Archive for January, 2017

Newer Entries »

Trend Update: The UN & 70 Nations, January 2017

Posted in Peace Plan, Prophecy, Trend Update with tags , , , , , , , , , on January 10, 2017 by paulthepoke

Zechariah 12:3 It will come about in that day that I will make Jerusalem a heavy stone for all the peoples; all who lift it will be severely injured. And all the nations of the earth will be gathered against it.

January 10, 2017: Here we are four days before the big meeting in Paris, France. The entire world is wringing their hands. What are we going to do with Jerusalem? Zechariah 12:3 is a reality in our world today. The city is a heavy stone. Jerusalem is the capital of Israel. A future Palestinian state wants Jerusalem as its capital.

A critical issue is UN Resolution 2334. The document is hostile to the nation of Israel. The UN refused to acknowledge their existence as a country and refers to Israel as “occupiers”. Even the Western Wall where the Jews go to pray has been deemed “illegally occupied territory”.

For those interested in reading the resolution, click on the link below.

http://www.un.org/webcast/pdfs/SRES2334-2016.pdf

Representatives from seventy (70) countries are scheduled to attend the UN meeting sponsored by the French. If seventy nations rings a bell, see Genesis 10-11 and the original table of nations. This was such a great idea back in Nimrod’s day, God scattered people across the earth and confused humanity’s language. The world was broken into seventy (70) countries. This was the original UN emerging from the Tower of Babel, seventy countries.

While we are discussing the number 70…Make what you want of this. It is up to the individual reader.  The following is from the Washington Post. This is the opening paragraph to the story.

JERUSALEM — On a cloudless blue morning, an honor guard brought the flag-draped coffin of Shimon Peres to the Mount Herzl national cemetery Friday as 100 world leaders and dignitaries from 70 countries bid farewell to the former Israeli leader and Nobel laureate whose dream of a lasting peace with the Palestinians remains elusive.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/obama-and-world-leaders-attend-funeral-for-israeli-leader-shimon-peres/2016/09/30/0d993382-868a-11e6-b57d-dd49277af02f_story.html?utm_term=.0a48e5469ee0

The number 70 does have significance in the Bible. Here are a few examples of many provided in Scripture.

Exodus 24:9 Then Moses went up with Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel…

Numbers 11:16a The Lord therefore said to Moses, “Gather for Me seventy men from the elders of Israel…

Jeremiah 25:11 This whole land will be a desolation and a horror, and these nations will serve the king of Babylon seventy years.

Jeremiah 29:10 For thus says the Lord, “When seventy years have been completed for Babylon…”

Daniel 9:24 Seventy weeks have been decreed for your people and your holy city, to finish the transgression, to make an end of sin, to make atonement for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy and to anoint the most holy place.

Make what you want of it. Do your own homework. Get out a concordance and look up “seventy”. Draw your own conclusions. It is what it is…just making an observation.

What is intriguing is looking at maps on websites leading up to this meeting on January 15, 2017. Accommodations have already been made for a future state of Palestine. Areas surrounding the West Bank and the Gaza Strip are already referred to as Palestinian Territories. Jerusalem has been divided accordingly. Plans have even been made for nature preserves in the West Bank per the Oslo Accords. The Golan Heights has been committed to Syria as part of a “peace plan”. See video link above for details.

Get ready…

Leave a comment »

Revelation: Smyrna…Matter of Eternal Life or Death

Posted in Hell, Prophecy, Revelation with tags , , , , , on January 8, 2017 by paulthepoke

Revelation 2:10b-11 Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. He who overcomes will not be hurt by the second death.

This is the closing statement to the church at Smyrna from Jesus. He is going to discuss life and death matters for both the present life on earth and eternal considerations.

Be faithful…The idea expressed in the original Greek is a matter of practice and lifestyle. Be faithful in your life. Continually practice your faith…to the point of death.

 θάνατος/thanatos is the Greek word for death. Here is the idea in the original language. The separation (whether natural or violent) of the soul and the body by which the life on earth is ended with the implied idea of future misery in hell. –Strong’s Concordance

This death is in reference to bodily, physical death. Humanity in its current fallen condition is either going to die or be transformed at the rapture.

How are we going to overcome that? Jesus has an answer. I will give you the crown of life. The crown of life is an eternal gift. Below are three of many verses claiming eternal life through Christ.

John 10:28 and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand. -Jesus

1 John 5:11-12 And the testimony is this, that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has the life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have the life.

John 11:25-26  Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies, and everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die. Do you believe this?”-Jesus

He who has an ear…Listen up! The Spirit and Jesus are talking to YOU!

He who overcomes…Another translation for the word “overcome” is conquer or win the case as a legal matter. The Greek word is νικαο/nikao. This is arguably a continuation of the legal language to the church at Smyrna. Remember, Satan is the prosecution in this legal matter (Revelation 2:10).

Jesus is the ultimate conquering hero. He has overcome death and sin.

Revelation 5:5 and one of the elders said to me, “Stop weeping; behold, the Lion that is from the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has overcome so as to open the book and its seven seals.”

As members of the body of Christ, we conquer via the Overcomer. Scripture is very clear. There is only one way to conquer.

1 John 5:4-5 For whatever is born of God overcomes the world; and this is the victory that has overcome the world…our faith. Who is the one who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?

The second death is the one to be avoided. It is a one way ticket to hell.

Revelation 20:14-15 Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.

Choose Jesus…

Leave a comment »

Trend Update: Martial Law for Turkey??? Questions Surround Incirlik Air Base, January 2017

Posted in Ezekiel 38-39, Prophecy, Trend Update with tags , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on January 5, 2017 by paulthepoke

January 5, 2017: There seems to be growing concern and speculation regarding Turkey instituting Martial Law. Below is a tweet by Vocal Europe that has been removed in Turkey. Vocal Europe is a Brussels-based European Magazine.

Turkish government is reportedly to declare ‘Martial Law’ after ongoing ‘state of emergency’ according to @thevocaleurope.

This tweet has been removed in Turkey. But, it is available on Twitter outside of Turkey.

https://twitter.com/thevocaleurope/status/817024897897627648

In an article released on January 5, 2017, The American Enterprise Institute is raising the question of Martial Law in Turkey.

Turkey’s government for its part is denying the claim of initiating Martial Law.

Currently the top trending item on Twitter in Turkey is “close Incirlik”.

Presidential Spokesperson Ibrahim Kalın made the following statement, “Turkey has the right to shut down Incirlik Air Base. We always have this right. But as I said, first the conditions should be evaluated. We have the right of disposition as part of Turkey’s sovereign right.”

Incirlik Air Base allegedly is home to 50-90 nuclear weapons belonging to the United States. It is unclear if the weapons remain in Turkey or if the nukes have been moved to Romania. The Incirlik air base is home to United States and NATO air forces.

Turkey is not happy with the amount of United States support in the fight against ISIS or Daesh (Turkey’s reference). They want more air support in Operation Euphrates Shield. Turkey continues to send military convoys into Al Rai, Syria to assist with Euphrates Shield.

“What purpose are you serving if you do not provide aerial support against DEASH in the most sensitive operation for us?” Turkey’s Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu.

Turkey says they would not allow a terrorist group to form in the region.

President Erdogan wants Fetullah Gulen extradited from the United States. Gulen is thought to be the driving force of the attempted coup in the summer of 2016.

“The terrorist leader freely threatens Turkey, gives instructions, and sends messages from there. Unfortunately, we have not seen any support from the [Obama] administration about this. They tell us to give positive messages about anti-Americanism in Turkey, but I do not know what to say,” Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu.

Turkey states they are having a “confidence crisis” with the United States.

The economic background of all of this is the tanking Turkish Lira. Today the Lira hit an all-time low against the US dollar (3.6082 a dollar). The strong US dollar is crushing the Turkish economy driving the price of basic staples higher for locals in Turkey. The people are suffering from inflation.

http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/turkey-questions-us-use-of-incirlik-air-base-.aspx?pageID=238&nID=108122&NewsCatID=338

http://www.dailysabah.com/diplomacy/2017/01/05/turkey-has-the-right-to-shut-down-incirlik-air-base-presidential-spox-kalin-says

https://www.aei.org/publication/is-turkey-headed-for-martial-law/

Scripture says Turkey is a player in the Ezekiel 38-39 scenario, the Gog and Magog war and invasion of Israel. There have been many twists and turns regarding Turkey since the summer of 2016.

For Scripture support indicating Meshech, Beth-Togarmah, Tubal, and Gomer being modern day Turkey, see the link below.

https://paulthepoke.com/2015/12/09/trend-update-russia-magogisrael-ezekiel-38-39-december-9-2015/

https://paulthepoke.com/category/ezekiel-38-39/

Leave a comment »

Trend Update: Naples, Italy Super Volcano Awakens??? January 2017

Posted in Earthquakes/Volcanoes, Prophecy, Trend Update with tags , , , , , , , , , , on January 3, 2017 by paulthepoke

Psalm 97:5 The mountains melt like wax before the LORD, before the Lord of all the earth.

Isaiah 24:1 Behold, the LORD lays the earth waste, devastates it, distorts its surface and scatters its inhabitants.

Micah 1:4 And the mountains will melt under him, and the valleys will split open, like wax before the fire, like waters poured down a steep place.

Nahum 1:5 Mountains quake because of Him and the hills dissolve; indeed the earth is upheaved by His presence, the world and all the inhabitants in it.

Reports out of Italy have been emerging since Christmas 2016. A super volcano near Naples, Italy may be coming back to life. The area is prone to volcanic activity with the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD and the destruction of Pompeii and other local villages.

The Campi Flegrei area west of Naples may be reaching a critical pressure point. Campi Flegrei translates to “burning fields” in Italian. The caldera is estimated to be seven miles across. The eruption threat level was raised in 2012 from green to yellow. Now in 2017, temperature and magma levels are rising.

Giovanni Chiodini, a researcher at Italy’s National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology in Bologna stated, “Hydrothermal rocks, if heated, can ultimately lose their mechanical resistance, causing an acceleration towards critical conditions.”

Is this a proclamation that an eruption would signal the fulfillment of Biblical prophecy? NO!

This is one super volcano in one country. If this volcano were to erupt, 500,000 people in the Naples area would be in severe danger. This is one of the most densely populated areas in the world. It would be a terrible disaster.

http://home.bt.com/news/world-news/italian-supervolcano-near-naples-shows-signs-of-reawakening-11364129415375

http://www.cnbc.com/2017/01/02/massive-volcano-is-rumblingright-under-one-italys-biggest-cities-report.html

One has to admit, seismic frequency and intensity are on the increase over the past decades. The trend and trajectory are up.

The scope and scale of Biblical prophecy is global and not isolated to a country or region of that country. Scripture has multiple examples of seismic activity in the end times scenario. It is not hard to find verses and references. Peter makes it very clear. This will happen suddenly like a thief.

2 Peter 3:10 But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, in which the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its works will be burned up.

Leave a comment »

Revelation: Smyrna on Trial

Posted in Prophecy, Revelation with tags , , , on January 1, 2017 by paulthepoke

Revelation 2:10 Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to cast some of you into prison, so that you will be tested, and you will have tribulation for ten days…

Fear not! That is what the text says. Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Jesus tells the church at Smyrna not to be afraid. The Greek word is πηοβεο/phobeo. This is where we get the English word “phobia”. In the Greek it is defined as: fear, to be afraid, to be seized with alarm. –Strong’s Concordance

The idea is the church cannot live in a state of continual fear as a lifestyle. Avoid being gripped with fear. Keep your wits and be sensible, difficult times are coming.

Behold, the devil is about to cast some of you into prison, so that you will be tested…

Bad news. It is Satan and he is holding a trial. The language of this part of the verse is legal in nature.

Satan is going to “test” and it is the Greek word πειραζο/peirazo. It is defined as:  to test one maliciously, craftily to put to the proof his feelings or judgments; to try or test one’s faith, virtue, character, by enticement to sin, tempt.

This is hardly a fair trial. We know Satan is a prosecuting attorney from multiple sources in the Bible in both the Old and New Testament. Granted we are guilty. But he is a tattletale all the time.

Revelation 12:10 Then I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, “Now the salvation, and the power, and the kingdom of our God and the authority of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren has been thrown down, he who accuses them before our God day and night.

Zechariah 3:1  Then he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the LORD, and Satan standing at his right hand to accuse him.

Some would ask the question. Who is in charge Satan or God? God will allow Satan to test people with limits. God grants that authority to Satan with Job. Satan knows who is in charge. When God calls, Satan comes. See Job 2 for a detailed account of a conversation with Satan and God. Specifically, look at Job 2:6 So the LORD said to Satan, “Behold, he is in your power, only spare his life.”

In this case, Jesus is allowing Satan to test the church.

…and you will have tribulation for ten days. Here is the word for “tribulation” in the Greek is τηλιπσισ/thlipsis. The church will have pressure for ten days. There is much speculation around these “ten days”. What is meant by “ten days”? There are no definitive answers.

However, there is a parallel in the book of Daniel. Daniel and his three friends had been taken captive to Babylon. A diet was being imposed on the young Jewish boys. Daniel had a request of the warden.

Daniel 1:12 “Please test your servants for ten days by providing us with some vegetables to eat and water to drink.”

Daniel 1:14-15 So he listened to them in this matter and tested them for ten days. At the end of ten days their appearance seemed better and they were fatter than all the youths who had been eating the king’s choice food. 

The result of “ten days” of testing was improved health and appearance in comparison to their peers. But that wasn’t all. Daniel 1:20 As for every matter of wisdom and understanding about which the king consulted them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and conjurers who were in all his realm.

Observation regarding Daniel and ten days was provided by The Revelation Record, Henry M. Morris, p. 56.

Short term suffering and pressure in this life on Earth cannot compare to an eternal life of blessing with God the Father, Son, and Spirit. Keep your eye on the prize.

Leave a comment »

Newer Entries »