Archive for November, 2015

Jubilee, Part 6, Satan in Control…For Now

Posted in Jubilee, Prophecy with tags , , , , , , , , , on November 29, 2015 by paulthepoke

Leviticus 25:23 The land, moreover, shall not be sold permanently, for the land is Mine; for you are but aliens and sojourners with Me.

God transfers authority and possession according to His own choice. He owns everything.

Jeremiah 27:5 By My great strength and outstretched arm, I made the earth, and the people, and animals on the face of the earth. I give it to anyone I please.

http://paulthepoke.com/2015/11/15/jubilee-part-4-return-to-your-land/

In the previous post, humanity was originally placed in charge of the Earth in Genesis 1 at the creation. Mankind failed and dominion was transferred by God.

http://paulthepoke.com/2015/11/22/jubilee-part-5-humanity-falls/

Reality is…Satan is currently in charge of the world. God has given him authority since the fall of man in the Garden of Eden.

angel_of_light

1 John 5:19 We know that we are from God, and the whole world lies in the power of the evil one.

2 Corinthians 4:4 in whose case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving so that they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.

Ephesians 2:2 in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience.

Galatians 1:4a who gave Himself for our sins so that He might rescue us from this present evil age

Look at Satan’s temptation of Christ in Luke 4:5-7 And the devil took him up and showed him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time, and said to him, “To you I will give all this authority and their glory, for it has been delivered to me, and I give it to whom I will. If you, then, will worship me, it will all be yours.” See also Matthew 4:8-9.

Notice, Jesus does not dispute Satan’s statement. Satan is telling the truth in this case. The kingdoms of the earth are under his authority. Satan is trying to get Jesus to take the easy way out. He knows Jesus is tired, hungry, and thirsty after fasting 40 days in the desert. Jesus, You can have it all now. No need to wait thousands of years. You don’t have to suffer. No need for the floggings. Skip the cross. “If you, then, will worship me, it will all be yours.” -Satan

Let’s face it. Satan’s way is easier than the path of God the Father. Satan wants to bypass the consequence and payment of sin.

Jesus Himself would later confirm Satan has authority and dominion over the Earth.

John 12:31 Now judgment is upon this world; now the ruler of this world will be cast out.

John 16:11 and concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world has been judged.

Satan’s rule will not last forever. His kingdom is not eternal. He is due a 1,000 year time out in the abyss or prison. Satan will not be rehabilitated when he is let out of jail. He will return to his ways and deceive the nations. His rebellion will fail. And he will be escorted to his retirement community, the Lake of Fire (Revelation 20).

Trend Update: Temple Mount, Iranian Mock Invasion, November 2015

Posted in Persia/Elam/Iran, Prophecy, Temple, Trend Update with tags , , , , , , , , , on November 25, 2015 by paulthepoke

Zechariah 12:3 On that day I will make Jerusalem a heavy stone for all the peoples. All who lift it will surely hurt themselves. And all the nations of the earth will gather against it.

FARSNews

This weekend (November 21, 2015), Iran has been practicing for an invasion of Jerusalem. Their intent is to capture the Temple Mount.

http://www.jpost.com/Middle-East/Iran/Report-Thousands-of-Iranian-soldiers-stage-mock-siege-of-Temple-Mount-434845

http://www.haaretz.com/middle-east-news/1.687468

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.”

Numbers 24:9 “He couches, he lies down as a lion, and as a lion, who dares rouse him? Blessed is everyone who blesses you, and cursed is everyone who curses you.”

Iran’s potential actions would constitute…a curse.

http://paulthepoke.com/2015/01/28/trend-update-iran-elam-and-israel-january-2015/

http://paulthepoke.com/2015/08/12/trend-update-russia-magogisrael-ezekiel-38-39-august-2015/

In sports, it is hard to win on the road. Iran would be the road team. Israel is the home team. Israel is coached by God. Israel is heavily favored and has the home field advantage. Lay the points and go big on the home team coached by God.

Jubilee, Part 5, Humanity Falls

Posted in Creation, Jubilee, Prophecy with tags , , , , , , , , , , , , on November 22, 2015 by paulthepoke

Leviticus 25:23 The land, moreover, shall not be sold permanently, for the land is Mine; for you are but aliens and sojourners with Me.

God transfers authority and possession according to His own choice. He owns everything. The point of the post is to see how God transfers authority in leadership over the earth. Please do not make assumptions in doctrine regarding marriage based on these verses. Marriage is a discussion for another day…Hint, both parties submit to Christ (Ephesians 5).

Jeremiah 27:5 By My great strength and outstretched arm, I made the earth, and the people, and animals on the face of the earth. I give it to anyone I please.

http://paulthepoke.com/2015/11/15/jubilee-part-4-return-to-your-land/

garden

In the beginning, God gave authority over the earth and everything in it to humanity. Notice authority was granted to both the man and woman equally. Authority was not given specifically to the man. See the two verses below in Genesis 1.

Genesis 1:26 Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the cattle and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”

Genesis 1:28 God blessed them; and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it; and rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”

There are two verbs of interest in the verses above. They are “rule” and “subdue”.

The Hebrew word for “rule” is radah. It is used as a simple action verb and radah means: to have dominion, rule, or subjugate. The verb does not necessarily imply harshness or utilizing an iron fist. There are examples where God instructs the use of temperament and respect. Leviticus 25:43 ‘You shall not rule over him with severity, but are to revere your God.

The Hebrew word for “subdue” is kabash. It is used as a simple action verb and kabash means: to bring into bondage, enslave, make subservient; to subdue, force, violate; or dominate, tread down. In other words, use force if necessary. Kabash is used in the context of conquering the land in the book of Joshua and the military victories of King David.Definitions per Strong’s Concordance

The leadership structure radically changed with the original sin in the Garden of Eden. Originally God transferred authority of the earth to the man and woman equally, humanity. A consequence of the fall in Eden is God redefined the dynamic of the relationship between the man and the woman. The woman lost her position as co-ruler with the man.

Genesis 3:16b To the woman He said… “Yet your desire will be for your husband, and he will rule over you.”

Notice God’s comments to Noah after the flood in Genesis 9:7 “As for you, be fruitful and multiply; populate the earth abundantly and multiply in it.”

There is no mention of “rule” and “subdue” anywhere in Genesis 9. Humanity’s authority over the earth is lost for now.

With the fall, humanity lost authority over the earth. As of now, look who is in charge… 1 John 5:19 We know that we are from God, and the whole world lies in the power of the evil one. Currently, God has transferred authority over the earth to Satan.

In the beginning, humanity’s co-rulers (Adam and Eve) failed to rule and subdue the earth. Leadership structure and order were radically changed.

In the end, humanity’s co-rulers (Jesus and His bride the church) will succeed, fulfill, and restore God’s promise in the Millennial Kingdom (Revelation 20:5-6, 2 Timothy 2:12).

Temple Geography…Not One Stone

Posted in Prophecy, Temple, Trend Update with tags , , , , , , , , , , on November 18, 2015 by paulthepoke

Matthew 24:1-2 Jesus came out from the temple and was going away when His disciples came up to point out the temple buildings to Him.  And He said to them, “Do you not see all these things? Truly I say to you, not one stone here will be left upon another, which will not be torn down.”

Now wait a minute…Modern day (November 2015) Jews go to the Western Wall in Jerusalem and pray. Jews are not allowed to ascend and pray atop the Temple Mount. There are stones stacked one upon another forming a wall. This is the site claimed as the Temple Mount.

If this wall is the site of the Temple, is Jesus wrong? There are clearly stones left upon another. Jesus said, “not one stone here will be left upon another, which will not be torn down.”

westernwall

Or, was the Temple located in a different area?

What if the Temple was located where the Bible says, near the Gihon Spring?

http://paulthepoke.com/2015/11/11/temple-geography-water-please/

Looking at a picture of the modern day city of David, there is NOTHING present near the Gihon Spring.

Amos 9:11 In that day I will raise up the fallen booth of David, and wall up its breaches; I will also raise up its ruins and rebuild it as in the days of old…

The context of the verse in Amos 9 is the restoration of Israel under the lineage of King David. The Hebrew word for “booth” is succoth. This is the word for the Tabernacle. This is the word used for the Temple, God’s dwelling place.

Amos 9:14-15 Also I will restore the captivity of My people Israel, and they will rebuild the ruined cities and live in them; they will also plant vineyards and drink their wine, and make gardens and eat their fruit. I will also plant them on their land, and they will not again be rooted out from their land which I have given them,” Says the LORD your God.

Israel is back in the land and a country since 1948. Cities have been rebuilt. God says they are not going anywhere.

Just waiting on the Temple…

Jubilee, Part 4, Return To Your Land

Posted in Jubilee, Prophecy with tags , , , , , , , , , , , , on November 15, 2015 by paulthepoke

Leviticus 25:13 On this year of jubilee each of you shall return to his own property.

Every 50th year, the people of Israel were to return to their designated tribal land. At the time of receiving the Law, Israel was wondering around in the desert for 40 years.

Eventually, Israel entered the land and controlled with conquest in Joshua 1-12. God divided the land among the tribes of Israel in Joshua 13-24. Geographical and tribal boundaries were defined.

Below is a map of the land as divided per God’s direction in the book of Joshua.

12tribesbibleodysseyorg

bibleodyssey.org

Leviticus 25:23 The land, moreover, shall not be sold permanently, for the land is Mine; for you are but aliens and sojourners with Me.

God says the land is leased to the inhabitants, nation Israel. The tribes do not own the land, God does. The land is granted by God to His chosen nation.

People are temporary and finite. We are not eternal. When we die, we cannot take the land or other possessions with us.

God is very clear in Scripture. The earth is His. God’s ownership is stated from the beginning in Genesis to the New Testament. For starters, He created in Genesis 1.

God’s ownership extends beyond the atmosphere of planet Earth. He owns the universe.

Deuteronomy 10:14 The heavens, indeed the highest heavens, belong to the Lord your God, as does the earth and everything in it.

God transfers authority and possession according to His own choice. But He still owns everything. God chose Israel and gave them a specific, allotted land.

Exodus 19:5 Now therefore, if you will indeed obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured possession among all peoples, for all the earth is mine…

Jeremiah 27:5 By My great strength and outstretched arm, I made the earth, and the people, and animals on the face of the earth. I give it to anyone I please.

God reminds Job that He owns everything. God does not owe anyone a single thing. He is not in debt. Job 41:11 Who confronted Me, that I should repay him? Everything under heaven belongs to Me. 

1 Corinthians 10:26 For “the earth is the Lord’s, and the fullness thereof.”

God is the landlord. He operates on a 50 year lease with His people Israel and His land. Every fiftieth year, everyone goes back to where they belong according to Him. Debts are forgiven. Everyone gets a fresh start and a clean economic slate.

In the future, He will redefine borders and geography for His chosen people. They will have significantly more land than the current situation of November 2015.

http://paulthepoke.com/2014/12/10/trend-update-land-for-peaceabrahamic-covenant-december-2014/

Trend Update: Evil In Our Time, Paris, November 2015

Posted in Gospel, Trend Update with tags , , , , , , , , , , , , on November 14, 2015 by paulthepoke

Ephesians 5:16 making the most of your time, because the days are evil.

paris2015

map: theguardian.com

The phrase “making the most” is an interesting translation. It is the Greek word exagorazo. Per Strong’s Concordance it means: to redeem; by payment of a price to recover from the power of another; to ransom; buy off.

Someone has purchased these days for us. See Jesus on the cross. Revelation 5:9b for You were slain, and purchased for God with Your blood men from every tribe and tongue and people and nation. See also 1 Corinthians 6:20, Colossians 1:14, Acts 20:28, Ephesians 1:7.

The days of our lives are precious and not to be wasted. Treasure these days and utilize them for good… because the days are evil.

Psalms 34:21 Evil shall slay the wicked, and those who hate the righteous will be condemned.

Another translation is Evil people shall self-destruct. Is this ever true. They will be punished. There are not 72 virgins.

Psalms 34:14 Depart from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it.

… seek peace and pursue it. In the original Hebrew “seek” and “pursue” are not passive. The action is to be intensive and intentional. “Seek” or require, desire, exact, request, demand are the concepts. “Pursue” or put to flight, chase, dog, attend closely upon, persecute, harass, to follow after, and aim to secure are the ideas (Strong’s Concordance).

Evil needs to be confronted.

Galatians 1:4-5 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for our sins so that He might rescue us from this present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father…

Yes, evil exists in our time (November 2015). There are plenty of examples on display in our world. We can expect there will be more evil.

Take comfort, evil will not stand forever.

Revelation 21:4-5 and He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away.”

And He who sits on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” And He said, “Write, for these words are faithful and true.”

Temple Geography…Water Please!

Posted in Prophecy, Temple with tags , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on November 11, 2015 by paulthepoke

1 Kings 1:33 The king said to them, “Take with you the servants of your lord, and have my son Solomon ride on my own mule, and bring him down to Gihon…”

1 Kings 1:38 So Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, the Cherethites, and the Pelethites went down and had Solomon ride on King David’s mule, and brought him to Gihon.

1 Kings 1:45a “Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet have anointed him king in Gihon…”

gihon1

photo: snipview.com

The context of the story is King David naming his successor. King David is announcing the successor to be his son Solomon. Three times in the story, Solomon is taken to Gihon. Granted, the temple was yet to be built. The text is clear. The Tabernacle or Tent is located at Gihon. There is only one water source in the area, the Gihon Spring. The spring is located in the city of David south of the modern day Temple Mount.

Note the phrase …and bring him down to Gihonin 1 Kings 1:33. The Hebrew word for “bring him down” is yarad. Per Strong’s Concordance it means: to go down, descend, decline, march down, sink down.

In other words, the Tabernacle was located in an area of lower elevation from David’s place.

Moving forward in time. Solomon built the Temple. He commissioned the Temple to be built in the area of the city of David (2 Chronicles 3:1). See the link below with specifics.

http://paulthepoke.com/2015/11/04/trend-update-temple-city-of-david-november-2015/

Both the Tabernacle and the Temple were built on the only source of water in the area.

1 Kings 7:13 Now King Solomon sent and brought Hiram from Tyre. Hiram’s job…he was filled with wisdom and understanding and skill for doing any work in bronze. So he came to King Solomon and performed all his work (1 Kings 7:14b).

In regards to water containers, the following items were fashioned by Hiram in the Temple.

The most prominent item made was called the Molten Sea or the Brazen Sea. The dimensions of the item are noted below.

1 Kings 7:23 Now he made “the sea” of cast metal ten cubits from brim to brim, circular in form, and its height was five cubits, and thirty cubits in circumference.

2 Chronicles 4:2 Also he made the cast metal sea, ten cubits from brim to brim, circular in form, and its height was five cubits and its circumference thirty cubits.

One cubit is equal to 1.5 feet. The container was 15 feet across, 7.5 feet in height, with a circumference of 45 feet. Scripture says the object could hold 12,000-18,000 gallons (1 Kings 7:26, 2 Chronicles 4:5).

1 Kings 7:38 He made ten basins of bronze, one basin held forty baths; each basin was four cubits, and on each of the ten stands was one basin.

One bath is equal to roughly 9 gallons.

40 baths X 9 gallons = 360 gallons per basin X 10 basins = 3,600 gallons of water.

All told, water requirements are exceeding 21,000 gallons. The volume of water was necessary for ritual cleaning and to clean up after the sacrifices, daily.

Massive amounts of water were observed in the Temple by the Egyptian Aristeas in approximate 275 BC. The Roman Tacitus confirmed a water source inside the Jewish Temple in roughly 100 AD. The Jewish historian Josephus discussed the need for spring water for purification and cleansing at the Temple. Documents from rabbinical priests indicated a ritual bath was necessary before entering the Temple.  www.baseinstitute.org

There is only one source of spring water in Jerusalem. Specifically, it is located in the city of David. It is the Gihon Spring.

By the way, there are future implications… Ezekiel 47:1-2 Then he brought me back to the door of the temple, and behold, water was issuing from below the threshold of the temple toward the east (for the temple faced east). The water was flowing down from below the south end of the threshold of the temple, south of the altar. Then he brought me out by way of the north gate and led me around on the outside to the outer gate that faces toward the east; and behold, the water was trickling out on the south side.

Joel 3:18b …And a spring will go out from the house of the LORD To water the valley of Shittim.

Jubilee, Part 3, What About Food?

Posted in Jubilee, Prophecy with tags , , , , , , , , , , , on November 8, 2015 by paulthepoke

Leviticus 25:11-12 That fiftieth year shall be a jubilee for you; in it you shall neither sow nor reap what grows of itself nor gather the grapes from the undressed vines. For it is a jubilee. It shall be holy to you. You may eat the produce of the field. 

An image of a sunset over a golden field

Photo: Captain Fatty’s Brewery

The same agricultural rules apply for the Jubilee year as a Sabbatical or Shemitah year. A Jubilee year is like a Sabbatical or Shemitah year on steroids. By definition, a Jubilee year comes immediately after a Shemitah year (Leviticus 25:8-13).

For two consecutive years, the land is to rest. There is to be no physical labor or working of the land. Seed is not to be planted. The soil is not to be tilled or turned over. Weeds are left to grow unchecked. Olive trees are not to be trimmed or pruned. Grape vines are left unattended to grow wildly. Whatever grows will grow. The farmers are not to harvest or gather crops that do grow during the Sabbatical year or the Jubilee year. The food that grows is for the farmer, servants, workers, foreigners, and the poor. Of the food that is not eaten by people, the remainder is for the animals.

On the surface, this does not seem very practical. What are we going to eat if we let the land rest for two consecutive years? God says no farming activity for every 49th and 50th years. It would be three years before any organized farming and harvest is to take place.

The context of these verses is the discussion of consecutive Sabbath years of rest for the land, a seventh year Sabbath and year of Jubilee following. The question is being asked of God. If we cannot work the fields, how are we expected to eat and survive?

Has God lost His mind? What kind of law is this? Crazy…

Relax, God has taken this into consideration. He has a plan.

Leviticus 25:20-22 ‘But if you say, “What are we going to eat on the seventh year if we do not sow or gather in our crops?” then I will so order My blessing for you in the sixth year that it will bring forth the crop for three years. ‘When you are sowing the eighth year, you can still eat old things from the crop, eating the old until the ninth year when its crop comes in.

God says He will abundantly provide with bumper crops in the year before the land’s Sabbatical rest, three times the usual amount. Three times the production should do it; one for the Shemitah year, one for the Jubilee year, and one for the crop planted when farming is re-initiated until harvested.

A point of the Shemitah and Jubilee is to turn and trust in God. He will provide.

Provision given by God. Prepare and save for the season. He tells you what is coming.

Trend Update: Temple, City of David, November 2015

Posted in Prophecy, Temple, Trend Update with tags , , , , , , , , , , , on November 4, 2015 by paulthepoke

2 Samuel 5:7 Nevertheless, David captured the stronghold of Zion, that is the city of David.

At stake is the past and future location of the Jewish Temple. Zion equals the city of David. This is a critical statement.

There are many scholars, critics, and experts who suggest Jerusalem, Zion, and the city of David are synonymous. The Bible says something different.

The city of David is a specific location within greater Jerusalem. The city of David is located south of what is known as the Temple Mount in modern day Jerusalem. The city of David is down the hill, below, and south of the modern day Temple Mount. The distance between the two locations is approximately 600-1000 feet.

2 Chronicles 3:1 Then Solomon began to build the house of the LORD in Jerusalem on Mount Moriah, where the LORD had appeared to his father David, at the place that David had prepared on the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite.

The verse in 2 Chronicles gives a specific location for the Temple. Where did the Jebusites live? Where is the floor of Ornan the Jebusite? The verse states it is in Jerusalem. The Bible has answers.

2 Samuel 5:6 Now the king and his men went to Jerusalem against the Jebusites, the inhabitants of the land, and they said to David, “You shall not come in here, but the blind and lame will turn you away”; thinking, “David cannot enter here.”

The Jebusites lived in Jerusalem.

2 Samuel 5:7 Nevertheless, David captured the stronghold of Zion, that is the city of David.

The following terms are synonymous per Scripture, Zion and city of David.

2 Samuel 5:8b Whoever attacks them should strike by going into the city through the water tunnel.

A water source is noted to be within the area of the Jebusites. There is only one source of water in the area, the Gihon Spring. The spring is located down the hill and south of the modern day Temple Mount. The Gihon Spring is approximately 600-1000 feet south and below the Temple Mount complex as we know it.

2 Samuel 5:9 So David lived in the stronghold and called it the city of David. And David built all around from the Millo and inward.

Once conquered, David named the fortress area the city of David. The area was walled. David built up the area within. David commissioned his son Solomon to build the Temple.

Solomon’s temple was built within a few years of 970 BC. Herod improved upon the second Temple which was built in 350 BC. Herod’s Temple was rebuilt and refurbished in roughly 20 BC. Both Temples were built on the same site.

Fast forward roughly 3,000 years from King David to today’s world, November 2015. This real estate is back in the news in a major way.

Archeologists have unearthed a fort to the south of the modern day Temple Mount in the city of David. The site has been covered by a parking lot.

“The new archeological finds indicate the establishment of a well-fortified stronghold that was constructed on the high bedrock cliff overlooking the steep slopes of the City of David hill,” the archeologists said in a joint statement.

http://www.jpost.com/Israel-News/Culture/Archaeological-find-in-Jerusalems-City-of-David-may-answer-100-year-old-mystery-431895

http://www.foxnews.com/science/2015/11/03/ancient-fortress-discovery-may-solve-one-jerusalems-great-archaeological-mysteries.html

First century AD Jewish historian Flavius Josephus noted a fortress, “…he built a citadel in the lower part of the city, for the place was high, and overlooked the Temple; on which account he fortified it with high walls and towers, and put into it a garrison of Macedonians.” The first century book of Maccabees also confirms the location of the citadel in the city of David.

Multiple sources from across time all note the city of David as the location south of the modern day Temple Mount. Yet the conclusion drawn by experts??? The Temple was built north of the location unearthed. “This stronghold controlled all means of approach to the Temple atop the Temple Mount, and cut the Temple off from the southern parts of the city.”

Historians and books written in the first century say the Temple site was south in the city of David. This is below the modern day Temple Mount area.

The Bible says the Temple site was south in the city of David.

fort

photo credit:Israel Antiquities Authority

Trend Update: Roaring Sea and Waves, Halloween 2015

Posted in Gospel, Prophecy, Trend Update with tags , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on November 1, 2015 by paulthepoke

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…

wave

The passage above is one verse from Jesus’ Olivet Discourse (see also Mark 13, Matthew 24, Luke 21).

Look at the context of this verse, signs in sun and moon and stars. Recently (2014 and 2015), we have experienced a unique series of solar eclipses and a blood red moon tetrad. Two solar eclipses (one in the spring and one in the fall) are scheduled for 2016 on God’s appointed holidays. There was also the Star of Bethlehem phenomenon in the summer of 2014. A sign in the stars is scheduled for Feast of Trumpets/Yom Teruah/Rosh Hashanah in the fall of 2017.

…at the roaring of the sea and the waves…

Hurricane Patricia (weekend of 10/24/15): Patricia was the strongest hurricane ever recorded in the Western Hemisphere. Patricia had the lowest atmospheric pressure on record at 880 millibars. Sustained winds of the hurricane were similar to an EF5 tornado. Winds were at least 200 mph.

http://www.weather.com/storms/hurricane/news/things-to-know-hurricane-patricia

Arabian Sea Tropical Cyclone Chapala (weekend of 10/31/15): Currently, the storm is at high category 4 level. It is scheduled to make landfall in Yemen in the first week of November 2015. Up to 20” of rain are possible in a 48 hour period. This is how much rain the region receives in 8-10 years! There is no record of a category 4 cyclone or stronger tracking as far south as Chapala in the Arabian Sea.

http://www.weather.com/storms/hurricane/news/cyclone-chapala-yemen-oman-arabian-peninsula

Praia do Norte in Nazaré, Portugal (week ending 10/31/15): This year’s conditions are producing 100’ waves. Of course, surfer dude wants the ultimate thrill. The previous record wave ride was at 78’. Be careful. These crashing waves have been known to knock surfer dude unconscious…Again, these are record setting waves.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3294639/That-s-high-tide-Crowds-watch-surfers-tackle-massive-swells-season-Portuguese-beach-daredevil-rode-100ft-wave-regarded-biggest-year.html

Am I suggesting the weather events of the past week are the fulfillment of Jesus’ words???…NO!

I am stating the events discussed are the strongest and most powerful in recorded history as we know it. The fact they have all occurred in the last week of October 2015 is thought provoking.

If we are in the time period Jesus is discussing, the trend will increase in regards to intensity and frequency. This may be the beginning of the party.

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

Luke 21:28 But when these things begin to take place, straighten up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near. –Jesus

But when these things begin to take place… Are these “the things” taking place? If so, His return may be right around the corner.

The Greek word for “redemption” in Luke 21:28 is apolutrosis. Per Strong’s Concordance it means: redemption, deliverance, release, liberation procured by the payment of a ransom.

Believers in Christ are redeemed, released, and liberated from the prison of eternal hell at the cross. The cross work of Jesus is a legal and binding transaction for all time. The criminal broke the law and was found guilty. The criminal was sentenced with unpayable fine. The criminal could not afford the payment of the fine. The fine of the criminal was paid for and with the blood currency of Jesus.

He is currently alive at the right hand of the Father. And He is coming back…

…your redemption is drawing near. –Jesus

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