PROPHECY UPDATE.................7/29/2022

 

In The Midst of Daniel’s Seventy Weeks Prophecy – Randy Nettles - https://www.rev310.net/post/in-the-midst-of-daniel-s-seventy-weeks-prophecy   Most modern Bible scholars agree that the decree “from the going forth of the command to restore and build Jerusalem,” in Daniel 9:25, occurred in the month of Nisan on the Jewish calendar and the year 444 BC on the Julian calendar. It was issued by King Artaxerxes Longimanus of Persia. Dr. Thomas Ice, Dr. Harold Hoehner, Dr. John F. Walvoord, E. Michael Rusten, and many other scholars agree on this month and year. The decree was issued for rebuilding the city of Jerusalem, not the temple in Jerusalem.   There had been three previous edicts or decrees regarding rebuilding Jerusalem and the temple. In 538 BC, Cyrus, king of Persia, issued a decree to rebuild the temple (2 Chronicles 36:20-23; Ezra 1:1-4; 6:1-5). In 520 BC, Darius confirmed Cyrus’ decree to finish the temple in Jerusalem ( Ezra 6:6-12). King Artaxerxes issued the third decree, which related to the establishment and practice of the proper services at the Temple, in 458 BC (Nehemiah 2:1-8). The fourth decree was issued by Artaxerxes (in the 20th year of his reign) in the first month of Nisan (Nehemiah 2:2), 3317 AM on the Jewish calendar, and April, 444 BC on the Julian calendar.   This is the starting month and year of Daniel’s prophecy of Seventy Sevens found in Daniel 9:24-27. The exact day this decree was issued is unknown. However, we do have a few clues. NASA’s records indicate a solar eclipse on April 30, 444 BC, on the Julian calendar. Solar eclipses only occur on new moons, so the previous new moon would have been 30 days earlier on March 31, 444 BC. The next day, April 1, 444 BC, the crescent moon would be seen. This would have been the first crescent moon of spring and would have occurred on Nisan 1 of the Jewish calendar, as crescent moons occur on the 1st day of every month of the Jewish calendar. The only clue Nehemiah 2:2 gives is that he petitioned the king to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem in the month of Nisan. This could be any day between April 1 and April 30, 444 BC.   THE SIXTY-NINE SEVENS OF DANIEL’S PROPHECY   These same scholars also agree that the end date year for the sixty-nine (7 + 62) weeks or sevens mentioned in Daniel 9:25-26 is AD 33. “Until Messiah the Prince, there shall be seven weeks (sevens) and sixty-two weeks (sevens); The street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublesome times. And after the sixty-two sevens, the Messiah shall be cut off, but not for Himself” (Daniel 9:25-26). Jesus was “cut off” or killed on Passover, Nisan 14 on the Jewish calendar. NASA’s records indicate a lunar eclipse on the Julian calendar on April 3, AD 33. Lunar eclipses only occur on a full moon. Full moons appear on the Jewish calendar's 15th day of every month. Friday, April 3, AD 33, was Nisan 15, 3793 AM on the Jewish calendar. One day earlier would have been Thursday, April 2, AD 33 on the Julian calendar and Nisan 14, 3793 AM on the Jewish calendar. This is the end date for the sixty-nine sevens portion of Daniel’s prophecy. See Seven Famous Passovers in Scripture (rev310.net) for more information on this being the date for Jesus’ crucifixion.   So, the sixty-nine sevens prophecy was from 444 BC to AD 33. It’s interesting that for this 476-year timeframe, there are 173,847 days in a Jewish calendar (Nisan to Nisan), and there are 173,856 days in a Julian calendar (January to January). So, if you want to assume that the 476 years were complete on the Jewish calendar and the starting and end dates were on Nisan 14, then the starting date for Daniel’s prophecy of sixty-nine sevens is April 14, 444 BC, and the end date is April 2, AD 33 on the Julian calendar.   The Hebrew word, ‘shabu’ (translated as sevens), represents Shemitah cycles (weeks) of seven years, where the land was to have a Sabbath rest every seventh year. This is a clue that God is giving Daniel regarding how to interpret the timeline of this prophecy. If the duration were to be for four hundred and eighty-three years, God would have told him so with those exact words, just as He did with Jeremiah when he gave him the prophecy of seventy years. “And those who escaped from the sword he carried away to Babylon, where they became servants to him and his sons until the rule of the kingdom of Persia, to fulfill the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah, until the land had enjoyed her Sabbaths. As long as she lay desolate, she kept Sabbath, to fulfill seventy years” (2 Chronicles 36:20-21).   It’s obvious Daniel’s prophecy is based on the seven-year Shemitah (Sabbath) cycles or weeks and the actual Shemitah years (Sabbaths of the seventh year) as described in Leviticus 25, whereas Jeremiah’s prophecy is not. Otherwise, God would have informed Jeremiah that the duration of the desolations of Judah and Jerusalem would be for “10 sevens” and not “70 years.”   If the ‘sevens’ in Daniel’s prophecy are Shemitah cycles, it would appear that there should be 483 years from the start to the finish of the sixty-nine sevens prophecy because 69 x 7 = 483. However, there are only 476 years or 68 sevens (68 x 7) between Nisan, 444 BC, and Nisan, AD 33. Either the dates are wrong, or there is some other explanation that is not obvious without further research. Due to the work of biblical scholars, as I mentioned before, and my own research, I am inclined to believe these dates are accurate.   THE PROPHETIC 360-DAY CALENDAR   Two main theories can explain these seemingly contradictory discrepancies. Sir Robert Anderson introduced the first one in his book entitled The Coming Prince. Anderson developed a ‘prophetic’ 360-day calendar that he says Abraham, the father of Israel, used when he came into the land of Canaan and was the same calendar his ancestors used in his ancient home in Ur of the Chaldees. Supposedly, the Genesis account of the Flood in the days of Noah illustrates the use of this 360-day year by recording the 150-day interval till the waters abated from the earth. The 150 days began on the 17th day of the second month and ended on the 17th day of the seventh month (Genesis 7:11, 24, and 8:3-4). In other words, the five months consisted of 30 days each; therefore, 12 months would equal 360 days (12 x 30 = 360).   The “prophetic calendar” has 5-6 fewer days than a solar calendar so it would have seven more years for this particular timeline in Daniel’s prophecy than a Jewish lunisolar or Julian/Gregorian solar calendar. Thus, it would have the required 69 sevens (69 x 7) or 483 years. The 360-day prophetic calendar has 173,880 days in a 483-year timeline.   Most of the scholars I mentioned above agree with Anderson’s assessment of using the 360-day calendar for figuring the dates for Daniel’s timeframe of the sixty-nine sevens. Besides the apparent reason that it is the only calendar that will allow for 483 (69 x 7) years between 444 BC and AD 33, the book of Revelation appears to back it up. Revelation 11 and 12 use words and terms such as 1260 days (Rev. 12:6), 42 months (Rev. 11:2;13:5), and “time, times, and half a time” (Rev. 12:14) to describe the last 3.5 years of the Tribulation, known as the Great Tribulation. Daniel also uses the term “time, times, and half a time” in Daniel 7:25 and 12:7, referring to the Great Tribulation.   Although 42 months and “time, times, and half a time” are not specific in how many days are involved, it would appear they are referring to 1260 days. Since the prophetic 360-day calendar has 30 days in a month and 12 months in a year, there would be 1260 days in a 3.5-year or 42-month period. Interestingly, all of the verses in Revelation and Daniel that I have listed above are regarding the last part of Daniel’s 70th seven, otherwise known as the Day of the Lord, Jacob’s trouble, or the Great Tribulation). There is only one verse in Revelation that is believed to refer to the first part of the 7-year Tribulation, “And I will give power to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy one thousand two hundred and sixty days. Clothed in sackcloth” (Revelation 11:3). This verse is vague regarding the exact timing of when these two witnesses will prophesy.   The duration of the first part of the Tribulation is not given, only assumed. What has always been taught is that if the 360-day calendar were being used, the 7-year Tribulation would be divided into two halves of 1260 days for a total of 2520 days. As a former proponent of the prophetic calendar, I had a different take on the duration of the two halves of the Tribulation that I wrote about in my “In the midst” articles. I broke it down into a 1230 - 1290 (1260 + 30) days split to satisfy Daniel 12:11, “and from the daily sacrifice is taken away, and the abomination of desolation is set up, there shall be a thousand two hundred and ninety days. More on this later.   The only problem with Anderson’s prophetic calendar is that the Hebrews never used a 360-day calendar, especially one that didn’t have an intercalary month added periodically. They used (and still do for their religious activities) a lunar calendar (353/354 days) with an extra month of 30 days added every two to three years to keep it in alignment with the solar calendar (365/366 days). If the Jews ever used a 360-day calendar for keeping abreast with prophecies, it would have to be in conjunction with their lunisolar calendar. In other words, they would have to use two calendars, which would get very confusing.   THE JEWISH CALENDAR – COUNTING SHEMITAH YEARS   The second main theory regarding the timeframe of Daniel’s prophecy of Seventy Weeks/Sevens is based on the Jewish calendar. With this calendar, you are not counting days or years but actual Shemitah years. The first step to deciphering the 69 weeks is to confirm the word ‘sevens’ and not ‘weeks’ as the proper translation. This is critical for this theory to have merit. ‘Sevens’ refers to the seventh year of the seven-year Shemitah cycle (week).   Shemitah cycles are counted, but only if they are located after the starting date and before the end date of Daniel’s prophecy. However, I believe God was only counting 69 Sabbath years (476 years) and not 69 Sabbath cycles (483 years). Gabriel, an angel of God, relaying his message to Daniel, never mentions years, only sevens. Why is that? Sevens refers to the Shemitah year of rest for the land of Israel, going back to when the children of Israel entered the Promised Land. For more information, charts, etc., see The Sixty-Nine Shemitah Years of Daniel's Seventy Weeks Prophecy (rev310.net). In this article, I show how 444 BC and AD 33 are both Shemitah years, and there are 67 Shemitah years between them, for a total of 69 Shemitah years or sixty-nine sevens.   As Jesus fulfilled the first four Feasts of the Lord at his 1st advent, He will fulfill the last three at his 2nd advent. The three terms for identifying the last 3.5 years of the 7-year Tribulation   noted above can be easily explained by accepting the premise that the Fall Feasts of the Lord coincide with Jesus’ 2nd advent. The Jewish calendar usually has 1260 days from Nisan 10-12 to Tishri 1, the Feast of Trumpets, in 3.5 years.   Nisan 10, AD 33, was the day Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a donkey as the king of Israel but was rejected by the Jews. Some scholars say this was the day Jesus was “cut off” from his kingship of Israel, but I believe it was four days later on Passover, Nisan 14, when Jesus was killed. This was also the end date for Daniel’s prophecy of 69 sevens (7 + 62 sevens) mentioned in Daniel 9:25-26.   Nisan 10 was also the day the children of Israel first entered the promised land in 1406 BC. Most Bible scholars believe the abomination of desolation and the 3.5-year Great Tribulation will start on Nisan 10-12, a few days before Passover. 1260 days (3.5 years or 42 months) later on the Feast of Trumpets, Tishri 1, Jesus will return to the earth to fulfill His second coming. This explains how the Jewish calendar is used for deciphering the timeframe regarding Daniel’s prophecy (and also Revelation 11, 12, 13) and not a 360-day calendar that the children of Israel never used in their entire history from Moses (Exodus 12) forward.   Even the 150 days mentioned in Genesis7:24 and 8:3, when the waters started to recede during the great flood of Noah’s day, which transpired in 5 months (from the 17th day of the second month to the 17th day of the seventh month), does not necessarily prove a 360-day calendar with 30 days per month. It takes our moon about 29.5 days to complete one cycle of phases (from new moon to new moon). Although Noah had a small window in the ark (to release birds to determine if the water had receded), it is doubtful he could have seen the moon at night. He probably just counted days and rounded off to 30 days per month. If he did use a 360-day calendar, it probably had an intercalary month added approximately every six years to keep it in alignment with the solar calendar.   CONCLUSION   Going against tradition and some great Bible scholars, and for the reasons listed above, I think that the timeframe of Daniel’s prophecy of Seventy Sevens is based upon the Jewish calendar and not Anderson’s prophetic calendar. The 69 sevens are Shemitah years, starting with 444 BC and ending with AD 33, and the duration is for 476 Jewish years (353 – 355 days per year + intercalary month added every 2-3 years) and not 483 prophetic years with 360 days per year. The Jewish calendar has approximately 2540 days in a 7-year timeframe or 2570 days if an extra third intercalary month is added.   IN THE MIDST OF DANIEL’S SEVENTIETH SEVEN   “And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week, and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate” (Daniel 9:27). The prophet Daniel is referring to the last seven years (“one week”) on earth before Jesus’ 2nd Coming to the world. This period is known as Daniel’s 70th Seven, the Tribulation, and Jacob’s Trouble. Numerous Old Testament prophets referred to it as the Day of the Lord.   In Daniel 9:27, does the term “in the midst” mean the exact middle, or could it mean near the middle? 269 times in the Old Testament use that terminology. Very few of them refer to the exact middle. Most of them refer to a near middle or center.   For example, in 1 Samuel 16, Samuel the prophet went to the house of Jesse of the tribe of Judah to anoint one of his sons as the king who would eventually replace Saul. Jesse had eight sons, counting David. God informed Samuel that he was to anoint David, the youngest. “Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the midst of his brethren…” (1 Samuel 16:13). With seven brothers, there is no exact middle, for there are four on one side of David and three on the other side of David. If there were nine sons, then David could have been in the exact middle of them, but as it was, he was only in their midst.   The “in the midst” event of Daniel 9:27 is known as the “abomination of desolation” and is described in Daniel 12:11 and Revelation 13:14-15. Daniel 12:11 gives the duration of the last part (3.5 years) of the Tribulation, from the A.O.D. to the end of the 7-year Tribulation. “And from the time that the daily sacrifice is taken away, and the abomination of desolation is set up, there shall be a thousand two hundred and ninety days” (Daniel 12:11).   Have you ever wondered why Daniel 12:11 is for 1,290 days instead of 1,260 days? I believe the Antichrist’s abomination of desolation will occur on Nisan 10-12, a few days before Passover, starting the Great Tribulation that will last for 1260 days. These 1260 days, from around Passover until Jesus returns on the Feast of Trumpets (Tishri 1), will fulfill the prophecies of Revelation 12:6, Rev. 11:2, Rev. 13:5, Rev. 12:14, Daniel 7:25, and Daniel 12:7. However, the end of the Tribulation does not end with Jesus’ victory at the battle of Armageddon, but rather 30 days later.   This takes into consideration enough time for the 6th Feast of the Lord, the Day of Atonement, to be fulfilled by Jesus. This Day of Atonement will be the long-lost 70th seven (Shemitah year) of Daniel’s prophecy. The extra 30 days also allow for the 7th Feast of the Lord, Tabernacles, to be fulfilled by the Lord Jesus. Also, there will still be enough time for Jesus to fulfill the prophecies of Matthew 24:30-31 and Matthew 25:31-46. The Feast of Tabernacles lasts for eight days until Tishri 23rd. Seven days later, the Millennium Kingdom of Jesus Christ will commence, 1290 days after the A.O.D. At this time, the prophecy of Daniel 9:24 will be fulfilled.   EXAMPLES OF DANIEL’S SEVENTIETH SEVEN USING THE JEWISH CALENDAR   Let’s look at a couple of examples of the timeframe involved in using the “in the midst” reckoning for Daniel’s 70th seven using the Jewish calendar. These are merely examples, so one can get a general idea of the Feasts of the Lord that are involved within these last seven years. They are not predictions of the actual dates for the seven-year Tribulation. The first one will be the first possible timeline starting with 2022 as the starting point and 2029 as the ending point. The second one will be the next in line, 2023-2030. When configuring these dates, you must always start with Jesus’ returning on Trumpets (actually 30 days later) and work your way backward to the start. Remember, there are approximately 2540 or 2570 days in seven years in the Jewish calendar. We will look at both examples.     2022-2029   These seven years contain approximately 2540 days. The end of the Tribulation would occur on Heshvan 1, 10/9/2029. Jesus would have returned 30 days earlier on Tishri 1 (Trumpets) on the Jewish calendar or 9/9/2029 on the Gregorian calendar. The Antichrist will have set up his abomination of desolation 1260 days earlier (from Trumpets) on Nisan 12- 3/29/2026. That is 1290 days total thus far, which agrees with Daniel 12:11. Since there are 2540 days in this timeline, you must deduct 1290 days from 2540 days. The difference is 1250 days. When you deduct 1250 days from 3/29/2026, you come up with Heshvan 2 - 10/26/2022 for the start of the Tribulation when the Antichrist confirms the covenant with the many.    2023-2030   These seven years contain approximately 2570 days (as there are three intercalary years added instead of two). The end of the Tribulation would occur on Heshvan 1 - 10/28/2030. Jesus would have returned 30 days earlier on Tishri 1 (Trumpets) - 9/27/2030. The Antichrist will have set up his abomination of desolation 1260 days earlier (from Trumpets) on Nisan 10 - 4/16/2027. That is 1290 days total thus far. Since there are 2570 days in this timeline, you must deduct 1290 days from 2570 days. The difference is 1280 days. When you deduct 1280 days from 4/16/2027, you come up with Tishri 30 - 10/14/2023 for the starting date of the Antichrist’s confirming of the covenant or the start of the Tribulation.   In these two examples, Daniel’s 70th seven (the last Shemitah year of Daniel’s prophecy) will   occur during the seventh year of the Tribulation on the Day of Atonement, Tishri 10, ten days after Jesus returns to the earth on Trumpets. In example #1, the date will be 9/18/2029. See Daniel's Last Seven (rev310.net) for 2029-2030 as the possible year for the 70th Jubilee. In example #2, Daniel’s 70th seven will occur on 10/6/2030.   When Jesus returns at the end of the 7-year Tribulation, the six objectives mentioned in Daniel 9:24 will finally occur for the Jewish people: To finish the transgression, to make an end of sin, to make reconciliation for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy, and to anoint the Most Holy. The children of Israel will finally be the people God had planned for them all along. “You shall be a special treasure to Me above all people; for all the earth is Mine. And you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation” (Exodus 19:5-6).   Thirty days after Jesus returns to the earth, Daniel’s Seventieth Seven prophecy will have been fulfilled. The last event before the millennial reign of Jesus Christ will be the anointing of the Jewish Temple by the Shekinah presence of Lord Jesus. This will be the last prophecy to be fulfilled, this side of the Millennium.   Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus!   Randy Nettles   rgeanie55@gmail.com

Keep Your Eyes on Israel! - by Bill Perkins - https://compass.org/keep-your-eyes-on-israel/   “Those who have insight will shine brightly like the brightness of the expanse of heaven, and those who lead the many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever.” Dan. 12:3   Chuck Missler often said, “If you want to know where we are on God’s world-clock, look at what’s happening in Israel.”   The world as a whole has no clue what you and I know to be factually true…that Israel is what’s important to God and Satan is doing everything possible to destroy her.   This entire Covid scam, this attempt to depopulate the earth via secretely injecting poison into over half the human population, the rise of a one-world government, and the take-down of the United States is all about Israel.   Most people in the world today have no clue that the Lord Jesus Christ, a human Jew, will physically return from heaven and reign over the earth FROM JERUSALEM for 1000 years.   The world has no clue that 2600-year-old Bible prophecies are falling into place like a finished jig-saw puzzle. They may see the pieces in a pile, but they have no clue how they fit together.   Think about all these prophecies about Israel having fallen or now falling into place:   The Bible says Israel will be scattered around the world. But after about 2000 years she would return to her homeland. She did. (Hos. 6:1,2, Ezek. 37:21, 38:8, 39:27)   The Bible says when Israel returned to her land she would become a nation in a single day. She did. (Is.66:8)   The Bible says when Israel returned she will regain her language. She did. (Is. 19:18; Zeph. 3:9)   The Bible says when Israel returns she will have remained a pure race. She did. (Rev. 7:4)   The Bible says that when Israel returns she will have two arch enemies: Russia (Gog) and Iran (Persia). They are. (Ezek. 38:3,5)   The Bible says that when she returns she’ll have a mighty military. She does. (Ezek. 37:10)   The Bible says Israel will be a burdensome stone for the world. She is. (Zech. 12:3)   The Bible says when Israel becomes a nation again the world will have nuclear weapons. (Zech. 14:12) It does.   The Bible says just before the Rapture Israel will have a group of 144,000 Jewish males who are virgins. She does. (Rev. 7:4; 14:1-5) (3)   Prophecies about Israel after the Rapture:   The Bible says after the Rapture Israel will rebuild her Temple and go back to blood sacrifices. She's talking about doing that today.(1) (Dan. 9:27) (Rev. 11:1)   The Bible says Russia and Iran will invade Israel to capture her gold and silver riches. (Ezek. 38:13)   The Bible says that Israel’s vast gold and silver riches are so large that several nations will invade to plunder. We know Solomon’s riches are still buried somewhere in Israel and this implies they will discover these riches prior to the Rapture.(2)   The world has no clue how much Bible prophecy is coming together, but we do. God has given us spiritual insight in these last days to comfort us…because it proves the accuracy of the Bible.   And when we see these things coming together, we know the Lord will rescue us from God's wrath via the Rapture. So that exhilarating moment is getting closer and closer.   BP   (1) https://compass.org/israelis-call-for-rebuilding-their-temple-and-returning-to-animal-sacrifices/   (2) https://compass.org/israels-coming-mind-blowing-gold-riches/   (3) https://compass.org/article-who-are-the-144000-in-revelation/   Why Does the United States Just Keep Getting Hit By One Historic Nightmare After Another? - by Michael Snyder - http://theeconomiccollapseblog.com/why-does-the-united-states-just-keep-getting-hit-by-one-historic-nightmare-after-another/   Have you become numb to all the bad news yet? Almost every single day, something really horrible seems to happen in the United States. It is just one thing after another and it has been that way for months. It is as if we are in the midst of some sort of a “perfect storm” that never seems to end. In all my years of writing, I have never seen anything like this. There is so much bad news happening right now that it is literally impossible to keep up with it all. Events are starting to accelerate at a pace that is absolutely breathtaking, and I am extremely concerned about what the remainder of 2022 will look like.   For months, I have been writing extensively about the endless drought in the western half of the nation. We are being told that it is the worst multi-year megadrought that the region has experienced in 1,200 years, and it just keeps getting worse and worse.   Meanwhile, we are witnessing absolutely unprecedented flooding in the eastern half of the United States. For example, some parts of Kentucky were just pummeled by more than 10 inches of rain in a 24 hour period…   Heavy rain poured down across eastern Kentucky late Wednesday into Thursday, triggering flash flooding that caused mudslides, washed away homes and roadways and promoted a flash flood emergency. The deluge produced more than 10 inches over a 24-hour period in the hardest-hit areas and came only days after another disastrous flood inundated the St. Louis area.   In some areas, it literally looks like a tsunami has just come through. One local meteorologist admitted that he does not “have the words” to describe the incredible devastation that has taken place…   Chris Bailey, WKYT’s chief meteorologist said: ‘I don’t have the words to describe the amount of devastation daylight will uncover across eastern Kentucky.   ‘This is likely to go down as one of the worst flash flood events to ever hit the state.’   Governor Andy Beshear is telling us that this was “one of the worst and most devastating events in Kentucky’s history”, and he isn’t sure why such bad things keep happening to his state…   Beshear described this as “one of the worst and most devastating events in Kentucky’s history” during the press conference. Beshear said the state was in the middle of an ongoing natural disaster and warned of the possibility for more rain to fall through Thursday night. Damage assessment and restoration were likely to continue for several days, but the dangerous flooding was hindering first responders’ ability to rescue residents, as well as allow utility workers to get power restored.   “I wish I could tell you why we keep getting hit here in Kentucky,” Beshear said. “I wish I could tell you why areas, where people may not have that much, continue to get hit and lose everything. I can’t give you the why, but I know what we do in response to it. And the answer is everything we can. These are our people. Let’s make sure we help them out.”   Of course this disaster in Kentucky came just one day after one of the worst flooding events in the history of the state of Missouri.   We are being told that we just witnessed “the wettest day ever for St. Louis”, and in some areas of the city the water actually got more than 8 feet deep…   One person died when a car in St. Louis was found covered in more than 8 feet (2.4 meters) of water. Several puppies drowned when a building became flooded at Stray Paws Adoptables, a stray dog rescue operation in St. Peters, a St. Louis suburb. Firefighters in boats rescued other dogs from the building.   Damage across the region was widespread after a massive downpour dropped more than 12 inches (30 centimeters) of rain in parts of St. Charles County and up to 10 inches (25 centimeters) elsewhere in the St. Louis metropolitan area. Most of the rain fell in a few hours shortly after midnight.   I really wish that we could take all of that water and give it to ranchers and farmers in the western half of the country, because the endless drought is absolutely crushing them.   Meanwhile, the U.S. is now dealing with two major simultaneous pandemics for the first time in my entire life.   Despite everything that health officials have tried, the first pandemic is still raging, and now another frightening disease is spreading like wildfire.   This current monkeypox outbreak began in Europe, but this week the U.S. officially became the world leader in confirmed cases…   With more than 18,000 cases worldwide, the monkeypox outbreak is now a global public health emergency, the World Health Organization declared this week. And the U.S. has recorded more monkeypox cases since the beginning of the year than any other country, according to the most recent statistics.   The number of confirmed cases continues to rise at an exponential rate, and this is one disease that you definitely do not want to get.   Many victims have described experiencing absolutely excruciating pain once skin sores start developing, and one man that has had both COVID and monkeypox is telling us that monkeypox is “100 times worse”.   On top of everything that I have already discussed, we just got confirmation that the U.S. economy has plunged into a recession…   The U.S. economy contracted for the second straight quarter from April to June, hitting a widely accepted rule of thumb for a recession, the Bureau of Economic Analysis reported Thursday.   Gross domestic product fell 0.9% at an annualized pace for the period, according to the advance estimate. That follows a 1.6% decline in the first quarter and was worse than the Dow Jones estimate for a gain of 0.3%.   Of course Joe Biden will never admit that a recession has now started.   According to him, everything is just great…   Biden noted that ‘both Chairman Powell and many of the significant banking personnel and economists say we’re not in a recession.’   ‘Businesses are investing in American in record rates,’ Biden boasted.   But everyone can see what is happening to the economy, and we are being warned that we must endure some “short-term pain” in order to get inflation under control…   “We have to endure the short-term pain in the economy in order to get inflation back under control,” said Tara Sinclair, a senior fellow at the Indeed Hiring Lab. She compared the Fed hiking interest rates and tightening monetary policy to a medical treatment that might require patients to undergo something painful in order to have longer-term health. “Then, going forward, we can have a much more stable environment where we know prices are going to be growing about 2 percent per year, we have more certainty about that, we have a better sense of demand and supply coming together. That’s a better working environment for the economy as a whole, and businesses want that kind of certainty.”   Without a doubt, we desperately need to do something about inflation because it is absolutely eviscerating those at the bottom of the economic food chain.   For example, just consider the plight of one woman that was recently interviewed by CNN…   For 17 years, Ana Duran worked full time as a travel counselor. Late last year she lost that job, shortly before seeing the price of eggs rise to $7.99 a dozen and the price of a single avocado rise to $2.99 at her local store. In June, it cost her $94 to fill up her gas tank, instead of the $50 it cost her last year.   Duran has been receiving unemployment benefits and working part-time as a caregiver for a resident at a senior center. To make ends meet, she’s also been selling her own gold jewelry and crushing aluminum cans to recycle for extra cash.   Unfortunately, what the Fed is trying to do isn’t going to work. The inflation rate will likely stabilize, but we aren’t going back to a low inflation environment.   However, dramatically raising interest rates will definitely crash the housing market.   Ultimately, we are going to get to enjoy 1970s-style inflation and a repeat of the housing crash of 2008 all at the same time.   Won’t that be fun?   A historic economic meltdown of epic proportions has begun, and it is going to get a whole lot worse.   We seem to be in the midst of some sort of a “perfect storm” with no end in sight.   So why is this happening to us?   Why does the United States just keep getting hit by one historic nightmare after another?   We appear to have entered an ominous new chapter in our history, and I believe that events will accelerate even more during the difficult months that are ahead of us.  And If the Dead Rise Not - By Jack Kinsella - https://www.raptureready.com/2022/07/26/and-if-the-dead-rise-not-by-jack-kinsella/   “Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality” (1st Corinthians 15:51-53).   Throughout the New Testament, the word translated as ‘mystery’ comes from the Greek’ musterion,’ which literally means ‘secret’ or ‘hidden thing.’ In our modern English, however, ‘mystery’ is understood in the Agatha Christie or Sherlock Holmesian sense of the word.   Paul’s use of the word ‘mystery’ when describing the Rapture in 1 Corinthians 15:53 means a truth that had not yet been revealed.   Paul cannot be referring to the Second Coming of Christ; His return at the end of the Tribulation is one of the oldest prophecies recorded in Scripture.   Daniel 12:1-3 and Zechariah 12:10; 14:4 all mention the 2nd Coming, and Jude quotes Enoch, the “seventh from Adam,” who “prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of His saints” (Jude 1:14).   The Rapture, therefore, is a previously unrevealed secret, a ‘hidden thing’ of God previously unknown to men.   As the end of this present Age approaches, there are many Christians who are beginning to wonder if we might already be in the Tribulation now.   We aren’t.   Assessment:   There are lots and lots of folks who think I am ‘way out there’ for adhering to a pre-Tribulationist doctrine. (I know this to be true, also, because I get emails from them every time I comment on the Rapture, saying, “Kinsella, you’re way out there!”)   They’ll go on smugly (and endlessly), playing word games like “the word ‘Rapture’ isn’t even in the Bible” — as if that meant something.   (Try and find the word ‘Bible’ in the Bible. Does its absence from the Scriptures mean there is no Bible?)   Or babble mindlessly about Margaret MacDonald and C.I. Scofield before pronouncing Dispensationalism and a pre-Trib Rapture a modern-day ‘invented’ doctrine.   I say ‘mindlessly’ because they don’t know what they are talking about — they are just quoting somebody else’s research as if it were the Gospel itself.   We have dealt with the Margaret MacDonald argument in previous Omega Letter reports, so we won’t address that particular ‘controversy’ here, other than to note that the Apostle Paul wrote of the Rapture 1,800 years before Margaret MacDonald.   Instead of building the argument based on what the Bible doesn’t say about the Rapture, it is helpful to take a good close look at what it DOES tell us about the Rapture.   First, notice that the Rapture involves the movement of believers from the earth to Heaven:   “For the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord” (1 Thessalonians 4:17).   The “dead in Christ” rise first; then those believers who are “alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds.” The operative word here is ‘rise.’   On the other hand, at the Second Coming, the Lord returns WITH His saints:   “To the end He may stablish your hearts unblameable in holiness before God, even our Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all His saints” (1st Thessalonians 3:13).   So the Rapture is not the same event as the Second Coming.   And things that are different are NOT the same. What would be the point of Rapturing the Church then, anyway? The Lord returns to establish His kingdom on earth, so why pull out all the Christians?   Who is He gonna rule?   “And before Him shall be gathered all nations: and He shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats: And He shall set the sheep on His right Hand, but the goats on the left” (Matthew 25:32-33).   If all the believers are raptured at the Second Coming, that would also include the Tribulation saints. Where would the believers in mortal bodies come from if they are raptured at the Second Coming?   Who would be able to enter into Christ’s Kingdom? Enquiring minds want to know.   Then there is Daniel’s 70 weeks. The Church was absent for the first sixty-nine weeks — the countdown was suspended at the Cross so the Church could be born.   Daniel makes it clear that all 70 weeks are determined upon Israel.   “Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to Him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and His wife hath made herself ready. And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints” (Revelation 19:7-8).   If the Bride is made ready to accompany Christ to the earth at the Second Coming (while part of the Bride is still on earth during the Tribulation), then how does the Bride (the Church) also come with Christ at His Return?   There is the example of Enoch:   “And Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him” (Genesis 5:24). Not only does Enoch prefigure the Rapture, note that Enoch’s Rapture was pre-Flood, and not mid-Flood or post-Flood.   The Scriptures are plain, clear and concise on the topic of a pre-Tribulation Rapture — provided one interprets the Bible literally instead of figuratively or symbolically.   While no man knows the day or the hour of the Rapture, the Second Coming can be accurately predicted, since Daniel tells us He returns exactly 1,290 days after the antichrist “opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God” (2nd Thessalonians 2:4).   “And from the time that the daily sacrifice shall be taken away, and the abomination that maketh desolate set up, there shall be a thousand two hundred and ninety days” (Daniel 12:11).   The pre-Tribulation Rapture is often called the “Blessed Hope” by those who look for His return before the Tribulation begins. Those who believe the Church will go through the Tribulation sneeringly call it the ‘Great Escape.’   Don’t let anybody steal away your Blessed Hope:   “For if the dead rise not, then is not Christ raised: And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins. Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished. If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable” (1st Corinthians 15:16-19).   The Rapture happens before the Tribulation, which means that He is coming for us soon! Call it the Blessed Hope or the Great Escape, He IS coming.   And given the current state of global affairs, it can’t be too much longer until we hear that trumpet.   Maranatha!  Daily Jot: The Farm Chronicles: My life in Paris - Bill Wilson – www.dailyjot.com   Just the word “Paris” stimulates the mind and imagination. The Eiffel Tower, quaint café’s, wine, festivities. There is this romantic notion about Paris. Paris, before it was Paris, was settled around 250 BC and was popular because it was a meeting place of land and water trade routes. Then came the Romans, who conquered the area in 52 BC and started a settlement called Lutetia, which became a very popular place with baths, temples, theatres and thriving businesses. By the end of the Western Roman Empire in 476, the town’s Latin name was Parisius, which later became Paris in French. I was born and raised in Paris–Paris, Ohio. No Eiffel Tower. But we did have a school with a honky-tonk bar across from it.   According to Portage County Historical Society records, Paris township was organized in the fall of 1820, the first election on the 10th of November held in the schoolhouse erected a year earlier. My fourth great grandfather Justus Wilson was elected trustee; his son, my third great grandfather Austin Wilson was elected a fence viewer, and my fourth great uncle, Luther Wilson, was elected a constable. There were 25 voters. At this meeting, the township was renamed Paris from its previous name of Storrsborough. While maybe somebody’s hopes and dreams were that Paris, Ohio would become like the Paris in France, that never quite materialized. Today, Paris is pretty much the way it was a hundred years ago, but the school is closed.   My second great grandfather, my great grandfather, both my father and mother, and my brothers and me before were educated in Paris before they closed it in the 1970s and moved everybody to a centralized school. This Paris school was built in the 1920’s along with four other township schools. I’m sure they were top of the line when they were built, but by the time I got there, it was a different story. The school was coal-fired heat in the winter from a boiler room in the basement, across from the first-grade classroom. Second grade was a little further down the hall and then that hall led to the cafeteria where we were served each day with pretty bad food. The water there was also terrible, venting a thick sulfur smell and a similar taste to boot. It was cold in the winter and hot in the early summer when our shirts stuck to the back of the chairs.   But all in all, it was a simpler time. We were taught manners and respect. The teachers were Christians, and many of them also taught Sunday school at their respective churches. As kids, we played together during recess and settled our differences without much interference. There was an air of innocence. Teachers taught reading, writing and arithmetic. There wasn’t any talk of gender back then, unless it involved some mention of “cooties.” And we learned to behave because that old principal, Mr. Baldwin, roamed the halls with his paddle in hand, seeking any excuse of misbehavior to apply the board of education to the seat of knowledge. Proverbs 22:6 says, “Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.” And for 150 years in Paris that’s the way it was, until it wasn’t.  Daily Devotion: Science and the Bible - by Greg Laurie – www.harvest.org   I have made the earth, and created man on it. I—My hands—stretched out the heavens, and all their host I have commanded —Isaiah 45:12   https://harvest.org/resources/devotion/science-and-the-bible/ - Listen   Some people believe that science and the Bible contradict each other, but that is not necessarily true. Over the years, people have scoffed at the Bible, claiming it wasn’t scientific. They’ve said that people who believe the Bible are fools.   However, it was the Bible that told us the Earth is round, not flat, which many of the experts believed at one stage in human history. Isaiah 40:22 says, “It is He who sits above the circle of the earth, and its inhabitants are like grasshoppers, who stretches out the heavens like a curtain, and spreads them out like a tent to dwell in.” (NKJV).   The Bible also told us the stars in the sky were innumerable (see Hebrews 11:12) when astronomers said that was ridiculous. They claimed they could count the stars. Yet as they acquired more powerful telescopes, they had to keep adding to their numbers.   The Bible tells us that God stretched out the heavens into a limitless expanse, which we can never measure, and He filled it with stars as numerous as sands on the seashore. And modern science confirms this is true.   The Bible says that “by faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible” (Hebrews 11:3 NKJV). Everything we look at consists of protons and neutrons and electrons. So, it was the Bible that told us the things we see are made of things we don’t see.   In many ways, the Bible has been ahead of science. However, the Bible is not a scientific textbook. The objective of Scripture is not to tell us how the heavens go but how to go to Heaven and how to know God.   I believe the Bible is the Word of God and that it’s true because science confirms it.

PROPHECY UPDATE...................... 7/28/2022

 

The Coming Revealing of the Anti-Christ – by Pastor Mike Taylor - https://pastormiketaylor.blogspot.com/2022/07/the-coming-revealing-of-anti-christ.html   1”And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy. 2And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion: and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority.”(Revelation 13:1-2)   In one of my messages, I explored what could be the destruction of America. Now I take another approach that during the Tribulation, or preceding the time of Jacob's trouble, that Socialism will overtake this nation, and the freedoms we have enjoyed our whole lives are suddenly stripped away and America becomes a police state to the likes of Communist Russia. I now explore the possible revealing of the Beast power and the Anti-Christ. Hence this is exploration and based on conjecture of how the Bible is interpreted and what it means...I may be right and I may be wrong, but we are to stay watchful at all times and not get carried away with the problems or pleasures of this life...but await the next, our eternal life.   RISE OF THE BEAST POWER   For centuries what comprises the True Church of the Living God, mankind has wondered who and what would be the beast found in Revelation chapter 13. Many have hypothesized the identity of the dreadful beast that rises out of the sea. I have myself, explored possible scenarios and possible candidates apart from the popular views of evangelical Christianity, as it is shrouded in mystery, but as we draw closer to the time of the end of days of man's rule upon this earth, the details draw more and more clear.   In the past, I have made references to three possible candidates, that being the pope in Rome, the 12th Imam of Islam, and the President of the USA, as we just finally got rid of the apostate Obama and replaced him with someone that is attempting to remove the attempt to overthrow this country and has brought us out of the debauchery that the USA was drowning in. But now we are back into the Biden/Obama era and the planned destruction of this country into "build back better" a plan for NEW WORLD ORDER.   But let us take a journey in exploring this chapter and make some statements that may come to pass, or may not, as only God knows the end result. We just stay focused on God's Word and keep our hearts and minds in tune with His Holy Spirit.   In the first verses, noted above we see a beast rise out of the sea. This beast is similar to the dragon that was mentioned in Revelation chapter 12. They both have “seven heads and ten horns” as noted again in Revelation chapter 17. The bible identifies seven consecutive world powers, or earthly governments that Satan used to persecute God's Church, His faithful church not necessarily the ruling church of the Middle Ages. The dragon is Satan working through pagan religions, the occult and spiritualism, while the beast symbolizes Satan working in disguise, using the corrupted Christian church to do his work. In verse 5 we see that the beast continues “forty and two months” . This is the exact number of years if you convert those months into years of 1260 years that Papal Rome had dominion over the whole known world. In verse 7, it makes “war with the saints” persecuting Christ's true followers who struggled to maintain the truth of God's Word. This beast is none other than the Papal Church system that ruled with terror for all those years. It arose as predicted among the populated European nations, symbolized by “the sea” and the “ten horns”. But note that Papal authority has since diminished from the time of her dominance, but she will rise again. Prophecy has an inerrant ability to repeat itself in a duality of events during these last days. Papal Rome ruled with an iron fist from 538 AD-1798 as noted in Verse 2 of this chapter.   WHO IS THE BEAST?   This beast has the characteristics of a leopard, a bear and a lion, the same beast powers mentioned in Daniel chp. 7 being the leopard of Greece, the bear of Medo-Persia and the lion for Babylon. This beast represents the Papacy, the same religious-political power portrayed by the little horn of Daniel 7 that had power over the whole continent of Europe.   The dragon gave the beast “his power, and his seats, and great authority”. Pagan Rome gave all these things to Papal Rome, and a pagan “christian” institution of the time, had the means to persecute and destroy God's faithful people for hundreds of years to over a thousand years, destroying millions of lives.   3 “And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed: and all the world wondered after the beast. 4And they worshipped the dragon which gave power unto the beast: and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? who is able to make war with him?” (Revelation 17:3-4)   PAPAL ROME RECEIVES A DEADLY WOUND   In 1798, the French General Berthier under the commands of Napoleon took the Pope prisoner and attempted to completely eliminate the Papacy as an institution. It seems to the world that the Papacy was “wounded to death, as that pope Pius VI was thrown into prison and lost his life”   Pope Pius defeated   "Pope Pius VI sued for peace, which was granted at Tolentino on February 19, 1797; but on December 28 of that year, in a riot blamed by Papal forces on Italian and French revolutionaries, the popular brigadier-general Mathurin-Léonard Duphot, who had gone to Rome with Joseph Bonaparte as part of the French embassy, was killed and a new pretext was furnished for invasion. General Berthier marched to Rome, entered it unopposed on February 10, 1798, and, proclaiming a Roman Republic, demanded of the Pope the renunciation of his temporal power.   Upon his refusal he was taken prisoner, and on February 20 was escorted from the Vatican to Siena, and thence to the Certosa near Florence. The French declaration of war against Tuscany led to his removal (he was escorted by the Spaniard Pedro Gómez Labrador, Marquis of Labrador) by way of Parma, Piacenza, Turin and Grenoble to the citadel of Valence, the chief town of Drôme where he died six weeks after his arrival, on August 29, 1799, having then reigned longer than any Pope.   Pius VI's body was embalmed, but was not buried until January 30, 1800 after Napoleon saw political advantage to burying the deceased Pope in efforts to bring the Catholic Church back into France." (Wikipedia)   However, the prophecy says that the wound “was healed.” In 1929 the Papacy regained its civil power with the creation of the Vatican State, and the wound began to heal. At some point in the near future the Roman Catholic Church system will completely recover her former glory and will have more power and prominence than ever before. “And the entire world wondered after the beast.” See also vs. 8.   Note that even as I type this message, the Roman Pope Francis wields much political power, that even leaders, prime ministers, and presidents give this man great audience to influence their decisions on what we call the “New World Order” He started it in the United Nations with Sustainable Development and Agenda 2030, which will govern and control every man, woman and child on this planet to do their bidding. It will be total control and even population management that will be genocide of useless people who do not contribute in their mind to the New World Order. That is the focus of the NWO, to depopulate the earth to a “sustainable level” and if millions, or even billions die, then it for the “good of the planet”.   Only recently, had our USA President had the courage to go against this nefarious scheme to the outrage of the NWO proponents. For how long did it last? It seems the world is against putting America first, but our past POTUS was trying to change what was nearly destroyed by the last Dictator in Chief, who can't stand that his legacy is in peril. The liberal “lame stream media” and the liberal democrats in Washington DC are in survival mode and may resort to acts of treason and violence to preserve their dream of a One World Government.   5”And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months. 6And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven. 7And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations.” (Revelation 13:5-7)   Note that the characteristics of this beast parallel very closely the ones in Daniel 7:20-21, 25 and 8:10-12. Have we ever seen a time in our recent history where a leader of a religious-political institution has been blatant with changing or contradicting the clear Words found in our Bibles? Pope “Francis” has been about political shenanigans and using his office to draw all religions into a One World Religion and changing even the moral and spiritual definitions of being a Christian as has never been done before in our modern era. Clearly his goal is a New World Order with the Roman Catholic Church at its center for power and control. Pope Francis is actively courting all religions of Protestantism, Islam, or any other “-ism” and trying to bring them “Home to the Mother Church”.   8 “And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. 9If any man have an ear, let him hear.” (Revelation 13:8-9)   In the last days, nearly the whole world, those “whose names are not written in the book of life,” will “worship” this beast. The day is coming soon when the majority of humankind will obey a few supporting the authority of the Papacy above the commands of God, and will thus worship the beast.   15 “And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed. 16 And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads: 17 And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.” (Revelation 13:15-17)   Only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s “Book of Life” will stay true to God. This book records the names of all the saved from every generation of Earth’s history. (Revelation 20:12, 15). It will be a daily test of their faith and endurance to stay true to their calling by God's Holy Spirit. It will not be like it was in the Church Age, when those who embraced Jesus as Lord and Savior were given a deposit, a sealing of God's Holy Spirit of their future glorification. No, they must guard it daily and not be deceived, as the delusions that God will send them to cause them to be damned will be strong because of their lust of the flesh and demonic powers will have full sway over most of humanity left after the Church is “snatched” (raptured) from this earth.   10 “He that leadeth into captivity shall go into captivity: he that killeth with the sword must be killed with the sword. Here is the patience and the faith of the saints.” (Revelation 13:10)   This verse prophecy was fulfilled when the Pope was taken into captivity and received a deadly wound, as Napolean sought to destroy the Papacy.   How did this happen? If you look at history and note what I just told you that in 1929, the deadly wound that was inflicted by Napolean's army in 1798 began to heal. The Roman Catholic Church has had to change her image from a wolf, to a a lamb that wouldn't hurt anyone. But I submit, she is a wolf in sheep's clothing and when the time is right, she will expose herself and reveal her true nature. Since we don't know the identity of the coming Anti-Christ, it is conjecture to label the pope in Rome with that title, but I do believe he will be the false prophet that will push for the worship of this “false messiah”.   THE POSSIBLE IDENTITY OF THE SECOND BEAST.   11 “And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon. 12And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him, and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed. 13And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men, 14And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live. 15And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed.”(Revelation 13:11-15) This was never possible in the past until the development of "artificial intelligence (AI)   Thus begins the part of the chapter that gives me the most distress, as this describes another beast coming up out of the earth. She begins as a lamb, but is transformed into speaking as a dragon. The identity of this beast, could be, and I emphasize, COULD BE, what I described above being the leader of the free world. Many wonder who this false prophet will support and cause all to worship this “imposter”. What superpower on earth and its leader could cause Israel to confirm a peace treaty and the ability to rebuild her temple? Who does she trust NOW or has in the past?   REASONS TO BELIEVE SHE IS THE USA   First off, the USA came to power about 1798, just as the Papacy is going into captivity and receives her deadly wound. The USA declared her independence in July 4th, 1776, and by 1790 has ratified her Constitution, with it's Bill of Rights, and was coming up as a “youthful nation” and was quickly drawn into the political arena and today is the lone Superpower on earth. Many are challenging her, and the forces to depose her are all around, but she remains a power to be reckoned with.   Second, The “sea” represents “multitudes and nations.” Revelation 17:15. The beasts that arise from the sea usually do so amid the strife of war. By contrast, this one comes “out of the earth," representing a relatively peaceful emergence in a comparatively unpopulated area. This is exactly the manner in which The United States came to power. We are called a great melting pot, that has nearly every nationality and race represented within her borders. So we abound in “multitudes and nations” that are represented in our states.   Third, this beast that depicts and represents a nation of youth, innocence, and gentleness, which is based on our God given principles of liberty in religious and civil affairs. (“For where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty”). At its beginnings, the USA had the strength to form a government based on the principles found within the Ten Commandments.   Republicanism and Protestantism were the fundamental principles of the nation. These principles are the secret of its power and prosperity. It is strong because the government and the church are separate, without one controlling the other. She has put her faith in Almighty God in the past, but that is eroding with each passing day, as the nation is in upheaval, as she is being stressed from within. We see the continued riots and push for a New World Order in our Congress and those elite who finance the downfall of our Republic to be transformed into their goal of a One World Government. Only she stands in the way of their plans, and she must be brought to her knees in their warped thinking.   Fourth, it is noteworthy to note that this beast does not have any crowns. She has been a servant of the people, and has not ruled over them, but they control her. Hence our democratic principles of voting those to represent your interest. The USA has never had a king to rule over government, or a pope to rule over the religious freedoms of its citizens, which allowed freedom of worship and expression. To this point we have kept religion and the state separate, as we disdained a religious theocracy, as was found in Papal Europe.   Fifth, in order to rule the world, the Papacy had to have sway over a standing army. To influence and order a national army to do it's bidding, on pain of excommunication in the past, so she must have a superpower to enforce her edicts of religious authority even today, as she did in Medieval's Dark days of apostasy. To force anyone to worship the beast or its image, it must be a power that would enforce, on pain of death, the desires of the Papacy.   This beast will speak “as a dragon” and exercise “all the power of the first beast before him.” The “first beast,” as an agent of the dragon, used its “power” in state affairs to enforce religious laws, resulting in the persecution of the “heretics” who would not submit. For America to do this and “give life unto the image of the beast” it would have to abandon the principles of religious freedom, repudiate the Constitution and the Bill of Rights, and discard the fundamental beliefs that have made this great nation what it is. When America uses its power to enforce religious laws and persuades other governments to do the same, it creates an “image of the beast” and it gives life, reflecting the intolerance and persecutions of the medieval Papal Church.   Almighty God gave us another chance   Right now, Christians in American prayed for a reprieve from the debauchery from the “idiot in chief” that left office in January of 2017, but how long did that reprieve holdup? The forces of darkness are rearing their heads and doing all in their power to thwart any “draining of the swamp” which is the liberal base in Washington DC. What will be their attempt to hasten the NWO they so desperately want and envision? Only God knows what lengths they will go to, to realize their “utopian” idea of man's rule on earth. They had tried numerous attempts to remove the man, who I believe God placed in the office of POTUS at that time, as the friend of Israel, much like ancient King Cyrus did. I fear, in the near future, that the next administration will speak like a dragon and impose religious laws enforcing the worship of the first beast, Papal Rome and attempt to destroy Israel. WE have confirmation from this mentally challenged "POTUS" who does the elites desires for a one world govenment. Him being a puppet of the NWO.   Luke warm “Christians” that populate the "church of Laodecia" in America that represent part of the apostate church system will reject God’s law, and His power will be withdrawn from the churches and His protection from the nation. Society will become increasingly evil and violent (as we are seeing in the news that covers most of the large cities run by Democrats), and at the same time the judgments of God will descend on the United States and on the world. Instead of embracing repentance and inward heart change, the church of Laodecia in America will demand that the government enforce religious laws to “bring this nation back to God.” or at least the deceived idea of what “returning to God” is even about. There will be some type of religious edict that will force all who worship the “beast” of Papal Rome to take a mark of loyalty, either in their right hand or their forehead.   6 “And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time. 7 For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way. 8 And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming: 9 Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders,” (2nd Thessalonians 2:6-9)   The apostasy that will be evident in the fallen from grace, USA will deceive the world into making “an image of the first beast” through the use of “great wonders” and “miracles.” In Revelation 19:20 this beast is called “the false prophet,” and in Revelation 16:13, 14 he is said to work these miracles through “the spirits of devils.”   13 “And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet. 14 For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty.”(Revelation 16:13-14)    Matthew 14:23-27 indicates that false Christ will add such strength to those deceptions as to make them very nearly overpowering;   8 “”And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming: 9 Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, 10 And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. 11 And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: 12 That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.” (2nd Thessalonians 2:8-12)    2nd Corinthians 11:14 adds that Satan himself is capable of masquerading as “an angel of light.”   16 “And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads: 17And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name. 18Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six.” (Revelation 13:16-18)   Now the identity of the coming Anti-Christ has not been revealed. But where has the coming RFID chip that is placed in the right hand, or the vaccine with its tattoo and mark in either the hand, or later even in the forehead? It is conjecture, even on my part to name the man, as I believe we will never know for sure, as the church, the True Church of the Living God, will not be on earth when he is revealed, but let me share something with you that many of you may or may not know that gives “hint” of who the man is.   The mark of the coming Beast power and its dictator, the Anti-Christ, will require a mark as mentioned on each person's body, either in the forehead and in their right hand. It's not so much as a economic sign, as it is sure that, for without it, you can't participate in the economy, whatever form it is in that sad time called the Tribulation. But what it is more importantly, its a sign of worship, of allegiance to the supreme ruler of your lives. The man will reveal himself by confirming a covenant with Israel that will start the Tribulation and at the mid-point of the Tribulation, this Satan's son will make desolate the temple in Jerusalem or the abomination that causeth desolation, and the nation of Israel will know that the treaty they signed with him 3.5 years ago, was a pact with the devil.   But the mark of YHWH, a mark of worship...God’s seal is His name, character and law written in His people’s hearts and minds and is seen in His laws which are found in your Bible. Those laws, and the sacrifice of His only Son, identifies who our God is, and who created each of us. Those who resist the mark of the beast are those who “keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.” and will not bow the knee or worship at the first church of the Anti-Christ, or the church of Satan.   But what is the significance of the number 666? I believe we know that the beast, whose number this is, may symbolize the Roman Papacy, and that it’s “the number of a man.” One of the pope’s titles is said to be Vicarius Filii Dei, “Vicar of the Son of God.” In Latin, the language of Catholicism, some of the letters double as numbers, and the numerical value of Vicarius Filii Dei adds up to 666, and a great many Bible scholars believe that this is how 666 is to be interpreted.   Am I saying the Pope is the Anti-Christ? He very well may be and he may not. As I said, we won't know for sure. But believe you me, the RCC will be at the table of power in the last days and she will reclaim her position of power to even a greater degree than what she had in the Middle Ages of her 1260 years of ruling over mankind. Problem for her is, it will be a small, temporary rule that will find her either destroyed by the Anti-Christ if she be only the False Prophet, or be destroyed by Jesus Christ, our Living God when He comes to set up His reign and rule for a 1000 years.   16, “And the ten horns which thou sawest upon the beast, these shall hate the whore, and shall make her desolate and naked, and shall eat her flesh, and burn her with fire. 17, For God hath put in their hearts to fulfil his will, and to agree, and give their kingdom unto the beast, until the words of God shall be fulfilled. 18 And the woman which thou sawest is that great city, which reigneth over the kings of the earth.” (Revelation 17:16-18)   These verses would identify the False Prophet along with its Harlot Church as being destroyed by the Anti-Christ. But what if the Pope is the AC himself?   He will destroy all religions, including the Roman Catholic Church in favor of worship of himself. Remember what Paul wrote in 2nd Thessalonians?   4 “Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.” (2nd Thessalonians 2:4)   IF THE POPE is the AC, then he will destroy all religions in favor of worship of himself, as Satan desires worship, as he has entered the man.   “ For you have said in your heart: "I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; I will also sit on the mount of the congregation on the farthest sides of the north; I will ascend above the heights of the clouds, I will be like the Most High." (Isaiah 14:13-14)   CONCLUSION AND FINAL THOUGHTS   So there you have it, my reader. My hypothesis of what may happen in the last days coming very soon. I pray those found in Jesus Christ will not witness one iota of the coming carnage that will transpire on this earth when the lawless one is revealed. I am believing that the Roman Catholic Pope will either be the false prophet promoting a false religion to worship of the RCC with the USA as the state army to enforce his will. OR be the Anti-Christ himself and will destroy the Roman church in favor of worship of himself. And this man will be destroyed by Jesus Christ, our King and Savior, at His coming to rule and reign for a 1000 years by the brightness of His coming.   8 “And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming: 9 Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, 10 And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.” (2nd Thessalonians 2:8-10)   It could be highly possible will we see an unholy “trinity” of the Pope in Rome, the leader of the USA at that time, and Satan entering both.   The analogy of the coming One World Church with the RCC as receiving all worship towards her, and the USA as its enforcer, will be on the scale of when Charlemagne was enforcer of Papal Rome in the Middle Ages. It will be as it was then. To have this even take place, one other event must happen first.   6 “And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time. 7 For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way. 8 And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming: 9 Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, 10 And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.” (2nd Thessalonians 2:6-10)   Understand, my reader, this could happen at any given moment. As I've mentioned in the past, I will be acutely aware of that call and as I was listening for a trumpet this last Feast of Trumpets that did not happen YET, or it may be the next fall, or the next, as that is the Feast of Trumpets which is the next chronological order of the Feast of God that He has fulfilled to the letter in the past...I have covered this extensively in the past, so if you missed it, then it's on my blog for the interested reader.   As you should know, if you read any of my past messages, the personal pronoun in the verses directly above points to a only ONE power that has the ability to withhold evil in this world, and that is God's Holy Spirit. And since God told us He would never leave us or forsake us, when God's Holy Spirit is removed, so shall His church and all who dwell in Her....in an instant.   51 “Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, 52 In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. 53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. 54 So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. 55 O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?” (1st Corinthians 15:51-55)   Time is fast running out for those who receive Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior to the “ark of safety” when the Tribulation comes upon the earth. As many can see, the USA is in the biggest upheaval that will either bring her down, or make her the Superpower that enforces the worship of the Anti-Christ and his image. Those who miss receiving Jesus as Lord and Savior, will be thrust headlong into a time that words cannot justify the horror that will be experienced by those who miss the greatest event this side of Jesus resurrection. Some call it the “Rapture'...called harpazo in the Epistles of Paul, and identified as a snatching away, by force of those who are taken. It will happen in a flash. Woe, woe, woe to those who dwell upon the earth during that time, as they will see tribulation so great that no flesh would be saved, as Jesus told us plainly:   21 “For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. 22 And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened.” (Matthew 24:21-22)   It will be that that much destruction and carnage of all life on this planet. Don't make that mistake and think you have all the time in the world. Your time could run out in the next few seconds.   16“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him, should not perish, but have everlasting life. 17, God sent not His Son to condemn the world, but that the world through Him, might be saved. 18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.” (John 3:16-18)   And as it is written, if you desire to be with Jesus Christ, the above verses and the ones below will lead you to a prayer of repentance.   8 “But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach; 9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. 10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. 11 For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. 12 For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him. 13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” (Romans 10:8-13)   Receive Jesus our Lord, today and be filled with God's Holy Spirit and a guarantee you will not see what I have just described...   This is Pastor Mike Taylor, praying you make that decision for Jesus Christ right now... if you need prayer, counseling, or just a friendly, listening ear, email me at pastormiketaylor@yahoo.com , .So come Lord Jesus..God bless you all. TILL WE MEET AT JESUS FEET

Nearing Midnight: Seas and Waves Really Roaring! – Terry James - https://www.raptureready.com/category/nearing-midnight/   We’ve covered Jesus’ Olivet Discourse many times. There has been plenty of fodder in it to provide evidence that stage-setting for prophetic fulfillment is ramping up on a timeline of frequency and intensity.   One of our most-looked-at prophecies that involves the Lord speaking on things to come is found in the following:   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. (Luke 21:25)   While application has been made to the physical elements involved in this prophecy—the seas and waves of the literal oceans indicating that nature is responding violently to man’s rejection of God—some word studies show that the “seas and waves” in this instance refers to the peoples of the earth.   I believe this could be a dual application. The Lord might well have been speaking of both the literal geophysical condition and the human condition.   However, the prophetic utterance leading into the “seas and waves roaring” statement involves the reference to nations “in distress,” “with perplexity,” seemingly making it more likely to mean that the “seas of people” will be in a high degree of uproar—which is why I use the word “really” in the title of this week’s piece.   People are really in an uproar as of the time of this writing. Europe, in particular, is in upheaval, due to economics and food scarcity brought on by increasingly dictatorial governments.   Following are excerpts that prove Jesus’ words about the “seas and waves roaring” at the end of the age, which is where we almost certainly find ourselves.   For weeks there have been protests by farmers in the Netherlands against their left-wing government’s Great Reset policies, the EU’s “Green Deal,” and the associated forced closure of farms. Their government’s radical ‘climate change’ measures aim to slash emissions in some provinces by 95%. That would mean the end for about 30 percent of the farmers…   Farmers in other nations, Spain, Italy, Poland, Germany, and France, have begun their own protests as the E.U. intensifies its efforts to slash emissions in all member states causing harm to citizens’ livelihoods and the global food supply.   Spain   The Netherlands protests and blockades are already affecting some supermarkets that are running out of food. Moreover, Spain’s farmers have again taken to the streets because of inflation…   Poland   Polish farmers also staged protests in Warsaw, marching in the streets against their government’s destabilizing policies:   Polish farmers also rise up in Warsaw: “That’s enough! We won’t let ourselves be robbed!” They accuse the political class of destabilizing production by raising interest rates, which does not stop inflation: “We workers cannot pay for the crisis created by the politicians!”…   Italian farmers have since joined the mass protests, having had enough of their left-wing government’s climate policies and rising food costs…   In [one] video, a farmer can be heard encouraging others to mobilize and stage their protests in Rome. “We are not slaves; we are farmers!” shouted a farmer from his tractor.   “You should all come along with us! Because under these conditions, we cannot put food on the table anymore! We can’t take it anymore! You should side with us! To Rome! We must go to Rome! Because we can’t take this anymore!”…   Germany   Farmers who learned from the Canadian Freedom truckers are currently blockading the Netherlands- German border with tractors to protest the World Economic Forum’s climate change policies of their government. (“Dutch farmer protest sparked by policy Trudeau wants for Canada,” by Amy Mek, RAIR, Rapture Ready News, July 14, 2022)   Another case of the chaos due to governmental abuse is seen in protests of the people of Sri Lanka.   Bakery shelves were emptied due to ongoing food shortages, according to All Ceylon Bakery Owners’ Association (ACBOA) on Sunday a week ago. The report said that bakery products including bread would be emptied from the shelves in the next two or three days amid severe food shortage in the country.   The severe shortages and the way their government handled the crisis enraged the citizens. They took over the Sri Lankan president’s mansion, some sleeping in the bed of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, who fled the premises.   The people swam in the luxurious pool and invaded all rooms of the palace, according to the report.   Sri Lanka is among the hardest-hit of places suffering food shortages, while the leaders across the world seem to have lost their collective minds as part of the Great Reset being implemented around much of the globe.   Klaus Schwab and the World Economic Forum seem to be the moving force at the center of the stage being set for the Antichrist regime prophesied to rule during the Tribulation.   So, with the seas and waves of humanity really beginning to roar, we should be looking up for our redemption, according to Luke 21:28.   You don’t want to be left behind when the Rapture takes place. The food crisis and every other sort of suffering will bring horrors that Jesus said will make it the worst time of all human history.   Here is how to avoid this coming time of crises and go to be with Christ when He calls.   That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. (Romans 10:9–10) Gallup: Belief in the Inerrancy of Scripture Rapidly Declining - by David Fiorazo - https://davidfiorazo.com/2022/07/gallup-belief-in-the-inerrancy-of-scripture-rapidly-declining/   It’s clear in recent decades, poll after poll shows the extent of the biblical ignorance and moral decline in America which has lead to tragic consequences. A new Gallup survey backs up recent Barna and Pew Research, and the takeaways are consistent: it’s not the church or Christians who are impacting people’s worldview and perceptions of the Bible, it’s modern culture.   In a new Gallup poll last week, alarming and glaring issues were again exposed. First, fewer people think the Bible is actually and literally God’s Word. Just 20% now believe the Bible is the literal word of God which is a decrease of thirty percent since 2011.   People are being conditioned to to view the Bible negatively, and merely as man-made rules. At the same time, the religions of Humanism, secular progressivism, LGBTQ ideology, and progressive “Christianity” (the cult of liberalism) are gaining converts.   The fact that God’s Word has virtually been eradicated from the public square is stunning.   The inerrancy of Scripture is foundational to Christianity, and here we have more evidence that deception and falling away from the truth often begins with doubting the inspiration and perfection of the Bible.   Also in the new poll, more than a quarter (29%) of Americans now think the Bible is merely a collection of “fables, legends, history, and moral precepts recorded by man.” This coincides with a rapid increase of skeptics, ignorance, opposition, and biblical illiteracy.   Yes, the Bible does contain historical details, but is full of extremely accurate history which is proven over and over by archaeology as well as various secular historians including Josephus. But Scripture is divine, not simply historic. And yes, the Bible was written by men: 66 different books compiled by many writers over a time span of 1,500 years on three different Continents – whose author was and is the Holy Spirit.   2 Peter 1:20-21 states,   But know this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture becomes a matter of someone’s own interpretation, 21 for no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.   If there is a sovereign, all-powerful God who created and sustains all things, don’t you think He could handle communicating His message through imperfect human beings?   Jesus said God’s Word is truth (John 17:3). Take it up with Him. All Scripture was divinely inspired by God (2 Tim. 3:16) and is eternal. Psalm 119 states:   “Forever, Lord, Your word stands in heaven.” (:89)   “The entirety of Your word is truth, And every one of Your righteous judgments endures forever.” (160)   But for those who don’t believe the Bible, it can be difficult to use Scripture to convince them, so it all comes down to Jesus. Is he who he said he is? Did he die as a sacrifice for our sins, was he buried, and is his resurrection an actual, historical and verifiable event? Is there evidence available and were there eye-witnesses? Yes, yes, and yes. (See 1 Corinthians 15:1-8; 2 Peter 1:16-17) IN fact, Acts 1:3 states that after Jesus was raised from the dead He provided “any infallible proofs.”   Today’s confusion over the inspiration of Scripture is easily understood in a culture that promotes “self” and places emotion over evidence, feelings over fact. They prefer a God whose word is “fluid and therefore, many have created another gospel which the Bible strongly wars about (Galatians 1:6-9).   In analyzing the latest Gallup poll, yet another concerning downward trend shows less people seeing a need for religion. Too many are caught up pursuing the things of this world such as entertainment, comfort, and leisure. You know, they’re having fun living their best life now.   But to them, God’s Word, a relationship with Jesus, the Gospel, repentance, and spiritual things just aren’t as important. Christianity is like adding a cherry on top of their loaded banana split with all the toppings. Life is busy. Religion is something they add to their lives if they have time to squeeze it in.   Just two decades ago, sixty percent (60%) of people said religion was important, but now in 2022, just forty-four (44%) say it’s important in their lives. Less than half of all Americans. No wonder the church is struggling today.   One of the most notable and even shocking findings was on the difference between Catholics and Protestants regarding views of inerrancy. Both groups are in trouble. Thirty percent (30%) of Protestants believe the Bible is the literal word of God (which is awful!) while a measly fifteen percent (15%) of Roman Catholics say the same.   Catholics do have their own Bible (with added, uninspired books containing errors), but a few reasons for this dismissal of God’s Word as truth is because Catholics have historically not been encouraged to read and study the Bible. Moreover, they place much emphasis on the Pope, the Catechism of the Church, and teachings about Mary that were added through the centuries, and church tradition over Scripture.   Next, almost half of all poll respondents chose a somewhat neutral view. Forty-nine percent (49%) said neither the strictly literal view of Scripture nor the fables and legends option were accurate. They said the Bible is “inspired by God, not all to be taken literally.” After all, they reason, how could a guy named Jonah have been swallowed by a big fish only to repent and become a preacher of righteousness? They see it as an imaginative story while Jesus referred to Jonah as literal historic truth (Luke 11:29-30, Matt. 12:40).   Sorry my non-committal friends, you cannot have it both ways. Our assurance, eternal salvation and security depend on the inerrancy of Scripture. This affects how we live our lives.   Gallup also noted some intriguing findings on subjects regarding education, church attendance, and other indicators, but nothing is as crucial as whether or not the Bible is perfect, holy, and divine.   Frank Newport, Gallup senior scientist, noted how stunning this poll is and put it this way:   “This marks the first time significantly more Americans have viewed the Bible as not divinely inspired than as the literal word of God.”   The problem is when people stop believing in God and the Bible, deception has already taken root, and they often end up believing in anything. This is one reason there are so many wacky cults, philosophies (Colossians 2:8!), and religious teachings out there, many of which support a works-based righteousness lacking assurance of salvation.   One more thing about biblical inerrancy and essentials of the faith. This is not a new or recent development. Perhaps you’ve heard the basic explanation of what’s known as “the descent of the modernists” in the American church that began a century ago. These downward steps to apostasy go like this:   Step 1. Stop believing the Bible is the inerrant word of God. Step 2. Doubt that man is made in the image of God. Step 3. Believe in the theory of evolution. Everything came from nothing. Step 4. Miracles in the Bible didn’t really occur. Step 5. Jesus was not born of a virgin. Step 6. No deity – these is no God let alone a Triune God. Step 7. No atonement for sin – if sin is even a problem in the first place. Step 8. No resurrection. Jesus did not really rise from the dead. Step 9. Post truth. Step 10. Agnosticism or Atheism.   What happens when we deny God’s authoritative word, creation, His design for marriage and family, reject the truth, and cast aside the Bible?   Anything goes.   If we’re willing to admit it, it is easy to see how far we’ve declined as a church and a nation as these polls tell a sobering tale of the demise of society via gradualism.   But do these surveys matter? Yes. In past American history, trust in God and living out the Bible – His guiding principles – was known to have had a measurable, positive impact on society and public policy. Not anymore.   I wrote in my book, Redefining Truth, that it’s no surprise the Oxford English Dictionary declared “post-truth” to be their word of the year in 2016. Post-truth is defined as:   “relating to or denoting circumstances in which objective facts are less influential in shaping public opinion than appeals to emotion and personal belief.”   We seem to be caught in the current of post-modernism which denies the existence of truth as an objective, absolute reality. Just look at the current debate these days over what a woman is, which is yet another cancerous symptom of a rebellious, secular progressive society that prefers to think man can be god, there is no accountability, and a person can live by his or her own truth.   What could go wrong?   Stay in the Word, brother and sister, and keep building on Jesus Christ the Truth and Cornerstone of our faith. Secure your foundation and don’t be deceived. God’s word is final authority and can be fully trusted! Judgment is Coming - Nathele Graham - twotug@embarqmail.comssa   The Book of Revelation is a very important book, but is very neglected by most Christians. It can be a little mysterious, and many denominations ignore it. Many who teach through it mistake it as an allegory or even try to say it is historical rather than a look into the end of days. Many people who know nothing else about Scripture have some knowledge about this important book, but the facts are fuzzy. They know that the number 666 is important and try to find a “creepy” meaning whenever that number appears. Scripture says that it is the number of a man rather than a random time on a clock, or a string of numbers on a credit card. “And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed. And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads: and that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name. Here is wisdom, Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six.” Revelation 13:15-18. If a person takes this mark which identifies them as following the Beast, they will, by their own choice, be forever damned with no turning back. That mark isn’t here yet, but the way is being prepared for people to take that mark. Be careful what you choose to believe and who you follow.   The first verse of Revelation (notice that it is a single revelation, not many revelations), tells us what it is all about “The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John:” Revelation 1:1. The revelation was given from God the Father to God the Son, then related to the Apostle John “Who bare record of the word of God, and of the testimony of Jesus Christ, and of all things that he saw.” Revelation 1:2. This isn’t a transcript of a nightmare that John had one night, but it was prophecy from God. Since God revealed it to John, it’s important to study and understand. “Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand.” Revelation 1:3. The time is at hand and coming quickly. It’s important for every Christian to be able to help those who have little knowledge of what’s coming and let them know that only faith in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ can bring salvation. Anyone who has placed their faith in Christ won’t face God’s wrath.   Many who read Revelation don’t understand that Jesus dictated seven letters to John, which were addressed to seven churches. Those letters describe real situations in each of those congregations, but also describe the Church Age in advance. From the letter to Ephesus (the early days of Christianity had much persecution but, in spite of the troubles, those brave men and women had continued patiently in the faith) to the letter to those in Laodicea (describing today’s congregations where Christ isn’t welcome inside but knocks on the door waiting for someone to answer). There are few pastors today who teach the pure word of God. They try not to offend the congregation by pointing out sin, nor do they want anyone to think that only Christians will go to Heaven. That is heretical teaching, but prophesied as a sign that the end is near. The Book of Revelation contains 22 chapters, but after Revelation 3:14, the word ekklesia (translated church) isn’t mentioned. What has happened? To whom are the following chapters written?   Something wonderful has taken place. The Harpazō (often called the Rapture) has taken all true Christians to Heaven. Christ has called His bride Home. “After this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up hither, and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter.” Revelation 4:1. The words “After this” come from the Greek words “meta tauta”, which mean something in sequence. First something happens then another thing. So, first the Church Age happens, then a door opens in heaven and a voice says “Come up hither”. I long to hear that voice, and it will happen soon. The Apostle John was given a special preview of future events as they would occur in Heaven. John wrote the book of Revelation approximately 2,000 years before the events he was allowed to see would actually occur. Our Lord Jesus Christ allowed this Apostle a very special gift and John wrote about all He saw as he gazed into the future. That phrase “meta tauta” is used again in this verse and translated “hereafter”. After the Rapture, John sees the events we will experience in Heaven. Then in Chapter 6, he describes what’s happening on earth. If you haven’t given your life to Christ, you will see those events up close and personal. Right now, it isn’t too late to repent of sin and give your life to Jesus. He loves you and is knocking at the door of your heart. Open the door and let Him enter.   “And immediately I was in the spirit: and, behold, a throne was set in heaven, and one sat on the throne. And he that sat was to look upon like a jasper and a sardine stone: and there was a rainbow round about the throne, in sight like unto an emerald.” Revelation 4:2-3. John was looking upon the Throne of God as God sat on His Throne. Wow. How can human words describe the indescribable? John uses the most descriptive terminology possible at that time to provide readers with understanding as he views God’s glory. John gives believers in Christ a most glorious insight into what awaits all those who place their trust, their faith, and their lives in Christ’s hands. He gives us a peek at the wonders waiting us at the Throne of God.   There are over 800 references in the Book of Revelation to Old Testament Scriptures. Isaiah was given a vision of Heaven which he describes in Isaiah chapter 6. He describes amazing things, which are in line with what John saw. One thing Isaiah didn’t see are the 24 elders which John saw. These elders represent the ekklesia. When Isaiah saw his vision, Jesus hadn’t been born, and the Church Age was still many centuries from being established. So, when John describes what he saw, it isn’t surprising he describes things a little differently than Isaiah did. “And round about the throne were four and twenty seats: and upon the seats I saw four and twenty elders sitting clothed in white raiment; and they had on their heads crowns of gold.” Revelation 4:4. I can hardly wait to be there. John was given an awesome gift - a glimpse of Heaven, an advance look into the Throne room of God Almighty. John goes on to explain what he saw there and his explanation is what assures all believers in Christ that we will not see the tribulation week unfold. We will be gathered around the Throne giving Him all glory, honor, and praise. “And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation. And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.” Revelation 5:9-10. Don’t wait until we’re around the throne to sing His praises. Start today. Jesus Christ shed His blood so that you can be there singing with the 24 elders. He has redeemed you, and that’s truly worth singing about.   “The four and twenty elders fall down before him that sat on the throne, and worship him that liveth for ever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying, Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.” Revelation 4:10-11. Where do we get the crowns to cast before His throne? Our salvation is a free gift from God that we cannot work to earn. When we accept Christ for salvation, our entire life should reflect His grace. Instead of doing things with selfish motives, or grudgingly, our attitude should focus on glorifying God. After the Rapture, Christians will be judged. Not to see if we will spend eternity in Heaven, but to reward our unselfish, God centered works. “Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is. If any man’s work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.” 1 Corinthians 3:13-15. Start today to submit your life to Christ. Allow Him to change you from an angry, sinful person into a person who honors Him in all your words and actions. You will be given rewards around the Bema seat of Christ.   From Chapter 6 on we see the events happening during the Great Tribulation on Earth. God’s wrath. There’s no further mention of the ekklesia. The seven-year tribulation week is the point where God once again turns His attention to Israel. Christians have not replaced Israel; God has not forgotten His chosen people. Even though the majority of Jewish nation are blinded to the truth of the Gospel during the first half of the tribulation week, their eyes will be opened at the middle point when the Anti-Christ puts the abomination of desolation in the re-built temple and declares himself god. “Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.” 2 Thessalonians 2:3. Most people will think the Anti-Christ is their god, but he will show just how evil he is and many gentiles will also come to faith in Christ during that final week. The following years won’t be easy.   The Anti-Christ is going to demand that everyone take his mark and worship him. We can see the groundwork is being laid today for that to happen. During the Tribulation, if you don’t take the mark, you will be beheaded. If you do, you will not be able to be saved in the end (Revelation 14:11). The events of the final week are very disturbing, even gruesome. There won’t be any place to hide from the coming horrors, they will be worldwide, fierce to behold, and completely consuming in their vastness. No one on earth during this time will escape God’s wrath. Those who miss the Rapture yet become believers during the tribulation week will fall prey to some of the horrors spoken of in those remaining chapters. Most will be martyred for their faith.   Only by becoming a born-again believer in Christ now, before the Rapture, can we be assured of being in Heaven during the Tribulation. You can’t blame God if you’re left to face the Tribulation. God has given you warning. The first five chapters of Revelation speak of blessings, churches doing well and churches not doing so well. We read about the glory of God’s throne. After we read of the glory, we are shown what those who reject Christ will face. Does your pride stop you from seeing you are a sinner who needs a Saviour? Being “good” won’t get you to Heaven. Only faith in the death burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ will allow you to spend eternity with Him.   Judgment is coming and the question is, how will you respond to God’s free gift of salvation? Will you reject it and face the horrors of His wrath, or will you accept it and spend eternity with Your Lord and Saviour? You make the decision.     God bless you all, Nathele Graham twotug@embarqmail.comssa ron@straitandnarrowministry.com   Recommended prophecy sites: www.raptureready.com                                                 www.prophecyupdate.com                                                   www.raptureforums.com   All original scripture is “theopneustos” God breathed.   If you’d like to be on my mailing list to receive the commentaries just drop me an email and let me know.   Daily Jot: The Sexual Predation of our children must stop - Bill Wilson – www.dailyjot.com   The sexual predation of America’s children must stop. Corporations, the government, school systems and nonprofits have been poisoned by some sort of sex lust for children that they are aiding and abetting sexual predation of children. Drag queens reading children books, the Southern Poverty Law Center providing explicitly transgender best practices guide for school kids, school districts lying to parents about the gender-grooming in public schools. You and I need to step in. This horror show is a ticket to a totally abhorrent society in the years to come, and this government-sanctioned sex abuse of our children must end. These people must be prosecuted and removed from any contact with children.   Allowing the LGBTQ+ community access to elementary and high schools may be a primary cause of suicide among LGBTQ+ preteen and teen recruits. This “grooming” of minor children by LGBTQ+ activists welcomed by school systems appears to be leading children down such a path of guilt and confusion that studies indicate they are committing suicide at alarming rates compared with their heterosexual peers. A 2019 study published in the Journal of Adolescent Health analyzed 10,311 suicides ages 12-29 using information from the National Violent Death Reporting System (NVDRS) found that adolescents aged 12 to 14 who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, and/or transgender are more likely to die by suicide than heterosexual teens of the same age.   The researchers concluded that one out of four pre- and early teen suicides were among LGBTQ+ youth. Moreover, suicide rates among older LGBTQ+ youth are also higher than rates among heterosexual teens. A 2018 study also found that LGBTQ+ teenagers are three times as likely—that’s 75% more likely–to attempt suicide as their heterosexual peers. This is so bad that the LGBTQ+ community felt compelled to initiate the Trevor Project as a national organization providing crisis intervention and suicide prevention services to LGBTQ+ young people under 25. The Trevor Project website says that “LGBTQ young people are more than four times more likely to attempt suicide than their peers, and suicide remains the second leading cause of death among all young people in the United States.”   The Trevor Project donor list is a “Who’s Who” of Corporations ($12.1 million), the government ($85,071) and various others totaling in 2020 some $34.6 million. The sexual grooming and recruitment of children in schools, ad campaigns, and entertainment (say Disney for me) to accept the LGBTQ+ lifestyle obviously leads children to severe enough mental conflict that they not only consider suicide, they do it. THEY KILL THEMSELVES. If heterosexuals organized and went into schools to groom kids for sex, they would be arrested for a host of sex crimes. If LGBTQ+ people want to pursue that lifestyle as adults, it is between them and their God. But LEAVE OUR KIDS ALONE. Romans 12:21 exhorts, “Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.” This sexual predation of children is evil. Don’t fear the bully. Stand for the children. Daily Devotion: Proven - by Greg Laurie – www.harvest.org   As for God, His way is perfect; the word of the LORD is proven; He is a shield to all who trust in Him —Psalm 18:30   https://harvest.org/resources/devotion/proven/ - Listen   How do I know the Bible is the Word of God? Because it gave me the experience it claimed it would. I believe it because everything the Bible promised me has been true. Everything.   For example, the Bible says that God would forgive my sin: “But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness” (1 John 1:9 NLT).   When I first read that verse, I prayed, “Lord, cleanse me of my sin.” And one of the first things I remember experiencing as a brand-new Christian was the sensation of having a massive weight removed from me.   When I prayed and asked Jesus into my life at the age of seventeen, I didn’t know what I had just done. I hadn’t read, “Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you” (1 Peter 5:7 NLT). I hadn’t read any Bible verses yet, but I do remember feeling that a burden had been lifted from me. That was God forgiving my sins.   The Bible also says, “Anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!” (2 Corinthians 5:17 NLT). I became a different person after I gave my life to Christ. I recognized a change inside, and I knew it was real.   I had tried to be a better person before. I wanted to be a more caring person and be different than I was, but I couldn’t change myself. Then suddenly with Christ living in me, and as I read the Word of God, I saw these things happen for me just as the Bible said they would.   That’s why I believe the Bible is the Word of God. It has given me the experience it promised.