The Riddle of Noah and Lot - Jack Kinsella - www.omegaletter.com

Matthew 24:37: "But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be." To get a look at that distant, future, generation who would witness the return of Christ, Jesus tells us to look to that distant, past generation who witnessed the Great Flood.

The story of the days of ‘Noe’ or, Noah, begins with Genesis Chapter Six in which the 'sons of God' took wives from the 'daughters of men' (6:2).

First, the 'sons of God' - those are us, right? Wrong.

When the 70 Jewish scholars that worked on the Septuagint (a translation of the Old Testament Hebrew scriptures into Greek 300 years before Christ) translated the term ‘sons of God’ in Gen 6:2, they used ‘Angels of God’.

Some like to quote Matt 22:30 to prove that angels cannot marry or procreate, but Jesus was addressing the ‘angels in heaven’. Genesis 6 speaks not of the obedient angels in Heaven, but of FALLEN angels.

Furthermore, anytime angels are seen by humans they are seen as male (Gen 18:1-19:22, Mark 16:5-7, Luke 24:4-7, Acts 1:10-11) and in the Genesis 18:1-19:22 passage we even see (unfortunately) that the ungodly men of Sodom ‘desired’ the angels for themselves!

John 1:12 says that; "as many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name." While we, (the Church) have BECOME the 'sons of God' by the Power of Christ, Jesus said to look to the 'times of Noah'.

Genesis 6:2, 6:4, Job 2:6, 2:1, and Job 38:7 are the only Old Testament (pre-Jesus and pre-Church) references to the 'sons of God' and in every case, it refers to 'angels' -- without exception.

There are references to the 'sons of God' in Romans, Philippians and 1st John as consisting of the Church, the power to BECOME the 'sons of God' is unique to the Church Age, and was unknown in Noah's day.

The 'daughters of men' means exactly that -- the daughters of men. Making 'wives' of them is not figurative, either, as Genesis 6:4 says 'they bare children to them' that the Bible says later became the 'mighty men which were of old'.

In Genesis chapter 2, God promises a Redeemer who would be the 'seed of a woman'. Clearly, if Satan could pollute the human bloodline, he could break God's prophecy. Note that 6:8-9 say that Noah 'found grace in the eyes of the Lord' and that he was a 'just man and perfect in his GENERATIONS'.

God chose Noah out of His grace, Noah was not necessarily good or deserving, rather merely 'a just man' BUT he was 'PERFECT in his generations' -- untainted by the polluted bloodline of the angelic intermarriage.

Since Scripture doesn't say such angelic intermarriage takes place in the last days, most folks see Jesus' comment about Noah as prefiguring the Rapture.

That's true, but there's lots more there than that. Genesis Chapter 6 describes the most direct and unfettered contact between human beings in general and the spirit world recorded in the entire Bible -- apart from those recorded in the Revelation during the Tribulation Period.

Jesus said, "As it was in the days of Noah . .”

"And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually." (6:5)

It can be argued that television is imagination in a box. There, we vicariously live out all our dreams and fantasies. Somewhere on the cable dial, there is something for the imagination of everybody's heart. .

So take a look at what is the imagination of the thoughts of THIS generation's heart. Porno, 'slasher' movies, Madonna, Brittany Spears, demon movies, movies about Satan -- THAT'S the 'imagination of our hearts' continually.

Popular culture today is full of the use of spirit guides, alien encounters, and open satanic worship. It will continue and it will increase.

If you have read anything of those who are allegedly in contact with the ‘aliens’ and ‘spirit guides’ you will notice the same claims coming through that these beings are going to show themselves physically to those on earth soon.

A similar, but seldom noted parallel is the unholy offspring of Genesis 6 and DNA and cloning research.

The corruption of the human race was the main reason for the Flood and we are in the process of corrupting it again.

In Luke 17:28, Jesus says of the last days; "Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot.

The inhabitants of Sodom wanted Lot to turn the angels over to them (Genesis 18:-19:22). The thought behind this is that the men of Sodom thought that sexual union was possible. 2 Pet 2:4-5 and Jude 6-7 also throw some light onto this passage.

Jude tells us that the angels abandoned their proper abode and then contrasts their actions with that of Sodom and Gomorrah, who ‘in the same manner’ went after strange flesh.

The term ‘strange flesh’ means to go after an unnatural sexual union. For the men of Sodom it was homosexuality, but for these fallen angels it was inter-marrying with human women.

In any case, the parallel between Sodom and this generation's moral code is self-evident. You don't need me to prove that.

Jesus also said that in the last days the signs and wonders performed would be so great that ‘even the elect would be deceived if it were possible.’

The Bible warns, "Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts. And saying, Where is the promise of his coming?" (2 Peter 3:2-3) Peter also uses the example of the Flood and the times of Noah to illustrate the importance of understanding the times in which we live.

It is not a stretch to argue that the strong delusion of 2 Thessalonians could be tied to the emergence of an alien spaceship or direct visible contact with aliens (which in reality are demonic encounters).

Maybe it sounds nutty, but it does tie in with the days of Noah, and Hollywood has certainly been getting people used to the idea in the last decade or two.

The Hale-Bopp cult was convinced enough to die for it.

It would also be a ‘powerful delusion’ strong enough to shake people’s belief to the core. Except that Jesus reminds us that all these things have been prophesied before they happen so that your hope will be firmly rooted in the truth of God’s word.

While other Christians scoff, argue that the Church has replaced Israel in God's Plan, that they've been hearing 'for ages' that the Lord is coming back, or that prophecy was all fulfilled back in AD 70, keep this thought in mind.

God has chosen a few out of this generation to be the watchmen on the wall.

Peter tells us, "We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts." (2 Peter 1:19)

Keep the faith. The King IS coming.

"Behold, I have told you before." (Matthew 24:25)
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The First Half Of The Tribulation (Part 1)- by Ron Graff and Lambert Dolphin

The fourth Chapter of the book of the Revelation begins with two often-quoted Greek words:

Meta tauta

which means "after these things." The authors join company with a good number of conservative Bible scholars who see these words as marking a major division in the last book of the Bible. John was told to

"Write, therefore, what you have seen, what is now, and what will take place later." (Rev. 1:19)

Chapters 1 through 3 of Revelation accomplish the first two subjects. "What you have seen," referred to the visions of chapter one. "What is now" points to the contents of Chapters 2 and 3 which traces the progress of the church in its different forms and stages of history. Beginning with Chapter 4, verse one, the scene shifts to heaven and to events that are yet to come--future for John in the first Century, and for us as well in our day.

John sees in a vision a great worship scene of elders and angels around the throne of God the Father. They are engaged in worship and adoration of the Father and they sing a hymn of praise to the One who has created and who sustains the universe. The One seated on the throne holds a mysterious scroll, written on both sides--not one side as would be usual--and sealed with seven wax seals, instead of the usual one.

The seven-sealed scroll is a document of great importance and a search is made for a person worthy to receive this scroll from the Father's hand--for evidently the contents of the scroll contain delegated authority for the unfolding of the final chapters of this age. Some have called the scroll, "the title deed to the earth."

The only one found worthy to open the scroll is Christ Jesus, who is described here in symbols which combine the Old Testament figure of the Lion out of the Tribe of Judah (Genesis 49:8) and the New Testament figure of the submissive lamb who has been slain voluntarily for the sins of the world. (John 1:29). The Messiah, son of God, takes the scroll from His Father's hand.

Iimmediately the worship shifts to a new song of praise centered around Jesus. He is the one who has ransomed men "from every tribe and tongue and nation," and the only one worthy to receive such important delegated authority.

The unfolding of the fate of the earth is now totally in the hands of Jesus who proceeds to open the seven-sealed scroll, one seal at a time. The message of the scroll pertains to judgment about to fall upon an evil, unbelieving world, from which the true church has already been removed.

The First Four Seals

There are seven seals in all, describing major aspects and events of the Tribulation period. The first four are depicted as riders on four horses of different colors. Horses in the Bible often depict angelic activity (this images occurs in Zechariah for instance). Swift angelic messengers in the invisible spiritual realm rapidly carry out and bring into effect a series of world-wide changes in society on earth. The "Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse" have been universal portents of coming evil in art and literature down through all of history.

The First Seal - The Man of Sin revealed

I watched as the Lamb opened the first of the seven seals. Then I heard one of the four living creatures say in a voice like thunder, "Come!"

I looked, and there before me was a white horse! Its rider held a bow, and he was given a crown, and he rode out as a conqueror bent on conquest. (Revelation 6:1-2)

The first significant event of the future Tribulation will be the emergence of Antichrist, symbolized here as the rider on a white horse. In the Bible, there is another rider on a white horse at the opposite end of the Tribulation. In the second case, Revelation 19:11-21, Jesus Christ is clearly the conquering hero on the white horse. But in this first instance, a human who is energized by Satan begins his campaign of world conquest. He does not appear as a horrible or evil monster, but as a benevolent dictator. He is seen as a messiah, who has come to solve the world's great problems.

It is possible that his authority to control the world will come into effect silently without open war. Ray Stedman writes,

He is given a bow, but no mention is made of arrows. This appears to be a bloodless conquest he launches. When you ask, "What is this describing?" I think it is clear that it suggests some kind of overpowering of the minds and wills of men, without physical destruction. How is that done? The answer is: by some form of deceit, by lying that misleads and deceives men and thus overcomes them without the shedding of blood. It is noteworthy that in Matthew 24, the first word Jesus speaks to his disciples is, "Watch out that no one deceives you." You will find references to the possibility of deception throughout that chapter.

We are bemused by delusions today. We are hardly aware of how much we are being deceived all the time. Turn on the television and fraudulent ideas, along with a mixture of truth, are immediately poured into your brain. Pick up a magazine or read a newspaper and you will find they make false claims that certain acquisitions will produce great blessing and liberty for you. But trying them will soon tell you that it is a lie. They do not work. We are constantly offered much of promise but which are totally unable to deliver....What this rider on the white horse tells us, however, is that the worst is yet to come. We are living amidst great deceit, it is true, but it is not as bad as it is going to be. There is coming an even greater lie."

The Second Seal - War

When the Lamb opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature say, "Come!"

Then another horse came out, a fiery red one. Its rider was given power to take peace from the earth and to make men slay each other. To him was given a large sword. (Revelation 6:3-4)

The second symbolic rider comes on a red horse. This speaks of the ravages of a great world-wide war. It is not likely that this war is started by Antichrist, since, as the previous verses indicate, he is seen as a messianic hero.

One possibility for this war was given by Ray Stedman in his message called "Four Terrible Horsemen:"

This rider is easy to recognize. It is war, of course, but not war between great armies--at least not at first. The word for "slay" is really the word "slaughter." It is a reference to civil war or civil anarchy where mobs of people group together to attack and destroy other peoples whom they do not like... We have had further examples of it in El Salvador, in Nicaragua, and in the gang wars raging in the streets of Los Angeles, Miami, New York City, and other places. It is a murderous slaying of others by people unrestrained by any control.

Another possibility is that this is the war of Ezekiel 38 and 39 which results in fiery destruction of the aggressors from the north when they try to conquer Israel. This could very possibly escalate to nuclear warfare which involves more than one of the present-day nuclear powers. Antichrist could take credit for the destruction of Israel's invaders, or at least take advantage of the situation, to bring about the seven-year peace treaty between himself and Israel which was prophesied by Daniel. If this is the case, this war would take place at the very beginning of the seven years of the Tribulation.

Wars and rumors of wars is considered one of the "Signs of the Times." Matthew 24:6 states,

"You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come."

The parallel passage in Mark 13:7 warns,

"When you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come."

People of all ages have been subjected to the horrors of war, but in our generation we have had an almost constant pre-occupation with either war, or "rumors of war"--such as the Cold War with the former Soviet Union. There are usually several wars going on at various places in the world at the same time. There have been as many as forty at one time in our lifetime.

World War I was called "The War to end all war." It did not end war, it only taught us more about how to fight in a more deadly way, using the air to deliver death from the sky.

World War II brought the world to the brink of nuclear destruction, introducing the first use of the atomic bomb. The Korean War and The Vietnam War were very disheartening because of the great loss of life without gaining a definite victory. The Veitnam War was especially frustrating to Americans causing great internal strife at home as well as the loss of lives abroad.

Cold War has also been a sad reality in our generation. In 1985 a full page ad in the newspapers compared all the bombs of World War II, (a total of 3 megatons) with the nuclear firepower the United States and Soviet Union had. The two nations, it was reported in 1985, by then had enough nuclear weapons to destroy the world 56 times!

The Persian Gulf War brought us the ability to "be there" as an audience in the thick of the battle by way of television--even as bombs were dropped. This war also introduced us to "smart weapons" that could find their way to the exact buildings great distances away for which they were programmed.

Even now there are wars and skirmishes in many parts of the globe, including those in Bosnia, Israel, Haiti, Ireland, Somalia, and the Sudan.

Instability is increased in the Middle East by constant acts of terrorism, especially by Hammas, the militant Moslem group which is trying to destroy the steps toward peace that have been taken in the area.

Russia and the former Soviet countries continue to be very unstable. According to Chuck Missler, President Clinton has said no Russian missiles are aimed at us. But it only takes few seconds to re-aim, and only 30 minutes to attack. We no longer have the infrastructure to tool up for sudden war.

Before the dissolution of the Soviet Union our defense policy was called MAD (Mutual Assured Destruction), meaning that we did not have anything that could actually destroy incoming missiles with atomic warheads, but were counting on the fact that no one would attack us since they would be destroyed in retaliation. Today there are 13 countries with nuclear capability, and 23 countries with Inter-Continental Ballistic Missiles. Our strategic deterrent is our Trident submarine, but the Russians have a silent, superior submarine, the Typhoon, with 20 tubes. Each tube can launch a missile with 10 independently tractable warheads. This means that one Typhoon submarine can hold 200 cities hostage!

Terrorism has been spreading all over the world. The Oklahoma City Bombing in 1995 was a wake-up call to our own country that it can happen here as well. Chemical warfare and biological warfare are always lurking in the background as a threat in the hands of terrorists. The nerve gas Saran was used in the subways of Japan to kill many innocent passengers in 1995. Several countries know how to use deadly strains of biological killers in bombs, including Anthrax, cholera, salmonella, and botulism.

We have never had a time in our generation when we have been free from war. We have all been held hostage by the threat of nuclear war and the possibility that a madman might "push the button."

War has been more common down through history than we might at first suppose. One popular quote describes it this way:

"The Norwegian Academy of Sciences has determined that since 3600 BC there have been 14,531 wars and only 292 years of peace. This is approximately 2.6 wars per year, and one year of 'peace' out of every two decades, or a little over 36 hours of peace per month, or about a minute of peace every four hours."

When the seals are opened God will release, step by step, the last restraints holding back the evil that already exists in men's hearts. Even now in our violent age bad men, as well as good, enjoy "common grace" from God--and a great deal of protection every day of our lives, all from God's benevolent hand. We ought to be thankful every day for this restraining hand of God which allows us to live in comfort most of the time. But the end time is a season in which evil is allowed to run its full course, unchecked and unimpeded--except for God's final intervention.
                                                                         

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Satan is still alive and well on planet Earth - Hal Lindsey - www.hallindsey.com

They still rejected things supernatural in Christianity, but they blindly accepted supernatural experiences associated with the practice of the occult. National news magazines, TV shows, movies, all began to reflect the acceptance of the supernatural in the occult. The movie “The Exorcist” broke the ice for that genre of film. Now we see occultic subjects all the time in film and TV. Anton LeVey and others began openly talking about worshipping Satan. This led to my writing "Satan Is Alive and Well on Planet Earth" in 1972. It became an instant best-seller. More than 8 million books were published.

The occult was all novel then. Today, it takes something really bizarre to make the news. Why? Because the occult is so commonplace today.

But a recent trial in Germany set a new standard for the bizarre. A couple who proudly profess to be genuine Satan-worshipping vampires were arrested for ritually murdering a man.

Manuela and Daniel Ruda say they killed a German friend with 66 knife wounds on orders from the devil. They carved a pentagram in the man’s chest as part of a satanic ritual. They then drank his blood and had sex in an oaken coffin in which Manuela normally sleeps. The German husband and wife have admitted killing their friend, Frank Haagen, “for Satan.” She said she got a taste for vampirism and the occult while in London and Scotland.

She appeared at the regional court in Bochum in full gothic garb, her head partly shaved to reveal an upside down crucifix and a target tattooed on her skull.

Mrs. Ruda, 23, gave a chilling account of drinking blood from volunteers contacted on the Internet. She said, “I was in England and Scotland, met people and vampires in London. We went out at night, to cemeteries, in ruins and in the woods.”

“We drank blood together, from willing donors. You can't drink from the arteries; no one is allowed that. I had implanted pegs put in the teeth which were pulled out and were replaced with fangs.”

“I also slept on graves and even allowed myself to be buried in a grave to test the feeling. I signed over my soul to Satan two and a half years ago.”

The couple has denied responsibility for killing Mr. Haagen, 33, although both have admitted committing the crime.

Mrs. Ruda told the court: “It was not murder. We are not murderers. It was the execution of an order from Satan. He ordered us to kill Frank. We had to comply. It was not something bad. It simply had to be. We wanted to make sure that the victim suffered well.”

Mrs. Ruda said she and her 26-year-old husband lured their victim to their flat. When they arrived a “strange force” and “other beings” were present.

“We were sitting on the couch the whole time, and then my husband stood up,” she said. “He had terrible, glowing eyes and hit out with the hammer.”

“Frank stood up and said something, or wanted to say something. The knife was glowing and a voice told me: ‘Stab him in the heart.’”

“He then sank down. I saw a light flickering around him. That was the sign that his soul was going down. We said a satanic prayer.”

Dieter Justinsky, the public prosecutor, said: “I have never, ever seen such a picture of cruelty and depravity before. They simply had a lust for murder.”

Both believe in Satan; they worship him. A death list found in the flat contained the names of future victims. They drank his blood, slept in coffins and believed they would achieve immortality as vampires.

I wish I could say that this sort of thing is isolated. But it is not. The Columbine High School massacre was committed by two teen-agers who were heavily involved in occult practices and Satan worship. Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold professed faith in Satan and Nazism frequently and were not taken seriously – that is until after their killing spree.

All of these things are part of a predicted scenario for the days leading up to the Second Coming of Christ. Satan never wanted a world that did not believe in the supernatural. He wants a religious world that will believe in Him. And for this He will supply all kinds of supernatural experiences to lure in those who reject God’s truth.

The Bible prophets predict a terrifying world during the final seven years of history as we know it, “And the rest of mankind, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands, so as not to worship demons … and they did not repent of their murders nor of their sorceries nor of their immorality nor of their thefts” (Rev. 9:20-21 NASB). The term “sorceries” is from the Greek word “pharmakeia” from which we get the word pharmacy. It means the practice of the occult with the use of drugs. How very appropriate for our day.

The Prophet John predicted, “And the whole earth was amazed and followed after the beast; they worshiped the dragon (Satan), because he gave his authority to the beast (Antichrist) …” (Rev. 13:4). In Revelation 12:9, the dragon is defined, “And the great dragon was thrown down, the serpent of old who is called the devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world. …”

We are definitely headed for a world of Satan worshippers. Thank the Lord that Jesus is coming for the believers before they are released from their restraints.
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The Great Tribulation (Part 1) - by Ron Graff and Lambert Dolphin

"So when you see standing in the holy place `the abomination that causes desolation,' spoken of through the prophet Daniel --let the reader understand-- then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. Let no one on the roof of his house go down to take anything out of the house. Let no one in the field go back to get his cloak. How dreadful it will be in those days for pregnant women and nursing mothers! Pray that your flight will not take place in winter or on the Sabbath. For then there will be great distress, unequaled from the beginning of the world until now --and never to be equaled again. If those days had not been cut short, no one would survive, but for the sake of the elect those days will be shortened. (Matthew 24:16-22)

The event which will precipitate a last desperate flight of the believing remnant of the Jewish people from Jerusalem and Judea will be "The Abomination of Desolation" which was predicted in Daniel 9:27 at the mid-point of the seven year peace treaty. This abomination was also mentioned by Jesus in Matthew 24:15-28 as the first major event of the "Great Tribulation" ("great distress" in the NIV). The blasphemous announcement by this false messiah in the Temple Holy of Holies will also mark the one clear "sign of the end of Age" given to us by the Lord Himself (Matthew 24).

The term "Antichrist" is widely used today. It is in his epistles that John uses this word to refer to a succession of evil world rulers, one of whom would be the final antichrist. "Anti" can mean "against" or "opposed to" in Greek, but it also can mean "instead of." Thus this man is a clever counterfeit of God's Messiah (christos means messiah or "annointed one).

Actually, two great world leaders, prominent on the world stage for the final seven years of the world-wide tribulation period, are described for us in Revelation Chapter 13 . The imagery used is that of two wild beasts. The man who desecrates the temple is evidently the second of these two men also called "the false prophet." Jesus warned the Jews that such a man would come among them at the end of the age. He said, "I have come in my Father's name, and you do not receive me; if another comes in his own name, him you will receive." (John 5:43)

This man was also predicted by Zechariah.

Then the LORD said to me, "Take again the equipment of a foolish shepherd. For I am going to raise up a shepherd over the land who will not care for the lost, or seek the young, or heal the injured, or feed the healthy, but will eat the meat of the choice sheep, tearing off their hoofs.

"Woe to the worthless shepherd, who deserts the flock! May the sword strike his arm and his right eye! May his arm be completely withered, his right eye totally blinded!" (Zechariah 11:15-17)

Thus it is clear that this second three and one half years of the Tribulation are the worst years. This also corresponds to the Old Testament prophecy of the "Time of Jacob's Trouble" (Jeremiah 30:1-7). Secular Jews, who constitute the majority of the people of Israel today, will not heed the ancient warning of Jesus in the Olivet Discourse, nor heed His 144,000 end-of-the-age witnesses who will surely warn the world afresh. Indeed most of the world will probably herald--with approval--the public announcement that a great and powerful world leader has found a formula for world peace. This same man will claim that he is also God incarnate, and his claims will be accepted. It will be a time of unprecedented world-wide deception as Jesus has already warned. Paul reasserts this in His warning in His description of this event in 2 Thessalonians 2:1-12.

The Abomination of Desolation in the Temple

What is this "Abomination of Desolation"? In addition to the Scriptures given above, there is this description of this detestable event in 2 Thessalonians 2:1-4

Concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered to him, we ask you, brothers, not to become easily unsettled or alarmed by some prophecy, report or letter supposed to have come from us, saying that the day of the Lord has already come. Don't let anyone deceive you in any way, for that day will not come until the rebellion [apostasia] occurs and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the man doomed to destruction. He will oppose and will exalt himself over everything that is called God or is worshipped, so that he sets himself up in God's temple, proclaiming himself to be God.

According to Revelation 13, Antichrist, who will be energized by the Devil, will be considered so wonderful that many of the people of the earth will voluntarily offer to worship him. They will see him as a benevolent dictator. Not content with this, at the height of his power, he will make it mandatory for everyone to give him homage. In order to enforce this, he will have his religious leader, The False Prophet will set up an image of the Beast in the newly rebuilt temple. The image (an idol) must also be worshipped. The two Leaders will also institute a system of economic dictatorship that allows only those who agree to worship him to receive a mark (666). Without the mark, no one will be able to buy or sell anything. Those who believe in Jesus Christ will not be willing to accept the mark. No one who does receive the mark will ever be able or willing to repent and become a true Christian (Revelation 14:9-11; 20:4). Those who refuse the mark will be forced underground, living with other true believers in out of the way places. If they are caught they will be put to death for treason against Antichrist's world government. (Revelation 13:10; 20:4)

The final form of world government in this tribulation period will have two aspects: Military, political and economic power will revolve around the first Beast. Subservient to him will be the harlot church. In Israel a powerful religious coalition will be led by the Second Beast. Both of these Leaders are Satan's masterpieces for deceiving the world. Both are energized by Satan ,who until now has never found a complete way of expressing himself in human form ruling the earth.

There is another earth-shaking event which will take place at the same time. According to Revelation 13:16-18, a one-world economy will be established, and only those who follow Antichrist's leadership and worship him will be permitted to buy or sell.

He also forced everyone, small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on his right hand or on his forehead, so that no one could buy or sell unless he had the mark, which is the name of the beast or the number of his name.

This calls for wisdom. If anyone has insight, let him calculate the number of the beast, for it is man's number. His number is 666.

The Mark of The Beast

The false Messiah (Paul's "man of sin" in 2 Thessalonians 2:1-12) will enter the Third Temple in Jerusalem and declare himself to be God. That event Jesus had said in the Olivet Discourse, would bring great peril to the residents of Jerusalem. The peril for believers in Yeshua at that time period will include the immediate danger of military invasion of Jerusalem by foreign armies (Luke 21:20). The believing remnant of Jews, who are in Jerusalem at the time the false messiah makes this move, will also be in grave danger of their lives because of Antichrist's vigorous persecution of believers, that is, those few Jews who believe in the God of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and Yeshua.

Earth's last Caesar will rise to the position of virtual dictator of the earth. With the help of the"False Prophet," he will require people to receive a "mark" on their right hand or forehead in order to be able to buy or sell (Revelation 13:7-18). There are at least three powers at work in the world even now that make this possible:

Political power

According to Revelation 13:5-7, and 16-18, the first beast will lead the development of the emerging one-world government, or New World Order which has been planned for centuries by the super rich behind the scenes. These power brokers are used to controlling who will be chosen for political positions, based on their ability to manipulate their pawns in high places. They will present Antichrist as a benevolent dictator. They will undoubtedly think that they can control him for their own advantage. But he will be very powerful, drawing his energy from the Devil. He will do as he pleases, though it is likely that much of what he does will also please the powerful elite group who have given him support.

Religious power

As can be seen even in our own American politics, support from religious groups can be very helpful to a politician. Revelation 13:11-15 tells about a False Prophet who is most likely the head of a one-world religion. This religious unity will finally be possible because after The Rapture, born-again Christians will be absent from public life. Even in the churches, those who are left are those who have never had a personal relationship with Christ. These people, for the most part, will not take the Bible literally. They will be willing to give up their doctrines for the sake of unity. The New Age Religion may be the uniting force behind this since it already draws heavily from various religions. The head of this union could be the leader of the World Council of Churches or of an apostate denomination.

Technological power

According to Revelation 13, Antichrist, who will be energized by the Devil, ( who is called the "god of this age" in 2 Corinthians 4:4) will be considered so wonderful that many of the people of the earth will voluntarily offer to worship him. They will see him as a benevolent dictator. Not content with this, at the height of his power, he will make it mandatory for everyone to give him homage. In order to enforce this, he will have his religious leader, the False Prophet set up an image of the first beast

Then I saw another beast, coming out of the earth. He had two horns like a lamb, but he spoke like a dragon. He exercised all the authority of the first beast on his behalf, and made the earth and its inhabitants worship the first beast, whose fatal wound had been healed. And he performed great and miraculous signs, even causing fire to come down from heaven to earth in full view of men. Because of the signs he was given power to do on behalf of the first beast, he deceived the inhabitants of the earth. He ordered them to set up an image in honor of the beast who was wounded by the sword and yet lived. He was given power to give breath to the image of the first beast, so that it could speak and cause all who refused to worship the image to be killed. (Revelation 13:11-15)

This "living image" will probably be a technological deception; perhaps some marvelous new holographic image, a genetically-engineered clone, or some other bio-tech "invention." In any case, it is clear that it represents Antichrist, and it must be worshipped.

Modern technology has made it possible, not only to produce this deception, but to also do what the Bible predicts about literally controlling the right of individuals to buy and sell.

He also forced everyone, small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on his right hand or on his forehead, so that no one could buy or sell unless he had the mark, which is the name of the beast or the number of his name. (Revelation 13:16-17)

The Great Tribulation (Part 2) - by Ron Graff and Lambert Dolphin

Computers

Before computers were such a vital part of our lives it was hard to imagine how this prophecy could be enforced. In our generation we have seen the development of all the parts of the electronic system necessary for one person to wield total economic control.

Daniel 12:4 says, "But you, Daniel, close up and seal the words of the scroll until the time of the end. Many will go here and there to increase knowledge."

We are living in "The Information Age." In our generation science and knowledge have increased at a rate never imagined by our forefathers. Yet, this knowledge explosion was predicted by Daniel 2500 years ago! We live in a time of unprecedented invention, space exploration, and, above all, development and use of the computer. The advent of small, inexpensive, and powerful microcomputers had caused nearly every field of science and technology to take quantum leaps forward.

Here are just a few of the new and emerging tools and methods making more information available.

The Personal Computer

In 1976 the Apple I computer was introduced at the retail of $666.66. Since then computers have become a necessary business and household appliance. The ever-present, ever-improving personal computer has become the primary tool of creativity. Practically everything that was once done by pencil and paper, drafting tools, and artistry is now being done faster, easier, and better with the help of the computer. A person of average income may now own a computer which is more powerful than the million dollar main-frames of just a few years ago. Beautiful color, digital stereophonic sound, CD ROM libraries of knowledge, modem connectivity to the entire world via information services and the Internet, and an exploding source of helpful, inexpensive software all make this device a necessity for many people today. Smaller, more powerful laptop, notebook, and even hand-held computers make it possible for people to take this essential productivity tool with them wherever they go.

Intel says they are working on microprocessors that will operate, not at today's processor speed of 200 megahertz (million cycles per second), but, by the year 2011, it will run at 10 gigahertz (billion cycles per second). That's 10,000 megahertz instead of 200! The February issue of Fortune Magazine says it will have 1 billion components! You see, Andy Groves, Intel's CEO predicted that the power of a computer chip would double every 18 months, and so far, Intel has lived up to that "law."

Computers and all of the related technologies will continue to improve. Toshiba has developed a computer chip just a little larger than the current 4 megabyte chips which will hold 1 Gigabyte (1 billion bytes). Computer scientists are working on optical microprocessing, using light and fiber optics--instead of electricity and wires--to increase the speed by another factor of 1000 or more. Experimental work is being done on the concept of biochips, living, self-repairing, and incredibly compact memory devices.

Artificial Intelligence

Artificial Intelligence is also a field which is improving steadily. It gained new respect and interest in February, 1996 when Garry Kasparov, reigning chess champion of the world, lost the first of five games against IBM's "Deep Blue" computer.

Supercomputers

With the advent of supercomputers, we can now understand how a world-wide economic system could be possible.

Behind the scenes, giant companies and government agencies now have supercomputers. If the average person now has the power of yesteryear's main frame computers in his lap-top personal computer, imagine the increased capabilities that exist in the largest state of the art computers! While microcomputers work at the speed of millions of operations per seconds, super computers, using what they call parallel processing can now do billions of operations per second. Today's supercomputers are so fast that they could perform thousands of operations each second on the files of each person in the world! This means that, given the necessary connections, one giant computer could easily track the financial affairs of every person on earth. Such a system could permit or forbid buying and selling just as prophesied in Revelation 13

Credit Cards, Debit Cards, Smart Cards

For at least twenty years now the banking industry has been pressing for the use of electronic funds transfer. Those who wish to do so may have their paychecks deposited electronically into their accounts, pay their bills automatically by electronic funds transfer, or use their personal computer to make these payments. You can buy most of what you need by use of your ATM debit cards. Service stations have "Pay Point" devices which allow the use of either credit cards or debit cards to buy your gas without the help of an attendant. At your supermarket you may pay for your groceries the same way. In fact, if you need cash, you can get it out of your bank account at the same time. Just enter an extra $20 or so while you are checking out and the checker will gladly give you the cash because that helps them keep the amount of money on hand, discouraging robbers. Pretty soon you won't want cash anyway. Even your favorite fast food place will have these devices too.

The real big news now is what is happening with smart cards. Smart cards are different from the cards most of us have in our wallets. They are already very popular in Europe. They look the same, except a little thicker. Some of them have small contacts in the middle of the card, but many now use radio waves so they don't need contacts. Inside the card there is actually a little computer, with a tiny battery, and up to 1 megabyte of memory. This already makes them more powerful than the earlier personal computers, and we can be sure they will keep getting better. Cards were introduced in 1997 which can be loaded with programs not even written yet. This will make them so useful that the average person will feel he or she just has to have one.

With a smart card you can do all kinds of things you can't do with a magnetic stripe card like the ones we have now. Smart Cards can literally transfer money from your account into the card. The electronic money is placed in one or more "wallets" or "purses" in the card. It can be used to operate vending machines, pay tolls, and whatever else people need. Why should you carry cash? As soon as muggers realize that people don't carry cash, your life will be safer won't it?

These cards will manage all your PINs and passwords, so you won't worry about forgetting them.

Smart Cards will also manage loyalty programs, from your frequent flier miles to your savings bonus at your local grocery store. In the future, those who don't have a smart card will just lose out on the sales and other benefits that are available.

We are moving quickly toward a cashless society which may be easily controlled by a world dictator. The coming Antichrist will be such a dictator. The technology is now in place for him to accomplish his evil plan of economic control

The smart card manufacturers are beginning to band together so they have a standardized platform. They call it MULTOS. They call this "the smart card getting smarter," because now the machine that can read one card will be able to read all the cards. In the United States the major credit card companies are getting ready to switch over.

Another big advance in this area is the smart card reader on your computer keyboard or in the floppy disk drive. It allows your computer to read your card and act like a personal ATM. It will not be able to put out money, but that will be unnecessary, because the card itself takes the place of money. In other words, money from your bank account can be transferred into your smart card right in the convenience of your own home or office. This is something that the ordinary person will be able to afford. Some type of smart card reader will likely become as a standard peripheral on new computer systems. You will also be able to buy or sell (download or even upload money) from another person, right at your own computer.

Implanted Transponders

One of the biggest problems in all of this electronic wonderland is the loss and theft of cards and the problem of verifying that the person with the card is authorized to use it. All of this could be solved by inserting tiny electronic transponders (chip implants) as they already do in livestock all over the world, and as they are beginning to do in household pets. In our area we can have one of these devices implanted in our dog by a simple, nearly painless hypodermic needle, then if he is ever lost, the governmental authorities can just wave a wand over the dog's back and their computer will tell them all they need to know about him.

They have not been putting them into people as a rule. They are only about the size of a grain of rice. They don't need batteries. They have a little coil, and a pre-programmed number, all encapsulated in glass. This can be inserted under your skin with a special hypodermic needle. It won't get infected, and you would hardly know it is there. But scanning devices will know it's there. It could be used to tie into your bank accounts, or whatever they want to do with it.

In the future, they could perfect this so that it can actually be your smart card. The technology is not yet that advanced. But the advantage of something like this is that you wouldn't have to remember to take your wallet with you, it will always be a part of you. You couldn't loose it. When you want to get money out, you could just go to your personal computer, wave your hand in front of it, and transfer what you need into the device. You could pay your bills the same way. You could start your car that way because it could take the place of your keys. These are all possibilities for the future. None of it is necessary for Antichrist to take over. We have enough in place right now.

Here's something that uses the same technology in a much more acceptable form. You may already have these. It is known as the Mobil Speed Pass. It has the same type of device in it that responds to the radio waves and sends back a number. You just drive up, and when you come within five feet of the gas pump, it gets ready to service you. It knows who you are and how to charge your purchase. You still have to get out and put the nozzle in your tank, but the rest is automatic! You don't pull your wallet out. You don't punch in a PIN number. You just wave this little thing and it happens. If you don't want one of these on your key ring, you can get another device from the same company that just sticks on your back window and does the same thing without even handling it. They even make a card version for your wallet, but you don't have to take it out, it just happens.



The Great Tribulation (Part 3) - by Ron Graff and Lambert Dolphin

Biometrics

Fingerprints, palm prints, face and eye prints (retinal imaging) are some of the high tech methods now used to verify a person's identity. These, of course, cannot be stolen or lost. How far away from public acceptance of these devices are we? We may be closer than we think!

Other technologies are also leading in the same direction. There is a face recognition device you can hook up to your personal computer, and throw away your passwords, because, with this device, your computer knows it is you. There is also a little scanner for your fingerprint that does the same thing. It's called BioMouse.

There is a movement in many countries, including the United States, to create a national registry and tracking system in which every citizen will have some form of biometric identification as described above. This plan would give the government the right to approve all employment. One attempt at such control was Senate bill S 269 - The Immigrant Control and Financial Responsibility Act of 1995.

Satellites

New methods of transmitting data, such as satellites which can link the whole world together instantly, sending and receiving unbelievable amounts of data simultaneously. GPS (Global Positioning System) is now in place and in use, allowing world-wide satellite tracking of items with small transmitters. These systems are accurate to within a few feet.

Fiber Optics

Fiber optic "wires" now service our businesses and many homes. These cables, which use light instead of electricity, are able to carry thousands of conversations, video images, and data transfers all at the same time. One small Fiber Optic cable can replace 10,000 ordinary telephone lines!

Many phone services now employ the ISDN (Integrated Services Digital Network) system. This concept not only perfects the quality of the voice on the phone, but allows the connection of several devices to the outside world simultaneously, including television, FAX, copier, computers. It also adds the capability of "smart phones" which will transmit digital data about the users along with the voice or video connection. With such a system, the business you are calling could answer the phone using your name, and already having your account information on the screen in front of them. The potential for transmission of unwanted information is an obvious danger from this emerging technology.

Interactive Television and The Internet

Information service companies, such as CompuServe and America On Line provide an amazing assortment of "on line" information, such as news and historical data bases, games and other entertainment, down-loadable software, literature, and art, electronic mail, special interest data bases and "chat" rooms where one may type messages to one another in real time. Shopping on-line is becoming very popular as well.

Another aspect of what is often called cyberspace is the Internet. It has been around for several decades. It is a high speed data transmission system, now often called the information "super highway". It was used by major corporations and universities to connect their main-frame computers together. It is just now becoming very popular and extremely useful. Education, businesses, government, and even churches are rapidly turning to this medium of information exchange. Easy navigation of this world-wide network is being made possible by such innovations as the "World-Wide Web." Color, sound, animation, and even video have been added to the capabilities of the "net." Connection to the Internet is one of the options on many information services. Individuals may also choose to subscribe to local Internet services which do not provide their own information, but simply connect the user's computer (via the phone lines) to the Internet

They are now working on a new generation of the Internet. It is called Internet II, and it is described as vBNS (very high speed Backbone Network Service). MCI is the provider for a super-fast information network mandated in 1993 by the National Science Foundation. Part of it is already in place, using speeds of 155 million bits per second. When fully functional, it will connect the Supercomputing Centers at speeds of up to 2.5 billion bits (2.5 gigabits) per second. At this speed the new network could transmit the contents of two public libraries per second!

The Internet of the future won't even be limited by fiber optic cables. Last March Bill Gates, who is the richest man in the world, and easily the most powerful person in all the world of technology, went into a partnership with another man and announced the "Internet In The Sky" which they will begin in the year 2000 and it will be fully functional by the year 2002. Actually, the first of these satellites was sent into orbit in March of 1998. It will consist of 840 low-altitude satellites that will be connected in 21 orbits, with 40 satellites in every orbit. They have an animation on their Teledesic website. It will like a big moving net around the entire earth. What this means is, that anywhere on the face of the planet a person with an inexpensive portable wireless Internet communicator, can communicate with anyone else on the earth. It could be at the top of the Himalayas or at the Dead Sea..

Control of Travel

Toll booths register and deduct payment from vehicles passing through their scanners. Smart highway projects are in the planning stages to literally guide vehicles from one point to another on safer highways. Obviously, those in the future who have not paid, or who are not allowed to buy and sell can be kept off these highways!

Control of the Media

Another very significant development in the world of modern technology is the recent merger of huge communications and media corporations. In August, 1995 Disney and ABC agreed to the largest merger in history, and the next day a merger of Westinghouse with CBS was announced.. These things lead us closer to a one-world economy. Smaller operations will continue to be swallowed up by larger ones so they have more control.

Programmable Tattoos

There now exists a "Programmable Tattoo" which can be implanted under your wrist. It is actually an LCD display panel that can serve as a watch to tell the time, or give reports on your vital functions like blood pressure or insulin count: anything you need to know about yourself. The people who have the patents on this are from a company called Interval Research Corporation. You may not have heard of them. They say they don't even know what they want to do with this invention yet. Interval was co-founded by Paul Allen, who was also co-founder of Microsoft. Most of the things they are doing right now, they are keeping secret. There is an "interval," you see. They are thinking that five, ten, or twenty years in the future, all the things they are developing will be put into service.

Maybe they will be put into service when the Mark of The Beast is ready

The Actual Mark

Two beasts, or great world-leaders are in view in Revelation Chapter 13.

Then I saw another beast, coming out of the earth. He had two horns like a lamb, but he spoke like a dragon. He exercised all the authority of the first beast [the political-military leader of the Western Federation of nations] on his behalf, and made the earth and its inhabitants worship the first beast, whose fatal wound had been healed. And he performed great and miraculous signs, even causing fire to come down from heaven to earth in full view of men. Because of the signs he was given power to do on behalf of the first beast, he deceived the inhabitants of the earth. He ordered them to set up an image in honor of the [first] beast who was wounded by the sword and yet lived. He was given power to give breath to the image of the first beast, so that it could speak and cause all who refused to worship the image to be killed. He also forced everyone, small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on his right hand or on his forehead, so that no one could buy or sell unless he had the mark, which is the name of the beast or the number of his name. This calls for wisdom. If anyone has insight, let him calculate the number of the beast, for it is man's number. His number is 666." (Revelation 13:11-18)

At this point in time these two powerful leaders--one religious, the other political and military--will have arranged world-wide control over buying and selling. The fate of the world will apparently rest solely with them.

Computers do all kind of wonderful things, but, because of the way they work, everything they do must be converted to numbers. Every letter on this screen, every colored pixel, every tone produced by the computer (including your favorite music CD) is saved and processed as a number.

Now that modern technology has reached the stage where it is truly feasible for Antichrist to exert economic dictatorship it is increasingly important for everyone to have a distinctive number. Most of us have several numbers already: our Social Security number, drivers' license number, phone, FAX and pager numbers, credit card numbers, and so on. See Modern Technologies.

What does Antichrist's personal number, 666 mean? Please notice that the Scripture says plainly that it is "the number of his name." This is significant because the issue in this future story is that of worship. People must vow their devotion to this worst of all the false Christs by allowing either his name, or else the number of his name to be placed on them in a prominent place as a symbol of their allegiance.

There are many possible ways of converting a name to a number. Here are some of them:

Assignment

This is how you received your Social Security number, or credit card numbers. When it was time to be "numbered" the next number in a sequence was assigned. Some systems pick numbers randomly instead of sequentially, and check to make sure no one else has that number before issuing it.

Choice

This is the process if you, or someone else, should choose a number to represent you. This is sometimes done for jerseys of famous athletes. Other examples of this are when you order a personalized license plate for your car or pick your own phone number.

Conversion

Returning to the fact that our lives are run, or at least monitored, by computers, there is another way of deriving a number from a name. There are several different numbering systems used by computers to convert any given letter to a number. One of these is the ASCII code (A=65, B=66, etc.) Using this system, and adding up the total of the values of the letters, it is interesting that some names do add up to 666. Some famous names produce this result.

Another type of conversion is based on the alphabet (A=1, B=2, etc.) Such a system would not produce a number as big as 666, so some have suggested converting this way and then multiplying by the "number of man", which some suppose is 6 - one short of the number of completion. Again, some notable people's names produce 666 in this way.

There are also various techniques for coding this number. These include:

Printing

Checks, Invoices, and many other documents which need to be recognized and handled by people simply print the number. Data processing clerks or scanning devices convert these numbers back into the numbers needed by the computers.

Magnetic strip

Credit cards and debit cards (and a host of other identifying devices) use these little strips of magnetic tape to store your number and other information.

Transponders

A tiny electronic chip which may be injected into an animal or a human will respond to the stimulus of a certain kind of scanner by transmitting your numerical data.

Bar Code

Laser scanners use the bar codes on products to print your sales receipt. The number on the package is converted to a name, a price, and at the same time it is subtracted from inventory and placed on the store's next re-order form.

It has been noticed by some that the UPC bar codes are generally divided into two parts by three bars, one at the beginning, one at the end, and one in the middle. These marks may be longer than the numbers, but they may look the same as one of the codes for the number six. Thus, some bar-codes do have the number 666 built into it. This may or may not have any significance in future understanding of prophecy.

We have been warned that we can not know who Antichrist is until he is revealed, after the Restrainer (The Holy Spirit) is no longer holding back sin (2 Thessalonians 2:1-11). But those who are alive during that time might recognize him partly by this number. It will be wise and proper for those living during that time to "calculate" his number (verse 18).

It should also be noted that, even though it is logical for us to have our own numbers, and that, for security reasons, these numbers might even be tattooed on or implanted in us, the number that will be displayed on the hand or forehead will not be our number, but Antichrist's. Those who are more bold in their devotion to him will not have his number, but his actual name!

Implanted chips are improved security measures are by no means seen as sinister by most people today. There is a great advantage to having one's medical history and record carried on a memory chip on one's person for ready access in case of a heart attack or accident. All of us want the best possible security for our bank accounts and investments. Anti-terrorism protection makes sense to everyone who travels even if it must come at the cost of some potential abuse by government and better surveillance of the whereabouts and movements of all the populace. It is vitally important for us to have the best possible security against international terrorists who will not necessarily be rational individuals, nor be in the employ of anyone but themselves. Military and diplomatic secrets need the best possible protection we can give them. It is necessary for us to find out all we can by spying behind the scenes when we have fiendishly evil men to deal with such as Saddam Hussein.

What we are assured of by the Bible is that these sophisticated tools will be usurped and used against God-fearing people during the tribulation period, because the world government of that time period will be entirely under Satanic control and the restraining influence of the church will no longer restrain evil at all levels of society.
 

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Why Oslo has failed - Hal Lindsey - www.hallindsey.com

This past week marked the 10th anniversary of the Oslo Agreement that set the groundwork for the rapidly folding roadmap to peace.

It is doubtful that the many who watched approvingly as Yitzhak Rabin shook the bloodstained hand of Yasser Arafat on the rose garden lawn expected it to end with the worst wave of terrorism in Israel's history.

I have to admit that I wept when I heard of the Oslo Agreement. I knew exactly where it would lead. I knew that it would only open the doors for thousands of Palestinian terrorists to finally get inside Israel proper with deadly weapons.

In the aftermath, the only thing Israel has learned from this experiment is a lesson for the new generation of Israelis. It was a lesson their fathers were taught in the blood and suffering of five major wars. They learned that peace cannot be negotiated with terrorists. Every prediction made by the political right in 1993 has come true with a vengeance.

The more land Israel turned over, the more Yasser Arafat demanded. The more compromises given, the more Arafat was emboldened to go for all of Jerusalem and the whole of Israel. The restraint Israel has been forced to display because of outside interference – led by the United States and the United Nations – the more the Muslims interpreted it as weakness. And this is the most dangerous miscalculation that can be given to them.

The most enduring obstacle to peace, according to the Palestinians, is Israeli settlements, like the one in Hebron. Isn't it interesting how the ethnic cleansing of their territory of Jews can be an acceptable obstacle to peace to the international community? The Palestinian policy of driving all Jews out of what they call their territory is a blatant demonstration of "ethnic cleansing." Just imagine the international repercussions if Israel sought to ethnically cleanse its territory of all Arabs. Doesn't this make you think about how unbalanced things are? But for most people, this kind of thing just goes right over their heads.

Here is the real problem why Oslo and all other attempts to negotiate peace with the Palestinians have failed. It isn't the Jewish settlements in Hebron that are the obstacle to peace. It is the Jewish settlements in Tel Aviv, Haifa, Tiberius, Caesarea, and everywhere else that are the real barrier to peace, according to the predominant Muslim view. As long as there are Jews anywhere, except floating face down in the Mediterranean, Arafat will call their presence an "obstacle to peace."

Oslo envisioned a Palestinian state emerging after a gradual process of reconciliation. Instead, the opposite has happened. The Palestinian leadership made a strategic decision to create a Palestine not through negotiations, but through blood and fire.

The Palestinian goal of the last three years has been to demoralize the Israeli people through terrorism and force a unilateral Israeli withdrawal from the territories.

So far, the Palestinian strategy has failed dismally. The result of Palestinian aggression has been the hardening of Israeli resolve and the near-total destruction of the infrastructure of a future Palestinian state.

And as long as Yasser Arafat remains on his throne in Ramallah, Israel has little choice but to fight the war that is constantly forced upon them. The current war isn't a "cycle of violence." It is the Israeli response to the relentless murder of its civilians by Palestinian terrorists. It is also Israel's necessary response to convince the Palestinians that terrorism will not lead to Israel's destruction, but to the Palestinians'.

Thus far, Israel has shown superhuman restraint. But if Israel is finally forced to fight for its survival, it has the capability of obliterating the Palestinian elements who will not forsake terrorism – including the Muslim patrons of terror in the surrounding countries. And that day is fast approaching.
                                                                                       

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Special Report: The Wailing Wall - Jack Kinsella - www.omegaletter.com

What had been a minor bulge in the southern wall near the Islamic Museum on the Temple Mount gave way and collapsed, after the Muslim Waqf that administers the area failed to bring Jordanian engineers to shore it up. The Islamic Waqf is blaming Israel. Adnan al-Husseini of the Waqf said the failure was the result of "the Israeli intervention in our work and preventing us from maintaining it after we stated it was in urgent need for a rapid action to prevent its collapse.

The Temple Mount is the foundation of the Jewish Temple that was destroyed in 70 A.D. by the Romans. Because it is the only remnant of the foundation, it is considered the holiest site for observant Jews.

Muslims claim it is the third holiest in their faith because two mosques were constructed on the site hundreds of years later.

The Moslem "claim" to Jerusalem is based on what is written in the Koran, which although Jerusalem is not mentioned even once, nevertheless talks (in Sura 17:1) of the "Furthest Mosque": "Glory be unto Allah who did take his servant for a journey at night from the Sacred Mosque to the Furthest Mosque."

The Islamic version of how the Temple Mount became the al Aqsa Mosque says the Temple Mount was the launchpad from which Mohammed climbed aboard a winged steed and rode off to heaven.

According to Islam, in the ninth year of the Prophet's mission, about 620 AD, Muhammad rose in the middle of the night to visit the Sacred Mosque in Makkah. After a time of worship he fell asleep near the Ka'aba.

The angel Gabriel came to him and woke him from his slumber. He led the Prophet, to the edge of the sacred Makkan mosque. Awaiting them was al-Buraq, a white winged beast "whose each stride stretched as far as the eye could see." Muhammad mounted al-Buraq and sped northwards with Gabriel to Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem, the Furthest Mosque.

But is there any foundation to the Moslem argument that this "Furthest Mosque" (Al-Masujidi al-Aqtza) refers to what is today called the Aksa Mosque in Jerusalem? The answer is, none whatsoever.

During Mohammed's lifetime, Jerusalem was a Christian city within the Byzantine Empire. Jerusalem wasn't captured by Khalif Omar until 638, six years after Mohammed's death. Throughout all this time there were only churches in Jerusalem, and a church stood on the Temple Mount, called the Church of Saint Mary of Justinian, built in the Byzantine architectural style.

The Aksa Mosque was built 20 years after the Dome of the Rock, which was built in 691-692 by Khalif Abd El Malik. The name "Omar Mosque" is therefore false. In or around 711, or about 80 years after Mohammed died, Malik's son, Abd El-Wahd - who ruled from 705-715 - reconstructed the Christian- Byzantine Church of St. Mary and converted it into a mosque. He left the structure as it was, a typical Byzantine "basilica" structure with a row of pillars on either side of the rectangular "ship" in the center. All he added was an onion-like dome on top of the building to make it look like a mosque. He then named it El-Aksa, so it would sound like the one mentioned in the Koran.

So it is abundantly clear that Mohammed could never have had the Temple Mount area in mind when he was compiling the Koran. It did not exist as a mosque until some three generations after Mohammed's death.

Mohammed intended the mosque in Mecca as the "Sacred Mosque," and the mosque in Medina as the "Furthest Mosque." So much for the Moslem claim based on the Aksa Mosque.

In fact, Mohammed issued a strict prohibition against facing Jerusalem in prayer. That practice had been tolerated only for some months in order to lure Jews to convert to Islam. When that effort failed, Mohammed put an abrupt stop to it on February 12, 624. Jerusalem simply never held any sanctity for the Moslems themselves, but only for the Jews in their domain.

Assessment:

During the Six Days' War in 1967, Israel captured the West Bank from Jordan, including East Jerusalem and the Temple Mount. General Moshe Dayan, hoping to blunt global demands for a complete Israeli withdrawal from the captured territory, agreed instead to let the Muslim Waqf administer the Temple Mount as an Islamic holy place.

It was a grave mistake; in so doing, Dayan gave 'legs' to the myth. Surrendering control to Islam was seen as a tacit admission that Islam had the superior claim.

As we've already seen, Islam's claim is only valid if one deletes three decades in the 5th century from the historical record. None of this information is a secret -- anybody with access to a history book can resolve in a matter of seconds the validity of Islam's claim to the Temple Mount and to Jerusalem.

Anybody except the enlightened and highly educated diplomates at the UN, not to mention the 134 countries who consistently side against Israel.

It would appear that only in America, the Marshall Islands and Micronesia have history books. Does this make sense? Of course not. This is Jerusalem, and we are living in the last days.

And in the last days, says the prophet, Jerusalem will become a 'burdensome stone' to all the peoples of the world, and all that burden themselves with details like historical facts that indicate the Islamic claim is false will be 'cut in pieces'. (Zechariah 12)

If this were any other piece of real estate on the face of the planet -- except Jerusalem -- the dispute would have been settled based on fact and not emotion.

But it isn't. It is Jerusalem, and it is in Jewish hands. That triggers the emotion that the Bible said would follow the Jews until the end of days -- hatred. Islam's claim to Jerusalem is based entirely on hatred of the Jews. Global support for Islam's claim to the Land of Promise is based on the universal hatred of the Jews.

The UN's unfailing condemnation of all things Israeli is rooted in a hatred so deep that most can't even explain it. The best they can come up with is the canard, 'Christ killers' -- a view that is expressed even by those who don't believe in Christ in the first place.

The world claims Jerusalem, either for Islam, or for mainstream Christianity. But the Bible says that, in the last days, God will eventually reclaim Israel -- and Jerusalem -- for Himself.

"And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn." (Zechariah 12:10)
 

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Coming of The King of Kings (Part 1-2) - by Ron Graff and Lambert Dolphin

We come at last to the climax of the Tribulation Period, and the end of the Battle of Armageddon. Jesus Christ will literally, physically, and visibly, return to the Earth as the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords. The last two segments of the previous chapter were devoted to the Signs in the Sun, Moon and Stars, and the Great Earthquake. These events happen virtually at the same time dramatically punctuating Christ's glorious appearing. Now, when we gaze at the Lord Himself, all the wondrous events in the heavens and on the Earth are suddenly not important!

The Glorious Return of Christ

I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice he judges and makes war. His eyes are like blazing fire, and on his head are many crowns. He has a name written on him that no one knows but he himself. He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God. (Revelation 19:11-13)

Jesus Himself spoke of this magnificent event. As stated earlier, Jesus did not mention the Rapture in His Olivet Discourse, but He spoke plainly of His return in glory.

At that time the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and all the nations of the earth will mourn. They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky, [probably a reference to the Shekinah glory of the Old Testament] with power and great glory. And he will send his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other. (Matthew 24:30-31--See also Luke 21:27)

Jesus also said that angels would come with Him in Matthew 16:27; and Matthew 25. In the context of those passages, especially Matthew 25, the angels will be employed to gather the nations for the judgment of Sheep and Goats which will be discussed later.

The Church Returns With her Lord

The armies of heaven were following him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean. (Revelation 19:14)

In the Bible, angels are sometimes dressed in white. But these riders are mentioned as a separate group from the angels. Like the Lord Jesus, they are sitting on white horses.

Earlier in Revelation there are strong clues about who these people might be:

Yet you have a few people in Sardis who have not soiled their clothes. They will walk with me, dressed in white, for they are worthy. He who overcomes will, like them, be dressed in white. I will never blot out his name from the book of life, but will acknowledge his name before my Father and his angels. (Revelation 3:4-5)

In this passage, the message to the Church at Sardis, those dressed in white are true believers in the Lord Jesus Christ. They are those whose names will not be blotted out of the Book of Life!

I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich; and white clothes to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see. (Revelation 3:18)

These are self-righteous members of the apostate church. They do not realize that spiritually they are "wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked." What they need is salvation, which is expressed as gold, as white clothes, and as salve for their eyes. This is the church to which Jesus needed to say:

"Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me." (Revelation 3:20)

The white linen is symbolic of righteousness. It is not self-righteousness, because Isaiah 64:6 says, "All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all shrivel up like a leaf, and like the wind our sins sweep us away."

The Apostle Paul spoke of a righteousness, not of our own, "but that which is through faith in Christ--the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith." (Philippians 3:9)

Righteousness is a gift of God for those who have put their faith in Christ. It is seen as part of the "Armor of God" in Ephesians 6: "Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place" (v. 14).

The white clothing of this heavenly army is not the only evidence that believers of the church age will return with Christ. In Colossians 3:4, the Apostle Paul confidently asserted that, "When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory."

A similar thought was expressed by Paul to the believers at Thessalonica.

May he strengthen your hearts so that you will be blameless and holy in the presence of our God and Father when our Lord Jesus comes (parousia) with all his holy ones. (1 Thessalonians 3:13)

The expression "holy ones" is the Greek word hagios or "saints," which is Paul's normal description of believers in Christ. (Romans 1:7; 1 Corinthians 1:2; 2 Corinthians 1:1, etc.) Notice that it cannot refer to the martyred Saints of the Tribulation, because their resurrection is specifically stated to be at Christ's coming, at the beginning of the Millennium, or thousand year reign of Christ. (Revelation 20:5)

It should also be noted that there is a specific purpose in our coming with Christ at His Glorious Return. Revelation 20:6 explains it this way: "Blessed and holy is the one who has a part in the first resurrection; over these the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with Him for a thousand years." The "holy ones" who return with Christ from Heaven, and the resurrected martyrs from the Tribulation period will assist Christ the King of Kings.

The Objects of His Wrath

Out of his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations. "He will rule them with an iron scepter." He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty. (Revelation 19:15)

This passage should be correlated with Revelation 14:14-20. In that passage two metaphors portray Christ's conquering activities. Both of these are compared to the harvesting of crops. The first metaphor is that of harvesting wheat ("a sharp sword"). The second is that of harvesting grapes ("He treads the winepress").

These harvests are final, concluding judgments since a very large fraction of the total population of the earth has already been destroyed by cascades of civil war, famine, plagues and cosmic disasters that hit earth like trip-hammer blows in the second half of the tribulation period.

It has been proposed by some Bible scholars that two different groups are in view in these two harvest events. It is not a matter about which we can be dogmatic, but there are interesting possibilities in this theory. From this point of view, the first harvest (of wheat) is that of the nations of the world, while the second harvest (of grapes) relates to Israel.

Harvest of Wheat

Returning to the descriptions of Revelation 14, we read first about the harvest of wheat.

I looked, and there before me was a white cloud, and seated on the cloud was one "like a son of man" with a crown of gold on his head and a sharp sickle in his hand.

Then another angel came out of the temple and called in a loud voice to him who was sitting on the cloud, "Take your sickle and reap, because the time to reap has come, for the harvest of the earth is ripe."

So he who was seated on the cloud swung his sickle over the earth, and the earth was harvested. (Revelation 14:14-16)

Destruction of Gentile Unbelievers

The first sickle and the references to the reaping of the harvest of the earth indicates the reaping of the wheat and the tares from the nations. Jesus foretold this in Matthew 13.

Jesus told them another parable: "The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed inhis field. But while everyone was sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and went away. When the wheat sprouted and formed heads, then the weeds also appeared. "The owner's servants came to him and said, 'Sir, didn't you sow good seed in your field? Where then did the weeds come from?' "'An enemy did this,' he replied. "The servants asked him, 'Do you want us to go and pull them up? "'No,' he answered, 'because while you are pulling the weeds, you may root up the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest. At that time I will tell the harvesters: First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burned; then gather the wheat and bring it into my barn.'" (Matthew 13:24-30)

This is a final separation of unbelievers from believers outside of Israel.

The tares or weeds are "harvested" first, and tied in bundles to be burned. When Christ comes in His glory, He will first annihilate His enemies who are gathered against Him at the Battle of Armageddon. Then He will gather and eliminate the rest of these non-believers to prevent them from entering into the Millennial Kingdom which He will immediately install. Physically, all unbelievers of that time will then be dead. But what of their spirits? They are gathered "to be burned." This implies a still-future event of "burning." This will be fulfilled at the time of The Great White Throne Judgment which is discussed later. (Revelation 20:11-15)

The wheat is then gathered into a barn. This is descriptive of collecting the scattered remnant of believers from their hiding places. Perhaps they will be brought to Jerusalem and other key locations to fulfill their role of occupying and replenishing the Millennial Kingdom.

Some modern commentators have tried to equate this gathering into a barn with the Rapture. But, in addition to the many problems associated with placing the Rapture at the end of the Tribulation, the imagery and timing of this gathering just do not fit the Rapture. The image of gathering believers into a barn is meaningful for living survivors of the Tribulation who are being prepared to inhabit the Millennium, but it is not an adequate picture of the glorious eternal place promised by Jesus to His believers in John 14:2-3.

In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.

The timing of this parable is another strong argument against this gathering being a reference to the Rapture. The unbelievers (the weeds or tares) are gathered first! Then the believers (wheat) are gathered.

This series of events is also foretold by the prophet Joel. First Joel discusses the judgment of the nations on the basis of their treatment of God's people the Jews.

'In those days and at that time, when I restore the fortunes of Judah and Jerusalem, I will gather all nations and bring them down to the Valley of Jehoshaphat. There I will enter into judgment against them concerning my inheritance, my people Israel, for they scattered my people among the nations and divided up my land. They cast lots for my people and traded boys for prostitutes; they sold girls for wine that they might drink. (Joel 3:1-3)

This is the same judgment we know as the "Judgment of the Sheep and the Goats" from Matthew 25. This will be a final evaluation by Jesus of the survivors of the last great terrible war, and they fall into two classes:

"When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.

He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.

"Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.'

"Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?'

"The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'

"Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.' "They also will answer, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?'

"He will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.'

"Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life." (Matthew 25:31-46)

Joel relates the assembly of the nations to the Battle of Armageddon. It is God who draws these armies into His land.

Proclaim this among the nations: Prepare for war! Rouse the warriors! Let all the fighting men draw near and attack. Beat your plowshares into swords and your pruning hooks into spears. Let the weakling say, 'I am strong!' Come quickly, all you nations from every side, and assemble there. Bring down your warriors, O LORD!

'Let the nations be roused; let them advance into the Valley of Jehoshaphat, for there I will sit to judge all the nations on every side. (Joel 3:9-12)

The Valley of Jehoshaphat is most probably the Kidron Valley between the Temple Mount and the Mount of Olives. This, of course, is not the place where the battle is fought, but the place where this judgment takes place after the battle.

In Revelation this great event is called "the great supper of God" when it is announced ahead of time by an angel. It is so-called because of the hordes of vultures and other carrion eaters who come to devour the corpses littering the land.

And I saw an angel standing in the sun, who cried in a loud voice to all the birds flying in midair, "Come, gather together for the great supper of God, so that you may eat the flesh of kings, generals, and mighty men, of horses and their riders, and the flesh of all people, free and slave, small and great." (Revelation 19:17-18)

Coming of The King of Kings (Part 2) - by Ron Graff and Lambert Dolphin

The Harvest of Grapes

Another angel came out of the temple in heaven, and he too had a sharp sickle. Still another angel, who had charge of the fire, came from the altar and called in a loud voice to him who had the sharp sickle, "Take your sharp sickle and gather the clusters of grapes from the earth's vine, because its grapes are ripe."

The angel swung his sickle on the earth, gathered its grapes and threw them into the great winepress of God's wrath.

They were trampled in the winepress outside the city, and blood flowed out of the press, rising as high as the horses' bridles for a distance of 1,600 stadia. (Revelation 14:17-20)

Destruction of the non-believers Remaining in Israel

Likewise, Israel is to be judged:

Swing the sickle, for the harvest is ripe. Come, trample the grapes, for the winepress is full and the vats overflow--so great is their wickedness!'

Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision! For the day of the LORD is near in the valley of decision. (Joel 13:13-14)

The judgment of Jewish people alive at the time of this future battle was also foretold by Zechariah. Of that time, he said that one-third of Israel would believe, but two thirds would still be unbelievers. He used a different metaphor to describe the same judgment.

"Two Thirds" and "One Third" of All Israel

In the whole land," declares the LORD, "two-thirds will be struck down and perish; yet one-third will be left in it. This third I will bring into the fire; I will refine them like silver and test them like gold. They will call on my name and I will answer them; I will say, 'They are my people,' and they will say, 'The LORD is our God.'" (Zechariah 13:8-9)

The conversion of one third of the Jews in Israel (if it happened today) would mean well over a million and a half converts to the true and living God. Zechariah says the new converts will be called on to undergo a terrible trial of their faith during the final days of the great military campaign of Armageddon involving as it will as many as 200 million soldiers from the armies of the nations. While the believing remnant in Edom "passes under the rod" of God's merciful, evaluating judgment, the eleventh-hour converts in Israel must "pass through the fire."

Though our own nation, the United States, contains a professing Christian population that appears to number many tens of millions of believers, it is more realistic to say that the "believing remnant" in America today is perhaps only 5 to 10% of those professing faith in Jesus Christ.

Thus the future large-scale conversion of Jews to belief in Yeshua at the close of the age will represent a very great and marvelous work of grace by the God of Israel. The end result of Yeshua's work in Israel at the end of the age will be a completely righteous nation of believers chosen to be the head of all the nations.

The Return of the Remnant from Edom

What happens to the believing remnant which had fled to Petra earlier? One vivid Old Testament picture is that of Messiah coming from Bozra (near Petra) with the remnant. Isaiah foretells this event. (Isaiah 63). The imagery is that of Yeshua as the greater Moses nurturing the flock of Israel at Petra and bringing them back into the land for the last time. (Micah 2:12-13)

God's Dialogues with the Messiah

The latter chapters of Isaiah contain a remarkable series of dialogues between God the Father and His servant the Messiah, or between the prophet and Messiah. In Chapter 42, Messiah is God's humble servant who will not only save Israel but aid the Gentiles and bring world-wide justice:

"Here is my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen one in whom I delight; I will put my Spirit on him and he will bring justice to the nations. He will not shout or cry out, or raise his voice in the streets. A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out. In faithfulness he will bring forth justice; he will not falter or be discouraged till he establishes justice on earth. In his law the islands will put their hope." (Isaiah 42:1-4)

In Isaiah 43-44, Messiah is seen as restoring Israel by forgiving them of all their sins and delivering Jacob from all his enemies. In Chapter 44, Cyrus the Mede is designated and called by name (!) many decades before he was born. God chose him to aid in the restoration of the Jews from their captivity in Babylon. Messiah gives a personal description of his commission from the Fatherand contains an intimate discussion between God and His Messiah which reveals much about the content of the prayers of Jesus with His Father during his time on earth which would come 700 years later.

In Isaiah 50, Messiah is the true Israel who fulfills all that the nation had failed to attain because of persistent rebellion and disobedience. In Isaiah 52:13 through 53. Messiah is the suffering servant of the Lord whose death and resurrection are vividly foretold.

In Chapter 59, Messiah is Israel's goel, or kinsman-redeemer:

Truth is nowhere to be found, and whoever shuns evil becomes a prey. The LORD looked and was displeased that there was no justice. He saw that there was no one, he was appalled that there was no one to intervene; so his own arm worked salvation for him, and his own righteousness sustained him. He put on righteousness as his breastplate, and the helmet of salvation on his head; he put on the garments of vengeance and wrapped himself in zeal as in a cloak.

According to what they have done, so will he repay wrath to his enemies and retribution to his foes; he will repay the islands their due.

From the west, men will fear the name of the LORD, and from the rising of the sun, they will revere his glory. For he will come like a pent-up flood that the breath of the LORD drives along.

"The Redeemer will come to Zion, to those in Jacob who repent of their sins," declares the LORD.

"As for me, this is my covenant with them," says the LORD. "My Spirit, who is on you, and my words that I have put in your mouth will not depart from your mouth, or from the mouths of your children, or from the mouths of their descendants from this time on and forever," says the LORD. (Isaiah 59:15-21)

In Isaiah Chapter 63, the dialogue takes the following form. Isaiah as the observer appears to be standing on the Mt. of Olives in Jerusalem in the midst of the final battles there:

ISAIAH:

Who is this coming from Edom, from Bozrah, with his garments stained crimson? Who is this, robed in splendor, striding forward in the greatness of his strength? (Isaiah 63:1)

MESSIAH, THE WARRIOR KING AND KINSMAN-REDEEMER:

"It is I, speaking in righteousness, mighty to save." Isaiah 63:1 (cont.)

ISAIAH:

Why are your garments red, like those of one treading the winepress? (Isaiah 63:2)

MESSIAH:

"I have trodden the winepress alone; from the nations no one was with me. I trampled them in my anger and trod them down in my wrath; their blood spattered my garments, and I stained all my clothing. For the day of vengeance was in my heart, and the year of my redemption has come." (Isaiah 63:3-4)

The blood spattering His garments is not the blood of His crucifixion, for that work on the cross was completely finished and ended 2000 years earlier. The blood is that of His enemies, slain in battle, and especially the blood of apostate Jews who havejoined the armies of Antichrist to oppose Him.

Micah foretold the same thing.

"I will surely gather all of you, O Jacob; I will surely bring together the remnant of Israel. I will bring them together like sheep in a pen, like a flock in its pasture; the place will throng with people.

One who breaks open the way will go up before them; they will break through the gate and go out. Their king will pass through before them, the LORD at their head." (Micah 2:12-13)

The Final Conversion of Israel

Israel's national prayer for their Messiah to come and to forgive them is found in Hosea Chapters 5 and 6. Reputable scholars believe this prayer must be prayed by the nation as a precondition for their national salvation in the coming of Yeshua the Messiah to save them:

Then I [Yahweh] will go back to my place until they admit their guilt. And they will seek my face; in their misery they will earnestly seek me."

"Come, let us return to the LORD. He has torn us to pieces but he will heal us; he has injured us but he will bind up our wounds. After two days he will revive us; on the third day he will restore us, that we may live in his presence. Let us acknowledge the LORD; let us press on to acknowledge him.

As surely as the sun rises, he will appear; he will come to us like the winter rains, like the spring rains that water the earth." (Hosea 5:15-6:3)

Earlier we traced the escape of a remnant of some thousands--perhaps tens of thousands--of believing Jews from Jerusalem to Petra which will take at the time of the desecration of the Third Temple at the mid-point of the tribulation period.

Yet as the age comes to a full close many passages of Scripture speak of the national conversion of Israel. We have seen that the imagery of the trampling out of the vineyard and the blood like grape juice flowing as high as a horse's bridle up and down the length of Israel will be Jewish blood as God judges the apostate majority of Jews in the land of Israel. In this terrible time for Israel, during the campaign of Armageddon, millions of men from invading Gentile armies in Israel will also meet their violent end. Many unbelieving Jews in Israel will undoubtedly die during this struggle as well. All the while the terrible judgments from God depicted in the Book of the Revelation will devastate the entire earth. Most of mankind will perish and the great infrastructures of the past thousand of years of civilization will be destroyed. The earth will be devastated and wasted.

Jeremiah's words at the time of the destruction of Jerusalem by the Babylonians have a double fulfillment at the time of the end. Here is the beginning of chapter 4:

"If you will return, O Israel, return to me," declares the LORD. "If you put your detestable idols out of my sight and no longer go astray, and if in a truthful, just and righteous way you swear, `As surely as the LORD lives,' then the nations will be blessed by him and in him they will glory." (Jeremiah 40:1-2)

Yet Paul argues in Romans 11 that in spite of all this, "all Israel will be saved."

I do not want you to be ignorant of this mystery, brothers, so that you may not be conceited: Israel has experienced a hardening in part until the full number of the Gentiles has come in.

And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written: "The deliverer will come from Zion; he will turn godlessness away from Jacob. And this is my covenant with them when I take away their sins."

As far as the gospel is concerned, they are enemies on your account; but as far as election is concerned, they are loved on account of the patriarchs, for God's gifts and his call are irrevocable. Just as you who were at one time disobedient to God have now received mercy as a result of their disobedience, so they too have now become disobedient in order that they too may now receive mercy as a result of God's mercy to you. For God has bound all men over to disobedience so that he may have mercy on them all.

Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out!

"Who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been his counselor?" "Who has ever given to God, that God should repay him?"

For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be the glory forever! Amen. (Romans 11:25-36)

Paul is careful to make clear that he is not speaking of each and every Jew being converted, but trueIsrael is limited to those who ultimately believe in Yeshua within the nation. Just how many Jews will be saved at the very end of the age? Zechariah seems to give the clue:

Israel's National Mourning for Yeshua

"And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and supplication. They will look on me, the one they have pierced, and they will mourn for him as one mourns for an only child, and grieve bitterly for him as one grieves for a firstborn son. On that day the weeping in Jerusalem will be great, like the weeping of Hadad Rimmon in the plain of Megiddo. The land will mourn, each clan by itself, with their wives by themselves: the clan of the house of David and their wives, the clan of the house of Nathan and their wives, the clan of the house of Levi and their wives, the clan of Shimei and their wives, and all the rest of the clans and their wives. (Zechariah 12:10-14)

The Final Outcome of Christ's Glorious Return

Returning to the key passage about the return of Christ in glory, we see that He will come back for the purpose of literally reigning on the Earth. As seen above, in the Harvest Judgments, He will first annihilate all the ungodly so that He may begin His reign with people who trust in Him.

His Authority To Reign

On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS. (Revelation 19:16)

In His first coming to earth as Suffering Savior, His right to the Throne of David was thoroughly established, even though, tothe disappointment of some like Judas, He did not come to reign, but to die. When He comes the second time in power and great glory, He will not be entitled merely to the Davidic kingship over Israel, but to the sovereign control of all of the kings andlords (other rulers) of the entire planet which He created, and for which He died. We will briefly discuss this golden period in the next section of the book.

The Death of His Enemies

And I saw an angel standing in the sun, who cried in a loud voice to all the birds flying in midair, "Come, gather together for the great supper of God, so that you may eat the flesh of kings, generals, and mighty men, of horses and their riders, and the flesh of all people, free and slave, small and great." Then I saw the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies gathered together to make war against the rider on the horse and his army.

The rest of them were killed with the sword that came out of the mouth of the rider on the horse, and all the birds gorged themselves on their flesh. (Revelation 19:17-19, 21)

This has already been discussed at length, but we should notice once again that all of the carnage of this dreadful battle will be done by Christ Himself, using the incomprehensible power of His word (the sword that came out of his mouth). His words, which were sufficient to instantly bring the worlds into being , will be more than adequate to make an instant end of this ugly war.

According to Hebrews 9:27, "it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:" (KJV) The death of these rebels is not the end of their story. They will still face the Great White Throne Judgment which will be discussed in the next section.

By contrast, two humans, though they are totally controlled by evil spirits, are judged immediately. They are Antichrist ("the first Beast") and his False Prophet, (the "second beast" --Rev. 13).

The Fate of The Unholy Trinity

But the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet who had performed the miraculous signs on his behalf. With these signs he had deluded those who had received the mark of the beast and worshiped his image. The two of them were thrown alive into the fiery lake of burning sulfur. (Revelation 19:20)

The two Beasts of Revelation 13 - Antichrist and the False Prophet will be immediately dispatched to the Lake of Fire. This is the same place where the ungodly will be sent for eternal punishment at the White Throne judgment which takes place later (Revelation 20:11-15 - see the next chapter).

The Apostle Paul foretold Antichrist's doom in 2 Thessalonians 2:8 where it is said that the Lord Jesus will overthrow him "with the breath of his mouth and destroy by the splendor of his coming"

And I saw an angel coming down out of heaven, having the key to the Abyss and holding in his hand a great chain. He seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil, or Satan, and bound him for a thousand years. He threw him into the Abyss, and locked and sealed it over him, to keep him from deceiving the nations anymore until the thousand years were ended. After that, he must be set free for a short time. (Revelation 20:1-3)

Satan's fate is different than that of his pawns, Antichrist and the False Prophet. He will be cast into the Abyss (the "Bottomless Pit") for a thousand years. He has one last episode of rebellion left to play out at the end of The Millennium. He will instigate one last war--it will be discussed in the next section also.

What an incredible scene is presented to the student of prophecy at the end of the Battle of Armageddon. It is a scene of mind-numbing destruction after man's battles against man, supernatural plagues on the Earth, the greatest earthquake of all time, and the sudden death of all of Christ's enemies! But it is also a scene of breathtaking glory: the glory of God the Son, standing in all His holiness and righteousness, demonstrating His everlasting love to the faithful who have survived these seven dreadful years. He is poised-- ready to rebuild a new perfect environment for those who have remained true to Him. He is surrounded by the holy angels, and all the saints of the Church Age who will help Him.

This is not the "End of the World," but the beginning of new and better things! There is much more to come, and for those who trust in Christ, it is all good!
 

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