Posted on 06/12/2010 7:47:19 AM PDT by GiovannaNicoletta
Over the last few weeks and months I have found myself truly astonished at the speed of which Bible prophecy appears to be unfolding on the world scene. If one looks back towards the election and inauguration of President Barack Obama, one will notice that around the same time things started to change for Israel and the Middle East in general. With the inauguration of President Obama looming in early 2009, Israel was pressured into ending the war with the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas during Operation Cast Lead. This pressure resulted in Israel not finishing their objective of wiping out Hamas and their military infrastructure. Instead, Israel prematurely ended the war in order to appease the incoming U.S. administration who did not want to enter office with the Middle East in outright war mode. This turned out to be a huge mistake for Israel and has set in motion the current situation where Israel finds itself in an even worse situation than before and after Operation Cast Lead. Not only have the terrorist organizations on the borders with Israel gotten stronger, they have also gotten the bigger players in the region such as Iran, Turkey, Russia and Syria to increase and amplify their anti-semitic propaganda and threats.
Looking around the news scene today I was astonished to see the names of Turkey, Russia, and Iran dominating the headlines. As students of Bible prophecy we know that these countries will make up three of the major players in the coming Gog and Magog war spoken about in Ezekiel 38-39. Let's look at today's news and take a look at the rumblings coming from the Middle East and from the "Unholy Trinity" of Ezekiel 38-39. The New York Times is reporting:
"Leaders of Russia, Turkey and Iran convened at a security summit meeting in Istanbul on Tuesday in a display of regional power that appeared to be calculated to test the United States just one day before a scheduled American-backed debate in the United Nations Security Council on imposing tighter sanctions over Iran’s nuclear program."
"In remarks at the gathering of regional leaders, the third of its kind dedicated to increasing cooperation and security in Asia, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad of Iran said a nuclear agreement brokered by Turkey and Brazil last month was a one-time opportunity and other countries had called to express their support for it."
“We’ve seen a lot of support from the international arena,” he said, according to the Turkey’s official Anatolian News Agency. “This is the voice of everyone’s heart.” Mr. Ahmadinejad also maintained a defiant posture toward the United States."
I find it very interesting that the NY Times article mentions the meeting between Iran, Turkey, and Russia as a "test" of the United States. The reason I find this interesting is that in Ezekiel 38-39 the prophet mentions that the far away countries simply throw a "mild protest" as the future Gog and Magog allies head down towards Israel for their ill-fated date with destiny in the mountains of Israel. With U.S. President Obama at the helm of the U.S. military, it would appear to me that the Gog and Magog allies are "licking at the chops" at the possibility of making a move on Israel given the recent outbreak of violence over the Gaza flotilla crisis. Even if the recent Gaza flotilla crisis hadn't occurred, it appears that the world has sensed a radical change in U.S. foreign policy under the Obama administration. Gone are the tough and determined ways of the George Bush era, in is the Islamic appeasing ways of the current administration. For me, this just seems to have emboldened our enemies and given them more motivation and determination to try to wrestle world control away from the West and more towards the East. As a result, the door has swung wide open for the arrival of the "Unholy Trinity" of Ezekiel 38-39. Eventually the leader of this conflict, Gog, will devise an evil thought and try to make a move on Israel in another effort to destroy the Jewish state. Only through the supernatural intervention of God does this plan fail and Israel is spared.
Another article that got my attention was one coming from Israel National News where it was being reported that Iran's offer to send two military ships to escort Gaza blockade ships was rebuffed, not only by Israel but Hamas as well. The INN article reports:
"The Iranian Revolutionary Guard said it would send two warships to the Mediterranean to escort ships headed for Gaza in defiance of Israel’s blockade. Israel, as expected, warned against the move, and even Hamas turned down the offer. “We do not want any military intervention,” Hamas senior figure Jamal Al-Hadri told the London-based A-Sharq al-Awsat. Israel said it would not allow Iranian warships to approach Israel or Gaza, just as it did 18 months ago by blocking access to Gaza. "The Iranian regime has called for Israel to be wiped off the map," an Israeli official has been quoted as saying, "and has a proven track record of supplying dangerous weapons to Hamas and Hizbullah... We cannot take a chance that there is weaponry on the ships… If we didn’t let an Irish ship reach Gaza, we are certainly not going to let Iranian ships pass.”
On the surface it would appear that Hamas would want to welcome Iran's intervention in the Gaza flotilla situation but, strangely enough, that doesn't appear to be the case according to the report. I would suspect that Hamas is very wary about an increased Iranian presence in the Gaza enclave should they send naval ships to Gaza. This sort of situation could erode Hamas' power in the strip and increase the influence of Iran. And Hamas certainly doesn't want that to happen. Despite Hamas being funded in a large part by Iran, the leaders of Hamas know that it is best to keep the Iranians at arms length and for good reason.
Another article from the Jerusalem Post shows that Turkey and Russia are making threats that they will not provide natural gas exports to Israel as a result of recent hostilities in the Middle East. The Jerusalem Post article reports:
"Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin said Tuesday that they don’t plan to export natural gas to Israel via a new pipeline to Turkey. “There is no such thing on our agenda,” Erdogan said at a news conference with Putin in Istanbul when asked about the gas. Russia has held talks on shipping fuel to Israel from a pipeline under the Black Sea. OAO Gazprom, Russia’s natural-gas export monopoly, is negotiating supplying the fuel, Gazprom chairman Viktor Zubkov said on March 22."
This increased rhetoric aimed at Israel is just more of the same anti-semitic propganda that regularly makes its way to the airwaves. Despite the joint Turkish and Russian announcement, the article noted that due to Israel's recent natural gas find they may not need the Turkish or Russian gas anyway. The Jerusalem Post article went on to further state:
"Israel may not need the extra gas, which could be transported to Syria or Lebanon instead via the planned Blue Stream-2 pipe, Putin said. “The Blue Stream gas may not go to Israel because of economic considerations,” Putin said. “I don’t think Israel needs the gas because they found a reserve recently.” Turkey has said it’s considering paring economic and military ties with Israel and has recalled its ambassador to the country after nine Turks were killed on an aid flotilla headed for Gaza and intercepted by Israeli commandos last week."
What's interesting to me is that Turkey has been very "two-faced" lately towards Israel. One day you will find them on their soapbox making all sorts of demands and threats towards Israel and the next day you will find them trying to wedge themselves into the Middle East peace process as a "mediator". This ridiculous behavior shows that the Turks simply can't be trusted and should be removed from any serious Middle East peacemaking efforts. The truth is the Turks are sounding more and more like the Iranians with each passing day and this does not bode well for Israel as it is just a further sign that the conflict foretold in Ezekiel 38-39 is getting closer and closer with each passing day. While the actual conflict may be a little way off (Psalm 83 and Isaiah 17 may need to occur first), we can certainly see that the "Unholy Trinity" of Ezekiel 38-39 is definitely making moves on the world stage and heading towards their prophetic destiny. As we see this "Unholy Trinity" making their moves, we students of Bible prophecy need to be looking up, for the Bible tells us that when we see the signs of the end times around us, our redemption is drawing nigh!
God bless.
Maybe you'll be the one who can give me a list of history books that detail all of these momentous events that happened in 70AD!!!!
This is wonderful news! There hasn't been one preterist ever who has been able to give me just one book I can read that would tell me all about it!
So what's a really good history book that nobody has ever found that I can read to learn about Revelation already happening in 70AD?
I have the Perfect Book.. It’s called the BIBLE....
Where does the Bible say that the Antichrist appeared in 70AD? What does the Bible say his name was?
And if the events of Revelation happened, then Christ has already returned, we've had the thousand-year Millennial Kingdom, we're now in eternity with a New Jerusalem, the curse has been lifted, Satan is in hell, and there should be no more sin like murder, rape, child abuse, homosexuality, etc.
But now we run into a problem. There is no book, including the Bible, which has ever given us the name of the Antichrist, and, since God doesn't lie and since God doesn't confuse, there has to be some other explanation for God not giving us the name of the Antichrist and letting us know that he's already been defeated and we have nothing to worry about. But that information is not in the Bible.
Hmmmm... there's already some REAL big problems with the man-made belief that all prophecy was completed in 70AD.
So, the Bible doesn't say that prophecy has already been completed, there is no independent record of prophecy happening in 70AD, there is no record of Christ literally, physically returning to earth at all, and not only do we still have sin but it's getting worse and worse.
Wow. It would seem that there is no evidence for preterism and the only conclusion we can come to is that preterism is a belief created by man and we simply can't give it an credence and can't believe it.
Just like I said from the beginning.
Why wouldn't I? God says they are:
For thou art an holy people unto the LORD thy God, and the LORD hath chosen thee to be a peculiar people unto himself, above all the nations that are upon the earth. (Deuteronomy 14:2)
For thou art an holy people unto the LORD thy God: the LORD thy God hath chosen thee to be a special people unto himself, above all people that are upon the face of the earth. (Deut 7:6)
God chose the Jews, (the lineage of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob) to bring redemption to the world through Jesus Christ, the Savior. God made a Covenant with Abraham which establishes this very fact. God chose the Jews to be a people separated unto God. Through the Jews, God revealed Himself to mankind. The Jews were a people through whom the salvation (Messiah) would come to the whole world.
Peter preached to the crowd and addressed God as "the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob:"
"The God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and of Jacob, the God of our fathers, hath glorified his Son Jesus; whom ye delivered up, and denied him in the presence of Pilate, when he was determined to let him go. But ye denied the Holy One and the Just, and desired a murderer to be granted unto you; And killed the Prince of life, whom God hath raised from the dead; whereof we are witnesses." (Act 3:13-15)
When the LORD appeared to Moses in the burning bush, He said:
Saying, I am the God of thy fathers, the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. Then Moses trembled, and durst not behold. (Acts 7:32)
God talks to Abraham again in Genesis chapter 17:
And I will establish my covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee in their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto thee, and to thy seed after thee. (Gen 17:7)
"Neither, because they are the seed of Abraham, are they all children: but, In Isaac shall thy seed be called. That is, They which are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God: but the children of the promise are counted for the seed." (Romans 9:7-8)
So, yeah, I believe God when He says the Jews are His chosen people.
Those who believe in end times should be weary of false prophets, but you seem to let them lead you around by the nose.... Blind leading the Blind.... This world belongs to God... There is no end.....
Unless you're calling God a false prophet because that's where I get my information.
bump
Put it like this..one day very soon, you will set your coffee down and crank up FreeRepublic. You will begin your daily task of answering posts. The posts of those you believe are being deceived. The names are here. Read them and remember our names. You will post to us, and there will be no reply. From any of us. Your first thought will be "I must have silenced them with my brilliance". Your second thought will be "Maybe they've been banned for all their wrong-thinking and apostacy. Thank God they're gone." Your third thought will be "....they're....gone....?..?..."
Once more, we are in the Dispensation of the Grace of God, Not of the Millenial Kingdom. Read Romans through Philemon for more on the subject.
I belong to the House of Israel through Christ.. That I know. If the Jews today are the chosen why did we need Christ? They rejected Him and killed Him.... With out Christ no man can come to God.... You must know that... I have heard the end time story growing up so many times.. Lies and more lies, I have seen families and friends turn away from the church.. TV preacher have also turned people from the Lord... Why because of lies..... God owns this world.... The first Adam sined unto death and the second Adam with out sin gives us life..... This world will still be here life will go on... We may be in judgment for our sinful ways hearts will be broken because of end time lies... God just may take from us the beautiful freedom and put us into captivity for our sins and false teaching in the church... I don’t know... I do know I have all things in Christ. I know where I will go when I leave this place... God Bless..
Go draw some swastiskas on a sidewalk somewhere.
I have nothing more to say to you.
The Antichrist is obviously rabbinic judaism: the myth, and those who proclaim it, that you can know the God of the Bible while rejecting Jesus Christ.
The Beast is obviously Nero. Hey, it even spells out his name in Revelation! Add up the Hebrew letters for Caesar Nero, and you get --- 666.
Nero committed suicide and God said that Jesus will personally throw the Antichrist and the False Prophet into the lake of fire.
Nice try though.
As far as "rabbinic judaism myth", at least you're true to form in consistently and constantly denying Scripture.
I'm sorry, but did I miss a given date in Giovanna's thread? The bible clearly tells us to look for "the signs" of the coming of the end....the return of Christ. God even states His OWN Son doesn't know the date.
Anyone who reads their bible would walk away from such a person "claiming a date" as to when it will happen; however, the Lord told us what to LOOK FOR and to be prepared. Giovanna's thread is doing just that.....posting THE SIGNS the Lord gave to us and spreading the word.
Remember, a lot of us will be killed in his name. The bible warnings have become more and more relevant to our times.
When all else fails resort to insults. It is the liberal rat way. You claim to be Christian, yet your insulting way leaves your claim open for ridicule.
There's only so much replacement theology, Jew-hating, anti-Semitic crap that I'm going to tolerate and believe me it isn't much. And I've had all I'm going to take from you.
So like I said, go draw swastikas.
I strongly recommend David Chilton's book Paradise Restored. You can download it for free from this site. It's the happiest, sanest, and most wholesome exegesis of Revelation that I've ever read, and the book that finally convinced me to join the winning team. A more recent book on the topic that I'm almost half-way through is Hank Hannegraf's The Apocalypse Code. Although Chilton went off the rails years after writing this book, no one has ever questioned Hank's orthodoxy -- he inherited Walter Martin's mantle as an expert on cults and heterodox Christian movements.
Those who read Revelation in terms of the bible, rather than today's (filtered) newspapers find the language clear, cogent, and convincing. Like all of the Bible, it was written for us, but not to us. It uses the ready-made prophetic vocabulary found elsewhere in God's Word to describe public events that were in the immediate future of those who read it, even as those events are (except for the resurrection) in our past. Those of us who like to read the Bible biblically, rather than as a tool of divination, take Rev. 1:1-3 very seriously. Quite literally. If by "soon" Jesus meant 2,000 years, don't send Him out for pizza!
So there is an alternate path of salvation for those who reject Jesus Christ? And those who proclaim that Jesus is "the way, the truth and the life" are denying Scripture? Hmmmm .... (scratch head, look baffled)
Well, what can you say that convinces those who assert that Jesus is optional? Kind of hard to find common ground when you consider the Lord Jesus Christ to be essential!
I know too much about you all ready. Not impressed.
I have no ill will towards the people in Israel today. I wish them peace and happiness. The last thing I want is for them to be destroyed, unlike those praying for war (end times).
Especially as we see more and more stage setting for the Tribulation events which are detailed in Revelation.
It's amazing to be part of the generation that is witnessing all of the prophesies given in Scripture come to pass!
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