Herman Van Rompuy and the EU Superstate

By Dr. Chuck Missler
Koinonia House

European Union leaders congregated in Toronto June 26th and 27th in a Group of 20 meeting to address the struggle of economies world-wide. Those leaders agreed to take steps toward job growth, the reform and strengthening of financial institutions like banks, and economic stimulation world-wide. At its conclusion, Presidents José Manuel Barroso and Herman Van Rompuy declared the meeting a success – the premier forum for international cooperation. Earlier in June, Van Rompuy announced two additional upcoming meetings; one in September on foreign affairs and one in January and February 2011 to deal with energy issues.

As of December 1, 2009, the European Union's Treaty of Lisbon aspires to mold and uplift the 27 member nations of Western Europe into a more powerful single voice on the world stage. On January 1, 2010, Herman Van Rompuy went from obscure prime minister of Belgium to first appointed Permanent President of Europe.

Permanent President of Europe? That's right; and not by public election, but by appointment of the members of the European Council. The "permanent" appellation is cloudy; Van Rompuy's 30-month term leading the council ends in May 2012.

"As president of the European Council, I will listen to every country and make sure every country comes out a winner in every negotiation," Van Rompuy told the press last fall when he was first appointed as the EU's first full-time president.

Van Rompuy is known in Belgium for his inscrutable, mouse-like, mild-mannered exterior and his self-deprecating humor. He was in office in Belgium just a year and managed to keep Flemish- and French-speaking factions of the country from tearing the nation in two through conciliatory methods. Yet his past antics of political subterfuge indicate much more to his inner man than just a guy who composes haiku during parliamentary meetings.

Unassuming Van Rompuy has a history of getting his way. He advises that the path to power is to appear innocuous and unobtrusive, yet his methods have at times appeared more underhanded than meek. His critics point out that he broke a major 2007 campaign promise to split up his own political party's illegally proportioned election district, and he did so purposely and quietly. As Speaker of the parliament, he delayed a vote on the proposed district split, going so far as to have the locks changed on the session meeting rooms so that dissenting parliamentary members could not meet, He avoided his own office for over a week (purportedly) to avoid opening a related letter from concerned opponents. His opponents assert that he works not for the interests of the people, but for big government.

Herman Van Rompuy is an enigmatic, camera shy man who avoids elaborate public statements and media exposure. Van Rompuy is a federalist who wants the individual nation-state symbols, flags, and currencies to be set aside in exchange for one set of European icons. He is geared to meld the EU nations into a single economy and body, even against individual nations' objections to one federal government and the new taxes that come with it. Van Rompuy said last autumn, "The financing of the welfare state, irrespective of the social reform we implement, will require new resources. The possibility of financial levies at European level needs to be seriously reviewed."

Van Rompuy is pushing for Brussels to collect one Europe-wide Euro tax on financial transactions based on the unpopular Tobin tax. It could look a lot like an American national sales tax. Opponents of such a tax include Poland - which is not one of the eleven "insider" eurozone member countries and therefore fears losing power to them - and Great Britain, which has traditionally balked at surrendering its currency to the Euro.

Van Rompuy is currently working to assemble a taskforce of European leaders within the economic union of the eurozone of Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia and Spain. Eight other states are obliged to join the eurozone once they fulfill the strict entry criteria.

It will be very intriguing as US citizens watch the European economy, freedoms, and spending over the upcoming months and years. Will Herman Van Rompuy, Gordon Brown, Jose Manuel Barroso lead Western Europe to an undeniably one-man or one-entity governed superpower, or will the countries and the individuals in them be weakened by too much governance and a loss of their own freedom of choice and enterprise?


Related Links

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EU president seeks bigger global role for Europe - Reuters
Book of Daniel - SpiritandTruth.org (Tony Garland)
EU unveils tough proposals to curb public spending in member states - The Guardian
New UN Report Recommends Ditching The Dollar As Global Reserve Currency - Business Insider
Prophecy 20/20: Profiling the Future Through the Lens of Scripture - Chuck Missler

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Thompson Chain-Reference Study Bible

By Dr. Tony Garland
SpiritandTruth.org

Q. I was looking over your advice concerning study Bibles and wanted to ask your opinion of the Thompson chain reference Bible. This Bible has an interesting system of references and topic chain of verses, etc. Do you know of it and have you used it? I am somewhat aware of the other study Bibles you reviewed (i.e., Ryrie, Scofield). I was considering the purchase of the Thompson and thought I'd get some advice about it, if possible, to help decide if I want to purchase it. Any comments would be appreciated.

Also, what version do you recommend for a study Bible? From what I can tell you seem to have confidence in the NKJV and also like the NASB. Since I cannot purchase the Thompson in both versions, which version would you recommend most? (It's also available in the NIV and the KJV). I might also buy a Ryrie - is the Ryrie better in the KJV, the NASB or even the NIV?

Any comments on the Thompson and any further comments on the Ryrie (since you've already addressed this from another question) as study Bibles would be most helpful.

A. I am somewhat familiar with the Thompson Chain-Reference Study Bible and own the NKJV version. It is a reasonable study bible in many regards - especially for topical and character studies. As a stand-alone study resource, it offers a tremendous value. The quality of construction - especially of the more expensive versions which can be ordered directly from the manufacturer - is very, very high.

Having said that, there are several weaknesses which, in my view, make it unsuitable as a primary study bible:

1. Cross-References - When adapting the NKJV text for use in the Thompson Chain-Reference Study Bible, the extensive set of cross references which normally accompany the NKJV text (in other study bibles) has been omitted from the Thompson Chain-Reference version. Since I believe that cross-references to related passages is one of the most important aids for bible study, this is a significant drawback. This is made up somewhat by the addition of the study chains (which link passages on related topics), but the topical chains don't always treat or link to passages which are important. One of the problems inherent with any topical treatment of the biblical text is the unavoidable personal bias which attends identification of topics for any given passage. The person defining the topics may overlook or omit important themes - especially if they hold a different theological outlook (e.g., covenant vs. dispensational, postmillennial vs. premillennial) than the person using the resource. In my view, the wealth of information found in the topic chains is eroded significantly by having dropped the pure passage cross-references. Where the Thompson bible adds pointers to related passages, they are often quite skimpy (like the Scofield Study Bible). If they had elected to retain the standard 60,000 cross-references which Nelson has for the NKJV text and added their own topical chains, it would have been much stronger.
   
   
2. Covenant Theology - The paragraph headings and topic lists which are included in the work often reflect a Covenant Theology bias. That is, they blur the distinction between Israel and the church, often reading the church back into OT passages which pertain to Israel and ignoring the strong biblical evidence that the church began on the Day of Pentecost (Acts 2). There is also the typical confusion of Covenant Theology which fails to recognize the distinction between various important OT covenants (plural) - viewing them instead as a single covenant.
   
   
3. Prophecy - There is a tendency to spiritualize prophetic passages and an unwillingness to define topics related to prophetic themes. For example, at Revelation 13:1, you will search in vain for any reference to "Beast." Similarly, at Revelation 19:20 there will be nary a mention of the "False Prophet." Instead, you will find topics of a more devotional nature which treat the general principles related to the passage, but not the specific personalities and events - no matter how important these may be. This is not the bible for studying prophecy.

If these weaknesses are kept in mind, the Thompson Chain-Reference Study Bible can be a very helpful resource in other ways.

As to which version is best, as you have noted, my preference is toward both the NKJV and the NASB versions. This is because both the NKJV and the NASB provide reliable word-for-word translation of their respective Greek texts.¹ I prefer the NKJV over the NASB because I prefer the Byzantine family of Greek texts behind the Majority Text (MT) and Textus Receptus (Received Text, TR) over the Alexandrian family of Greek texts favored by the Critical Text (CT) which is behind the NASB and most other modern translations. I also like the NKJV because it footnotes places where the CT and MT vary significantly from the TR (of the KJV and NKJV). This can be especially helpful when teaching, especially in a home group where others are using translations which follow the CT (e.g., NIV, NASB).

The reason I mention both the NKJV and the NASB is that I prefer the Greek text behind the NKJV, but it has also been my experience that the NASB generally does a superior job of translating its Greek terms into English. So my ideal doesn't really exist: a version which follows the TR (or MT with TR differences noted), but translates individual words with the accuracy and consistency of the NASB. If you get both translations, you will be well served because you will be able to compare readings from the Textus Receptus (TR), Majority Text (MT), and Critical Text (CT) as well as have two excellent word-for-word renderings of the original language.

In regard to the Ryrie Study Bible, I consider it a superior study bible to the Thompson Chain-Reference Study Bible. The main reasons are that the Ryrie Study Bible includes a more complete set of cross-references (although only a small subset are topically arranged) and treats prophetic passages on an equal footing with non-prophetic material. Even though the Thompson Chain-Reference Bible may include a larger number of topical chains and offer greater assistance for character studies, I believe the Ryrie Study Bible gives a more consistent treatment of the text and avoids the errors (in my view) of imposing Covenant Theology over the text. Although it is my understanding that the Ryrie Study Bible was once available in the NKJV text, it has been out of print for some time. Therefore, I would recommend purchasing the NASB version (or the KJV if you are comfortable with the "King's English").

As I mention elsewhere, I do not recommend the NIV for detailed bible study. While its thought-for-thought (dynamic equivalence) translation method can be very helpful for the new believer, over time it will not hold up for detailed study because of the inconsistent ways in which it loosely renders the underlying Hebrew and Greek texts. In some cases, the translation includes the interpretation of the translators² leaving the reader without any indication of the other possible ways to understand a particular phrase. The rule of thumb is: if the translation does not mark words in italics then it is probably not what you want for detailed study. (The words in italics indicate additional English words added for readability, but not reflected in the original language. If you are placing great emphasis on a word or phrase that appear in italics, then you know immediately that you are on thin ice!)


Endnotes

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1. A superior word-for-word English translation is the Literal Translation of the Holy Bible (LITV) by Jay P. Green available from Sovereign Grace Publishers. This is not a study bible and does not include cross-references or notes, but its consistent literal treatment of the underlying text can be most helpful for those who do not have access to the original languages.
2. All translations include some interpretation. But good translations will minimize the amount of interpretation and preserve the ambiguities of the underlying text. Rather than simplifying the text by providing one interpretation (which may not be the correct one), they will pass the ambiguity on in the English and allow the reader to be aware of the various interpretive possibilities.

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Obama Harder on Israel than Arab States

By Aaron Klein
WorldNetDaily

The Obama administration is set to pressure Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to ease the blockade of the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip during the premier's visit to Washington next week, according to Israeli diplomatic sources.

Separately, a senior Palestinian Authority negotiator said the U.S. has placed the most pressure on Israel to ease the Gaza blockade. The negotiator said the Obama administration has taken a harder line against Israel on the issue than even the European Union or Arab states.

"This attitude is emboldening Hamas," said the PA negotiator.

The PA has been at odds with Hamas since the Islamist group seized control of the Gaza Strip in 2007.

An Egyptian security official, meanwhile, said the Obama administration pressured his country to open the Egypt-Gaza border last month without first implementing a security agreement previously brokered by the Bush administration that calls for PA guards to be stationed alongside Hamas on the Gaza side of the border.

The Egyptian security official said that in discussions with the Obama administration, U.S. officials have been claiming they want to scale back the blockade of Gaza to generate popular opposition to Hamas.

The official said that according to this line of thinking, the White House said it believes Hamas uses the blockade as an excuse to rule from a position of a government under siege. The official said the White House surmises that once the blockage of Gaza is lifted and Hamas needs to take more responsibility in Gaza, the territory's population will revolt against Hamas.

The official, however, called the White House position "naive."

"The [Obama] administration is playing with fire," said the Egyptian official.

Netanyahu, meanwhile, is scheduled to meet with Obama next Thursday. A trip to Washington was canceled last month amid the fallout of Israel's raid on a violent activist flotilla headed to Gaza to break Israel's naval blockade of the territory.

According to Israeli diplomatic sources, the Obama administration has been pressing hard on Israel to scale back its land blockade, demanding that dual-use materials such as metal and cement be allowed into Gaza.

Israel had blocked those materials, fearing they could be used to aid Hamas' terrorist infrastructure. In the past few days, metal and cement have been allowed into Gaza.

Israel maintains a naval blockade on Gaza, fearing if it allows ships to reach the territory, Hamas will be able to transport weaponry for use against Israelis.

Israel and the international community numerous times have stopped ships loaded with weapons destined for Gaza.

Despite claims made by activists, Israel does not block humanitarian aid into Gaza. Israel allows a large number of trucks daily to enter Gaza with food, medicine and other humanitarian supplies. Israel transfers monthly into Gaza tens of millions of dollars worth of Israeli shekels to ensure the flow of cash in the territory.


Related Links

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Palin: Obama sold out Netanyahu - Jerusalem Post
Saudi king seeks Obama action on Mideast peace - Today's Zaman
Iranian ships could join wave of flotillas to Gaza, says Hamas chief - The Independent
Turkey Barring Israeli Military Flights From Its Airspace - New York Times
The Manchurian President: Barack Obama's Ties to Communists, Socialists and Other Anti-American Extremists - Aaron Klein (Book)

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So You Think You're an Atheist . . . But How Do You Know?

By Jack Kinsella
The Omega Letter

One of the more formidable obstacles atheism must contend with is the existence of its principle tool - the ability to reason.

Knowledge is attained by reasoned thought and by reasoned thought, the atheist has concluded that he knows that there is no God.

The ability to reason is something that all men have access to. Reason is what we use to determine the truth about the real world. Finally, the ability to reason itself is something we ought to understand if we are to rely on it in order to know the truth.

What is the evolutionist's explanation for the ability to reason? They argue it is the result of chemical reactions in the brain. But chemicals react - they don't think, reason or plan.

It is a bedrock principle of science that an effect cannot be greater than its cause. A chemical reaction cannot generate morality, immorality, reason or rationality.

A reaction is the result of an action. Reason, on the other hand, is the analysis of that action. If mental processes are the exclusive result of chemical reactions in the brain, then there is no reason to believe anything is true.

The ability to reason can only come from one of two sources. It was either the product of intelligent design or it was the result of mindless chance.

Since the mindless cannot create the mind, there is only one reasonable explanation - that the mind was created by intelligent design and implanted with a Divine moral code.

Just as a chemical reaction cannot explain reason, reason cannot explain a moral code. Using reason alone, one can justify practically anything.

Reason apart from morality allows for the murder of the unborn. By reasoning that the fetus is not yet human, one can avoid the moral implications of murder.

Hitler's euthanasia program justified killing the weak and the infirm as a way to strengthen and ensure the survival of the species. It was a reasonable approach.

Conservationists do it all the time. If the deer population in a particular area grows too dense, conservationists will hold a 'deer cull' - a special hunting season on deer to reduce the population and ensure the survival of the species.

The morality of taking a deer's life is not at issue when the alternative is the needless suffering, starvation and death of the whole population. Why is it immoral to do the same with human beings?

Rape increases the population and therefore increases the survival of the species. Or, taken to the opposite extreme, war is a reasonable method by which to 'cull' overpopulation.

Even if a chemical reaction could explain how we know right from wrong, it doesn't explain why culling deer is right and culling humans is wrong.

What is the objective standard? Upon what basis do we form such profound judgments?

Either they are the result of reasoned thought based on an ingrained moral code, or they are the mindless product of random chance chemical reactions in the brain.

The ability to form judgments is uniquely human. Everything we do, from driving a car to catching a football requires judgment.

We make judgments about what is good, what is not, what is dangerous, what is stupid, what is useful and so on.

If they are nothing more than the mindless product of random chance chemical reactions in the brain, then how can we KNOW anything?

We can't. The effect cannot be greater than the cause. Knowledge is greater than random chemical reaction.

You can't be an atheist without having faith in your own reason and judgment, but the basis for your faith cannot be explained apart from the Creator God that you are sure (based on your God-given ability to reason) does not exist.

Of course, recognizing intelligent design is not the same thing as recognizing a loving God Who sent His only begotten Son to atone for the sins of mankind at the Cross.

But it's a start.


Related Links

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What is atheism? - GotQuestions.org
I Don't Have Enough Faith to Be an Atheist - Norman L. Geisler (Book)
Intelligent design - Conservapedia
Christian Ethics - SpiritandTruth.org (Paul Henebury)
The Last Generation - Jack Kinsella (Book)

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Replacement Theology - Part 3

By James A. Showers
The Friends of Israel Gospel Ministry

Until the fourth century, Christianity was illegal in the Roman Empire. Although Replacement Theology had overtaken the church and metastasized into anti-Semitism, the church had no authority to do anything other than speak against the Jewish people. All that changed in a.d. 313, and the catalyst was a ruler named Constantine.

Young Constantine, a member of Emperor Diocletian’s court, was preparing to lead his troops at the Battle of Milvian Bridge in a.d. 312 when he claimed to have a vision of a cross in the sun. So he prayed to the Christian God, put Christian symbols on his banners, and won an astounding victory over an older, more experienced general.

Soon Constantine became emperor of the Roman Empire and issued the Edict of Milan (a.d. 313) that legalized Christianity and brought the church under the authority of Rome. This was a dramatic turning point in church history. Clergymen were put on the empire’s payroll, and the church went from being ruthlessly persecuted to being part of the state.

Eight years later, Christianity became the official religion. And a mere 60 years later it became the exclusive religion of the Roman Empire.

The Rise of Roman Catholicism

Because Rome was the seat of power, the church in Rome rose to prominence; and the bishop of Rome became the most powerful leader of the western half of the empire. Later he became known as the pope, with more power than the emperor. As the Roman Catholic Church spread in influence, it grew more powerful even than the governments of Europe. Believing the Jews to be cursed and the Christians to be God’s new chosen people (the teaching of Replacement Theology), it instigated the persecution of the Jewish people.

First, legislation arose outlawing synagogues and giving permission to burn Jews who broke the law. Jewish people were excluded from high office, restricted in other positions, and forced to shut their businesses on Sunday. Since religious Jews also closed on Saturday, the law helped Gentile merchants.

Furthermore, Jewish people were forbidden to live in Jerusalem, and Sunday was declared the Sabbath even though God’s Word makes the seventh day (Saturday) the day of rest (Ex. 20:9–11). The church also forbade Easter to be observed during Passover, when Christ actually died and arose. Jewish people were forbidden to sue Gentiles, and Christians were forbidden to give their children in marriage to Jewish people. Yet all these restrictions were not enough.

In 415 another turning point came, and anti-Semitism went from being merely verbal to being physical.

Violence and Death

In 415 Cyril, head of the church in Alexandria, led a brutal anti-Jewish riot in the city’s Jewish quarter. Christians beat Jews, raped women, murdered men, stole Jewish property, and drove the Jewish people from the city. From that point on, anti-Semitism mushroomed. It is literally impossible to count the number of cruel, violent, and merciless things done to God’s Chosen People.

During the Crusades in the 11th through 13th centuries, Christian armies marched across Europe murdering Jewish people, raping women, and burning Jewish villages. The church fabricated vicious lies about the Jews, persuading people they were the cause of every evil. When a plague broke out, the Jews were blamed. It was common to hear that Jewish people had poisoned the water or were somehow responsible for all Gentile illnesses and deaths.

It didn’t matter that the same proportion of Jews were dying. The Jewish people were still blamed. Logic and reason meant nothing. Outrageous lies flourished continually, such as the well-known libel that Jewish people stole Christian children, drained their blood, and used it to bake matzohs for their holidays. Never was one instance of such a thing ever proven.

But these lies flooded Europe. Jewish people became the scapegoat for every economic and political woe. And they were beaten, robbed, murdered, and mutilated. A particularly terrible time for them was Easter, when passion plays vilified the Jewish people as “Christ killers” and incited Jew-killing frenzies across the continent.

Jesus Himself, however, never blamed the Jewish people for His death. He declared,

“I lay down My life that I may take it again. No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again” (Jn. 10:17–18).

In fact, it was a Gentile hand that nailed Him to the cross, not a Jewish hand. Scripture calls Jesus the perfect, sinless Lamb of God who died as a sacrifice for us all. We are all guilty of putting Christ on the cross.

But Replacement Theology had fomented such vicious anti-Semitism that more horrific, ungodly things were done to the Jewish people in the name of Christ than have been done to any other people in the history of the world.

Convert, Expel, Kill

We are all greatly indebted to Martin Luther. Luther and the other reformers stood against what was then the tyranny of the Roman Catholic Church. When Luther left Roman Catholicism he founded what later became the Lutheran Church. At first it was friendly to the Jewish community because Luther believed Jewish people had rejected Christianity due to corruption within the Roman church. If they saw true Christianity based on faith alone, he thought, they would embrace it.

But they did not. And as Luther grew older, he became a hard-core anti-Semite. His books On the Jews and Their Lies and On the Ineffable Name condemned the Jews and encouraged people to burn their synagogues, destroy their homes, take their wealth, and put them to hard labor. Several hundred years later Adolf Hitler used the writings of Martin Luther, Germany’s favorite son, to justify his spiritual case against the Jewish people in his book, Mein Kampf. Hitler followed Luther’s suggestions to a tee. But he added one more: murder.

Jewish life in Europe was always precarious. The term wandering Jew evolved as a result of organized Christendom. Historically, the church had three ways of dealing with the Jewish people: convert them, expel them, or kill them.

When Jewish people first settled in an area, they would be accepted and shown kindness. But as time passed, things changed. Christians felt obligated to convert the Jews. Eventually, their offer went like this: “Would you like to become a Christian today, or would you like to die?” Many chose death.

Converting to Christianity did not mean acknowledging that you were a sinner, believing in your heart that Jesus willingly took your punishment on the cross, and putting your faith in Him for the forgiveness of sin — as we believe. It meant being baptized and taken into church membership. When Jewish people refused, they were expelled from the country. Often they wandered from place to place, homeless and persecuted, unable to put down roots.

Wrote Jewish historian Solomon Grayzel:

In theory, Christianity and Judaism should have lived together in friendly spirit. But . . . the Jews were subjected to attack and degradation. Large numbers were killed. Then, when deprived of opportunity and of no further economic use, they were expelled and made to wander in search of new homelands. All the lands bordering on the Atlantic Ocean expelled the Jews. In Germany and Italy they were compelled to live apart in ghettos.¹

When expulsion failed to satisfy Christendom, elimination began. Thousands of Jewish people were murdered. Then came Hitler, whose “final solution” to the “Jewish problem” was to kill them all.

To this day, Jewish people believe the Holocaust of World War II was perpetrated by Christians. Even though Hitler himself was not a true Christian, many who worked for him were. They were guards at concentration camps. They were soldiers. They were members of the Hitler Youth. And most good Christians in Germany did not stand up against what was going on.

While not evil in itself, Replacement Theology has been a dangerous tool in the hand of the Devil. It changed Christendom’s attitude toward Jewish people, fomented contempt for ethnic Israel, and recast the Scriptures from a Jewish book to a Gentile one. It also changed the meaning of Scripture, particularly when it comes to eschatology — the doctrine of future things — as we shall see.


Endnotes

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1. Solomon Grayzel, A History of the Jews, 2nd ed. (Philadelphia: The Jewish Publication Society of America, 1968), 436.

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Related Links

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Replacement Theology (Part 1) - BPB (James Showers)
Replacement Theology (Part 2) - BPB (James Showers)
Martin Luther - Wikipedia
The Source of Anti-Semitism - SpiritandTruth.org (Andy Woods)
The Coming Apocalypse: A Study of Replacement Theology vs. God's Faithfulness in the End-Times - Dr. Renald Showers (Book)

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A Land of Unwalled Villages

By Jack Kelley
GraceThruFaith.com

I know I’m beginning to sound like a broken record by now, but there’s an enormous potential for a giant leap forward in End Times prophecy this summer, and this week we came breathtakingly close to witnessing its beginning.

After many days you will be called to arms. In future years you will invade a land that has recovered from war, whose people were gathered from many nations to the mountains of Israel which had long been desolate. They had been brought out from the nations and now all of them live in safety. You and all your troops and the many nations with you will go up, advancing like a storm, you will be like a cloud covering the land.

This is what the sovereign Lord says: On that day thoughts will come into your mind and you will devise an evil scheme. You will say, “I will invade a land of unwalled villages, I will attack a peaceful and unsuspecting people – all of them living without gates and bars.” (Ezek. 38:8-11)

Many students of prophecy, myself included, see the battle of Ezekiel 38-39 as one of the most significant events on God’s prophetic calendar. In the scenario Ezekiel described nearly 2500 years ago, a coalition of Moslem countries, armed and led by the Russians, will attack Israel and be utterly defeated due to God’s direct intervention. He will use this battle to re-introduce Himself to Israel as their protector, to recall the rest of His people to their ancient homeland, and to reinstate His relationship with them.

When Will These Things happen?

All agree that this battle has not yet taken place. Following WW 2 the Jewish people began returning to the land for the first time in centuries and only since then have conditions been such that Ezekiel’s prophecy could be fulfilled.

Speaking of this battle Lord said,

“I will display my glory among the nations, and all the nations will see the punishment I inflict and the hand I lay upon them (the attacking Moslem coalition). From that day forward the house of Israel will know that I am the LORD their God. (Ezek. 39:22).

He concluded by saying,

“I will gather them to their own land, not leaving any behind.” (Ezek. 39:28)

Israel’s re-gathering, officially begun in 1948, will continue to completion and will be both spiritual and physical. According to Acts 15:13-19 and Daniel 9:27 it will result it a temple being built. That means the Jews will return to their Old Covenant relationship with God, bringing an end to the Age of Grace and causing the Church to disappear into Heaven. The 490 year clock that stopped on year 483 at the time of the Crucifixion will begin ticking again, its final 7 years (known as Daniel’s 70th Week) unfolding. God’s attention will again be focused on Israel.

The Jews will begin Temple construction assisted by the anti-Christ (Dan 9:27) in what will be his first big move to establish himself as the god of this world. 3 1/2 years later he will stand in this very Temple and proclaim himself to be God, a declaration that will jump start the Great Tribulation. (Matt. 24:15 & 2 Thes. 2:4) So Ezekiel’s battle must be inserted into the window of time between the rebirth of the nation in 1948 and the rebuilding of the Temple, still in the future. You can see why prophecy students are so interested. Israel’s return to God, the Rapture of the Church, Daniel’s 70th week, the Coming Temple, the introduction of the anti-Christ, the Great Tribulation and the 2nd Coming are all somehow impacted by this battle. (Although the Rapture can happen at any time, I believe Rom. 11:25 says it has to happen before the beginning of Daniel’s 70th Week) Can you imagine any event more critical to the fulfillment of End Times prophecies?

A Peaceful and Unsuspecting People

So what else has to happen before this battle can take place? The participants are in place and it’s no secret that they’re in the final stages of preparation. Nor is their intent a mystery. Iran has openly predicted Israel’s soon coming demise, and Turkey has finally taken its place in the Moslem Coalition Ezekiel described.

There’s just one other condition. Israel is described as living in safety in Ezek. 38:8 at the time of the attack. The Hebrew word translated safety there is betach. Of 42 Old Testament appearances, it’s translated into some form of the word safety 28 times. (One meaning of the word is careless, in the sense that the people feel so safe they’re not being cautious.) To underscore the attitude in Israel at the time of the attack, Ezekiel calls them a land of unwalled villages, a peaceful and unsuspecting people, living without gates and bars (Ezekiel 38:11).

It’s safe to say that none of these conditions exist in Israel today. Two thirds of a proposed 436 mile long security fence has been built to prevent Palestinian terrorists from crossing into Israel, so it’s decidedly not a land of unwalled villages. The Jewish people know there are up to 40,000 rockets and missiles pointed at them, leaving no part of Israel safe from attack. Then there’s the Gaza blockade crisis. Last week Hezbollah and Iran announced their intention to break the blockade with ships that were ready to set sail on a moments notice. Israel responded quickly, saying they’d be treated like enemy ships if they entered its territorial waters. (As of this week both have been at least temporarily held back by pressure from the international community. Had this not been the case, we’d literally be hearing the opening salvos of Psalm 83 by now.) For months, Israel’s military leaders have been telling their troops to prepare for war this summer.

These are not the actions of a peaceful and unsuspecting people. In fact, persistent rumors have Israel preparing to launch a pre-emptive attack against Iran. According to DEBKAfile Israeli bombers have been secretly positioned in Azerbaijan causing Iran to declare a state of war along its nearby border and position troops there, and it has also been reported that Israeli aircraft have the green light to overfly Saudi Arabia enroute to an attack on Iran.

Observers have called this summer the time when things will change forever in the Middle East. Whatever happens will not be the long awaited Battle of Ezekiel 38 but it will certainly be setting the stage for it. We’ve already discussed the Psalm 83 and Isaiah 17 scenarios. A pre-emptive attack on Iran could easily trigger the fulfillment of these prophecies and decisive victories could put Israel into the state of mind consistent with one meaning of the Hebrew word betach; feeling so safe they’re no longer being cautious. Time will tell. But more so now than ever before, you can almost hear the footsteps of the Messiah.


Related Links

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Iran says plan to send ship to Gaza still on - CNN
Palestinian TV host: Jews are 'our enemies' - Israel Today
US Joint Chiefs head to visit Israel - Jerusalem Post
Israel On the Brink – Reported Secret Base Near Tabuk, Saudi Arabia - RedState
Children's Stories of the Bible The Adult Version - Jack Kelley (Book)

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2012: The Coming Perfect Storm

By Jack Kinsella
The Omega Letter

In early September in 1859, telegraph wires suddenly began to short out, igniting wide-spread fires across both the United States and Europe. The Earth had been hit by a perfect solar storm.

A solar storm is created when the sun erupts, sending charged particles racing outward in an expanding plasma bubble of hot gas. In 1859, four crucial events came together to create that perfect storm.

First the blob of plasma that was ejected hit the earth full on. Secondly, the magnetic fields of the ejected coronal mass was exceptionally intense.

Third, it hit at unusually high velocity. A typical solar storm can take two to four days to cover the 93 million miles of space separating the two. The 1859 storm took less than 18 hours to cover the distance.

And finally, the coronal magnetic field hit the earth from the opposite direction from the earth’s protective magnetic field called the “solar wind.”

During the 1859 flare-up, solar observers logged almost an entire minute during which the amount of sunlight doubled at the region of the flare.

"Such a strong white-light flare has never been seen since," says Paal Brekke, SOHO deputy project scientist. "So if this type of flare happened, yes we would know right away."

But he adds that the orientation of Earth's magnetic field would not be known. That can't be determined without some kind of space-based observation platform. And the orientation of the Earth's protective magnetic field determines how much damage the earth will sustain.

In August 1972, a 230,000-volt transformer at the British Columbia Hydroelectric Authority blew up when shifting magnetic fields induced a current spike. On March 13, 1989, a storm plunged Quebec into a complete power blackout, affecting millions.

To get some sense of the relative strength of the 1859 solar storm, a space storm’s impact is measured in nT’s or nano-Teslas.

The storm that fried Quebec’s power grid in 1989 measured 589 nT’s. The perfect storm in 1859 measured a whopping 1,760 nTs.

According to a new study from the National Academy of Sciences, if a coronal mass ejection creating the size solar storm that hit in 1859 were to strike today, the damage could be catastrophic.

"A contemporary repetition of the [1859] event would cause significantly more extensive (and possibly catastrophic) social and economic disruptions,” concluded the study.

"Impacts would be felt on interdependent infrastructures with, for example, potable water distribution affected within several hours; perishable foods and medications lost in 12-24 hours; immediate or eventual loss of heating/air conditioning, sewage disposal, phone service, transportation, fuel resupply and so on.”

Banks could close for months and international trade could grind to a halt.

"Emergency services would be strained, and command and control might be lost," write the researchers, led by Daniel Baker, director of the Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics at the University of Colorado in Boulder.

"Whether it is terrestrial catastrophes or extreme space weather incidents, the results can be devastating to modern societies that depend in a myriad of ways on advanced technological systems," Baker said in a statement released with the report.

Solar activity runs in eleven year cycles between what is called the solar minimum and solar maximum periods. The next solar maximum is forecast to be on par if not worse than the perfect storm of 1859.

That storm is forecast to hit the earth some time towards the end of 2012.

"And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring; Men's hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken." (Luke 21:25)

At a January 2009 meeting of the American Astronomical Society astronomers discussed a mysterious cosmic ‘roar’ first detected in July 2006.

NASA’s Columbia Scientific Balloon Facility in Palestine, Texas launched a balloon-borne instrument that reached at altitude of 120,000 feet at the point where the earth’s atmosphere meets the vacuum of space.

The project’s mission was to search the sky for faint signs of heat from the first generation of stars. Instead, they detected a ‘roar’ emanating from the distant reaches of the universe.

The discovery prompted Alan Kogut of NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center to exclaim to his colleagues that “there is something new and interesting going on in the Universe.”

"The universe really threw us a curve," Kogut said. "Instead of the faint signal we hoped to find, here was this booming noise six times louder than anyone had predicted."

Detailed analysis of the signal ruled out primordial stars or any known radio sources, including gas in the outermost halo of our own galaxy.

Other radio galaxies also can't account for the noise — there just aren't enough of them.

"You'd have to pack them into the universe like sardines," said study team member Dale Fixsen of the University of Maryland. "There wouldn't be any space left between one galaxy and the next."

The signal is measured to be six times brighter than the combined emission of all known radio sources in the universe.

In October 2003 , the Omega Letter reported on "Sunspot 484" a sunspot ten times larger than the Earth that caused a radio blackout on October 19th.

"Larry Combs, a forecaster with the NOAA Space Environment Center’s Space Weather Operations, said that this region has developed rapidly over the last three to four days. “It’s somewhat unusual to have this much activity when we’re approximately three-and-a-half years past solar maximum,” he said. “In fact, just last week, solar activity was very low with an almost spotless sun.”

The November 4, 2003 issue of the Omega Letter opened with these words:

"The sun erupted three more times in less than 24 hours, bringing the number of major eruptions to nine in less than two weeks. Scientists have been monitoring the solar cycles since 1755. There has never been a string of activity like this.. . ."

The September 12, 2005 Omega Letter discussed the unusual eruption of seven separate solar flares during the midpoint of the current Solar Cycle 23's minimum cycle. We noted then that;

"By the midpoint of 2000, the number of solar events peaked about 400% above normal. . . . What is particularly fascinating is what is emerging as a pattern of unusual solar activity, dating to about 1948, as noted by the American Institute of Physics in its bulletin number 658 published in 2003 by Phillip F. Schewe, Ben Stein, and James Riordon."

Note closely the three dates mentioned here. The pattern of unusual solar activity began in 1948. They peaked in 2000 as we crossed the threshold into the 21st century. And NASA is forecasting what may be the most destructive solar storm in human history, due to strike the Earth sometime in late 2012!

"And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh.” (Luke 21:28)

Related Links

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NASA: Solar Storm Could Cause 20 Times the Damage of Hurricane Katrina - BPB (Jimmy DeYoung)
Nasa solar flare space storm warning: a British scientist writes - Telegraph
Dire warning: U.S. unprepared for massive solar flare storm; could lose power, communications - New York Daily News
Absence of sunspots make scientists wonder if they’re seeing a calm before a storm of energy - Updated News
The Last Generation - Jack Kinsella (Book)

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Radically Improved

By Greg Laurie
Harvest Ministries

This may come as a revelation to some, but our bodies were not meant to last forever. They are a temporary place to house our souls. The Bible tells us, "For we know that when this earthly tent we live in is taken down (that is, when we die and leave this earthly body), we will have a house in heaven, an eternal body made for us by God himself and not by human hands" (2 Corinthians 5: 2).

Our new bodies will, in some ways, be like our old bodies, but in other ways they will be different — and without question, radically improved. Our minds will be redeemed from the limitations that sin has placed upon them. As we get older, we tend to forget more and more things, like the names of certain people and where we parked the car. But in heaven, our minds will be operating at maximum capacity. We will know more in heaven than we know on Earth. As 1 Corinthians 15:43 says, "Our bodies are buried in brokenness, but they will be raised in glory. They are buried in weakness, but they will be raised in strength." There will be no effects of aging. There will be no disabilities.

Our resurrection bodies will resemble that of Jesus, because 1 John 3:2 tells us, "Dear friends, we are already God's children, but he has not yet shown us what we will be like when Christ appears. But we do know that we will be like him, for we will see him as he really is."

It is great to think about heaven, because we have so much to look forward to. But while we are looking forward to it, let's also pray that God will help us to make a difference on Earth.


Related Links

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Resurrections in Review - SpiritandTruth.org (Andy Woods)
When will the Resurrection take place? - GotQuestions.org
Christ in His Resurrection - Blue Letter Bible Commentary (John Walvoord)
Our Resurrection Bodies - Grace to You (John MacArthur)
Signs of the Times What the Bible says about The Rapture, Antichrist, Armagedon, Heaven and Hell - Greg Laurie (Book)

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This Week on 'The Hal Lindsey Report'

By Hal Lindsey
The Hal Lindsey Report

I believe we are approaching a critical moment in the determination of our nation's future. Our President is facing multiple crises: the Gulf oil spill, the change of leadership in Afghanistan, the looming military showdown with Iran, the future attempts by Muslim nations to bust the Israeli blockade of Hamas, the plummeting housing market, the stagnant jobs picture, the impending bankruptcy of several states, and more. Yet his focus seems to be on securing passage of radical legislation like the disastrous 'cap and trade' bill designed to hamstring our energy policies and our nation's economic future. I think the greatest crisis we're facing, though, is a "Crisis of Cynicism" - the President's own cynicism about the uniqueness of America and the true value of its heritage, its strengths, and its sovereignty.

You may be saying, "Uh-oh, here he goes again. Hal is mixing politics and religion. Doesn't he know ministers aren't supposed to do that?" I've got news for you. Religion and politics are two sides of the same coin. You cannot fully appreciate the Gospel story without an understanding of the prevailing religion and politics of the time. What's more, understanding the political events and trends of our day is essential to understanding the outline of unfolding Bible prophecy.

Many consider Sir Isaac Newton to be history's greatest scientist. He was also a Christian. His study of the Book of Daniel, Observations Upon the Prophecies of Daniel and the Apocalypse of St. John, was published more than four centuries ago. In it, he concluded,

"About the time of the end, a body of men will be raised up, who will turn their attention to the prophecies, in the midst of much clamour and opposition."

That statement is true on many levels. However, one that especially concerns me is the insistence by some that those of us who study prophecy should refrain from applying the Bible's predictions to any of the political happenings or trends of our day. Remember, the PURPOSE of prophecy is to warn the reader, viewer, and listener that time is growing short to make a decision for Christ. Our job is to show HOW prophecy is being fulfilled in our world today and to warn people to get right with God. Like it or not, our world is run by governments. Governments run on politics. To a huge extent, politicians determine the course of our lives. They decide what we can and cannot do. Soon, they'll decide what we can and cannot say. All of the processes that make possible the fulfillment of the prophecies concerning our world will be political processes. In light of this, if anything demands our attention, it should be politics. After all, the Antichrist is not going to be a master magician. He's going to be a master politician!

The lynch pin of all Bible prophecy for the last days is the existence of a Jewish State called "Israel." There is no question that Israel is, hands-down, the most hated nation in the world today. The 'Jewish Question' is one of the most perplexing issues of our time. Yet, despite the formidable contribution of Jews (only .5% of the global population) to the world's culture, economy, religion, science, and education; despite the fact that Israel has the only Western-style representative democracy in the Middle East; despite the fact that she has been under siege by her enemies the entire 62 years she has existed, surviving five wars of annihilation launched against her; and despite the fact that the industrialized world is literally at war with radical Islam, when it comes to choosing sides between Israel (one of us!) and the self-declared enemies of the West, the West sides with the enemy!

The Bible says that in the last days Israel will stand alone against the world. Today, Israel, more and more, stands alone against the world.

Finally, this week I'm going to show you a brief 'commercial' for an upcoming conference in the Chicago area. No, I'm not doing a prophecy seminar there. It is, in fact, a conference dealing with how to further the establishment of the worldwide Muslim Caliphate right here in America. In fact, this commercial suggests that one of the topics will be "The Fall of Capitalism. The Rise of Islam." Hey, I guess I'm not the only one who mixes politics and religion!

Don't miss this week's Report on TBN, Daystar, Inspiration, CPM Network, various local stations, http://www.hallindsey.com/ or http://www.hischannel.com/. Check your local listings.


Related Links

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America's Christian Heritage: Is America based on Christian principles? - Lamplighter magazine
Does God expect Christians to vote? - GotQuestions.org
White House welcomes Shariah finance specialist - WorldNetDaily
Do You Know What Khilafah Is? Have You Heard of Hizb Ut-Tahrir America? - Associated Content
The Everlasting Hatred: The Roots of Jihad - Hal Lindsey (Book)

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