Life and Death Voting Issues
This time of year always reminds me of the issues of life and death. My dad died near this date in 1992. My pain from His passing from this life, while diminished over the twenty-four years since, continues to evoke a sense of emptiness–a void that nothing can fill.
Jesus, while on earth in the flesh, the Bible tells us, experienced in His Spirit every human emotion that involves suffering. “For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin” (Hebrews 4:15).
Where death of a loved one is concerned, we can be assured our pain is understood by God Himself, because Jesus wept over the death of His friend Lazarus (John 11:33-35). Life and death, then, constitute an issue very close to the heart of the Creator of all things, the Heavenly Father.
More than any other matters involved in the issues of this presidential election, I believe it was life and death that were most important to consider in exercising not just our right, but our duty, to vote. I believe with all that is within me that America’s slide toward national oblivion began in earnest with the imposition of abortion as a legally sanctioned death-style by the Supreme Court decision in Roe v. Wade in 1973. Since that time, a holocaust of immense magnitude has brought the deaths– I believe the murder— of 58 million human beings in the wombs of their mothers. Abortion is the nucleus of the national sin around which this all-important issue involving life and death revolves.
However, the gravity created by many corollary aspects within life and death as an issue also contributes to sucking the American soul ever more deeply into the quicksand of decay. As a result, the removal of the protective hand of Almighty God from our nation can, I believe, be easily observed taking place on a daily basis.
Sociologists who compile such statistical information report that America has a homosexual population of no more than 5 percent. Yet, the gay agenda has overtaken American society and culture as if gays constitute the 95 percent majority of our population, instead of the other way around. Since the days of the Moral Majority’s efforts to stem the tide of national immorality, there has been so little such organized opposition to the roughshod overrunning of America’s social structure as to make opposition virtually nonexistent.
These two issues, abortion and homosexuality, represent ways diametrically opposed to life. They are devoted to death. They are directly devoted to rebellion against the Giver of life.
Abortion is outright murder of the innocent (the shedding of innocent blood, as God’s Word puts it [Proverbs 6:16-19]). Homosexuality, when carried to its ultimate outcome, means the elimination of human life from the earth. Rebellion against the God who created us–manifest most egregiously in our culture through these two great sins–is the cause for all of the other problems resident within the issues that so trouble us, individually and governmentally. Whether talking about the sins of fornication and adultery within our heterosexual numbers or any other anti-God transgression one can list, rebellion–doing what is right in our own eyes—festers at the heart of humanity’s death wish. And, a death wish fallen man indeed has, because there is no sign of let-up in the march down the broad way to perdition.
Rebellion brings loss of common sense at some point. It produces a reprobate mind (Romans 1:26-27), the scripture informs. We are witnessing the insanity in handling the problems that are proliferating, thus the meltdown of social, economic, and all other elements within human affairs in these troubling times. We face, as a nation and as a world, certain destruction because of our refusal to follow the prescription for life offered by God’s love letter to mankind–the Bible.
“For the wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23a). The moral issues, then, most directly affect our lives, according to God’s own Word. Of course, in thinking upon this presidential election, I realize that those lost in rebellion-transgression can never recognize that the moral issues are most directly relevant to our well-being as a nation.
“But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned” (1 Corinthians 2:14).
Sadly, tragically, much of God’s own family–born-again people—have become so blinded to the lies fed them by the social architects and engineers who say man can build heaven on earth that most missed what truly matters as they approached the voting booths this November.
I will not be so arrogant as to scold the readers of this commentary for whom they voted in this presidential election or for any other office in this or any election. But, I will suggest that you think carefully in hindsight on what your candidate claimed was his or her position, according to party platforms and/or stated positions on these matters that are so close to the very heart of our God.
America has always presented voters with choices on the issues that affect our quality of life. The founding fathers saturated their writings with Judaeo-Christian principles while formulating this great experiment in liberty. They intended for “we the people” to stand upon solid moral ground. Christians should seek that solid ground in this election just past and in every election, even when faced with having to vote in many cases for and against spiritually fallen individuals as candidates.
Although eroded and under constant assault, our process still produces Judaeo-Christian options that offer the quality of life–i.e., options that are not in opposition to biblical principles. Such was the case in this election. We can be assured that we will be held accountable for the options we choose when we–and I believe it could be soon— stand before Christ at the judgment seat.
Prayer Wars
Never in American history has there been in presidential politics a time that more fits within the descriptive given in Ephesians 6:12 than the time we are currently experiencing. That spiritual battle describes succinctly, in my opinion, the time that has led up to Tuesday, November 8, 2016.
“For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. ”
For decades it has been as if the dark, hellish forces of the ages have been turned loose against this nation, which has been so openly blessed by Heaven. The cultural and social “progress” thought to have been made, according to those who want to detach America from the Judeo-Christian mooring the founding fathers provided, are threatened by a significant challenge. We the people of God just might have decided we don’t wish that progressive agenda to proceed further. Thus, the war is on in a way perhaps unseen in the annals of U.S. presidential elections.
We as God’s people are told how to fight such warfare as that which we are presently engaged. We are to “put on the whole armor of God” (Ephesians 6:11).
The Bible provides a description of that spiritual armor with which we are supposed to adorn ourselves in order to wage war against this most powerful and wicked enemy force. Once we are fully, spiritually armed, we are told we are to be “praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints” (Ephesians 6:18).
How well most Christians these days have fully armored up is in question. The dumbing-down by the godlessness of the secular world and–even more troubling–by the compromising churches of recent times, has taken a heavy toll. However, the one weapon mentioned in the apostle Paul’s spiritual battle preparation of Ephesians chapter 6 is in play during this war for the survival of this once-great republic.
I am believing that the core of the people in this nation who hold to the truth of the Word of God–the Bible– are “praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit” that the Lord will intervene in this war that is raging. It is a “prayer war” to be sure.
I’m aware of the seminary and other positions that say 2 Chronicles 7: 14 was only for Israel and doesn’t apply to America. But, the God of Heaven does not change. Jesus Christ, who is God, is the same yesterday, today and forever, the Scripture tells us. I am trusting, therefore, that that great promise given to Israel during their direst time of need applies equally to those of this day and time who are “called by His name.”
Although the nucleus of God’s people who hold fast to the Heavenly Father’s precepts and promises might be a dwindling number, we are still here in the hundreds of thousands, if not millions. We are engaged in this Prayer War for a restoration of sanity in America’s government, society, and culture.
We are praying specifically that the evil forces that are raging to make this nation into a state totally apart from all godliness will be, at least on an interim basis, kept from their luciferian goal. I say “on an interim basis” because Bible prophecy plainly foretells that the satanic, globalist forces will for a time one day achieve establishment of a one-world order as Antichrist’s platform of power. It will happen. It’s just a matter of time.
Meantime, however, while the Church of Jesus Christ is here, thus the Restrainer (the Holy Spirit) resident within that Body holding back evil, it is right and proper–and I believe expected–that God’s people, called by His name, are to pray the prayer of 2 Chronicles 7:14.
“If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.”
Millions, I’m convinced, are even at this late hour just before this presidential election praying this prayer to the best of our ability. I believe movements and revelations of corruption within the political processes of late reflect directly the Lord’s attentiveness to the genuine prayers of His spiritually attuned prayer warriors.
If America is to be so blessed by a positive answer to those prayers by Heaven’s throne room, I believe it will mean that the battle like that described in Ephesians chapter 6 will, after the election, intensify even more than if God’s answer is otherwise. And, it will, in that case, be this nation’s final dispensation of liberty, if there is not a turning back to God in a major way.
Very shortly after this commentary is posted, we will know God’s answer to those prayers–and, perhaps the nation’s disposition with regard to personal liberty for whatever time is left in this Age of Grace.
The war of the ages as this Church Age dispensation moves into its final stages will be fought most effectively by God’s people in the prayer closets of America. Let’s be sure to put on the whole armor before engaging in the battles we face.
Olivet Overview – Part 4 – By Ed Wood
The next event on our Olivet list concerns signs which will appear in the skies above. There are a whole host of possibilities in this category ranging from local phenomena, local meaning confined to Earth’s atmosphere, or exotic, which would cover everything else beyond. Quite literally, the sky is the limit, as we will now see.
Signs in the heavens (Matthew 24:29; Mark 13:24-25; 21:11, 25-26)
Though one can speculate almost endlessly about what these signs might include, the Bible does have some specific ones which we can explore, in no particular order from the book of Revelation next.
Revelation {6:12-14} And I beheld when he* had opened the sixth seal, and, lo, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood. And the stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig tree casteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind. And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places. *The Lamb – Jesus
Though earthquakes generally don’t generally affect the appearance of the sky by themselves, there can be a tie-in between them and volcanic activity. As we have all seen, volcanoes can eject huge plumes of material into the atmosphere, blackening the sky totally in their worst extremes, to lesser effects such as reddening the light of the sun, moon, and stars. The sixth seal apparently produces both during the judgment released by its opening. There is, at least for a time, a complete obscuring of the sun. It is safe to assume that whatever the cause, it is probably severe enough to affect the entire planet since we are told “every mountain and island were moved out of their places.” Beyond the untold immediate havoc such an event would cause, its long-term effects such as the negative impact on crops due to lack of sunlight, acid rain produced by the introduction of sulfurous gases into the atmosphere, and damage to the Earth’s ozone layer are also distinct possibilities.
This catastrophic event is attended by falling stars, perhaps the fiery re-entry of rocks and material initially blasted upward by earthquake-activated volcanoes and the rolling up of heaven, which might represent the mushroom clouds of volcanic plumes rising high into the sky. In the Olivet Discourse, Jesus also mentions the specific signs of the sun and moon being darkened and the falling stars, as well as increased quake activity. Yet these profound and distressing changes in the skies are not limited to only seismic or volcanic events as we see next:
Revelation {8:7-9} The first angel sounded, and there followed hail and fire mingled with blood, and they were cast upon the earth: and the third part of trees was burnt up, and all green grass was burnt up. And the second angel sounded, and as it were, a great mountain burning with fire was cast into the sea: and the third part of the sea became blood; And the third part of the creatures which were in the sea, and had life, died; and the third part of the ships were destroyed.
It has only been within the past two centuries or so that the idea of rocks falling from the sky (unless an active volcano was nearby) were seriously entertained. The heavens were pretty much considered perfect. Where could rocks possibly originate out there anyway? The age of modern science has, of course, shown us that there are plenty of places for them to come, the asteroid belt and wandering comets being the two leading contributors. The various meteor showers which appear regularly during the year are from the latter, the random small and big meteors come from the asteroid belt which exists between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter. The sizes of those from the belt can range from specks to those the size of dwarf planets. Luckily for Earth, the planet-sized ones are in stable orbits. Not so for the rest because our planet bears the scars of city-sized ones that have stuck over geologic time and caused some very severe damage and pronounced effects on our climate and the life that existed at the time. Further evidence of huge past collisions are plainly visible on the moon’s surface which does not have the benefit of an atmosphere to burn up small meteors or to produce the weathering Earth possesses to erase the craters of meteoric impacts. (I do believe in an old universe and an old Earth because the Bible itself allows for a day to be other than twenty four hours long – see Joshua 10:12-14; 2 Kings 20:8-11; Psalm 90:4; and 2 Peter 3:8. Furthermore, the national atomic clock which is precise in its timekeeping ability is routinely readjusted to account for variations in Earth rotation.) Here in the phenomenon of rocks falling from heaven we have but one example of information being revealed in the Bible well ahead of its time of general acceptance.
Now we know large meteors the size of mountains are common in our solar system even though they rarely strike our planet over the course of time civilization has existed. If it were to happen now all the conditions described in the Revelation passage above would be the result. We can be also assured that a third of everything living on Earth is going to be badly affected – not to mention the ruin of a third of the world’s shipping capacity. Beyond the immediate effects of a calamity of this magnitude, try to imagine the long-term consequences on our environment and world economy.
As if this wasn’t bad enough, it might actually be the trigger for what happens next on our battered planet and its desperate survivors:
Revelation {8:10-12} And the third angel sounded, and there fell a great star from heaven, burning as it were a lamp, and it fell upon the third part of the rivers, and upon the fountains of waters; And the name of the star is called Wormwood*: and the third part of the waters became wormwood; and many men died of the waters, because they were made bitter. And the fourth angel sounded, and the third part of the sun was smitten, and the third part of the moon, and the third part of the stars; so as the third part of them was darkened, and the day shone not for a third part of it, and the night likewise.
According to an impeccable source (Terry James!), the term “wormwood” when rendered in the Ukrainian language becomes “chornobyl.” And yes, the Ukraine is the site of the disastrous nuclear reactor meltdown in 1986. The immediate area is still uninhabitable having been contaminated with nuclear fallout.
I bring this up because of what I believe is a direct connection between the Revelation account and the nature of the radioactive accident at Chernobyl. To do this, let’s take a look at little bit of nuclear science. In the realm of nuclear reactions we have two basic types – fission and fusion. Fission involves the breakdown of heavy elements into lighter ones; fusion the combining of lighter elements into heavy ones. The common element to both is that in each process an extremely tiny amount of mass is lost. But the term “lost” isn’t entirely true either, but rather “converted” into energy according to Albert Einstein’s famous formula: E = mc² where m = mass, c = the velocity of light, and E = energy. In each of the above cases, you take how much mass you lost in the nuclear transformation, multiply it be the velocity of light times itself (an enormous number, by the way) and that’ll give you how much energy you will get. Without getting too technical, suffice it to say that a little bit of mass makes a whole lot of energy. This is why the generation of electricity by use of fission reactors has proven so appealing, despite the inherent drawbacks of the fission process, namely the possibility of serious accidents with decades-long consequences and the problem of dealing with spent fuel rods which still remain lethally radioactive for millennia.
Unfortunately this same principle is also the basis of atomic (fission) and thermonuclear (fusion) bombs and this brings us to the connection I mentioned in the last paragraph. We note above: “And the third angel sounded, and there fell a great star from heaven, burning as it were a lamp.” Every star you see in the night sky, and the great bright one you see during the day, is also powered by nuclear fusion. The reaction starts out with plain hydrogen, the most abundant element in the universe, and finally ends up with helium, the second most abundant element. The same process powers a thermonuclear bomb, which, by the way, uses a fission device as a detonator in order to create the high temperatures needed to initiate the fusion reaction. So, when John reveals this “star” falling and burning from heaven, I think the choice of words was a deliberate attempt by the Lord to reveal exactly what was coming and only now in the nuclear age would a generation come that could properly understand it. I don’t know about you, but I got chills when I first made this observation. The rest of the passage describes a situation that looks very much like the aftereffects of a nuclear strike: contaminated water with “many men” dying as a result, and smoke and particulates emitted into the atmosphere with their attendant dulling effect on the light from celestial bodies.
In fact, decades ago scientists by observing the effects of a planet-wide dust storms on Mars from the Viking program noticed a precipitous drop in surface temperature and postulated that a nuclear exchange could by the smoke coming from fires and material lofted into the air could produce the same kind of chilling effect on Earth. With that, the term “nuclear winter” came into our lives. Personally, I do not see this in our future because if a large scale nuclear exchange were to take place, civilization, and probably most life as we know it, would rapidly come to an end. Though Revelation reveals that Earth will be severely damaged and a large percent of the population killed off, there will still be enough people left to provide the 200 million troops which will gather in the valley of Esdraelon, the site of the Armageddon conflict in Satan’s last effort to impose his own version of the “final solution” upon the Jews. To transport such a huge number of troops will no doubt require a high level of sophisticated technology to still exist as well. After all, if the world was blasted back into the Stone Age, how could that be accomplished?
We must also not rule out direct supernatural intervention when it comes to things falling from the sky:
Revelation {8:3-5} And another angel came and stood at the altar, having a golden censer; and there was given unto him much incense, that he should offer [it] with the prayers of all saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne. And the smoke of the incense, [which came] with the prayers of the saints, ascended up before God out of the angel’s hand. And the angel took the censer, and filled it with fire of the altar, and cast [it] into the earth: and there were voices, and thunderings, and lightnings, and an earthquake.
Final Thoughts
At this point, it is important to realize that all the bad things that have always been a part of life on Earth are merely the shadows cast upon it by something going on that Paul was keenly aware of in his own time:
Ephesians {6:12} For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
When one considers the rapid advance of evil now under way on Planet Earth, the barrier between us and the spiritual realm will very likely be greatly attenuated and the war between God and Satan will be there for all to see, even if most of the remaining population still remains clueless as to what is going on, its collective mind clouded by the Antichrist (the “Even him” reference below):
2 Thessalonians {2:9-12} Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.
Next time, we’ll explore the very end of the seven year Tribulation and give some thoughts as to what happens during the thousand year Millennial Age and the Eternal Age which will follow it.
Mid-East Roman Empire–America’s future? Part 2
The questions continue about whether the revived Roman Empire predicted to produce the Antichrist will be from Rome or from the Eastern leg–which refers to the Middle East. In fact, there seems a more stringent insistence by the day that the beast of Revelation 13 will be a Muslim.
Developments taking place within the economic structures of Europe provide much of the fodder for the champions of the Mideast Antichrist theory. These proponents point to what they see as the unraveling of the European Union as indicative that it is losing, not gaining, power. A couple of such developments they point to are the so-called Brexit —the exit of Great Britain from the Eu and the fact that Germany is reported to be printing money at a frenzied pace. It is printing deutsche mark notes, not euros. This is apparently because there is great fear that the eurozone sovereign debt crisis will end in a return to national currencies.
The following news item from several years ago frames this feared collapse:
[The]…British Foreign Office has issued warnings to embassies in the eurozone to prepare to handle the problems of its expatriates who may be unable to access local bank accounts and face rioting mobs. Perhaps this is only an example of highly developed countries planning for all eventualities but disaster planning always adds to fear as it shows that the previously unthinkable is now being contemplated: a break-up of the eurozone single currency. (“Germany Returning to Deutsche Mark?” SilverDoctors.com, 8/18/12)
European officials continue to express their concerns about the fiscal turmoil that threatens what was once the most powerfully growing economic entity on the planet.
Make no mistake: The European Union continues on its ascent and will soon be in position to be the superstructure from which Antichrist will launch his campaign to dominate the world and oppose everything of God. And this leads to the second question that I find predominant in the thinking of many today.
My ten-part series at the close of 2010 and the beginning of 2011, entitled “Scanning a Fearful Future,” deals with this question in depth. So, I suggest the inquisitive reader look into that series. Basically put, the question is: What is ahead in America’s future?
As of late, one of the primary news items that has made this question front and center involves U.S. government making strange preparations. For what? Well…that is the crux of the major expressions of concern I’m hearing. An article brought to my attention time after time by those who write involves the massive purchases of ammunition by government agencies that traditionally have had nothing to do with military or policing responsibilities. The questions are legitimate matters for investigation, I think.
One retired general of the U.S. Army wrote some years ago the following:
The Social Security Administration (SSA) confirms that it is purchasing 174 thousand rounds of hollow point bullets to be delivered to 41 locations in major cities across the U.S. No one has yet said what the purpose of these purchases is, though we are led to believe that they will be used only in an emergency to counteract and control civil unrest. Those against whom the hollow point bullets are to be used — those causing the civil unrest — must be American citizens; since the SSA has never been used overseas to help foreign countries maintain control of their citizens. (Maj. Gen. Jerry Curry, USA (Ret.), “Who Does the Government Intend to Shoot?” Daily Caller)
The general asks a legitimate question when he asks who would be the intended victims of these hollow-point bullets–ammunition, incidentally, that is outlawed by the Geneva Convention. These are outlawed on the field of battle because of their lethality. I know, I know–that seems like some sort of a schizophrenic rule. Isn’t the purpose of war to kill? But, the hollow point is so devastating that even the war makers of the world want it outlawed because of the damage it does to living tissue upon impact. We won’t debate the insanity of that matter here.
The retired general poses the question: “Potentially each hollow-nose bullet represents a dead American. If so, why would the U.S. government want the SSA to kill 174,000 of our citizens, even during a time of civil unrest?”
He goes on to offer some rather frightening thoughts. What if the hollow-point bullets were, rather than for civilians, for military personnel who might oppose the administration ruling the nation at the time of severe crisis? What if that ammo was used to give power, instead, to forces loyal to and under the auspices of Homeland Security?
Whether this sort of dark scenario cogitation is warranted as we watch things deteriorate in our nation, I suggest it is at the heart of the questions being raised by those who watch the slumping of our society and culture toward Sodom and Gomorrah-type comportment. The Lord of Heaven, I contend, still has His staying hand of control on matters in this nation, Europe, and around the planet. Else all would have long since imploded.
I believe He will take His hand off, according to 2 Thessalonians 2, when the Holy Spirit withdraws from acting on the consciences of humanity. The greatest crisis of human history will then unfold. Perhaps we are seeing the preparations, unknowingly, by governments even now for that stunning moment when Jesus steps out on the clouds of Glory and shouts to His bride, the church, “Come up here!”
Satan’s High Anxiety
Lucifer, the ultimate rebel against everything godly, is perhaps the most brilliant being produced from the holy mind of the Creator. This proud creature wanted and continues to want to supplant the one who created him. He has been about that iniquitous, self-appointed mission since the thought came into his thinking (Isaiah 14:14).
Satan, as he is now called by God, knows Bible prophecy. He believes Bible prophecy–all except the part where it says that he loses in the end.
The devil, as the Bible also refers to him, knows that God cannot lie, that the Creator of all things knows every intimate detail of everything from eternity past into eternity future.
God has said that Satan loses at the end of human history. Yet the ultimate rebel believes he will still come out victorious over the omniscient, omnipresent, and omnipotent God of Heaven.
Lucifer the fallen one–who was instrumental in man’s downfall in Eden–is the being that serves as best example of possessing the reprobate mind as outlined by the apostle Paul:
“And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient; Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, Without understanding, covenant breakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful: Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.” (Romans 1:28-32)
God’s Word calls Satan the father of lies. The Bible says of unbelievers that they are of their father, the devil. Those who continue to refuse God’s way–belief in Jesus Christ–ultimately suffer from the same insanity their spiritual father suffers–a reprobate mind.
This is a spiritual insanity that cannot discern truth. It is upside-down thinking in which the world as a whole is immersed. This is the reason we are witnessing the insanity in most every area of human endeavor at present. The affliction will one day soon bring all of humanity to the point of annihilation. Only Jesus Christ, Himself, will be able to save humankind (Matthew 24:22).
So Satan, obviously insane, though brilliant in his madness, continues on a course he believes will wrest control of planet earth from God Almighty. He knows and believes Bible prophecy, thus–I surmise–uses Bible prophecy to plot his overthrow of God’s Kingdom.
He doesn’t know, however, the intimate details of how Bible prophecy will play out. He didn’t know, for example, that murdering God’s Son on the cross would result in Christ’s resurrection three days later and that this would be the formula to redeem mankind. Satan played into the Lord’s holy, perfect plan that provides salvation for lost men, women, and children.
The devil, I believe with all that is within me, knows there will come upon earth the final earthly dictator and a one-world-order regime. He has, I think history shows, had a man ready to assume that role of earth’s last and most terrible tyrant on a number of occasions throughout history.
Lucifer the fallen has been working increasingly harder with each succeeding era, with each succeeding generation, to bring about that Antichrist regime outlined in Revelation chapter 13. As we have covered in these commentaries, as have many others in their various forums, the devil has worked tirelessly to bring all nations into configuration ripe for his pawns–the supernatural and the geopolitical human minions–to institute the new world order.
America, as I have tried to point out, is, I believe, the primary national entity that is blocking the rest of the world from falling into line with the satanic blueprint for global order. National sovereignty–national borders–must be erased to accommodate a neo-Babel structure.
Satan cannot foresee the future, but can only try to anticipate with now-perverted supernatural intelligence. He knows–as do we who look at world events and developments through God’s lens of Bible prophecy–that everything seems just right for removing America as that roadblock. This election presents a clear-cut demarcation between maintaining America’s founding as a sovereign, God-inspired, republic, and bringing the U.S. into the neo-Babel configuration the globalist elites are determined to inflict.
That seems to me the reason we are witnessing an astounding attack upon the presidential campaign that wants to maintain the nation’s constitutional integrity as founded. The assaults, as anyone with any honesty at all will admit, constitute unbelievable rage from every possible quarter. They are absolutely satanic in their ferocity.
Satan knows everything is set up for his big opportunity to at last bring in his kingdom–the kingdom of Antichrist. But, he is full of uncertainty that this is the time Bible prophecy has given for the development of that end-times kingdom given by Daniel the prophet and John the Revelator.
The wicked one is full of anxiety about this election–thus the over-the-top rage as we near the day for voting in this presidential election. He doesn’t want to take any chances. His minions are in full attack mode.
Most who want a return to sanity in our beloved nation are anxious, of course. But, our nervousness don’t compare to the obvious anxiety Satan and his forces are projecting.
The Lord has each of us who are called by His name here, at this volatile yet fascinating time, for His own good purposes. He will finish the work He has started in us, we are promised in His Word.
We as God’s people don’t have to be overly concerned. We are in the mighty hand of the One who knows the outcome of this election, of America’s fate, and of our glorious destiny in Jesus Christ.
“For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.” (2 Timothy 1:7)
Mideast Roman Empire? America’s Future? Part 1
Two questions, among many, loom large among some within the ranks of those who believe we are at the very end of the Church Age (Age of Grace). I’m hearing about them every day by those who email, and in conversation.
The first matter involves the question of whether, based upon developments in the Middle East and the expansion of Islam into Europe and other places, those who hold to the Islamist Antichrist belief could be correct. Could those who hold to the Western leg of the Roman Empire being the geographical base from which the beast will come, after all of this time spent adhering to that view, be mistaken–having read the prophecy of Daniel 9: 26-27 erroneously?
Certainly, for the Islamist or eastern leg Antichrist view to be brought up by those who are doing so is not heresy, as some dogmatists might have it. While I, personally, maintain that Daniel was given a definite heads-up that the “prince that shall come” will be from the people who comprised the heart of the Roman Empire (western Europe), I can understand reasons for thinking –especially with developments taking place all around us— that a case might be made that Islam is the prophesied beast system, and that Antichrist will be from the people who made up the eastern leg of the Roman Empire.
There is great quaking within the European Union at present, as there is in America, and we will examine some of these things, in view of the relatively new proclamations that the Antichrist will be a Muslim.
The Bible calls that future and last tyrant of the dispensation of earth’s history before the Second Advent of Christ “the Assyrian.” There’s no question that the man, himself, will be of Middle Eastern extraction. Additionally, all geopolitical movement–both in biblically prophetic terms and in terms of what is happening today–is shifting back to the geographical lands surrounding God’s touchstone city, Jerusalem. All attention is on that region, primarily because of its potential for producing nuclear conflict, which would engulf the whole world. An only slightly less powerful exigency that affects the entire world –particularly the Western world—is the influence petroleum exerts on geopolitics.
With the present presidential administration refusing to tap into Canada’s vast quantities of oil, and with its determination to fight the development of America’s own great reserves, the oil-rich Middle East is rapidly becoming even a more volatile point of potential conflict. It is, in my view, almost certainly the “spoil” which Ezekiel was told to prophesy will bring Gog and his Magog forces into the land of the Bible.
By the time of that attack, something catastrophic, apparently, will have happened to the United States. It is almost a guarantee that the economic powers that be–and they are who controls all the world so far as geopolitical power is concerned—would never sit by idly and watch the great petroleum interests that fire the engines of their wealth-empire be taken over by a Russian leader and a swarm of Islamist Jew-haters. But, according to the Ezekiel prophecy, the Western powers apparently send merely a note of diplomatic protest. Very strange…
It is as if the Western leadership knows that the forces of Gog-Magog will be unsuccessful. Of course, they will be more than merely unsuccessful. They will be utterly decimated, with all but one-sixth of them totally destroyed, God’s Word tells us. Satan, of course, controls/influences all sides in humanism’s war against God. He knows Bible prophecy. He believes all of it, I think, except the part that says he loses in the end. His man, Antichrist, will understand that if he just reserves his strength, he will have it for the really big take-over, after God, Himself, obliterates his Middle Eastern opposition. He will still have to contend with the forces from far-distant Asia, but in his arrogance, he will have confidence he can handle that problem when it must be faced.
All of that is just a scenario, as I’m convinced God’s Word teaches it, with my postulations thrown in for good measure. So, it does nothing to prove that Antichrist will be either from the Western leg or from the Eastern leg. We will, of course, have to learn the truth about that after the fact–from the portals of Heaven, for all who are born again into the family of God.
But, when looking at what Daniel the prophet was given to tell us about the “prince that shall come,” we must consider who the people who destroyed the city and the sanctuary were. That is, who destroyed Jerusalem and the Jewish Temple atop Mount Moriah?
The argument by the latecomer, band-wagon jumping, Eastern-leg proponents includes the claim that the forces that destroyed the city and sanctuary were comprised of people indigenous to the region, who made up the Roman legions assigned to control the area. While those of the Middle East did mingle with the Roman soldiers, they were under the very imposing thumb of Romans who dictated from the city of Rome.
General Titus, the son of Emperor Vespasian, was in charge. He and his father gave and saw to it that the put down of the Jewish insurrection was accomplished. Both were Romans in the Western-leg sense. They were head of the people of Rome–the Western leg–who destroyed Jerusalem and the Temple in A.D. 70.
We must remember that the Eastern leg of the empire wasn’t established for another three centuries, when Constantinople (modern-day Istanbul) became the Roman Empire’s Eastern capital in AD 330. Daniel’s prophecy – later reflected upon by Jesus Christ, who gave it to the prophet in the first place—told of the Romans’ destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple when there was no Eastern leg. Further, there was no Islam until more than six centuries later than the prophesied destruction. Thus, I conclude that any validity to the claim that Daniel –and Jesus—were referring to a “people” from the Middle East, Muslim world, who would produce “the prince that shall come” as untenable.
There are other reasons why the eastern or Muslim Antichrist doesn’t fit the prophecy, but I must move on. Next week, Lord willing, we will look at the second question I’m getting regularly that is involved in the quaking in Europe and America.
The Twinkling
You and many others who have chosen to read this commentary are likely in agreement. We find ourselves at a time in which the future is indeed murky. The very fact makes it a time of uneasiness–of profound uncertainty.
With so many existential threats (factors portending possible, even probable, future disruption for our lives), many look to November 8 with a shadow of oppressiveness clouding their thoughts.
We have watched our American way–our laws and traditions–dismantled. We have watched the process happen with the acquiescence, even the complicity of those with whom we entrusted our vote to stop that degeneration.
More troubling is the almost certainty that if the presidential candidate presently leading in polls (according to most polls) succeeds, the tearing down of America as founded will be put on the fast track. The “promise and change” declared by the current president–issued in January of 2009–will, it is feared, soon after this election be completed. The global architects will, in that case, have removed what I believe to be the last roadblock from their ambition–to tear down national sovereignties.
America, in the earthly sense, is that roadblock–thus the all-out effort by national and world politicians as well as media–both news and entertainment–to utterly destroy the candidate in opposition to their vision for one-world order.
With most everything else in place for setting up for the Tribulation (Daniel’s seventieth week), including Israel again in the spotlight, hounded by UNESCO in denying Israel’s historical right to the land, we have as of late added some truly profound rumors of war. Russia and the American presidential administration have entered into an extremely dangerous era of international intrigue and gamesmanship. With the Clinton campaign and the administration of Barack Obama pointing the finger of blame at Vladimir Putin and his regime as guilty of hacking emails and giving to Wikileaks in order to influence the outcome of the election, not just the Cold War, but a hot war might be forthcoming it is conjectured by some.
The Russians have moved, uncontested, into the Middle East. They have naval power and growing ground and air force capabilities in position to defend the Syrian dictator. This American administration has lifted not a finger to oppose this shift of Russian power into the region that is mentioned in Bible prophecy like no other.
Obama has, through his ineptness–or, as I more am prone to suspect, his deliberate action–allowed the development of the forces of ISIS (ISIL, as he calls them). America has U.S. Air Force assets now in regions that some believe equates to a provocation-of-war-incident waiting to happen. Again, I’m convinced it’s all part of the globalist orchestration being used by Satan himself to bring his own son of perdition to power.
So many who consider all of this sense an incident or action in the immediate future that will explode in uncontrollable ramifications. Yet, nothing, no matter the circumstances, has to this point happened to initiate the long-anticipated catastrophe.
The Russians are seemingly trying to instigate direct confrontation with American aircraft. China is trying to provoke, seemingly, a confrontation in the South China Sea. Iran is firing, through proxies, upon U.S. warships, apparently begging to be hit in return so as to start something.
The economic bubble of insanity continues to build to the bursting point. And, we have a presidential election in two weeks that some believe will bring on an even greater national schizophrenia and possible civil war, no matter who wins.
My great friend, the late Jack Kinsella, had tremendous insight, as many reading this column know. He left us some God-engendered thoughts for just this time in which we find ourselves. He wrote the following in one of his Omega Letter commentaries.
“We live in the most terrifying time of uncertainty in human history–the wrong move by the wrong guy could set off a chain of events that could potentially exterminate the human race. We have but a short time to spread the message of salvation, and it doesn’t help if we are paralyzed by fear.
The Lord knew the conditions that would exist just before His return. Which is why Paul ends his explanation of the Rapture with this exhortation:
“Wherefore comfort one another with these words.” (1st Thessalonians 4:16-18)
Jack had just written a fabulous piece on the Rapture. The “comfort” of which Paul assured us was all about that twinkling of an eye moment that Jack and I–and, I hope you–believe is about to occur based upon all of these things that have begun to come to pass (Luke 21:28).
Buildup to Sudden Destruction
Rumors of war in the Middle East continue and grow by the day. We have heard of such Armageddon-like conflict that is coming for most of a decade. It’s almost like the little boy who cried “wolf,” but not quite.
Anyone with any sense of the potential for conflagration in that volatile region that could bring worldwide war knows that the breaking point has now about been reached. Iran’s nuclear weapon development project–or the fear that their nuclear program is for developing weapons of mass destruction—is, of course, the primary reason for the tensions involved.
Three observable factors are on the stepped-up agenda of potential war consideration: 1) Israel is in a top-alert configuration, talking more or less openly about its most advanced defensive capabilities; 2) Iran is expressing fear of imminent attack from Israel, and is hustling to protect its nuclear program; 3) The Israeli prime minister and his military have a strong sense that they must depend only on their own resolve, not that of their one-time staunch, superpower ally to defend the Jewish state.
Regarding point 1, Israel’s concern for its threatened citizenry is warranted.
For some years now Israeli intelligence has observed Iran’s development of a nuclear weapon progressing far beyond the scope reported by the International Atomic Energy Agency.
Tehran has successfully developed a nuclear warhead for a Shahab-3 missile, which has a range of nearly 1,000 miles, putting the whole of Israel within the Islamic republic’s range.
Benjamin Netanyahu, the prime minister, has long declared to the world Israel’s determination regarding Iran’s developing such capability.
“Every threat against the home front is dwarfed by one threat. Iran cannot be allowed to have a nuclear weapon.”
To punctuate the urgency, Israel’s home front command, in test runs of alerting the populace, issues thousands of text messages to alert people when rockets are launched on specific areas of the country. the text messages are given in Hebrew, Arabic, English, and Russian. The Israeli government also has made clear their preparation for attacks in reporting Israel’s increased national defense preparations in announcing deployment of advanced technologies such as Iron Dome and Arrow 2.
On point 2, reports grow about Iran’s fears of attack by Israel, thus convincing them to deeply shelter its nuclear program at a quickening pace.
Regarding point 3, Israel’s distrust for the American presidential administration’s support is understandable and that government these days makes little effort to hide the fact. While Israel’s government and military has presented evidence time after time that its most threatening enemy, Iran, is driving for a nuclear bomb, the U.S. intelligence services, obviously controlled by the Obama administration, say only that they suspect that the Iranian regime–although that regime has declared that it is committed to removing Israel from the earth–is seeking a weapons capability but that no decision has been taken on actually making one.
Such naiveté at best and willful disregard for the facts at worst is itself heightening the danger of all-out war in the Middle East, in my opinion. The buildup to such conflict continues apace–and increases by the hour. It is obvious–to this observer, at least—that only the staying hand of God is holding back the inevitable. I am convinced that when the inevitable comes–the massive devastation that will involve the whole world—it will be the sudden destruction that will follow immediately the Rapture of the Church, as indicated by Jesus’ own Words: “But the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all. Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed” (Luke 17:29-30).
Genesis of Armageddon
The progressives’ Bible–the New York Times–is advising the president to pressure Israel all he can in these few months left of his presidency. The Jewish State must be forced to conform to the globalists’ demand that Israel, for the sake of world peace, give up part of the land it has “illegally occupied” since the Six Day War of 1967.
Globalism, as I constantly harp, is the unrelenting force bent on setting the stage for one world government. Perhaps unwittingly, for most of the globalists elite at least, they are doing their utmost to serve their father’s–the devil’s–primary purpose. That purpose is to set the stage for the prince that shall come, the first beast of Revelation chapter 13.
I was most interested to hear on a political punditry program this past week something Bill Bennett, a well-known Washington conservative insider, has written in his latest book, which I believe has the title Assassinating the Next President. Bennett apparently wrote that the globalists will try to assassinate Donald Trump if he is elected president. According to the talking heads I listened to, Mr. Bennett thinks with all that is within his experience and knowledge of these people that they will never give up the power they are in the process of gathering to themselves. I have absolutely no doubt that he is correct in his assessment. Everything since the Obama administration came into power has been put, in my view, expertly on the fast track to bringing America into a weakened configuration–thus to bring this nation under total globalist influence. Or, that is, all new world order cylinders were in sync until the candidacy of one Donald J. Trump took off in such an effective fashion.
As anyone with half an attention span should know, the powers that be within the globalist-elite cabal are literally foaming at the mouth with rage against the Republican candidate. The opposition party and its candidate are drudging up every bit of muck they can find here in October. This despite the fact that that the opposition candidate has enough putrid muck encasing her own persona, which would to anyone else bring a prison term. Certainly, her record of nefarious activity should forever prevent her from holding any political office at any level.
But, the mainstream media–the major networks, CNN, and others–are acting as her and her party’s propaganda mouthpiece. They are her campaign’s free advertising and publicity agents. Of course, this new world order movement began long before the current president took the reins of government. The point is that things of end-times rearrangements are seeming to be hitting on all sixteen cylinders within the one-world-order machinery. Many within the Republican establishment are joining the hate-filled anti-Trump force to urge Mr. Trump to step aside and let one of their chosen ones take over. The globalists around the world are frothing at the mouth, too, doing anything and everything they can to keep the Trump candidacy from proceeding.
Like Mr. Bennett apparently believes, I’m in agreement that the Republican candidate is in a precarious position. Lucifer’s legions are nothing to take lightly.
This is not to let Trump off scot free. His statements of eleven years ago are gutter moments. They are absolutely inexcusable. He has publicly apologized, however–something his opponent has never and will never do for the myriad evil their machine of power-grabbing has churned-up for more than two decades.
Globalism, then, as I have presented from my viewpoint a number of times lately, is what this election is all about. America and, more importantly, Israel, are at the epicenter of the end-times contractions taking place.
The United States must be diminished so it no longer has the strength to resist those who would tear down national sovereignties. This must be done before that power platform for Antichrist can be established.
Simply put, Israel is at the heart of the hatred Satan harbors in his sin-demented thinking, with which he has now infected the world at large. This is seen by the fact that the vast majority of the nations within the U.N. have at their heads dictators who vote against the Jewish state every time matters involving Israel’s nationhood is brought up for a vote.
Now, the progressives’ Bible, the New York Times, “advises” the president of the U.S. to “come down hard against Israel in the U.N.”
They want Obama to use America’s influence and votes to support a proposed resolution involving giving up land for peace.
In an article written by their editorial board, the NY Times writes, “The best idea under discussion now would be to have the United Nations Security Council, in an official resolution, lay down guidelines for a peace agreement covering such issues as Israel’s security, the future of Jerusalem, the fate of Palestinian refugees and borders for both states.”
Obama is being pressured to join in such a procedure before he leaves the presidency in January 2017. The U.S. State Department is, to this point at least, sticking by the long-standing policy of resistance to falling in line with this globalist “advice.”
A spokesman for the State Department said recently: “With regard to the UN Security Council and any action at the UN, our position hasn’t changed. We’re always concerned, frankly, about one-sided resolutions or other actions that could be taken within the UN, and we’re always going to oppose those kinds of resolutions that we believe delegitimize Israel and undermine its security.”
We will watch to see if the exiting Mr. Obama flies in the face of this wise policy. If he does so, he will certainly be giving a boost to a major element within the globalist elites’ blueprint for bringing forth one world order.
When Israel is finally cajoled or arm-twisted into giving up the land in question, it will indeed be the genesis for history’s most horrific war called Armageddon.
“I will also gather all nations, and will bring them down into the valley of Jehoshaphat, and will plead with them there for my people and for my heritage Israel, whom they have scattered among the nations, and parted my land” (Joel 3:2).
Biting into the Apple
Stepping out of the Wellington Hotel on Seventh Avenue, my friend, Mike, and I traversed the concrete time after time until my now 74-old legs hurt. I say now 74- -year old legs” because I was sixty-nine when we were in New York City those several years ago, and I turned into a septuagenarian shortly upon returning home.
I really thought I was in the best of shape. That is, the best of shape for one who had just a year and a half earlier been clinically dead three times in the space of an hour due to a “widow maker” heart attack, on Good Friday, April 22, 2011. My cardiac workouts over those months sense the heart “event,” as I like to call it, took me on an hours-upon- hours ordeal of going nowhere on a treadmill with a vicious incline and speed of operation. Yet, I came back to the hotel room each time and lay with my legs draped over one of those large, round, tubular pillows that my wife tells me are really there just for decoration. Walking in the big city is much different than walking on the treadmill, I found out.
So, biting into the Big Apple was a painful experience physically, much as biting into the Edenic apple (or whichever fruit it was) was painful both physically and spiritually for Adam, Eve, and all of the rest of us. But take a bite out of the apple we did, and we are prayerfully hoping that the seeds planted during that visit will bear spiritual fruit.
I received a request for the interview from a Canadian film company asking that I agree to answer some questions on camera about Bible prophecy. They particularly wanted to talk about the Rapture, after having visited www.raptureready.com and reading some of the thousands of articles on the topic posted there.
Todd Strandberg, the founder of the site– and I have agreed that any on-camera interviews will be done by me, since I’m such a ham. Actually, that wasn’t the reason we decided that I do the on-camera stuff, but the quip fits the jocular motif I wish to establish for the moment. Actually, there is some rather ironic humor in a blind guy doing all of the on-camera work–wouldn’t you agree?
That said, the subject and our purpose in agreeing to the request is a most serious matter. Talking about God’s prophetic timeline and the Rapture at this advanced stage of the Age of Grace is most critical for people around the world. The urgency made my answer to the producer’s request the only one we could give the filmmakers.
Whether to do the interview in the city that has been called “Babylon on the Hudson”–New York City—was a more serious twist of irony, as I considered and agreed to make the trip. I’m more than glad I did. I’m thankful for the opportunity to get the truth of where this generation stands at this crucial point in the nation’s history before the eyes and ears of America and the world. I am even more thankful that we put that truth on film in the most influential city and in the most influential part of that city, in the view of the people of most of the Western world.
Every year, the New Year is celebrated as it arrives at Times Square in the heart of that great metropolis. As the big, glittering ball drops, the masses gathered there shout the countdown in unison and break into deafening cheering when the ball reaches the bottom. The Canadian film crew placed me directly in front of where the ball reaches bottom, framing the interview within the area where the big clock is positioned in the background.
The masses went about their many activities while I answered the producer’s questions and the cameraman shot the film, occasionally stopping me to reload the cameras. The ambient noises in that great city are stunning, with people’s voices in conversation or shouting, vehicles honking, sirens blaring, and all the other sounds that town generates. Times Square is the center of the most frenetic activity, and although the producer stood near enough for me to hear his questions, my friend Mike and our friend Chris, a native New Yorker, said they couldn’t hear either the questions or the responses. Fortunately, the microphone was attached to my tie, just beneath my chin, so my words were easily picked up by the recording devices connected to the cameras.
The first question was simply a request, something along the lines of, “Will you tell us about the Rapture, and talk about what happens from now until the Rapture?”
Interviewers, particularly those in secular media, are often naïve with their questions. They have little understanding of matters involved in the pretribulational view of the Rapture, for example. To answer questions such as this one requires much longer than these venues have time to include. So, trying to be precise and to the point is always the challenge.
I responded that there is nothing that must happen from that point until the Rapture, so far as Bible prophecy is concerned. That was precise enough. But, then, I felt it necessary to go into what is in fact going on right now that makes us know the Rapture is imminent. That line-up of current issues and events and what the future of the Middle East–for example—might hold, seemed to pique the producer’s interest, and he wanted to know about what is the most important of these “signs of the end of days.”
They always like that phrase, “the end of days.”
My immediate, precise answer was, of course, that Israel is at the center of the world’s spotlight, with a diplomatic proposal in process of attempting to force peace between Israel and its enemy neighbors–all surrounding Islamic countries. These things are exactly as God’s prophetic word says will be the case at the very end of the age.
Most important, the interview offered me the opportunity to give God’s plan of salvation, which I hope I did to the Lord’s satisfaction. It was up to Him to make certain it survived the cutting room floor, once they began putting the documentary and weekly program together. I have no doubt that He saw to it.
Terry James Prophecy Line 