16/08/2011 “He will pitch his tents between the seas at the beauiful holy mountain.”
He will pitch his royal tents between the seas at the beautiful holy mountain. Yet he will come to his end, and no one will help him”(Daniel 11:45).
On May the eleventh this year on Al-Aqsa the official Hamas-run television channel the Hamas MP and Cleric Yunis Al-Astal said these words, “When Palestine is liberated and it’s people return to it, and the entire region, with the grace of Allah will be turned into the United States of Islam, the land of Palestine will become the Capital of the Islamic Caliphate, and all the countries will turn into the states within the Caliphate.” (End of quote)
It is clear that Islam has an agenda and that one of its main priorities is to see the establishment of a Global Caliphate. This agenda is one of the main goals of the Muslim Brotherhood a worldwide Islamic movement that is behind all the riots happening within an increasing number of Middle-Eastern countries today. The Muslim Brotherhood makes no apologies for this agenda. In fact the whole Muslim world is waiting for the arrival of the 12th Mahdi whom they believe will lead the Islamic nations in establishing a global empire where everyone will be forced to submit to Islam. Ultimately those who refuse to submit to Islam will be beheaded. This practice of beheading will be a characteristic of the final beast empire that will arise in the earth just before the Lord Jesus comes back. This practice of course is an integral part of Islam and endorsed in their literature. Mohammad himself endorsed and used this method of execution.
In the book of Revelation we are told that those who hold fast to their testimony of Jesus Christ and because of the Word of God are beheaded by the decree of the Antichrist and his empire. (Rev 20:4) Of course when the Lord Jesus comes back the martyrs will be gloriously resurrected to reign with Christ for a thousand years and continue their reign into eternity. They had refused to worship the Antichrist, his image and submit to the rules of his empire. Also they had voluntarily refused to receive the mark of the empire, the badge of servitude, on their foreheads and on their hands.
Now the end goal of the Antichrist will be to establish his capital in the city of Jerusalem, “at the beautiful Holy Mountain.” According to the Bible the Beautiful Holy Mountain is the City of Jerusalem. (Daniel 9:16, 20) (Zechariah 8:3)
In Daniel chapter eleven and in the following verses we see a very clear reference to the Antichrist himself who is described in this way, “The king will do as he pleases. He will exult and magnify himself above every god and will say unheard of things against the God of gods” (Daniel 11:36a). In the New Testament the Apostle Paul also speaks about this man and says concerning him, “He opposes and exults himself over everything that is called God or is worshipped, and even sets himself up in God’s temple, proclaiming himself to be God”(2 Thessalonians 2:4). This man with a mighty army at his disposal will invade the Land of Israel and seek to establish himself and his religion as the only one to be practiced. He will of course come in the character of King Nebuchadnezzar and Antiochus, just to name two of the many types of the antichrist mentioned in the Bible. All of these rulers and potentates demanded worship of themselves and adherence to the rules of their empires. Whether it was the king of Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, Persia, Greece or Rome, they all teach us something about the character of the final Antichrist and the nature and structure of his empire.
For many years now the majority of Eschatology teachers have been telling us that the Antichrist will come from Europe and more specifically somehow related to the European Union. They also tell us that the ancient empire of Rome will be resurrected to once more dominate the world. However, there have been those going all the way back into the history of the Church who have believed that the last beast empire would be an Islamic one and not a western empire at all. In fact it was only the Western leg of the Roman Empire that fell to the barbarian hordes. The Eastern leg of the Empire lasted at least another thousand years and was known as Byzantium with its capital located in Constantinople in Turkey. Today it is the city of Istanbul in Turkey. The Byzantium Empire ultimately fell to Islam. Rome was conquered by Islam and to this day Islam rules over those countries that were once part of the Ancient Roman Empire.
In the book of Revelation we are told twice that the city of Pergamum in Turkey is the place where, “Satan has his throne.” Could it be that the Bible is telling us that the Antichrist will have his initial headquarters in Pergamum and then shift his headquarters from Pergamum to Jerusalem? We do know that his origin will be from the ancient Assyrian and Babylonian region of course typified in Nimrod who established the boundaries and location of those original empires and built the tower of Babel. Of course the Bible tells us that, “Nimrod was a mighty hunter before the Lord” however, in the Hebrew language it says, “Nimrod was a mighty hunter in the face of God!” In other words he was a rebel and a man who wanted to build a global empire that would reach the heavens to overthrow God Himself. This of course has always been Satan’s agenda, “You said in your heart, ‘I will ascend to heaven; I will raise my throne above the stars of God; I will sit enthroned on the mount of assembly, on the utmost heights of the sacred mountain. I will ascend above the tops of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High” (Isaiah 14:13-14). This of course will be the agenda of the Antichrist. He cannot make the Sacred Mountain (Heavenly Jerusalem or Zion in heaven) his capital but he will try to make the sacred mountain (Earthly Jerusalem also called Mount Zion) his capital. The Antichrist will only be doing the will of the one who has entered him and controls him.
According to the Bible there was a “principality or powerful demonic spirit” behind the Kings of Persia and Greece who controlled those men, however, this man called the Antichrist will be personally possessed and controlled by Satan himself. Just as Satan entered Judas to betray the Lord Jesus so he will also enter this man to fight against the people of the Messiah Yeshua.
According to the Bible what the rulers of the ancient empires have done in the past to Jerusalem will be done again at the hands of the Antichrist. As it is written in the prophet Zechariah God Himself has said, “I will gather all nations to Jerusalem to fight against it; the city will be captured, the houses ransacked, and the women raped. Half of the city will go into exile, but the rest of the city will not be taken from the city” (Zechariah 14:2).At this time the Temple Mount will also be desecrated.
Already an “abomination of desolation” sits on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem, the Mosque of Omar which has a saying written on its wall, “God has no Son.”
Indeed the scripture itself says, “That whoever denies the Father and the Son is the Antichrist!” (1 John 2:22) While this structure is an abomination in itself it would seem according to the Bible that the Temple sight in some way will also be desecrated by a specific act of the Antichrist.
When these things happen, and they will, we must also remember how it all ends. The Antichrist will indeed pitch his tent on the sacred Mountain of Jerusalem but “he will come to his end with no one to help him.” He may well attack and devastate Jerusalem with his armies, however, “The Lord will go out and fight against those nations, as He fights in the day of battle. On that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives (The beautiful Holy Mountain)…The Lord will be king over the whole earth. On that day there will be One Lord and His name the only name… This is the plague with which the Lord will strike all the nations that have fought against Jerusalem: Their flesh will rot (melt) while they are still standing on their feet, their eyes will rot (melt) in their sockets, and their tongues will rot in their mouths. On that day men will be stricken by the Lord with great panic. Each man will seize the hand of another, and they will attack each other. Judah will also fight at Jerusalem” (Zechariah 14:3-4a, 9, 12-14a)
Indeed what is described is something akin to a Nuclear reaction where things actually “melt”. Somehow the power of the Lord, on this day when He judges the antichrist and his armies, is likened to a thermonuclear reaction. In fact Peter in his second letter describes this same event but describes it in a global context. Peter says, “But the Day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything in it will be burnt up (laid bare) (2 Peter 3:10) It is interesting that the phrase Peter uses for “the elements melting with fervent heat” (KJV) in the Greek language actually describes the splitting of the Atom, in other words, a thermonuclear reaction!
Everything started in the Middle-East and everything will end there. Satan experienced his first defeat there and will also experience his second defeat there as well. Indeed listen to what the Lord says concerning the final outcome for Satan and the Antichrist, “But you are brought down to the grave to the depths of the pit. Those who see you stare at you, they ponder your fate: “Is this the man who shook the earth and made kingdoms tremble. The man who made the world a desert, who overthrew its cities and would not let his captives go home” (Isaiah 14:16-17). As for the armies of the Antichrist and for all who have taken his mark of servitude and worshipped his image will be cast into the lake of fire forever and the redeemed will actually see them burn! “And they (the redeemed of the earth) will go out and look upon the dead bodies of those who rebelled against Me; their worm will not die, nor will their fire be quenched, and they will be loathsome to all mankind” (Isaiah 66:24)
21/06/2011
“Blood and fire and billows of smoke.”
In the news on June 12th the headline read, “Airlines Ground Melbourne,
Tasmania and NZ flights over Chile volcano ash”
This was yet another volcanic eruption polluting the atmosphere, one,
I am sure of many more to come.
In 2010 a Volcano erupted in Iceland spreading a thick cloud of Ash in the skies over the United Kingdom, France, Belgium and Scandinavia causing all flights to be grounded. The ash itself not only polluted the atmosphere but was also dangerous to any aircraft attempting to fly. This month in the year 2011 another Volcano erupted in Chile spewing out ash into the atmosphere causing airlines to ground all flights in and out of Melbourne, Tasmania and New Zealand.
The Lord Jesus told us in the Bible that before he came back there would be earthquakes, diseases famines and wars in various places and that they would increase in frequency and intensity as this present age comes to a close. We are also told in the Bible that God has said, “ I will show wonders in the heavens and on the earth, blood and fire and billows of smoke. The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD.”
Now we know from history that there have been times in the past when the moon has turned blood red and that this has already occurred in the Middle East on several occasions. This has been well documented.
However, it would seem that a time is coming when fire and smoke will so ravage the earth that not only will the moon be turned to a blood red colour but the very atmosphere itself will be filled with “blood and fire and billows of smoke.” Even the sun itself will be turned black like sackcloth we are told. These events will usher in the Day of The Lord!
When you consider the “boiling pot” in the Middle East today at any moment a war could erupt which would literally produce bloodshed, fire and billows of smoke especially if the Oil fields were blown up. We are told in the Bible that the oil fields in the whole area of Saudi Arabia (Ancient Edom)will actually burn under the judgement of God and that the fires will never go out. This judgement will occur as a result of the Saudi’s financially backing terrorist organizations bent on destroying Israel.
“For the LORD has a day of vengeance, A year of recompense for the cause of Zion. Its streams will be turned into pitch, and its loose earth into brimstone, and its land will become burning pitch. It will not be quenched night or day; its smoke will go up forever.”
The pollution of the atmosphere and the fallout from the burning oil fields would result in a situation never before experienced in history. For example, consider the effects of the detonation of a thermonuclear device in the Middle-East. Peter actually tells us that there will be such a thermonuclear reaction in the earth just prior to the return of the Lord Jesus when He comes in great power and glory. Peter actually uses the terminology in the Greek language that describes a thermonuclear reaction, “But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, in which the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its works will be burned up…the heavens will be destroyed by burning, and the elements will melt with intense heat!”
How could a first century fisherman know about the splitting of the Atom? Of course he did not know but the Holy Spirit who inspired Peter knew about it!
In the book of Revelation we see the contamination of the water supply and multitudes beyond numbering dying from disease, pestilence and what seems to be a description of nuclear fallout. Indeed “blood and fire and billows of smoke” will virtually circumnavigate the globe polluting the land, the sea, the rivers and causing multitudes beyond number to die. In the book of Revelation John describes these events using the imagery of four horses.
“The White Horse” describes a false peace that will last for a time. But then sudden destruction will come. As it is written, “The day of the Lord will come just like a thief in the night. While they are saying, “Peace and safety!” then destruction will come upon them suddenly like labour pains upon a woman with child, and they will not escape.” The White Horse of a false global peace will be suddenly violated by “The Fiery Red Horse” of global bloodshed, violence and warfare unparalleled in history. Following hard on the heels of the Red Horse comes “The Black Horse” of world-wide famine and scarcity. Finally “The Pale Horse” of death and hell itself engulfs millions. We are told that these horses were given “power over a fourth of the earth to kill by sword famine and plague and by the wild beasts of the earth.”
As Jacob Prasch has said on more than one occasion, “Plan for the future but don’t count on it.” Indeed for Christ hating, Christ rejecting rebels the day of the Lord will be one of darkness and gloom and one of clouds and thick darkness, as it is written, “Blow a trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm on My holy mountain! Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble, For the day of the LORD is coming; Surely it is near, A day of darkness and gloom, A day of clouds and thick darkness.” Indeed as Jesus Himself said, “There will be signs in sun and moon and stars, and on the earth dismay among nations, in perplexity at the roaring of the sea and the waves, men fainting from fear and the expectation of the things which are coming upon the world; for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Then they will see THE SON OF MAN COMING IN A CLOUD with power and great glory.”
For those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus the “blood and the fire and the billows of smoke” will be a day of terror and anguish, however, when these things begin to take place those who know God and are obeying the gospel of our Lord Jesus will have the assurance that their redemption is close at hand. Indeed the Lord Jesus goes on to say to those who remain faithful to Him, “But when these things begin to take place, straighten up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.”
As Paul also tells us, “But you, brethren, are not in darkness, that the day would overtake you like a thief; for you are all sons of light and sons of day. We are not of night nor of darkness; so then let us not sleep as others do, but let us be alert and sober. For those who sleep do their sleeping at night, and those who get drunk get drunk at night. But since we are of the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet, the hope of salvation. For God has not destined us for wrath, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.”
When the final bowls of God’s wrath are poured out on the inhabitants of the earth those who by faith have sheltered under the blood of Jesus Christ for refuge and protection will be caught up to meet the Lord at His coming. They will be rescued! Indeed Paul also says of Jesus, “Who rescues us from the coming wrath!”
Do you want to be rescued? Do you want to escape the wrath of God? If you do then run to Jesus now! Avail yourself of the atoning blood shed for you! Cry out to God for mercy and pardon for Jesus sake and God will receive you and rescue you from the coming wrath. Don’t delay as it is written, “Now is the accepted time now is the day of salvation.” And again it is written, “Seek the LORD while He may be found; Call upon Him while He is near. Let the wicked forsake his way and the unrighteous man his thoughts; And let him return to the LORD, And He will have compassion on him, And to our God, For He will abundantly pardon.”
When “the blood and the fire and the billows of smoke” begin to increase in frequency and intensity in the earth we are also told that even then, “Whoever shall call on the name of the Lord will be saved!” For we are also told that, “God is not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance”.
The reason the Lord Jesus has not returned as yet is to give people time to repent as He did in the days of Noah before the flood. It took Noah 120 years to complete the ark of Salvation and then the door was closed and the deluge came! Once the door of salvation was closed there was no reprieve for the inhabitants of the earth. As Jesus Himself foretold, “For the coming of the Son of Man will be just like the days of Noah. For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and they did not understand until the flood came and took them all away; so will the coming of the Son of Man be. Then there will be two men in the field; one will be taken and one will be left. Two women will be grinding at the mill; one will be taken and one will be left. Be Ready for His Coming “Therefore be on the alert, for you do not know which day your Lord is coming.”
“I will show wonders in the heavens and on the earth, blood and fire and billows of smoke. The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD. And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved!” Amen!
11/11/2010 “Where Satan has his throne.
The city of Pergamum was the city where Emperor worship was first established by the Ancient Roman Empire, the first “god” being Caesar Augustus. Of course Pergamum is now located in Turkey. Recently the Prime Minister of Turkey said, “Our mosques are the barracks, our domes are the helmets, the minarets are our bayonets, the faithful are our soldiers.” (End of quote) Clearly the government of Turkey wants to see the Ancient office of the Caliphate of the Ottoman Empire re-established in Turley and dominant over the whole Sunni world. Recently there were demonstrations by ‘Palestinians’ in Gaza calling for the Ottoman Empire to re-establish the Caliphate.
Today 85% of Muslims in the world are Sunni. Turkey wants to be a Superpower and is in fact the strongest Sunni country in the Middle East They having a rival in Iran (89% Shiite) that also wants to be the Super power in the Middle East. Turkey and Iran are in conflict. If Iran were ever defeated by the Western powers or by Israeli armed forces in a war then Turkey would become the next Super Power in the Middle East. Syria, aligned with Iran, would also be destroyed if there were a war in the Middle East because Syria is aligned with Iran.
Turkey is also pressing to become part of the European Union and many see this move by Turkey as a “Trojan Horse” whose agenda is to establish an Islamic empire in Europe under Shariah Law. The same ‘spirit’ that moved Adolph Hitler to make war especially against the Jewish nation is alive and well in Turkey. Hitler’s book Mein Kampf (a perverted tirade of anti-Semitism) sold around 100,000 copies last year globally and is currently a best seller in Turkey. Historically there was an alliance between Islam and Nazisism in WW11.
Indeed John the apostle writing over 2000 years ago foresaw the rise of Turkey again at the end of this present age. While prophecy in the Middle East is still being fulfilled there is no doubt that one will come in the character of Nimrod and Mohammad himself to establish a global empire (A global Caliphate?) where everyone within its domain will be forced to worship him as their god! Indeed the word Islam itself means “Submission.” You may ask submission to what? Submission to Allah and to his servant Mohammad and to Shariah Law as set forth in the Koran and in other Islamic literature!
The fact that Pergamum in modern day Turkey “where Satan has his throne” wants to see the Caliphate re-established under strict Islamic Law is no mere co-incidence. If there is a Caliphate re-established then the man appointed to this role could well be him of whom it is written, “The King will do as he pleases. He will exult and magnify himself above every god and will say unheard- of things against the God of gods. He will be successful until the time of wrath is completed, for what has been determined must take place”(Daniel 11:36).
Historically, it was the Turkish Ottoman Empire that finally defeated the Roman Empire and ruled the Middle - East until it received a supposedly ‘mortal’ wound by the allied forces under General Allenby in WW1. At that time Islamic control over the city of Jerusalem ceased. Even though Islam took a supposed ‘death blow’ it remains to this day a “beast empire” that is arising again out of the “sea of humanity!” (Revelation 13:1-4) Could it be that this ancient Ottoman Empire under a new Caliph could well be “the beast that was wounded by the sword and yet lived!”?
‘Babylon’ will rise again and the only One who will destroy its power in the end will be the rider on the White Horse accompanied by the armies of heaven! Indeed as the apostasy in the professing Christian church spirals out of control that man of sin who is to come will indeed sit on Satan’s throne and demand to be worshipped by the whole world as God! As it is also written, “Don’t let anyone deceive you in any way, for that day (the Day of the Lord) will not come until the rebellion (The Apostasy) occurs and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the man doomed to destruction. He opposes and exults himself over everything that is called God or is worshipped and even sets himself up in God’s temple, proclaiming himself to be God” (2 Thessalonians 1:3-4)
