Habakkuk 1:5 Look among the nations, and see; wonder and be astounded. For I am doing a work in your days that you would not believe if told. -LORD God
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.
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada: The south coast has turned blood red. The inlet area around Vancouver Island is known as the Salish Sea.
Instagram: @Amberontheair
The blood red phenomenon has been caused by an algae bloom. The Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada has halted shellfishing in the area. Eating shellfish from the area could be deadly. By the way, it is also illegal.
To the critic, just because you can explain it, does not mean it did not happen or it is not possible.
This is not the fulfillment of Revelation 8. We are not in the Tribulation. A massive asteroid did not strike an ocean. A third of sea life was not destroyed. The event on the western coast of Canada does not match the scope and scale described in Revelation 8. When Revelation 8 happens, it will dominate the news cycle globally.
Rumors have been circling for the past 48 hours about the health of Turkey’s President Recep Erdogan.
Reports have not been confirmed that Erdogan suffered a heart attack and subsequently died. The Turkish government run news sources are suspiciously quiet. They are neither confirming or denying the reports.
Suspicion of Erdogan’s health is starting to leak into the mainstream media in the United States. Turkey’s Enes Kanter of the Boston Celtics has weighed in on the issue. Kanter is hardly a fan of Turkey’s president. Check out the article from NBC Sports.
Ezekiel 38:1-3 The word of the Lord came to me: “Son of man, set your face toward Gog, of the land of Magog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal, and prophesy against him and say, Thus says the Lord God: Behold, I am against you, O Gog, chief prince of Meshech and Tubal.
Ezekiel 38:6 Gomer and all his hordes; Beth-Togarmah from the uttermost parts of the north with all his hordes—many peoples are with you.
Russia will be joined by several countries in their future invasion of Israel (Ezekiel 38-39). One of those countries is modern day Turkey.
At some point in the future, Russia is prophesied to invade Israel. The Bible says Russia and Turkey are going to join forces and invade Israel (Ezekiel 38-39).
How many types of angels are there? Well, that depends.
Scholars throughout history have debated this question. When people look at the
Biblical text, generally the answer can vary from 7-11 different types of
angels.
As you read this, please keep in mind this is not a comprehensive or conclusive list. There is much speculation and conjecture with this topic.
Angels do have structure and order. There is much debate as to which group of angels is the most powerful.
Seraphim: The term is simply defined in the Hebrew as
a fiery serpent. Seraphim is the plural form with the -im ending. Context of Biblical
verses would suggest they are copper or amber in color. The most comprehensive
verse of description for seraphim is in Isaiah. The scene is in Heaven.
Isaiah 6:1-4 In the year that King Uzziah died I saw the
Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up; and the train of His robe
filled the temple. Above Him stood the seraphim. Each had six wings:
with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he
flew. And one called to another and said: “Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of
hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory!” And the foundations of the
thresholds shook at the voice of him who called, and the house was filled with
smoke.
Heat and fire apparently do not burn them.
Isaiah 6:6-7 Then one of the seraphim flew to me,
having in his hand a burning coal that he had taken with tongs from the altar. And
he touched my mouth and said: “Behold, this has touched your lips; your guilt
is taken away, and your sin atoned for.”
There is the incident in the wilderness with Moses and the “the
fiery serpent.”
Numbers 21:6-9 Then the LORD sent fiery
serpents among the people, and they bit the people, so that many people of
Israel died. And the people came to Moses and said, “We have sinned, for we
have spoken against the LORD and against you. Pray to the LORD,
that he take away the serpents from us.” So Moses prayed for the people. And
the LORD said to Moses, “Make a fiery serpent and set it on a pole,
and everyone who is bitten, when he sees it, shall live.” So Moses made a bronze
serpent and set it on a pole. And if a serpent bit anyone, he would look at the
bronze serpent and live.
The interesting part of the story is the language used by
the LORD verses the language used by Moses and the people. When the LORD is
talking, the term saraph or seraphim is stated.
When Moses and the people are talking, the term nachash
is used. Nachash is translated as snake or serpent. Nachash is
the term used of the snake in the Garden of Eden. (Definitions provided by Strong’s
Concordance.)
Seraphim are utilized by God as an instrument of
judgment towards the people in the desert. The LORD sent seraphim.
Seraphim are involved with types and shadows of the atoning power of Jesus Christ. Seraphim are the instrument God uses in examples. It is not the saraph that atones for sin. In Isaiah 6:7, it is the burning coal carried by the saraph that removes the sin. The fire cleanses and purifies in the example.
The LORD told Moses to make a “saraph”. Moses made a bronze “nachash”
and placed it on a pole. When the people put their faith in God’s word to look
at the bronze serpent for healing, they were spared their human lives at that
time.
Seraphim were involved in examples of the Promise to come.
Colossians 1:20 and through Him to reconcile all things to Himself, having made peace through the blood of His cross; through Him, I say, whether things on earth or things in heaven.
In John Chapter 8, we see Jesus intervene when a group of men wanted to stone a woman caught in adultery. We don’t know precisely what her story is. Was she a willing participant? Was she someone who had been used by others? What we do know is that while she was “caught,” there was no man being condemned alongside her. Whoever she was caught with wasn’t even part of the story. The man who stood up for her, however, was the only perfect and blameless being to ever walk the earth.
If anyone had the authority and was justified in condemning this woman, it was Jesus. He was, after all, the Son of God. But instead, Jesus addressed her accusers, challenging them, “…but let the one who has never sinned throw the first stone!” (Verse 7, NLT) Jesus alone held that right; yet when all of them had left, one by one, He turned to her and offered her freedom.
When we encounter those who need this Gospel, yet have been cast down by life over and over again, are we offering them freedom? People know who they are. Even without ever picking up a Bible, people know when their actions are morally objectionable. What Christ offers is more than a light to illuminate the darkness. His light offers freedom. This freedom does not require that we be changed before we accept it. In fact, we can’t. The changes we require to be clean and holy in His sight can only be made by Him.
Perhaps our job as believers isn’t so much about raising a mirror to people so they see their sins. Perhaps, deep down, they already see them. Perhaps our responsibility is to show them God’s reflection of love, grace, and freedom. Perhaps, through our words and actions, consistently and patiently, we can offer them hope.
If you have not walked in the shoes of someone who has been exploited or marginalized by society, tread carefully when speaking about the hope of Christ. Be mindful of their past experiences and formulated ideas of Christians, people of faith, or believers. Their lived experiences may not have been those of goodness and love and grace. It takes a thousand good things to replace one bad thing, so tread lightly and gently, my Christian friends. You never know what brokenness someone might have experienced—even at the hands of a person who claims Jesus as Lord.
Tread gently, therefore, when speaking about the hope of Christ to those who are leaving the life, or those attempting to restore their lives from brokenness of any sort you don’t know. Many other “Christians” they have interacted with were, like the man in this story, antithetical representations of the gospel of Jesus. If this is all they know, then the concept of God and hope and goodness is a much more difficult sell!
“Love your neighbor, all of ’em.” -Christine Clarity McDonald
Luke 21:11b …and in various places famines and pestilences. Jesus
Revelation 6:8 And I looked, and behold, a pale horse! And its rider’s name was Death, and Hades followed him. And they were given authority over a fourth of the earth, to kill with sword and with famine and with pestilence and by wild beasts of the earth.
Photo: ThinkStock
July 2019: The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC). This is the fifth time in history such a declaration has been made.
The concern is a case of Ebola has been diagnosed in Goma, Congo. The city has a population of around two million people (2,000,000). The location is essentially on the equator.
Goma, Democratic Republic of Congo
“It is important that the world follows these recommendations. It is also crucial that states do not use the PHEIC as an excuse to impose trade or travel restrictions, which would have a negative impact on the response and on the lives and livelihoods of people in the region,” Professor Robert Steffen, Chair of the Emergency Committee.
The following link below is a technical paper with data, maps, and charts detailing the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo and surrounding countries. The information is provided by the World Health Organization.
Per Mayo Clinic, the Ebola virus causes severe bleeding, organ failure, and can lead to death. Initial symptoms include fever, headache, muscle pain, and chills. Later, a person may experience internal bleeding resulting in vomiting or coughing blood.
Pain areas: in the abdomen, chest, joints, or muscles.
Whole body: chills, dehydration, fatigue, fever, loss of appetite, malaise, or sweating.
Gastrointestinal: diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, or vomiting blood.
Also common: coughing up blood, eye redness, headache, mental confusion, red spots on skin, or sore throat.
Universal precautions, wash your hands! Take a shower or a bath daily. Wash your dirty clothes. We can save lots of time and billions of dollars in healthcare expenses. The Bible and Moses have been recommending this for approximately 3,500 years.
Leviticus 15:11 Likewise, whomever the one with the discharge touches without having rinsed his hands in water shall wash his clothes and bathe in water and be unclean until evening.
Let me be perfectly clear. The events in the Democratic Republic of the Congo do not point to Revelation 6. We are not there. Granted, these events are not good news. But when we get there, one quarter (1/4) of the earth will be affected. 1/4 of 7,700,000,000 = 1.925 billion! We will not have to ask, “Are we there yet?”
The following is an article and series written by Whitney Webb of mintpressnews.com.
In Part I of this multi-part series, MintPress examines the growth of extremist movements in Israel that openly promote the destruction of Al-Aqsa, from a relatively isolated fringe movement within Zionism to mainstream prominence in Israel today; as well as how threats to the historic mosque have grown precipitously in just the past month. MintPress interviewed Israeli author and activist Miko Peled; Rabbi Yisroel Dovid Weiss of Neturei Karta in New York; Imam and scholar of Shia Islam, Sayed Hassan Al-Qazwini, of the Islamic Institute of America; and Palestinian journalist and academic Ramzy Baroud for their perspectives on these extremist groups, their growing popularity, and the increasing threats to the current status quo at Haram El-Sharif/Temple Mount…
Click on the link below the picture for the details of the article.
The Bible teaches that angels have the ability to think and
they are intelligent. By the description given in the texts, angels are clearly
more intelligent than humanity in its current fallen state.
2 Samuel 14:20 In order to change the course of things your
servant Joab did this. But my lord has wisdom like the wisdom of the angel of
God to know all things that are on the earth.”
Some angels know “all” as the verse above states. The Hebrew
word “kol” is translated as all or everything or the whole as noted per
Strong’s Concordance. Note, their wisdom is limited to “things that are on
the earth.”
In Hebraic thought, wisdom is more than knowledge. It is the ability to practically apply what is known. Wisdom is demonstrating a skill set of information. Angels just don’t know. They can do what they know.
Angels are limited in their knowledge. They are not all knowing
and possessing omniscience like God. For example, they don’t know when Jesus is
coming back to Earth.
Matthew 24:36 But concerning that day and hour no one
knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only.
Angels possess super human strength. They are much stronger
than humanity in its current fallen state. Angels are not all powerful. Their
strength is limited. But when it comes to war, angels are special forces on
steroids.
Herod met his death at the hand of an angel.
Acts 12:23 Immediately an angel of the Lord struck him
down, because he did not give God the glory, and he was eaten by worms and
breathed his last.
One angel can handle hundreds of thousands of armed soldiers.
2 Kings 19:35 And that night the angel of the LORD went
out and struck down 185,000 in the camp of the Assyrians. And when people arose
early in the morning, behold, these were all dead bodies.
It stands to reason, the whole camp could have been
destroyed. But who would have been left to inform others of the power of the
angel?
Taking out an entire city would not be an issue for an
angel. In the case below, the angel submits his will to God and follows His directions.
Otherwise, the city would have been destroyed.
2 Samuel 24:16 But when the angel stretched out his hand
to destroy Jerusalem, the LORD relented from the calamity and said to the angel
who was destroying the people, “Enough, withdraw your hand now!” At
that time the angel of the LORD was by the threshing floor of Araunah the
Jebusite.
In some cases, angels are allowed to thoroughly finish the
job.
2 Chronicles 32:21a …and the LORD sent an angel who annihilated every mighty warrior, leader, and commander in the camp of the king of Assyria…
It was an angel who moved the stone at Christ’s tomb. The gospel
accounts of the stone indicate it was “rolled”. The assumption is the stone was
round. Stones that sealed tombs were generally 3-4 feet in diameter. Typically,
the stone was rolled down an incline to set in place and seal a tomb. To remove
the stone, it would have to be rolled and pushed up an incline working against
gravity. Estimates are the stone covering Christ’s tomb weighed 2,000 to 4,000
pounds. This was no problem for an angel. He did his job and took a seat on his
work. Then he had a chat with some ladies. It was an angel who told and showed
humanity that Jesus had risen from the dead.
Matthew 28:2-6 And behold, there was a great earthquake, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing white as snow. And for fear of him the guards trembled and became like dead men. But the angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here, for He has risen, as He said. Come, see the place where He lay.
The following is an article and series written by Whitney Webb of mintpressnews.com.
Speed and momentum are gaining significant political ground in Israel for the rebuilding of the Third Temple.
It is a lengthy article but worth the time. Click on the link below the picture for the details.
JERUSALEM — In a troubling trend that continues to be overlooked by international media, the Temple Activist movement that seeks to destroy the Al-Aqsa mosque and the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem and replace it with a Third Temple continues to advance its agenda. The movement’s forward progress is largely thanks to its successful efforts in recent years to rebrand as a “civil rights” movement — securing support from secular and religious Zionists alike — as well as to growing levels of support in Israel’s executive and legislative branches of government...
The self–righteous scream judgments against others to hide the noise of skeletons dancing in their own closets. ―John Mark Green
Have you ever wondered how two people can stand side by side, witnessing the same event, yet report seeing two totally different things? Our past experiences shape how we interpret nearly everything around us. People from strong, loving families often have a more confident view of themselves as well as the world they interact with than those who grew up with less support.
Oftentimes, these experiences also define our perceptions of who God is, as well as what our purpose is on this planet. Those who have been raised in the church may not always be aware of how far apart their understanding of Jesus and salvation is from those who have only ever been hurt by the world.
Jesus bridged this gap time and time again throughout Scripture. His anger and “judgment” were never directed toward those who were clearly lost. After all, they already felt like they were as far from God as they could get. They saw their need for Him. Instead, we see His anger and cutting words repeatedly hurled against the religious leaders of the day who used the law to oppress people instead of freeing them or leading them back to their Creator. Such leaders had no idea of their own need for saving; hence they had no grace for others.
“Love your neighbor, all of ’em.” -Christine Clarity McDonald
1 Samuel 30:1 Now when David and his men came to Ziklag on the third day, the Amalekites had made a raid against the Negeb and against Ziklag. They had overcome Ziklag and burned it with fire…
Joshua 15:20, 21, 31 This is the inheritance of the tribe of the people of Judah according to their clans. The cities belonging to the tribe of the people of Judah in the extreme south, toward the boundary of Edom, were… (included) Ziklag.
Ziklag was a member of the tribe of Judah. He was a man who inherited a city when the ancient Israelis were given the Promised Land under the leadership of Joshua. The word origin and meaning of Ziklag is relatively unknown.
Until recently, the actual location of ancient Ziklag has been a mystery and a point of controversy. But now, new evidence has emerged.
Under the leadership of Prof. Yosef Garfinkel, Head of the Institute of Archaeology at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem; the IAA’s Saar Ganor; and Dr. Kyle Keimer and Dr. Gil Davis of Macquarie University in Sydney, Australia, the location of Khirbet a-Ra‘i has been identified.
Khirbet a-Ra’i is between Lachish and Kiryat Gat. The site is approximately 25 miles southwest of Jerusalem.
This location is believed to be where David took refuge from King Saul.
Pottery discovered at the site is consistent with the era of King David.
Photo: Times of Israel
See the link below from the Times of Israel for more details.
2 Chronicles 11:5-12 Rehoboam lived in Jerusalem, and he built cities for defense in Judah. He built Bethlehem, Etam, Tekoa, Beth-zur, Soco, Adullam, Gath, Mareshah, Ziph, Adoraim, Lachish, Azekah, Zorah, Aijalon, and Hebron, fortified cities that are in Judah and in Benjamin. He made the fortresses strong, and put commanders in them, and stores of food, oil, and wine. And he put shields and spears in all the cities and made them very strong. So he held Judah and Benjamin.
An ancient fortified wall has been recently discovered in Lachish.
Prof. Yosef Garfinkel, Head of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem’s Institute of Archaeology recently made the following statements.
“We looked in three places, and ultimately, in the northern section, we found a wall between Layer 6 and Layer 4. Later the excavators reached a floor that stretches to the wall, which could be dated using olive pits found beneath the floors. Samples of the pits were sent to the particle accelerator at Oxford, which ruled that the wall had been built around 920 B.C.E., which was exactly the rule of Rehoboam, son of Solomon and grandson of David.”
See the links below from Haaretz and The Times of Israel for more details.
1 Samuel 27:5-7 Then David said to Achish, “If I have found favor in your eyes, let me be assigned a place in one of the outlying towns, so I can live there. For why should your servant live in the royal city with you?” That day Achish gave him Ziklag, and to this day it still belongs to the kings of Judah. And the time that David lived in Philistine territory amounted to a year and four months.
