Focus

Temple Journey

Questions


 

Question # 260….(08-30-05) Dear Darrell, I really have enjoyed your site and in fact share the FOJ url with many online friends, My question to you Darrell is about this whole Gaza expulsion. I have yet to find any commentary on it from our great prophecy teachers. Gaza is referred to in Amos, Zechariah, Zephaniah etc. Was this all fulfilled in the past? This present Gaza event seems so big, yet I can't find any one addressing it from scripture yet, as to whether or not it has any prophetic significance. Maybe you can help me. Thanks

 

Answer…… The word “Gaza” stems from the word Azzah, and is likely a word that originated with the ancient Capthors, who immigrated to the Gaza area from Cypress or Crete to establish a control nerve center on the continental trade routes. The Capthorims destroyed the Avim, (a Canaanite tribe-Deut. 2:23) the original settlers of Gaza, and eventually intermingled with the Amorites and Canaanites, and thus became the forefathers of the mighty Philistines. Interestingly enough, the word Gaza means, “stronghold, or fortress.” Gaza, in Old Testament times was the southernmost city of Canaan, and was situated on the great caravan route between Mesopotamia and Egypt, at the junction of the trade route from Arabia. Its location made Gaza an ideal layover and rest stop as well as a commercial center for merchants and travelers. Later, Gaza was allotted as a portion to the tribe of Judah by Joshua; but the Jews did not immediately occupy it because they feared the Anakim (giants) who still occupied the fortress of Gaza. It was in Philistine Ashkelon, just north of Gaza, that the mighty Samson was humiliated by being forced to grind grain as a blinded prisoner. Yet, in a final victorious confrontation, Samson brought down the house of the pagan god Dagon, destroying many of the Philistines.

   Through the prophets Amos, Zechariah and Zephaniah, God warned Gaza and some other principle Philistine cities with destruction by fire for the sin of conspiring with Edom, Tyre and Damascus to enslave and dispossess the children of Israel of their land. (see Amos 1:6-7) This prophecy was fulfilled in large part by the army of Alexander the Great in 332 BC, when Gaza was destroyed and her inhabitants massacred. (see also Zephaniah 2:4; Zechariah 9:5) But these ancient prophecies still stand as a prophetic paradigm for future events in a final conspiratorial assault on the gathered remnant of Israel.

   Gaza was one of five Philistine cities along the southern coast that successfully resisted Israelite conquest until the Hasmonean Judah Maccabee’s brother Jonathan captured it around 150BC. It was virtually destroyed by Alexander Jannai for revolting in 96BC. But it was later rebuilt as a Roman city by Gabinius. Gaza, and the rest of the Philistine cities were not exposed to Christianity until about 300AD. Gaza, Ashkelon, Ashdod, and Ekron were all located along the Roman Via Maris, the route linking Egypt with Syria and Mesopotamia. It was the Philistines of Ashdod who made the mistake of taking the Ark of the Covenant from Israel. Afterward, Ashdod was struck by a number of calamities that led the Philistines to return the Ark to the Israelites. Ironically, at the southern entrance of the city is a bridge where the fledgling Israeli army stopped the Egyptian Army's advance toward Tel Aviv in Israel’s 1948 war for survival.
   Sadly, Christianity was stamped out in Gaza by 250AD, and Gaza became a fortress of the Muslim world around 600AD. Gaza is in fact the site where the Prophet Mohammed's grandfather was buried. Consequently, the city became an important Islamic stronghold in Palestine as it is to this day! The forsaken status of Gaza was thus cemented!

   But God’s word mandates that Gaza, as well as the Sinai become the apportioned land that God gave unto Abraham’s descendants. Therefore, because Gaza is still conspired together with the “Prince of Tyre” (Satan) and allied with the burden of Damascus, and the conspiracy of Edom (Palestinians) to divide the land with many others, God shall yet forsake Gaza and move against the coastal fortress to give it into the house of Judah! The prophecies of Zephaniah have not been fully realized, and they are set to play a role in the coming time of Trouble for Israel, when the Lord shall go forth to fight against Israel’s many enemies.

   (Zephaniah  2:4-7 For Gaza shall be forsaken, and Ashkelon a desolation: they shall drive out Ashdod at the noon day, and Ekron shall be rooted up. Woe unto the inhabitants of the sea coast, the nation of the Cherethites! the word of the Lord is against you; O Canaan, the land of the Philistines, I will even destroy thee, that there shall be no inhabitant. And the sea coast shall be dwellings and cottages for shepherds, and folds for flocks. And the coast shall be for the remnant of the house of Judah; they shall feed thereupon: in the houses of Ashkelon shall they lie down in the evening: for the Lord their God shall visit them, and turn away their captivity.)

   Jews have been present in Gaza from the time of the Roman conquest up until the recent withdrawal. In 1929, the sea coast Jews of Gaza were forced to leave the area due to violent riots against them by the Arabs. Following these riots, and the death of more than 150 Jews in Gaza, the British, under their authority in the League of Nations Mandate prohibited Jews from living in Gaza to quell tension and appease the Arabs. Some Jews returned, however, and, in 1946, the kibbutz Kfar Darom was established to prevent the British from separating the Negev from the proposed Jewish State, which was finally realized under the British in 1948.

   The United Nations 1947 Partition Plan allotted the coastal strip known as the Gaza Strip from Yavneh to Rafah on the Egyptian border to become an Arab state. However, in Israel's 1948 war for Independence, most Arab inhabitants in the Strip fled in wake of the advice of advancing Egyptian armies. Israeli forces conquered Gaza, and proceeded south to El-Arish, but subsequently gave control of the area back to Egypt in the 1981 Camp David negotiations. But Israel kept the old cities of Ashdod and Askelon. In the 1967 Six Day War, Israeli forces reentered Gaza and captured it again. In 1981, as part of the peace treaty with Sadat’s Egypt, Jewish settlements in the Sinai were destroyed, and many Jews relocated to the Gaza area as part of Israel’s re-settlement program.

   The Israel-PLO Declaration of Principles on Interim Self-Government Arrangements signed in Washington DC (Clinton, Arafat, Rabin) on 13 September 1993, provided for a transitional period not exceeding five years of Palestinian interim self-government in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank. Under the DOP, Israel agreed to transfer certain powers and responsibilities to the Palestinian Authority, which includes the Palestinian Legislative Council elected in January 1996, as part of the interim self-governing arrangements in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. The only stipulation to this governing transition was that the PA fight against and dismantle the terrorist infrastructure within the Gaza Strip and the territories projected to be handed over to its authority. The PA has never lifted a finger to fight terrorism, yet the Quartet that is sponsoring the so-called Roadmap to Peace has insisted that Israel relinquish territory and abandon its settlement program in Gaza and the West Bank. Israel feels compelled to comply with these demands, especially in light of the fact that the US is insistent upon that course of action by Israel as a means to help alleviate the Palestinian situation as a means to better expedite the American war on terror. But, even as events continue to unfold, God is using all these events to gather ALL nations down into the Valley of Decision. One of the principle components of this burdensome geo-political drama continues to be Gaza, the stronghold of Palestinian terror and the cornerstone of the perpetual hatred of Israel.

The relinquishment of Gaza by Israel is ironically symbolic of the days when Israel feared the imposing giants in that land. Instead of trusting in Jehovah for victory over the Anakim, Israel retreated from facing their huge enemies. This situation is still true today. Israel, for fear of political pressure from the Giants (world powers and Islamic terrorists) seeks to placate their enemies through the land-for-peace appeasement formula. Ironically, Gaza was the initial stronghold the Oslo peace brokers chose to reinsert Yasser Arafat and his terrorist machine into Palestine, culminating in the ensuing terrorist wars upon Israel, and finally upon the chief sponsor of Israel’s coerced complicity in dividing the land, the US.

  Gaza is a stepping stone along the pathway in the epic Struggle for Jerusalem!



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Question # 259…..(08-17-05) Does prophecy indicate that Israel will continue to give away territory, such as they are doing now, solely for the establishment of a Palestinian State? Will Israel eventually give away the city of Jerusalem, which seems to be what the Palestinians are screaming about that they must have before they will cease from terrorism and live in peace with Israel?

 

Answer……. Bible Prophecy doesn’t emphatically state one way or the other whether Israel will continue to compromise and concede territory for the development of a new Palestinian State. Many prophecy scholars assume that because God has promised all the land from the Nile, northeasterly to the Euphrates, and then eastward to the Jordan, that Israel will not acquiesce to the creation of a Palestinian State. But, in truth, the land that God promised to Israel will actually only become the sovereign domain of Israel, after Jesus Christ returns and saves Israel, and establishes his kingdom. In the interim, Israel is quite likely to continue to explore every possible formula towards finding a way to live in a pragmatic venue of peace with her neighbors. I believe that Israel truly wants peace, and is literally starving for rest, but sadly, Israel’s enemies simply desire to get rid of the state of Israel. The land-for-peace formula has become the geo-political pattern to accomplish a cold peace because the powers-that-be in this present world system demands that Israel comply. (UN, Quartet, etc) The borders of the state of Israel have been ever changing since Israel came into existence in 1948, (because of wars, peace processes, armistices, and terrorist campaign cycles) so there is no reason to assume that Israel will not continue to appease the Arabs and the major world powers by trading land for assurances of peace. Will a Palestinian State actually emerge in the West Bank? I don’t know for sure, but there is nothing in prophecy to indicate that one will not emerge before Jesus comes. Will Israel negotiate on Jerusalem? Yes, I think the Bible indicates that will happen. In his Olivet Discourse, Jesus said, “Jerusalem will be trodden down of the Gentiles until those times are accomplished.” This scripture, coupled with the prophecies of Daniel 2 and 7 indicate that Israel will never exercise sovereignty over the Old City of Jerusalem and the Mount until Jesus puts down Gentile dominion, and establishes his kingdom. Thus, Jerusalem is likely to be “on the table” for negotiating” just as it was when the Oslo Process reached its Final Status stage. In fact, a Palestinian State could easily have already been accomplished if the Palestinian leadership would simply accept Israel’s right to exist, and cease from its terrorist agenda, and work to use the resources made available to it to establish the infrastructure for a state. The 2000 Camp David Peace Summit nearly accomplished that fact, (as Ehud Barak flat out called Mr. Arafat’s peace-bluff) but Arafat rejected the opportunity for Statehood outright because his goal (as a terrorist) was the same as that of the multitude of terrorist organizations throughout the region. Former US negotiator Dennis Ross often states that Arafat simply could not change his spots, and take on the mantle of a statesman, because he loved being the icon of Palestinian terrorism, and the Arab embodiment of hatred for Israel.

   It is entirely within the context of prophetic scripture that Israel will coalesce to another Palestinian State in the West Bank, and perhaps even concede to some kind of mutual political-religious arrangement regarding Jerusalem and the Temple Mount, as the Antichrist eventually plans to use Jerusalem and its Mount for his own designs. Ultimately, some peace process, whether it is via the Roadmap process, or some other geo-political formula, will avail the Antichrist to succeed in fomenting a peace plan between Israel and the Arabs, but it will be a covenant of Hell for Israel. (Isaiah 28:15-18) The Antichrist will turn against Israel, and drive them out of the land altogether during the Tribulation.

  Personally, I do not think the present Roadmap Process will work, but will actually trigger more confusion and conflict for Israel in the days to come, especially since the terrorists view Israel’s willingness to negotiate for peace as a sign of weakness. I think the present situation will progress into a broad ranging terrorist war, probably even involving attacks in America.



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Question # 258…..(08-15-05) There seems to a lot of archeologists claiming they have discovered the ark of the Covenant. What I want to know is, if they have actually found it, how are they going to be able to do anything with it? The Bible says that it was death to even touch it, for that is why the Jews carried it about on long poles.

 

Answer…….Of course, the Ark of the Covenant was built at the direction of the Lord. God conveyed unto Moses all the details for the tabernacle, and all of its accoutrements, and Moses consigned Bezaleel and Aholiab to direct the craftsmanship of the ark. The details of the Ark’s construction are listed in Exodus chapters 25 and 37. The ark initially contained the two tablets of stone on which the Ten Commandments were inscribed by the finger of God. Later, a pot of manna, (to remind the Israelites of God’s feeding in the wilderness) and Aaron’s rod (God caused Aaron’s rod to bud to show that he was chosen of God as the priest) were added to the contents of the Ark. It is no small irony that the tablets were retained in the Ark, for they remained a symbol of Israel’s breaking of God’s law, and also for every person’s violation of His law, and that because of man’s inability regarding the law, the law merely serves to be our schoolmaster to bring us to Christ that we might be justified through faith. The Ark was first kept in the desert tabernacle, later established at Shiloh, and finally, after a brief usurping by the Philistines, it was situated in Jerusalem, and located in the Temple of Solomon. Here it remained until the armies of Nebuchadnezzar conquered Israel. Nebuchadnezzar eventually destroyed the Jewish Temple in 586BC, but the Bible is silent in its historical record about the ark’s whereabouts after the Babylonian Captivity. Thus the speculation and controversy over the existence and location of the Ark has continued unabated since the times of Ezekiel, who was studying to be a Temple priest in this time period. Ezekiel reveals that the “Glory or presence of God,” departed the Temple (and thus the Ark) before the Babylonians came to destroy Israel. In fact, Babylon could never have destroyed Israel and the Temple as long as God resided there. But because Israel had committed extreme wickedness and abominable acts against the Lord, even going so far as to blaspheme his sanctuary by establishing idols unto Tammuz, and the worship of the Queen of Heaven, God departed from their presence, and left them open to their enemies. (Ezekiel 11:22-24 And the glory of the Lord went up from the midst of the city, and stood upon the mountain which is on the east side of the city. Afterwards the spirit took me up, and brought me in a vision by the Spirit of God into Chaldea, to them of the captivity. So the vision that I had seen went up from me. Ezekiel 10:18 Then the glory of the Lord departed from off the threshold of the house, and stood over the cherubims.) Ezekiel saw a vision of the departing God, in his infamous wheel-in-a-wheel visitation. (Ezekiel chapter 1) (Ezekiel 1:28 This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the Lord. And when I saw it, I fell upon my face, and I heard a voice of one that spake.) Thus, because of Israel’s whoredom, the Shekinah glory of the Lord God departed from the Ark, and from the Temple, leaving Israel’s Holy place left unto them desolate. Even Jesus, over 600 years later lamented this fact. (Matthew 23:37-39 O 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! Behold, your house is left unto you desolate. For 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. Therefore, it is my opinion that because the glory of God is no longer connected with the ancient Ark of the Covenant, it no longer has the special significance, or power that it once held. Israel came to place its faith in the power of the Ark, rather than in God, and lost the Ark to the Philistines, which in and of itself shows that it is God, and not any manmade instruments that possess miraculous powers. Moreover, the prophecies of Jeremiah indicate that when the Lord returns unto Israel, the Ark will not have any significance, but rather that Israel will learn to direct all its praise to God alone. (Jeremiah 3:16 And it shall come to pass, when ye be multiplied and increased in the land, in those days, saith the Lord, they shall say no more, The ark of the covenant of the Lord: neither shall it come to mind: neither shall they remember it; neither shall they visit it; neither shall that be done any more.) Israel’s Messiah will rebuild the Temple at the outset of the kingdom age, when Jesus Christ, the true Messiah of Israel reigns in Jerusalem. Revelation depicts the Ark in Heaven. (Revelation 11:19 And the temple of God was opened in heaven, and there was seen in his temple the ark of his testament: and there were lightnings, and voices, and thunderings, and an earthquake, and great hail.) Whatever became of the ancient Ark of the Covenant, one thing is certain, it has served the purpose for which God instructed Moses to construct it. Whether or not it still has a purpose in God’s plans or not remains to be seen. Perhaps, since Jesus has become our High Priest, and will build a more perfect tabernacle when he comes, maybe he also has better plans for the Ark.  Of a certainty it is that the Ark and the Temple both served their functions for their times. (Hebrews 9:1 Then verily the first covenant had also ordinances of divine service, and a worldly sanctuary.) (Hebrews 9:8-9 The Holy Ghost this signifying, that the way into the holiest of all was not yet made manifest, (Jesus Christ) while as the first tabernacle was yet standing: Which was a figure for the time then present, in which were offered both gifts and sacrifices, that could not make him that did the service perfect, as pertaining to the conscience;  (Hebrews 9:1-12 But Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building; Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us.) (*The discovery of the Ark, whether genuine or fake, could possibly be of special value to the Antichrist, since He desires the worship of everyone on earth during the Time of Jacob’s Trouble. The Devil even contended for the body of Moses when he died, showing that Satan is a clever schemer when it comes deceiving Israel)



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Question # 257…..(08-09-05) Will the Holy Spirit be present on the earth after the Rapture. If Christians are to be gone, it seems logical that the Holy Spirit would be gone as well. Does the Holy Spirit’s work cease during the tribulation?



Answer……The Bible never indicates that the Holy Spirit will be removed from the earth at the time of the Rapture. Some assume that the Restrainer of II Thessalonians chapter two, is simply and wholly the Holy Spirit. But in reality, the Holy Spirit, being the third person of the trinity, is omnipresent, and will merely cease his function within the triune Godhead as the restrainer of evil on the earth during this time of trouble. The Holy Spirit exercises the power of the Father and the Son in the providential plans of God in all ages. The Holy Spirit was present at the Creation, was present during the Redemption, and will be present on the earth during the Tribulation era as well, and will indwell Tribulation converts just as he does today during the Church Age. However, since the restraining power of the Holy Spirit during the Tribulation will be abated, many of the Saints of that era will have no protection from the Evil One, (as we do today) other than a special sealing from God. This seal merely designates that the individual believer belongs to God, and that their souls cannot be dammed. As the Holy Spirit has a crucial part to play in the coming of the Messiah, and during the Tribulation, and thereafter in the Millennial Kingdom of Christ, it befalls the Holy Spirit to perform its function in unison with the Father and the Son in bringing to pass the entire mystery, or “musterion” (eternal plan) of God. (I Timothy 3:16 And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.)



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Question # 256…..(08-08-05) Is there any hint of the Rapture given in the Old Testament? It seems to me to be a little presumptuous of the Church to think that it should expect to escape the coming Time of Trouble, and Israel would have to endure it. If there are only New Testament references for a rapture and none on the OT, then maybe the concept is in error.



Answer…….  The Rapture is typecast in the Old Testament in a few references. In Genesis 5:24, the scripture records that Enoch walked with God; and then all of a sudden, he was no more. The Genesis record states that Enoch was not because God took him away. This taking by God could not have been through the valley of death for the New Testament book of Hebrews asserts that Enoch was “translated” and did not see death. (Hebrews 11:5 By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God.) The Greek word for translated is the word, “metatithemi,” which mean to be transferred, carried over, caught away, or changed. The translation of Enoch seems to be intended to prefigure the change, or catching away, (harpazo) of Saints at the end of the Church Age, as the succeeding verse in Hebrews describes Enoch as a man that expressed great faith in God, and had the testimony of faith, which pleased God. In a society that was exceptionally wicked, Enoch was noted for his rock solid faith in God’s word, and his faith is a fore-glimpse of the destiny later promised to the faithful in I Thessalonians 4:17. (Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.) This is precisely the spiritual status of the Christian believer, and is the basis for being counted worthy to escape the coming Day of the Lord’s Wrath. (Luke 21:34-36 And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares. For as a snare shall it come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth. Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.) Only the last generation of the Church Age can expect to experience the instantaneous translation typified in Enoch, and thereby escape the coming day of darkness. Enoch’s son was Methuselah. Enoch apparently named his son Methuselah because he had received a promise of the Lord that the Judgment of the great flood would not come until Methuselah died. It is noteworthy to realize that Enoch was translated before the flood Judgment, and that Methuselah became the oldest living human being in history. These facts belie the longsuffering patience of the Lord, and the fact that he has promised to keep his faithful from the hour of Temptation.

   Another typology example of the rapture in the OT is found in the catching up of the prophet Elijah. (II Kings 2:11 And it came to pass, as they still went on, and talked, that, behold, there appeared a chariot of fire, and horses of fire, and parted them both asunder; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven.) An interesting thing about these two occurrences is that Enoch was a Gentile and Elijah was an Israeli. Enoch’s translation precluded the whirlwind ride of Elijah. Elijah's prophetic activities emphasized the unconditional loyalty to God required of the nation of Israel. Elijah emphasized Israel's responsibility for total commitment to God and the covenant responsibilities which God and His people had sworn to each other in the Abrahamic Covenant. Apparently, this is the reason that God will recall Elijah back to Israel after the translation of the Church, when Israel is under siege by the Antichrist, and the whole world, minus the Enoch-believer-types, shall face the hour of temptation.

   (Revelation 3:10 Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.)

   Thirdly, an inference of the Rapture is panoramically pictured in Jeremiah 8:20. Here, recounting the fallen and seemingly hopeless condition of Israel, the prophet considers Israel’s plight to an unfruitful season. He writes; “the harvest is past, the summer has ended, and we (Israel) are not saved.”  This is a reference to the blindness-in-part (Romans 11:25) of Israel that will continue beyond the time of the great harvest, until the times of the Gentiles is fulfilled. The harvest pictured here is those faithful believers taken up in the rapture. The pictogram of Jeremiah reveals that the summer has ended, the time of labor is passed, the harvest is to be reaped, and now is the time for the consummation of the tares, while the wheat is preserved. (Matthew 13) After this season, God will turn his attention back to saving Israel, and fulfilling His Covenant with them.



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Question # 255……(08-02-05) What is the Gaza Strip, and where exactly is it located? Why is it so important? Is it just the first step in the Roadmap Peace Plan?

Answer….. gaza strip The Gaza Strip is a rectangular coastal area (about 140 sq mi or /370 sq km in area) on the Mediterranean Sea northeast of the Egyptian and Israeli border. It is a densely populated and vastly impoverished region inhabited primarily by Palestinians, and home to about 1.3 million people. Gaza City, located in the northern end of the Strip is reputed to be the most densely populated place on earth. Most of the Palestinians live in large, overcrowded UN financed refugee camps. Even with all the millions of dollars granted to the PA under Yasser Arafat, the PA has never moved to build an infrastructure in the Strip to provide settlements for its own people. In sharp contrast, the many small Jewish communities in the Strip are very modern, and stand as a contrasting symbol of the ideological difference between the governments of Israel and the terrorist thug leadership that simply lords itself over the Palestinian people. There are about 8,000 Israeli settlers living in semi-municipal developments scattered throughout the Gaza Strip. The Gaza disengagement process is actually not a detailed step in the Quartet’s Roadmap Peace Plan. The actual first step of the Roadmap is supposed to be the eradication of terrorism in the Palestinian sector, but of course, this little detail never gets accomplished, and Mr. Abbas has never shown any inclination to hinder the terrorists. The Gaza Disengagement Plan is a plan devised by the Sharon government to test the PA to see if further withdrawals demanded by the Quartet can possibly work. Apparently Mr. Sharon views the small Jewish communities in Gaza as being difficult to defend. (The Jewish towns in the Strip have often come under rocket attacks) My guess is that the Gaza experiment will simply enable Islamic Jihad and Al Qaeda terrorist cells to support the predominate Hamas terrorist organization ruling in the Gaza Strip. The recent terror attacks in the lower Sinai (Taba and Sharm el-Sheik) indicate that Al Qaeda and Islamic Jihad are already coordinating efforts to empower Hamas on Israel’s southern border, in defiance of the Egyptian presence in the region.

 


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Question # 254….(06-14-05) Are the Four Horses of Apocalypse analogous to the four horses of Zechariah 6:1-5? "And I turned, and lifted up mine eyes, and looked, and, behold, there came four chariots out from between two mountains; and the mountains were mountains of brass. [2] In the first chariot were red horses; and in the second chariot black horses; [3] And in the third chariot white horses; and in the fourth chariot grisled and bay horses. [4] Then I answered and said unto the angel that talked with me, what are these, my lord? [5] And the angel answered and said unto me, these are the four spirits of the heavens, which go forth from standing before the Lord of all the earth." (Zechariah 6:1-5)
   Therefore, is the pale green horse a symbol of the fourth spirit rider 'Locusts King' Abaddon/Apollyon? Are not locusts the masters of green vegetation destruction? It is scientifically documented that one of the primary triggers involving the feeding habits of swarming locusts is their visual and targeted focus on eating anything (normally vegetation) of the color 'green'. However, there have been recorded incidents where locusts have even stripped green paint from walls or water tanks, eaten green clothes hanging on a washing line or destroyed green shade-cloth when adequate food supplies were unattainable.

Answer……The Zechariah vision depicts four chariots, and each chariot has a number of horses described as being in each chariot, and not drawing the chariot. Therefore the prophetic symmetry of Zechariah’s vision to the Four Horses of the Apocalypse is not completely compatible. Zechariah’s chariots are further identified as being the four spirits of the heavens, all depicted standing before the Lord, but not all are necessarily of Heaven, (not Heaven) whereas the four horses of the Apocalypse have riders that are given occasion to instigate the series of events that catapult the world into the Day of the Lord. (even they are not of Heaven, but granted permission to their activity) The four spirits of heaven may refer to angels of divine judgment or to the power of God to accomplish His judicial purpose. The phrase, “the Lord of the whole world,” (verse five) connotes a Messianic phrase when Messiah will exact universal rule from Zion. It is interesting to note that the black horse chariot of Zechariah was sent forth to the North country, and the prophecy indicates that these horses quieted the spirit of the Lord in the North. This may be an allusion to the efforts of the forces of darkness to exercise a Satanic strategy to inhibit the forces of God from reigning over the North region. The white horses are shown filtering out after them, but toward the west, which could be an allusion to the westward growth of the Church. This also could be analogous to the prophecy of the Prince of Gog, and his legions in the uttermost parts of the North. In any event, the chariots have been released to the four corners of the world to collect the nations together to reap the Divine judgment of God on the Gentile dominion of the world for their abuse of his people, and the Satanic conspiracy to usurp Christ’s right to reign on this world.



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Question #253….(06-13-05) Is Suicide an Unpardonable Sin?

Answer……. Suicide is not an unpardonable sin. (Luke 12:10 And whosoever shall speak a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but unto him that blasphemeth against the Holy Ghost it shall not be forgiven.) There is only one unpardonable sin, and that is the rejection of Jesus Christ as savior. People commit suicide for various reasons. People in such despair that they contemplate suicide may believe they are unloved and that their life has no purpose; or perhaps they want to escape a painful situation that to their way of thinking seems hopeless. Or, as we are seeing today in the Middle East, some even view it as martyrdom. We often don't realize it, but individuals all round us, sometimes even Christians are struggling with such depression and hopeless feelings that they consider suicide. Satan is a master at mentally persecuting anybody. That is why Christians must always be armed with the whole armor of God, because Satan stalks about as a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour. (Ephesians 6:10-18 10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;  And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints.) Many wonder if God can or would forgive the sin of suicide. Jesus took on all our sins at the Cross, and His grace covers our worst sins, even in the event of self-inflicted death. Suicide is evidence of a sense of hopelessness in the mind and soul, and is a terrible excuse for a person to take his own life. Suicide is evidence that Satan has won the upper-hand in the thinking of a person’s mind. Suicide is manifested rebellion against God's will to be done in a life. This is why it is so important for every Christian to submit wholly to the Lord’s will for His purpose to be done in their lives while in this world. The Lord has created each of us for a great purpose, and we were ransomed at great price! We all were created by him, for His good pleasure, and He has a purpose for everyone. Yet, we must conform ourselves to His will. (1 Corinthians 6:19-20) When Satan entraps and coerces people into suicide, he is the winner. For the lost, there is no hope, but for the Christian, he remains saved, but he has failed his Lord as a servant in this world, thereby succumbing to the Devil’s wiles. God never turns away anyone who cries out to Him. (John 6:37) He'll rescue you if you let Him! When you submit to Him, He'll take you from the pit of destruction and give you security, regardless of how far down you are or how strong the quicksand feels around you. (Psalm 40:2) God is our refuge and strength, "a very present help in time of trouble" (Psalm 46:1).

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Question # 252…….(06-13-05) What is the actual census breakdown of the population for Israel?

Answer…… As of May 7, 2003, Israel's population stood at 6.7 million according to Israel's Central Bureau of Statistics. The Jewish population is approximately 5.4 million (acccounting for 38% of the world's Jews); the non-Jewish population is approximately 1.3 million (82% of these are Muslims, 9% are Christians and 9% are Druze). Israel's population has grown more than eight-fold over the 1948 population of 806,000. Three million people have immigrated to Israel since 1948, with more than one million coming since 1990. (mostly from the Soviet Union) Jerusalem itself has 680,000 residents. Israel is reported to be one of the world's most densely populated countries, with an average 294 people per square kilometer. The biggest chunk of this population lives in the Tel Aviv sea-coast region. (Below are figures provided by the CBI of Israel)

 

Population figures by groups (absolute figures)

 

 

1995 (census)

2005 (projected)

2020 (projected)

Total

5,612,300

6,998,700

8,994,300

Israeli Jews

4,522,300

5,357,900

6,520,800

Israeli Arabs

1,004,500

1,362,500

2,091,900

  Muslim Arabs

811,200

1,128,700

1,788,100

  Christian Arabs

101,000

116,900

141,800

  Druze

92,300

116,900

162,000

Others

85,600

278,300

381,600

  Non-Arab Christians*

19,600

27,400

32,400

  Unclassified**

66,000

250,900

349,200

 

Population figures by group and age (absolute figures / percent of total population)

 

 

0-14

15-24

25-44

45-64

65+

Israeli Jews

1,216,300
21.7%

767,800
13.7%

1,204,900
21.5%

813,700
14.5%

519,700
9.3%

Israeli Arabs

410,000
7.2%

211,200
3.8%

257,400
4.5%

95,300
1.8%

30,300
0.56%

  Muslim Arabs

345,000
6.1%

171,700
3.1%

203,500
3.6%

70,200
1.3%

20,800
0.4%

  Christian Arabs

30,400
0.5%

19,000
0.3%

29,400
0.5%

16,200
0.3%

6,000
0.1%

  Druze

34,900
0.6%

20,500
0.4%

24,500
0.4%

8,900
0.2%

3,500
0.06%

Others

21,700
0.37%

14,400
0.25%

31,800
0.5%

13,200
0.24%

4,500
0.08%

  Non-Arab Christians*

4,200
0.07%

2,800
0.05%

6,700
0.1%

3,900
0.07%

2,000
0.04%

  Unclassified**

17,500
0.3%

11,600
0.2%

25,100
0.4%

9,300
0.17%

2,500
0.04%



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Question # 251….(05-25-05) I found your article on the Falling Away very well written and balanced. A lot of the churches here in the UK are in entertainment mode and have become very worldly and it is very, very hard to find a Bible based one. The point that I’m writing to you about is since you wrote about the great falling away, wouldn’t it be a good idea to write about the churches who are a part of the falling away to warn people within them or not?

 

Answer……. It is always appropriate to point the sheep toward the True Shepherd. The Bible instructs every believer to be armed with the whole armor of God (His Word) to always be ready, in an instant, in season or out of season (popularity, trends, fashions, fads, etc) to reprove and rebuke false doctrine and seducing spirits in the Church. The modern church is very susceptible to the popular ecumenical youth movements that are sweeping the religious community. It is always incumbent upon the Church to go out into the byways and hedges and compel upon people to get saved, but it is also incumbent upon the wiser spiritual elders of the Church to make sure that worldly ideas and pop-trends do not come into the Church as we seek to bring people into the church. The Church should never conform to fit itself into worldly concepts. (Romans 12:2)

   The Great Falling Away of the Last Days has seen a subtle demonic attack upon Church doctrine, and once the fundamental doctrines of Christianity are thwarted by the enemy, then the door is wide open to every sort of deviance apart from the true Shepherd’s voice. (II Timothy 4:2-3 Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears;) Satan expends most of his resources into infiltrating, deceiving and redirecting the Church. As it is with all masterminds of covert warfare, Satan seeks to subvert his targets by working with a false face inside the church camp. All too often, Satan is able to entice preachers, and church people into a variety of wayward agenda’s. (Jeremiah 50:6 My people hath been lost sheep: their shepherds have caused them to go astray, they have turned them away on the mountains: they have gone from mountain to hill, they have forgotten their restingplace.) The sheep’s resting-place lies with the Church’s first love, (Rev. 2:4) Jesus Christ, and His word. Pastors and leaders of Churches that lead people away from the love relationship with Jesus Christ and His Word should be exposed as False Shepherds.

   Israel’s historic example of falling away from the Lord and its subsequent dispersion into the world should be an example to the Church. The Shepherds of Israel became obsessed with popularity and success, and thereby led the flock astray with perverted teachings. God issues a strong condemnation of Shepherds and Churches that compromise with the world.

(Ezekiel 34:1-10 And the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel, prophesy, and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD unto the shepherds; Woe be to the shepherds of Israel that do feed themselves! should not the shepherds feed the flocks? Ye eat the fat, and ye clothe you with the wool, ye kill them that are fed: but ye feed not the flock. The diseased have ye not strengthened, neither have ye healed that which was sick, neither have ye bound up that which was broken, neither have ye brought again that which was driven away, neither have ye sought that which was lost; but with force and with cruelty have ye ruled them. And they were scattered, because there is no shepherd: and they became meat to all the beasts of the field, when they were scattered. My sheep wandered through all the mountains, and upon every high hill: yea, my flock was scattered upon all the face of the earth, and none did search or seek after them. Therefore, ye shepherds, hear the word of the Lord; As I live, saith the Lord GOD, surely because my flock became a prey, and my flock became meat to every beast of the field, because there was no shepherd, neither did my shepherds search for my flock, but the shepherds fed themselves, and fed not my flock; Therefore, O ye shepherds, hear the word of the Lord; Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I am against the shepherds; and I will require my flock at their hand, and cause them to cease from feeding the flock; neither shall the shepherds feed themselves any more; for I will deliver my flock from their mouth, that they may not be meat for them.)

   The Lord God does not want His people to be entangled within any Church that has become compromised with the trendy fables and deceptive spirits of this world’s religious system. The fundamental truths of the faith are not subject to debate, and they are easy to discern. God does not change with the blowing winds of the times, and neither does his Word. The apostate condition of the Last Days Falling Away trend will ultimately lead people into the worship of the Antichrist during the Tribulation, so it is incumbent upon grounded Christians to point people back toward the fold, and the voice of the True Shepherd.

   Revelation 18:4-7 And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues. For her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities. Reward her even as she rewarded you, and double unto her double according to her works: in the cup which she hath filled fill to her double. How much she hath glorified herself, and lived deliciously, so much torment and sorrow give her: for she saith in her heart, I sit a queen, and am no widow, and shall see no sorrow.


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