End Times

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Eye on the End Times – September Signs

 

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GF Herrin

A lot has already been written in regard to possible signs appearing in the skies in September of this year.

As Christians  we are called to be ready for the Lord’s return.  From an early age as a Christian I have watched expectantly for the Rapture and the Messiah, Jesus’ Coming.  In my teens, I was heavily influenced by Hal Lindsay’s writings.  Clearly, we are called to be watchmen and to long for His appearance.

The Lord Jesus said, “It will be good for those servants whose master finds them watching when he comes. Truly I tell you, he will dress himself to serve, will have them recline at the table and will come and wait on them” (Luke 12:37).

We may not know what the signs of September 23rd (Rosh Hashanah, the Feast of Trumpets) may portend.  Could it be the Rapture, the beginning of the 7 year Tribulation, or a coming war involving Israel? Or nothing at all? It is all speculative at this point.  But just as the Magi (Matt. 2:1-12), Simeon (Luke 2:25-32), and Anna (Luke 2:36-38) had information pointing to the Messiah’s first coming, it is reasonable to believe that there is information that we believers today may have to alert us to His soon return.

So, when I heard about the possible new way of looking at Revelation chapter 12, I was fascinated and excited.  There are various references that Christian brethren have on the internet that point to the signs in September as being a possible astronomical fulfillment of Revelation 12.

 

So, I would advise you to be discerning in pondering the meaning of these observations that many brethren have made. We are not to use stars, planets, the moon or sun to plan our day to day lives (that is Astrology). However, the Word does say that feasts (such as Rosh Hashanah and Passover) and signs in the heavens are indicators of Christ’s coming.  Please ask the Lord what these signs in the heavens mean and how you should prioritize your work for Him accordingly.

 

Revelation 12 Signs in the Heaven

https://youtu.be/dWnNI5Nv4EM

 

Discover Ministries

“It would behoove the church to wake up! The bridegroom is coming soon!”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XA6JcY-ikec

 

 

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September – By GF Herrin

September

Our hearts were ringing
In the key that our souls were singing.
As we danced in the night,
Remember how the stars stole the night away

Ba de ya – say do you remember
Ba de ya – dancing in September
Ba de ya – never was a cloudy day

(song lyrics by Earth, Wind, and Fire)

 

There is an amazing correlation of events coming together in the timeframe of September of this year. Pick any variety of events that could possibly occur, and there are theories out there. But most importantly, there are “signs in the moon, sun, and stars” (Luke 21:25) that coincidently are occurring on feast days this September.   What does the Bible say about the sun, moon, and stars? Genesis says, “let them be for signs and seasons, and for days and years” (Gen. 1:14). What does the Bible say about the biblical feasts? Leviticus 23:2 says, “Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them: ‘The feasts of the Lord, which you shall proclaim to be holy convocations, these are My feasts.”

For Bible readers, you must surely know that Jesus fulfilled the first four biblical feasts of the year perfectly already. In 32 AD, on Passover, Jesus, the Lamb of God was slain for the forgiveness of sins. Concurrent with that feast is the Feast of Unleavened Bread, during which the Messiah was laid in the tomb, dead. On that following Sunday, the Feast of First Fruits, Christ rose from the Dead, a type of first fruits of every born again Believer who will be resurrected to an immortal life to be lived in the presence of God Almighty. On the Feast of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit came upon the early Believers, who were suddenly anointed with God’s Sprit and spoke the Gospel in tongues to people at the Temple.

So, yet to be fulfilled are the three remaining Feasts:

Rosh Hashanah, (The Feast of Trumpets)

Yom Kippur (The Day of Atonement)

Sukkot (The Feast of Tabernacles)

Lunar Tetrad– The fourth in a series of four lunar or blood moon eclipses that have all occurred on biblical Feast days, will take place on September 28th, the Feast of Tabernacles. This feast is generally believed to be a typology of God (Jesus) living with His creation, us. Prior to this occurrence, on September 13th, Rosh Hashanah, (the Feast of Trumpets), there will be a solar eclipse.

The books of Joel and Revelation contain prophecies that speak of a blood moon and a blackened sun that will take place just before the “day of the Lord” (the End Times).

“The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the coming of the great and awesome day of the Lord” (Joel 2:31).

“I looked when He opened the sixth seal, and behold, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became like blood” (Rev. 6:12).

The Shemita – A recent book by Jonathan Cahn (author of The Harbinger) recounts financial (and other) disasters that have taken place in the United States around the time of the completion of the Sabattical year cycle during the years: 1987, 1994, 2001, and 2008 (among others). The Shemita is the year that the people of Israel were commanded to observe every seven years so that the land would regenerate itself and continue to be fruitful.   The Israelites were commanded to let the land lay fallow in the seventh year and to forgive debts that were owed to them.    “Six years you shall sow your land and gather in its produce, but the seventh year you shall let it rest and lie fallow, that the poor of your people may eat; and what they leave, the beasts of the field may eat. In like manner you shall do with your vineyard and your olive grove” (Lev. 23:10-11).

In addition, Israel was commanded to forgive debts and release servants from their debits every seven years. “At the end of every seven years you shall grant a release of debts. And this is the form of the release: Every creditor who has lent anything to his neighbor shall release it; he shall not require it of his neighbor or his brother, because it is called the Lord’s release” (Deut. 15:1-2). September 2015 comes at the end of the Shemita cycle.   Could the U.S., the country that has the largest Jewish population in the world, fall under the same covenant requirements as the nation of Israel? The theory is that the U.S. will fall victim to either a financial collapse or a natural disaster in September since the recent trend has been for great calamity to take place during this timeframe.

A pope speaking on Global chaos – Back on May 14th, 2014, the foreign minister of France, Laurent Fabius, made a statement at a press conference with U.S. Secretary of State, John Kerry that startled many and that seemed very out of place. The foreign minister stated that we have 500 days to avoid “Climate Chaos”. Fast forward to exactly 500 days from when that statement was made to September 24th, which just happens the day after the feast day of Yom Kippur. This day also happens to be the day when Pope Francis comes to the United States to speak to the UN and the U.S. Congress regarding a subject that has suddenly become important to the Roman Catholic Church in the last year: Global climate change. Why would he speak before congress regarding something so nebulous and off topic from the mission of any (although the RCC is hardly biblical in its official doctrine) church? Supposedly, it is to plead the case of millions around the world who suffer from poverty today. But, one must ask the question, what is the pope up to? Is Pope Francis the false prophet prophesied of in Revelation 12 and 16 who will perform great signs? Chapter 17 of Revelation clearly identifies the harlot or false religion to come as being located in the city that sits on seven hills. Rome is a city that is well known to sit on 7 hills or mountains. So, it makes sense to understand from that Roman Catholicism, which has a hold on untold millions across the world will become the predominant one world religion, Babylon, that controls many peoples until it is removed.

Asteroid and comet predictions – In April or May, Lyn Leahz, a Christian author, made a YouTube video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A4c0NS4jLNA

in which she said that she had been told by a retired military friend connected to resources within the space industry or some similar area that a 2.5 mile wide comet was on a course to strike earth in September. Supposedly, the impact date would be right around the 15th to 28th timeframe. The fact that she urges the viewers to pray about this message leads one to believe she is sincere.

Jade Helm – is an apparent military exercise involves United States Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) with other U.S Armed Forces units in multiple states, including Arizona, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Mexico and Utah, and Texas. The exercise began on July 15th and is scheduled to conclude on September 15th. Troops engaging in the exercise will assume the roles of either occupying or resistance forces. Most locations are in sparsely populated arid regions near small towns. Some participants will wear civilian attire and drive civilian vehicles. The belief of some is that it is a rehearsal for disaster recovery in case a catastrophy hits the U.S. (some of this information was gathered from Wikipedia).

UN to establish a Palestinian State? – Reports say that the “UN Security Council is likely to be voting on a UN resolution which will establish a Palestinian state.” The resolution would include a forcing of Israel to go back to their pre-1967 borders that were in place before the six day war. http://www.infowars.com/something-else-coming-in-september-a-un-resolution-establishing-a-palestinian-state/

Earthquakes coming? – There have been some reports in the last two months that scientists expect an earthquake to occur in the western U.S. soon.    http://www.weather.com/science/nature/news/earthquake-pacific-northwest-big-one-cascadia

Also, records show that of the 40 strongest earthquakes ever recorded, 11 have occurred since 2000. http://www.world-earthquakes.com/index.php?option=sta

 

America, the Deplorable? – Judgment coming soon? Same Sex marriage is now legal and Planned Parenthood sells the bodies of aborted babies for profit, tainting the millions of tax payer dollars that it misuses each year to kill the unborn. The American porn industry rakes in $11 billion annually on pornography each year. Americans spend $83 billion per year on beer alone (according to the Washington Examiner, 2014). 4 out of 10 children are born to unwed mothers per year. America, the Beautiful, is clearly in many ways an abominable and immoral people now. If the rapture were to occur today, it is clear that the United States, would incur God’s wrath in the Great Tribulation. Judgment is long overdue for a land that brags about being blessed by God, yet fails to bless Him.

A New way of understanding the 70 weeks?  The traditional way of understanding the Daniel 9:24 – 27 prophecy of the 70 weeks (one week = 7 years) is to place the beginning of the first 7 weeks (49 years spent rebuilding Jerusalem) in 445 BC (Neh. 2:1, when the decree to rebuild was given) + 62 weeks (434 years) when Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a donkey as King in 32 AD, with the last remaining week a future event of the 7 year Tribulation.

(See my 6 part article on Dan. 9:24-27 beginning here: http://lamp-light.com/?p=92)

However, in recent years it has come to light that there could potentially be another way of interpreting the timing of the first 69 weeks. Isaac Newton apparently wrote about this, as have others who have recently revealed that another period of 483 years (49 years + 434 years) may also be concluding in September of this year. From an article on the web from brother Randy who posts frequently on Fivedoves.com (http://www.fivedoves.com/letters/june2015/randy628-2.htm) : “the walls of Jerusalem were being REBUILT once again during the period of 1535-1542 AD….and specifically that the Lions Gate was being rebuilt in 1538-1539 AD. AND……the date of Aug 20, 1539 points forward with 62 weeks of years EXACTLY to June 7, 1967 and THEN the 7 weeks of years point forward EXACTLY to Sept 23, 2015, (which is the Feast day of Yom Kippur)……a time when we were ALREADY WATCHING based on Jonathon Cahn’s analysis pointing to Sept 13 and Mark Biltz LAST Blood Moon on Sept 28.

So……Sept 13 >>>> Sept 23>>>> Sept 28.

Rosh Hashanah>>>>Yom Kippur>>>>>Tabernacles. ALL 3 of the FALL Feasts of the Jews !!!!!!!!!!!”

 

One pre-condition to the events of the 7 year Great Tribulation has not taken place yet. That is the establishment or building of the third Temple in Jerusalem. The book of Daniel clearly indicates that in the middle of the 7 year period, the anti-Christ will violate the treaty that he has made with the nation of Israel when he puts stop to the daily sacrifices, “Then he shall confirm a covenant with many for one week; But in the middle of the week He shall bring an end to sacrifice and offering. And on the wing of abominations shall be one who makes desolate, Even until the consummation, which is determined, Is poured out on the desolate” (Dan. 9:27). Therefore, it is mandatory that before the final 7 year period that immediately precedes the Second Coming of Christ, there must be a third temple in existence in Jerusalem.

However, the Rapture could certainly occur today or tomorrow, or in September. We are called to watch. With all of these strange coincidences and events correlating around biblical feast days in September there is every reason to believe that something will occur of prophetic significance, whether it be related to Israel or Christ’s bride, the church.

Remember, Stay Tuned and “When these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.” (Luke 21:28).

 

 

 

 

 

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The Ides of March

 

By GF Herrin

Since the March 17th Israeli election took place, it has become ever apparent that U.S. President and Secretary of State John Kerry seem more determined than ever to strike some semblance of an agreement with the known terrorist nation of Iran. Realizing that the people of Israel have essentially mandated that the vigilant Benjamin Netanyahu stay in office, Obama and Kerry seem determined to sign a treaty no matter what impact it may have on the Jewish state. As the article states below, many have misgivings regarding a deal with such an unpredictable and hostile adversary.

Negotiations with Iran Going Down to the Wire

In the aftermath of the castigation of Netanyahu for his boldness in addressing Congress on March 3rd, it is refreshing to hear someone speak lucidly on how the present administration has suddenly turned its back on Israel lately. Marco Rubio, the U.S. senator from Florida, lays out the unfortunate series of recent events very well.

Rubio Speaks on the Obama Administration’s Treatment of Israel

Remember the quote from the Shakespeare play, Julius Caesar? “A soothsayer bids you beware the ides of March”? Some of the origins of this saying date back to ancient religious customs. The March observance of Mamuralia was a Greek ritual that involved a scapegoat in the form of an old man dressed in animal skins and being driven from the city. One wonders if perhaps Israel is the scapegoat that all of the nations are raising a stick to now in an effort to drive them out into the wilderness (see Revelation 12:6).

Or perhaps the scapegoat was God, who seems to be, more than ever, in the United States anyway, being driven out of the moral fiber of this world, and in particular, the United States. Recently, the state of Indiana enacted a religious freedom law that gives individual business owners who are Christian the freedom to not cater homosexual weddings , which are clearly a sin and against basic Christian doctrine. The reaction to the law from homosexuals and the liberal media has been almost beyond belief in its veracity and insistence that humans everywhere are now being discriminated against.

Liberals against Religious Liberty in Indiana

More than likely the roots of the observance of Mamuralia come from the Passion of the Messiah, who, in fulfilling the law of Leviticus, became the real scapegoat for mankind’s sins (Leviticus 16:8-10;20-22).

“Then Aaron shall cast lots for the two goats: one lot for the Lord and the other lot for the scapegoat. And Aaron shall bring the goat on which the Lord’s lot fell, and offer it as a sin offering. But the goat on which the lot fell to be the scapegoat shall be presented alive before the Lord, to make atonement upon it, and to let it go as the scapegoat into the wilderness” (Lev. 16:8-10).

“And when he has made an end of atoning for the Holy Place, the tabernacle of meeting, and the altar, he shall bring the live goat. Aaron shall lay both his hands on the head of the live goat, confess over it all the iniquities of the children of Israel, and all their transgressions, concerning all their sins, putting them on the head of the goat, and shall send it away into the wilderness by the hand of a suitable man. The goat shall bear on itself all their iniquities to an uninhabited land; and he shall release the goat in the wilderness” (Lev. 16:0-22).

Ultimately, Jesus’ becoming a scapegoat for us has saved us from the burning pit of Hell and given us a personal relationship with the Living God.

“God made him who knew no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness” (2 Cor. 5:21).

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Eye on the End Times

Netanyahu May be Defeated – Will this Begin the End?

By GF Herrin

 

As the Jewish Sabbath begins, a time of uncertainty has begun for the nation of Israel. On Tuesday, March 17th, Israeli voters will go to the polls to decide who will be prime minister for the next five years. At stake is the future defense of Israel’s borders. If Benjamin Netanyahu, the Likud party leader, loses, changes are likely to come to Israel.  Netanyahu is a staunch conservative who has steadfastly resisted international pressure to give up land so that a separate Palestinian state can be formed.

However, Netanyahu’s main opponents, Isaac Herzog and Tzipi Livni, seem much more likely to concede land and return Israel to its pre-1967 borders. According to the latest polls, their party has a narrow lead.

http://news.yahoo.com/netanyahu-behind-final-polling-day-election-074847784.html

 

Regarding the danger to Israel if he is defeated, Prime Minister Netanyahu says, “I think our security is at great risk because there is a real danger that we could lose this election. If the gap between the Likud and Labor continues to grow, a week from now [Isaac] Herzog and [Tzipi] Livni will become the prime ministers of Israel in a rotation with the backing of the Arab parties. That will cause such a monumental shift in policy that it will endanger the security of Israel – and anyone who wants to stop it has to vote Likud to narrow the gap.”

When asked by the Jerusalem Post if Israel will be more threatened by Iran and a potentially bad deal that a coalition of countries might make with the terrorist state,the Prime Minister said, “Of course we would be in trouble. They have said on several occasions that maybe the deal isn’t so bad, we can live with the deal. They did everything possible to criticize rather than support me, as I faced enormous pressure and went to explain Israel’s opposition to the deal – which could give Iran an easy path to the bomb and pose an existential threat to Israel.”

Read the article here: What Happens if Netanyahu Loses?

Iran  already possesses the ability to create one nuclear weapon.  If they suddenly become free of the burden of economic sanctions,  they could suddenly possess the resources to create more plutonium with which to produce more. With money flowing into Iran again after years of economic clampdown, the country would also be able to pump untold amounts into  the production of other weapons that would likely usher in a new era of war directed to Israel. In addition, if the U.N. issues a security resolution (as they seem likely to do) to eliminate the sanctions, the reality is that the U.S. Congress, or the next president of the U.S. may not be able to do anything  to stop it.

Major Nations May Lift Iran Sanctions

So, why am I bringing all this up? Well, as we head into next week’s elections, the reality is that three days after voting day on the 17th comes the solar eclipse on March 20th. By now, you are probably aware of the four lunar eclipses and two solar eclipses that will take place around biblical feast days and Jewish holidays in 2014-15 and their  potential significance. This next eclipse is a solar one that will take place on  Nissan 1, the first day of the first month of the biblical calendar.

According to Breakingisraelnews.com, “There will be a total eclipse of the sun for two minutes over the North Pole on Friday, March 20, the day of the Spring Equinox which coincides with the beginning of the Hebrew month of Nissan, the first month in the Biblical calendar year, a solar occurrence that has never happened before in human history.
A total solar eclipse at the North Pole on the first day of spring occurs once every 100,000 years.  For it to occur on the first day of the first month of the Biblical calendar year is, however, entirely unprecedented since this is only the year 5775 according to Jewish tradition, meaning that there has never been such a solar occurrence in human history.”

 

Read More: http://www.breakingisraelnews.com/32497/passover-blood-moon-preceded-by-exceedingly-rare-solar-eclipse-biblical-zionism/#GppkBrxKfTqokoeS.97
I think that if Netanyahu does get defeated on March 17th, then the solar eclipse portends a crucial time that is beginning for Israel. It may be the beginning of the time of the end that leads to the agreement of the covenant with many that will take place before the anti-christ enters the world stage.

Also, it could be very significant if Netanyahu is defeated and Herzog and Livni are in power because they seem to be the types of leaders that will sell out Israel in hopes of securing a type of “Peace” for Israel.

1 Thessalonians 5:3 says, “For when they say, ‘Peace and safety!’ then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. And they shall not escape.”

Also, we know from the Book of Revelation that there will come a time when not only one Beast, (the antichrist), but two Beasts will take the stage at the end. Many scholars believe that the second Beast (the False witness), since he comes from the earth or land (meaning Israel), will be a Jew who deceives other Jews.

“Then I saw another beast coming up out of the earth, and he had two horns like a lamb and spoke like a dragon. And he exercises all the authority of the first beast in his presence, and causes the earth and those who dwell in it to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed. He performs great signs, so that he even makes fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men. And he deceives those who dwell on the earth by those signs which he was granted to do in the sight of the beast, telling those who dwell on the earth to make an image to the beast who was wounded by the sword and lived” (Rev 13:11-14).

Could one of these Prime Ministers (Herzog or Livni) be the second beast? Only time will tell. We should be watching closely next Tuesday to see who wins the election in Israel, though.

 

 

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Eye on the End Times

The Double Standard against the People of Israel

By GF Herrin

It was a rare occasion, momentous even. Anytime a leader from another country gets an opportunity to speak before a joint session of the U.S. Congress, people take note and generally listen with an open mind. One particularly open minded listener noted the similarities of the importance of Benjamin Netanyahu’s March 3rd speech to an address given by Winston Churchill to Congress in 1941 just after the United States’ entry into World War II. Churchill, of course, was a stalwart bulldog who stood up to the tyranny of Nazi Germany. He was perhaps the single most important person of the 20th century and was known for his courage in exhorting both the British people and the U.S. to not give up the fight against Germany and the evil Adolf Hitler.

Another congressional address that comes to mind is one given by Nelson Mandela, shortly after he was released from prison in South Africa. In 1990, in the midst of violence in his country, brought on by clashes between the South African government and those who so longed to see apartheid abolished, Mandela spoke on his passion for his cause. “We went to jail because it was impossible to sit still while the obscenity of the apartheid system was being imposed on our people. It would have been immoral to keep quiet while a racist tyranny sought to reduce an entire people into a status worse than that of the beasts of the forest.”

So it was with courage and morality that Jewish Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke to an American congress in an effort to warn them about the potentially catastrophic impact that an agreement with Iran might have on Israel and possibly the U.S. Transcript for Netanyahu’s speech If you look at the situation from a rational perspective, Netanyahu is simply a Prime Minister who is a steward of his country. As part of his stewardship, he is and always will be responsible for guarding the nation of Israel from any potential outside attack. From the Prime Minister’s perspective, Iran could easily be the attacker that either destroys them or propels them into its next major war. With all these things in play, any reasonable person would listen to what Netanyahu has to say with an open mind.

However, an open mind was the last thing on display by certain members of congress, such as Nancy Pelosi who literally turned her back on the Prime Minister during his speech. Can you imagine if Senator Bob Dole or Representative Newt Gingrich had turned his back during the speech of Nelson Mandela or any other foreign dignitary in 1990? The press would have been outraged. Dole probably would have been accused of committing atrocities and encouraged to resign! Yet, when the highly visible former speaker of the House of Representatives, Pelosi, and the sitting president of the United States refuse to pay proper respect to a trusted ally and friend, no one shouted out in disgust at the lack of courtesy and diplomacy extended. This slight serves notice that this is a spiritual battle going on in which these folks’ eyes have been blinded by the god of this world.

Netanyahu brought up several bad scenarios that a current proposed agreement with Iran could bring about. The first and foremost scenarios could occur as a result of lifting economic sanctions against Iran. It is a given that ultimately, the agreement would not guarantee  nuclear development will not continue in Iran. Also, Netanyahu pointed out that, “Iran’s neighbors know that Iran will become even more aggressive and sponsor even more terrorism when its economy is unshackled and it’s been given a clear path to the bomb.”
Netanyahu also made it plain in his speech that right now, and going forward, Iran could be hiding nuclear facilities that we don’t know about. “As the former head of inspections for the IAEA said in 2013, said, ‘If there’s no undeclared installation today in Iran, it will be the first time in 20 years that it doesn’t have one.’ Iran has proven time and again that it cannot be trusted. And that’s why the first major concession is a source of great concern. It leaves Iran with a vast nuclear infrastructure and relies on inspectors to prevent a breakout. That concession creates a real danger that Iran could get to the bomb by violating the deal.”
Netanyahu also made the following points:

“But the second major concession creates an even greater danger that Iran could get to the bomb by keeping the deal. Because virtually all the restrictions on Iran’s nuclear program will automatically expire in about a decade.

Now I want you to think about that. The foremost sponsor of global terrorism could be weeks away from having enough enriched uranium for an entire arsenal of nuclear weapons and this with full international legitimacy.

And by the way, if Iran’s Intercontinental Ballistic Missile program is not part of the deal, and so far, Iran refuses to even put it on the negotiating table. Well, Iran could have the means to deliver that nuclear arsenal to the far-reach corners of the earth, including to every part of the United States.

Before lifting those restrictions, the world should demand that Iran do three things.

1) Stop its aggression against its neighbors in the Middle East. Second…

2) Stop supporting terrorism around the world.

3) Stop threatening to annihilate my country, Israel, the one and only Jewish state.”

There has been a harsh reaction within our country and even Israel to Netanyahu’s address. In  fact, there are even anti-Netanyahu demonstrations  that have taken place in Tel Aviv, Israel. One wonders if these demonstrations are being sponsored by the candidates opposing the Prime Minister in the upcoming national election to be held on March 17th. Ultimately, this appeal to Congress by Netanyahu could backfire against him politically and cost him his office. If that happens, it stands to reason that one of Israel’s most devoted patriots will not be able to defend them anymore.

Churchill, a known supporter of the Jewish people once wrote, “The Jews are the most formidable and the most remarkable race that has ever appeared in the world”. Ultimately, it is not their ability that has set them apart but the supernatural hand of God that has blessed, led, and protected them from certain destruction throughout time.  Yet, It is certain from biblical prophecy that a storm is coming to Israel. It is only a question of when it will come. The Books of Daniel (9:27;12:7),Revelation (12:6, 13-17), and Zechariah (13:8—9) foretell of the Tribulation during which two thirds of the Jewish population will be wiped out. I have to wonder if this latest turn of events will allow a weaker leader to become prime minister of Israel. Ultimately, a less courageous leader might make concessions that will make the Jews more vulnerable to a “bad deal” that will lead to a covenant with many that ushers in the “abomination of desolation” (Matt. 24:15).

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Eye on the End Times

Will the U.S. make a pact with an enemy who has sworn to wipe Israel off the face of the Earth?

Iran has made no bones about it. The leaders in charge have repeatedly expressed their desire to destroy the nation of Israel. The difference between now and the past is that Iran  now has the weaponry to do it. With its 10,000 centrifuges, it has the capacity to produce one weapon’s worth of enriched uranium.

Now, after months of behind the scenes negotiations, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry has potentially masterminded an agreement with Iran for them to restrict their production of uranium.

Historic US-Iran nuclear deal could be taking shape

There are several things that stand out about this deal that are potential fulfillment of Scripture prophecies. First let’s revisit Daniel 9:27, which predicts that in the end times, “Then he shall confirm a covenant with many for one week; But in the middle of the week He shall bring an end to sacrifice and offering. And on the wing of abominations shall be one who makes desolate, Even until the consummation, which is determined, Is poured out on the desolate.”

In the negotiations with Iran, these details have immerged:

1)      “The officials represent different countries among the six world powers negotiating with Iran — the United States, Britain, China, France, Germany and Russia.” A covenant with many?

 

2)      “The U.S. initially sought restrictions lasting up to 20 years; Iran has pushed for less than a decade. The prospective deal appears to be somewhere in the middle.” Could it be for one week (7 years)?

 

 

 

3)      March 31 deadline – Will the agreement be confirmed immediately after the solar eclipse that will occur on March 20th?

 

 

Could the agreement become a formal treaty with many nations (Israel among them) and Iran? Could the agreement be for a period of seven years? Will the occurrence of the solar eclipse on March 20th be an omen that this agreement that the U.S. is spearheading is a bad agreement for Israel? The only thing this potential fulfillment is missing is a leader from Rome or the revised Roman empire who will step up to take responsibility for the enforcing of the agreement because Daniel 9:26 clearly states that the people who were to destroy Jerusalem in A.D. 70 were from the same place as the prince who would lead the negotiation of the covenant or pact.

 

It may not be that this is the agreement that leads Israel into the Great Tribulation. However, it could be an agreement that eventually leads to the Gog – Magog war, of which Persia (Iran) is a key player.

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Eye on the End Times – Israel Being Persecuted Again

 

By GF Herrin

If you read the news last week and are a Bible believing follower of Christ, Benjamin Netanyahu’s urging all Jews to come to Israel must have stood out to you.

http://news.yahoo.com/netanyahu-urges-jews-move-israel-copenhagen-attacks-111012753.html

This type of directive is perhaps is like a banner to the nations or to God’s people to return.

Isaiah 11:11-12 foretold that the Jewish people would return to their homeland a second time after being exiled:

“It shall come to pass in that day That the Lord shall set His hand again the second time To recover the remnant of His people who are left, From Assyria and Egypt, From Pathros and Cush, From Elam and Shinar, From Hamath and the islands of the sea. He will set up a banner for the nations, And will assemble the outcasts of Israel, And gather together the dispersed of Judah From the four corners of the earth.”

The recent news of anti-Semitic protests in Germany and the U.S,, terrorist assaults against Jews in France and Denmark, and other actions against Jews, are a clear indicator of the Great Tribulation soon to come.

Daniel 12:1 tells us,

“At that time Michael, the great prince who protects your people, will arise. There will be a time of distress such as has not happened from the beginning of nations until then. But at that time your people–everyone whose name is found written in the book–will be delivered” (Dan. 12:1).

Remember the Great Tribulation will be worse than any other time of persecution that the Jewish people have EVER faced. Can you imagine? Think of it, because I want you to remember that in the Holocaust alone, 6 million Jews died.

Why?? Why have the Jewish people been targeted for so long through the ages? After all, the land that they now occupy is only a little sliver of real estate that is slightly larger than New Jersey (the fifth smallest state in the U.S.) Remember that Israel is the apple of God’s eye. And whatever God possesses or values greatly, the enemy also wants. So, ultimately the persecution of God’s people is of a spiritual (satanic) origin.

John’s Revelation tells us that Satan has been actively pursuing Israel since he was cast out of Heaven a long time ago, “When the dragon saw that he had been hurled to the earth, he pursued the woman who had given birth to the male child” (Rev. 12:13).

So, Islamic extremists, neo-Nazi groups, Jimmy Carter (a known antagonist of Israel), the Presbyterian church USA, or anyone else siding against the nation of Israel are certainly victims of the spiritual influence of the enemy who is contending for the destruction of God’s chosen people.

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Daniel’s 70 Weeks Prophecy – The Coming of Israel’s Chosen King – Part 6

Conclusion

By GF Herrin

                Given the late dating of the book of Revelation, which correlates with prophecies in the book of Daniel, and also given that history lacks any single figure that has fulfilled the prophecies of Daniel 9:2-27, it is reasonable to expect a future fulfillment of Daniel’s predictions. Also, to fully understand the events of the Seventy Weeks revelation of Daniel, it must be fully understood for whom the prophecy was originally written: Daniel, his people, Israel, and their holy city, Jerusalem. The preterist view (which Mauro holds to) of the activities of God toward His covenant people, Israel, is one that is short sighted in scope. The preterist view seems to emphasize the judgment of Israel as the final decision of God, without any future chance for redemption or reconciliation for His chosen people. The preterists seem to underestimate God’s ability to forgive and woo Israel back to Him through the working of His ultimate plan for reconciliation.

Mauro claims:

The prophecy of the Seventy Weeks is manifestly an account, given beforehand of the second period of the national existence of the Jewish people. They were to last as a nation only long enough to fulfill the Scriptures, and to accomplish the supreme purpose of God, in bringing forth the Messiah, and putting Him to death. The time allotted for this was 490 years. This being accomplished, God had no further use for Israel (Mauro, 21).

Mauro’s statement is careless in that it seems to discard all of the promises of God that reveal His faithfulness to Israel and His intentions to deliver them for His name’s sake.

Ezekiel states the reason that God will deliver Israel from the enemy in the end times:

Therefore say to the house of Israel, Thus says the Lord God: I do not do this for your sake. O house of Israel, but for my holy name’s sake, which you have profaned among the nations wherever you went. And I will sanctify my great name, which has been profaned among the nations, which you have profaned in their midst; and the nations shall know that I am the Lord, says the Lord God, when I am hallowed in you before their eyes (Ezek. 36:22-23).

Gabriel’s revelation to Daniel is given as an answer to his fervent, longing, and pleading prayer. God esteemed Daniel and in His grace revealed His plan for Israel’s reconciliation to Him. God has a covenant relationship with Israel that is not dependent on Israel’s faithfulness, but His own faithfulness. His sovereign power to bring forth Israel’s chosen King is the great Guiding force through the ages. To summarize, the seventy weeks are about God working through the age of the Gentiles to bring about His desired purpose: The end of the rebellion and transgression of the nation of Israel, the sealing up of sin, reconciliation to Yahweh, the fulfillment of prophecies, and the bringing in of everlasting righteousness to Israel when Jesus is anointed as King at the beginning of His millennial reign in Jerusalem. His program for accomplishing these things occur inside and outside of the seventy weeks. The decree to rebuild Jerusalem, given by King Artaxerxes in 445 B.C. to Nehemiah, marks the beginning of the Seventy Weeks. The finishing of the first seven weeks marks the restoral of Jerusalem as a re-built city.

The entrance into Jerusalem of Messiah, King Jesus, on April 6th, A.D. 32 marks 483 prophetic years (each consisting of 360 days), or sixty-nine weeks, after the decree is given (Anderson, 128). Then, outside of the sixty-nine weeks, but before the seventieth week begins, the Messiah is cut off, the people of the Roman prince who will come in the future, destroy Jerusalem, and the temple and the beautiful land lie desolate from the onslaught of war. Then, in the final week, the Roman prince, who is the antichrist, makes a covenant with Israel, but in the middle of the seven year period stops sacrifices and grain offerings from taking place at the third temple. Finally, after the antichrist commits abominations that desecrate the holy temple and offend God, the Lord pours out destruction on him. It is understood from the text of Daniel 12:3 and 12:12 that the millennial reign will begin shortly after.

Application

The truths of the Seventy Weeks prophecies of Daniel have a broad application today. They can be applied in leading a Bible study or delivered in a sermon to Christians anywhere. In knowing that many of the prophecies of Daniel 9:25-26 have been fulfilled as Gabriel’s message said they would be, we can stand firm on the promises of 9:27, which foretell the end of the Gentile age and the beginning of the Messianic kingdom. The message of Daniel focuses on the faithfulness and sovereign ability of God to work His plan and guide mankind to His desired conclusion. Specifically, God’s plan for Israel is in focus for the seventy weeks. The reader must remember that God’s promises remain in effect today. To conclude that God is finished with Israel and discard His covenant promises is to discard His sacred Word, itself.

Paul writes:

For I do not desire, brethren, that you should be ignorant of this mystery, lest you should be wise in your own opinion, that blindness in part has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written: “The Deliverer will come out of Zion, And He will turn away ungodliness from Jacob; For this is My covenant with them, When I take away their sins” (Romans 11:25-27).

Christians everywhere should be encouraged by Daniel’s Seventy Weeks prophecy to live holy lives in anticipation of living one day under the rein of the Lord Jesus Chris. Ultimately, God’s purposes will be fulfilled and the Messiah will come again to restore Israel and usher them into the millennial age in righteousness and faithfulness.

 

 

 

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Eye on the End Times – Lots of Questions in 2015

By GF Herrin

Lots to watch in 2015 in regard to prophecy… And.Lots of Questions…

What will happen with the current situation in the Ukraine? Russia is clearly an endtimes player that scholars believe is spoken of in Ezekiel 38. Will the present oil crisis they are experiencing be the impetus to make them continue to exert their aggressive nature?

What about Turkey? Several years ago the nation of Turkey had a good relationship with Israel. Now, since the coming to power of Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu, the country’s tone seems to have taken a very hostile turn.

Who will win the election in Israel this year? The national election in Israel is slated for March 17th. Will staunch conservative, Benjamin Netanyahu, win the election and stay in power? Or will his main rival, Isaac Herzog, win?

It seems like the Obama presidential election team has set up camp in Tel Aviv with the mission to defeat Netanyahu in the upcoming election for prime minister. Is Barack Obama working behind the scenes in Israel to prevent Netanyahu from being re-elected? If so, how much of a price will the United States pay for its cursing of God’s chosen people, Israel, yet again (see Genesis 12:3)?

 

http://www.jpost.com/Blogs/The-View-from-Israel/Obamas-shocking-interference-into-Israels-election-process-389858

 

“The “Anyone but Bibi” mission is headed by Jeremy Bird, Obama’s National Field Director in his successful presidential campaigns.

Under Bird, a group called “Victory 15” has been set up. It has recruited the young activists from Israel’s 2013 social protest movement and will man a massive social network and personal contact campaign to defeat Bibi. V15 is financed by an NGO called “One Voice” whose motto is to be “the voice of mainstream Israelis and Palestinians.” Research finds that One Voice is funded by John Kerry’s State Department.”

If someone else is elected, will the solar eclipse on March 20th portend rough waters for Israel in the future with Herzog in power?

Many biblical scholars believe that the anti-christ will be someone with a Jewish background. If a new president is elected in Israel, could he be the one?

What about Iran, another end time player (Persia) in Ezekiel 38? Will Obama give away everything to make a bad deal with Iran and cause the Gog – Magog war to begin?

I, and many of others have reason to believe that we very close to the day of the Rapture of the Church.

With Yom Kippur 2015 coming 49 prophetic years (a jubilee) to the day after the re-claiming of Jerusalem by the nation of Israel (on June 7th, 1967), it sure seems like it could happen this year. Or something significant could take place regarding Israel that has a major impact on the Great Tribulation beginning soon.

I still have no reason to believe that the Rapture will take place before Brother Billy Graham is called home. The one and only time I have heard the Lord’s audible voice was in 2008 when I felt that I heard Him tell me, “Shortly after I call Billy Graham home, I will come for my people”. I want to emphasize that this was an experience that I personally had. In all of my beliefs and when speaking to people about my faith and my eschatological writings I emphasize the concept of “Sola Scriptura”, or Scripture alone. By this I mean that my doctrine is founded on what I read in the Bible, and not any experiential event . But, just as there were people on earth when the Lord came the first time who were told they would not die before seeing Him, I believe that it is certainly possible that He can give us personal revelation on His second coming, also.

So, stay tuned, and Maranatha!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Daniel’s 70 Weeks Prophecy – The Coming of Israel’s Chosen King Part 5

Daniel 9:27 – Gabriel Reveals the Events of the Seventieth Week

By GF Herrin

                Daniel 9:27 is perhaps the key verse in properly understanding the entire seventy weeks revelation. Interpreting this verse correctly is also the key to understanding many of the other End Times prophetic passages in the Old and New Testaments. The passage begins with a confirmation of a covenant or agreement between “he” and the “many”. Since this revelation is given to Daniel in regard to his people and his holy city, it is logical to understand that “many” refers to the people of Israel. The question briefly touched upon earlier in regard to verse 27 is, “What is the identity of the person who is referenced to by the pronoun ‘he’?” Preterists, such as Mauro and Michael Blume, hold to the belief that “he” refers to the Messiah, Jesus, who is referenced early in verse 26 as the one “who shall be cut off, but not for Himself” (Michael F. Blume, “What Do Preterists Believe About “The Prince” in the 70 Weeks of Daniel?” http://www.preteristarchive.com/Modern/2001_blume_daniel-9.html 2001). Blume says that the Messiah, in verse 26, is the main subject of the passage while the prince is only a “sidenote”. He claims that to interpret the word, “he” in the verse as the antichrist is to employ bad grammar.

In reality, though, if one interprets the passage using the standard Hebrew grammar rules, it is apparent that the “he” in verse 27 is indeed the antichrist who is also referred to in Daniel 7:25 and 11:36-45. The interpretation of “the coming prince” in verse 26 as the antecedent for the pronoun, “he”, in verse 27, makes more sense because it is closer in proximity to the pronoun than the word “himself”. To argue that the “Messiah” is the subject of the sentence and therefore it must be the antecedent for “He” is to create Hebrew grammar rules that just do not exist (Thomas Howe, 9.113, see also, Daniel in the Preterists’ Den, 2008).

Mauro states: “(1) that it was by the cutting off of the Messiah that the six predicted things of verse 24 were to be accomplished; (2) that it was by the cutting off of the Messiah that the covenant with many (verse 27) was to be confirmed and the sacrifice and oblation caused to cease” (Mauro, 21). Most assuredly, the Messiah’s sacrifice for sins is the one single event that enables the six predicted things of verse 24 to be realized. But, to suggest that Jesus’ sacrifice at Calvary was an actual covenant that the nation of Israel literally entered into for a period of seven years is inaccurate. It is true that Jesus’ covenant sacrifice negated Israel’s necessity to perform any more sacrifices for the forgiveness of sins. However, it does not represent a literal covenant that has been accepted or entered into by the people of Israel at any time in their history.

The overarching problem in Mauro’s interpretation of the passage is his attempt to spiritualize the reference dealing with the entering of a literal covenant or agreement with many. Many scholars, such as Mauro, make the mistake of interpreting Scripture in a spiritual or metaphorical manner. That is, they discard the most literal type of interpretation to fit it into their own view. However, that system of interpretation is inconsistent and flawed. The more consistent manner of interpretation is the historical grammatical method. As Robert L. Thomas says, “When the plain sense of Scripture makes common sense, seek no other sense; therefore, take every word at its primary, ordinary, usual, literal meaning unless the facts of the immediate context, studied in light of related passages and axiomatic and fundamental truths, indicate clearly otherwise” (Robert L. Thomas, Revelation 1-7: An Exegetical Commentary, vol. 1, 1992, 50).

In addition, to suggest that the Messiah, who is God, would make a covenant for a limited period of time (seven years) is inconsistent with God’s nature, which is eternal. God, being eternal, possesses a nature that is unchanging. So, any truth, acknowledgement, or agreement affirmed by Him would not be of a temporal or changing nature but of an eternal nature. Since He is eternal, His faithfulness or adherence to His covenants must be eternal as well. To suggest that God would make a covenant for a limited period of time is also inconsistent with the nature of His other covenants (see Gen. 13:15; Gen. 15:18; Gen. 17:7-8; Gen. 28:13; Gen. 35:12; 1 Chron. 16:17-18; 2 Chron. 20:7; Dan. 7:18; Jer. 7:7; Jer. 25:5; Jer. 31:35-37; Jer. 33:20-22) made with Israel. Regarding the nature of the covenant made in verse 27, Dwight Pentecost writes, “Inasmuch as all the covenants made by Messiah with Israel are eternal covenants, Messiah cannot be the one making the covenant, inasmuch as it will be temporary” (Pentecost, Things to Come, 250).

So, in interpreting verse 27, it can be determined that the ruler or the prince who is to come will confirm a literal covenant with the nation of Israel for a period of seven years (the final week). In the middle of the final week (or after three and a half years) he will put an end to the sacrifice and offerings. Verse 26 describes the destruction of the second temple which actually occurred in A.D. 70. So, it can be discerned that during the time of the seventieth week, there must be a third temple in existence since Israel is obviously making sacrifices again when “the prince who is to come” puts an end to them. Israel, traditionally, has offered their sacrifices and offerings to God in the temple. So, it makes sense to believe that they will offer them again if given the chance. Even now, there is an established Temple institute in place in Israel that has in place blueprints for the third temple, along with the vessels, menorah, pure olive oil to be burned in the menorah, priestly garments, a red heifer, and even priests from the tribe of Levi who are ready to begin the sacrifices whenever the temple is re-built.

The second part of verse 27 describes an event after the sacrifices and offerings are brought to an end in which the ruler will apparently do something that is so offensive to God that the Lord must intercede and pour out his wrath on the one who performed the desecration. The text “on the wing of abominations shall be one who makes desolate” could be interpreted to mean that the Ruler’s desecrating actions to the temple will cause it to be unclean.

The actions of Antiochus Epiphanes (who set up an image of Zeus in his own likeness on the altar, and sacrificed a pig in the Temple), which are in fact foretold in Daniel 11:31, could be a typology of the nature of the desecrations performed by the future prince. Like Antiochus, the future ruler or prince will do something “abominable” in reference to the use of the temple and its holiness to God. But, Antiochus could not have been the ruler that Daniel was writing of in verse 27 because Jesus’ statement concerning the future desecration of the temple was made long after Antiochus desecrated the temple.

Therefore when you see the ‘abomination of desolation,’ spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place” (whoever reads, let him understand), then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. Let him who is on the housetop not go down to take anything out of his house. And let him who is in the field not go back to get his clothes. But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days! And pray that your flight may not be in winter or on the Sabbath. For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be. And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved (Matt. 24:15-22).

This future event of the “’abomination of desolation” is a more logical fit for the events describe in Daniel 9:27. According to 12:7, the time period during which the daily sacrifices and offerings are suspended matches the time period of verse 27, exactly. It is “time, times, and half a time” (Dan. 12:7) or three and a half years. Also, John’s Revelation describes a matching timeline in which the “beast” will exercise his authority over Israel as well: “And he was given a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies, and he was given authority to continue for forty-two months. Then he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme His name, His tabernacle, and those who dwell in heaven” (Rev. 13:5-6).

The prophecies in Revelation and Daniel regarding the forty-two months (three and a half prophetic years), during which Jews will be persecuted, correlate with each other and seem to be addressing the same event. In addition, there is substantial evidence to believe that John’s Revelation was written in the 90s A.D. (Norman L. Geisler, “A Friendly Response to Hank Hanegraaff’s book, “The Last Disciple” [online], Available: <http://normangeisler.net/articles/theology/Eschatology/FriendlyResponseToHHanegraffsBookLastDisciple.htm>). Since Revelation was written at the end of the first century, the destruction of the second temple and the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 A.D. would have taken place prior to its composition. Given the late dating of the book, which contains the prophecy that details the anti-christ’s oppression of the people of Israel for a period of forty-two months (three and a half prophetic years), it is more reasonable to understand the event as futuristic and taking place at the same time as Daniel 9:27.