of the One who refused evil and chose good.

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Revelation 8:8-11 Mountain Sized Meteor

Posted in Prophecy with tags , , , , , , on February 21, 2013 by paulthepoke

Revelation 8:8-11 The second angel sounded, and something like a great mountain burning with fire was thrown into the sea; and a third of the sea became blood, and a third of the creatures which were in the sea and had life, died; and a third of the ships were destroyed. The third angel sounded, and a great star fell from heaven, burning like a torch, and it fell on a third of the rivers and on the springs of waters. The name of the star is called Wormwood; and a third of the waters became wormwood, and many men died from the waters, because they were made bitter.

These events occur during the trumpet judgments of Revelation. It is a little over a third of the way through the tribulation judgments. There appears to be two separate events noted in these four verses. One of them impacts the sea. The other impacts the land. Both are very destructive.

The first is the “great mountain”. It is burning with fire. In light of the recent meteor that struck Russia, this is easy to visualize. There were multiple sources of video that showed a meteor exploding in the sky and leaving a trail of fire and smoke. This great mountain slams into the sea. Recent measurements indicate a meteor can hit the atmosphere at approximately 33,000-40,000 miles per hour. Imagine the momentum of this object. It is a simple physics equation, mass X velocity. This would create a destructive tsunami of massive proportions. Imagine the sound percussions and damage from the sonic boom of an object that size and subsequent objects that break apart.

Look at the data of the size of the meteor that struck Russia. It was estimated to be approximately 55 feet wide and weighed 10,000 tons. Remember the zinc factory destruction that occurred from a fragment of this meteor? Consider all of the damage done by the relatively small meteor that affected rural Russia. Windows were broken from sound waves. The blast was estimated to be approximately 500 kilotons (data provided by NASA). Over 1,000 people were injured.

Think of the size of the asteroid that recently passed by Earth and missed the same day as the meteor that hit Russia. That asteroid was half the size of a football field.

Now consider the size of the object in Revelation 8:8. It is described as a “great mountain”. There are two words in the original Greek that describe the object. Oros is Greek for mountain. The adjective is mega in the Greek which means great, huge, large, or immense. We use “mega” in front of words in English if we want to express the enormity of something. This is a mega mountain! The devastation is significant. One third of sea life destroyed. Imagine the sight and the stench. One third of all ships destroyed.

The event in Russia was a starter kit.

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Isaiah 7:10-14 What if God Personally Granted You a Request?

Posted in Isaiah with tags , , , , , , , , on February 16, 2013 by paulthepoke

Isaiah 7:10 Then the LORD spoke again to Ahaz, saying,

Now imagine if this was you in Ahaz’s position. The God of the universe is approaching you personally and talking to you. This is not a televangelist who claims to have the inside track on talking to God. This is the real deal. What if God really approached you? This happened to Ahaz.

Isaiah 7:11 “Ask a sign for yourself from the LORD your God; make it deep as Sheol or high as heaven.”

God places no limits on the request. Whatever you want to know! What would you ask God? Have you thought about it?

Isaiah 7:12 But Ahaz said, “I will not ask, nor will I test the LORD!”

For starters, Ahaz is not answering God’s question. God is not asking to be tested. God is granting him a request. God is not impressed with the piety. This is not a challenge or a test for God.

Isaiah 7:13 Then he said, “Listen now, O house of David! Is it too slight a thing for you to try the patience of men, that you will try the patience of my God as well?

At this point, Isaiah interjects with Ahaz. Wake up! Isaiah is reminding Ahaz he is in the promised and protected line of the kingdom. Ahaz is in the family tree of David. This is what God promised David and his house. 2 Samuel 7:8-16. “Now therefore, thus you shall say to My servant David, ‘Thus says the LORD of hosts, “I took you from the pasture, from following the sheep, to be ruler over My people Israel. I have been with you wherever you have gone and have cut off all your enemies from before you; and I will make you a great name, like the names of the great men who are on the earth. I will also appoint a place for My people Israel and will plant them, that they may live in their own place and not be disturbed again, nor will the wicked afflict them any more as formerly, even from the day that I commanded judges to be over My people Israel; and I will give you rest from all your enemies. The LORD also declares to you that the LORD will make a house for you. When your days are complete and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up your descendant after you, who will come forth from you, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build a house for My name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. I will be a father to him and he will be a son to Me; when he commits iniquity, I will correct him with the rod of men and the strokes of the sons of men, but My lovingkindness shall not depart from him, as I took it away from Saul, whom I removed from before you. Your house and your kingdom shall endure before Me forever; your throne shall be established forever.”

God then reveals to Ahaz His own sign. This leader and king I am speaking of, He will be born of a virgin. Isaiah 7:14 “Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, a virgin will be with child and bear a son, and she will call His name Immanuel.

Talk about testing the guy’s faith…

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Pope Peter in the Bible? No…

Posted in Uncategorized with tags , , , , , on February 13, 2013 by paulthepoke

Questions are abounding regarding the Pope’s resignation and Catholic prophecy. According St. Malachy in 1139, he had a vision regarding future popes on a trip to Rome. Here is the translated version.

“In the extreme persecution of the Holy Roman Church, there will sit … Peter the Roman, who will nourish the sheep in many tribulations; when they are finished, the city of seven hills will be destroyed, and the dreadful judge will judge his people. The end.”

The press is having fun and will continue to have fun with this. The science editor, Alan Boyle, from MSNBC has weighed in. “Just when you thought it was safe to go out of the bunker, there’s a fresh wave of doomsday buzz over a purported 12th-century prophecy suggesting that the next pope will be the last pope before the end of the world.”

Will the Catholic Church fulfill their prophecy? Of note, the leading favorite to be the next pope is Cardinal Peter Turkson, a member of the Roman Curia . He is from Ghana.

This Catholic prophecy is not from the Bible. This has nothing to do with the end of days scenario stated in Scripture. It is completely separate. One will not find these words from St. Malachy in the Bible. That will not matter to the media. One can see how this is going to be broadcast.

In closing, I will put my trust in Jesus personally instead of any man who claims to be a vicar for Christ. Why go through an intercessor when you can pray directly to the source?

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Isaiah7:3-9 Be Calm, God Knows

Posted in Isaiah with tags , , , , , , , , on February 10, 2013 by paulthepoke

Isaiah 7:3-4 Then the LORD said to Isaiah, “Go out now to meet Ahaz, you and your son Shear-jashub, at the end of the conduit of the upper pool, on the highway to the fuller’s field, and say to him, ‘Take care and be calm, have no fear and do not be fainthearted because of these two stubs of smoldering firebrands, on account of the fierce anger of Rezin and Aram and the son of Remaliah.

God gives a direct command for Isaiah to take his son with him to meet King Ahaz. Imagine if you were Ahaz and you saw Isaiah and son headed your direction, especially when you take the meaning of their names into account. Isaiah means “Jehovah has saved”, and Shear-jashub means (a remnant will return) according to Strong’s Concordance. This should provide some comfort knowing “Jehovah has saved” and “a remnant will return” is coming your direction as messengers from God.

Isaiah repeats a simple message four times, do not be afraid. Yes, these two adversaries are really ticked but they are losing their fire and just smoking and smoldering. The log is about to burn out.

Isaiah 7:5-6 ‘Because Aram, with Ephraim and the son of Remaliah, has planned evil against you, saying, “Let us go up against Judah and terrorize it, and make for ourselves a breach in its walls and set up the son of Tabeel as king in the midst of it,”

God knows their plans and tells Ahaz. Essentially, God is saying “I know what these guys are up to”. They have plans of being king makers. This northern alliance is looking to replace an enemy with an ally. They look to put a friend in power for political gain. This would be a natural alliance to strengthen their foothold in the region. The idea seems reasonable. They want to put the son of “God is good” (Tabeel) in charge in the south.

They have battle plans in place. They are going to break down the wall in Jerusalem and invade. You can make all the plans you want, God may have other ideas for you.

Isaiah 7:7 thus says the Lord GOD: “It shall not stand nor shall it come to pass.”

Isaiah 7:9 and the head of Ephraim is Samaria and the head of Samaria is the son of Remaliah. If you will not believe, you surely shall not last.”’”

God has a plan for eternal life. The issue for us is the same issue as it was for Ahaz, faith. Do you trust God? Do you believe Him? It is there for the taking, free of charge…

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Isaiah 7:1-2 Family Feud

Posted in Isaiah with tags , , , , , , , , , on February 2, 2013 by paulthepoke

Isaiah 7:1 Now it came about in the days of Ahaz, the son of Jotham, the son of Uzziah, king of Judah, that Rezin the king of Aram and Pekah the son of Remaliah, king of Israel, went up to Jerusalem to wage war against it, but could not conquer it.

Effectively, the northern kingdom of Israel has formed an alliance with Aram, modern day Syria. The northern kingdom has turned against family, the southern kingdom of Judah. This takes place in roughly 735 BC. The northern alliance decides to go south and attack Jerusalem. The campaign was not a success.

The primary characters are the following. Ahaz is the king of the Judah in the south. His name means “he has grasped”. He was the eleventh king of Judah. Ahaz was a direct ancestor to Jesus Christ. He was not a good king. He was wicked and turned to idolatry. He believed in mulitculturalism and introduced other religions and foreigners. Ahaz also turned against his family in the north. He formed an alliance with the Assyrians and Tiglath-pileser in response to the alliance in the north that was formed against him. Ahaz was king for sixteen years and died when he was 35 (Baker Encyclopedia of Bible People).

Pekah is the king of northern Israel. His name means “opened”. He was the nineteenth king of Israel and he reigned for nine years. He gained power by plotting and executing an assassination of King Pekahiah. He was not a good king. Pekah was power hungry. As God would have it, Pekah lost his life and crown with a conspiracy. Hoshea conspired and killed Pekah (Baker Encyclopedia of Bible People).

Rezin is the king of Aram, modern day Syria. His name means “firm”. He was the last king of Syria. The line ends with him (Baker Encyclopedia of Bible People).

Isaiah 7:2 When it was reported to the house of David, saying, “The Arameans have camped in Ephraim,” his heart and the hearts of his people shook as the trees of the forest shake with the wind.

Ahaz is in the house of David. We know this because of the genealogies documented throughout the Old Testament. Specifically, a complete genealogy of Christ is stated in Matthew 1. Ahaz, David, and Jesus are all documented to be in the same family tree.

The meaning of Aram or Arameans is “exalted”. The exalted ones had moved into the hill country of northern Israel. Ephraim is a name used for the northern kingdom in Isaiah. Ephraim is a tribe of Jews that is from the second son of Joseph back in Genesis.

This action by the northern alliance is clearly unsettling to the king and his people in the south. Their inner soul or being shook. The Hebrew word for shook is nuwa’. According to Strong’s Concordance it means: to wave, quiver, vibrate, swing, stagger, tremble, be unstable, to totter, or go tottering. Bravery was not a strong suit of Ahaz and he was perceived to be weak.

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