*Hillary Clinton: We could obliterate Iran
*Truce with Hamas must include Jerusalem as capital of Palestine
*Worldwide famine in the near future?
*Hamas cleric predicts Rome will be conquered by Islam
*Nuclear arms race in the Middle East?
*Fingerprinting, biometrics, and spy drones in the news
*Government to be given new powers to oversee financial markets among economic turmoil
*Foreclosures a sign of hard economic times ahead?
*China speeds pace of military buildup. The 200 million man army?
*Why is Israel in the world news every day?
*Humans are seeking a messiah to step onto the world stage
*Prisoners to be implanted with microchips
*Pat Buchanan's book "Day of Reckoning" predicts the end of America
*United Nations scientific study declares Humanity's very survival is at risk
[April 22, 2008] - HILLARY CLINTON: WE COULD OBLITERATE IRAN - In an interview with ABC news, Democratic Presidential candidate Hillary Clinton declared that if she were President and Iran attacked Israel the United States would retaliate against them. (Clinton: We could 'obliterate' Iran) "'I want the Iranians to know that if I'm the president, we will attack Iran,' said Democratic Presidential hopeful Senator Hillary Clinton Tuesday in an interview on ABC News. 'In the next 10 years, during which they might foolishly consider launching an attack on Israel, we would be able to totally obliterate them,' she added."
Although it is true we could currently "obliterate" Iran or any other country with our nuclear arsenal, it may not be true over the next ten years. The Bible declares that Israel is going to be attacked one day by Iran and many other neighboring countries [see on this web site (Coming Invasion of Israel). However, for the exact reason that Mrs. Clinton stated, I don't believe any country would be foolish enough to attack Israel as long as the United States is its protector. Therefore, in order for the prophetic invasion of Israel to occur, I believe that the United States has to become either economically or militarily impotent or both. As oil prices continue to soar and thus affecting every other area of our economy, it is possible that economically we will not be able to maintain our current level of military power. The Iraq/Afghanistan war has drained our resources immensely. It may be that if the American people become economically disadvantaged (U.S. Consumers Destined for a Future with Fewer Choices, Much-Higher Costs), they may rebel against any further intervention in the Middle East, even if it means sacrificing Israel.
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[April 21, 2008] - TRUCE WITH HAMAS MUST INCLUDE JERUSALEM AS CAPITAL OF PALESTINE - Former President Jimmy Carter traveled to the Middle East in order to try to jump start peace negotiations between Israel and Hamas. According to a Jerusalem Post article, any truce (notice that Hamas isn't speaking of a peace treaty) with Israel must include Jerusalem as the undivided capital of Palestine. (US: Hamas truce offer meaningless) The article elaborates on Hamas' conditions for a truce, "Khaled Mashaal, whose group has sworn to destroy Israel, told reporters in Damascus on Monday that Hamas would accept a Palestinian state in the West Bank with Israel as its neighbor, but stressed that his group would not formally recognize it, a move immediately dismissed by the US as meaningless. 'We agree to a (Palestinian) state on pre-67 borders, with Jerusalem as its capital with genuine sovereignty without settlements, but without recognizing
Israel,' Mashaal said.'We have offered a truce if Israel withdraws to the 1967 borders, a truce of 10 years as a proof of recognition.'"
Once again it is clear there will be no peace between Israel and Hamas, Hizbullah, or any other Islamic terrorist organization because of unreasonable demands. It is going to take the future world leader whom Christians call the Antichrist to seemingly solve the Israeli-Arab conflict.
"Seventy weeks are determined upon your people and upon your holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of
sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy. Know
therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment
to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks: the street shall be built again, and the
wall, even in troublous times. And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for Himself: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof shall be with flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined. And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to
cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the
desolate." (Daniel 9:24-27)
In the last verse of this passage in chapter 9 of Daniel, it states that
this ruler or prince will confirm a covenant with many for one
week of seven years. Many believe this covenant will be a peace
treaty of some kind. Daniel speaks of this ruler or Antichrist
and what he will do during this period:
"And in the latter time of their kingdom, when
the transgressors are come to the full,
a king of fierce countenance, and understanding dark
sentences, shall stand up. And his power shall be
mighty, but not by his own power: and he shall destroy
wonderfully, and shall prosper, and practice, and shall
destroy the mighty and the holy people. And through his policy
also he shall cause craft to prosper in his hand; and he shall magnify
himself in his heart, and by peace shall
destroy many: he shall also stand up against the Prince of
princes; but he shall be broken without
hand." (Daniel 8:23-25)
It declares here that this ruler will destroy many through his policy
of peace. The apostle Paul
agrees with Daniel where he says that the Antichrist will magnify
himself and stand up against the Prince of
princes:
"Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day
shall not come, except there come a
falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of
perdition; Who opposes and exalts himself above all that
is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sits
in the Temple of God, showing himself that he is
God." (II Thessalonians 2:3-4)
On the Mount of Olives Jesus too made mention of the Antichrist
entering the Temple when He said:
"When you therefore shall see the abomination
of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the
prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso reads, let him
understand:) Then let them which be in Judea flee into
the mountains." (Matthew 24:15-16)
It appears this future leader will either author or at least support
a peace treaty that lasts seven years. Part of this agreement
will probably include the rebuilding of the Jewish Temple since
the last verse of Daniel chapter 9 states that in the middle of
this seven-year period the Antichrist will cause the Temple
sacrifices to cease. This cessation of sacrificial offerings will
come about when the Antichrist enters the Temple to declare
himself God. Daniel writes that this will lead to the desolation
or desecration of the Temple. Paul seems to be speaking about the
results of this peace treaty in his first letter to the
Thessalonians:
"For yourselves know perfectly
that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night. For
when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden
destruction comes upon them, as travail upon a woman with
child; and they shall not
escape." (I Thessalonians 5:2-3)
No matter how good the intentions of those who would bring peace to the Middle East, they will be unsuccessful until this future world leader initiates his reign. Even then though, true peace will not come until Jesus Christ comes again to set up His kingdom on earth.
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[April 18, 2008] - WORLDWIDE FAMINE IN THE NEAR FUTURE? - The last couple of months global food prices and shortages have been in the news. The price of the world's food staple, rice, is soaring to all-time highs. (Jump in rice price fuels fears of unrest) Rising prices affect over 2.5 billion people in Asia alone. Egypt and India are protecting their own supplies of the grain.
The Financial Times reports that record levels of oil and rice prices could lead to widespread social unrest. (Oil and rice race to record levels)
Australia's drought is contributing to the shortage of rice around the world. (As Australia dries, a global shortage of rice)
This article states, "The collapse of Australia's rice production is one of several factors contributing to a doubling of rice prices in the last three months — increases that have led the world's largest exporters to restrict exports severely, spurred panicked hoarding in Hong Kong and the Philippines, and set off violent protests in countries including Cameroon, Egypt, Ethiopia, Haiti, Indonesia, Italy, Ivory Coast, Mauritania, the Philippines, Thailand, Uzbekistan and Yemen."
Rising oil prices are affecting the cost of most commodities. Martin Crutsinger, Associated Press Economics Writer, reports that wholesale prices have increased substantially. (Wholesale prices soared in March) The article states: "With the crude oil price rising to a record close of $113.79 per barrel on Tuesday, analysts said consumers should be braced for more bad inflation news to come. 'Wholesale prices are rising and the consumer should expect more shocks at the supermarket and the gas station,' said Joel Naroff, chief economist at Naroff Economic Advisors."
Ellen Simon, AP Business Writer, also reports on the rising food costs and how they affect the population, especially lower income families:
"For the U.S. poor, any increase in food costs sets up an either-or equation: Give something up to pay for food.
'I was talking to people who make $9 an hour, talking about how they might save $5 a week,' said Kathleen DiChiara, president and CEO of the Community FoodBank of New Jersey. 'They really felt they couldn't. That was before. Now, they have to.' For some, that means adding an extra cup of water to their soup, watering down their milk, or giving their children soda because it's cheaper than milk, DiChiara said." (Food Costs Rising Fastest in 17 Years)
An article in the British newspaper The Independent is titled "USA 2008: The Great Depression" and speaks of the growing number of Americans (28 million) using food stamps (USA 2008: The Great Depression)
According to CBS News: "there have been food riots in Haiti, Bangladesh, Egypt, Burkina Faso, Mauritania, Mozambique and Senegal. Rising prices have hit poor countries like Peru (and even developed countries like Italy and the United States)." (Food Shortages Herald "New Era Of Hunger")
There seems to be no glimmer of hope in the future with rising fuel prices adding to the cost of everything. The Bible indicates that near the time of the end there is going to be a worldwide famine:
"5 And when he had opened the third seal, I heard the third beast say, Come and see. And I beheld, and lo a black horse; and he that sat on him had a pair of balances in his hand. 6 And I heard a voice in the midst of the four beasts say, A measure of wheat for a penny, and three measures of barley for a penny; and see thou hurt not the oil and the wine." (Revelation 6:5-6)
The cost of wheat and barley in this passage declares that a day's wages will be necessary to pay for food staples at some point in the future. Out of this famine a global leader will arise and seem to have all of the answers to the world's problems including the economic woes of the people. Just such a scenario played out in the 1920s and 30s when Adolph Hitler used the people's suffering to rise to power. So too will the Antichrist.
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[April 14, 2008] - HAMAS CLERIC PREDICTS ROME WILL BE CONQUERED BY ISLAM - According to Fox News, a prominent Hamas cleric gave a sermon that declared "The capital of the Catholics, or the Crusader capital" would soon be conquered by Islam. (Hamas Cleric Predicts 'Rome Will Be Conquered by Islam') He goes on to say that Islam will sweep across Europe followed by the Americas.
Whether or not this cleric is correct is up to God's plans for the End-Times. It is interesting that the book of Revelation speaks of something called "Mystery Babylon" and describes it as a whore who rides upon a scarlet covered beast with seven heads and ten horns:
"1 And there came one of the seven angels which had the seven vials, and talked with me, saying unto me, Come hither; I will shew unto thee the judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters: 2 With whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication. 3 So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness: and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns. 4 And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication: 5 And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH. 6 And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus: and when I saw her, I wondered with great admiration. 7 And the angel said unto me, Wherefore didst thou marvel? I will tell thee the mystery of the woman, and of the beast that carrieth her, which hath the seven heads and ten horns. 8 The beast that thou sawest was, and is not; and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit, and go into perdition: and they that dwell on the earth shall wonder, whose names were not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, when they behold the beast that was, and is not, and yet is. 9 And here is the mind which hath wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains, on which the woman sitteth. 10 And there are seven kings: five are fallen, and one is, and the other is not yet come; and when he cometh, he must continue a short space. 11 And the beast that was, and is not, even he is the eighth, and is of the seven, and goeth into perdition. 12 And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast. 13 These have one mind, and shall give their power and strength unto the beast. 14 These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful. 15 And he saith unto me, The waters which thou sawest, where the whore sitteth, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues. 16 And the ten horns which thou sawest upon the beast, these shall hate the whore, and shall make her desolate and naked, and shall eat her flesh, and burn her with fire. 17 For God hath put in their hearts to fulfil his will, and to agree, and give their kingdom unto the beast, until the words of God shall be fulfilled. 18 And the woman which thou sawest is that great city, which reigneth over the kings of the earth." (Revelation 17:1-18)
Babylon is located in the Islamic country of Iraq. It is the place where the false religion of human worship began at the tower of Babel when humankind wanted to become like God (Genesis 11:1-9). The passage above describes the whore as a great city which sits on seven mountains. This may be an allusion to Rome which sits upon seven hills. If Islam were to conquer Rome in the End-Times many Christians would be slaughtered as this scripture indicates: "6 And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus: and when I saw her, I wondered with great admiration."
Starting in verse 10 the angel refers to the beast or Antichrist. In the context of this passage, it may be that the Antichrist will initially rule from Mystery Babylon which may be referring to Rome. From there he will attain power and make war against the followers of God eventually leading the armies of the world in the battle of Armageddon to fight against Jesus Himself. However Jesus will destroy these armies with the "brightness of His coming" (2 Thessalonians 2:1-12).
Of course, Islamic leaders have a tendency to proclaim empty boasts as their defeats in the wars against Israel have demonstrated. Yet in the current world situation, Islamic terrorists seem determined to destroy non-Islamic cultures.
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[April 2, 2008] - NUCLEAR ARMS RACE IN THE MIDDLE EAST? - U.S. diplomats in Saudi Arabia declare that if Iran obtains nuclear weapons a lot of the other Middle East countries will try to keep with up them by building their own nuclear arsenals. (U.S. Diplomats Forecast Nuclear Arms Race in Middle East if Iran Gets the Bomb) The report on this issue states, "the future Middle East landscape may include a number of nuclear-armed or nuclear weapons-capable states vying for influence in a notoriously unstable region." Though this scenario could be several years away it once again lends itself to the fulfillment of Biblical prophecy. God declares in His word:
"1 The burden of the word of the LORD for Israel, saith the LORD, which stretcheth forth the heavens, and layeth the foundation of the earth, and formeth the spirit of man within him. 2 Behold, I will make Jerusalem a cup of trembling unto all the people round about, when they shall be in the siege both against Judah and against Jerusalem. 3 And in that day will I make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all people: all that burden themselves with it shall be cut in pieces, though all the people of the earth be gathered together against it." (Zechariah 12:1-3)
And what appears to be a description of a nuclear war:
"12 And this shall be the plague wherewith the LORD will smite all the people that have fought against Jerusalem; Their flesh shall consume away while they stand upon their feet, and their eyes shall consume away in their holes, and their tongue shall consume away in their mouth. 13 And it shall come to pass in that day, that a great tumult from the LORD shall be among them; and they shall lay hold every one on the hand of his neighbour, and his hand shall rise up against the hand of his neighbour. 14 And Judah also shall fight at Jerusalem; and the wealth of all the heathen round about shall be gathered together, gold, and silver, and apparel, in great abundance. 15 And so shall be the plague of the horse, of the mule, of the camel, and of the ass, and of all the beasts that shall be in these tents, as this plague. 16 And it shall come to pass, that every one that is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall even go up from year to year to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, and to keep the feast of tabernacles. " (Zechariah 14:12-16)
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[April 2, 2008] - FINGERPRINTING, BIOMETRICS, AND SPY DRONES IN THE NEWS - There have been many news stories recently that indicate governments are increasing their capabilities to someday dictate to humans the types of behaviors that they will consider acceptable.
According to the Washington Post, intelligence centers across America have gathered personal information on millions of U.S. citizens. (Centers Tap Into Personal Databases) The article states that some of the information obtained included unlisted cellphone numbers, insurance claims, driver's license photographs and credit reports. This type of government oversight into an individual's personal data could obviously lead to potential abuse in the future.
The ACLU states that the Defense Department is using information that the FBI has gathered on some Americans. (ACLU: Military skirting law to spy) Some of the information obtained includes records of individual's Internet service providers, financial institutions and telephone companies.
A Reuters news story reports that international passengers flying into New York will be identified by all ten of their fingerprints. (U.S. increases fingerprints IDs at airports) This of course implies that the government will keep an extensive database on people from all over the world.
Some companies are now requiring their employees to use fingerprint scanners to clock in and out of their jobs. (Fingerprint Scanners Help Companies Track Workers) These biometric devices can be used to monitor arrival and departure of their workers for the various tasks they may be assigned. In other words they could keep track of their employees' movements throughout the day.
Miami police have requested that they be allowed to use spy drones to fly over urban areas. The stated purpose is to help them fight crime which is an understandable desire on law enforcement's part. (Spy-in-the-sky drone sets sights on Miami) Of course this would be added to the arsenal of many governments who already use street cameras in order to monitor their citizens in cities such as Washington D.C. which will begin using 5000 cameras to watch different activities in their city. (D.C. police set to monitor 5,000 cameras)
RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) chips have been in use for several years now. They are used to track commercial products, passports, travel, animals and are even implanted in some human beings. (Radio-frequency identification) In Australia, RFID chips are placed in garbage cans in order to monitor the recycling habits of its population. (Bin Brother is watching you)
Individually, any of these methods of monitoring human activity could have beneficial aspects to it. However, when these technological advancements (along with many more that are on the way) are taken as a whole they can have a disturbing big-brother quality to them. From a biblical perspective just such a similar future society was prophesied in the Book of Revelation:
"16 And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads: 17 And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name. 18 Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six." (Revelation 13:16-18)
The beast in this passage is the man whom Christians call the Antichrist. He is a future world leader who will be the most powerful person on earth. As these verses indicate, he will also be able to monitor the economic habits of the people of the world. From a technological point of view, such a capability would have been impossible for the last two thousand years. As you have just read in this article, technology keeps increasing and the buying and selling habits of any individual may come under the scrutiny of this evil leader in the very near future.
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[March 29, 2008] - GOVERNMENT TO BE GIVEN NEW POWERS TO OVERSEE FINANCIAL MARKETS AMONG ECONOMIC TURMOIL - The Treasury Department wants the U.S. government to oversee financial markets because of the current economic situation. An article in the N.Y. Times states that the goal of this action is to be: "part of a sweeping blueprint to overhaul the nation’s hodgepodge of financial regulatory agencies, which many experts say failed to recognize rampant excesses in mortgage lending until after they set off what is now the worst financial calamity in decades.(Treasury’s Plan Would Give Fed Wide New Power) Since the economy does seem to be in dire straits this could be a first step into further government control over every aspect of the economy. The article makes an interesting statement concerning this issue: "According to a summary provided by the administration, the plan would consolidate an alphabet soup of banking and securities regulators into a powerful trio of overseers responsible for everything from banks and brokerage firms to hedge funds and private equity firms." The Bible makes it clear that one day that a global-sized government will attempt to control economic habits of the entire world's population:
"16 And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads: 17 And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name. 18 Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six."
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[March 11, 2008] - FORECLOSURES A SIGN OF HARD ECONOMIC TIMES AHEAD? - USA Today reports that home foreclosures are having a rippling effect on the U.S. economy. (Foreclosure crisis has ripple effect)
The foreclosure crisis in the U.S. is spreading to other areas of American society. According to this USA Today article:
"The mortgage foreclosure crisis has caused a drop in cities' revenues, a spike in crime, more homelessness and an increase in vacant properties, a survey of elected local officials out today shows."
This problem along with the U.S. dollar's value falling around the world and oil and gas prices spiraling out of control are indicators that the economy of America and possibly the whole world is in dire straits. History has shown us that America and the world have rebounded from economically tough times in the past. However, the Great Depression of the 1930s led to the rise of evil dictators who eventually led the world into a devastating World War. How far the economic indicators fall remains to be seen. The Bible does indicate that at some future point there will be economic devastation around the world that will eventually lead to the rise of a world leader who will seemingly have the answers to the world's problems.
In Revelation 6 God's servant John is shown some events that have worldwide effects. He sees these four horsemen who are unleashed upon the world who initiate a series of judgments upon the earth:
"5 And when he had opened the third seal, I heard the third beast say, Come and see. And I beheld, and lo a black horse; and he that sat on him had a pair of balances in his hand. 6 And I heard a voice in the midst of the four beasts say, A measure of wheat for a penny, and three measures of barley for a penny; and see thou hurt not the oil and the wine. 7 And when he had opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth beast say, Come and see. 8 And I looked, and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him. And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, and with hunger, and with death, and with the beasts of the earth." (Revelation 6:5-8)
What John saw was food staples such as wheat and barley costing a day's wages. This would indicate that some economic calamity had occurred in the world. After this he sees death from hunger and the animals of the world. These too would be the result of an economic disaster that would cause not only humans to starve but animals also who would resort to killing people in order to eat. The rest of Revelation deals with what Christians call the Tribulation Period and the rise of the Antichrist and the devastation of the earth and its inhabitants that follows it. As I stated above, it was just such circumstances that afforded a type of Antichrist to enter into world history in the 1930s.
I believe that one day America will cease to be a superpower. The reason for this is because the Bible declares that in the future Israel will be attacked by numerous countries in and around the Middle East. (See my article on this site "Coming Invasion of Israel") Right now America is protecting Israel from the aggression of other countries. However, if we become militarily or economically impotent then these countries will not have to fear America's military forces and would feel they could attack Israel with impunity. Like all prophecies in the Bible, the timing of these events is in God's domain and His alone.
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[March 3, 2008] - CHINA SPEEDS PACE OF MILITARY BUILDUP. THE 200 MILLION MAN ARMY? - According to the Washington Times China is increasing its military capabilities at a high rate of speed in order to wage wars beyond its perennial enemy Taiwan. (China speeds pace of military buildup) The article states, "The report also warned that China's expanding military forces "are changing East Asian military balances; improvements in China's strategic capabilities have implications beyond the Asia-Pacific region." "The new weapons include road-mobile long-range nuclear missiles."
China for centuries if not millennia kept to itself in the area of world events. That all changed in the late 20th and early 21st centuries when China became an economic and military power in the world. It appears that they have become equals with the United States in both of these domains. Now it seems that they are following an aggressive military policy which will one day lead them to involve themselves in a devastating worldwide war.
God showed to His servant John what would take place at the end of the current age. He told him to write down the things he saw and heard. In Revelation 9 John saw the judgments of God falling on the earth. Each of these judgments were preceded by an angel blowing a trumpet. When he heard the sixth angel blowing his trumpet he saw and heard the event that was unleashed by this angel:
"14 Saying to the sixth angel which had the trumpet, Loose the four angels which are bound in the great river Euphrates. 15 And the four angels were loosed, which were prepared for an hour, and a day, and a month, and a year, for to slay the third part of men. 16 And the number of the army of the horsemen were two hundred thousand thousand: and I heard the number of them. 17 And thus I saw the horses in the vision, and them that sat on them, having breastplates of fire, and of jacinth, and brimstone: and the heads of the horses were as the heads of lions; and out of their mouths issued fire and smoke and brimstone. 18 By these three was the third part of men killed, by the fire, and by the smoke, and by the brimstone, which issued out of their mouths. 19 For their power is in their mouth, and in their tails: for their tails were like unto serpents, and had heads, and with them they do hurt." (Revelation 9:14-19)
Later on John saw the final series of God's judgments on the world. These were initiated by angels pouring out vials or bowls of judgment upon the earth:
"12 And the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates; and the water thereof was dried up, that the way of the kings of the east might be prepared. 13 And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet. 14 For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty." (Revelation 16:12-14)
John heard the command for the angels in charge of the Euphrates River to go into action. As we see this action involves the drying up of this river. It would appear the reason for this is to allow a large army to pass through it uninhibited. John heard the number of soldiers in this army to be 200 million "horsemen". The description of the devastating capabilities of these horsemen can lead one to believe that what John saw was unfamiliar to his "First Century" eyes. It may very well be that he was seeing a modern mechanized army. This army will be led by the "kings of the east", those that live east of the Euphrates River. These kings could consist of China, India, Japan, and the other Asian countries. The combined population of these countries consists of billions of people which would be more than enough to field a military force of 200 million soldiers. It is interesting that at this time the Euphrates River is under the control of the United States military in Iraq. However I cannot say what, if any, role the U.S. would play in this area leading up to the "battle of that great day of God Almighty" or Armageddon as it is more popularly known.
The point is that for the first time in history this prophecy could come to pass because the numbers and capabilities are in play.
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[February 22, 2008] - WHY IS ISRAEL IN THE WORLD NEWS EVERY DAY? - About 1900 years ago the nation of Israel ceased to exist. The Jewish natives were dispersed throughout the world and no longer had a land to call their own. They should have assimilated into every culture they were sent to yet for those same 1900 years they maintained their identity and eventually wound up back in their land and reestablished the nation of Israel. Why?
The American author Mark Twain asked a question in a similar vein, "What is the secret of [the Jews'] immortality?" (Concerning the Jews by Mark Twain)
As I wrote in my book the answer to Mark Twain's question is God. God has a plan for the Jewish people and this plan included bringing them back to the land of Israel that He gave to them. God declared, through the prophet Amos, that one day He would bring the Jews back to the land of Israel forever:
"And I will bring again the captivity of My people of Israel, and they shall build the waste cities, and inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards, and drink the wine thereof; they shall also make gardens, and eat the fruit of them. And I will plant them upon their land, and they shall no more be pulled up out of their land which I have given them, saith the LORD your God." (Amos 9:14-15)
The Jews are in the land of Israel to stay. God's plans for the End-Times revolve around the modern nation of Israel. This is why a country two and a half times the size of Rhode Island is in the world news every day. Thus, it is interesting that some Middle East leaders keep calling for the destruction of Israel or declare that Israel will cease to exist. The head of the Hizbullah terrorist organization based in Lebanon declared, "The disappearance of Israel is an inevitable fact. It is a historic process in the region which will come about over several years." He was responding to the fact that arch-terrorist Imad Mughniyeh was assassinated in Damascus earlier in February.(Nasrallah: Israel's disappearance inevitable)
This is just one example of how Israel stays in the news. The president of Iran continues to make anti-Israel statements frequently. South American leaders have made disparaging remarks about Israel. The United States' foreign policy has a large interest in what goes on in Israel and its environs. China has a large investment in Middle East oil and is concerned about anything that may inhibit the free flowing oil to its country. This would include any disruptions caused by the Arab-Israeli conflict. The European Union constantly makes statements concerning the Israel-Mideast situation. The Russians have been involved in this conflict for decades. Islamic terrorism will continue its agenda of spreading Islam throughout the world while at the same time calling for the destruction of Israel. The impact of the tiny nation of Israel will continue to be felt by the world until Jesus returns again to set up His kingdom in Israel. God declared that this would be the case in the End-Times:
"1 The burden of the word of the LORD for Israel, saith the LORD, which stretcheth forth the heavens, and layeth the foundation of the earth, and formeth the spirit of man within him. 2 Behold, I will make Jerusalem a cup of trembling unto all the people round about, when they shall be in the siege both against Judah and against Jerusalem. 3 And in that day will I make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all people: all that burden themselves with it shall be cut in pieces, though all the people of the earth be gathered together against it." (Zechariah 12:1-3)
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[February 7, 2008] - HUMANS ARE SEEKING A MESSIAH TO STEP ONTO THE WORLD STAGE - The 2008 U.S. Presidential election campaign is revealing some interesting insights into human behavior. Several news outlets have likened the attitude of people supporting the candidacy of Barack Obama as one of bordering on messianic fever. Slate.com even has a page titled "The Obama Messiah Watch" which states:
"Is Barack Obama—junior U.S. senator from Illinois, best-selling author, Harvard Law Review editor, Men's Vogue cover model, and "exploratory" presidential candidate—the second coming of our Savior and our Redeemer, Prince of Peace and King of Kings, Jesus Christ? His press coverage suggests we can't dismiss this possibility out of hand. I therefore inaugurate the Obama Messiah Watch, which will periodically highlight gratuitously adoring biographical details that appear in newspaper, television, and magazine profiles of this otherworldly presence in our midst." (The Obama Messiah Watch)
Jake Tapper on the blogs page of abcnews.com writes of this phenomenon:
"Inspiration is nice. But some folks seem to be getting out of hand.
It's as if Tom Daschle descended from on high saying, "Be not afraid; for behold I bring you good tidings of great joy which shall be to all the people: for there is born to you this day in the city of Chicago a Savior, who is Barack the Democrat."
Obama supporter Kathleen Geier writes that she's "getting increasingly weirded out by some of Obama's supporters. On listservs I'm on, some people who should know better – hard-bitten, not-so-young cynics, even – are gushing about Barack…"
(And Obama Wept)
He relates Joe Klein's feeling on this issue:
"Joe Klein, writing at Time, notes 'something just a wee bit
creepy about the mass messianism' he sees in Obama's Super Tuesday speech.
'We are the ones we've been waiting for,' Obama said. 'This time can be different because this campaign for the presidency of the United States of America is different. It's different not because of me. It's different because of you.' "
I am writing about this issue because I believe it has End-Times connotations. I do not believe that Barack Obama thinks he is the Messiah. I do not think that Barack Obama is the Antichrist. What I do believe is that this issue reveals that human beings are hungry for a world leader that will solve all their problems. This is what Jesus declared would happen in the End-Times:
"3 And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world? 4 And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you. 5 For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Messiah; and shall deceive many...23 Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe it not. 24 For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect. 25 Behold, I have told you before." (Matthew 24:3-5,23-25)
Again, I am not saying that Obama is declaring himself to be the Messiah. I am saying that the times are ripe for a false messiah or messiahs to reveal themselves to the world. As John said concerning the ultimate false messiah, the Antichrist or beast, in Revelation 13:
"3 And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed: and all the world wondered after the beast. 4 And they worshipped the dragon which gave power unto the beast: and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? who is able to make war with him? 5 And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months. 6 And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven. 7 And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations. 8 And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world." (Revelation 13:3-8)
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[January 13, 2008] - PRISONERS TO BE IMPLANTED WITH MICROCHIPS - According to the British newspaper "The Independent", authorities are going to implant microchips under the skin of prisoners in order to monitor them outside the confines of prison:
"Ministers are planning to implant "machine-readable" microchips under the skin of thousands of offenders as part of an expansion of the electronic tagging scheme that would create more space in British jails. Amid concerns about the security of existing tagging systems and prison overcrowding, the Ministry of Justice is investigating the use of satellite and radio-wave technology to monitor criminals."
(Prisoners 'to be chipped like dogs')
This of course plays into the end-times scenario which believes that one day a world government leader called the Antichrist will monitor the buying and selling habits of the population. The basis for this belief is found in Revelation 13:16-18:
"16 And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads: 17 And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name. 18 Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six."
Critics of the proposed chip implantation procedure have issued a revealing warning:
"Professionals in the criminal justice system maintain that the present system is 95 per cent effective. Radio frequency identification (RFID) technology is unproven. The technology is actually more invasive, and carries more information about the host. The devices have been dubbed "spychips" by critics who warn that they would transmit data about the movements of other people without their knowledge."
"Consumer privacy expert Liz McIntyre said a colleague had already proved he could "clone" a chip. 'He can bump into a chipped person and siphon the chip's unique signal in a matter of seconds,' she said."
"One company plans deeper implants that could vibrate, electroshock the implantee, broadcast a message, or serve as a microphone to transmit conversations. 'Some folks might foolishly discount all of these downsides and futuristic nightmares since the tagging is proposed for criminals like rapists and murderers,' Ms McIntyre said. 'The rest of us could be next.' "
"THE REST OF US COULD BE NEXT". The Bible does not declare what the mark of the beast consists of, only that John saw the people receiving some type of mark in their hand or forehead. However, our modern economy is becoming more and more based upon digital money and transactions including those of a global economic nature. Therefore, this is a perfectly acceptable scenario as to how Revelation 13:16-18 may come about.
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[November 25, 2007] - PAT BUCHANAN'S BOOK "DAY OF RECKONING" PREDICTS END OF AMERICA - In his new book "Day of Reckoning: How hubris, ideology and greed are tearing America apart", Pat Buchanan declares that America will not survive if it continues on its self-destructive course. According to the Drudge report (NEW BUCHANAN BOOK DECLARES 'END OF AMERICA') Buchanan lists some of the following reasons for the downfall of America:
-The U.S. Army is breaking and is too small to meet America’s global commitments.
-The dollar has sunk to historic lows and is being abandoned by foreign governments.
-manufacturing is being hollowed out.
-The greatest invasion in history, from the Third World, is swamping the ethno-cultural core of the country, leading to Balkanization and the loss of the Southwest to Mexico.
-The culture is collapsing and the nation is being deconstructed along the lines of race and class.
-A fiscal crisis looms as the unfunded mandates of Social Security and Medicare remain unaddressed.
I too believe America's superpower status has to decline. On this web site I wrote an article titled ("Coming Invasion of Israel") which explains the biblical prophecy that speaks of an invasion of Israel by Middle East countries and their surrounding neighbors. For this invasion to occur I believe that the major defender of Israel, i.e. the United States of America, has to become either incapable of or unwilling to defend Israel. If Pat Buchanan is right about the causes of America's downfall then it would mean that we would be unable to protect the nation of Israel. This would then lead Israel's enemies to the conclusion that they could invade Israel with impunity.
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[October 26, 2007] - UNITED NATIONS SCIENTIFIC STUDY DECLARES HUMANITY'S VERY SURVIVAL IS AT RISK - In a report submitted to the United Nations a group of 1400 scientists concluded that future of the human race is at risk. ('Humanity's very survival' is at risk, says UN) According to this study human beings are using up the earth's natural resources. This in turn will lead to the extinction of 30 per cent of amphibians, 23 per cent of mammals and 12 per cent of birds. Climate change will contribute significantly to the degradation of the earth and the resources humans need in order to survive. Whether or not the dire predictions of these scientists come to pass is yet undetermined. However, the Bible makes it clear that in the future both the environment of the earth and its human population will indeed be devastated by both natural and supernatural causes. In the Book of Revelation God showed to John the things that would happen at the end of the current age. John wrote about some of the events he had witnessed: "The first angel sounded, and there followed hail and fire mingled with blood, and they were cast upon the earth: and the third part of trees was burnt up, and all green grass was burnt up. 8 And the second angel sounded, and as it were a great mountain burning with fire was cast into the sea: and the third part of the sea became blood; 9 And the third part of the creatures which were in the sea, and had life, died; and the third part of the ships were destroyed. 10 And the third angel sounded, and there fell a great star from heaven, burning as it were a lamp, and it fell upon the third part of the rivers, and upon the fountains of waters; 11 And the name of the star is called Wormwood: and the third part of the waters became wormwood; and many men died of the waters, because they were made bitter." (Revelation 8:7-11) John saw the earth environmentally devastated. Trees were burned up, waters became poisonous, and many humans died. Later on in Revelation John says that he saw men "scorched with great heat". The future of the world is indeed bleak until Jesus Christ comes again. From a scientific point of view it seems the world is running out of time. From a biblical point of view it would seem the scientists are right.
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