Category Archive: Prophecy Studies

Jan 04

2012: The Year of Fear is Here

Interesting article by Gary Stearman from Prophecy in the News around 2012 and what may be ahead for us on Earth. Keep looking up!

2012: The Year of Fear is Here!

By Gary Stearman on January 1, 2012

It has arrived: The year that has captured the world’s imagination has come at last. Before going any further, we should say that the key word for this year is anxiety. People everywhere are displaying a range of unsettling emotion that ranges from apprehension to outright fear.

As we shall see, there are actually many good reasons for this phenomenon. We’ll begin by looking at the issues behind the global fear.

First, we need to offer a word of spiritual sense. The Bible tells us not to fear the urgencies of this world, but rather to fear God, Himself. As the Bible makes abundantly clear, Christians have nothing to fear. A bit later, we’ll see that the Bible speaks words of faith that seem expressly directed to the fears that plague the year 2012. Before that, let’s take a closer look at a list of what the world fears today.

A Litany of Fright

An abbreviated review of the litany of fright includes: Earthquakes (and they are increasing), wild weather (“global warming,” “climate change”), global bankruptcy, monetary pilfering by government leaders, multinational bankruptcies and the threat of collapsing democracies.

On every street corner, the cry is heard: “Buy gold! Soon your money will be worthless!” The specter of class economic warfare is burgeoning into full-blown public demonstrations. Street-marches (“Occupy Wall Street,” to name one) are now commonplace, threatening to become large-scale mass rallies. Revolutionaries are calling for new governments.

In the Mideast, the Islamic Brotherhood moves inexorably toward its vaunted caliphate, first regional, then global. Above all, as it calls for “death to Israel!” and “death to America!” The news is filled with the horrifying portents of an approaching war in Israel. Once they are unleashed, they will almost certainly intensify to global dimensions. Perhaps there will be a nuclear war.

On the cultural side, Christians are increasingly portrayed as the cause of social unrest, as we resist trends toward greater “sexual freedom.” Abortion as birth control, as well as social and population control, is more and more accepted.

As the world moves toward “Gay/Lesbian/Bisexual/Transgender” equality, we are lampooned as hopelessly outmoded simpletons who cling to a worthless myth led by a first-century charismatic social idealist whose life was cut short by the Romans. Jesus was only a disillusioned idealist whose scattered disciples “invented” a religion that is now outmoded.

At the same time, more and more openly, Christians criticize each other with conflicting views of Israel’s biblical validity, anti-Zionism, replacement theology, amillennialism, postmillienialism, preterism, the Antichrist, the pretribulation rapture, Gnosticism, social justice, etc. etc. Jews are being blamed for the unrest that surrounds their tiny country. Once again, anti-Semitism in the Western nations is on the rise.

As believers attempt to counter such godless trends, they are singled out as foolish idealists who obstruct real progress toward a new world of peace and prosperity.

Nor does this growing agnosticism exist in a vacuum. It brings with it a multitude of bizarre false beliefs. The strange worlds of spiritism … ghost hunting, clairvoyance, vampirism and mentalism in general … are now accepted. These metaphysical beliefs are accompanied by belief in so-called extraterrestrial phenomena.

Threats from outer space are the stuff of videos, computer games and movies. Exposure to such suggestive material has produced the belief that extraterrestrial intervention is man’s only hope. In this arena, recent ominous signs and sightings have produced an escalating anxiety in the hearts of men.

Just beneath the surface of the social order, there is the bubbling ferment of a government UFO conspiracy, which diligently covers up its longstanding interactions with ambassadors from other star systems. There is a widespread yearning for government “disclosure.” Why won’t they tell us what they know? Are they afraid, too? Have they made dark agreements with superior extraterrestrials that they can’t back away from? Are the ETs here because they know that our planet is about to experience a cosmic catastrophe?

“Doomsday!” This word isn’t just being whispered; it’s shouted. Sensing growing public interest, the global media fan the flames of conflict, selling the news as they create it.

The  2012 Prophecies

As if all this weren’t enough, amateur soothsayers of every stripe are excited about the mystical potential of the year 2012. In decades past, as archaeologists began to decipher Mayan pictographs, they discovered the famous “long count” calender. It features a 5,126-year cycle, which began in 3,114 BC. It is divided into 394-year periods called “Baktuns,” the 13th of which ends on December 21st, of our year 2012.

Apparently, because the Mayans considered the number 13 to be sacred, the completion of this grand cycle has been assumed as the fulfillment of conditions that will lead to some prophetic event. However, archaeological experts who can read their ancient pagan hieroglyphs insist that the Mayans, themselves, never prophesied that the end of this cycle would portend anything specific. But even though they never predicted any event, the temptation to connect world events to the end of the 13th Baktun was too great to ignore. Enthusiastic “prophets” felt that this date marked something significant … perhaps the return of the Mayan’s serpent-god Kukulkan.

Some have gone so far as to reason that Kukulkan and his retinue were the “gods from outer space” of popular literature. Perhaps they are the extraterrestrial ufonauts, who birthed our infant culture, and have returned to help mankind surmount its difficult transition.

Others, following two thousand years of Messianic hope fostered by the Christian church, have stated that another Mayan god – Bolan Yokte – would return to save humanity. Amazingly, some of them even link Christ with this strange Mayan god! They say that he was the Mayan revelation of Jesus! Such blasphemies abound among spiritualist believers. To them, the end of the Mayan calendar constitutes the fulfillment of major prophecy.

There is a persuasive resurgence of the decades-old “New Age” philosophy that revolves around “contactees” who ostensibly have received “mental messages” from ufonauts who have piloted their flying saucers here from the famous “Zeta Reticuli,” and a host of other star systems. Whether through meditation or cranial implants, these people claim to have information telling them that massive shifts in the Solar System are about to take place. Earth, they say, is about to be bombarded with cataclysmic transformation, including changes to the Earth’s tilt, orbit, and continental plate tectonics.

And our summary of current anxieties would not be complete without mentioning the belief in the coming of The Twelfth Planet, the title of a 1976 book by Zechariah Sitchin. In an amazingly complex interpretation of ancient Mesopotamian texts, Sitchin reasoned that in ancient days, our Sun was surrounded by twelve planets. Some were destroyed in collisions, leaving the wandering planet Niburu, whose long elliptical orbit brings it back to the inner Solar system every few thousand years.

Now, Niburu, sometimes referred to as Planet X, has returned. Those who follow the theory of a 2012 cataclysm even believe that this planet’s return is timed in such a way that it will coincide with the Mayan “prophecy” of December 21st. They insist that this giant wandering sphere is now so close that it can even be faintly seen. A host of observers claim to have photographs of it, and believe that within a few months it will be here. They believe they’re witnessing the closing days of the Mayan calendar cycle, insisting that humanity is on the brink of its greatest crisis.

They believe that only the intervention of “gods from outer space” can save us. But as a matter of cold fact, theirs is only a confusing counterfeit of the Messianic hope that lies at the center of Christianity.

Prophecies, and Fear

Bible-believing Christians shouldn’t be surprised at the way world events point toward an extraordinary chain of events. Our Lord told his disciples that things like this would happen. And after all, for decades, preachers have been saying that we’re living in the end times and that, “Jesus is coming soon!” Given this proclamation, it would be strange if normal, calm conditions still prevailed. He told them:

“And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring;

“Men’s hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken” (Luke 21:25,26).

Concerning this particular prophecy, one could argue that since Jesus is speaking of the Tribulation here, these words don’t apply to us, today. Of course they don’t, but the precursors of this prophecy seem to be manifesting themselves today.

Furthermore, there are many prophecies stating that humanity will begin to experience such cataclysms prior to the Tribulation. Foremost among these is that of the prophet Joel, who specifically stated that there would be fearful signs in the natural world prior to the Tribulation:

“And I will shew wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke.

“The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and the terrible day of the LORD come” (Joel 2:30,31).

It seems likely that we are beginning to see these things at the present time.

A Prophetic Psalm

This being the case, it is incumbent upon us to remember that the Lord will always provide peace and security for his saints … even in the worst of times. We recall the fact that many years ago, J.R. Church discovered a prophetic principle that had been noted by others, but never deciphered. Building upon the ancient Jewish idea that the sages considered the Psalms to be a history of Israel, he discerned that the Psalms laid out the history of Israel year by year in the twentieth century, and beyond.

He wrote about this principle in his book Hidden Prophecies in the Psalms, noting that each of the Psalms seemed to apply to a year in the Gentile calendar. Psalm 19, the year 1919, Psalm 48, the year 1948, Psalm 107, the year 2007, and so on. In the year 2012, this would bring us to Psalm 112.

And wonder of wonders, the subject of this particular Psalm is faith, in the face of fearful events to come! This is the very meaning of the Psalm. Its words of consolation speak with special urgency to the believer entering a year of trepidation. It carries a special blessing for the man who heeds its words.

We reprint the Psalm here in its entirety. Note the amazing “coincidences” that link it with the theme of this year. (Of course, in the Lord, there are no coincidences.)

It begins by urging the believer to fear the Lord, not coming events on planet Earth. It promises light in darkness. It speaks of the faithful man as immovable, and unafraid of evil tidings. He will not be shaken by news of threats to come, and not be afraid. The heart of the faithful is established (supported), so that it shall not fall.

In the end, the enemy of the faithful man will be frustrated, finally falling away completely. Read these words carefully. They seem specifically formulated for a time such as this.

Psalm 112

“Praise ye the LORD. Blessed is the man that feareth the LORD, that delighteth greatly in his commandments.
“His seed shall be mighty upon earth: the generation of the upright shall be blessed.
“Wealth and riches shall be in his house: and his righteousness endureth for ever.
“Unto the upright there ariseth light in the darkness: he is gracious, and full of compassion, and righteous.
“A good man sheweth favour, and lendeth: he will guide his affairs with discretion.
“Surely he shall not be moved for ever: the righteous shall be in everlasting remembrance.
“He shall not be afraid of evil tidings: his heart is fixed, trusting in the LORD.
“His heart is established, he shall not be afraid, until he see his desire upon his enemies.
“He hath dispersed, he hath given to the poor; his righteousness endureth for ever; his horn shall be exalted with honour.
“The wicked shall see it, and be grieved; he shall gnash with his teeth, and melt away: the desire of the wicked shall perish” (Psalm 112:1-10).

The year of fear may be here, but we can take refuge in the providence of the Lord. The words of this Psalm directly contradict the world’s evaluation of our current situation. It’s hard to imagine a greater contrast between fear and faith. Throughout the Bible, there are many similar statements. In the year of fear, we would do well to remember the words of Solomon:
“In the fear of the LORD is strong confidence: and his children shall have a place of refuge” (Prov. 14:26).

Permanent link to this article: http://discerningthetimes.me/2012/01/04/2012-the-year-of-fear-is-here/

Dec 17

The Psalm 83 Payback

Therefore know that the LORD your God, He is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and mercy for a thousand generations with those who love Him and keep His commandments; and He repays those who hate Him to their face, to destroy them. He will not be slack with him who hates Him; He will repay him to his face. (Deuteronomy 7:9-10, nkjv)

Did you know that there are those who hate the Lord? It seems unfathomable and unimaginable! I’m not alluding to the arrogant atheist that denies the existence of the Lord. Or the Hindu that believes the Lord shares his throne with a multiplicity of pagan deities. Rather, I’m referring to a sizeable block of Arab Muslim populations that want to discredit the Lord’s covenant making character altogether by destroying the Jews.

These Deuteronomy verses clearly state that the Lord repays those who hate Him. But how does one demonstrate a genuine hatred on earth of a God that resides in heaven? One primary method is to attack covenants made between God and man. The specific covenant alluded to in the above verses is the Abrahamic covenant. We recognize this from Deuteronomy 7:12 two verses later.

Then it shall come to pass, because you listen to these judgments, and keep and do them, that the LORD your God will keep with you [Israelis] the covenant and the mercy which He swore to your fathers. [Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob]

Prefacing all the above, Deuteronomy 7:6-8 reminds us that the Lord elected the Jews as a chosen people making them the benefactors of this oath.

“For you are a holy people to the LORD your God; the LORD your God has chosen you to be a people for Himself, a special treasure above all the peoples on the face of the earth. The LORD did not set His love on you nor choose you because you were more in number than any other people, for you were the least of all peoples; but because the LORD loves you, and because He would keep the oath which He swore to your fathers, the LORD has brought you out with a mighty hand, and redeemed you from the house of bondage, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt.

We can surmise that the Abrahamic covenant must still be in effect because Deuteronomy 7:9 declares that the Lord keeps his (Abrahamic) covenant for a thousand generations, which would be 40,000, 70,000, or 100,000 years depending on which biblical generation model you select.

Actually, Genesis 17:7-8, 13, and 19 inform that the Abrahamic Covenant is everlasting, and Genesis 13:15 and Jeremiah 31:35-36 promises that the Jewish race will survive forever. However, for the purposes of this article a thousand generations sufficiently makes the point that the Jews are going to be around for a very long time. Especially when you consider that the Abrahamic covenant has only been operational for approximately 4,000 years.

Interestingly, about 3,000 years ago the Hebrew seer Asaph said the following.[i]

For behold, Your enemies make a tumult; And those who hate You have lifted up their head…They have said, “Come, and let us cut them off from being a nation, That the name of Israel may be remembered no more.” (Psalm 83:2, 4 nkjv).

Who possesses the gumption to hate the Lord and desires to eradicate Israel? According to Asaph’s above verses the Lord has both enemies, and haters! The enemies make a tumult, but the haters have lifted their head against the Lord, rather than bowed it before Him. The New American Standard Version of the Bible says the haters have “exalted themselves.”

Interestingly 1 Peter 5:5-6 preaches that people should resist pride and be humble, therefore allowing the Lord to exalt the meek in due time. But, apparently patience and humility are not virtues possessed by these haters. Asaph rightly labels them as haters because they want to destroy Israel to defame the Lord.

The attached table identifies and delineates between the enemies and haters listed in Psalm 83:6-8. The probable haters are those boldly italicized within the image. Moreover, the image identifies their modern day equivalents alongside their ancient titles. Coincidentally, the haters all have familial ties with the Jewish patriarchs, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

The Edomites descended from Jacob’s twin brother Esau. They are listed first among the Psalm 83 confederates. This identifies them as the lead participant of the prophecy. Moreover, they are dwelling in tents when the Psalm prophecy occurs. This suggests that they are refugees at the time. Interestingly, residing within today’s Palestinian refugees is an ethnic contingency of Edomites. Genesis 27:41 declares that Esau hated Jacob and desired his death. This hatred is still evident today exemplified by the facts that the Palestinians don’t recognize Israel as the Jewish state, or include maps of Israel in their children’s educational text books.

The Ishmaelites descended from Isaac’s half-brother Ishmael. Ishmael is highly venerated over Isaac in the religion of Islam. Ishmael is commonly called the “father of the Arabs.” Ishmael severely mocked Isaac when he was weaned according to Genesis 21:9. Isaac’s weaning identified him as the rightful heir to the Abrahamic covenant. Ishmael’s scoffing displayed his covetous disposition. This disdain toward the Israelis is evident in Ishmael’s Saudi descendants today. Saudi Arabia forbids the building of synagogues and churches along with the worship of the God of the Bible.

The Hagarenes primarily descended through Ishmael, the son of Hagar the Egyptian, concubine of Abraham. Hagar had her share of jealous bouts with Abraham’s wife Sarah.

The Moabites and Ammonites descended from Abraham’s nephew Lot, making them the cousins of the Hebrews. Their history was shrouded with conflicts and territorial disputes over the Promised Land with their Hebrew cousins.

The Amalekites were descendants of Esau’s grandson Amalek, (Genesis 36:12) thus making Abraham Amalek’s great-grandfather. The Amalekites were the first to attack the Hebrews after their exodus from Egypt.

Thus, there were mothers, sons, brothers, cousins, and great grandkids that spawned an ancient hatred of the Jews. This perpetual enmity is acknowledged in Ezekiel 25:15 and 35:5. These haters coveted the rich contents of the covenant the Lord made with the Jewish patriarchs. The patriarchs were promised;

  1. 1. A great name and nation (Genesis 12:2),
  2. 2. A comprehensive and binding international foreign policy (Genesis 12:3),
  3. 3. Eternal descendants (Genesis 13;15),
  4. 4. A Promised Land (Genesis 15:18),
  5. 5. An eternal throne (kingdom) (2 Samuel 7:12-15)
  6. 6. An everlasting law (Jeremiah 31:31-34),
  7. 7. A Messianic seed to bless all the families of the earth (Genesis 26:4, 28:14).

The additional attached image displays the biblical accounts of the family feuds between the benefactors of the Abrahamic covenant and those who coveted its rich contents.

The opening verses of this article state that the Lord repays those who hate Him to their face. Unlike the coward that shoots a man when his back is turned, the Lord assures the haters that they will recognize the hand that repays them for their hatred of Israel.

Psalm 83 predicts the formation of an Arab confederacy that will someday attempt the annihilation of the Jews. This futile attempt will fail because the Lord keeps His covenant and mercy for a thousand generations. The Israel Defense Forces appear to exist today as the Lord’s tool to repay those who hate Him to their face. The scriptures concerning this Arab verses IDF face-off are identified in my book Revelation Road, Hope Beyond the Horizon.

God is love according to 1 John 4:16, and yet Malachi 1:3 points out that the Lord has hated Esau. The connection to be made is that long ago through Abraham and Isaac that God covenanted with Jacob, Esau’s twin brother. This covenant is in place for at least 1000 generations, meaning that it is still effective today. Similar to the hatred Esau exhibited toward Jacob nearly 3900 years ago, his Edomite descendants demonstrate today against Jacob’s descendants, the Israelis.

Ultimately Esau’s Edomite descendants, representing today’s Palestinians, make a covenant of their own that is contrary to the longstanding one between the Lord and Israel.

For they [the Arabs] have consulted together with one consent; Against thee [the Lord] do they make a covenant: (Psalm 83:5, asv).

The Hebrew word used here for covenant is berith and it is the same word used for the Lord’s covenant with Abraham regarding the Promised Land in Genesis 15:18. Therefore, in the climactic clash of the covenants, which Psalm 83:12 informs concerns the Promised Land, only one covenant can prevail. The Lord’s will win out!

In conclusion, God is love. He proved this by sending His only begotten son, Jesus Christ, to die for man’s sins on the cross of Calvary approximately 2000-years ago. If the Lord had His druthers, He would obviously prefer that the Arabs respected His unconditional covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. However, since they don’t, they leave Him no choice but to prevent them from destroying the Jews.

Events stage-setting in the Middle East today suggest that Psalm 83 is an imminent event. The Arabs are about to face off with the Jews, but, in so doing they will demonstrate their disdain toward the Lord. Before they pull the trigger and bullets begin to fly they should read Deuteronomy 7:9-10, because once the battle begins it’s too late, and the Lord will repay them to their face for their hatred.


Permanent link to this article: http://discerningthetimes.me/2011/12/17/the-psalm-83-payback/

Dec 13

Jerusalem: A Cup of Trembling

A Cup of Trembling

By Jack Kelley

This is the word of the Lord concerning Israel. The Lord, Who stretches out the Heavens Who lays the foundations of the Earth, and Who forms the spirit of man within him declares, “I am going to make Jerusalem a cup that sends all the surrounding peoples reeling. Judah will be besieged as well as Jerusalem.

On that day when all the nations of the earth are gathered against her I will make Jerusalem an immovable rock for all the nations. All who try to move it will injure themselves” (Zech 12:1-3).

True, the ultimate fulfillment of this passage will come at the very end of the age, but a careful reading shows the progressive nature of the prophecy. First the surrounding nations will be sent reeling, with both Judah (West Bank) and Jerusalem besieged. Ultimately all the nations of the earth will be involved, and those who move against Jerusalem will wind up injuring themselves. And please don’t miss the way the Author identifies Himself: the One Who stretches out the heavens, lays the foundation of the earth and forms man’s spirit within him. Not much doubt as to Who’s speaking, so we better pay attention.

When Will These Things Happen?

It’s safe to say that all the nations of the earth are troubled over Jerusalem today. They realize the ease with which the whole world could be drawn into a conflict in the Middle East. And almost all are already aligned against Jerusalem. Remember, the prophecy is initially focused on the surrounding peoples and indicates that Judah and Jerusalem will be besieged. The degree to which this part of the prophecy is already being fulfilled is frightening. Much of the land bordering Israel has become little more than an armed camp, filled with troops at the ready.

Hezbollah has been moving their rockets and missiles into position again with Lebanon’s full support, while steadily increasing their inventories of weaponry. Syria also has troops along Israel’s northern border as well as missiles set to fire upon Israeli cities. In the South Hamas and the PA are no less prepared. Recent reports confirm that large numbers of rockets and missiles from Libya have turned up in Gaza. Together, these next door neighbors claim that every city in Israel is now within missile range. In it’s headline report on Dec. 5, 2011 Debkafile assessed the likelihood of war in the Middle East, including an Israeli attack on Iran, to be very high between mid-December and mid-January. The US and Russia have both stationed powerful fleets in the Eastern Mediterranean against this possibility. There’s still time for diplomacy but for now no one believes a diplomatic solution will be forthcoming.

Psalm 83

As a result, this is beginning to look like a run-up to Psalm 83, a battle that’s never happened, but involves all of Israel’s next door neighbors in an effort to “destroy them as a nation, that the name of Israel be remembered no more” (Psalm 83:4). The Psalmist pleads with God to pursue Israel’s neighbors with His tempest and terrify them with His storm so they will perish in disgrace (Psalm 83:15-17). I believe his prayer will be answered because this outcome is necessary to set the stage for Ezekiel 38-39.

Isaiah 17, An Oracle Against Damascus

We should also consider what could be a related prophecy from Isaiah 17. It was partially fulfilled in 732 BC when the Assyrians conquered Damascus (Aram). But never did Damascus cease to be inhabited as the prophecy requires (Isaiah 17:1). In fact to this day Damascus is described as the oldest continuously inhabited city in the world, over 5000 years and counting. The fortified city in vs. 3 was Samaria, capital of the Northern Kingdom of Israel. It was destroyed by the Assyrians in 722 BC. The Northern Kingdom consisted of the 10 tribes of Israel who rebelled in the religious upheaval that followed King Solomon’s death and was allied with Damascus against Assyria. Like Damascus it was defeated and its people carried off into captivity. Since Damascus was never destroyed and never ceased being inhabited, the world may have seen a partial fulfillment in history that points to a total fulfillment yet future to us.

Validating Prophecy

This is not unusual in Bible prophecy where the complete fulfillment of a passage may unfold over thousands of years. You receive an example of this in the mail every Christmas. It comes in the form of a Christmas card that says,

“For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given. And the government will be on his shoulders. And He will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace” (Isa 9:6).

The passage goes on to explain that He will sit on David’s throne and reign in peace forever.

Only the first phrase of this passage has come to pass. The Child was born, the Son was given. The rest of the passage awaits His 2nd coming, but the fact that He was born confirms that the rest will take place as well. Partial fulfillment is the Lord’s way of validating End Times prophecies thousands of years in advance.

The Oracle against Damascus is a lot like the one against Babylon in Isaiah 13-14, where Babylon is also described as being so totally destroyed that it would never be inhabited again. For many years scholars believed this prophecy was fulfilled when the Medes and Persians conquered Babylon about 535 BC. It took the Gulf War to show us that Saddam Hussein had spent billions re-building Babylon, and to realize that Babylon was never destroyed in the manner the Bible describes. It has in fact been occupied almost continuously since its construction 2700 years ago. The City of Babylon will play a major role in world events at the end of the age before its final and total destruction, foretold in Rev. 18.

Back To Damascus

Admittedly the Oracle against Damascus in Isaiah 17 is somewhat more obscure. Scholars who place fulfillment of this passage in our time rely on four things:

  1. The phrase in vs. 1 “Damascus will no longer be a city”
  2. The multiple use of the phrase “in that day” through out the passage (vs. 4, 7, 9) which often hints of the end times
  3. Men will “Look to their Maker and turn their eyes to the Holy One of Israel,” see below,
  4. The mention of many nations in vs.12-14 would seem to include more than just Assyria.

Regarding point 3 there was a temporary revival in the southern kingdom under King Hezekiah that spared Jerusalem from the Assyrians, but nowhere is a revival in the northern kingdom or among the Arameans (Damascus was the capital of Aram) or Assyrians mentioned in history. And yet in Isaiah 19:23-25 Assyria is mentioned with Egypt and Israel as being called “My people, My handiwork, and My inheritance” by God in the millennium. This reconciliation with God is still in the future.

Soon And Very Soon

The USA and Europe have been warning Israel that an attack on Iran would not only result in a wider war in the Middle East, but would also deliver a severe blow to an already reeling world economy. Because of this US Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta recently said that Israel has to come to terms with a Nuclear Iran, an Islamized Middle East, and reliance on the US for protection.

Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu said sometimes making a risky decision carries a heavy price, but the price for not making it would be heavier. Reliable observers interpret this to mean when the time comes to attack Iran, whatever repercussions it could cause will not be considered in light of the threat to Israel’s continued existence. We’ll soon know whether that time has come.

You can almost hear the Footsteps of the Messiah!

Permanent link to this article: http://discerningthetimes.me/2011/12/13/jerusalem-a-cup-of-trembling/

Nov 13

Iran and the Mahdi

Why would Iran authorize a major terrorist operation on American soil? Skeptics say the much-discussed “foiled” Iranian plot makes no sense. We will know soon enough if the Feds have sufficient evidence related to this specific plot. But Iranian leaders may, in fact, have a motive to accelerate direct attacks on the U.S.: Shia Islamic eschatology, or “End Times” theology.

Iran’s Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad are convinced that the End of Days has come. They believe the Shia messiah known as the “Twelfth Imam” or the “Mahdi” will appear soon to establish a global Islamic kingdom known as the caliphate.

What’s more, they believe the way to hasten the coming of the Twelfth Imam is to annihilate Israel (which they call the “Little Satan”), and the United States (which they call the “Great Satan”). We should not, therefore, be surprised that Iran is probing for weaknesses in American intelligence and homeland security.

Khamenei told Iranians in July 2010 that he personally met with the Twelfth Imam. He also claimed to be the personal representative of the Mahdi on earth, and said all Muslims must “obey him.” Meanwhile, Western intelligence agencies say he continues to work with Ahmadinejad and the Iranian military to develop nuclear warheads and the ballistic missiles to deliver them.

Much of the media has focused on Iran’s threats to wipe Israel “off the map.” But journalists have generally ignored the fact that the Iranian regime is equally determined to destroy the United States.

On October 26, 2005, for example, Ahmadinejad said, “God willing, with the force of God behind it, we shall soon experience a world without the United States and Zionism.”

On June 2, 2008, Ahmadinejad said, “Today, the time for the fall of the satanic power of the United States has come, and the countdown to the annihilation of the emperor of power and wealth has started.”

Iran’s leaders actually believe that the destruction of the U.S. is foreordained, just as the Soviet Union’s implosion was predetermined. They see U.S. economic weakness as a sign that the end of America is near.

Other signs include President Obama’s political weakness in the polls and his unwillingness to use force against Iran even after the Iranian murder of Americans in Iraq, Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia and Lebanon over the years.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu sees the gravity of the situation. “The Obama presidency has two great missions: fixing the economy, and preventing Iran from gaining nuclear weapons,” he told The Atlantic magazine in March 2009. “You don’t want a messianic apocalyptic cult controlling atomic bombs,” Netanyahu said of the Iranian leadership. “When the wide-eyed believer gets hold of the reins of power and the weapons of mass death, then the entire world should start worrying, and that is what is happening in Iran.”’

Unfortunately, Netanyahu hasn’t seen the Obama administration strengthen the American economy or take decisive measures to stop Iran from getting the Bomb, and he is getting anxious. “The international community must stop Iran before it’s too late,” Netanyahu warned in his United Nations speech last month. “If Iran is not stopped, we will all face the specter of nuclear terrorism, and the Arab Spring could soon become an Iranian winter….The world around Israel is definitely becoming more dangerous.”

To truly understand how just how dangerous Iran’s regime really is, American leaders need to better understand Shia eschatology.

The Twelfth Imam was a real, flesh-and-blood person who, like the eleven Shia leaders who went before him, was an Arab male, a direct descendent of the founder of Islam, and was thought to have been divinely chosen to be the spiritual guide and ultimate human authority of the Muslim people. His actual name was Muhammad Ibn Hasan Ibn Ali, and it is generally believed by Shias that he was born in Samarra, Iraq, in AD 868.

At a very young age, however, Ali vanished from society. Some say he was four years old, while others say five and some say six. Some believe he fell into a well in Samarra but his body was never recovered. Others believe the Mahdi’s mother placed him in the well to prevent evil rulers from capturing him and killing him, and that little Ali subsequently became supernaturally invisible. This is where the term “Hidden Imam” is derived, as Shias believe that Ali is not dead but has simply been hidden from the sight of mankind – Shias refer to this as “occultation” – until the End of Days, when Allah will reveal him once again.

Shias believe the Mahdi will return in the last days to establish righteousness, justice, and peace. When he comes, they say, the Mahdi will bring Jesus with him. Jesus will be a Muslim and will serve as his deputy, not as King of kings and Lord of lords as the Bible teaches, and he will force non-Muslims to choose between following the Mahdi or death.

By most accounts, Shia scholars believe the Mahdi will first appear in Mecca and conquer the Middle East, then establish the headquarters of his global Islamic government—or caliphate—in Iraq. But there is not universal agreement. Some believe he will emerge from the well at the Jamkaran Mosque in Iran and then travel to Mecca and Iraq. Some say that he will conquer Jerusalem before establishing his caliphate in Iraq. Others believe Jerusalem must be conquered as a prerequisite to his return.

None of this is actually written in the Kuran, and Sunnis reject this eschatology.

But one thing that is fairly well agreed upon among devout “Twelvers” is that the Mahdi will end apostasy and purify corruption within Islam. He is expected to conquer the Arabian Peninsula, Jordan, Syria, “Palestine,” Egypt and North Africa, and eventually the entire world. During this time, he and Jesus will kill between 60 and 80 percent of the world’s population, specifically those who refuse to convert to Islam.

Ayatollah Ibrahim Amini, a professor at the Religious Learning Centre in Qom, wrote a noteworthy book entitled, Al-Imam al-Mahdi, the Just Leader of Humanity, describing the connection between Shia eschatology and Iranian foreign policy. “Those who persist in their disbelief and wickedness shall be killed by the soldiers of the Mahdi,” wrote Amini. “The only victorious government in the entire world will be that of Islam, and people will devotedly endeavor to protect it. Islam will be the religion of everyone, and will enter all the nations of the world. . . .The Mahdi will offer the religion of Islam to the Jews and the Christians; if they accept it they will be spared, otherwise they will be killed. . . . It seems unlikely that this catastrophe can be avoided. . . . Warfare and bloodshed [are] inevitable. . . The Imam of the Age and his supporters will overcome the forces of disbelief and godless materialism by undertaking jihad.”

In light of such End Times theology, we shouldn’t be surprised that the Iranian regime is taking a more aggressive posture towards the U.S. and Israel. Instead, we should be taking decisive measures to prevent Iran from blind-siding us in the not-too-distant future with a nuclear terrorist attack or even an electromagnetic pulse (EMP) attack.

Unfortunately, most of Washington and the world’s leadership is asleep to the prospect of this gathering storm. It is time to wake up, before it’s too late.

Permanent link to this article: http://discerningthetimes.me/2011/11/13/iran-and-the-mahdi-2/

Oct 23

Fresh Water Under Dead Sea

A Ben-Gurion University research team has discovered a series of deep freshwater springs that spring from the floor of the Dead Sea and help replenish the body’s dwindling water supply, while a German group has meanwhile pinpointed new types of microorganisms growing in fissures on the saline seafloor near the springs, the university announced.

The BGU team, led by Prof. Jonathan Laronne and research student Yaniv Munwes from the Department of Geography and Environmental Development, is funded by the Sustainable Management of Water Resources in the Dead Sea Area Project of 2008-2011 from the Federal Ministry of Education and Research of Germany.

Dead Sea groundwater springs have been known and visible for decades as they produce ripples on the water surface, but the current research has given scientists the ability to study springs that are hidden from the eye, according to the statement.

Much like the Dead Sea itself, the springs have been around for thousands of years, and while it is “uncertain” whether they’ve existed quite as long as their host body of water, they have been there “for a very long time indeed,” Laronne told The Jerusalem Post.

While his team has not yet determined how much water the springs are contributing to the Dead Sea each day, “the methodology to do so now exists,” Laronne added.

In a separate, concurrent study, the second team to announce its Dead Sea findings – of newly discovered microorganisms paving the seafloor near these same springs – is led by Hebrew University graduate Dr. Danny Ionescu of the Microcensor Group at the Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology in Bremen, Germany, the BGU statement said.

Some of the microorganisms discovered by Ionescu’s group have never before been found to survive in such highly saline environments, according to the statement.

“Never before have microbial mats/biofilms been found in the Dead Sea and not much is known about sediment microorganisms in the Dead Sea,” Ionescu said in the statement. (Jerusalem Post, 22 September 2011)
This near sensational discovery of underwater springs in the Dead Sea is quite puzzling to most people, including the researchers.

From prophetic Scripture, we know that the geographic area of the Dead Sea will experience a renewal. The prophet Ezekiel makes this astonishing statement in chapter 47, verses 10-11:

“And it shall come to pass, that the fishers shall stand upon it from Engedi even unto Eneglaim; they shall be a place to spread forth nets; their fish shall be according to their kinds, as the fish of the great sea, exceeding many. But the miry places thereof and the marishes thereof shall not be healed; they shall be given to salt.”

Permanent link to this article: http://discerningthetimes.me/2011/10/23/fresh-water-under-dead-sea/

Oct 15

The End of the Last Days

Here is an interesting study from Matt Leasher on how we are in the last of the Last Days. People and believers are scoffing about the Lord’s return! Read and understand!

The End Of The Last Days

Permanent link to this article: http://discerningthetimes.me/2011/10/15/the-end-of-the-last-days/

Sep 21

The Future in Reverse

A foundational teaching to always keep in mind throughout this study is Eccl. 1:9, “that which has been is what will be, that which is done is what will be done, and there is nothing new under the sun.”

There are patterns in Scripture that we need to be aware of like the significance of the number of 40 days. Jesus was alive for 40 days at the end of His ministry and at the beginning He fasted for 40 days while He was tempted in the desert.

Things generally end the way they begin. History repeats itself. Here is a historical example from the life of JFK and Abraham Lincoln:

1. They were elected exactly 100 years apart.

2. Both of their VPs were born 100 years apart.

3. Both of their assassins were born 100 years apart.

4. Both were shot in the head in the presence of their wife.

5. Both lost a child while living in the White House.

6. Lincoln was shot in the Ford Theater and Kennedy was shot in a Ford Lincoln auto.

7. Lincoln had a secretary named Kennedy; Kennedy had a secretary named Lincoln.

Interesting patterns.

From a biblical perspective we can see the end from the beginning as well. We have the story of the end of this age foretold in the first 11 chapters of Genesis in reverse. There are words, phrases and clues that parallel the end of days. Let’s begin:

1. Genesis chapter 11: deals with the Tower of Babel and the nations. There is a universal language much like English is the universal language today. A tower was built and destroyed. If we look at what caused our world to change in the last ten years it was the events of 9/11 and the destruction of the Twin Towers. What is interesting even more is that the Tower of Babel was located in modern day Iraq where we have spent much of the last 10 years in reaction to the destruction of the World Trade Center.

2. Genesis chapter 10: has a pattern that deals with the sons of Japeth who were Gomer, Magog, Tubal and Meschech. Do these names ring a bell? How about the Battle of Gog and Magog and the nations mentioned in Ezekiel 38-39. This battle is yet future but will happen.

3. Genesis chapter 9: discusses the days of Noah. Jesus makes reference to these days as a sign of His return. If you look at verse 6 in Genesis 9 you can see murder and abortion. In verse 21 you see Noah drunk or drunkenness and in verse 22 you have the episode with Canaan and the issue of homosexuality.

4. Genesis chapter 8: we have mention of the dove and is mentioned 3 different times. We know from Matthew 3:16 that the dove is a picture of the Holy Spirit. This is a picture of God pouring out His Spirit in the last days. This will happen prior to the Rapture oif the Church.

5. Genesis chapter 7: the key verse here is verse 11. The fountains of the deep are broken up and the windows of heaven are opened. This shows us the storms and other signs and wonders Jesus spoke of prior to His return in Matthew 24, Luke 21 and Mark 13.

6. Genesis chapter 6 – this chapter tells us that the earth has become extremely populated. That the thought of man was continually evil and that violence filled the earth. Sounds like today.

7. Genesis chapter 5: this is where Enoch is out walking with the Lord and is cuaght up or translated into heaven. This is a picture of the Rapture.

8. Genesis chapter 4: here we have Cain killing Abel. During the Tribulation period people will be martyred for their faith. Cain has a mark put on his head. Sound familiar. The Mark of the Beast will be instituted during the Tribulation Period. Cain also mentions that his punishment is 7 fold. The Tribulation period is 7 years in length.

9. Genesis chapter 3: this chapter deals with the binding of Satan. Verse 15 of Genesis 3 deals with the prophecy of the Messiah and His crushing of the seed of the serpent. Rev. 20 we see the binding or defeat of Satan.

10. Genesis chapter 2: Jesus rules and reigns for 1,000 years. We see in the language of chapter 2 of Genesis the millennial kingdom pictured and that everything is created and restored and good!

11. Genesis chapter 1: everything was perfect at the time God created the Garden of Eden and Adam. The same pattern is seen in Rev. 21 and 22. No sin, no pain, no sorrow, no death, no Devil and God walks with man again.

We need to remember our God is a God of patterns, symbols and types and shadows.

Keep looking up!

Permanent link to this article: http://discerningthetimes.me/2011/09/21/the-future-in-reverse/

Jun 03

Timeline: 2011 to 2019

Enjoy the timeline for the years 2011-2019. Interesting to look at and understand in light of Bible prophecy!

Timeline

Permanent link to this article: http://discerningthetimes.me/2011/06/03/timeline-2011-to-2019/

May 06

As the Days of Noah

Here is another piece of the puzzle cocerning the Lord’s return. In Matthew 24:30-40 Jesus describes the earth as being like in the days of Noah when He returns.From the account in Genesis 6 we know that giants walked the earth. Fallen angels had come and married women and giants were produced. The mighty men of reknown.

Nephilm. I am attaching a great article by JR Church on the topic. Read this one it will be an eye opener for you.

Keep looking up!

As the Days of Noah

Permanent link to this article: http://discerningthetimes.me/2011/05/06/as-the-days-of-noah/

Apr 22

Muslim Antichrist: Read This!

Please read the attached study for more info around a Muslim Antichrist! Remember what your Lord did for you on this day!

The Muslim Antichrist

Permanent link to this article: http://discerningthetimes.me/2011/04/22/muslim-antichrist-read-this/

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