November 28, 2011
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CURRENT PROPHETIC HEADLINES
Blue = Commentary or Analysis
11/28/11
Zechariah 12:3,9
And in that day will I
make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all people;
And it shall come to
pass in that day,
that I will seek to
destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem.
Hi Folks,
Sorry that today’s edition is later than
normal, it’s been a Monday! I do want to thank all of you that have already
responded to my “From the Heart” request, thanks to many of you we are well
on our way to meeting our goal! Thank you all so much!!! – Randy
Multiple eyewitnesses reported seeing
Israeli military trucks in recent days transport and station large missiles
at the periphery of Jerusalem and in locations inside the West Bank.
The descriptions of the projectiles are
consistent with the Jewish state’s mid-to-long range Jericho ballistic
missiles.
The missile movement, if confirmed, would
be considered unusual.
One of the eyewitnesses was a member of the
Palestinian Authority security services. He claimed to me that a large
missile was stationed five days ago near Neve Yaacov, a Jewish neighborhood
in northeast Jerusalem. That neighborhood is adjacent to several
Palestinian-inhabited towns.
Four other eyewitnesses, Israeli and
Palestinian, reported seeing similar sights during the past week – large
missiles being transported by the Israeli military at the periphery of
Jerusalem and in the West Bank.
Reached for comment, the spokesperson’s
unit of the Israel Defense Forces could not confirm the information,
referring me instead to Israel’s national police.
Mickey Rosenfeld, the national police
spokesperson here, told me today he has no information on any such
movements.
Apparently, I’m not the only reporter to
receive such reports.
Rosenfeld said another foreign
correspondent contacted him earlier today for comment on the same matter.
The PA security member, speaking on
condition of anonymity, speculated the missiles were related to a possible
Israeli offensive against Iran. He commented that such missiles were
offensive in nature, and usually not meant to serve as defensive posture.
While the possibility of an attack on Iran
cannot be immediately discounted, there are several other scenarios that
make some sense:
1) It’s possible such missile transport is
part of an internal military drill or to test various locations for the
future deployment of projectiles.
The drill, however, would not include test
firings. Such testing is almost always conducted at a military base and
usually involves one missile fired from one location. Any such test is
difficult to keep under wraps.
Earlier this month, the IDF did test fire a
long-range ballistic missile, believed to be a Jericho III, at the country’s
Palmachim Air & Space test center. Israel’s Ministry of Defense confirmed
the test was successful, indicating the purpose of the launch was the
testing of a new advanced propulsion system.
Jericho III’s are believed to be guided by
radar and reportedly give Israel nuclear strike capabilities within the
entire Middle East, Africa, Europe, Asia and almost all parts of North
America, as well as within large parts of South America and North Oceania.
2) Any missile placement could be related
to the unstable situation in Syria, including fears of a future NATO
military campaign there that could have ramifications for Israel, such as
firing of missiles into the Jewish state by Syria or Hezbollah in Lebanon.
Just yesterday, in an unprecedented move
against a fellow Arab nation, the Arab League approved economic sanctions on
Syria to pressure Damascus to end its suppression of an 8-month-old uprising
against Assad’s regime.
Arab League diplomats, speaking last week
to the Associated Press on condition of anonymity, said that if Syria does
not adhere to its demands for immediate reform, the organization will work
to unify Syrian opposition groups into a coalition similar to that of
Libya’s National Transitional Council.
A next step, the diplomats said, would be
to recognize the opposition as the sole representative of the Syrian people
in a move that would symbolically isolate the Assad’s regime.
The moves mimic the diplomatic initiatives
taken to isolate Muammar Gadhafi’s regime before the NATO campaign in Libya.
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad warned in
an interview with a U.K. newspaper earlier this month that foreign
intervention in Syria would cause an “earthquake” across the region and
create another Afghanistan, while directly threatening the Jewish state.
Assad reportedly made similar comments in a
meeting in early October with Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmad Davutoglu.
He was quoted stating,
“If a crazy measure is taken against
Damascus, I will need not more than six hours to transfer hundreds of
rockets and missiles to the Golan Heights to fire them at Tel Aviv.”
Assad also reportedly warned that “all
these events will happen in three hours, but in the second three hours, Iran
will attack the U.S. warships in the Persian Gulf and the U.S. and European
interests will be targeted simultaneously.”
For weeks Israelis have been greeted –
almost every day – with headlines sounding the ticking clock that is
measuring the minutes toward war.
Other things – for us, relative trivia, but
indicative of growing global chaos – have dominated the news in the west:
Occupy Wall Street; the imminent collapse of the Euro; the quest for a
Republican candidate for 2012; the guilty verdict for Michael Jackson’s
doctor; allegations of misconduct against Herman Cain…
All the while, here in the Middle East, we
have been made freshly aware of how swiftly we could slide into a massive –
even non-conventional – war against Iran and its proxies around us. We have
been wondering what the coming hours and days could bring – and we wonder
how long we’ll be left wondering.
Right now, even as I type these words,
Israel’s leaders could be ordering a military strike on the Iranian nuclear
program.
The warplanes flying high over Jerusalem
could be en route to Natanz, Qom, Bushehr, Parchin.
Or they could be patrolling, on high alert
against Iranian retaliation, as some other form of Israeli attack is carried
out.
Then again, with Syria’s Bashar el-Assad
trapped in a corner and headed for a Gaddafi-style demise, some believe it
may be him who unleashes the first missile salvo against Israel. He has
nothing to lose, and the ultimate Arab prize to gain: championship in the
effort to erase Israel.
The temperature began climbing after
October 28, when an Israeli journalist reported plans by Prime Minister
Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Ehud Barak to hit the Iranian
nuclear program.
Poll results published on November 3 showed
that 80 percent of Israelis believed a strike on Iran would lead to war with
Hamas and Hizballah.
On November 8, Barak told the press that no
option was off the table in dealing with the Iranian threat. He set the
anticipated Israeli casualty figures from Iranian retaliation as “low as
500.”
The mercury soared later the same day with
the leaking of an International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) report (set for
official publication November 9) that Tehran has indeed been developing
components for a nuclear warhead – something the Iranians have consistently
denied.
On November 12 an enormous explosion killed
an Iranian missile-testing chief, and Iran blamed the Israeli Mossad.
These were the headlines over the ensuing
days:
•Hizballah chief warns of regional war if
Iran, Syria attacked (Nov 16)
•US Defense Secretary: Iran strike will
hurt world economy (Nov 17)
•Israel beware – China arms Hizballah (Nov
17)
•Iran nuclear issue is ‘deep concern’ –
world powers (Nov 17)
•Israel tests ballistic missile system (Nov
17)
•Israel; time running out to stop a nuclear
Iran (Nov 19)
•‘If Assad falls, Hizballah will take
Beirut’ (Nov 22)
•Blast rocks Hizballah stronghold in south
Lebanon (Nov 23)
•Israel ready for war with Hizballah as if
it will happen in a week: Israeli official (Nov 24)
•Iran: We’ve arrested 12 CIA spies (Nov 24)
•IDF commander: Lebanese army will fight
with Hizballah against Israel in next conflict (Nov 25)
•Iran general threatens retaliation against
Israel nuclear sites (Nov 25)
•Iran to hit Turkey if nuclear program
targeted by Israel, US, general says (Nov 26)
•Iran, Hizballah, preparing for ‘final
confrontation’ with US and allies (Nov 27)
•Egyptian turmoil may prompt Israel to
strike Gaza (Nov 27)
•“Iranian parliament expels UK ambassador
(Nov 28)
•Iran: We’ll fire 150,000 missiles at
Israel if attacked. (Nov 28)
Nearly forgotten in this latest rush of
rhetoric has been the burgeoning belligerence from Turkey, specifically from
its prime minster, Recep Erdogan, who Syria this week accused of being set
on restoring his country to the imagined once glorious days of the Ottoman
Empire.
And in Egypt today, voting has begun in the
first post-Mubarak election – which itself was launched following days of
rioting in Tahrir Square during which the “Arab Spring” protestors vowed to
“kill all the Jews.”
This is Israel’s neighborhood, and this is
the climate we are living in.
How do we differentiate between looming and
long-term danger?
On November 13, Ha’aretz ran a report
quoting Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as saying that Iran is closer to a
nuclear bomb that people think. Something has to be done.
“Is Bibi serious?” This question came at me
while I was guiding a busload of American believers around the Galilee. Was
the Israeli leader being truthful in his expressed belief that his nation
could soon be facing a nuclear-armed Iran?
If Netanyahu was being serious, then the
next question follows hard on the heels of the first: How long can Israel
wait, leaving it up to the international community and, particularly, the
United States, to resolutely confront the Iranians?
How long DARE Israel wait?
Some of our friends are stockpiling for
war. But overall here in the land there is no real sense of an imminent
explosion.
As the rumors swirl around us, we pray, we
watch, and we wait.
Defense minister Vahidi tells army
volunteers 'Israel has to be punished for what it has done to the Muslims in
Palestine'
Iranian Defense Minister General Ahmad
Vahidi said Israel would be attacked with 150,000 missiles if it launches
any military action against the Islamic Republic, the Iran Independent News
Service reported Sunday.
Speaking before 50,000 army volunteers in
Bushehr, the minister said "Iran is not Iraq or Afghanistan, if the
Americans make the mistake and attack Iran, we will show them how to fight,”
adding “Israel has to be punished for what it has done to the Muslims in
Palestine and Lebanon."
However, according to Iranian news outlets
Vahidi did not specify if the missiles would be fired from Iran or other
locations.
On Saturday a senior commander of Iran's
powerful Revolutionary Guard said the country would target NATO's missile
defense shield in Turkey if the US or Israel attacks the Islamic Republic.
Gen. Amir Ali Hajizadeh, head of the
Guards' aerospace division, was quoted by the semi-official Mehr news agency
as saying the warning is part of a new defense strategy to counter what it
sees as an increase in threats from the US and Israel.
Report: Explosion rocks Iran city of
Isfahan, home to key nuclear facility
– Yossi Melman –
www.haaretz.com
Semi-official Fars news agency says blast
heard distinctly in several parts of the western Iran city; a uranium
conversion plant near Isfahan went online in 2004.
An explosion rocked the western Iranian
city of Isfahan on Monday, the semi-official Fars news agency reported,
adding that the blast was heard in several parts of the city.
According to reports, frightened residents
called the fire department after the blast, forcing the city authorities to
admit there had been an explosion. Residents reported that their windows
shook from the explosion's force.
Do you think Israel is behind recent
'mysterious' explosions in Iran? Join the discussion on our Facebook page
Speaking to an Iranian news website, the
government of Isfahan said that the explosion occurred as a result of a
military drill, denying reports that the blast was somehow related to the
nearby nuclear facility.
"There is no such thing, the blast was
entirely from the military maneuver," the Iranian official said.
The Isfahan uranium conversion plant
operates under the supervision of the International Atomic Energy Agency,
and is frequented by its inspectors and surveyed by cameras that broadcast
to the IAEA headquarters in Vienna.
Thus, had the explosion occurred at the
nuclear site, the UN's nuclear watchdog would have known of the incident.
Speaking with Fars news agency earlier
Monday, Isfahan’s deputy mayor initially confirmed the reports and said the
authorities are investigating the matter. However, after the incident was
reported in Israel, the report was taken off the Fars website.
It seems that city authorities and the
Iranian government were embarrassed by the reports of a blasts, releasing
contradictory versions of the alleged events. One example is a statement
given by the same deputy mayor to the Mehr news agency, saying he had no
reports of an explosion.
Another confirmation came from the head of
the city's judiciary, who said an explosion-like sound was heard. Meanwhile,
the Mehr news agency reported there has been a blast at a petrol station
near the city. Another report pointed to a training accident.
The reported incident occurred about two
weeks after Gen. Hasan Tehrani Moghaddam was killed together with 20 other
Guard members Nov. 12 at a military site outside Bidganeh village, 40
kilometers southwest of Tehran.
The Revolutionary Guard said the accidental
explosion occurred while military personnel were transporting munitions.
It should be noted that Iran operates a
uranium conversion plant near Isfahan, one with an important function in the
chain of Iran's nuclear program.
It first went into operation in 2004,
taking uranium from mines and producing uranium fluoride gas, which then
feeds the centrifuges that enrich the uranium.
Since 2004, thousands of kilograms of
uranium fluoride gas were stockpiled at Isfahan and subsequently sent to the
enrichment plant in Natanz.
Commenting on the report of an explosion in
Isfahan, U.S. State Department Spokesman Mark Toner said: "We don't have any
information at this time other than what we've seen in the press as well.
But certainly we're looking into it."
"As you know, we're somewhat limited in our
ability to glean information on the ground there, but we're certainly
looking into it," Toner added.
North Korea supplying Syria, Iran with
prohibited nuclear technology, report says
IDF official: Iran explosion may delay
Tehran's missile development track
Iran insists Israel not behind blast that
killed missile expert
Earlier Monday, a top Israeli security
official said that the recent explosion that rocked an Iranian missile base
near Tehran could delay or stop further Iranian surface-to-surface missile
development.
The official added, however that the
Iranian nuclear program was continuing to gain ground, despite considerable
international pressure and attempts to destabilize the Iranian regime.
North Korea supplying Syria, Iran with
prohibited nuclear technology, report says
- By Yossi Melman –
www.haaretz.com
German newspaper Die Welt reports that
Pyongyang has provided the countries with ‘maraging steel,’ used to upgrade
missiles and centrifuges.
North Korea has supplied Syria and Iran
with a special kind of steel used to upgrading missiles and building
centrifuges for uranium enrichment, the German newspaper Die Welt reported
over the weekend.
The material, called maraging steel,
appears on the monitoring list of the Nuclear Suppliers Group and the
Missile Technology Control Regime, and its export is prohibited to countries
under sanctions such as Iran.
It has been known for years that Iran is
trying to obtain the steel through its clandestine purchasing networks
around the world. The steel would enable Tehran to construct modified
centrifuges, which would in turn allow it to enrich higher quality Uranium
at a faster speed.
According to the report, the delivery of
the steel is part of a wider North Korean expertise package to Syria, which
is building a new missile factory near Homs. According to other reports, the
factory is partly funded by Iran, and is expected to become operational
within 18 months.
Maraging steel would significantly upgrade
Syria’s Scud missile capabilities and the amount of damage their warheads
could inflict.
The German newspaper, citing unnamed
“Western security sources,” also reported that Syria is trying to supply
Hezbollah with M-600 missiles, that have a range of up to 300 kilometers.
These would be equipped with warheads that were upgraded using maraging
steel.
Several UN resolutions forbid North Korea
from exporting weapons or weapons technology.
Also on Monday, a top Israeli security
official said that a recent explosion that rocked an Iranian missile base
near Tehran could delay or stop further Iranian surface-to-surface missile
development.
Earlier this month, Iran reiterated that
the explosion at a military base near Tehran that killed 17 members of the
Revolutionary Guards was an accident.
It says that contrary to media speculation,
the blast, which also killed a missile expert, was not carried out by Israel
or the United States.
Speaking at a meeting of the Knesset's
Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, head of the research department of
Israel's military intelligence said that while the blast may have stalled
some avenues of Iranian weapons development, it was from stopping all of the
Islamic Republic's options.
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'Iran prepping al-Qaida for large-scale
attacks' – Aaron Klein –
www.wnd.com
Warning raises concern nuclear device could
pass to terrorists targeting U.S.
JERUSALEM – In response to any future
Israeli military strike on its nuclear sites, Iran has been training
al-Qaida elements in the Egyptian Sinai desert on how to coordinate
retaliatory attacks, a senior Egyptian security official told WND.
The al-Qaida attacks are meant to target
both Israeli and Egyptian installations, the security official said, as part
of an Iranian plot to widen any Israeli-Iranian conflict to involve other
countries.
The Egyptian official said there is also
information Iran has been working with Islamic Salafist groups in Jordan
that are allied with al-Qaida.
The Iranian Revolutionary Guards helped to
train al-Qaida elements in the Sinai and Gaza Strip to carry out large-scale
attacks, including missile attacks, cross-border incursions, suicide
bombings and explosions targeting infrastructure, such as oil and gas
pipelines, the official said.
Any Iranian cooperation with al-Qaida would
underscore the dangers of Tehran obtaining nuclear weapons. The country has
a history of using terrorist proxies, most notably Hezbollah in Lebanon, to
carry out its bidding.
Some analysts have raised fears of
terrorists obtaining a nuclear device from a nation state and using the
weapon for maximum damage. The deployment a nuclear electromagnetic pulse,
or EMP attack, for example, could collapse the U.S. national electric grid
and other critical infrastructures affecting tens of millions of civilians.
This is not the first time Iran has been
accused of working with al-Qaida.
The Obama administration last July accused
Iran of entering into a "secret deal" with an al-Qaida offshoot that
provides money and recruits for attacks in Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Also, the Treasury Department fingered an
al-Qaida operative, Atiyah Abd al-Rahman, as serving as Osama bin Laden's
recent envoy in Iran. Treasury said in July that al-Rahman traveled in and
out of the country with the permission of government officials.
Meanwhile, the reports Iran is prepping for
a possible Israeli strike are the latest evidence Tehran is readying its
proxies.
Earlier this month, WND reported on Iran's
missile training in Gaza.
Egyptian security officials said Iran has
been preparing Palestinian terrorist groups in the Gaza Strip and Hezbollah
in Lebanon to retaliate in the event of Israeli strikes against Tehran's
nuclear sites.
The security officials said Tehran was
convinced the Jewish state was going to attack its suspected nuclear sites
in September, prompting Iran to hold joint military drills with Gazan jihad
groups in August, including with Hamas and Islamic Jihad.
Similar drills were held in August with
Hezbollah militants in Lebanon.
The drills were conducted by Iranian
Revolutionary Guard members, the officials said. The exercises focused
largely on coordinated missile onslaughts from both Gaza and Lebanon aimed
at blanketing Israel.
According to the Egyptian security
officials, any attack against Iran or Syria would result in an immediate
Iranian missile campaign against Israel using proxies in Gaza and Lebanon.
The international news media has been
replete with reports in recent weeks speculating Israel is strongly
considering striking Iran's suspected illicit nuclear sites.
The reports came as the United Nations
nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency, released a report
detailing Iran's drive to obtain nuclear weapons.
While the media focus has largely been on
Iran, there is information indicating an international campaign could target
Iran's ally, Syria.
The regime of Syria's Bashar Assad has been
accused of major human rights violations, including crimes against humanity,
in clamping down on a violent insurgency targeting Assad's rule.
Mass demonstrations were held in recent
weeks in Syrian insurgent strongholds calling for the international NATO
coalition in Libya to deploy in Syria.
The Arab League has been strongly
considering suspending Syria. Arab League diplomats, speaking to the
Associated Press on condition of anonymity, said that if Syria does not
adhere to its demands for immediate reform, the organization will work to
unify Syrian opposition groups into a coalition similar to that of Libya's
National Transitional Council.
A next step, the diplomats said, would be
to recognize the opposition as the sole representative of the Syrian people
in a move that would symbolically isolate the Assad's regime.
The moves mimic the diplomatic initiatives
taken to isolate Muammar Gadhafi's regime before the NATO campaign in Libya.
Damascus officials claimed to WND that NATO
troops are currently training in Turkey for a Turkish-led NATO invasion of
Syria.
Any deployment would come under the banner
of the same "Responsibility to Protect" global doctrine used to justify the
U.S.-NATO airstrikes in Libya. Responsibility to Protect, or Responsibility
to Act, as cited by President Obama, is a set of principles, now backed by
the United Nations, based on the idea that sovereignty is not a privilege
but a responsibility that can be revoked if a country is accused of "war
crimes," "genocide," "crimes against humanity" or "ethnic cleansing."
A Turkish-U.S.-NATO strike could have
immediate implications for Israel.
The Syrian president warned in a recent
interview with a U.K. newspaper that foreign intervention in Syria would
cause an "earthquake" across the region and create another Afghanistan,
while directly threatening the Jewish state.
Assad reportedly made similar comments in a
meeting in early October with Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmad Davutoglu. He
was quoted stating, "If a crazy measure is taken against Damascus, I will
need not more than six hours to transfer hundreds of rockets and missiles to
the Golan Heights to fire them at Tel Aviv."
Assad also reportedly warned that "all
these events will happen in three hours, but in the second three hours, Iran
will attack the U.S. warships in the Persian Gulf and the U.S. and European
interests will be targeted simultaneously."
LONDON — Russia is said to have sent
warships to deliver an advanced air defense system to Syria.
Arab diplomatic sources said the Russian
Navy arrived in the Syrian port of Tartous in late November and brought
weapons and supplies to the regime of President Bashar Assad.
“We see this as a demonstration of Russian
support for Assad, but more important it is a signal that Moscow will never
leave the area, even if Assad goes,” a diplomat said.
The London-based Al Quds Al Arabi daily
reported that the Russian Navy vessels transported the S-300PMU1 air defense
system to Syria. The newspaper said the S-300, ordered by Assad but whose
delivery was delayed because of U.S. pressure, arrived with dozens of
Russian military advisers.
In a report on Nov. 24, Al Quds said the
S-300, designed to track up to 100 targets simultaneously, was meant to help
Assad repel any attack on Syria amid the revolt against his regime. More
than 3,700 people are said to have been killed in the revolt, which began in
March and is supported by Jordan, Saudi Arabia and Turkey.
China and Russia have blocked United
Nations Security Council resolutions to stop the killing in Syria. Al Quds
asserted that the Russian military has been installing advanced radar
systems around all key Syrian military and industrial sites to prevent air
strikes.
In September 2010, the Kremlin canceled a
nearly $1 billion S-300 project with Iran. At the time, Moscow said the
S-300 would violate Security Council sanctions on the Teheran regime, meant
to hamper its uranium enrichment program.
Israeli sources reported that Israel
received PAC-3 interceptors from the United States. They said a shipment of
Patriot missiles arrived in the Ashdod port earlier this month.
Egypt is becoming the new Iran, “whether
you accept it or not,” says a general of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards.
Egypt is becoming the new Iran, “whether
you accept it or not,” says a general in the Iranian Revolutionary Guards.
As the radical Islamic Muslim Brotherhood
movement waits for an expected victory in the long and drawn-out legislative
elections in Egypt, Iran is looking forward to Egypt being its next cog in
the Islamic Empire that it hopes for and wants to head.
"A number of major (new) Iran’s have been
born in the region today. Egypt is a (new) Iran, whether you (the US-led
West) accept it or not," reported the Iranian semi-official Fars News
Agency, quoting Guards commander Major General Qassem Soleimani.
Speaking to a reported crowd of 50,000
Basij forces, he addressed the United States and added, "Know that today
Libya, Yemen and Bahrain are also (new) Iran’s. [These] "great nations will
stand together against the threat" of western powers, he said.
He also expressed his wish to die if
enemies try to assassinate him, a suggestion posed by conservative experts
testifying in the U.S. Congress. "To those who think threats will spread
fear amongst us, I will say this: that I ask God to grant me martyrdom at
the hands of the enemy," Soleimani said.
"I do not see (an assassination) as a
threat but rather giving, helping along an old desire” for being martyred.
Retired U.S. Army general Jack Keane told
the House of Representatives' Homeland Security Committee last month that
Washington should start targeting Iranian officials, especially top
commanders of the Revolutionary Guards Corps.
"I'm saying we put our hand around their
throat right now in every interest they have," a former CIA agent, now with
the Foundation for Defense of Democracies think-tank, said, "I don't think
that you are going to really intimidate these people, get their attention,
unless you shoot somebody."
The United States, United Kingdom and
Canada are making another effort to force Iran to shut down its developing
nuclear program through a series of new sanctions against its petrochemical
industry. If half the world refuses to buy Iranian refined oil and gas,
Tehran will be forced to negotiate lower prices with the remaining buyers,
which will pinch its penny purse. If it were really all about developing a
source of energy, Iran would have done better to pursue an alternative like
hi-we-live-in-the-desert solar power.
Solar energy has sat simmering on the back
burner for decades because of its expense, despite its reputation for being
clean, safe, and renewable. Unlike nuclear power however, solar power
doesn't provide the constant headache of radioactive waste disposal,
potential meltdowns that mutate the local squirrel and rabbit populations,
superpower boycotts, or unpleasant explosions care of Israel.
Solar power is finally beginning to take
off, with kudos to Germany. Germany now gets 20 percent of its power through
renewable energy, and because of its heavy investment in solar power, it has
helped reduce the cost of solar power for the rest of the world's buyers.
That's the problem with any new technology; it remains expensive until the
masses whip out their wallets consistently enough to make it cost effective
to bring the price down. Solar power has finally become almost affordable in
part because of Germany's willingness to support solar photovoltaic
technology.
In fact, home builders are finally getting
into gear and designing solar-power friendly homes. KB Homes, one of
America's largest home building companies, now offers solar energy systems
to home buyers in search of reducing their electric bills. The company
advertises its homes as highly energy efficient to begin with, but it also
started installing 1.4 kWp SunPower systems in ten of its new communities in
Southern California in March, 2011. The company now has 28 participating
communities, with more than half using up to 2.25 kWp or 3.15 kWp systems as
standard.
Wastewater Treatment:
Solar power can do more than just harness
the sun's energy to run our toasters, though. For decades, scientists have
sought to "split water" and use the resulting free hydrogen for energy, but
the process has proved slow and expensive. Solar technology company
HyperSolar Inc. has filed to patent a technology that uses solar
nanoparticles to separate out hydrogen from wastewater. The water itself is
not split. There is no molecular oxygen (O2) produced. The tiny
self-contained photoelectrochemical systems contain a solar absorber that
photo-oxidizes organic wastewater using some of the basic chemistry that
plants use in photosynthesis so that molecular hydrogen and clean water are
both produced at the same time, and byproducts are left behind. The pure
hydrogen is then reacted with carbon dioxide through the Sabatier process,
which produces methane and water as an end result.
There is great appeal in the prospect of
using wastewater to produce a replacement for natural gas. Every
municipality has wastewater. If energy can be produced using clean, carbon
neutral methane from local wastewater treatment facilities without fracking
or drilling it from the ground, converting much-maligned carbon dioxide at
the same time, it would certainly mitigate the energy crisis. Every little
bit helps.
More Power:
There are difficulties associated with any
form of energy production, and solar power is no different. Solar
photovoltaic technology provides clean energy from the sun, but the panels
themselves are fragile and require maintenance and replacement. The panels
also take up space, and a large number of panels are required to produce a
useful amount of energy. American PV companies are running into competition
with China now, which will help cut prices for consumers, but will also
pinch the United States PV industry.
Yet, there is a great deal of room for
expansion both in America and across the world. PV panels on rooftops would
provide energy inside rather than a heat island effect outside. We should
appreciate the many little things that can be done to reduce dependence on
foreign oil.
If Iran were truly interested in energy,
going solar would be a good way to decrease the animosity of the rest of the
world and free it from the heavy pile of sanctions harming its economy. It
seems clear, however, that Iran's leadership has not focused on using
nuclear technology just to make energy. It has recently been revealed that
Iran has been studying the explosion of nuclear bombs via computer models as
well as doing research on mounting nuclear warheads on its Shahab-3
long-range missiles. That's not encouraging. It's reasonable to assume that
ultimately, Iran's leaders don't simply want more energy; they want more
power.
Prophetic implications of US Middle East
policies – Bill Wilson –
www.dailyjot.com
The Middle East was a big ticket item in
the 1980 presidential election between incumbent Jimmy Carter and challenger
Ronald Reagan. Carter had overseen, even encouraged in the name of
"democracy," the overthrow and deposing of the Shah of Iran, one of the
staunchest non-Jewish US allies in the region. The Islamists under Ayatollah
Khemeni stormed the American Embassy and took it and its people hostage.
This, and Carter's growing friendship with terrorist Yassir Arafat, leader
of the Soviet-backed Palestinian Liberation Organization, ushered in the
modern era of Islamic terrorism. Yet, Carter won a 2002 Nobel Peace Prize
for his misguided policies in advancing peace, democracy and human rights.
Some 30 years later, radicalization of the
Middle East continues with America's help. The man who occupies the Oval
Office has repeated history on a much grander scale. The current
administration has publicly partnered with known terrorist sponsor, the
Muslim Brotherhood, and at times America's enemy of the decade, al Qaeda, to
overthrow governments in the Middle East in the name of "democracy." Now the
entire Middle East from Libya to Egypt to Tunisia to Yemen to Morocco to
Syria to Pakistan is afire with vehement infighting and revolution. The most
common outcome is the positioning of anti-Israel, anti-American Islamic
Sharia Law governments rising to power.
This, coupled with the actions of the
previous Bush Administration in Iraq, Afghanistan and in Israel (by forcing
the evacuation of Israeli settlers from Gaza and democratic elections where
terrorist were legitimately voted into power) has made the world a much more
dangerous place, but has also advanced prophetic fulfillment. The foreign
policy objectives of the past two White Houses has resulted in the elevation
of Islamic radicals to positions of power throughout the Middle East.
Meantime, there has been nothing greater than lip service and useless
sanctions put in place to stop the Russian-China-North Korea axis from
assisting Iran in obtaining nuclear weapons and the missile systems to
deliver them.
The signs of the time, in the very least,
point to a type and shadow of the Day of the Lord, if not the real thing.
Isaiah 14:1 speaks of the Lord having "mercy on Jacob, and will yet choose
Israel, and set them in their own land." Isaiah 17:1 prophesies "Damascus is
taken away from being a city, and it shall be a ruinous heap." As Iran is
assisted in its radicalization efforts directly or indirectly by US
policies, end time prophecies continue to align. Directly North is Turkey,
which has become more Islamic and less secular. It was the last capital of
both the Roman Empire, and the Ottoman Empire Caliphate which ruled much of
the same territory as Rome until the 1920s. Be watchful that you are not
deceived.
Now this is the confidence that we have in
Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.
—1 John 5:14
Nothing lies outside of the reach of prayer
except that which is outside of the will of God. God answers the requests
that He inspires. Thus, we need a good working knowledge of Scripture.
So when I pray for provision, I might say,
"Lord, You have told us in Your Word that You will supply all of our needs
according to Your riches and glory in Christ Jesus. . . ." (see Philippians
4:19.) Am I saying this to educate God, as though He would say, "Well, I
didn't know that! That is good stuff"? No. I am reminding myself of what the
Bible says. And I am basing my prayer request on a promise of Scripture. It
also bolsters my faith, because I am asking God to answer a prayer in which
I have quoted Scripture.
The apostles quoted Scripture when they
prayed: "Lord, You are God, who made heaven and earth and the sea, and all
that is in them, who by the mouth of Your servant David have said: 'Why did
the nations rage, and the people plot vain things? . . .' " (Acts 4:25–26).
Jesus said, "If you abide in Me, and My
words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for
you" (John 15:7). Another way to translate this would be, "If you maintain a
living communion with Me, and My words are at home in you, you shall ask at
once for yourself whatever your heart desires, and it will be yours."
God is not a genie who will answer every
request we make. But God will answer our prayers if we are maintaining a
living communion with Him and His Word is at home in us—because we will be
asking what He wants us to ask for.
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At this time I am only dealing with chapter
twenty-four of Matthew.
Prior to speaking with His disciples
privately on the Mount of Olives in Matthew chapter 24, Jesus had already
blistered the scribes and Pharisees in chapter 23 for being so spiritually
blind and legalistic. At the close of chapter 23, He says,
“36Verily I say unto you, All these things
shall come upon this generation.
37O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that
killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often
would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her
chickens under her wings, and ye would not!
38Behold, your house is left unto you
desolate.
39For I say unto you, Ye shall not see me
henceforth, till ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the
Lord.” (Matthew 23:36-39)
There is no way you and I can know the
agony Jesus must have felt at that time.
These very people had been given their
heritage many years ago by God. He had begun their lineage with Abraham and
Sarah. They had always longed to see their Messiah promised by the prophets,
but when He came, they did not know Him. I do believe some knew who He was,
but would not accept Him. Several of these men had gained a position of
wealth and power and were not about to give it up for anyone. I believe that
Caiaphas was one who knew, or at least suspected, but wasn’t about to give
up his position of wealth, prestige and authority. Not only that, Jesus
knows that very shortly they will assist in having Him horribly beaten and
murdered.
He looks ahead a few years, and sees
Jerusalem, the beloved city, destroyed in 70 A.D. and His people scattered
to the far corners of the earth, taken away from the land they love. He
looks on down the corridors of time and sees them slaughtered by despots,
such as Hitler in recent years.
He remembers His words to them by the
prophet Amos,
“18Woe unto you that desire the day of the
LORD! to what end is it for you? the day of the LORD is darkness, and not
light.
19As if a man did flee from a lion, and a
bear met him; or went into the house, and leaned his hand on the wall, and a
serpent bit him.
20Shall not the day of the LORD be
darkness, and not light? even very dark, and no brightness in it?” (Amos
5:18-20)
They have missed His first coming, and long
for the second, not knowing they have rejected their Messiah, what lies
ahead for them, and especially what the day of the LORD entails when He
returns.
Now on the Mount of Olives He informs His
disciples, soon to be apostles, of Israel’s future. They had to be downcast
when Jesus told them that His kingdom would be postponed and the temple
destroyed and abandoned. Not wanting to believe such a thing, they showed
Him the grandeur of the temple courtyard, but Jesus explained to them that
“…There shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be
thrown down.” (Matthew 24:2)
On that Mount of Olives, the disciples
asked Him three questions: (Matthew 24:3)
1. When will these things happen (the
destruction of Jerusalem)?
a. Answered in Luke 21:20-24 (and
parts of Mark)
2. What will be the sign of your
return?
a. Answered in Matthew 24:27-51
3. What will be the sign of the end of
the age?
a. Answered in Matthew 24:4-26
i. Church Age/Tribulation
(Matthew 24:4-8) – Beginning of Sorrows
ii.
Tribulation (Matthew 24:9-14)
iii. Great Tribulation (Matthew 24:15-26)
To understand this discourse of Jesus to
His disciples, we must keep in mind that He is speaking to the Jews, not the
Church. There is always an “application” for the Church, as there is in most
every other area of the Bible, but this message is directly for the Jews.
One point of interest is, Matthew did not record the first question (When
will these things happen? – the destruction of Jerusalem), but Luke did. Now
why is that?
Matthew portrays Jesus as the Messiah King.
Mark portrays Him as the Suffering Servant.
Luke portrays Him as the perfect man, Son
of Man.
John shows Jesus as God in the flesh.
Matthew includes questions two and three
because they are about the future Kingdom of Christ which immediately
follows the end of the Tribulation. Jesus is seen as King, and will set up
His kingdom.
Luke records question one, because it
concerned Christ’s presence on earth either physically or by His Spirit,
before the Rapture, Tribulation and Kingdom age. So in Luke, Jesus is seen
as the Son of Man. He returns as the Son of God.
Mark, in a few areas, records question one,
because it also covered Christ’s presence on earth. In Mark He is seen as
the Suffering Servant, but when He returns, He will not be the suffering
Servant, but Judge and King.
QUESTION NUMBER ONE (1) – When will
these things happen? (Luke 21:20-24)
As you recall, the disciples had just
finished admiring the temple buildings that Herod was erecting. It was a
massive and beautiful complex. They were in such awe of the structures as
they pointed them out to Jesus, but He answered them, “2And Jesus said unto
them, See ye not all these things? verily I say unto you, There shall not be
left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down." (Matthew
24:2) So they first asked, “3…Tell us, when shall these things be? and what
shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?” (Matthew
24:3)
Tiberius Julius Alexander, second in
command under Emperor Titus, in 70 A.D., totally obliterated the second
temple of the Jews, built by Herod the Great. Not one stone was left upon
another. Jerusalem was ransacked and destroyed even more devastatingly that
when Nebuchadnezzar destroyed it in 586 B.C. Luke 21:20 describes the
devastation.
“20And when ye shall see Jerusalem
compassed with armies, then know that the desolation thereof is nigh.
21Then let them which are in Judaea flee
to the mountains; and let them which are in the midst of it depart out; and
let not them that are in the countries enter thereinto.
22For these be the days of vengeance, that
all things which are written may be fulfilled.
23But woe unto them that are with child,
and to them that give suck, in those days! for there shall be great distress
in the land, and wrath upon this people.
24And they shall fall by the edge of the
sword, and shall be led away captive into all nations: and Jerusalem shall
be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be
fulfilled.”
In 73 A.D., 1,000 starving men, women and
children committed suicide rather than surrender to the Roman army who had
besieged them at Masada for two years prior. The Romans then destroyed
Jerusalem, annexed Judaea as a Roman province, and drove the remaining Jews
out to areas such as Africa, Asia and Europe.
Since 73 A.D. the Jewish people have not
lived in their land, but have been scattered all over the world, until
Christ brought them back and re-established them as a nation on May 14,
1948. From the time they were removed from their home land and scattered
throughout the world, to them coming together as a nation, 1,875 years
passed. Since 1948 sixty-three years have passed as of today, and soon the
times of the Gentiles will be fulfilled.
NEXT TWO QUESTIONS
The next two questions are: (1) What
will be the sign of your coming? And (2), what will be the sign of the end
of the age? Jesus answers these two questions chronologically instead of
the order they were asked, and this makes perfect sense, because the age
would end prior to Christ’s return. So Jesus picks up on question three and
then goes to question number two, since that is the order they fall.
QUESTION NUMBER THREE (3) – What will be
the sign of the end of the age? (Matthew 24:4-26)
Matthew 24:4-8 describes the beginning of
sorrows.
“ 4And Jesus answered and said unto them,
Take heed that no man deceive you.
5For many shall come in my name, saying, I
am Christ; and shall deceive many.
6And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of
wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass,
but the end is not yet.
7For nation shall rise against nation, and
kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and
earthquakes, in divers places.
8All these are the beginning of sorrows.”
I personally believe that these signs are
applicable to the Church age, but more particularly the beginning of the
Tribulation period. Notice, especially concerning the Church age, that Jesus
says, “But all these things are merely the beginning of birth pangs.” Again,
it is my opinion, but I feel we are getting a glimpse of the birth pains. We
are at the very beginning, as they keep increasing in occurrence and
severity. Soon, the times of the Gentiles will be fulfilled, then the
Creator God will be ready, the water will break and there will be a ride to
the delivery room the likes of which the world will never forget. This will
be the most painful birth to ever occur, as it increases its stay in the
delivery room of the Tribulation through the next seven years.
Matthew 24:9-14 describes the first 3 ½
years of the Tribulation.
At this point, the bride of Christ, the
Church has been removed via the Rapture, and the Tribulation has begun.
“9Then shall they deliver you up to be
afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my
name's sake.
10And then shall many be offended, and
shall betray one another, and shall hate one another.
11And many false prophets shall rise, and
shall deceive many.
12And because iniquity shall abound, the
love of many shall wax cold.
13But he that shall endure unto the end,
the same shall be saved.
14And this gospel of the kingdom shall be
preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the
end come.”
Over the past many years, we can document
many times Israel has suffered because of hate from others. As a nation
today, they have fallen away and yet do not realize the true identity of
their Messiah. Lawlessness has certainly increased, even exploded in our
time, and few have any love for God.
The next two verses, verses thirteen and
fourteen, are often misunderstood, because we equate them to our time. They
are not for us. Remember, Jesus is telling them how it will be during the
Tribulation, for the Jews in particular. Those who endure to the end, in the
Tribulation, will be saved, and the Gospel will be preached to the whole
world, during the Tribulation, by the 144,000 Jews, the two witnesses, and
in particular the angel in Revelation 14:6. Think about this. There are no
signs for the Rapture. Yet, we are seeing signs that are for the period
after the Rapture, the Tribulation.
I believe “endurance” is brought up by
Jesus, because of the severity of those days to come. You and I may read
about the future events of that day, but do we really comprehend just how
bad it will be? I don’t think we really do.
It is also admirable that anyone would want
to spread the Gospel to the whole world today, but that is not a
pre-requisite for the Rapture. It is a point of fact for the Tribulation.
Matthew 24:15-26 describes the last 3 ½
years of the Tribulation.
“ 15When ye therefore shall see the
abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the
holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:)
16Then let them which be in Judaea flee
into the mountains:
17Let him which is on the housetop not
come down to take any thing out of his house:
18Neither let him which is in the field
return back to take his clothes.
19And woe unto them that are with child,
and to them that give suck in those days!
20But pray ye that your flight be not in
the winter, neither on the sabbath day:
21For then shall be great tribulation,
such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever
shall be.
22And except those days should be
shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those
days shall be shortened.
23Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo,
here is Christ, or there; believe it not.
24For there shall arise false Christs, and
false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it
were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.
25Behold, I have told you before.
26Wherefore if they shall say unto you,
Behold, he is in the desert; go not forth: behold, he is in the secret
chambers; believe it not.”
At this point, Jesus is speaking of the
mid-point of the Tribulation period, which we call the beginning of the
Great Tribulation, or the last 3 ½ years. It begins with the abomination of
desolation spoken of through Daniel. The Anti-Christ will set himself up as
god in the holy place in Israel, causing the full wrath of God to come down
upon this earth.
The first half will be worse than anything
you and I can possibly imagine, but the second half will make the first half
pale in comparison.
The bleeding hearts of this world keep
talking about the love of God, thinking He will wink at their sins. However,
the Tribulation will be a time when the world will experience His wrath. God
is love, and He is calling all who will, to come to Him through His Son
Jesus, but the day is coming, perhaps sooner than we realize that judgment
will come from the wrath of God.
Now would be a good time to hear what the
Lord says through the Apostle Paul. “Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for
whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.” (Galatians 6:7) The God
of love also says, “For they have sown the wind, and they shall reap the
whirlwind…” (Hosea 8:7) Even today, the world tramples the cross and treats
the blood of Christ like refuse. They dance naked before Him, mocking
everything He is, and expect only love from the God they spit on. Other gods
are set on the mantle of sin and even brought into the house of the one and
only true God. Nothing is left to the imagination of sinful man as he treks
head-long into the bowels of hell.
Jesus tells them from verses seventeen
through twenty-two that when they see the abomination of desolation to run
as fast as possible to the mountains. Don’t even take time to stop and get
something, just get out immediately. Everything He mentions in this verse is
Jewish related. He will provide a place of hiding for Israel, but they must
flee.
He also mentions false christs and false
prophets that will come. We have seen false christs in our time, but this
sign will escalate then. There are no prophets during the Church age, but
there are false messengers. However during this half of the Tribulation,
there will be false prophets, saying that Christ has come. Jesus basically
says, “Don’t you believe it! When I come, I guarantee you will know.”
Then in the next verse He begins His answer
to the second question.
QUESTION NUMBER TWO (2) – What will be
the sign of your return? (Matthew 24:27-51)
For this second question, our Lord gives a
long discourse in answering it. He says as follows:
“27For as the lightning cometh out of the
east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of
man be.
28For wheresoever the carcase is, there
will the eagles be gathered together.
29Immediately 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:
30And then shall appear the sign of the
Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and
they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and
great glory.
(I believe that the sign mentioned in verse
thirty is the sign of the cross. The reason that “the tribes of the earth
mourn” is because they recognize a sign (the cross) that is associated with
the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. I believe that this world renowned sign
that most all know well, the cross, will be emblazoned in the sky, and then
Jesus will appear. I emphasize that this is merely my opinion, for what it
is worth. To know for sure, we will all just have to wait and see for
ourselves.)
31And he shall send his angels with a
great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the
four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.
32Now learn a parable of the fig tree;
When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer
is nigh:
33So likewise ye, when ye shall see all
these things, know that it is near, even at the doors.
34Verily I say unto you, This generation
shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled.
35Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my
words shall not pass away.
36But of that day and hour knoweth no man,
no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.
37But as the days of Noah were, so shall
also the coming of the Son of man be.
38For 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,
39And knew not until the flood came, and
took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
40Then shall two be in the field; the one
shall be taken, and the other left.
41Two women shall be grinding at the mill;
the one shall be taken, and the other left.
42Watch therefore: for ye know not what
hour your Lord doth come.
43But 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.
44Therefore be ye also ready: for in such
an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.
45Who then is a faithful and wise servant,
whom his lord hath made ruler over his household, to give them meat in due
season?
46Blessed is that servant, whom his lord
when he cometh shall find so doing.
47Verily I say unto you, That he shall
make him ruler over all his goods.
48But and if that evil servant shall say
in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming;
49And shall begin to smite his
fellowservants, and to eat and drink with the drunken;
50The lord of that servant shall come in a
day when he looketh not for him, and in an hour that he is not aware of,
51And shall cut him asunder, and appoint
him his portion with the hypocrites: there shall be weeping and gnashing of
teeth.”
It is my opinion that verses twenty-seven
through thirty-one point to a specific part of the seven year Tribulation
period; i.e. the arrival of Christ at the end of the Tribulation.
Beginning at verse thirty two, He is
speaking of the seven year Tribulation period as a whole. This entire seven
year period is actually called the Time of Jacob’s Trouble (Jeremiah 30:7),
the 70th week of Daniel (Daniel 9:27), and the Day of the Lord (Joel
2:1-11).
Usually, when we think of Christ’s return,
we think of:
1. Rapture - His return in the air to
retrieve His Church from the earth (as the Bridegroom), and
2. Second Coming - His return at the
very end of the seven years of tribulation on earth as Judge and King.
I personally see Christ’s appearance with
five different hats (so to speak):
(1) Rapture - He is the Bridegroom.
(2) Tribulation (time of Jacob’s trouble,
the 70th week of Daniel, and the day of the Lord) – He is the God of wrath.
(3) Second Coming – He is the Conquering
Warrior.
(4) Millennium – He is the reigning King.
(5) Eternity – He is God and King.
When Jesus speaks of the “coming of the Son
of Man” in verse thirty-seven, I think He is referring primarily to items
one through three above, the Rapture through the Tribulation. I know I sound
contradictory, but that is what I see. Let me explain it this way: (1) I
arrive home and notice that thieves have broken into my house. I first make
sure my wife and children are safe (Rapture), and then, with gun in hand, I
go after the thieves (Tribulation). Let me put it another way: (2) A hostage
is taken. The police first get the hostage to safety (Rapture), then deal
with the hostage taker (Tribulation).
In example one (1), the wife and children
witness the signs that thieves have broken into the house. They are placed
in a safe place by their rescuer, and the thieves are dealt with.
In example two (2), we have the same
scenario. The hostage is of course aware that they are a hostage. All the
signs are quite evident. They are rescued and placed in safety by the
police, and the hostage is dealt with.
We today see the signs. Jesus has told us
exactly what to expect. We don’t know when He will make His move, but we do
know He will get us to safety before He administers wrath upon all His
enemies. He will also provide during this time the remaining seven years He
promised His chosen people Israel. He will lead them to repentance and bring
them back to Him.
By the prophets of old, God told the nation
Israel of His Son’s first coming. They missed the signs, and a few even
ignored them. Today He is telling the world by the prophets of old and the
prophets of His New Testament that He is returning. How many will miss the
signs, or simply ignore them?
Just as no one knew when He would come the
first time, no one knows when He will return the second time. If anyone says
they do, they are a false prophet. Ignore them. Better yet, run from them.
They bring judgment upon their own head.
Jesus came as the lamb of sacrifice the
first time, but the second time He will come as a lion that destroys. Jesus
said, "And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the
soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in
hell.” (Matthew 10:28)
Again, keep in mind that verses thirty-two
through fifty-one are specifically for the Tribulation era. The key is that
even now, many of these signs are becoming self-evident. As verse
thirty-three says, “so, you too, when you see all these things, recognize
that He is near, right at the door.” The time of our (the Church) departure
(Rapture) is close at hand. If Daniel’s 70th Week seems to be right around
the corner, the removal of the bride by the Bridegroom is even closer. God
will not pour out His wrath upon His own children. The Bridegroom would
never suffer His bride to take His blows. He is not a wife-beater. Are you
prepared to meet Him?
Matthew chapters twenty-four and
twenty-five are about a time of tribulation that will soon fall upon this
earth. There is no shame in wanting to avoid the wrath of God. I choose to
be called out beforehand by my Savior and Lord. What is your choice?
Grant Phillips
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Maranatha!
(Lord Come Quickly)
"On Christ the Solid Rock I Stand, All other ground is sinking sand."
"Let Us make the short time we have left count for all eternity!"
YBIC-Randy
