This is an update of an article I first posted 2 years ago. Two things prompted me to post it again at this time. First, it’s a good follow up to last week’s article on the growth of Islam. And second, last week, at the last minute, Turkey booted Israel out of a joint training exercise also involving Italy and the US. When they withdrew in protest, Turkey responded by scheduling a training exercise with Syria instead. The reason Turkey gave was Israel’s inability to deliver an order of Heron surveillance drones to Turkey on the agreed schedule, even though it was the failure of a part produced by Turkey that made on time delivery impossible.

Turkey has been distancing itself from Israel since the Gaza offensive, and on top of the canceled training exercise recently began airing a TV series depicting Israeli soldiers as child killers. Inside sources indicate that Turkish PM Erdogan has become convinced that Turkey is destined to play a more pivotal role in Middle Eastern politics by reviving the Ottoman Empire. To that end Turkey has been more involved in MidEast diplomacy, acting as a mediator between Syria and Israel, and has formed a pact with Syria and Iran that features increased military and commercial involvement among the three. Some see in this the re-birth of an end times military force known as the King of the North in Daniel 11. Let’s take a closer look.

The Kings Of The North And The South

“At the time of the end the king of the South will engage him in battle, and the king of the North will storm out against him with chariots and cavalry and a great fleet of ships. He will invade many countries and sweep through them like a flood.” (Daniel 11:40)

Three separate kings are in view in this one verse and their identities must be discovered to fully understand what will happen in the days leading up to the end. They are the King of the North, the King of the South, and the one who was identified in Daniel 11:36 as the king who exalts himself. We call him the anti-Christ. All of Daniel 11:4-35 has been taken up with a discussion of various generations of the King of the North and the King of the South, but the King who exalts himself is neither, and subdues them both.

First, the King of the North. The vision of Daniel 11 was given in 536BC and begins with an angel telling him what would happen to the Persian Kingdom then in power. After 3 more Persian Kings, a fourth would arise, an especially rich and powerful King. This Persian King, who we know as Xerxes I, took as his queen the Jewish woman Hadassah, called Esther in the Persian language (Esther 2:16-17). He put together a mighty army and mounted an unsuccessful attempt to conquer Greece in 480BC. About 150 years later the tables would be turned and a King from Greece would conquer the Persian Empire. This was fulfilled by Alexander the Great.

Then Daniel was told in effect that Alexander’s Kingdom would be divided into four pieces according to the four winds of heaven, not going to his offspring. (After Alexander’s death his four generals divided up the Kingdom among them.) The next 30 verses are devoted to the families of two of the four, Seleucus, known in Daniel 11 as the first King of the North and Ptolemy, the first King of the South. 135 historically confirmed prophecies are contained in the first 35 verses of Daniel 11, most having to do with the descendants of these two men. The other two generals, Cassander (West) and Lysimachus (East) are not mentioned here, but in fact Cassander went back to their homeland and ruled over Macedonia, and Lysimachus eventually lost his portion to Seleucus.

So the first kings of the North and the South were Seleucus and Ptolemy. For territory Seleucus eventually got control of what we now know as Syria, Lebanon, Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan and parts of Turkey. Reigning for a time from Babylon in modern Iraq, he built a new capital city 20 miles to the south east on the Tigris river and named it Seleucia. Ptolemy took Libya, Egypt, the Sudan, Israel and Jordan, and chose Alexandria in Egypt as his capital.

Through their descendants, these two kings fought each other for control of the known world for the next several hundred years. Then Daniel 11:33-35 brings us to the Maccabean revolt when the last important King of the North, Antiochus IV Epiphanes, was defeated.

History To Prophecy

Up till now this has all been a recounting of history. Beginning in verse 36 we fast forward to the time of the end when modern versions of these two kings will go after the anti-Christ. What would make them do that? Well, here’s where we get a little more speculative. There’s a growing body of evidence suggesting that a struggle is underway between Arab Moslems and non-Arab Moslems for control of the emerging Islamic Empire. The goal of Islam is a single Islamic World Empire, or Caliphate as it’s called, and there’s fierce competition to see who can bring it about. This competition finds Iran, and the countries aligned with it, pitted against Egypt and its allies. The Iran group is largely non-Arab and Shiite and the Egyptian group is largely Arab and Sunni.

It should not surprise students of prophecy to learn that Iran’s group is almost identical in territory to the Biblical King of the North and Egypt’s group is a modern equivalent of the King of the South, with the addition of Saudi Arabia and absent Israel. (Of all the countries involved, Syria is the biggest anomaly here, being Arab speaking and predominately Sunni. Maybe this is why Iran reportedly has a contingency plan to depose Bashar Assad if it becomes necessary.)

But remember, according to Daniel 12:1 we’re talking about the beginning of the Great Tribulation here. Both Isaiah 17 and Ezekiel 38-39 will occur before this competition for Moslem supremacy comes to a head. This tells us that while Syria will cease to be a factor after Isaiah 17 and is not even mentioned in Ezekiel 38, Iran will neither be pre-emptively destroyed by the US and/or Israel (even if an attempt is made) nor completely taken out of play because of Ezekiel’s battle, and will recover to contend for Moslem supremacy.

Ezekiel’s phrase “send down fire” (Ezekiel 39:6), which many believe to be a reference to nuclear warfare, is directed at Magog, the distant coastlines (somewhere beyond the Mediterranean) and the battle field in Israel. No mention is made of any destruction in Persia (Iran). Whatever Iranian forces are involved in Israel will be decimated, but Iran itself will survive.

Followers of middle East politics can already spot the jockeying between these two groups for Islamic supremacy. For instance, remember how Osama bin Laden, a Sunni from Saudi Arabia, condemned the Shiite Hezbollah for “prematurely” going to war with Israel in the summer of 2006? Even though Israel is their common enemy, he warned the Arab world not to support the Hezbollah action. Lately it’s been rumored that if push comes to shove, Saudi Arabian air space will be opened to Israeli jets on their way to bomb Iranian nuclear targets. (Although reported in the British news, Saudi Arabian officials deny this.) And notice how Iran has displaced Saudi Arabia as the primary sponsor for Hamas, even though Hamas is Sunni. To win this competition, you have to control Jerusalem. All of Iran’s positioning with Hamas, Syria, and Hezbollah is directed toward that end.

If this view is correct we should expect to see more jockeying between these two groups, building to a point where at the outset of the Great Tribulation only a king superior in power and authority to both can unite them. This superior King will have to be an Islamic figure with an even greater right to head the Caliphate than either the King of the North or the King of the South, and even then they won’t give up without a battle.

A Non-Traditional Perspective

Of course this view requires that the one world religion of the last days will be Islam, not some version of Catholicism or New Age pantheism. And it makes it more likely that when the anti-Christ emerges, he’ll come from the Eastern leg of the Roman Empire, not the West. Constantinople (Istanbul) is also known as a city on seven hills, is a former capitol of the Roman Empire, and can just as easily fulfill the prophecy of Rev. 17:9 as Rome does.

As details of Islamic eschatology become more widely known, prophecy students are discovering striking similarities between descriptions of al Mahdi, sometimes called the Moslem Messiah, or 12th Imam, and a figure from Christian eschatology called the anti-Christ. I’ve made mention of them in previous articles, how in their respective prophecies both come on the scene during a time of great turmoil on Earth, both come claiming a desire to restore peace, both have a seven year reign, both head a one world religion and one world government, both claim supernatural origins, and both reigns end in a battle between good and evil that brings Earth’s final judgment.

He will also invade the Beautiful Land. Many countries will fall, but Edom, Moab and the leaders of Ammon will be delivered from his hand. He will extend his power over many countries; Egypt will not escape. He will gain control of the treasures of gold and silver and all the riches of Egypt, with the Libyans and Nubians (Sudan) in submission. (Daniel 11:41-42)

This view also provides the first plausible explanation I’ve seen for why Daniel was told that present day Jordan will be spared in this Grand Caliph’s “holy” quest to put the world under submission, even though Egypt, Lybia and the Sudan will be forced to bow. Sunni Moslems believe that the Grand Caliph has to be an Arab from the Hashemite family of which King Abdullah II of Jordan is the current patriarch. This helps explain Abdullah’s extra-ordinary influence in middle eastern affairs and why he “unofficially” controls the Temple Mount. The Hashemites once held sway over the entire Middle East and served as custodians of all Moslem Holy Sites.

I’m not saying that Abdullah II is the anti-Christ. Remember, Daniel 11:41 says that Jordan and its leaders will be delivered from the anti-Christ’s control. I believe Jordan will be left alone out of deference to King Abdullah’s genealogy as the 43rd direct descendant of the prophet through Mohamed’s daughter Fatima, and his closest living relative.

No, it’s more likely that al Mahdi (also known as the anti-Christ) who will be senior even to Abdullah II, will bring the Kings of the North and the South into submission while sparing Jordan. Incredibly, in a way only God could manage, this makes Petra, a mountainous area about 3 hours south of Jordan’s capitol Ahman, the perfect hiding place for the believing Jews during the Great Tribulation.

And this view explains why, with all the quicker and easier ways of executing people available, the one mentioned in Revelation is beheading. We’ve only recently been made aware of Islamic terrorists’ preference for this method. For generations Biblical scholars were ridiculed for their insistence on a literal understanding of beheading as the method of execution in Tribulation times. That all changed when we got to Iraq.

The biggest mistake the West makes is to ignore the religious undercurrents in the Islamic Middle East. As recent events have already shown, Moslems will always choose to be governed by Islamic law rather than western style democracy, given the chance. Their religion teaches them that Islamic law is more just. And the goal of Islam is a world wide Caliphate where there are only two kinds of people, those who submit and those who are targets for execution.

He was given power to give breath to the image of the first beast, so that it could speak and cause all who refused to worship the image to be killed. (Revelation 13:15)

And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony for Jesus and because of the word of God. They had not worshiped the beast or his image and had not received his mark on their foreheads or their hands. (Revelation 20:4)

If you listen carefully, you can almost hear the Footsteps of the Messiah.

I agree with Jack’s perspective regarding the timing of Isaiah 17 and Ezekiel 38-39. I’m still divided and observing his “non-traditional perspective” regarding an Islamic antichrist. It could very well play out that way and there is enough on both sides that keeps me watching. Having shared his reasoning behind the Islamic antichrist, let me share a little on a Western one.

One of the main reasons behind this belief is the political infrastructure already present and powerful throughout the western world. While this teeters with much of the worlds energy being exported from the Middle East, it seems to me that the primary infrastructure and technology necessary to implement the kinds of global control prophesied are of Western origin and control. Could this change with enough economic crisis and power in Islamic countries? Maybe, but it seems also to me that while Islam boasts of global domination, it is also much more divided than the West to accomplish it alone.

Another strong reason I hold in a Western antichrist comes from the Bible studies I did on the fourth kingdom. With the combination of the symbology and history of a woman riding (directing) the beast, it seems clear to me that Europe, a revived Roman Empire is the center of political power for the man of sin.

I believe that whatever side one wants to take on the issue, mankind’s mutual enemy uses all sides as puppets for his purposes, betraying whoever along the way to reach his goal. I believe the forces of radical Islam serve a purpose in the angry masses willing to do whatever for the sake of Allah. They strike the chord of fear in those without a solid spiritual foundation that don’t understand the spiritual warfare being waged for the souls of mankind. Yes I believe Islam will play a very large role in the prophesied end-times, the full details of that role and how they will get there are still no completely clear. We see through a glass darkly.

link: A most compelling proof that Muhammad taught his followers to advance the cause of Allah by the use of the sword, is provided by the example of his immediate successors, known as Califs. They followed his intense fanaticism in waging relentless wars of conquests against Christians, Jews, and pagans. In a relatively short time they carved an enormous empire for themselves. At the height of their power, the Muslims’ territories stretched from northern Africa and southern Europe in the West to the borders of modern India and China in the East. Their battle cry was: “Before you is paradise, and behind you are death and hell.”

Joel 2:1-10
Blow ye the trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm in my holy mountain: let all the inhabitants of the land tremble: for the day of the LORD cometh, for it is nigh at hand; A day of darkness and of gloominess, a day of clouds and of thick darkness, as the morning spread upon the mountains: a great people and a strong; there hath not been ever the like, neither shall be any more after it, even to the years of many generations. A fire devoureth before them; and behind them a flame burneth: the land is as the garden of Eden before them, and behind them a desolate wilderness; yea, and nothing shall escape them. The appearance of them is as the appearance of horses; and as horsemen, so shall they run. Like the noise of chariots on the tops of mountains shall they leap, like the noise of a flame of fire that devoureth the stubble, as a strong people set in battle array. Before their face the people shall be much pained: all faces shall gather blackness. They shall run like mighty men; they shall climb the wall like men of war; and they shall march every one on his ways, and they shall not break their ranks: Neither shall one thrust another; they shall walk every one in his path: and when they fall upon the sword, they shall not be wounded. They shall run to and fro in the city; they shall run upon the wall, they shall climb up upon the houses; they shall enter in at the windows like a thief. The earth shall quake before them; the heavens shall tremble: the sun and the moon shall be dark, and the stars shall withdraw their shining:

As for the West, if you’ve read Recommendation 666, you see the road signs that we have been passing with little fanfare from most of the population. Again we see through a glass darkly, but hindsight is 20/20 and there is much that has already happened that should perk the attention of the watchmen out there. While timing remains the big question, we’ve seen Europe go from many nations to a regional governance with a single currency over the past 50 years, viewed as an example to aspirations for global governance. With the economic crisis, America – once the most powerful nation in the world – is being brought down from that position and we’re seeing Europe coming out in much better shape. In addition we’re seeing more and more that while the New World Order may not be one nation, it is one governance as international law takes greater precedence in a world afraid of destroying the earth ecologically and through wars and rumors of wars.

As I said, the enemy of mankind has much to gain from using both of these diverse angles to gain power. With the increasingly secular humanist West and their brainwashing, mixed with the power and religious fervor of radical Islam, could Satan gain the power to rule over the earth in his appointed time? I believe so. Though exactly how hasn’t been made completely clear yet, this is my thought on the matter.

The man of sin (antichrist):

Revelation 13:1-10
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. And 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. 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. And 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? 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. And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven. And 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. 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. If any man have an ear, let him hear. 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.

Here we see the symbology of the beast with seven heads that can be combined with Daniel 2:26-47 and Daniel 7:1-11 laying out the history of these kingdoms yet waiting for the final kingdom to be made clearer. We see that a leader will be given position and power by the dragon (Satan) that will last for 42 months (3 1/2 years) and that the world will be amazed at his resurrection and will worship this now powerful leader. It also says that he will make war with the saints (those whose names are not written in the book of life) and will overcome them.

The false prophet:

Revelation 13:11-18
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. And 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. And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men, and 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. 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.

This second beast comes up out of the earth and has two horns like a lamb but speaks as a dragon. God is love and Satan and his fallen angels represent that which is not of God, hatred and death. Notice also that he has the same power as the man of sin does and forces those under his power to worship the man of sin, doing great wonders like calling fire from heaven, deceiving the people by these “miracles.” For those that require signs and wonders to believe, this will be a powerful delusion. Moreover he can give life to the image (idol) of the beast and forces those under him to worship it. He is also the enforcer of the infamous “mark of the beast.”

The 12th Mahdi is expected to rise from a well on Qom at some point in the future. This is a Shi’ite Islam’s expected leader and while the Sunni sect doesn’t necessarily hold to the same belief in this 12th Mahdi, would that make much difference if he came with such signs and lying wonders?

I’ve thought for some time, perhaps incorrectly, that somehow the two extreme centers of power, Islam and the West, will necessarily merge in some way at some point. If it was under the fear of crisis mixed with the power of signs and wonders, could a common message of the Western antichrist unite with the message of the Islamic Caliphate to bring about an unholy union of the world into the final form of the New Age religion, the worship of Lucifer? With the mutual hatred of Israel, I could see this as another uniting force between Islam and the West. There is a time of great tribulation coming in Israel and then the world and while it is not here yet, those forces in Islam chomping at the bit to run Israel into the sea will one day be given their chance. With their leader enlightening them on the true Islam and the West in fear and awe of the man of sin, are we seeing the perfect storm brewing on the horizon that will culminate in the most destructive and bloody time on earth? Keep watching.

The message of the Bible is not one of fear, but rather warning us that an existence without the loving God who created you and I should shake us to our core and bring us to see that we cannot exist without Him. God doesn’t let bad things happen because He’s bad, He honors the gift of free will given to mankind when we ate from the forbidden fruit, consequences and all. He’s given us ample warning throughout history of what happens without Him there and even made sure the written history and the story of our future would be preserved through thousands of years as a guiding light for all who would listen. And for those who listen and obey He has promised time without end in His presence because His Son Yeshua (Jesus) took the sin that separates us from God upon Himself. So even in the gloom of what is coming on the horizon, stand firm in the faith and believing the promise of eternity. The worst years of torment in this life aren’t even a blink compared to eternity and what God has in store for them that love Him. Learn more at your local Holy Bible!

Galatians 5:22-26
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another.

1 Thessalonians 5:1-11
But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you. For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape. But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief. Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness. Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober. For they that sleep sleep in the night; and they that be drunken are drunken in the night. But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation. For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ, Who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him. Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do.

I’ve posted this passage many times as indeed it is central to where I feel called, to watch. The question is, how is it that the day of the Lord could come like a thief without the majority of the world noticing? I think Glenn Beck recently hit the nail on the head in his October 8, 2008 radio show regarding the things that are happening and what they could mean. Things are going to be coming fast and hard leaving those who haven’t been watching and don’t understand what is going on dizzy and confused in the whirlwind of events. Many who have built their treasures on earth will be wondering what to do. When a person is overloaded with so much from all sides, they have a hard time keeping track of anything.

On the financial side of things, the calls have already been made from leaders around the world for a globalized financial system (news here and here) and the central banks from around the world have now worked in cooperation to lower interest rates globally. (news here) Now a post-election global talks being pushed by the EU on the current financial crisis are being planned for November 15 in Washington D.C.. (news here) Meanwhile, Vice Presidential candidate Joe Biden is warning his constituents of coming unpopular decisions Obama will make. I believe these are all steps to to the ultimate financial control described in Bible prophecy.

Revelation 13:16-18
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.

But we are not in darkness. Who is “we” and how can we not be in darkness? We are a special group, not for anything of ourselves, but rather in spite of ourselves by the grace of God. The only thing special about us in this world of darkness today is that we have seen the Truth in God’s Word and believed it. For this we are also rejected by those of this world, but Truth and reality will always overcome fables because they exist outside of an imagination that fades away. For a greater understanding of how we will be rejected, look into the Alliance of Civilizations (more here) with the understanding that “the world” is increasingly pluralistic in its view of acceptable belief systems. There’s also endorsement from the Obama campaign of the AoC. (news here)

As I have learned, and tried to express in the Watchman Bible study website, that we have a source of understanding given in great detail that provides the hope we cannot find in the things of this world. Moreover, it also foretells what is to come and provides the comfort of understanding our eternal place in God’s kingdom in spite of the troubles and tribulations of this earthly realm. In this we find not only understanding that gives us peace in the midst of tribulations, but hope in the glories yet to come for them that love God.

While I think Glenn Beck is placing his hope in the wrong place, he is right that knowing the future is a buffer to prepare ourselves mentally for the coming challenges rather than being caught completely by surprise. Where I place my hope is in Yeshua the Christ and His Word, the Bible, which reveals not only the things of the spirit, but also prepares those who believe for the future foretold to come within its pages and centered on Him. Even though I know difficult times are coming and indeed here for many, I will always have joy in the midst of them because of the faith, hope and love I have found in God’s Word. My desire is to share that with anyone who wants those things as well.

What we are told over and over again in scripture is to watch, and the context of these warnings is centered on the coming day of the Lord that comes like a thief on an unsuspecting world and likened to the days of Noah and Lot.

Luke 17:26-30
And as it was in the days of Noe, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man. They did eat, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark, and the flood came, and destroyed them all. Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded; But the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all. Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed.

Matthew 24:36-44
But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only. But as the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left. Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left. Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come. But know this, that if the goodman of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up. Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.

Mark 13:35-37
Watch ye therefore: for ye know not when the master of the house cometh, at even, or at midnight, or at the cockcrowing, or in the morning: Lest coming suddenly he find you sleeping. And what I say unto you I say unto all, Watch.

Revelation 3:3
Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee.

With all that is going on are you feeling a little lost? Do you feel panic setting in? I hope not, but I want to let you know that there is hope, not in the things of this world because we have been told they will fall. Rather than build up treasures on this earth though, I encourage you to build your treasure in heaven because that lasts forever. It all begins with a belief and acceptance of Yeshua as your Savior and the recognition of personal guilt in transgressing God’s ways of perfect love. We all have and still do, but those who love God try to obey Him with all their heart, mind and soul – the body follows. I think this scripture is central considering Yeshua laid His life down for us, true love is selfless.

John 15:12-22
This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you. Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you. Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you. Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you. These things I command you, that ye love one another. If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you. If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you. Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also. But all these things will they do unto you for my name’s sake, because they know not him that sent me. If I had not come and spoken unto them, they had not had sin: but now they have no cloak for their sin.

God is love and Yeshua expressed that perfect love by becoming a perfect sacrifice, taking your personal sins upon Himself and dying in them so that you could live. The evil that has befallen this world is a result of free will departing from God’s ways of selfless Love. God, not inhibiting free will, has provided eternal salvation from eternal death through the sacrifice of Love by His Son Yeshua. If you have a hard time believing what the Bible says, please read through the Watchman Website. In the area of creation vs. evolution, historical fulfillment and current unfolding of events I have tried to bring together what has built my faith to share with those who have ears to hear and help build up your faith.

Hebrews 11:1-3
Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. For by it the elders obtained a good report. Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.

I recommend reading all of Hebrews 11 and going over the stories presented there to define faith. This world is going to fall apart, but you don’t have to fall apart with it. Wicked people are going to take advantage of the chaos to gain greater control and God is going to give this world what it wants, not Him. We saw this spirit displayed when the people were given the choice of releasing Yeshua or Barabas the murderer. And so today the name of Jesus (Yeshua) is looked upon with distain by much of the world in favor of a more all-inclusive belief system that sometimes even uses His name apart from acceptance of His Word.

Watch what is happening in light of scripture, accepting God at His Word and in it, and don’t be sucked into the chaos and the blindness that comes with it. We have not been given a spirit of fear and understanding what is going down provides us the opportunity to be a greater witness and point of stability standing on the foundation of the Word of God. In doing so the waves will crash against us in the storm, but standing on the rock, our firm foundation, will also be a beacon for those looking for the peace and stability we have in Christ.

We are not in darkness, but what we are seeing unfolding now will distract the majority of the people from what is prophesied to come, the fulfillment of the promised return of the bridegroom to gather His bride and the day of God’s wrath on the children of disobedience. (see Day of the Lord) I just want to encourage you, trust in the Lord and don’t be caught unawares at such a time as this, WATCH!

May the Lord continue to bless and keep you as you remain in Him.

In watching the news, there are some more stories I feel relevant to add here as an update.

Fear of new Mid East ‘Cold War’ as Syria strengthens military alliance with Russia Times Online August 21, 2008

Russia sends aircraft carrier to Syria Barents Observer August 20, 2008

Monitor: UN peacekeepers in Lebanon co-opted by Hizbullah World Tribune August 20, 2008

As US Looks to Improve Ties, Libya Positions Itself in Russia’s Corner CNS News August 19, 2008

Israeli missile defense system detects Syrian tests World Tribune August 19, 2008

Israelis: War With Hezbollah Inevitable Newsmax August 18, 2008

Report: Israel threatened to target Syria if Hezbollah attacks

Lisbon treaty would have helped in Georgia crisis, says France EU Observer August 18, 2008

Lebanon, Syria open diplomatic relations The Jordanian Times August 15, 2008

‘Syria and Hizbullah gaining strength’ The Jerusalem Post (August 12, 2008

Exclusive: Hizbollah ‘stronger than before’ and ready to strike Israel  Telegraph UK August 2, 2008

Keep watching…

360 vs. 365 by Guy Cramer

Acts 2:16-21
But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel; And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams: And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy: And I will shew wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath; blood, and fire, and vapour of smoke: The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and notable day of the Lord come: And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.

Is there more context to this passage quoted from Joel that could give us more information as to the meaning?

Joel 2:15-25
Blow the trumpet in Zion, sanctify a fast, call a solemn assembly: Gather the people, sanctify the congregation, assemble the elders, gather the children, and those that suck the breasts: let the bridegroom go forth of his chamber, and the bride out of her closet. Let the priests, the ministers of the LORD, weep between the porch and the altar, and let them say, Spare thy people, O LORD, and give not thine heritage to reproach, that the heathen should rule over them: wherefore should they say among the people, Where is their God? Then will the LORD be jealous for his land, and pity his people. Yea, the LORD will answer and say unto his people, Behold, I will send you corn, and wine, and oil, and ye shall be satisfied therewith: and I will no more make you a reproach among the heathen: But I will remove far off from you the northern army, and will drive him into a land barren and desolate, with his face toward the east sea, and his hinder part toward the utmost sea, and his stink shall come up, and his ill savour shall come up, because he hath done great things. (Ezekiel 38,39 – Magog invasion from the North which God decimates in the mountains of Israel leaving but 1/6 of them.) Fear not, O land; be glad and rejoice: for the LORD will do great things. Be not afraid, ye beasts of the field: for the pastures of the wilderness do spring, for the tree beareth her fruit, the fig tree and the vine do yield their strength. Be glad then, ye children of Zion, and rejoice in the LORD your God: for he hath given you the former rain moderately, and he will cause to come down for you the rain, the former rain, and the latter rain in the first month. And the floors shall be full of wheat, and the vats shall overflow with wine and oil. And I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten, the cankerworm, and the caterpiller, and the palmerworm, my great army which I sent among you.

There appears to be a sequence in Joel 2 that goes from a time of increase for Israel to a point when a Northern army is removed far off from Israel. This is where the Magog invasion comes in from the past posts…

Ezekiel 39:21-29
And I will set my glory among the heathen, and all the heathen shall see my judgment that I have executed, and my hand that I have laid upon them. So the house of Israel shall know that I am the LORD their God from that day and forward. And the heathen shall know that the house of Israel went into captivity for their iniquity: because they trespassed against me, therefore hid I my face from them, and gave them into the hand of their enemies: so fell they all by the sword. According to their uncleanness and according to their transgressions have I done unto them, and hid my face from them. Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Now will I bring again the captivity of Jacob, and have mercy upon the whole house of Israel, and will be jealous for my holy name; After that they have borne their shame, and all their trespasses whereby they have trespassed against me, when they dwelt safely in their land, and none made them afraid. When I have brought them again from the people, and gathered them out of their enemies’ lands, and am sanctified in them in the sight of many nations; Then shall they know that I am the LORD their God, which caused them to be led into captivity among the heathen: but I have gathered them unto their own land, and have left none of them any more there. Neither will I hide my face any more from them: for I have poured out my spirit upon the house of Israel, saith the Lord GOD.

It is after God decimates the Magog invaders that Israel knows He is the LORD their God from that day forward. This doesn’t necessarily mean that they accept Yeshua as the Messiah, but as compared to the largely secular state of Israel today I’ve posited that there will be a spiritual shift that will bring the nation of Israel back to a place where the nation will rebuild the temple and begin the daily sacrifice once again in the ways of their fathers. What I hadn’t noticed before was Ezekiel 39:29 in relation to the following continuation of Joel 2 after driving off the Northern army…

Joel 2:26-29
And ye shall eat in plenty, and be satisfied, and praise the name of the LORD your God, that hath dealt wondrously with you: and my people shall never be ashamed. And ye shall know that I am in the midst of Israel, and that I am the LORD your God, and none else: and my people shall never be ashamed. And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions: And also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my spirit. And I will shew wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke. The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and terrible day of the LORD come. And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the LORD shall be delivered: for in mount Zion and in Jerusalem shall be deliverance, as the LORD hath said, and in the remnant whom the LORD shall call.

There seems to be a distinct similarity between what happens after God drives off the Magog invaders from the North, Israel’s recognizing God’s sovereignty as a nation again and God pouring out His Spirit upon all flesh. What is even more interesting is the progression of events continues to show wonders in the heavens and the earth leading to the signs of the sixth seal that heralds the day of the Lord and sudden destruction soon following it.

So it seems possible that Joel 2 follows a progression of end time events that describes Israel at a time just prior to an attack by an army from the North that God drives away through a time of the latter rain bringing great increase to Israel afterward and a pouring out of God’s Spirit on all flesh during this time. Imagine the state of Israel during this time of God showing His power in her protection and Israel’s blindness to Yeshua as the Messiah. I can imagine that they will have a strong national desire to rebuild the temple, yet with the Dome of the Rock still located where it is, they will only build the inner court so that the two temples will rest side-by-side fulfilling Revelation 11:1,2. More on that here.

This will set up everything for the stopping of the daily sacrifice by the man of sin who will then declare himself to be God and set himself up as an idol to be worshipped in the Holy of Holies. This is the abomination of desolation spoken of by Daniel the prophet and Yeshua in Daniel 9:27 and Matthew 24:15-22 respectively.

Matthew 24:29
Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken:

It is this time just after the abomination of desolation when the signs of the sixth seal take place, immediately after the time of Jacob’s trouble. The sixth seal is the sign just before the day of the Lord, heralding the sudden destruction that comes like the days of Noah and Lot that the bride escapes. We are not in darkness, keep watching!

The attack of Ezekiel 38 & 39 where Iran, Russia, Turkey, Libya and friends attempt to destroy Israel and God destroys them with fire and brimstone from heaven, will come before the abomination of desolation and indeed be the event that both quiets the opposition and cause a spiritual shift in the nation of Israel that will lead to the rebuilding of the temple for the third time in several millennia.

Ezekiel 38:2-6; 16-23
Son of man, set thy face against Gog, the land of Magog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal, and prophesy against him, And say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I am against thee, O Gog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal: And I will turn thee back, and put hooks into thy jaws, and I will bring thee forth, and all thine army, horses and horsemen, all of them clothed with all sorts of armour, even a great company with bucklers and shields, all of them handling swords: Persia, Ethiopia, and Libya with them; all of them with shield and helmet: Gomer, and all his bands; the house of Togarmah of the north quarters, and all his bands: and many people with thee.
And thou shalt come up against my people of Israel, as a cloud to cover the land; it shall be in the latter days, and I will bring thee against my land, that the heathen may know me, when I shall be sanctified in thee, O Gog, before their eyes. Thus saith the Lord GOD; Art thou he of whom I have spoken in old time by my servants the prophets of Israel, which prophesied in those days many years that I would bring thee against them? And it shall come to pass at the same time when Gog shall come against the land of Israel, saith the Lord GOD, that my fury shall come up in my face. For in my jealousy and in the fire of my wrath have I spoken, Surely in that day there shall be a great shaking in the land of Israel; So that the fishes of the sea, and the fowls of the heaven, and the beasts of the field, and all creeping things that creep upon the earth, and all the men that are upon the face of the earth, shall shake at my presence, and the mountains shall be thrown down, and the steep places shall fall, and every wall shall fall to the ground. And I will call for a sword against him throughout all my mountains, saith the Lord GOD: every man’s sword shall be against his brother. And I will plead against him with pestilence and with blood; and I will rain upon him, and upon his bands, and upon the many people that are with him, an overflowing rain, and great hailstones, fire, and brimstone. Thus will I magnify myself, and sanctify myself; and I will be known in the eyes of many nations, and they shall know that I am the LORD.

Ezekiel 39:1-8
Therefore, thou son of man, prophesy against Gog, and say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I am against thee, O Gog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal: And I will turn thee back, and leave but the sixth part of thee, and will cause thee to come up from the north parts, and will bring thee upon the mountains of Israel: And I will smite thy bow out of thy left hand, and will cause thine arrows to fall out of thy right hand. Thou shalt fall upon the mountains of Israel, thou, and all thy bands, and the people that is with thee: I will give thee unto the ravenous birds of every sort, and to the beasts of the field to be devoured. Thou shalt fall upon the open field: for I have spoken it, saith the Lord GOD. And I will send a fire on Magog, and among them that dwell carelessly in the isles: and they shall know that I am the LORD. So will I make my holy name known in the midst of my people Israel; and I will not let them pollute my holy name any more: and the heathen shall know that I am the LORD, the Holy One in Israel. Behold, it is come, and it is done, saith the Lord GOD; this is the day whereof I have spoken.

From these passages, I believe that the Magog armies will be pulled into a confrontation with Israel. (hooks in their jaws) God’s destruction will be expressed in natural form with fire and brimstone from heaven. Even though things happening in the nature are usually discouraged from association with God’s design, the timing of the natural event with the attack will be a clear trumpeting of Bible prophecy as being real and present in a concrete manner for most. Some may remain in denial, but anyone who knows anything about Bible prophecy will be awake and aware.

Israel has God’s Word intertwined with them and even though they can’t see the fulfillments of the shadows in Yeshua, this is clear and from the Tahakh, Old Testament. So while Israel has not accepted the Meshiach Nagid as presented in prophecy at the triumphal entry, their faith will be strengthened and it is my belief that the Nation of Israel will return to the ways of their fathers and require the rebuilding of a temple to begin the sacrifices again setting up the way for the abomination of desolation and the beginning of the time of Jacob’s trouble. More on the Temple Mount here.

Revelation 11:1,2
And there was given me a reed like unto a rod: and the angel stood, saying, Rise, and measure the temple of God, and the altar, and them that worship therein. But the court which is without the temple leave out, and measure it not; for it is given unto the Gentiles: and the holy city shall they tread under foot forty and two months.

Revelation 13:1-5
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. And 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. And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed: [abomination of desolation] and all the world wondered after the beast. And 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? 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.

You can read more about the beast and 10 horns here. Now the question is, what triggers this series of events that could very well lead to the fulfillment of the above prophecies? The recent show of force in Lebanon has lead to embassies opening up between Syria and Lebanon for the first time since 1943. Lebanon is to the North of Israel. Syria has also been giving weapons to Hezbollah, who is stocking up on rockets. At the same time Ahmadinejad says Israel will soon disappear. Clearly there is a desire from many for the elimination of Israel as a nation as anti-Israel messages are preached all over the Middle East and the world. In the beginning of June, Iran and Syria signed a missile pact as well. Hezbollah was behind the Lebanon problems and is a proxy of Iran, whose leader believes the 12th Mahdi will come from his occult in a well in midst of chaos to bring order. I posit that this could be the false prophet who will bring the two horns of Islam (Sunni & Shiite) together following the destruction of the Magog invasion.

And this is where I currently see the hair-trigger locked and loaded, Hezbollah. Israel threatened to target Syria if Hezbollah attacks and there’s a Bible prophecy there too.

Isaiah 17:1-3; 7-9
The burden of Damascus. Behold, Damascus is taken away from being a city, and it shall be a ruinous heap. The cities of Aroer are forsaken: they shall be for flocks, which shall lie down, and none shall make them afraid. The fortress also shall cease from Ephraim, and the kingdom from Damascus, and the remnant of Syria: they shall be as the glory of the children of Israel, saith the LORD of hosts.
At that day shall a man look to his Maker, and his eyes shall have respect to the Holy One of Israel. And he shall not look to the altars, the work of his hands, neither shall respect that which his fingers have made, either the groves, or the images. In that day shall his strong cities be as a forsaken bough, and an uppermost branch, which they left because of the children of Israel: and there shall be desolation.

Hezbollah’s actions, an arm of Iran, has been set as a reason for Israel’s attack of Damascus! It is the leadership of Iran who points to Israel’s soon destruction, but is waiting for the coming of the 12th Mahdi out of chaos. Could Israel catch wind of an attack or be attacked by Hezbollah to trigger the joining of state forces into the attack on Israel? There has certainly been enough collusion going on between Russia, Iran, Syria and Hezbollah to get the arms into the region and now with the North border of Israel with Lebanon showing signs of weakness, it could prove to be the crack in the dam through which the armies will burst through if Israel does make such a decision. And Turkey’s leadership has been pushing for membership in Europe, but Turkey’s past is ruining hopes of a liberal future. Could this lead to Turkey joining the attack because of Israel’s preemptive strike?

It seems a group who is willing and able to start a war could be the terrorist tool to draw Israel to keep their promised attack against Damascus and give the Muslim nations a political reason to show the rest of the world that they are justified in such an attempt to destroy a nation and a people. Once God shows His Word to be true and glorifies His name in the earth by stopping the attack, I’m sure there will be enough political shock and resurgence in faith within Israel that the temple could be rebuilt soon after. And if the stories of pre-fabrication as with Solomon’s temple are true, it could go up very quickly indeed with the drive and today’s modern equipment. And something else possibly related to Ezekiel 38:19… On June 30, 2008, Israel authorities warn hospitals to prepare for earthquake. The seismologists are uneasy regarding the apparent possibility for an earthquake in the region now.

I don’t know for sure if this attack will happen this summer, but I know I’m not the only one talking about the possibility of a large scale war in the Middle East this summer. However, I think that many are missing the Bible prophecy aspect from their perspective in today’s world. These events are building directly in line with the sequence and timing from my study of the Bible and its prophecies. Furthermore, from the various researchers noted in the HIStory, Our Future Bible studies, the timeline of events of God’s dealing with Israel as a nation are colliding with current events possibly matching the sequence of events spread throughout the Bible as spoken by the Holy Spirit through the prophets. I think whether one sees what is coming in the natural only or also in the spiritual will have a lot to do with whether they have read the Word of God or not. The thing about God is He always gives us a choice, and while the events will be His proclamation of the Truth of His Word, those who don’t know His Word or aren’t told about it will have their own logical reason to rationalize it. Knowing what I do of God’s Word, I give Him the glory. The timing is certainly interesting for everything that I’m seeing and the fact that it fits in with the other events relating to other aspects of Bible prophecy being fulfilled today, I believe we are certainly in the end times as prophesied and indeed much closer than anyone realizes or wants to believe.

1 Thessalonians 5:1-11
But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you. For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape. But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief. Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness. Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober. For they that sleep sleep in the night; and they that be drunken are drunken in the night. But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation. For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ, Who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him. Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do.

Matthew 24:32-42
Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh: So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors. Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled. Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away. But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only. But as the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left. Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left. Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.

Keep watching! For more on the connection to the 70th week of Daniel and the beast from the sea, I touch on that here.

My own belief based on the HIStory, Our Future timeline and what is reported here is that we are on the verge of a global financial crisis that could lead to the collapse of the current systems combined with other events that will happen leading to the implementation of a global cashless system based on RFID technology that will prevent anyone from buying or selling if they choose not to participate. Somark has an RFID tattoo ink that is currently being used to track cattle that could be implemented on humans so that they would receive a “mark” that could not be stolen or transferred that would be linked to a global database, being put together now under various national ID systems. This system would not require printing any new currencies because it would be completely electronic. In addition, since it would replace currency, anyone left with nothing but their old Dollars, Euros or whatever else would be left with nothing that any stores would take. And have you seen those Paypass systems being attached to debit card machines at McDonalds and theaters and grocery stores all over? The infrastructure is already being put in place so that all that is needed are initiation centers where people can go to get a tattoo and be entered in the database. Without that, you cannot buy or sell anywhere. Who do you serve, God or mammon?

Revelation 13:16-18
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 14:9-13
And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand, The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb: And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name. Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus. And I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Write, Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth: Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labours; and their works do follow them.

“Lucifer comes to give us the final … Luciferic initiation … that many people now and in the days ahead, will be facing — for it is an initiation into the New Age. … No one will enter the New World Order unless he or she will make a pledge to worship Lucifer. No one will enter the New Age unless he will take a Luciferian Initiation.” | David Spangler, Director of Planetary Initiative, United Nations   Reflections on the Christ [Book: 1978], quoted in ‘Unicorn in the Sanctuary‘, by Randy England, 1978, Interconnections Must-read link

Keep watching!

Despite the sensational nature of its subject, Lost in Translation: Rediscovering the Hebrew Roots of our Faith is written in simple, clear, rational language that relies 100% on the Bible as the ultimate authority. The authors shed light on centuries of confusion surrounding subjects that are seldom addressed in modern sermons and Bible studies. Using ancient Hebrew language and culture, the authors clarify many of the Bible’s so-called “mysteries” and help the reader uncover the treasure of foundational truths that have been “lost in translation.” Topics include:

• Who is the Bride of Messiah?
• Is there a difference between covenant and testament?
• How does the rainbow reflect God’s plan for mankind?
• What is the difference between devils, demons, and Nephilim?

Join us on an exciting adventure to rediscover the treasures still buried within the pages of The Book that reveal the pathway to the heart of God.

I have just started reading this book and highly recommend it. The authors do a good job laying out the Hebraic roots of our faith and bringing home some of the central aspects of defining the bride of Christ and how the wedding customs mirror our future. You can read some excerpts here.

Does God Sanction Mystical Experiences? Lighthouse Trails Research by Ray Yungen June 16, 2008 – For many years during my research, I would come across the term contemplative prayer. Immediately I would dismiss any thought that it had a New Age connotation because I thought it meant to ponder while praying–which would be the logical association with that term. But in the New Age disciplines, things are not always what they seem to be to untrained ears. What contemplative prayer actually entails is described very clearly by the following writer:

When one enters the deeper layers of contemplative prayer one sooner or later experiences the void, the emptiness, the nothingness … the profound mystical silence … an absence of thought.1

To my dismay, I discovered this “mystical silence” is accomplished by the same methods used by New Agers to achieve their silence–the mantra and the breath! Contemplative prayer is the repetition of what is referred to as a prayer word or sacred word until one reaches a state where the soul, rather than the mind, contemplates God. Contemplative prayer teacher and Zen master Willigis Jager brought this out when he postulated:

Do not reflect on the meaning of the word; thinking and reflecting must cease, as all mystical writers insist. Simply “sound” the word silently, letting go of all feelings and thoughts.2

…One of the most well-known writings on the subject is the classic 14th century treatise, The Cloud of Unknowing, written by an anonymous author. It is essentially a manual on contemplative prayer inviting a beginner to:

Take just a little word, of one syllable rather than of two. With this word you are to strike down every kind of thought under the cloud of forgetting.3

The premise here is that in order to really know God, mysticism must be practiced–the mind has to be shut down or turned off so that the cloud of unknowing where the presence of God awaits can be experienced…. So the question we as Christians must ask ourselves is, “Why not? Why shouldn’t we incorporate this mystical prayer practice into our lives?” The answer to this is actually found in Scripture. While certain instances in the Bible describe mystical experiences, I see no evidence anywhere of God sanctioning man-initiated mysticism. Legitimate mystical experiences were always initiated by God to certain individuals for certain revelations and was never based on a method for the altering of consciousness. In Acts 11:5, Peter fell into a trance while in prayer. But it was God, not Peter, who initiated the trance and facilitated it.

By definition, a mystic, on the other hand, is someone who uses rote methods in an attempt to tap into their inner divinity. Those who use these methods put themselves into a trance state outside of God’s sanction or protection and thus engage in an extremely dangerous approach. Besides, nowhere in the Bible are such mystical practices prescribed. For instance, the Lord, for the purpose of teaching people a respect for His holiness and His plans, instated certain ceremonies for His people (especially in the Old Testament). Nonetheless, Scripture contains no reference in which God promoted mystical practices. The gifts of the Spirit spoken of in the New Testament were supernatural in nature but did not fall within the confines of mysticism. God bestowed spiritual gifts without the Christian practicing a method beforehand to get God’s response.

Proponents of contemplative prayer would respond with, What about Psalms 46:10? “Be still and know that I am God.” This verse is often used by those promoting contemplative prayer. On the surface, this argument can seem valid, but once the meaning of “still” is examined, any contemplative connection is expelled. The Hebrew meaning of the word is to slacken, cease, or abate. In other words, the context is to slow down and trust God rather than get in a dither over things. Relax and watch God work…. This isn’t talking about going into some altered state of consciousness!

It should also be pointed out that being born again, in and of itself, is mystical. But it is a direct act of God, initiated by Him–the Holy Spirit has regenerated the once-dead spirit of man into a living spirit through Christ. Yet, we notice that even in this most significant of experiences when one is “passed from death into life” (John 5:24), God accomplishes this without placing the individual in an altered state of consciousness.

We can take this a step further by looking at the day of Pentecost recorded in Acts, chapter 2 where those present were “all filled with the Holy Spirit” (vs. 4). Notice that they were “all with one accord in one place” (vs. 1) when the Holy Spirit descended on them. From the context of the chapter, it is safe to assume this was a lively gathering of believers engaged in intelligent conversation. Then, when those present began to speak in other tongues, it was not an episode of mindless babbling or vain repetition as in a mantra. Rather it was an event of coherent speech significant enough to draw a crowd who exclaimed, “we hear them speaking in our own tongues the wonderful works of God” (vs. 11). Other observers who suspected they were in an altered state of consciousness said, “They are full of new wine” (vs. 13). Notice that Peter was quick to correct this group in asserting that they were all fully conscious. Would it not then stand to reason that their minds were not in any kind of altered state? Next, Peter delivered one of the most carefully articulated speeches recorded in Scripture. This was certainly not a group of men in a trance.

So, through the lens of perhaps the two most meaningful mystical experiences recorded in the New Testament (i.e., being born again and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost), an altered state of consciousness was never sought after nor was it achieved. In fact, a complete search of both Old and New Testaments reveals there were only two types of experiences sanctioned by God where the recipient is not fully awake–namely dreams and visions–and in each case the experience is initiated by God. Conversely, every instance of a self-induced trance recorded in Scripture is adamantly condemned by God as we see summarized in the following verses:

When you come into the land which the LORD your God is giving you, you shall not learn to follow the abominations of those nations. There shall not be found among you anyone who makes his son or his daughter pass through the fire, or one who practices witchcraft, or a soothsayer, or one who interprets omens, or a sorcerer, or one who conjures spells, or a medium, or a spiritist, or one who calls up the dead. (Deuteronomy 18:9-11)

An examination of the Hebrew meanings of the terms used in the above verses shows that much of what is being spoken of is the invoking of spells. And a spell, used in this context, refers to a trance. In other words, when God induces a trance it is in the form of a dream or a vision. When man induces a trance, it is in the form of a spell or hypnosis. And remember, nowhere in the Bible is the silence equated with the “power of God,” but the message of the cross (1 Corinthians 1:18) most certainly is!

Notes:
1.William Johnston, Letters to Contemplatives, op. cit., p. 13.
2.Willigis Jager, Contemplation: A Christian Path (Triumph Books, 1994), p. 31.
3.Ken Kaisch, Finding God, cited from The Cloud of Unknowing, p. 223

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I would like to add some research of scripture I did myself as well regarding meditation. In today’s world, the idea of meditation seems to correlate with this altered state of mindlessness. The Eastern practices of clearing the mind have taken over many of the ideas of what meditation really should be from a Biblical standpoint. So I did a search of scripture under the word “meditation” and “meditate.” A common thread through these were the fact that the meditation wasn’t a blanking of the mind, but rather the focusing on God’s Word and meditating on that.

Psalm 1
Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper. The ungodly are not so: but are like the chaff which the wind driveth away. Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous. For the LORD knoweth the way of the righteous: but the way of the ungodly shall perish.

Psalm 119:15; 92-101
I will meditate in thy precepts, and have respect unto thy ways. Unless thy law had been my delights, I should then have perished in mine affliction. I will never forget thy precepts: for with them thou hast quickened me. I am thine, save me: for I have sought thy precepts. The wicked have waited for me to destroy me: but I will consider thy testimonies. I have seen an end of all perfection: but thy commandment is exceeding broad. O how love I thy law! it is my meditation all the day. Thou through thy commandments hast made me wiser than mine enemies: for they are ever with me. I have more understanding than all my teachers: for thy testimonies are my meditation. I understand more than the ancients, because I keep thy precepts. I have refrained my feet from every evil way, that I might keep thy word.

Psalm 143:5
I remember the days of old; I meditate on all thy works; I muse on the work of thy hands.

1 Timothy 4
Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron; Forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth. For every creature of God is good, and nothing to be refused, if it be received with thanksgiving: For it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer. If thou put the brethren in remembrance of these things, thou shalt be a good minister of Jesus Christ, nourished up in the words of faith and of good doctrine, whereunto thou hast attained. But refuse profane and old wives’ fables, and exercise thyself rather unto godliness. For bodily exercise profiteth little: but godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come. This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation. For therefore we both labour and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Saviour of all men, specially of those that believe. These things command and teach. Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity. Till I come, give attendance to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine. Neglect not the gift that is in thee, which was given thee by prophecy, with the laying on of the hands of the presbytery. Meditate upon these things; give thyself wholly to them; that thy profiting may appear to all. Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them: for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee.

When understanding that faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God, Romans 10:17, we can see that faith isn’t blind as is also posited by many in the world, but faith grows with our understanding of God’s Word, our meditation on it. We are not blind in our faith, but our understanding of God’s Word offers the evidence of Truth and in the study of Bible prophecy it shows that God says what He means and means what He says, telling the end from the beginning and ensuring His bride is not in darkness. Only by the meditation on God’s Word do we have a light and the guidance to understand the signs of the times and how our lives should be led, focused on Yeshua the author and finisher of our faith.

Psalm 119:104-106
Through thy precepts I get understanding: therefore I hate every false way. Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path. I have sworn, and I will perform it, that I will keep thy righteous judgments.

Mark 13:32-37
But of that day and that hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father. Take ye heed, watch and pray: for ye know not when the time is. For the Son of Man is as a man taking a far journey, who left his house, and gave authority to his servants, and to every man his work, and commanded the porter to watch. Watch ye therefore: for ye know not when the master of the house cometh, at even, or at midnight, or at the cockcrowing, or in the morning: Lest coming suddenly he find you sleeping. And what I say unto you I say unto all, Watch.

Protection From Deception: Navigating Through The Minefield Of Signs And Wonders by Derek Prince