Archive for January, 2015

Trend Update: Iran (Elam) and Israel, January 2015

Posted in Persia/Elam/Iran, Prophecy, Trend Update with tags , , , , , , , , on January 28, 2015 by paulthepoke

Jeremiah 49:34-39 That which came as the word of the LORD to Jeremiah the prophet concerning Elam, at the beginning of the reign of Zedekiah king of Judah, saying: “Thus says the LORD of hosts, ‘Behold, I am going to break the bow of Elam, the finest of their might. ‘I will bring upon Elam the four winds from the four ends of heaven, and will scatter them to all these winds; and there will be no nation to which the outcasts of Elam will not go. ‘So I will shatter Elam before their enemies and before those who seek their lives; and I will bring calamity upon them, even My fierce anger,’ declares the LORD, ‘And I will send out the sword after them until I have consumed them. ‘Then I will set My throne in Elam and destroy out of it king and princes,’ declares the LORD. ‘But it will come about in the last days that I will restore the fortunes of Elam,’” declares the LORD.

Elam is first noted in Genesis 10:22 The sons of Shem were Elam and Asshur and Arpachshad and Lud and Aram. He was part of the first generation after Noah’s flood. The descendants of Elam on non-Semitic (NET Bible).

Elam is an ancient name for the country we know as Iran. Elam means “eternity” per Strong’s Concordance. The meaning of the word can also be “highland”. It is in the southwest portion of current day Iran. This country is the setting for the book of Esther.

ELAM-PERSIA

God states He will destroy the finest of their weaponry. In today’s world (January 2015), many believe Iran is pursuing nuclear weapons. Iran states their nuclear program is for peaceful purposes and electricity. The prophecy states their proud military armament will be completely eliminated.

Modern day Iran would love nothing more than to destroy and scatter the people of Israel. They tell us these things frequently in the press. The irony of the prophecy is the people of Iran will be scattered throughout the nations of the earth. The chatter between the two countries has become a daily drum beat in the press. The rhetoric is on both sides, Iran and Israel.

http://news.yahoo.com/iran-sends-warning-israel-via-us-officials-154400936.html?soc_src=mediacontentstory&soc_trk=tw

http://news.yahoo.com/iran-buries-general-martyred-syria-vows-israel-pay-223514830.html

http://www.jpost.com/Israel-News/Yaalon-Iran-seeking-to-open-front-against-Israel-on-Golan-Heights-389019

http://www.cnn.com/2015/01/27/world/syria-israel-golan-heights/

Ezekiel 38-39 tells us Iran joins forces with Russia (Magog) and other Arab allies to invade Israel. God states He will protect and defend His chosen people, Israel.

That story does not end well for any of the nations who look to invade Israel. Next, God sets up camp in Iran. The leadership of Iran (Elam) is pursued and eliminated.

In the end peace will come to Iran, just not the way some imagine it…a Jewish carpenter.

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Antichrist, The Beast, Part 2

Posted in Antichrist/Beast, Prophecy with tags , , , , , , , , , , , , on January 25, 2015 by paulthepoke

Revelation 13:1 And the dragon stood on the sand of the seashore. Then I saw a beast coming up out of the sea, having ten horns and seven heads, and on his horns were ten diadems, and on his heads were blasphemous names.

Who is the dragon? That is answered in Revelation 12:9. And the great dragon was thrown down, the serpent of old who is called the devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him. Chapter 12 of Revelation discusses how the Satan and his angels have been ejected from Heaven to Earth. He is described as having great wrath or thumos in the Greek. Per Strong’s Concordance, thumos means: passion, angry, heat, anger forthwith boiling up and soon subsiding again; glow, ardour, the wine of passion, inflaming wine (which either drives the drinker mad or kills him with its strength). This anger is modified as great or megas (used of intensity and its degrees: with great effort, of the affections and emotions of the mind, of natural events powerfully affecting the senses: violent, mighty, strong) in the Greek. To say Satan is not happy is an understatement. The focus of his angst will be Israel.

dragon

Then I saw a beast coming up out of the sea… From where does the beast or antichrist emerge? Is he Jewish or gentile? This is a topic of great debate. There are reasonable presentations suggesting he is Jewish. Our eternal salvation is not dependent on this issue. Bible believing people can respectfully disagree.

This blog’s position: The antichrist is a gentile.

The antichrist is the last leader of the times of the Gentiles. In today’s world (January 2015), would the United Nations allow a Jewish man to be Secretary General? Would the Muslim world be agreeable to this idea? Stranger things have happened. Jerusalem, Israel is going to be pummeled prior to the return of Christ. Of those Jews who are not killed, the antichrist will try to disperse the Jews again from Israel. He wants to purge Israel of  their people. Luke 21:24 …and they will fall by the edge of the sword, and will be led captive into all the nations; and Jerusalem will be trampled underfoot by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.

Historically, Gentiles have lead invasions of Israel. Gentiles persecute the Jews. Look at the leaders who have done this in the past: Nebuchadnezzar (Babylon), Tiglath-Pileser (Assyria), Antiochus Epiphanes (Greek King, Seleucid Empire), also Nero and the Romans. Would a Jewish leader of a foreign army launch an invasion of Israel?

In the Bible, the sea is equated with gentile nations. There are examples in the Old Testament and New Testament.

Isaiah 17:12 Alas, the uproar of many peoples who roar like the roaring of the seas, and the rumbling of nations who rush on like the rumbling of mighty waters!

Ezekiel 26:3 therefore thus says the Lord GOD, ‘Behold, I am against you, O Tyre (Lebanon), and I will bring up many nations against you, as the sea brings up its waves…

Luke 21:25 There will be signs in sun and moon and stars, and on the earth dismay among nations, in perplexity at the roaring of the sea and the waves.

A primary key to understanding and interpreting Revelation 13:1 is given later in Revelation 17. In regards to the beast coming out of the sea…Revelation 17:15 And he said to me, “The waters which you saw where the harlot sits, are peoples and multitudes and nations and tongues.

Eventually, a Jewish man will descend from Heaven. And He will rule. Acts 1:11 They (angels) also said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into the sky? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in just the same way as you have watched Him go into heaven.”

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Trend Update: Dead Fish/Revelation, January 2015

Posted in Blood Red Water/Aquatic Death, Prophecy, Trend Update with tags , , , , on January 21, 2015 by paulthepoke

Revelation 8:8-9 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.

Revelation 16:3 The second angel poured out his bowl into the sea, and it became blood like that of a dead man; and every living thing in the sea died.

There is currently a trend around the world of mass amounts of aquatic life death. The following is from about 10 days of May 2014. These events are not local to a specific part of the world. It is occurring around the globe.

deadfish

17th May 2014 – Masses of fish turn up dead in a marina in Pultneyville, New York, America. Link

16th May 2014 – Mass die off of fish in a river in Aragatsotn, Armenia. Link

15th May 2014 – Hundreds of fish dying off ‘due to pollution’ in the wetlands of Rewalsar, India. Link

14th May 2014 – Thousands of dead fish washing ashore in Cootes Paradise, Hamilton, Canada. Link

13th May 2014 – Tens of thousands of dead fish wash up along coast of Tasmania, Australia. Link

12th May 2014 – Mass death of fish in the river Eden ‘is a mystery’ in Cumbria, England. Link

11th May 2014 – Thousands of dead Puffer Fish, also dead turtles washing up on various beaches in Colombia and Costa Rica. Link and here

11th May 2014 – Hundreds of dead fish found in a pond is ‘a mystery’ in Southborough, England. Link

10th May 2014 – Thousands of fish dead due to pollution in spring in Sikkim, India. Link

9th May 2014 – Die off of Fish ’causes panic’ in the Luda Yana River in Bulgaria. Link

8th May 2014 – Thousands of dead fish appear in a lake ‘shock residents’ in Mangalore, India. Link

8th May 2014 – 12 TONS of dead fish removed from lakes in Chisago County, Minnesota, America. Link

7th May 2014 – Massive die off of fish in reservoirs in Quanzhou, China. Link

7th May 2014 – Thousands of fish found dead on the shores of Roatan, Honduras. Link

5th May 2014 – Hundreds of dead fish wash up on a beach ‘a mystery’ in San Antonio Oeste, Argentina. Link

5th May 2014 – Mass death of fish found in lakes in Almindingen, Denmark. Link

4th May 2014 – Mass die off of fish in a river in Fujian, China. Link

3rd May 2014 – 1,000+ dead fish wash ashore along a lake in Ontario, Canada. Link

2nd May 2014 – 40,000 fish die suddenly in a dam in Piaui, Brazil. Link

Check out the following websites below if you want to see more of the trend…

http://www.geoengineeringwatch.org/dying-fish-dying-oceans-are-we-next/

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/16/science/earth/study-raises-alarm-for-health-of-ocean-life.html?_r=0

The point of this post is not to debate the cause of the phenomenon. Yes, human behavior is a likely consideration. The point is, this is occurring. The Book of Revelation says it is going to get worse during the seven year tribulation. The source of the ultimate cause is Heavenly.

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Antichrist, The Beast, Part 1

Posted in Antichrist/Beast, Prophecy with tags , , , , , , , , , , , , on January 18, 2015 by paulthepoke

Revelation 11:7 When they have finished their testimony, the beast that comes up out of the abyss will make war with them, and overcome them and kill them.

The antichrist’s initial appearance in Revelation 6 is as a conquering hero as the rider of the white horse. His appearance starts the action in the seven year period. “The beast” makes his first appearance under this title in Revelation 11. The Greek word for beast is therion. Per Strong’s Concordance, it means: a wild animal, wild beast; metaphorically a brutal, bestial man, savage, and ferocious.

“The beast” has his origin from the bottomless pit or the abyss. The word is abussos in the original Greek text. Per Strong’s, it is defined as: bottomless, unbounded, the abyss, the pit, the immeasurable depth; of Orcus, a very deep gulf or chasm in the lowest parts of the earth used as the common receptacle of the dead and especially as the abode of demons.

The testimony and prophecy are being provided by the two witnesses of Revelation 11. They will present their case against humanity at the rebuilt Temple in Jerusalem. It is clearly a big deal when “the beast” is able to kill these two witnesses. Others will try to kill God’s two witnesses but meet death. Revelation 11:5 And if anyone wants to harm them, fire flows out of their mouth and devours their enemies; so if anyone wants to harm them, he must be killed in this way.

2witnesses

The two witnesses will not be popular with the masses. They will have the ability to control the weather by withholding rain. They will turn waters blood red. And they will have the ability to send any plague they want as often as they desire (Revelation 11:6).

The world is going to celebrate “the beast” because he will end the reign of the two witnesses. It will be party time on planet earth because these two are dead. Everybody get drunk and celebrate. Hail the conquering hero, “the beast”. Revelation 11:10 And those who dwell on the earth will rejoice over them and celebrate; and they will send gifts to one another, because these two prophets tormented those who dwell on the earth.

… will make war with them, and overcome them … The Greek grammar of this phrase is precise and certain. The beast is going to initiate and pick a fight. He is going to bring it. He will conquer the two witnesses.

The intensity of his attack is noted in the Greek word for kill in the verse above. The word in the original Greek is apokteino. Per Strong’s it means: to kill in any way whatever, to destroy, to allow to perish; metaphorically to extinguish, abolish; to inflict mortal death; to deprive of spiritual life and procure eternal misery in hell.

“The beast” is not satisfied with just seeing the two men’s death. It is not enough to only exterminate them. He wants them really dead! Suffer! Eternal Pain! Go to Hell! “The beast” will use these two as an example. Their bodies will not buried. They will be left dead, on display, for all to see for three and a half days (Revelation 11:9).

To this point in Revelation, the antichrist has brokered peace in the Middle East. Then “the beast” killed God’s two prophets and witnesses. He is just getting started…

By the way, God publically resurrects His two witnesses (Revelation 11:11-12).

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Trend Update: Assyrian Empire/Nineveh/Jonah, January 2015

Posted in Gospel, Mosul/Nineveh, Prophecy, Trend Update with tags , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on January 14, 2015 by paulthepoke

Jonah 3:4 Then Jonah began to go through the city one day’s walk; and he cried out and said, “Yet forty days and Nineveh will be overthrown.”

Jonah 4:11 “Should I not have compassion on Nineveh, the great city in which there are more than 120,000 persons who do not know the difference between their right and left hand, as well as many animals?”

nineveh

Blowing up the Prophet Jonah’s tomb is not enough for ISIS. They are now proclaiming they are going to blow up the walls of the ancient city Nineveh. The 7.5 mile (one day’s walk) brick wall and rampart surrounds what used to be the ancient city of Nineveh. The majority of the wall is still present and standing. ISIS states the destruction of the wall is necessary because the cultural museum of Nineveh has “distorted” the view of Islam. Works of art and archeology artifacts have been stolen by ISIS from the museum. Nineveh is effectively modern day Mosul, Iraq.

Assyrians claim to be Iraq’s original indigenous people. Their history goes back to 4,750BC. Assyrians are approximately 95% of the country’s Christian population. Close to 200,000 Christians were forced to leave their homes around the Nineveh plain during the summer of 2014 due to ISIS. They are now refugees in the Dohuk and Erbil regions of northern Iraq that border Turkey and Iran. The region is also known as Kurdistan.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2900530/ISIS-plan-destroy-walls-Nineveh-capital-Assyrian-Empire-one-important-archaeological-sites-Iraq.html

http://www.breakingisraelnews.com/27400/isis-planning-to-destroy-ancient-walls-of-nineveh-middle-east/#gmIbPcIweWOJXItV.99

The Book of Jonah is dated roughly in the first half of the eighth century BC. The prophet Jonah travelled to the brutally violent people of Nineveh with a message of judgment if their ways were not changed. For intimidation purposes, the Assyrians would tie people to the stake and filet them. The people of Jonah’s day responded to the message of Jehovah. God cared for Gentiles in the Old Testament too; this is not a New Testament phenomenon.

In the Hebrew language, Jonah’s name means “dove”. In the Bible, the dove is a symbol of peace. The dove is likened to the descent of the Holy Spirit onto Jesus at His baptism. Luke 3:22a and the Holy Spirit descended upon Him in bodily form like a dove…

…there are more than 120,000 persons who do not know the difference between their right and left hand, as well as many animals?” One can tell by the pictures in the articles referenced, the Assyrians were skilled architects, designers, and laborers who built a massive brick wall with towers. Historically, these people were barbaric but they were not stupid. I take it those who do not know the difference between their right and left hands were children. Animals were included in the context of the ignorant. God does not judge the innocent bystanders with guilt by association. Remember the conversation between the Lord and Abraham in Genesis 18. God swore to Abraham He would spare Sodom and Gomorrah if there were righteous people remaining in the city. God’s messengers removed the righteous, Lot and family. We know the rest of that story.

The Holy Spirit, like a dove of peace, descends on sinners offering a message of mercy and undeserving forgiveness. Just believe in the sign of Jonah: the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus (Matthew 12:39-41).

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Antichrist, Greek Empire Roots, Part 3

Posted in Antichrist/Beast, Hell, Prophecy with tags , , , , , , , , , on January 11, 2015 by paulthepoke

Daniel 8:25b…and he will magnify himself in his heart, and he will destroy many while they are at ease. He will even oppose the Prince of princes, but he will be broken without human agency”.

…and he will magnify himself in his heart…His ego will be out of control. Pride will be on display. Confidence will not be lacking and he will be capable of great things, just ask him. He also takes after his leader Satan. God reminds Satan of his attitude and thoughts in Isaiah 14:13-14 “But you said in your heart, ‘I will ascend to heaven; I will raise my throne above the stars of God, and I will sit on the mount of assembly in the recesses of the north. I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.’”

…and he will destroy many while they are at ease. People will be at quietness and prosperity. Then he will strike. This is consistent with Scripture in the New Testament as written by the Apostle Paul in 1 Thessalonians 5:3 While they are saying, “Peace and safety!” then destruction will come upon them suddenly like labor pains upon a woman with child, and they will not escape.

He will even oppose the Prince of princes…Now this is a bad career move. It is never a good idea to oppose Jesus Himself. But, this is the kind of ego he possesses. The antichrist will take his stand and present himself against Christ.

..but he will be broken without human agency”. The Hebrew says the antichrist will be shabar or broken. Shabar is defined as: to be broken, be maimed, be crippled, be wrecked, or be crushed (figuratively). The phrase without human agency is an interesting one. It literally means “with nothingness of hand” in the Hebrew. He will be get what he deserves but not at the hand of a human being, which includes Jesus. Per the passages above, the antichrist is not sentenced to death by the Prince of princes.

This seems a bit confusing on the surface, until Revelation 19:20. And the beast was seized, and with him the false prophet who performed the signs in his presence, by which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image; these two were thrown alive into the lake of fire which burns with brimstone.

No death for you…but, an eternal living hell.

Lake_of_Fire

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Trend Update: Russia (Magog)/Israel, Ezekiel 38-39, January 2015

Posted in Ezekiel 38-39, Gospel, Prophecy, Trend Update with tags , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on January 7, 2015 by paulthepoke

Ezekiel 38:2 “Son of man, set your face toward Gog of the land of Magog, the prince of Rosh, Meshech and Tubal, and prophesy against him…”

Ezekiel was taken captive and shipped to Babylon. The prophecies in Ezekiel 38-39 were written 2,500 years ago from today (January 2015).

Who was Magog? Magog was a son of Japheth. Genesis 10:2 The sons of Japheth were Gomer and Magog and Madai and Javan and Tubal and Meshech and Tiras. Japheth was the son of Noah. The sons of Japheth were born after the flood (Genesis 10:1). Where did Magog settle? Where is the land of Magog?

Per Strong’s Concordance, Magog is defined as: the mountainous region between Cappadocia and Media and habitation of the descendants of Magog, a barbarous northern region.

The New Testament refers to the Scythians one time. Colossians 3:11 a renewal in which there is no distinction between Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave and freeman, but Christ is all, and in all.

As defined by Strong’s, a Scythian is “rude or rough”. A Scythian, an inhabitant of Scythia or modern day Russia. By the more civilized nations of antiquity, the Scythians were regarded as the wildest of barbarians. They were the epitome of savagery in the ancient world.

Look at a modern day map. Moscow is straight north of Jerusalem.

magog_allies

What does secular history say about the Magogians? Who are they? In the 7th century BC, Hesiod the Greek poet identified the Scythians as people of modern day southern Russia. Hesiod’s writings pre dated the Ezekiel the prophet.

The 1st century Jewish historian Flavius Josephus indicated the Magogians were called Scythians by the Greeks. They lived north of the Black Sea. During the same time period, Philo equated Magog with southern Russia.

The Father of History, Herodotus, labeled the descendants of Magog by their Greek name, Scythians. This occurred in the 5th century AD.

For over 1,200 years, the Bible and historians of their day equated the people of Magog with the Scythians. They lived in modern day Russia. The Bible and historians are consistent. Magog is modern day Russia. Magog will invade Israel in the future. Magog will get theirs handed to them by the Lord Himself (Ezekiel 38 -39). Today (January 2015), it looks like the idea of invading Israel has crossed the leader of Magog’s (Gog) mind.

Ezekiel 38:18 “It will come about on that day, when Gog comes against the land of Israel,” declares the Lord GOD, “that My fury will mount up in My anger…”

http://www.wnd.com/2014/12/official-russia-plotting-to-start-war-on-israel/

Even a barbaric Scythian can be saved by the cross work of Jesus…

Colossians 3:11 a renewal in which there is no distinction between Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave and freeman, but Christ is all, and in all.

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Trend Update: Land for Peace/January 2015

Posted in Prophecy with tags , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on January 4, 2015 by paulthepoke

Genesis 12:3 “…And I will bless those who bless you, and the one who curses you I will curse. And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed.”

Joel 3:2b …My people and My inheritance, Israel, whom they have scattered among the nations; and they have divided up My land.

Foreign policy decisions around the globe are being made in light of God’s chosen people. What will countries do with the land (Israel) that God gave to His people? God says He will have a response.

On December 30, 2014 the United Nations Security Council presented a resolution for Palestinian statehood by 2017. The vote was to force Israel to divide Jerusalem. Palestine is to be established based on 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital. Below is a copy of the proposed resolution.

http://www.timesofisrael.com/reported-text-of-draft-un-resolution-on-palestinian-statehood/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter

6daywar

The resolution did not pass. It failed by one vote. Eight countries (Russia, Argentina, Chad, Chile, China, France, Jordan, Luxembourg) voted in favor of a Palestinian state, two voted against (United States, Australia), and five abstained (Nigeria, United Kingdom, Lithuania, South Korea, Rwanda). Nigeria was expected to vote for but changed its stance and abstained at this time.

After the vote, Russia was critical of the vote and called this a “strategic mistake”.

One day later, 12/31/14, the Palestinians joined the International Criminal Court. Speculation is the Palestinians will use this position to file charges of war crimes against Israel.

http://apnews.myway.com/article/20141231/ml–israel-palestinians-5d8c0d79ba.html

God has promised many times over that He will bring His people back to their land, Israel. There are tens of examples. The regathering of Israel is a theme of the Bible, both the Old Testament and New Testament. Here are a few examples.

Jeremiah 32:37 “Behold, I will gather them out of all the lands to which I have driven them in My anger, in My wrath and in great indignation; and I will bring them back to this place and make them dwell in safety.”

Ezekiel 11:17 “Therefore say, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD, “I will gather you from the peoples and assemble you out of the countries among which you have been scattered, and I will give you the land of Israel.”’

Psalms 107:2-3 Let the redeemed of the LORD say so, Whom He has redeemed from the hand of the adversary and gathered from the lands, from the east and from the west, from the north and from the south.

Deuteronomy 30:3 then the LORD your God will restore you from captivity, and have compassion on you, and will gather you again from all the peoples where the LORD your God has scattered you.

Romans 11:26: and so all Israel will be saved; just as it is written, “THE DELIVERER WILL COME FROM ZION, HE WILL REMOVE UNGODLINESS FROM JACOB.” See Romans 11 for details of Israel’s future. God has not forgotten His people.As background to these verses, 2014 marked the year with the greatest amount of immigration to Israel since 2002. “Aliyah” is the term Jews refer to immigration to Israel. The Jews are going up to Jerusalem, “Aliyah”. France was the country with the greatest number of immigrants. The country with the second largest number of immigrants was Ukraine.http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4609941,00.html

http://www.timesofisrael.com/immigration-to-israel-hits-10-year-high-with-record-french-influx/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter

 

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