Fulfillment of the Dead Sea Prophecy Has Begun

Fulfillment of the Dead Sea Prophecy Has Begun - By Adam Eliyahu Berkowitz -

http://www.breakingisraelnews.com/72711/fulfillment-dead-sea-prophecy-begun/?utm_source=Breaking+Israel+News&utm_campaign=f50c789a35-BIN_morning_7_16&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_b6d3627f72-f50c789a35-86588445#YsrS1VUwAexPwZYE.97

 

"And it shall come to pass in that day that living waters shall go out from Yerushalayim: half of them toward the eastern sea and half of them toward the western sea; in summer and in winter shall it be." Zechariah 14:8 (The Israel Bibleâ„¢)

 

Almost ten times saltier than the ocean, nothing can live in the Dead Sea's hypersaline environment - Or so scientists thought until recently. Scientific research has proved the existence of life at the bottom of the sea, but due to a unique set of circumstances, signs of life have begun appearing on its very shores, precisely as it is written in the Book of Prophets.

 

A young woman on a nature hike was shocked recently when she discovered freshwater ponds with fish on the shores of the Dead Sea. Samantha Siegel, a Jewish woman living in Jerusalem, often takes trips to the desert and the ancient body of water. On a recent visit, she encountered an incongruous sight with powerful implications: a prophecy appearing before her eyes that seemed to contradict the laws of nature.

 

The Dead Sea is, as its name implies, dead. More than 400 meters below sea level, it is the lowest point on dry land. No life can exist in its ultra-salty waters and its shores are coated with a thick layer of salt that kills any plant.

 

Its inhospitality has been documented for centuries. A mosaic on the floor of a church in Medeba, Jordan, showing a map for Byzantine pilgrims on their way to the Holy Land, illustrates this. It features a picture of fish swimming down the Jordan River and then turning around once they arrive at the waters of the Dead Sea.

 

The Bible, however, describes a very different picture of the region. Lot looked out on the valley where the Dead Sea is now and saw an incredibly fertile and well-watered region.

 

 

And Lot lifted up his eyes, and beheld all the plain of the Jordan, that it was well watered every where, before Hashem destroyed Sdom and Gomorrah, like the garden of Hashem. Genesis 13:10

 

The Bible relates that the landscape changed when the fire and brimstone destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah turned the valley into a wasteland. Indeed, people who visit the Dead Sea today would find it difficult to envision a garden in the arid region.

 

Even more perplexing are the Messianic prophecies that water will flow east from Jerusalem into the Dead Sea, and these bitter waters will fill up with fish and the surrounding desert will be teeming with life.

 

Then said he unto me: 'These waters issue forth toward the eastern region and shall go down into the Arabah; and when they shall enter into the sea into the sea of the putrid waters the waters shall be healed. And it shall come to pass that every living creature wherewith it swarmeth whithersoever the rivers shall come shall live; and there shall be a very great multitude of fish; for these waters are come thither that all things be healed and may live whithersoever the river cometh. Ezekiel 47:8-9

 

The water level at the Dead Sea has been receding at the fantastic rate of up to one meter every year. This is due to water being diverted from the Jordan River for agricultural purposes and evaporation caused by the Dead Sea mineral works. The dropping water level has led to sinkholes appearing on the shores of the Dead Sea. On a visit to the arid region, Siegel discovered that many of these pools have been filling up with sweet fresh water, and even more incredibly, fish.

 

The proof is undeniable. Siegel produced a video in which fish are clearly seen swimming on the shores of the Dead Sea, and she films herself swimming in a large pool surrounded by green plants.

 

Fresh water at the Dead Sea is a clear example of how the prophets were able to see things that remained hidden from scientists for thousands of years. In 2011, a team of researchers from Ben Gurion University in the Negev sent divers to the floor of the Dead Sea. This endeavor posed serious technical difficulties as the super-saline environment renders regular scuba gear inoperable. It was the first time such a dive had ever been made, and what they discovered was astounding.

 

The researchers discovered huge craters on the seafloor, 15 meters across and 20 meters deep. Fresh water was flowing from these craters, which were carpeted with mats of microorganisms, showing that the Dead sea was not entirely dead. The beginnings of the prophecy are in place, waiting to spring forth.

 

Perhaps the most remarkable aspect of this Biblical prophecy appearing in plain sight is, as Siegel stated in her video, "This is a big deal, and no one is really talking about it."

 

Can We Trust Prophecy?

Can We Trust Prophecy? - Alf Cengia - http://www.omegaletter.com/articles/articles.asp?ArticleID=8278

 

Can we trust prophecy? Some people caution against it.

 

Over the years there have been various attacks mounted on the study of prophecy. Many of these have focused on recent infamous (and failed) predictions of Christ's Second Coming made by certain individuals. During the course of time there have been spectacular failures - beginning with some church fathers, Adventist Ellen G. White in the mid 1800s, and right up to now.

 

I remember reading a persistent preterist's long rants in one forum. He loved recalling these failures and often remarked that prophecy enthusiasts would die in vain waiting for Christ's return. Of course, the preterist insisted that Christ had already returned in 70AD.

 

I reminded him that if Christ returned in 70 AD, then it was a "secret coming" because no one ever noticed. Hippolytus and Irenaeus mustn't have got the memo, as they were still looking for Christ's coming in their day. How could they miss such a grand event?

 

At first, it was fun jousting with him. Well, sort of. I presumed that citing Scripture might get him to rethink his eschatology. I was naive. He was as slippery as a well-oiled fish, determined to escape the obvious meaning of the texts I submitted. In the end, the debates achieved nothing. The rants always called 2 Peter 3:3-4 to mind.

 

Covenant Theology (CT) is inevitably linked to criticisms of prophecy in general. Unfortunately, our non-pretribulational premil friends often join the amillennial and postmillennial chorus of disapproval of dispensationalism and prophecy.

 

A protestant posttribber once sided with a Catholic against me as I defended pretribulationism. One reason he did so was because he saw dispensationalism as a larger threat. He shared the Catholic amillennial view that the church was true Israel. Hence he defaulted to the CT idea that the New Testament re-interprets Old Testament prophecy.

 

The CT position is that prophetic promises to Israel are fulfilled in the church. This approach is what unites CT historic premillennialists like Craig Blomberg with amillennialists such as Sam Storms and Gary Burge. They are joined by prophecy skeptics such as apologist William Lane Craig, who I wrote about previously.

 

Another popular argument is that prophecy is too ambiguous to be certain of its meaning. Or that it must be understood within its metaphoric and contemporary filters.

 

In Plowshares and Pruning Hooks, D Brent Sandy argued for a paradigm shift to de-emphasize the search for futuristic details in prophetic literature. He claimed that the dispensational emphasis on a literal hermeneutic often missed points which prophets intended for their contemporary audiences.

 

Interestingly, even though amillennialist Sam Storms recommended the book (for obvious reasons), he still had some reservations. Those interested can find an in-depth critical review (video, audio and notes) of Brent Sandy's book by Charlie Clough at Dean Bible Ministries.

 

G. K. Beale's name often comes up as an authoritative voice in discussions on hermeneutics and prophecy. Notably, he's also an amillennialist and supersessionist. However, his conclusions are influenced by his presumption that OT covenant promises to Israel were fulfilled by Christ at His first advent. This isn't always taken into consideration.

 

Dr. Michael Heiser recently wrote:

 

Many scholars and Bible students have proposed all sorts of things for interpreting what the Bible says about end times, but anything approximating precision is not possible. ~ The Unseen Realm (page 349)

 

Dr. Heiser also contends that OT Messianic prophecy was deliberately cryptic; that "the biblical text is riddled with ambiguities" which undermine the certainty of modern eschatological systems. He claims NT writers didn't always interpret OT prophecy literally. Moreover, he believes that much is communicated via the framework of the ancient Near East (ANE) view.

 

Michael Heiser is well thought of in academic circles. While his book focuses on the Divine Council theory, statements like the above will influence readers. I think that's very unfortunate. I might also note that "ambiguities" haven't prevented Heiser from formulating his own biblical conclusions.

 

Scholars such as Dr. Michael Vlach "Has the Church Replaced Israel?" and Dr. Michael Rydelnik "The Messianic Hope" challenge assertions that Messianic prophecies are overly cryptic - and that NT writers modified the OT understanding, thus undermining certainty (e.g., Acts 15:15-18 & Amos 9:11-12).

 

Walter Kaiser, John Sailhamer and E. W. Hengstenberg had no difficulty identifying messianic prophecies. See also David Limbaugh's "The Emmaus Code." Far from cryptic, Jesus expected the disciples to have understood what was prophesied of Him in the OT (Luke 24:25).

 

Those who depart from the literalness of Genesis 1-3 are bound to also question the prophetic books. Genesis views held by the likes of Heiser, Peter Enns, Tim Keller and John Walton have been challenged linguistically, hermeneutically, theologically and scientifically etc. See Jonathan Sarfati's "The Genesis Account" and "What happened in the Garden" edited by Abner Chou.

 

A Heiser fan once told me that the dispensational understanding of prophecy was insufficient and that there were deeper meanings to be mined. He used the buzzword "humility." However, insofar as prophetic promises to Israel were concerned his "deeper meaning" simply meant an abrogation and transference to the church.

 

At the risk of sounding arrogant, many who drop the "humble" line are often adamant they're right about their particular interpretations. We mentioned Emmaus earlier - the same OT which predicted the Messiah first advent also anticipates a glorious future for redeemed Israel.

 

Perhaps this is the area where the problem lies.

 

We agree that there's plenty of room for humility, and some areas of uncertainty when discussing prophecy. For example, there's honest debate regarding the Antichrist's ethnicity, the timing of Gog-Magog, the timing of the rapture and more. We cannot always be precise and we can't always assume current events contain prophetic portents.

 

However, when we remove national Israel from the prophetic canvass we create enormous gaps in the Big Picture.

 

The Book of Revelation is filled with OT allusions inexorably linked to God's redemptive plan for national Israel. The OT is saturated with millennial kingdom promises which relate to covenants given to Israel. Moreover, the prophetic books, the Olivet Discourse and the Book of Revelation discuss events and conditions just before the return of Messiah.

 

These prophecies weren't given to be ignored. They are revelatory promises of hope and they are warnings. And, like it or not, a central piece is Israel.

 

Is this the generation which misses out on the clues to Christ's premillennial return because they've capitulated to eschatological agnosticism by excising Israel from prophecy?

 

Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written in it; for the time is near. Rev 1:3

 

Are we paying attention?

An 'Unprecedented' Wildfire Hits California at The Same Time 'Unprecedented' Heat Strikes the East Coast

An 'Unprecedented' Wildfire Hits California at The Same Time 'Unprecedented' Heat Strikes the East Coast - By Michael Snyder - http://endoftheamericandream.com/archives/an-unprecedented-wildfire-hits-california-at-the-same-time-unprecedented-heat-strikes-the-east-coast

 

It is starting to look more than just a little bit "apocalyptic" out there.  If you follow my work closely, you already know that weather patterns in the United States have been going absolutely crazy and that last year was the worst year for wildfires in all of U.S. history.  Well, this week things have gotten even worse.  A "heat dome" has brought triple digit temperatures to much of the country, and an "unprecedented" wildfire is ripping through the hills north of Los Angeles "like a freight train".  The so-called Sand Fire started on Friday, and since that time it has been burning 10,000 acres a day.  An acre is approximately the size of a football field, so that means this fire has been burning the equivalent of 10,000 football fields every single day, and it is only "10 percent contained" at this point.

 

According to the latest count more than 51 square miles have been burned by this voracious fire, and on Sunday smoke from the fire could be seen 270 miles away in Las Vegas.  Nearly 3,000 firefighters are currently battling the blaze, but the fire still seems to have the upper hand.

 

At least one "charred corpse" has been found so far, and officials are hoping that other nearby residents are heeding their calls to evacuate.  Fires of this nature are extremely serious, and they can move with astonishing speed when the conditions are right.

 

This five-year drought is the worst multi-year drought in the recorded history of the state of California, and such dry conditions are ideal for wildfires.  Normally we don't see "explosive" wildfires of this nature until later in the year, and that is one reason why authorities are describing what we have seen up to this point as "almost unprecedented".  The following comes from NBC Los Angeles...

 

"This fire, what we've seen in 72 hours, is almost unprecedented," said Los Angeles County Fire Department Battalion Chief Dennis Cross. "We'd have to go back a long way to compare a fire to this. And, we're not through with this thing yet."

 

Some of the terms that are being used in the mainstream media to describe this fire are "extreme", "ferocious" and "like a freight train".  Without a doubt, nobody should be underestimating the seriousness of what is taking place in northern Los Angeles County right now...

 

Flames raced down a steep hillside "like a freight train," leaving smoldering remains of homes and forcing thousands to flee the wildfire churning through tinder-dry canyons in Southern California, authorities said Sunday.

 

The fire that has destroyed at least 18 homes in northern Los Angeles County gained ferocious new power two days after it broke out, sending so much smoke in the air that planes making drops on it had to be grounded for part of the afternoon.

 

"For this time of year, it's the most extreme fire behavior I've seen in my 32-year career," County fire Chief Daryl Osby said.

 

Nearby residents are posting plenty of photos from this fire on Facebook and Twitter, and some of these photos look quite apocalyptic.  Even with all of our advanced technology, this kind of thing can still happen in the United States of America today, and it shows us that we are not quite as "all-powerful" as we would like to think.

 

Meanwhile, another brutal heat wave continues to march across the country.  Washington is the only one of the lower 48 states not to be hit by at least 90 degree heat, and many areas of the country have now had several days in a row when temps have soared into the triple digits.  The following comes from the Daily Mail...

 

An oppressive 'heat dome' that has brought triple-digit temperatures across the US - leaving more than 100 million people to find ways to cool off - has been blamed for at least 11 deaths.

 

Temperatures have soared above 100F for days and the heat wave is expected to continue Monday in cities including New York, Washington, DC and Philadelphia as it hosts the Democratic National Convention.

 

The heat wave's victims include a 12-year-old boy, who collapsed on a hike in the Phoenix area, a three-year-old boy who was left in a hot car while his family attended a church service in Dallas, and a four-year-old girl who was left in a car in Williamsport, Pennsylvania.

 

Personally, I find it very interesting that this "heat dome" is striking Philadelphia on the exact day when the Democratic National Convention is opening.

 

Perhaps this is just another one of those "strange coincidences" that we have been witnessing in recent months.

 

We live at a time when global weather patterns are starting to spin wildly out of control.  For instance, just check out what has been happening in China lately...

 

Some 8.6 million people have been affected by destructive floods and landslides caused by heavy rain in China, local media report. Officials said that at least 154 people have been killed and the death toll is likely to rise.

 

The worst-hit was Hebei province in northern China, Xinhua news agency reported. Some 52,000 homes collapsed in the area. Hebei has about 73 million residents.

 

At least 114 people have been killed and 111 are still missing in the province, according to the  People's Daily newspaper.

 

And just consider what we have been seeing in the United States...

 

-The worst multi-year drought in the history of the state of California

 

-The worst year for wildfires in all of U.S. history

 

-The worst stretch of historic floods America has ever seen

 

-One of the worst periods of summer heat the nation has ever experienced

 

Is this all happening by accident, or is there some explanation that ties all of these things together?

 

In my latest book, I talk about how the Bible says that we should expect extreme weather, increased seismic activity and major earth changes during the time just before the return of Jesus Christ.

 

So nothing that is happening right now should take us by surprise.

 

In fact, what we are dealing with at the moment is likely just the tip of the iceberg.

 

Great chaos is coming to our planet, and rapidly shifting weather patterns and unprecedented seismic events are going to have a dramatic impact on all of our lives.

 

Unfortunately, most people are still busy snoozing away, and so they are not taking practical steps to get prepared for what is quickly closing in on us.

Acceleration Another Day, Another Massacre

Acceleration Another Day, Another Massacre - By Bobby Blanton - http://raptureready.com/soap2/blanton9.html

 

 "But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days" ( 2 Timothy 3:1).

 

The Bible warned us that society would degenerate in the end times, becoming as evil as it was in the days of Noah (Matthew 24:37-39). The apostle Paul, speaking as a prophet, said that the world would descend into a black pit of immorality, violence, and paganism (2 Timothy 3:1-5).

 

Jesus said that as lawlessness increases, "most people's love will grow cold" (Matthew 24:12). Paul indicates the same thing when he says that people will be "haters of good" and that they will therefore be "brutal" and "reckless," reviling those who stand for righteousness (2 Timothy 3:2-4).

 

We are watching these prophecies come true today before our very eyes, both here in America and around the world. The attacks are going to intensify, and it is going to become increasingly difficult for Christians to stand for righteousness.

 

HOW LATE IS IT? TAKE A LOOK YOU DECIDE...

 

This week we have been shocked again to another horrific news story, out of France:

 

... Islamists storm Church in France and behead Catholic Priest during mass, ISIS has claimed responsibility.

 

... Last night breaking news out of Japan, Knife attacker slaughters 19 and wounds 45 in a home for the disabled home.

 

...Yesterday morning breaking news out of Fort Myers, Florida ... 2 teenagers dead, 20 wounded in mass shooting at teen party in Florida nightclub.

 

... Day before breaking news out of Germany ... Terror strikes two German cities...German Mayor Confirms Blast Killing 1, Injuring 11 was a Terror Attack, ISIS claims responsibility.

 

... Germany machete Terror attack ... Muslim Syrian asylum seeker murders 'pregnant' woman, injured 2 in Reutlingen outside cafe

 

... Day before breaking news out of Germany ... 9 Teenagers Dead 21 injured in mass shooting "Attack" at McDonald's and Munich Mall

 

... Day before breaking news out of Germany ... ISIS claims responsibility for Muslim refugee ax and knife attack on German train that critically injured several.

 

...A couple days earlier breaking news out of Nice, France...Muslim Terrorist driving truck kills 84, 10 are children, over 100 injured at Bastille Day celebrations.

 

... Day before ... Kansas police officer Ambushed and killed by Black Terrorists.

 

... Day before ... Police chief: Missouri officer ambushed and shot in the neck is paralyzed.

 

... Baton Rouge ... Black terrorist ambushes and murders 3 police officers injured 7.

 

... Dallas, Texas ... Black terrorist ambushes and murders 5 police officers injured 7.

 

... Orlando ... Muslim Terrorist murders 49 injured 53.

 

... Paris ... Muslim Terrorists murder 130 injured 368.

 

... Brussels ... Muslim Terrorist murder 35 injured over 300.

 

... San Bernardino ... Muslim Terrorists murder 14 injured 24.

 

Paul provides us with a spiritual mirror for end time conduct. He says we are to "deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus" (Titus 2:12-13).

 

Jesus is our only hope!

 

Bobby

 

100 Years Later, Palestinians Call to Sue England Over Balfour Declaration

100 Years Later, Palestinians Call to Sue England Over Balfour Declaration - By Abra Forman - http://www.breakingisraelnews.com/72646/100-years-later-palestinians-call-sue-england-balfour-declaration/#VIYqHYrqdjEYpQkF.97

 

"For, lo, the days come, saith Hashem, that I will turn the captivity of My people Yisrael and Yehudah, saith Hashem; and I will cause them to return to the land that I gave to their fathers, and they shall possess it." Jeremiah 30:3 (The Israel Bibleâ„¢)

 

The Palestinian Authority (PA) announced its intentions on Sunday to sue Great Britain for the 1917 Balfour Declaration and the subsequent establishment of a Jewish state.

 

In a statement made at an Arab League meeting in the Mauritanian capital of Nouakchott, Palestinian Foreign Minister Riad al-Maliki, speaking for PA President Mahmoud Abbas, said that the Balfour Declaration, which affirmed British support for a Jewish homeland in the land of Israel, was directly responsible for the "Palestinian Nakba (Catastrophe)".

 

"Nakba" is the Arabic word used to refer to the founding of Israel in 1948 and implies the terrible suffering of Palestinians ever since.

 

"We are working to open up an international criminal case for the crime which they committed against our nation - from the days of the British Mandate all the way to the massacre which was carried out against us from 1948 onwards," declared al-Maliki.

 

He requested that the Secretary General of the Arab League assist the PA in "prosecuting the British government" for Balfour, which "caused this catastrophe against the Palestinian people."

 

Al-Maliki also took the opportunity to criticize Arab nations taking steps towards normalizing relations with Israel.

 

The Balfour Declaration, penned a century ago, consists of a three-sentence statement written by United Kingdom Foreign Secretary Lord Arthur James Balfour and sent to Walter Rothschild, a leader in Britain's Jewish community.

 

"His Majesty's government view with favour the establishment in Palestine of a national home for the Jewish people, and will use their best endeavors to facilitate the achievement of this object, it being clearly understood that nothing shall be done which may prejudice the civil and religious rights of existing non-Jewish communities in Palestine, or the rights and political status enjoyed by Jews in any other country."

 

It was the first official recognition of the Zionist project by a world power, leading to widespread legitimization of the cause and the eventual establishment of Israel.

 

In the Palestinian narrative, it is a tragedy which began the decades-long oppression of the Palestinian people and occupation of Palestinian land.

 

Every year around Israel's independence day, Palestinians commemorate "Nakba Day" by gathering throughout the country, marching, rioting and whipping up a fury of anger and violence.

This Present Darkness

This Present Darkness - Pete Garcia - http://www.omegaletter.com/articles/articles.asp?ArticleID=8279

 

In 1986, a virtually unknown Frank Peretti released his seminal and best to date, fiction book This Present Darkness.  In it, he uses a small town as the setting and unfolds for the reader the very real power struggle between a local pastor and the growing, conspiratorial sundry of various agencies that are working in a subversive plot to sabotage and overthrow the Christian faith in various areas of the town by way of New Age religious indoctrination.  At the very heart of all New Age agenda is the belief that humans can become as 'gods'.  We know that this was the very first lie that was ever mentioned in the Bible, when Satan masquerading as the serpent, presented this half-truth to Eve.

 

But while the book, in and of itself would be worthy of the read, Mr. Peretti also includes the very real unseen struggle between the spiritual forces of good fighting on the side of God, and the spiritual forces of the wicked one we know as Satan.  It is in the second arena I wish to take you, the reader on for a trip down the unseen lane.

 

For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.  Ephesians 6:12 (ESV)

 

The Apostle Paul, by way of inspiration of the Holy Spirit, breaks down the real war that goes on every second of every day here on earth.  The battle over the soul of men isn't fought with swords and bullets, its fought by something much more power...ideology.

 

As humans, we are unique in all of creation, in that we are first and foremost, created in the image of God.  We are given the ability to think, to create, to dream, and to question things beyond our limited understanding.  All of these are what has propelled the human race forward in regards to the accumulation of knowledge, and the advancements in technology.  Along the way, man has come to the point of his understanding that he began to pervert his knowledge of God.  This isn't some new thing, but dates back to the time of the first family.  First, with Eve and Adam's fall in the garden, but more evident with the willful rebellion of the first son, Cain;

 

And in the process of time it came to pass that Cain brought an offering of the fruit of the ground to the Lord. Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat. And the Lord respected Abel and his offering, but He did not respect Cain and his offering. And Cain was very angry, and his countenance fell.  So the Lord said to Cain, "Why are you angry? And why has your countenance fallen? If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin lies at the door. And its desire is for you, but you should rule over it."  Genesis 4:3-7

 

We all know the story, and how it ends.  But the lead up is of unique significance in that God is dealing directly with Cain and Abel.  At this point, Cain ignores what he knows and goes with what he thinks is worthy of an offering...which is subsequently rejected causing Cain to allow evil to fester in his heart.  At this point in Scripture, the only tradition that can even be alluded too, is that of the covering of skin that God provided Adam and Eve after their fall. (Gen. 3:21)  In order for God to have provided skins for them, something living would have had to die in their place.  So although not spelled out implicitly, it is demonstrated here through action and the principle that life is in the blood, and that innocent blood must be shed in order to atone for (or before Christ, cover) the sins of fallen man, is a concept that is carried forward throughout the rest of the bible. (Gen. 9:4; Leviticus 17:11; John 6:54)

 

For the rest of human history, tragedy and wickedness have been an ever-present companion along man's journey on the earth.  By the time Noah comes along (some 1,600 years after Adam), fallen angels had so corrupted mankind that God had to destroy mankind in order to save a remnant of them.  (Gen. 6:1-13)

 

So it is, that in the Bible alone, hundreds of stories play out where men, influenced by evil desires, seek to overthrow good.  In certain places, we get a peek behind the curtains if you will, to see that along the lines of national boundaries, there are also spiritual boundaries, in which angelic forces, both good and evil, work to influence men.  The book of Daniel records one such incident where an angel (presumably the angel Gabriel) came to speak to Daniel, who by this time, was an old man;

 

Then he said, "Do you know why I have come to you? And now I must return to fight with the prince of Persia; and when I have gone forth, indeed the prince of Greece will come. But I will tell you what is noted in the Scripture of Truth. (No one upholds me against these, except Michael your prince.  Daniel 10:20-21

 

Gabriel here, referring to the other angels (good and bad) as 'princes', who hold territorial sway over certain areas, certainly piques the interest of we, the readers.  Could it be that our world is broken down into angelic strongholds and that these strongholds, rally forth ideologies that damn men's eternal souls?  Absolutely yes.  Simply look across the world and see areas where particular religions hold sway, and understand that these aren't just geographical and cultural nuances.  There is power in these beliefs, and where it not so, they would have died out many years ago.  Most of the non-Christian world embraces their religious and philosophical beliefs as one and the same, and it impacts every area of their life.  Here are just a sampling of the predominant views in each area;

 

India- Hinduism, Jainism, Buddhism

 

China- Buddhism, Confucianism, Taoism

 

Japan- Shintoism

 

Iran- Shia Islam

 

Middle East- Sunni Islam

 

Africa- Tribal Religions, Christianity, Islam

 

Europe- Paganism, Roman Catholicism, Eastern Orthodox

 

South/Central America- Roman Catholicism

 

North America- Protestant, Roman Catholic Christianity, Secular Humanism

 

Assessment

 

The struggles these days, are not necessarily inside the strongholds, but on the fringes, where religious ideology is making forays into areas outside their traditional stomping grounds.  For instance, Southeast Asia (Pacifica) is a clash of cultures between the tribal, Islamic, and Roman Catholic worldviews.  Enclaves all around the Middle East are fighting between Sunni and Shia Islam with each trying to gain the territorial advantage.  Paganism, secular humanism (or atheism), Wicca, Hinduism, Buddhism, and Islam are all pressing hard into what was once considered "Christian" nations of Europe and North America.  But everywhere we look we see competing ideologies burgeoning forth for dominance.  These ideologies all have one thing in common, in that there are spiritual forces behind them, imposing themselves into the realm of man.

 

When Adam and Eve essentially forfeited their rightful claim to rule this planet from Eden when they fell, and handed that "title deed" of the earth, over to Satan. (Gen. 1:28-30)  By the time Christ came in the flesh to redeem mankind, this understanding was already well understood.  During His temptation, our Lord is confronted by Satan himself who tries to entice Jesus with unlimited authority and a world that would be given back over to Him, at least, superficially...

 

Then the devil, taking Him up on a high mountain, showed Him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. And the devil said to Him, "All this authority I will give You, and their glory; for this has been delivered to me, and I give it to whomever I wish. Therefore, if You will worship before me, all will be Yours."  Luke 4:5-7

 

Jesus responds;

 

And Jesus answered and said to him, "Get behind Me, Satan! For it is written, 'You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only you shall serve.' " (vs. 8)

 

Notice that Jesus doesn't dispute the claim made here by Satan.  Satan's offer was legitimate.  Had Jesus bowed down to worship Satan, I'm positive that this world we live in, would be 100% "Christian", at least, religiously.  Some might ask why though?  I mean, wasn't the Great Commission meant to convert the entire world make disciples of ALL nations? (Matt. 28:19-20)  Yes.  But here, Satan is offering the world to Jesus on a silver platter which circumvented redemption, and simply transferred allegiances that would have gained Christ the world, but lost the souls of every man, woman, and child henceforth.  This is why Christ rebukes him for it.

 

Again, this goes back to the principle of Genesis 1:21 and 9:4, and the law as found in Leviticus 17:11...and that man can only be redeemed by the shedding of innocent blood.  Christ had to die first in order to be that final, perfect, innocent sacrifice who would satiate that completely holy and perfect justice God the Father demanded...once and for all time (Hebrews 10:10-14).  This was the only means that could redeem a fallen man, back to a completely holy and righteous God.  Although I'm pretty sure Satan wasn't entirely sure of what Jesus's intentions were in regards to the Cross, I think he meant only to offer a shortcut which would gain Christ the "Kingdom", but damn mankind to an eternity in hell.  Had Satan known, I'm sure he would have done everything possible to make sure Christ wasn't crucified.

 

However, we speak wisdom among those who are mature, yet not the wisdom of this age, nor of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing. But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God ordained before the ages for our glory, which none of the rulers of this age knew; for had they known, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.                     1 Cor. 2:6-8

 

The real battle isn't over geographical territory, the real battle in the world today is over the souls of men.  And this is why all the world's religions, to include the religion of Christianity, comes up short in offering what man so desperately seeks...which is redemption.  Religion cannot save a man.  Salvation can only be found through a personal relationship with the one and only, living God...the Man, Christ Jesus.  Eternal salvation and redemption only comes to a man when he or she comes to the broken-hearted realization that they cannot save themselves through good works, religious traditions, money, wealth, power, philosophical reasonings, secret knowledge, or any other 'thing' or 'ism'.  Salvation is found in no other name than Jesus Christ. (Acts 4:10-12)

 

This is why Satan has spiritual boundaries.  This is why Satan has the world divided up into powers, rulers, authorities, and wickedness in high places.  He has to keep the world suppressed and in darkness, to prevent the 'salt and light' from overthrowing the illusion he's so carefully crafted.  This is why the world will tolerate drugs, false religions, homosexuality, abortion, racism, euthanasia, pornography, rape, murder, violence, cults, corruption, greed, pollution, abuse, slavery, and every other vile thing that enslaves and destroys mankind, but viscerally hates the name of Jesus Christ.

 

What we are seeing in this current present darkness, is a satanic world system whose value system is flipped on its head.  This is where evil is called good, and good, evil.  They (spiritual forces of darkness in high places) realize that their time is running short, and they are in full panic mode.  Satan is throwing out all the bells and whistles, and for a brief, brief period of time, God is increasingly allowing it, but only because it serves His purpose, which is to remove the Church, chastise and ultimately redeem Israel, and destroy the world system Satan has spent millennia crafting and suppressing.  (Daniel 9:24-27, Jeremiah 30:7-11, 1 Cor. 15:51-56)

 

Think about it this way, if God is true and the Bible is true, then any narrative that the world presents as 'truth' and conflicts with what the Bible says must be a lie because they can't both be true.  For instance, IF the universe and all therein came from an accidental 'Big Bang', then the Genesis account can't be true.  IF man came from apes (or Darwinian Evolution model), then man was not created by God in His own image.  IF there is no afterlife, and when we die, we just drift off into eternal blackness of nothingness then there cannot be heaven and hell.  IF all paths lead to God, then the Bible can't be true.  IF man can earn his own salvation through good works, then the Bible can't be true.  WHY NOT?  Because the Bible states that it is only through the finished work of Jesus Christ's death, burial, and resurrection, that man can be saved.

 

Therefore, any narrative that conflicts with Scripture is a lie then Satan MUST construct a myriad of lies to help prop up that false narrative.  Because once you start peeling away the lies, the whole false narrative starts to fall apart rather quickly.  This is why he has suppressed the world into spiritual kingdoms of darkness.  Since he himself is a created being, he has to rely on his lesser demons to do his bidding.  How exactly their rank structure works, I'm not sure.  But know this, that even though he currently holds sway over the earth, he is about to be evicted.  Known to the Father, is that point in which He will direct the Son, Jesus Christ, to remove His ambassador's from the earth.  (Philippians 3:20-21) He then will present Jesus as the Lamb of God, and the Lion of the Tribe of Judah, who is the only ONE worthy to redeem the earth and all therein.  Here is where we pick up the story in Revelation 5:6-10...

 

And I looked, and behold, in the midst of the throne and of the four living creatures, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as though it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent out into all the earth. Then He came and took the scroll out of the right hand of Him who sat on the throne.

 

Now when He had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each having a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. And they sang a new song, saying:

 

"You are worthy to take the scroll,

And to open its seals;

For You were slain,

And have redeemed us to God by Your blood

Out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation,

And have made us kings and priests to our God;

And we shall reign on the earth."

 

Even So, Maranatha!

The prophetic war of the world

The prophetic war of the world - Bill Wilson - www.dailyjot.com

 

The month of July has been extremely violent for Europe. Islamic terror attacks from July 14 through the 26 left a priest beheaded in Rouen, a doctor shot dead in Berlin, a woman killed with a machete in Reutlingen, a bomber killing himself and 15 others in Ansbach, a shooting rampage killing 9 in Munich, five injured by an axe wielder in Wurzburg, and the truck attack that killed 84 and injured scores more in Nice. This is in addition to bombers killing 32 in Brussels in March and the November 2015 attack in Paris, killing 130. Is Islam is at war with Europe? Can one make the assumption that the "migration of immigrants" from Islamic states to Europe is an invasion? What does it mean for the US?

 

The US "president" is doubling down on his efforts to introduce into the US tens of thousands of Muslims from terrorist-sponsoring states by the end of his term. AP reports that the White House is expanding its efforts to bring Central American illegals to come to the US legally. Yes, you read that right. No relief in sight if Hillary Clinton becomes president. Her campaign promise is to fast-track making illegals in America, as well as the so-called "refugees" from the terror-sponsoring areas, legal citizens. Already, violent crime has increased in the US over last year. Contributing to the homicide numbers are illegal immigrants and Islamic terrorists-some using guns in the most gun-restricted cities.

 

Observing reports from the Democratic National Convention, one could conclude that the Democratic Party is trying to harness the energy of anarchists and pander to every special interest group that has a beef with America, especially those who are here illegally, and those who are committing crime. It is almost as if the Democratic Party is fomenting a revolution to establish an anchor-hold for socialism by using every dissatisfied, angry, mentally anguished person they can find to pit in class warfare against one another, and against those who would naturally abide by the law. Law and order is becoming a large issue in America, especially as "immigrants" bring with them anarchy rather than assimilation.

 

The world is at war. It's not a conventional war. Islam is at war with the world. An ally of Islam is communism, or Marxism. If we can look at this through a different lens, it may become clearer. In WWII it was the Axis vs the Allies. The Axis was Germany, Japan, and Italy (Islam helped). The Allies were the US, Britain, France, the Soviet Union and China. It is clearer if one views this today as Islam, anarchists, and Marxists vs the US, Western Europe, and law-abiding peoples. Western nations don't want to admit they are at war, but it is clear that Islam is leading a coalition against the West. We may be seeing the foundation being laid for the prophecies of the end times when the Beast speaks blasphemies against God, deceives those on earth, and makes "war with the saints (Revelation 13:4-17)." Watch and pray.

Terror Attacks and Mass Killings Are Becoming a Daily Event

Terror Attacks and Mass Killings Are Becoming a Daily Event - By Michael Snyder - http://theeconomiccollapseblog.com/archives/terror-attacks-and-mass-killings-are-becoming-a-daily-event

 

Terror attacks and mass killings are happening so rapidly now that it is really difficult to keep up with them all.  In fact, as you will see below, so far there have been several this week alone.  This latest attack in France during which radical Islamic terrorists slit the throat of a Catholic priest was particularly disturbing.  Just a few days ago I warned that churches in the western world would be targeted, and now it is happening.  According to thereligionofpeace.com, there have been 1274 Islamic terror attacks in 2016.  These attacks have been spread across 50 different nations, and as a result of these attacks more than 11,000 people have been killed and more than 14,000 people have been injured.  When are we going to finally wake up and understand how serious this threat really is?

 

Very few people would have imagined that a sleepy Catholic church in France would be the target of an Islamic terror attack on Tuesday morning, but that is precisely what happened.  The following description of the attack comes from the New York Times...

 

Mass was ending around 9:30 a.m. when two young men with knives burst in. They forced the  auxiliary priest, the Rev. Jacques Hamel, 85, to kneel. When he resisted, they  slit his throat. They held several worshipers and at least one nun hostage, while another nun escaped. Officers from a specialized police unit descended on the church. A short while later, officers shot the young men dead when they emerged from the church.

 

We have all seen images of ISIS slitting the throats of Christians in the Middle East, but now it is taking place in Europe.

 

As the terrorists emerged from the church, they reportedly shouted "Allahu Akbar" before being shot dead by the police.

 

ISIS has already taken responsibility for the attack and is referring to these two young men as "two soldiers of the Islamic State".  And France knew that one of them had tried to go to Syria to join ISIS twice, but still allowed him to roam free for at least part of the day...

 

One of a pair of ISIS knifemen who stormed a church in Normandy before slitting the throat of an elderly priest has been named as known terror threat Adel Kermiche.

 

The 19-year-old 'ISIS soldier' was being monitored with an electronic ankle tag after he was arrested for twice attempting to flee France to join the terror group in Syria.

 

Despite having been released early from prison, Keriche's bail conditions allowed him to roam unsupervised between 8.30am and 12.30pm, leaving him free to murder the priest in the attack which was carried out between 9am and 11am.

 

This horrific attack in France came on the heels of a tremendous tragedy in Japan.  Mass killings are fairly rare over there, and so virtually the entire Japanese nation is in shock at this point.  The following comes from the Washington Post...

 

Early on Tuesday morning, a man identified as Satoshi Uematsu allegedly attacked a care home for disabled people in Sagamihara, about 35 miles west of Tokyo. Armed with three knives and tie cables, the assailant killed 19 people and wounded many before he drove to a police station and turned himself in.

 

And that mass killing in Japan came on the heels of a suicide bombing in Ansbach, Germany on Sunday...

 

The Syrian man who blew himself up outside a bar in Ansbach vowed the people of Germany "won't be able to sleep peacefully anymore" in a video filmed before the attack.

 

Investigators said the suicide bomber, known only as Mohammad D., had declared loyalty to Islamic State in the recording - and announced "a revenge act against Germans because they are standing in the way of Islam".

 

Further details have emerged about the 27-year-old, who injured 15 people - four of them seriously - when he detonated a backpack filled with explosives and shrapnel after being turned away from a music festival being attended by thousands of people.

 

Of course just prior to the suicide bombing in Ansbach, there were two other acts of terror in Germany that made headlines all over the globe...

 

The bombing has rattled the German public following a week of violence in southern Germany that began on July 18, when an immigrant teen, apparently also inspired by ISIS, stabbed passengers on a train in Wurzburg in Bavaria.

 

That was followed by a shooting spree Friday in which nine people were killed in the Bavarian state capital, Munich, before a Syrian asylum seeker killed a woman in Reutlingen, in the neighboring southern German state of Baden-Wurttemberg, on Sunday, hours ahead of the Ansbach attack.

 

Are you starting to get the point?

 

In the summer of 2016, it has been terror attack after terror attack and mass killing after mass killing.

 

And in this article I haven't even mentioned Orlando, Dallas, Nice or Baton Rouge at all.

 

As I have written about extensively, we have entered a period of time when our world seems to be going crazy.  The love of most people has grown cold, and we are being hammered with headlines about horrific acts of violence almost every single day now.

 

The terrorists are not just going after military and political targets.  In fact, they seem to take glee in hitting us where we are most vulnerable.

 

Just recently, I wrote about how all the members of one particular church here in America ended up on an ISIS kill list.  It appears that ISIS is collecting names from church directories and synagogue directories that they find on the Internet.  So if you run a church or a synagogue you should take note of this.

 

Even bigger attacks than we have seen so far are coming.  At some point Islamic terrorists will get their hands on chemical, biological and potentially even nuclear weapons, and they will not hesitate to use them.

 

Many of our politicians are promising to rid the world of these terrorists, but I don't think that they even know what we are really dealing with or how to really fight this battle.

 

After a decade and a half of dropping bombs and spending trillions of dollars fighting in the Middle East, the threat of Islamic terror is worse than ever.  And even nations that were never heavily involved in the "war on terror" are seeing Islamic terror rise to unprecedented levels.

 

The blind are leading the blind, and meanwhile the terror attacks and the mass killings are just going to continue to get even worse.