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Trend Update: Palmyra Arch, London, Trafalgar Square, April 2016

Posted in Gospel, Trend Update, Uncategorized with tags 1 John, 10 Commandments, Baal, Bel, Exodus 20, idolatry, Jesus Christ, John 14, london, Mosaic Law, New York City, Palmyra Arch, Times Square, Trafalgar Square on April 27, 2016 by paulthepoke

Exodus 20:3 You shall have no other gods before Me.

Exodus 20:4 You shall not make for yourself an idol, or any likeness of what is in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the water under the earth.

Exodus 20:5-6 You shall not worship them or serve them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, on the third and the fourth generations of those who hate Me, but showing lovingkindness to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments.

These are the first three commandments. They are relational to God. Notice, how one relates to God comes before how people relate to each other. God is the priority. Then, He defines how we are to relate to each other.

God states the consequence of the “iniquity”. The Hebrew word is `avon. The word can also be translated as perversity, depravity, iniquity, guilt, or punishment (Strong’s Concordance). Idol worship and/or worship of other gods will impact your family tree to your grandchildren and great grandchildren. God takes this quite seriously.

Worshiping or bowing down to idols and/or false gods is equated with hating God.

The critic often says, “Well, the 10 Commandments are in the Old Testament and we live during the Church age in the New Testament. Jesus took care of the Law.”

The Law (10 Commandments) has not gone away. Jesus Himself made this very clear. Matthew 5:17 “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.”

Granted if one is a believer in Christ, He has you covered literally and figuratively. To the unbeliever, the Law is in full effect whether they believe it or not with consequences defined by God.

Following and obeying the commandments are equated with loving God. This is the case in both the Old and New Testaments. The message is consistent throughout the course of the Bible.

John 14:23 Jesus answered him, “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.

See also John 14, 1 John 2, 1 John 5, and 2 John 1.

The reconstruction of the arch of Palmyra is a direct violation. The arch is a gateway to the temple of Bel. There are idols of Bel. People worship Bel and the arch. Granted, this is not Bel specific. It is any other god(s) other than the Creator God of the Bible.

The Palmyra Arch was redesigned on a smaller scale and placed in Trafalgar Square, London on April 19, 2016. The rebuilding of the arch was done in defiance of ISIS. The arts and antiquities crowd is upset with the terrorists for destroying the original in Palmyra, Syria.

A replica was also to be erected in Times Square of New York City. Due to backlash from the Christian community, the arch was not unveiled in Times Square in April 2016. Segments of Christian society are running around with a hollow victory. The arch is still planned to make its way to New York City in September of 2016.

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/04/20/arts/international/replica-of-palmyra-arch-is-unveiled-in-trafalgar-square.html?_r=0

http://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/palmyra-arch-destroyed-isis-rises-again-central-london-180958848/?no-ist

If someone sacrificed themselves to keep you out of Hell…what is your response?

Trend Update: Temple of Bel, March 2016

Posted in Trend Update with tags 1 Kings 18, Baal, Beelzebub, Bel, Elijah, london, Mount Carmel, New York City, Palmyra Syria, Time Square, Trafalgar Square, World Heritage Week, Yahweh on March 30, 2016 by paulthepoke

1 Kings 18:40 Then Elijah said to them, “Seize the prophets of Baal; do not let one of them escape.” So they seized them; and Elijah brought them down to the brook Kishon, and slew them there.

The verse above is the result of the showdown between Yahweh and Baal on Mount Carmel. All of the drama of the Baal worshipers did not matter. 1 Kings 18:28 So they cried with a loud voice and cut themselves according to their custom with swords and lances until the blood gushed out on them. Elijah the prophet verses 450 prophets of Baal…no match.

The ancient god of Bel is back in the news. This is the same Bel of the Bible.

Bel, a serpent dragon, was the chief god of the Babylonians. This the same Bel Daniel refused to worship in Babylon.

Bel is also known as Baal. Baal means “lord” or “master”.

Israel came under judgment for sacrificing their sons to Baal in Jeremiah 19:5 and have built the high places of Baal to burn their sons in the fire as burnt offerings to Baal, a thing which I never commanded or spoke of, nor did it ever enter My mind…

Another name for Bel is Beelzebub. This is the name given to Satan in Matthew 12:24 But when the Pharisees heard this, they said, “This man casts out demons only by Beelzebub the ruler of the demons.” Beelzebub is also known as the lord of the flies or the dung god.

www.biblehub.com

The Temple of Bel was bulldozed by ISIS in Palmyra, Syria in 2015. Palmyra, the city of Palms, is 130 miles northeast of Damascus, Syria. The temple was founded in 32 AD. It was the center of religious life in Palmyra.

Photo: Saundra Auger/Reuters

Copies of the 50 foot arch are to be rebuilt in Trafalgar Square in London and Times Square in New York City. It is a “gesture of defiance” to ISIS.

This is all set to take place in April 2016 during World Heritage Week.

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/dec/28/palmyra-temple-bel-arch-survived-isis-syria-london-new-york?CMP=twt_b-gdnnews

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/03/20/opinion/sunday/life-among-the-ruins.html?_r=5

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-NrXlCSttXZtZ6QYICUkFA

Tribulation Martyrs

Posted in Prophecy with tags 1 corinthians 15, Jesus, london, martyr, Prophecy, Rapture, Revelation 20, Revelation 6, Tribulation on May 26, 2013 by paulthepoke

Revelation 6:9-11 When the Lamb broke the fifth seal, I saw underneath the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God, and because of the testimony which they had maintained; and they cried out with a loud voice, saying, “How long, O Lord, holy and true, will You refrain from judging and avenging our blood on those who dwell on the earth?” And there was given to each of them a white robe; and they were told that they should rest for a little while longer, until the number of their fellow servants and their brethren who were to be killed even as they had been, would be completed also.

Revelation 20:4 Then I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was given to them. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony of Jesus and because of the word of God, and those who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received the mark on their forehead and on their hand; and they came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years.

The context of these verses is the seven year tribulation. We are not in the tribulation. I am not suggesting these events taking place in today’s world (May 2013) are the tribulation. As I write, there is no world dictator. There is no single person demanding worship as God. People are not walking around with marks on their forehead or hand in order to engage in commerce.

These two sets of verses popped into my mind when I heard the news from London. The event I am referring is the soldier murdered in the street by two extremists. The soldier was hit by a car and then violently murdered with a machete and butcher’s knife.

Pope Francis recently recognized 15^th Century Christians who were beheaded as martyrs because they refused to convert to Islam. There is recent history of Christians beheaded in Iraq. Western soldiers have met this fate when captured in hostile territories. The point being, this is trend is emerging in the news of our world.

The Bible is clear in what it states. There will come a time in the future when violent deaths and beheading of people who believe that Jesus is the Son of God will increase significantly. The translations are not confusing.

Look at these two words in the Greek. From Revelation 6:9, the word “slain” is sphazo. According to Strong’s Concordance it means to slay, slaughter, butcher, to put to death by violence, mortally wounded.

From Revelation 20:4, the word “beheaded” is pelekizo. It means to cut off with an axe, to behead.

Violence will increase and trend as the tribulation draws closer. But, there is good news.

1 Corinthians 15:51-52 Behold, I tell you a mystery; we will not all sleep, but we will all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed.

1 Corinthians 15:57 …but thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Those who believe in Christ will miss the Tribulation, so it says…read it for yourself.