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Temple Journey

Questions

 

Question #320…….(07-19-07) I met this nice Rabbi in Clovis NM when on vacation.  I belong to Jesus 100%, but he told me some things and one is that the Jews say there is only One God. I shared with him about the trinity and told him of the "picture" of the trinity when John was baptizing Jesus, and God spoke, the dove appeared and we see Jesus. There are other scriptures that verify this to me by the Holy Spirit, but he says there is only one God, not three. What don't I understand???

 

Answer…..There is indeed only one God, just as your Rabbi friend expressed to you. The concept of the trinity is very complex subject and causes a lot of confusion for a lot of people, but it does not teach the idea that there are three gods. Most Jews and many Christians in fact have never been able to comprehend how Jesus could be “one” with his Father. It was Jesus claim of deity that caused the Jews to prosecute him. (John 10:30-31 I and my Father are one. Then the Jews took up stones again to stone him.) The fact that there is only one God is verified from Isaiah. (Isaiah 45:5-6  I am the Lord, and there is none else, there is no God beside me: I girded thee, though thou hast not known me:  That they may know from the rising of the sun, and from the west, that there is none beside me. I am the Lord, and there is none else.) Jesus claim to be “one with his Father” reveals that God is a complex being beyond our natural comprehension. Yet, Jesus statement of “oneness” among the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are verified by many scriptures, including the following one: (I John 5:7 For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one.)  Of course, the Word became flesh, and is known to us as Jesus Christ! (John 1:14-17 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.  John bare witness of him, and cried, saying, This was he of whom I spake, He that cometh after me is preferred before me: for he was before me. And of his fullness have all we received, and grace for grace. For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.) There is really no means for us as mere human beings to comprehend the Godhead. Therefore, we really must accept and rely solely on what God has revealed to us through his Word.


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Question #319 ......(07-09-07) A rabbi told me that he thought "perhaps" the end of the Gentile age started with a military victory in 1967-Hashem?  What does this mean and what war was this and, who is Hashem?

 

Answer…..Your Rabbi friend was undoubtedly alluding to the fact that God oversaw the miraculous victory of Israel against five attacking Arab armies in the 1967 Six Days War. Hashem is just a Jewish rendering of a reference to Jehovah God. The “times of the Gentiles” might have expired in 1967, had Israel exercised faith in God by retaining full sovereignty over Jerusalem and the Temple Mount, but since they lacked faith in the God that gave them the 1967 victory; and acted to relinquish control over the Temple Mount and East Jerusalem to the Muslim Waqf authority, the “times of the Gentiles” continues to track. The “times of the Gentiles” is a phrase that denotes that Jerusalem continues to be under the subjection of gentile domination because Israel is in a fallen condition. (Lamentations 1:14-17 The yoke of my transgressions is bound by his hand: they are wreathed, and come up upon my neck: he hath made my strength to fall, the Lord hath delivered me into their hands, from whom I am not able to rise up. The Lord hath trodden under foot all my mighty men in the midst of me: he hath called an assembly against me to crush my young men: the Lord hath trodden the virgin, the daughter of Judah, as in a winepress. For these things I weep; mine eye, mine eye runneth down with water, because the comforter that should relieve my soul is far from me: my children are desolate, because the enemy prevailed. Zion spreadeth forth her hands, and there is none to comfort her: the LORD hath commanded concerning Jacob, that his adversaries should be round about him: Jerusalem is as a menstruous woman among them.)

   And furthermore, we know from Bible prophecy that this era of the Gentiles will continue until Jesus Christ himself comes and destroys the last Gentile Emperor……the Antichrist. (Luke 21:24 And 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.) Daniel’s prophecy of the great image of gentile world powers foretells of the end of the Gentile Age. (Daniel 2:41-44 And whereas thou sawest the feet and toes, part of potters' clay, and part of iron, the kingdom shall be divided; but there shall be in it of the strength of the iron, forasmuch as thou sawest the iron mixed with miry clay. And as the toes of the feet were part of iron, and part of clay, so the kingdom shall be partly strong, and partly broken. And whereas thou sawest iron mixed with miry clay, they shall mingle themselves with the seed of men: but they shall not cleave one to another, even as iron is not mixed with clay.  And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever.) This prophecy specifies that Jesus (the stone) will smite the empire of the Antichrist and destroy it, ending the era of Gentile dominion over Jerusalem once and for all, setting up the Kingdom of our Lord, a kingdom that will never end, and which Jesus Christ will grant unto his Father after 1000 years. (I Corinthians 15:24 Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power. )


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Question # 318…..(06-19-07) There is a lot of discussion these days about Iran and the debate about its nuclear conflict with the UN. Do you think, from a prophetic standpoint, that the US is destined for a war with Iran?

 

Answer………. Iran is the 18th largest country in the world, and although most people don’t realize it, but is about as big as Western Europe geographically, with a population of over seventy million people, and is about 3 times larger than Iraq. Iran is important because it is located on the northern rim of the world’s oil export shipping lanes via the Persian Gulf. Iran ranks second in the world in natural gas reserves and third in oil reserves, and could become second by usurping power in Iraq or the Caspian Sea. Iran is in world news a lot these days because of its intense program to develop nuclear power. Whereas Iran (Persia) declared war on the West, and in particular the United States in 1979, most analysts believe that Iran desires a nuclear weapon solely for the purpose of waging Jihad against Israel (a nation it terms as little Satan) and the United States. (the nation it terms as being the great Satan) Iran has been caught between several political spheres of power since WWII. Prior to 1979, Iran was an ally of the US, but as a result of the Islamic Revolution under Ayatollah Khomeini, Iran began exporting its radical version of Islam and Jihad through numerous terrorist networks, and also turned to the Russian sphere for help in building its nuclear program. Russia has been only too willing to assist in the Iranian nuke program, as Russia is seeking to counter US geo-political dominance in the Middle East. By aiding the Iranian nuclear ploy, and stalling any US-led attempts to utilize the UN to check Iran’s nuclear program, Russia is in effect countering the US power sphere in the region by enabling a deterrent to the Israeli nuclear presence in the region. Many historians believe Russia instigated the 1967 and 1973 Arab wars against Israel in hopes of dissolving the US of its predominant position of power in the Middle East. The same Russian scenario could well be true today with regards to Iran and its Syrian client, and the vast network of terrorist operatives employed by Teheran and Damascus.

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Khameini

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Ahmadinejad

The current Iranian President, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, is a disciple of the Islamic Revolution and voices the ideals of his religious mentors (Supreme leader Khameini) that Israel should be "wiped off the map". He also claims that the Holocaust was a "myth" and that the Muslim world has been impeded upon by the West by placing the Jewish State in their region. The Shiite fundamentalist Ayatollah’s believe that Israel and the US will be destroyed by the Mahdi, which is a figure that roughly parallels a strange twist to the Antichrist of Bible prophecy. Iran and its leaders have equivocated that world peace can only come when Zionism is destroyed, and the Shiite strategy for destroying Israel includes a devastating attack on the US.

(FOJ) Iran sponsored a terrorist Jihadist conference in October of 2005 on its agenda to annihilate Israel. The Jihad calls for the destruction of the US. A world without Zionism is precisely the plan of the Great Red Dragon, mentioned in Revelation chapter 12.

 

Iran has been actively waging war (jihad) against the United States since 1979. Oddly enough, the US simply turned a blind eye to the asymmetrical terror war that Iran waged against it, until September 11, 2001. Only then did American’s finally begin to rationalize the threat emanating from Iran, and the sinister threat from weapons of mass destruction.

  While it seems likely that the United States and Iran (Persia) are headed towards military conflict, the event isn’t easily predicted in Bible Prophecy. The prophet Ezekiel outlined the specific part that Iran will play in the Last Days, and it involves an alliance with Magog, which is Russia. (Ezekiel 38:1-8 And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, Son of man, set thy face against Gog, the land of Magog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal, and prophesy against him, And say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I am against thee, O Gog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal: And I will turn thee back, and put hooks into thy jaws, and I will bring thee forth, and all thine army, horses and horsemen, all of them clothed with all sorts of armour, even a great company with bucklers and shields, all of them handling swords: Persia, Ethiopia, and Libya with them; all of them with shield and helmet: Gomer, and all his bands; the house of Togarmah of the north quarters, and all his bands: and many people with thee. Be thou prepared, and prepare for thyself, thou, and all thy company that are assembled unto thee, and be thou a guard unto them. After many days thou shalt be visited: in the latter years thou shalt come into the land that is brought back from the sword, and is gathered out of many people, against the mountains of Israel, which have been always waste: but it is brought forth out of the nations, and they shall dwell safely all of them.) And in fact, the Magog-Persian alliance has been materializing since the fall of the Soviet Union. It is a sinister geo-political alliance that involves Syria and other entities in an effort to destabilize the Middle East, and effectively expel the US from the region. Many eschatological analysts today are debating the timing of the Magog-Persia invasion against Israel, as it appears to be developing in the near term. However, it is the position of FOJ that the Ezekiel 38/39 prophecy relative to Iran is a post-rapture event, and therefore a Tribulation era event, which would seem to require that Iran escape or survive any conflict with the US beforehand. Furthermore, FOJ proposes that it is quite likely that the prophecies concerning the destruction of Damascus (Syria, which is aligned with both Iran and Russia) could occur before the Magog-Persian scenario against Israel. Ezekiel further reveals that the Persian Prince will unite with Magog for an evil assault upon Israel “after the covenant of peace emplaced by the Antichrist” has come into being. (Ezekiel 38:10-11 Thus saith the Lord GOD; It shall also come to pass, that at the same time shall things come into thy mind, and thou shalt think an evil thought: And thou shalt say, I will go up to the land of unwalled villages; I will go to them that are at rest, that dwell safely, all of them dwelling without walls, and having neither bars nor gates,)

   Although the US and the Bush Administration is taking war-posturing steps against Iran, these steps are principally relative to Iran’s development of nuclear weapons, and for no other reasons, such as Iran’s covert and constant agitation in the region through terrorism. Recently, the Bush administration opted to try the Globalist’s concept of a running dialogue with Iran about the Iraq problem. Therefore the US is not likely to strike Iran's nuclear facilities in the near term; but one thing should be noted, if the US and Iran engage militarily, the US will most certainly suffer extreme terror activity at home, rending the US a second tier power in the world. President George Bush has decided that barring a "catastrophic development," the United States would not attack Iran, because Iran's cooperation was needed for a withdrawal from Iraq. Still, the longer Iran is allowed to develop its terror/WMD strategy for an assault on Israel, the more likely it is that the US will suffer a catastrophic WMD attack on its homeland. Whatever proves to be the case with Iran, one thing is for absolute certainty, the era of Jacob’s Trouble is very near!


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Question # 317…..(05-02-07) Why does the Devil hate us so much? I know the Bible says that he is like a roaring lion, stalking about the world, seeking people to devour. What did “we” as human beings ever do to him to make him hate us so much?

 

Answer……The Devil, or Satan (sawtawn) is the great adversary of God and of man. Satan is the personal name of the one generally known as the devil, and he is the chief rebel (Lucifer) who instigated the war in Heaven against God. The infamous title "devil" appears 35 times in the Bible, and in every case it is preceded by the article "the," indicating a title rather than a name. The term comes from a Greek word that means "a false witness" or "malicious accuser." The devil is man's worst enemy, as the parable of the sewer of seeds depicted in Matthew 13 reveals in verse 39. (The enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels.) The Devil is an enemy of Christ, the Church, and the Gospel; and he is tireless in his efforts to uproot good and to sow evil. John 8:44 indicates that the Devil was a murderer from the beginning. The devil conspired to kill Jesus before His appointed time, finally succeeding only when Jesus submitted himself to the mission on the Cross. But the Devil hates human beings for these fundamental reasons:

 

  • We were created in God’s image, and therefore we are a reminder to him of God, and His providential plans for the regenerated of the human race.

 

(Genesis 1:27-28 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.)

 

  • God loves us, and has future plans for us, therefore Satan especially hates those of the human race that have accepted God’s grace and His plans. Satan presently enjoys a position as “the god of this fallen world,” (II Cor. 2:4) and views us as unwanted aliens and troublesome combatants in the spiritual warfare that is ongoing in this present world. Satan hates all people, (saved and unsaved alike) and his desire is to retain, ensnare or deceive everyone into continued enlistment into his cosmic conspiracy against God. Satan recruited 1/3 of the hosts of Heaven into his conspiracy, and through the, “Fall of Mankind,” Satan has craftily joined mankind into his rebellion, and wants to keep us in subjection to him.

 

I John 4:10 Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. :19 We love him, because he first loved us.

 

  • God hath providentially planned to grant us to reign with him as Kings and Priests, here on this earth. The Devil claims this planet as his, because he wrestled mans granted dominion away from him. The Devil also intends to destroy the witness of Jesus Christ, and to plant himself on an earthly throne, and in so doing to ascend the heights of the mount of God.

 

(Revelation 5:10 And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth. Isaiah 14:13-14 For thou (Devil) hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High.)

 

  • God has given us the ultimate authority to judge the fallen angels. In the Kingdom of our Lord, the Saints will judge their accusers and attackers. The future Kingdom will not be in subjection under the Angels, but rather, the angels will be our servants.


I Corinthians 6:2-3 Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world? and if the world shall be judged by you, are ye unworthy to judge the smallest matters? Know ye not that we shall judge angels? how much more things that pertain to this life?

 

  • God made Jesus Christ to be manifested into the human race, our being a species made in the image of God, but designed a little lower than the angels in the beginning, but someday when god has perfected mankind, He will exalt his righteous children above the Angels, and consign the Devil and his angels to the Lake of Fire. (Revelation chapter 20) Obviously the Devil is aware of this prophecy, and of God’s special relationship with His children!

 

Hebrews 2:5-9 For unto the angels hath he not put in subjection the world to come, whereof we speak. But one in a certain place testified, saying, What is man, that thou art mindful of him? or the son of man, that thou visitest him? Thou madest him a little lower than the angels; thou crownedst him with glory and honor, and didst set him over the works of thy hands: Thou hast put all things in subjection under his feet. For in that he put all in subjection under him, he left nothing that is not put under him. But now we see not yet all things put under him. But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honor; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man.


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Question # 316…..(04-20-07) Why didn't I have a say in my coming-into-existence? From the time when we can comprehend for ourselves we have choices. We can choose to accept Christ or we can choose to reject Him. We can choose to be good or we can choose to be bad. And so on.....Jesus may have died for my sin; yet my sin was passed down to me from Adam and Eve because of the seduction of that deceiver and vain whore Cherubim. Yet I did not choose to be here! On that Great Day of Judgment I will see Him; The hand marks; the side wound; the scars on his face and body, Resurrected. And in multi dimensional form I might add! And yet I am still sad. I tell myself at least once a week that if God gave me the choice to not exist at all, I would take it. I pray that He will write me out of time as If I never was; So to not effect those I have intimate relationships with (Family mainly) I continue. I do not want this! I have no more energy for Satan trying me in court like Job and asking for more tests to prove I will (And Have) curse God. I thought through my studying of the word (W/ commentaries from H.A. Ironside, Walter Martin, Chuck Missler and Chuck Smith to name a few for reference) that I could understand why I had no choice to be here? It was for His good pleasure? That is not a good enough excuse for me anymore. At times I look at my life and I see I have more than most. Yet at the same time I realize that not all of them wasted their time and life took its toll, but some did. I seem to see all the crooks have better resources than us and I am continuing to fail. Have I made most of our past faults right? Yes, and yet the dark host get bigger. I am beat. I hate Lucifer! I pray the Lord will write me out of existence and destroy my soul and be done with this. I have no purpose. God has a plan alright, but we just have no idea what He is doing. I want quit this existence. So what that I can literally see the rise of the EU and the reposition of the American based weapons development firm moving to the Middle-east. Babylon, the whore that refuses to go away, is rising again. Why should I go on? How do I survive this? I do not wish to exist. I do not wish to wake up ever again; in human or Heavenly bodies. Definitely not hell unless I get to whip Lucifer’s ass for all eternity. Coward! Please give me a discourse on your analysis of what I have said. I know we were chosen from the beginning (some say). But did we choose this? And is there any Biblical support of your thesis? Thank you for your time!

 

Answer….. I feel sorry for you, for you have bought into the Devil’s philosophy. The very one whose ass you want to kick, has “You” fooled. While it is a certainty that you had no say in your "coming into existence," since this alone is God's domain, the very fact that you are not satisfied with God's purpose and plan for mankind shows great disrespect for the Creator. God created every man for a purpose and is now trying to redeem fallen man for the Kingdom, and that of "having dominion" over the earth, a goal that will be met in the Messianic Era. And for those whom God has brought into existence and who have placed their faith in Christ shall be adopted as firstborn sons and daughters to receive the inheritance along with Christ, i.e., to be co-heirs and co-rule with Him during the coming kingdom. All who accept God’s grace will have their tears wiped away while all is made new and will live with God throughout eternity. So, we all have to keep a perspective on eternity, for it is only in that realm that things can be viewed in a total light and with a perfect understanding. If you cannot see the bright future God has planned for His children who honor Him, then you apparently have not been very successful in your study of God's Word. (Revelation 4:11 Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.)  If living for God's "good pleasure" isn't good enough for you, “while he presently reaches out to others,” then you appear to be one very ungrateful spoiled child of God, or even more seriously, not a child of God at all. Even though you had no choice in being physically born into this present world, you are availed a choice in being "born spiritually again," to live in a better place. For that opportunity alone you should be most grateful, as it demonstrated the love of God for You. Your alternative is to be totally subjective and enslaved to the very one you purport to hate…Satan. As for your desire that God should "write you out of existence," this greatly dishonors your Creator and his desire to fellowship with you. You remark that God has no purpose, which again only reveals your ignorance of God's Word, and His eternal plans. You say "we just have no idea what He [God] is doing," which only confirms your own ignorance.

No, you did not choose to be made. In reality though, unless you have accepted Christ, and been invested with his Spirit, then you are only physically alive, (spiritually dead) and have no sense of the “abundance of life” that God gives. If you could have prevented your own creation, then You could have made yourself equal with the Creator. And maybe that is what you really want. Satan wants the same thing, and therefore, the one you say you hate is the architect of the philosophy you espouse. Maybe you should consider the fact that Satan came to have the same disregard for himself, and so is seeking the destruction of all mankind, so that they can never enjoy the relationship of the Creator. For your information, God is building a Kingdom to give unto his children, a place of absolute perfection, and where no defiling and detestable thing can ever enter. It is a glorious paradise that you seem only too willing to miss out on, because you are obsessed with this present world and its abasement. God is preparing a new place for those who accept his plan of redemption. (John 14)  (Luke 12:30-32 For all these things do the nations of the world seek after: and your Father knoweth that ye have need of these things. But rather seek ye the kingdom of God; and all these things shall be added unto you. Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom.) Apparently, you are letting the Devil and his philosophy rob you of any chance of enjoying the kind of live you pretend to aspire to. You are blaming God, your own Creator for the fallen condition of this present world, and not being wise to the devices of Satan, who has caused the present chaos in the creation.

   (Revelation 20:10 And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.)

   The Devil is going to get a whipping real soon, and that is one reason for studying Bible Prophecy. Satan hates prophecy, because it reveals that Jesus Christ is going to destroy him. So, in reality, you did not waste my time with your question. All the questions received by me only serve to make me dig deeper into Gods truth, as yours did also. I thank you for the opportunity to “think along the topical line” that your question posed. I urge you to devour God’s truth, and also to pray for guidance of the Holy Spirit in understanding it and comprehending God’s providential plan for the Ages. You know, without God, the Devil would win every time, because none of us are a match for the Devil. But thanks to God, (our Creator) Satan is going to get a whipping for all the evil he has fostered upon mankind. In the meantime, I look forward to the promise of seeing my Creator, and all that he has prepared for me. Won’t you join us? (I Corinthians 2:9 But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.)


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Question # 315…..(04-13-07) What is your opinion about the rebuilding of the city of Babylon in Iraq? Many reputable prophecy scholars have indicated that Jeremiah and Revelation predict that Babylon must be rebuilt because it was never destroyed literally in the fashion the Bible says that it will be. It seems that Saddam Hussein had begun a construction project to restore the city, and that the UN may have since undertaken to rebuild it after the US-led invasion. Some scholars are speculating that the American drive into Iraq may eventually lend itself to the rise of Babylon. I just wondered what you thought about this.

 

Answer….. Babylon was founded by the first world dictator, Nimrod, who orchestrated the first World Order, and the first attempt at a world government. The Babylonian mantra is recorded in Genesis chapter eleven. The ancient strategy at world government was to build a city whereby the world could be diverse, but “One” through a unity of religions. (verse six) I have read, reviewed and studied all of the popular and worthy accounts (many times over) pertaining to Babylon someday being rebuilt, and especially with respect to the recent construction of a tourist-historical attraction on the old site by the river Euphrates. While it is true that a modest tourist and shopping venue is anticipated at the old site, it is a far cry from the multi-faceted world dominating city referred to as “Babylon the Great” in the Last Days. I deeply respect Chuck Missler, Tim Lehaye, and the many proponents of the rebuilt Babylon theory. But I remain strongly resistant to the literal rebuilding theory of such a city on the modern Iraq frontier. I believe that the Babylon-the-Great that shall be destroyed in the scope mentioned by the prophets and The Revelation will be the culmination of the destruction of the Babel geo-political-religious ideology, (aka. Alexander Hislop’s The Two Babylon’s) and not limited to the mere literal banks of a legendary city on the Euphrates domain. If Babylon in Iraq is indeed to rise to dominate the world‘s commerce, economy, industry, religion, and government, then, that would indicate that we are not in the Last Days, and probably not even very close, for it would take a considerable amount of time for a world class city to be built in Iraq that can also rise to override every other city in the world as the leading city of a New Global Order. With every other single sign of the Last Days already pointing towards a soon culmination of Bible Prophecy, then the ancient Iraq-Babylon city location must rise quicker than a Saturn rocket into the sky. Yet, in fact, the very opposite is happening, and I further propose that the “drying of the Euphrates” implies that a projected Babylon world capital would act oppositely as an tremendous impediment to the prophesied advance of the Eastern Kings that are already colluding with Russia and Persia. (Rev. 16:12) The “drying up of the Euphrates” (xeraino) refers to a desiccating or emptying of spirits that are then sent forth to the kings of the whole world. My honest assessment of the Babylon total destruction prophecy is that it is “partially fulfilled” in the past, and as such ancient Babylon’s demise pre-figuratively foreshadows its literal fulfillment when Jesus comes to destroy Satan’s seat, which He will have juxtaposed upon Jerusalem. Therefore, I would still hold that the “Babylon of Revelation” is the capital of the Antichrist, but located westward, (not in Iraq) and will indeed meet the fate described in Jeremiah, when Jesus comes to annihilate the “city of man”, and the throne of Satan. I also propose that if the US withdraws from Iraq as the American Socialists Democrats are currently advising, then the prospect for a “risen Iraqi-Babylon” is reduced even further if it is projected that the eventual Antichrist will emerge in the Western arena. (Rome) If it turns out that America loses or retreats from the war in Iraq, then the current Pax Americana that sustains the present world order would decay, and a New World Order will have to emerge, and I firmly believe the Bible tends to indicate that the next one will become the geo-political base of the Empire of the Antichrist and His religious/world capital. Honestly, I don’t foresee that the Empire of the Antichrist could be built upon the geo-political structure of a dominating Magog-Eastern Kings-Persia alliance that controls Iraq, because they are prophesied to come against the Antichrist after he exalts himself in Jerusalem. (Daniel 11:40-44) A rebuilt Babylon under this scenario would serve once again as a Persian sub-capital, (as it did under the Medes and Persians) and I do not foresee that the Antichrist will dominate the forces of the Magog alliance, since they would be Tribulation era opponents of the Antichrist. Also, the Revelation judgment against Babylon is tied into “religious harlotry” and its fornication with the “Kings of the earth.” This judgment stems from the old Babel philosophy that still overrides World political and religious practice today…Let Us Be One (Global Governance) Revelation says, that God “recalled, or brought back into his memory” this ancient “mystery” (that still dominates mans political and religious experimentation at governance today), and brought it to its end at the same time he ends all rebellion. (Revelation 16:19 And the great city was divided into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell: and great Babylon came in remembrance before God, to give unto her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of his wrath.) Further, this verse refers to 2 “great cities,” one being the one divided into 3 parts, and the other being the OLD System that dominates world political and religious thought and characterized as Babylon. I think we have a view of the battle waged between the prophesied “City of God” vs. the man dreamed and fostered, “City of Satan.”

    The debate about the rebuilding of Babylon is one of the most complex topics in all of Bible Prophecy. I cannot lay claim to a perfect comprehension and understanding of this subject matter, but one thing is for sure, the time for all the prophecies written in God’s word is at hand.


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Question #314…….(04-09-07) Why do you always, when you present a picture of Jerusalem, show the terrible sight of the Mosque with the golden dome. It is a gruesome sight to have to see.

 

Answer…. I know it is a very disturbing thing for a Christian ministry that we show the Dome of the Rock as it sits so prominently atop the Temple Mount. It is in actuality an abomination, however it is unfortunately the present reality, and testifies to the fact that Jerusalem needs cleansing. FOJ does not mean to convey any insult or degradation to anyone by showing the Dome on the website. It is only shown because it is the most dominant structure on Mt. Moriah, and is the most widely recognized feature in today’s world that suggests immediately that the site shown is Old Jerusalem. As Jesus indicated in one of his last prophecies, Jerusalem would suffer humiliation and be trodden down of Gentile powers until He returns to restore the kingdom to Israel. The city of Jerusalem and the Temple Mount is still yet to see a further abomination take place in the Last Days. The Antichrist will utilize the Temple Mount complex to present himself before the world as a god. (Matthew 24:15 When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:) (II Thessalonians 2:3-4 Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.) For Christians or for Jews, there is no need in despairing too much over the fact that the Muslim Dome of the Rock presently dominates the skyline of the Temple Mount. Yet, the Lord will cleanse the land and the city when he returns. Two thousand years ago, Jesus declared to the Israelites that their beloved Temple and Jerusalem would become a place of desolation because they did not recognize the “time of their visitation.” (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.) History has verified Jesus words, and the abominations on the Mount continue to symbolize that reality.


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Question # 313……(02-25-07) Considering the prophecy of Ezekiel 39:27-29, what effect would the specific condition of “not leaving any behind” have on the projections that we might be in the Last Days. Ezekiel 39:28 says that GOD will re-gather the Jews back to their own land not leaving any behind. If only 37% of the worlds Jews currently live in Israel, it seems that we may still be several decades away from the Latter Days. The Jews have been re-gathering ever since the late 1800s and especially in 1917 and 1948. They are still re-gathering to this day.  But if what Ezekiel 39:28 is saying, and it is true that ALL the Jews must be re-gathered, not leaving any behind then we might be looking at many more years before the Tribulation.  

 

Answer……World population statistics show that there are approximately 14,000,000 Jews living around the world today. About 41% of that number or around 5,700,000 reportedly lived in Israel as of 2005. However, a recent Israeli demographics study revealed that Israel now has the largest number of Jews, outnumbering the total Jewish population in the United States for the first time. The US has seen a steady decline from over 6,200,000 to just under the 5.7 million now living in Israel. Also, Jews making Aliyah from America to Israel is continuing at an increasing rate, and is likely to continue in the future. Over 80% of the world’s Jewish population now resides in Israel and the US collectively, as Jewish population in other countries around the world has decreased steadily for decades. Russia, for instance has seen over 1,000,000 Jews leave for Israel since 1989, partially fulfilling the prophecies of Isaiah and Jeremiah. (Isaiah 43:6 I will say to the north, Give up; and to the south, Keep not back: bring my sons from far, and my daughters from the ends of the earth;) (Jeremiah 31:8 Behold, I will bring them from the north country, (Russia) and gather them from the coasts of the earth, (America?) and with them the blind and the lame, the woman with child and her that travaileth with child together: a great company shall return thither.) These same prophecies hint that America (coastlands) will soon see an exodus of its Jewish population as well. The prophet Jeremiah alluded to the fact that God would first send, “fishers,” (bait) and then secondly “hunters” (snares/persecution) to compel the Jews to make Aliyah back to the Promised Land. (see Jeremiah 6:16) These typology phases of the re-gathering of the remnant have been ongoing since the late 1800’s, via the Holocaust (a hunter) and through enticements. (Aliyah)

(Note: Is it not revealing that the 2 nations with the largest Jewish populations today are the very 2 nations that Satan has inspired other nations to chant Death slogans to? And does this fact not reflect the portent of the coming agenda of the Great Red Dragon of Revelation chapter 12?)

 

Countries with Largest Jewish Populations

Rank

Country

Jews

% of World Jewish Population

1

 United States

5,680,000

40.5%

2

 Israel

5,737,600

40.6%

3

 France

494,000

3.8%

4

 Canada

372,000

2.9%

5

 United Kingdom

297,000

2.3%

6

 Russia

235,000

1.8%

 

   Regardless of the logistics and meanings of the present world Jewish demographics, God will indeed undertake to complete the re-gathering of the remnant of Israel, as indicated by the verse you specified. (Ezekiel 39:27-29  When I have brought them back from the nations and have gathered them from the countries of their enemies, I will show myself holy through them in the sight of many nations. Then they will know that I am the Lord their God, for though I sent them into exile among the nations, I will gather them to their own land, not leaving any behind.  I will no longer hide my face from them, for I will pour out my Spirit on the house of Israel, declares the Sovereign Lord.”)

   This prophecy deals specifically with the Tribulation era, and indicates that God will utilize the “time of Jacob’s trouble” to draw out the remaining Jews from the east, south, north, and the west, back to Israel. This prophetic detail seems to indicate that something drastic will happen in America, (either an economic collapse, or a devastating attack) to cause Jews to leave the US. In the final analysis, the Tribulation period will highlight the “hunted phase” that will drive Jews back to the only place that will receive them, Israel. Indeed, the Antichrist will be the most noted “Hunter” (persecutor) of Jews that has ever existed. Therefore, the fact that all the Jews are not back in the land today does not mean that we are not in the Last Days, nor does it infer that there must be many more years before the Tribulation. Moreover, Ezekiel’s prophecy shows the urgency of the phased re-gathering in our times by including this particular statement (not leaving any behind) in parallel with the Armageddon scenario.


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Question # 312…..(02-16-07) I had thought that the “Times of the Gentiles” were fulfilled in 1967. I just noticed in your articles that you said the times of the Gentiles are still running their course. Why would this be the case when Israel has taken Jerusalem?

 

imageAnswer…….While it is true that Israel captured the old city of Jerusalem and the Temple Mount of Jerusalem in 1967 from the Jordanians, General Moshe Dayan, then the IDF commander stopped his forces from occupying the Temple Mount, as he considered that it would be too politically sensitive. As a result, Israel allowed the Islamic Waqf authorities to continue in effect to exercise sovereign control of the plaza area on the Mount. Israeli police do patrol the area today, but they simply enforce the status quo that has been agreed to by the Israeli government and the Palestinian Waqf authorities. By conceding the Mount to the Waqf, Israel in effect has demonstrated their lack of faith in God, and has submitted to the Gentile pressures from this world to adhere to pre-existing resolutions for the mount. The UN and the Vatican had mandated that the Mount should be withheld from the absolute sovereignty of any nation, especially Israel, back in 1947, when Israel was allowed statehood. UN Resolution 191 stipulates that the Old City of Jerusalem should be an international zone. Until 1967, Jordan had exercised control of the mount, and after they lost the 67 war, they consented to relinquish their authority to the Palestinians, rather than to Israel, and this is the present status quo. Yasser Arafat's uncle was the Waqf chief in the 40's and 50's, and that title fell to Ikrima Sabri after 1967. The Arab League has recognized the Palestinian Waqf as the rightful sovereign on the Mount, and this is supported by Mecca and the House of Saud, for the time being. Iran, of course objects to the present status, and prefers to eliminate Israel altogether from Jerusalem. Israel has annexed many parts of Eastern Jerusalem, and has passed a law making Jerusalem the eternal and indivisable capitol of Israel, but, this is just window dressing, as Israel has steadfastly capitulated into Western/UN/Vatican and Arab pressures to not interfere with the Temple Mount status quo. You may recall that in the year 2000, Ariel Sharon ascended the Mount, and a riot erupted. Mr. Sharon went up on the Mount as a political gimmick to demonstrate to the Israeli populace the reality that Israel was denied access and sovereignty over its most precious spot. Israeli’s continue to humbly visit the Western Wall plaza for their prayers, but they are prevented from praying on top of the Mount.


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 The 2000 Clinton final status meetings at Camp David collapsed over the issue as to just who is the rightful sovereign over the Mount? One thing is clear though, both then and today, the world is adamant that Israel should never be granted sovereignty over the Mount, and so, the "times of Gentile' domination over the Mount, and Old Jerusalem continues, and as Bible prophecy indicates, the world will soon see another Gentile ruler, the Antichrist, sitting on the Mount showing himself as the full sovereign authority! The Prophet Daniel indicated that the “Times of the Gentiles” would prevail over Jerusalem until Israel’s Messiah returns and destroys the last Gentile kingdom. The inference in this prophecy maintains that Israel will never exercise sovereignty over the Temple Mount until Jesus establishes the kingdom for Israel. (Daniel 2:44 And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever.) (Luke 21:24 And they {Israel} 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.)


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Israeli soldiers celebrate the liberation of the Temple Mount in 1967, but the celebration was short-lived, as geo-political pressures forced Israel to back down the Mount, and to settle for visitations to the Wailing Wall. The “Times of the Gentiles” could easily have ended on that day in June 1967, but unfortunately, Israel continues to struggle in spiritual blindness, and therefore the Times of the Gentiles still dominates their horizon.


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Question # 311…..(02-09-07) Greetings, I was wondering if you could point me in the right direction. In reading Revelation 19:7, John says “and the wife hath made herself ready.”   I’m wondering if there were any specific traditions pertaining to how the ancient Jewish bride “readied” herself; and, if there are any parallels to these traditions and the church today. Thanks for considering this question.

 

Answer…..The festivities that surround a traditional Jewish wedding are famous for being some of the most colorful in the world, and for their symbolism. Anyone attending a Jewish wedding for the first time will be struck by the many symbolic customs and traditions involved. These customs vary somewhat according to the degree of orthodoxy. The Reform and Liberal movements are usually far less traditional in their approach than the orthodox. Most Jewish weddings were arranged by one or both sets parents. After a marriage arrangement was completed, a betrothal process was entered into by both parties, and provided a time for each partner to begin preparations for their lives together. It was during this period of time that the Bride “made herself ready” for the marriage.  The betrothal was celebrated by a feast. In some instances, it was customary for the bridegroom to place a ring, a token of love and fidelity, on the bride's finger. In Hebrew custom, betrothal was actually part of the marriage process. A change of intention by one of the partners after he or she was betrothed was a serious matter, subject in some instances to penalty by fine. The most important example of a betrothal in the Bible is the one between Joseph and Mary (Matt. 1:18-19). A Jewish betrothal could be dissolved only by the man's giving the woman a certificate of divorce. A betrothal usually lasted for one year. During that betrothal year, the couple were literally known as husband and wife, although they did not have the right to be united sexually, but rather, it was a time that was set aside to demonstrate personal responsibilities that indicated whether the parties were spiritually mated. The actual marriage took place only when the bridegroom took the bride to his home and the marriage was consummated in the sexual union. During the betrothal period, most brides gathered or prepared all of their attire and ensemble for the wedding day. On her wedding day, the bride bathed and put on exquisite white robes, which were often richly embroidered. She put her bridal girdle around her waist, covered her face with a veil, and adorned her head with a garland. The custom of veiling the bride (badecken) is traditionally explained by the reference to Rebecca in Genesis (24:65) "Rebecca took her veil and covered herself" upon her first meeting with Isaac. Popular legend attributes the badecken to the Biblical story of Jacob and his wives. After working seven years for permission to marry Rachel, Jacob was tricked on his wedding day into marrying Leah. (Genesis 29:25).

   The bride’s commitment of “making herself ready” involved planning and making all of her garments, which were elaborately designed to highlight her chasteness and purity, as well as to accentuate her physical beauty. The verse that you alluded to in your question continues on to describe how a bride was considered worthy to be arrayed in her marriage garments. The fine white linen is symbolic of purity and righteousness. (Revelation 19:7-9 Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honor to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready. And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints. And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, these are the true sayings of God. ) It is little wonder then that the proverbs sing the praises of a virtuous woman, for she is considered to be a crown unto her husband and her value far above that of rubies. (Proverbs 12:4, 31:10) These analogies lend themselves to the value that our Lord Jesus places upon his Bride.

   Traditionally called the Kiddushin, the Jewish wedding ceremony is filled with meaningful customs that the bride and groom underwent to express the significance and purpose of marriage:

Ketubah (ketuvah)- The marriage contract specifies the bride and groom’s commitment to each other. The ketubah is usually signed in a ceremony before the wedding service.

imageChuppah (chupah)- The chuppah is a canopy, usually a decorated piece of cloth, that symbolizes the home the bride and groom will build together. The chuppah is open on all sides, also symbolizing that friends and family are always welcome in the newlywed’s home.
Sheva B’rachot (sheva brachos)-
 The seven blessings is a series of blessings that is chanted by the Cantor or Rabbi. In Judaism, seven is seen as the mystical number of creation and completion. These blessings thank God for the beauty of the moment and the splendor of life.

Ring Ceremony- Typically of flawless gold, the wedding ring represents the unending love and eternal joy a marriage will bring. It is customary to place the ring on the index finger during the exchange.

Wrapping in the Tallit-  During the final benediction the couple is wrapped in two tallitot (prayer shawls) around their shoulders. This wrapping symbolizes the private Jewish life the bride and groom will have together.

Breaking of the Glass- The wedding ceremony is usually concluded with the groom breaking a glass under his foot. Traditionally, this custom is a reminder of the destruction of the first Temple and the anguish of the Jewish people throughout history. It is also a reminder that relationships are as fragile as glass and must always be treated with care, love and respect.

   The prophet Isaiah used the analogy of the custom in which bride made herself ready when he described Jerusalem when the Lord returns.

(Isaiah 52:1 Awake, awake; put on thy strength, O Zion; put on thy beautiful garments, O Jerusalem, the holy city: for henceforth there shall no more come into thee the uncircumcised and the unclean. Isaiah 61:10  I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels.) Isaiah conveys in verse 5 of chapter 62 that God himself is jealous over Israel, even as a young man that joys in his virgin bride, and that He will someday rejoice in her restitution. (Isaiah 62:5 For as a young man marrieth a virgin, so shall thy sons marry thee: and as the bridegroom rejoiceth over the bride, so shall thy God rejoice over thee.)


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