Prophecy 27

From:  TribulationPeriod.com

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PROPHECY UPDATE NUMBER 272

April 21, 2006

WHERE ISRAEL HAS BEEN IN PROPHECY! Part 7

WHERE JEWS AND GENTILES ARE AT PRESENT!

WHERE BOTH ARE HEADING IN PROPHECY!

Thus far, in Parts 1 through 6, we have covered Ezekiel 37:1 to 38:6. I promised in Part 7 to continue a line by line exposition of Ezekiel 38, beginning at verse 7.

We will now continue our exposition, beginning with 38:7 — “Be thou prepared, and prepare for thyself, thou, and all thy company that are assembled unto thee, and be thou a guard unto them.” This is a specific warning to Satan and his antichrist to get set, to be ready, and to be prepared to protect his armies as a guard or big brother. This is the showdown between God and Satan at the end of the age of the Gentiles, and God is literally saying, “This is it! You had better be ready.”

Ezekiel 38:8 – “After many days thou shalt be visited: in the latter years thou shalt come into the land that is brought back from the sword, and is gathered out of many people, against the mountains of Israel, which have been always waste: but it is brought forth out of the nations, and they shall dwell safely all of them.” The “after many days” have piled up to some twenty-six hundred years since Ezekiel wrote these words. “Thou” refers to Gog, the anti-Christ. “Be visited,” means to muster, or to be called to arms. The rest of the verse identifies the general time, the place of the battle, and the people he will attack. The time (latter years) represents the closing years of the age of the Gentiles. The land is the restored nation of Israel that has been “brought back from the sword” (that has been restored from war). “And is gathered out of many people” refers to the residents of the land that is “brought back from the sword,” which have been gathered out of many nations across the face of the earth. “Against the mountains of Israel, which have always been waste” gives a topographical description of the land of Israel into which the anti-Christ will plunge southward. “Which has always been waste” refers to the hundreds of years between A.D. 135 and 1948 that the land of Israel was, compared to her former years of productivity, virtually a barren wasteland. “But is brought forth out of the nations” is exactly how the present nation of Israel was formed – by Jews brought forth from virtually every Gentile nation on this planet. Thus far, I am confident that all this has already been fulfilled. However, the last expression in verse eight has yet to be fulfilled, but I am convinced it is very likely to occur before 2012. The last phrase in verse eight, “And they shall dwell safely all of them,” has not happened since the temple was destroyed in A.D. 70. Israel has not had a single year, since she became a nation in 1948, that she has not had the constant possibility of war, or a conscious awareness of a terrorist act at any given moment. They have most assuredly not dwelled “safely all of them.” In many of my previous BLOGS, I have detailed what I believe will cause peace to finally come to Israel, in spite of what is currently happening. But it will be a false peace, and of short duration. It will abruptly end with the forces of Syria, Lebanon, Iraq, and Iran pulling off a surprise blitzkrieg attack from the north. The Palestinians will attack Israel from within at the same time, and Israel will be forced to withdraw into the Negev. There will be five other Islamic nations involved in the peace of deceit, but the five aforementioned nations will provide the bulk of the force.

Ezekiel 38:9 — “Thou shalt ascend and come like a storm, thou shalt be like a cloud to cover the land, thou, and all thy bands, and many people with thee.” This describes the suddenness of the blitzkrieg attack of Gog the antichrist against Israel from the north. It compares the attack with the rapid development of a cumulonimbus cloud when it first comes quickly toward the observer as a rumbling thunderstorm, and then rapidly covers the land where he or she stands from horizon to horizon. This will be the manner the bands and many people supporting Gog will abruptly spread southward across Israel.

Ezekiel 38:10-12 — “Thus saith the Lord God; It shall also come to pass, that at the same time shall things come into thy mind, and thou shalt think an evil thought: [11] And thou shalt say, I will go up to the land of unwalled villages; I will go to them that are at rest, that dwell safely, all of them dwelling without walls, and having neither bars nor gates, [12] To take a spoil, and to take a prey; to turn thine hand upon the desolate places that are now inhabited, and upon the people that are gathered out of the nations, which have gotten cattle and goods, that dwell in the midst of the land.” Take a look back at the last phrase in Ezekiel 38:8, which is: “And they shall dwell safely all of them.” This phrase is directly tied to the “evil thought” that comes into the mind of the antichrist concerning the purpose of the false peace he has led them into by deceit. Verse 11, in the terminology of the people of Ezekiel’s day, painted a picture of people at peace with the other peoples around them. Believe it or not, in spite of what is currently going on around, and in, Israel, I believe that before 2012 you will see Israel lulled into a false sense of security by a Hudna (Truce) with the Palestinians. The Islamic leaders, and the leaders of the terrorist groups they support, are now becoming aware they can never defeat Israel by their present tactics, and that what is going on now, and what has been going on since 1948, can never accomplish their objective of driving Israel out of the choice northern part of her domain. In order for Israel to believe they have what every leader of Israel since 1967 has said they must have, that is, “A PEACE WITH SECURITY, PEACE WITH SAFETY,” the terrorist groups must temporarily cease activities for a reasonable period of time, and a well coordinated plan of blitzkrieg attack must be formulated between Lebanon, Syria, Iran, and Iraq behind closed doors. Verse eleven describes Gog’s evil plan to attack a nation he has deceived with a false peace scenario. Verse 12 tells us Gog will break or betray the agreement (“turn thine hand”), and that he will take the spoils of war from the nation of Israel. The “spoils” are identified in terms that the readers of Ezekiel’s day would understand (“cattle and goods”), but to us they are to mean the national wealth and high tech resources of modern Israel. I firmly believe that in spite of what appears to be a state of never ending conflict between Israel and Palestinians, soon a Hudna (Truce) will come to exist between them. And it will be followed by an attack against Israel, a nation in unbelief, as a sudden blitzkrieg from the north. When Israel is driven into the Negev, God will finally get her attention drawn to her true Messiah. Romans 11:25,32 + I Thessalonians 5:3,4: “For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in. [32] For God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all. [3] For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape. [4] But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief.”

Lord willing, I will continue the exposition of Ezekiel 38 in Part 8.

SPECIAL PROPHECY UPDATE NUMBER 272A

April 23, 2006

An Exposition of Isaiah 61 – Part 3

ISAIAH 61:4 – And they shall build the old wastes, they shall raise up the former desolations, and they shall repair the waste cities, the desolations of many generations.

“They” refers to the Jewish remnant that comes up out of the Negev wilderness after the battle of Armageddon. They will go into the Negev some 3 and ½ years before Armageddon, and remain there until the Armageddon Advent of their Messiah. He will bring peace to the world and they will drive as far north as Hamath in northern Syria, as far west as the River of Egypt and the Mediterranean Sea, as far South as Kadesh in the south, and as far east as the Euphrates River. Israel will finally claim the land grant promised to Abraham by God in Genesis 15:18.

Revelation 12:6 – And the woman (Israel) fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God, that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and threescore days.

Micah 5:6,7 – And they (Israel) shall waste the land of Assyria with the sword, and the land of Nimrod in the entrances thereof: thus shall he (Messiah) deliver us from the Assyrian, when he cometh into our land, and when he treadeth within our borders. [7] And the remnant of Jacob shall be in the midst of many people as a dew from the Lord, as the showers upon the grass, that tarrieth not for man, nor waiteth for the sons of men.

Genesis 15:18 – In the same day the Lord made a covenant with Abram, saying, Unto thy seed have I given this land, from the river of Egypt unto the great river, the river Euphrates:

Ezekiel 47:17 – And the border from the sea shall be Hazar-enan, the border of Damascus, and the north northward, and the border of Hamath. And this is the north side.

Ezekiel 47:19 – And the south side southward, from Tamar even to the waters of strife in Kadesh, the river to the great sea. And this is the south side southward.

ISAIAH 61:4 – And they shall build the old wastes, they shall raise up the former desolations, and shall repair the waste cities, the desolations of many generations.

This great time of millennial planting and rebuilding is mentioned in other parts of Isaiah and by many of the other Old Testament Prophets.

Isaiah 65:21-23 –And they shall build houses, and inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards, and eat the fruit of them. [22] They shall not build, and another inhabit; they shall not plant, and another eat: for as the days of a tree are the days of my people, and mine elect shall long enjoy the work of their hands. [23] They shall not labour in vain, nor bring forth for trouble; for they are the seed of the blessed of the Lord, and their offspring with them.

Amos 9:11-15 – In that day will I raise up the tabernacle of David that is fallen, and close up the breaches thereof; and I will raise up his ruins, and I will build it as in the days of old: [12] That they may possess the remnant of Edom, and of all the heathen, which are called by my name, saith the Lord that doeth this. [13] Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that the plowman shall overtake the reaper, and the treader of grapes him that soweth seed; and the mountains shall drop sweet wine, and all the hills shall melt. [14] 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. [15] 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 thy God.

Ezekiel 36:33-38 – Thus saith the Lord God; In the day that I shall have cleansed you from all your iniquities I will also cause you to dwell in the cities, and the wastes shall be builded. [34] And the desolate land shall be tilled, whereas it lay desolate in the sight of all that passed by. [35] And they shall say, This land that was desolate is become like the garden of Eden; and the waste and desolate and ruined cities are become fenced, and are inhabited. [36] Then the heathen that are left round about you shall know that I the Lord build the ruined places, and plant that that was desolate: I the Lord have spoken it, and I will do it. [37] Thus saith the Lord God; I will yet for this be enquired of by the house of Israel, to do it for them; I will increase them with men like a flock. [38] As the holy flock, as the flock of Jerusalem in her solemn feasts; so shall the waste cities be filled with flocks of men: and they shall know that I am the Lord.

Ezekiel 37:23-28 – Neither shall they defile themselves any more with their idols, nor with their detestable things, nor with any of their transgressions: but I will save them out of all their dwellingplaces, wherein they have sinned, and will cleanse them: so shall they be my people, and I will be their God. [24] And David my servant shall be king over them; and they all shall have one shepherd: they shall also walk in my judgments, and observe my statutes, and do them. [25] And they shall dwell in the land that I have given unto Jacob my servant, wherein your fathers have dwelt; and they shall dwell therein, even they, and their children, and their children’s children for ever: and my servant David shall be their prince for ever. [26] Moreover I will make a covenant of peace with them; it shall be an everlasting covenant with them: and I will place them, and multiply them, and will set my sanctuary in the midst of them for evermore. [27] My tabernacle also shall be with them: yea, I will be their God, and they shall be my people. [28] And the heathen shall know that I the Lord do sanctify Israel, when my sanctuary shall be in the midst of them for evermore.

Ezekiel 39:23-29 – And the heathen shall know that the house of Israel went into captivity for their iniquity: because they trespassed against me, therefore hid I my face from them, and gave them into the hand of their enemies: so fell they all by the sword. [24] According to their uncleanness and according to their transgressions have I done unto them, and hid my face from them. [25] Therefore thus saith the Lord God; Now will I bring again the captivity of Jacob, and have mercy upon the whole house of Israel, and will be jealous for my holy name; [26] After that they have borne their shame, and all their trespasses whereby they have trespassed against me, when they dwelt safely in their land, and none made them afraid. [27] When I have brought them again from the people, and gathered them out of their enemies’ lands, and am sanctified in them in the sight of many nations; [28] Then shall they know that I am the Lord their God, which caused them to be led into captivity among the heathen: but I have gathered them unto their own land, and have left none of them any more there. [29] Neither will I hide my face any more from them: for I have poured out my spirit upon the house of Israel, saith the Lord God.

SPECIAL PROPHECY UPDATE NUMBER 272B

April 26, 2006

An Exposition of Isaiah 61 – Part 4

ISAIAH 61:5 – And strangers shall stand and feed your flocks, and the sons of the alien shall be your plowmen and your vinedressers.

The descendants of the Gentile nations of the known world, which were in existence at the time Isaiah wrote his prophecies around 700BC, will come against Israel at the final battle of Armageddon, but will be sorely defeated by the return of the Lord Jesus Christ. They will come charging in like a lion, but at the end of the great battle will be fleeing like lambs before the Lion of Judah. Many will flee to the countries from which they came, and cause those nations to return the Jews, still in their lands, back to Israel on whatever is still available after the massive tribulation destruction of the world’s transportation systems. And the nations of the world will be in a servant mode toward Israel for a thousand years.

Isaiah 66:15-21 – For, behold, the Lord will come with fire, and with his chariots like a whirlwind, to render his anger with fury, and his rebuke with flames of fire. [16] For by fire and by his sword will the Lord plead with all flesh: and the slain of the Lord shall be many. [17] They that sanctify themselves, and purify themselves in the gardens behind one tree in the midst, eating swine’s flesh, and the abomination, and the mouse, shall be consumed together, saith the Lord. [18] For I know their works and their thoughts: it shall come, that I will gather all nations and tongues; and they shall come, and see my glory. [19] And I will set a sign among them, and I will send those that escape of them unto the nations, to Tarshish, Pul, and Lud, that draw the bow, to Tubal, and Javan, to the isles afar off, that have not heard my fame, neither have seen my glory; and they shall declare my glory among the Gentiles. [20] And they shall bring all your brethren for an offering unto the Lord out of all nations upon horses, and in chariots, and in litters, and upon mules, and upon swift beasts, to my holy mountain Jerusalem, saith the Lord, as the children of Israel bring an offering in a clean vessel into the house of the Lord. [21] And I will also take of them for priests and for Levites, saith the Lord.

Israelis are oblivious to all this because they will not put their faith in Jesus as Messiah. Their minds will remain blinded by their stubbornness until they are driven into the Negev Wilderness.

II Corinthians 3:14-16 – But their minds were blinded: for until this day remaineth the same vail untaken away in the reading of the old testament; which vail is done away in Christ. [15] But even unto this day, when Moses is read, the vail is upon their heart. [16] Nevertheless when it shall turn to the Lord, the vail shall be taken away.

Revelation 12:6 – And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God, that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and threescore days.

Zech. 13:8,9 – And it shall come to pass, that in all the land, saith the Lord, two parts therein shall be cut off and die; but the third shall be left therein. [9] And I will bring the third part through the fire, and will refine them as silver is refined, and will try them as gold is tried: they shall call on my name, and I will hear them: I will say, It is my people: and they shall say, The Lord is my God.

Israel will again become God’s chosen nation when the vail is lifted in the Negev, and will be a nation rejoicing for a thousand years when Messiah arises with healing in his wings.

Malachi 4:2 – But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings; and ye shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall.

Luke 21:27 – And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.

Isaiah 60:1-13 – Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee. [2] For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people: but the Lord shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee. [3] And the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising. [4] Lift up thine eyes round about, and see: all they gather themselves together, they come to thee: thy sons shall come from far, and thy daughters shall be nursed at thy side. [5] Then thou shalt see, and flow together, and thine heart shall fear, and be enlarged; because the abundance of the sea shall be converted unto thee, the forces of the Gentiles shall come unto thee. [6] The multitude of camels shall cover thee, the dromedaries of Midian and Ephah; all they from Sheba shall come: they shall bring gold and incense; and they shall shew forth the praises of the Lord. [7] All the flocks of Kedar shall be gathered together unto thee, the rams of Nebaioth shall minister unto thee: they shall come up with acceptance on mine altar, and I will glorify the house of my glory. [8] Who are these that fly as a cloud, and as the doves to their windows? [9] Surely the isles shall wait for me, and the ships of Tarshish first, to bring thy sons from far, their silver and their gold with them, unto the name of the Lord thy God, and to the Holy One of Israel, because he hath glorified thee. [10] And the sons of strangers shall build up thy walls, and their kings shall minister unto thee: for in my wrath I smote thee, but in my favour have I had mercy on thee. [11] Therefore thy gates shall be open continually; they shall not be shut day nor night; that men may bring unto thee the forces of the Gentiles, and that their kings may be brought. [12] For the nation and kingdom that will not serve thee shall perish; yea, those nations shall be utterly wasted. [13] The glory of Lebanon shall come unto thee, the fir tree, the pine tree, and the box together, to beautify the place of my sanctuary; and I will make the place of my feet glorious.

ISAIAH 61:5 – And strangers shall stand and feed your flocks, and the sons of the alien shall be your plowmen and your vinedressers.

ISAIAH 60:14-16 – The sons also of them that afflicted thee shall come bending unto thee; and all they that despised thee shall bow themselves down at the soles of thy feet; and they shall call thee, The city of the Lord, The Zion of the Holy One of Israel. [15] Whereas thou hast been forsaken and hated, so that no man went through thee, I will make thee an eternal excellency, a joy of many generations. [16] Thou shalt also suck the milk of the Gentiles, and shalt suck the breast of kings: and thou shalt know that I the Lord am thy Saviour and thy Redeemer, the mighty One of Jacob.

Zechariah 14:9 – And the Lord shall be king over all the earth: in that day shall there be one Lord, and his name one.

PROPHECY UPDATE NUMBER 273

April 28, 2006

WHERE ISRAEL HAS BEEN IN PROPHECY! Part 8

WHERE JEWS AND GENTILES ARE AT PRESENT!

WHERE BOTH ARE HEADING IN PROPHECY!

We finished Part 7 with Ezekiel 38:12, which has been done continuously from Ezekiel 37:1. I will continue this exposition, beginning with Ezekiel 38:13.

Ezekiel 38:13 – Sheba, and Dedan, and the merchants of Tarshish, with all the young lions thereof, shall say unto thee, Art thou come to take a spoil? hast thou gathered thy company to take a prey? to carry away silver and gold, to take away cattle and goods, to take a great spoil?

Verse 13 mentions three other descendants which were not mentioned previously as being among the horde that attacked Israel, namely, Sheba, Dedan, and Tarshish. Sheba and Dedan settled in the land we know as Saudi Arabia, later colonizing across the Red Sea in the horn we know today as Ethiopia.

Tarshish is much harder to nail down to a specific location. The descendants of Tarshish were sea merchants who became the peoples of the Mediterranean Sea coast. The headquarters of the descendants of Tarshish is now generally accepted by most biblical authorities as a district in the south of Spain where the city of Tartessus once existed. The merchants of Tarshish scattered their descendants in village settlements along most of Europe’s coastal sections. I am persuaded that Europe represents the descendant offspring of Tarshish. It is quite possible that God may look upon the rest of Western Civilization as being the offspring (descendants) of Europe (“the young lions thereof”). The countries of the New World became the “melting pot” of Europe.

It is very interesting what Saudi Arabia, Europe, and the rest of Western Civilization have to say to Gog about his attack on Israel: “Art thou come to take a spoil? Hast thou gathered thy company to take a prey? To carry away silver and gold, to take away cattle and goods, to take a great spoil?” This is no more or less than the perfect description of a diplomatic protest to Gog’s actions. When the anti-Christ and his armies roar south into Israel in a blitzkrieg lightning strike, the rest of the free world will protest, protest, protest – and do nothing about it.

The antichrist will take Jerusalem within five days of his initial strike in the north, and within three weeks most of Israel will have fled into the Negev south of Beersheva, where she will remain for some three and one-half years. Jerusalem will fall and only one-third of Israel’s population will make it safely into the Negev.

Zechariah 13:8 to 14:2 – And it shall come to pass, that in all the land, saith the Lord, two parts therein shall be cut off and die; but the third shall be left therein. [9] And I will bring the third part through the fire, and will refine them as silver is refined, and will try them as gold is tried: they shall call on my name, and I will hear them: I will say, It is my people: and they shall say, The Lord is my God. Behold, the day of the Lord cometh, and thy spoil shall be divided in the midst of thee. [2] For I will gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle; and the city shall be taken, and the houses rifled, and the women ravished; and half of the city shall go forth into captivity, and the residue of the people shall not be cut off from the city.

Ezekiel 38:14 – Therefore, son of man, prophesy and say unto Gog, Thus saith the Lord God; In that day when my people of Israel dwelleth safely, shalt thou not know it?

The question of verse 14 is directed personally by God to Gog . It is a question to which both know the answer, as attested by “shalt thou not know it?” Gog will be well aware of it, because he will have made the agreement allowing Israel to dwell in safety. And this will be one of the reasons the antiChrist’s blitzkrieg attack will be so successful. It will catch them by surprise.

Ezekiel 38:15 – And thou shalt come from thy place out of the north parts, thou, and many people with thee, all of them riding upon horses, a great company, and a mighty army:

Verse 15 reveals some very important new information when it states: “And thou shalt come from thy place out of the north parts.” When Ezekiel wrote his prophecies, the expression “the north parts,” to those who read it in those days, meant the area we call Syria and Lebanon today. I am certain that the antiChrist will arise to power as the head of some country which satisfies the requirements of being from “the north parts” as they were identified in Ezekiel’s day. Antichrist may arise in southern Turkey or northwestern Iraq, but in Ezekiel’s day “the north parts” encompassed the area occupied by Lebanon and Syria today. His army will be composed of troops from ten Arab nations. The initial attack will be conducted primarily by Syria, Lebanon, Iraq, and Iran, but others will participate in various ways. When the Scripture says: “all of them riding upon horses,” it is picturing to the readers of Ezekiel’s day what would be a “fully equipped” army. His army will be equipped with all of today’s modern weapons to meet this requirement.

Ezekiel 38:16 – And thou shalt come up against my people of Israel, as a cloud to cover the land; it shall be in the latter days, and I will bring thee against my land, that the heathen may know me, when I shall be sanctified in thee, O Gog, before their eyes.

We are advised that the character of the attack will be like a lightning blitzkrieg strike. His armies shall move south across the land like a fast moving thunderstorm cloud races across an area, leaving havoc in its wake. It is to occur in “the latter days” of this Gentile age. We are advised that God, not Gog, will determine when the attack occurs. When the conflict is finished God will be set-apart (sanctified) in the eyes of all nations as being King of kings, Lord of lords, and God of gods. For 1000 years it will be remembered what God performed before the eyes of all survivors of the conflict. God is in charge! He will determine the time of the attack by putting it in the minds of the attackers. These 10 Arab nations will surrender their power to the antichrist, but after Israel has suffered in the Negev for some 3 and ½ years, Christ will then return with the saints to end the Battle of Armageddon, and God will the sanctified (set-apart) in Christ as the all powerful King of kings.

Revelation 17:12-14 – 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.

It will be highly advisable to watch the efforts of Syria, Iraq, Iran, and Lebanon to reconcile their political and military differences during the coming months. They, along with the terrorist groups, after continuing attacks by the terrorist groups they control, can only come to realize that in order to come up with a plan to meet their common objective, the end of the Jewish State, they must fully cooperate and coordinate with one another. They want to get Israel out of the land from Dan to Beersheba. The continuation of terrorist attacks, no matter how numerous or violent they become, will never accomplish their objective. If they will stop the terrorist attacks, Israel can be led into a false sense of security after a period of what seems to be a genuine Hudna (Truce). Then, and only then, can Israel be driven into the Negev by a blitzkrieg attack from “the north parts.”

SPECIAL PROPHECY UPDATE NUMBER 273A

April 30, 2006

An Exposition of Isaiah 61 – Part 5

ISAIAH 61:6 – But ye shall be named the Priests of the Lord: men shall call you the Ministers of our God: ye shall eat the riches of the Gentiles, and in their glory shall ye boast yourselves.

Jesus the Messiah will return to end the final battle of Armageddon, which ends the tribulation period. His coming in the heavens to set his feet in Jerusalem will be a sign among the Gentiles. The priesthood will again be instituted, and they will “be named the Priests of the Lord,” and men will call them “the Ministers of our God.”

Luke 21:27 – And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.

Isaiah 66:19-21 – And I will set a sign among them (Gentiles), and I will send those that escape of them unto the nations, to Tarshish, Pul, and Lud, that draw the bow, to Tubal, and Javan, to the isles afar off, that have not heard my fame, neither have seen my glory; and they shall declare my glory among the Gentiles. [20] And they shall bring all your brethren (Israelites) for an offering unto the Lord out of all nations upon horses, and in chariots, and in litters, and upon mules, and upon swift beasts, to my holy mountain Jerusalem, saith the Lord, as the children of Israel bring an offering in a clean vessel into the house of the Lord. [21] And I will also take of them (Israelites) for priests and for Levites, saith the Lord.

The Gentile nations will use whatever transportation is available, following the destructive affects of the great tribulation period, to return Jews from across the earth to Israel. The Micah 4:1 mountain (Israeli government) will reign as the top government of all mountains (the Gentile governments). Jerusalem will be the spiritual capital of all nations, and will rule the world. Messiah will rule the earth from the Jerusalem Temple.

Micah 4:1-7 – But in the last days it shall come to pass, that the mountain of the house of the Lord shall be established in the top of the mountains, and it shall be exalted above the hills; and people shall flow unto it. [2] And many nations shall come, and say, Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, and to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for the law shall go forth of Zion, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. [3] And he shall judge among many people, and rebuke strong nations afar off; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up a sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more. [4] But they shall sit every man under his vine and under his fig tree; and none shall make them afraid: for the mouth of the Lord of hosts hath spoken it. [5] For all people will walk every one in the name of his god, and we will walk in the name of the Lord our God for ever and ever. [6] In that day, saith the Lord, will I assemble her that halteth, and I will gather her that is driven out, and her that I have afflicted; [7] And I will make her that halted a remnant, and her that was cast far off a strong nation: and the Lord shall reign over them in mount Zion from henceforth, even for ever.

The Scriptures that follow attest to the greatness of Israel and her King Messiah during his 1000 year reign.

Zechariah 8:20-23 – Thus saith the Lord of hosts; It shall yet come to pass, that there shall come people, and the inhabitants of many cities: [21] And the inhabitants of one city shall go to another, saying, Let us go speedily to pray before the Lord, and to seek the Lord of hosts: I will go also. [22] Yea, many people and strong nations shall come to seek the Lord of hosts in Jerusalem, and to pray before the Lord. [23] Thus saith the Lord of hosts; In those days it shall come to pass, that ten men shall take hold out of all languages of the nations, even shall take hold of the skirt of him that is a Jew, saying, We will go with you: for we have heard that God is with you.

ISAIAH 61:6A – But ye shall be named the Priests of the Lord: men shall call you the Ministers of our God:

Isaiah 66:21 – And I will also take of them for priests and for Levites, saith the Lord.

Zechariah 8:22 – Yea, many people and strong nations shall come to seek the Lord of hosts in Jerusalem, and to pray before the Lord.

Micah 4:2 – And many nations shall come, and say, Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, and to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for the law shall go forth of Zion, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.

Zechariah 14:16 – 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.

ISAIAH 61:6B – Ye shall eat the riches of the Gentiles, and in their glory shall ye boast yourselves.

Isaiah 49:22,23 – Thus saith the Lord God, Behold, I will lift up mine hand to the Gentiles, and set up my standard to the people: and they shall bring thy sons in their arms, and thy daughters shall be carried upon their shoulders. [23] And kings shall be thy nursing fathers, and their queens thy nursing mothers: they shall bow down to thee with their face toward the earth, and lick up the dust of thy feet; and thou shalt know that I am the Lord: for they shall not be ashamed that wait for me.

Ezekiel 39:21-29 – And I will set my glory among the heathen, and all the heathen shall see my judgment that I have executed, and my hand that I have laid upon them. [22] So the house of Israel shall know that I am the Lord their God from that day and forward. [23] And the heathen shall know that the house of Israel went into captivity for their iniquity: because they trespassed against me, therefore hid I my face from them, and gave them into the hand of their enemies: so fell they all by the sword. [24] According to their uncleanness and according to their transgressions have I done unto them, and hid my face from them. [25] Therefore thus saith the Lord God; Now will I bring again the captivity of Jacob, and have mercy upon the whole house of Israel, and will be jealous for my holy name; [26] After that they have borne their shame, and all their trespasses whereby they have trespassed against me, when they dwelt safely in their land, and none made them afraid. [27] When I have brought them again from the people, and gathered them out of their enemies’ lands, and am sanctified in them in the sight of many nations; [28] Then shall they know that I am the Lord their God, which caused them to be led into captivity among the heathen: but I have gathered them unto their own land, and have left none of them any more there. [29] Neither will I hide my face any more from them: for I have poured out my spirit upon the house of Israel, saith the Lord God.

SPECIAL PROPHECY UPDATE NUMBER 273B

May 3, 2006

An Exposition of Isaiah 61:1 – Part 6

Isaiah 61:7 – For your shame ye (Israel) shall have double; and for confusion they shall rejoice in their portion: therefore in their land they shall possess the double: everlasting joy shall be unto them.

First God advises them of the shame that will be coming upon them for their rejection of Messiah, but assures that after they have endured their shame, they will be doubly rewarded through acceptance of his Son as the Messiah at his Second Advent.

Matthew 23:37-39 – O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not! [38] Behold, your house is left unto you desolate. [39] For I say unto you, Ye shall not see me henceforth, till ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord.

They have suffered some 1936 years of shame for their rejection of their Messiah by refusing to hearken to his words, even though Moses told them the consequences of failing to hear him. Since 70 A.D. they have been a people under siege.

Deuteronomy 18:18,19 – I will raise them up a Prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee, and will put my words in his mouth; and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him. [19] And it shall come to pass, that whosoever will not hearken unto my words which he shall speak in my name, I will require it of him.

God has required it of Israel because they refused to hearken and turned their shoulders to him in rejection. The continuous chain of verses from Zechariah 7:11 to 8:23 tells what has happened to Israel since she refused to accept her Messiah, what is happening today, and of a future restoration to God when she accepts the Messiah she rejected on the cross at his Second Advent.

Zechariah 7:11 to 8:23 – But they refused to hearken, and pulled away the shoulder, and stopped their ears, that they should not hear. [12] Yea, they made their hearts as an adamant stone, lest they should hear the law, and the words which the Lord of hosts hath sent in his spirit by the former prophets: therefore came a great wrath from the Lord of hosts. [13] Therefore it is come to pass, that as he cried, and they would not hear; so they cried, and I would not hear, saith the Lord of hosts: [14] But I scattered them with a whirlwind among all the nations whom they knew not. Thus the land was desolate after them, such that no man passed through nor returned: for they laid the pleasant land desolate. [1] Again the word of the Lord of hosts came to me, saying, [2] Thus saith the Lord of hosts; I was jealous for Zion with great jealousy, and I was jealous for her with great fury. [3] Thus saith the Lord; I am returned unto Zion, and will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem: and Jerusalem shall be called a city of truth; and the mountain of the Lord of hosts the holy mountain. [4] Thus saith the Lord of hosts; There shall yet old men and old women dwell in the streets of Jerusalem, and every man with his staff in his hand for very age. [5] And the streets of the city shall be full of boys and girls playing in the streets thereof. [6] Thus saith the Lord of hosts; If it be marvellous in the eyes of the remnant of this people in these days, should it also be marvellous in mine eyes? saith the Lord of hosts. [7] Thus saith the Lord of hosts; Behold, I will save my people from the east country, and from the west country; [8] And I will bring them, and they shall dwell in the midst of Jerusalem: and they shall be my people, and I will be their God, in truth and in righteousness. [9] Thus saith the Lord of hosts; Let your hands be strong, ye that hear in these days these words by the mouth of the prophets, which were in the day that the foundation of the house of the Lord of hosts was laid, that the temple might be built. [10] For before these days there was no hire for man, nor any hire for beast; neither was there any peace to him that went out or came in because of the affliction: for I set all men every one against his neighbour. [11] But now I will not be unto the residue of this people as in the former days, saith the Lord of hosts. [12] For the seed shall be prosperous; the vine shall give her fruit, and the ground shall give her increase, and the heavens shall give their dew; and I will cause the remnant of this people to possess all these things. [13] And it shall come to pass, that as ye were a curse among the heathen, O house of Judah, and house of Israel; so will I save you, and ye shall be a blessing: fear not, but let your hands be strong. [14] For thus saith the Lord of hosts; As I thought to punish you, when your fathers provoked me to wrath, saith the Lord of hosts, and I repented not: [15] So again have I thought in these days to do well unto Jerusalem and to the house of Judah: fear ye not. [16] These are the things that ye shall do; Speak ye every man the truth to his neighbour; execute the judgment of truth and peace in your gates: [17] And let none of you imagine evil in your hearts against his neighbour; and love no false oath: for all these are things that I hate, saith the Lord. [18] And the word of the Lord of hosts came unto me, saying, [19] Thus saith the Lord of hosts; The fast of the fourth month, and the fast of the fifth, and the fast of the seventh, and the fast of the tenth, shall be to the house of Judah joy and gladness, and cheerful feasts; therefore love the truth and peace. [20] Thus saith the Lord of hosts; It shall yet come to pass, that there shall come people, and the inhabitants of many cities: [21] And the inhabitants of one city shall go to another, saying, Let us go speedily to pray before the Lord, and to seek the Lord of hosts: I will go also. [22] Yea, many people and strong nations shall come to seek the Lord of hosts in Jerusalem, and to pray before the Lord. [23] Thus saith the Lord of hosts; In those days it shall come to pass, that ten men shall take hold out of all languages of the nations, even shall take hold of the skirt of him that is a Jew, saying, We will go with you: for we have heard that God is with you.

The most important annual event, during the millennial reign of Messiah as king over all the earth, will be the gathering of representatives from all of the nations sent to Jerusalem to worship at the Feast of Tabernacles.

Zechariah 14:9,16 – And the Lord shall be king over all the earth: in that day shall there be one Lord, and his name one. [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.

PROPHECY UPDATE NUMBER 274

May 5, 2006

WHERE ISRAEL HAS BEEN IN PROPHECY! Part 9

WHERE JEWS AND GENTILES ARE AT PRESENT!

WHERE BOTH ARE HEADING IN PROPHECY!

We finished Part 8 with Ezekiel 38:16, which has been done continuously from Ezekiel 37:1.  I will continue this exposition, beginning with Ezekiel 38:17.

Ezekiel 38:17 – Thus saith the Lord God; Art thou he of whom I have spoken in old time by my servants the prophets of Israel, which prophesied in those days many years that I would bring thee against them?

This verse makes it clear that the antichrist prophecy was not a new thing introduced for the first time by the prophet Ezekiel.  God clearly proclaims his prophets had been crying out for many years that in the last days a great man of sin would be brought against Israel.  This man of sin is Gog (see prophecy archives at top of this update).  Gog is the antichrist of Satan, and will manifest himself in a country immediately to the north of Israel, which most likely will be Syria.

Ezekiel 38:18 – And it shall come to pass at the same time when Gog shall come against the land of Israel, saith the Lord God, that my fury shall come up in my face.

Verse 18 proclaims that God is about to cut loose on an unbelieving world His terrible wrath.  God’s creation is about to be shaken from one end to the other by geological upheavals like man has never seen before.

Ezekiel 38:19 – For in my jealousy and in the fire of my wrath have I spoken, Surely in that day there shall be a great shaking in the land of Israel;

Verse 19 gives a general statement of what will happen in Israel.  It will be the greatest shaking the Israelites have ever experienced.  The Arabah Fault will split open from Lebanon to the Gulf of Arabah – the Mount of Olives will tear apart into two sections and a great valley will be formed through it – the western part of Jerusalem will be lifted up along a line from Geba to Rimmon – and many other prophesied phenomena will also occur.  This geological upheaval is dealt with more fully in our web pages by clicking on “Birth Pangs,” and examining our Birth Pang Updates and associated Figures.

Ezekiel 38:20 – So that the fishes of the sea, and the fowls of the heaven, and the beasts of the field, and all creeping things that creep upon the earth, and all the men that are upon the face of the earth, shall shake at my presence, and the mountains shall be thrown down, and the steep places shall fall, and every wall shall fall to the ground.

Verse 20 lets us know that the great shaking will not be limited just to Israel with its local Arabah Fault line – it will occur on a worldwide basis along all the thousands of interconnecting fault lines, both on land and on the sea floor (See Figure 3 under Birth Pang Updates).  Read verse 20 very carefully and see if it does not very clearly picture a worldwide shaking of all things.

Ezekiel 38:21 – And I will call for a sword against him throughout all my mountains, saith the Lord God: every man’s sword shall be against his brother.

Verse 21 describes the effect that the great worldwide upheaval will have on mankind – in a word, total mass confusion as to foe or friend, amidst fantastic casualty rates, among many different nationalities involved on the battlefield throughout God’s mountains.

Ezekiel 38:22 – And I will plead against him with pestilence and with blood; and I will rain upon him, and upon his bands, and upon the many people that are with him, an overflowing rain, and great hailstones, fire, and brimstone.

Verse 22 paints a picture of the destruction that God will reign down upon Gog and his mighty army.  It describes the fantastic array of pyroclastic associated materials, which will shower down on the antichrist’s army out of the volcanic activity unleashed, when the Jordan Valley tears open for about 185 miles (See Birth Pang Numbers 15 and 16)

Ezekiel 38:23 – Thus will I magnify myself, and sanctify myself; and I will be known in the eyes of many nations, and they shall know that I am the Lord.

Verse 23 confirms that God has a purpose in all this geological upheaval and destruction – it should leave no doubt as to who is God and who is antichrist.

At times it seems difficult for me to believe how near all this is to fulfillment.  Many preachers have preached its nearness for so long that most believers today seem to think it is still a long way off.  It’s sort of like the little boy who kept crying, “Wolf,” when there was no wolf.  Then, when a real wolf showed up, even the sheep ignored him, and then the wolf came and caught them by surprise.  I have believed since the early seventies that Israel would be attacked before 2012.  As 2007 approaches I am even more convinced.  I, along with countless numbers of other men expositing God’s word, have repeatedly stated for many years that a false peace would come to the Middle East before the antichrist attacked Israel.  From Parts 1 to 8 I have detailed how our current war on Islamic terrorists will produce that false peace.  So what you intend to do with the Lord, about the Lord, or for the Lord, you had better do it soon.  No one knows for sure the exact date the attack will occur.  And I could certainly be wrong about it coming before 2012.  But I know his true church members are not in darkness that that day should overtake them as a thief.  I believe we can know when it is “soon,” and I know that it is soon.

I Thessalonians 5:3,4 – For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape. [4] But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief.

SPECIAL PROPHECY UNPDATE NUMBER 274A

May 7, 2006

An Exposition of Isaiah 61 – Part 7

Isaiah 61:8 – For I the Lord love judgment, I hate robbery for burnt offering; and I will direct their work in truth, and I will make an everlasting covenant with them.

In God’s Old Testament dealings with Israel they were constantly robbing him of the offerings directed by the Law of Moses.

“For I the Lord love judgment, I hate robbery for burnt offering;”

Malachi 1:6-8,13,14 – A son honoureth his father, and a servant his master: if then I be a father, where is mine honour? and if I be a master, where is my fear? saith the Lord of hosts unto you, O priests, that despise my name. And ye say, Wherein have we despised thy name? [7] Ye offer polluted bread upon mine altar; and ye say, Wherein have we polluted thee? In that ye say, The table of the Lord is contemptible. [8] And if ye offer the blind for sacrifice, is it not evil? and if ye offer the lame and sick, is it not evil? offer it now unto thy governor; will he be pleased with thee, or accept thy person? saith the Lord of hosts. [13] Ye said also, Behold, what a weariness is it! and ye have snuffed at it, saith the Lord of hosts; and ye brought that which was torn, and the lame, and the sick; thus ye brought an offering: should I accept this of your hand? saith the Lord. [14] But cursed be the deceiver, which hath in his flock a male, and voweth, and sacrificeth unto the Lord a corrupt thing: for I am a great King, saith the Lord of hosts, and my name is dreadful among the heathen.

God informs Israel she will no longer be allowed to rob him under the new covenant he will have with them as he reigns as Messiah during the millennium. The last two phrases of Isaiah 61:8 refer to Messiah’s dealings with the nation of Israel during his millennial reign.

“And I will direct their work in truth, and I will make an everlasting covenant with them.”

The Scriptures which follow give details of God’s plan under the Kingship of his Son for a thousand years.

Ezekiel 34:23-31 – And I will set up one shepherd over them, and he shall feed them, even my servant David; he shall feed them, and he shall be their shepherd. [24] And I the Lord will be their God, and my servant David a prince among them; I the Lord have spoken it. [25] And I will make with them a covenant of peace, and will cause the evil beasts to cease out of the land: and they shall dwell safely in the wilderness, and sleep in the woods. [26] And I will make them and the places round about my hill a blessing; and I will cause the shower to come down in his season; there shall be showers of blessing. [27] And the tree of the field shall yield her fruit, and the earth shall yield her increase, and they shall be safe in their land, and shall know that I am the Lord, when I have broken the bands of their yoke, and delivered them out of the hand of those that served themselves of them. [28] And they shall no more be a prey to the heathen, neither shall the beast of the land devour them; but they shall dwell safely, and none shall make them afraid. [29] And I will raise up for them a plant of renown, and they shall be no more consumed with hunger in the land, neither bear the shame of the heathen any more. [30] Thus shall they know that I the Lord their God am with them, and that they, even the house of Israel, are my people, saith the Lord God. [31] And ye my flock, the flock of my pasture, are men, and I am your God, saith the Lord God.

Ezekiel 36:22-38 – Therefore say unto the house of Israel, Thus saith the Lord God; I do not this for your sakes, O house of Israel, but for mine holy name’s sake, which ye have profaned among the heathen, whither ye went. [23] And I will sanctify my great name, which was profaned among the heathen, which ye have profaned in the midst of them; and the heathen shall know that I am the Lord, saith the Lord God, when I shall be sanctified in you before their eyes. [24] For I will take you from among the heathen, and gather you out of all countries, and will bring you into your own land. [25] Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you. [26] A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. [27] And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them. [28] And ye shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers; and ye shall be my people, and I will be your God. [29] I will also save you from all your uncleannesses: and I will call for the corn, and will increase it, and lay no famine upon you. [30] And I will multiply the fruit of the tree, and the increase of the field, that ye shall receive no more reproach of famine among the heathen. [31] Then shall ye remember your own evil ways, and your doings that were not good, and shall lothe yourselves in your own sight for your iniquities and for your abominations. [32] Not for your sakes do I this, saith the Lord God, be it known unto you: be ashamed and confounded for your own ways, O house of Israel. [33] Thus saith the Lord God; In the day that I shall have cleansed you from all your iniquities I will also cause you to dwell in the cities, and the wastes shall be builded. [34] And the desolate land shall be tilled, whereas it lay desolate in the sight of all that passed by. [35] And they shall say, This land that was desolate is become like the garden of Eden; and the waste and desolate and ruined cities are become fenced, and are inhabited. [36] Then the heathen that are left round about you shall know that I the Lord build the ruined places, and plant that that was desolate: I the Lord have spoken it, and I will do it.

SPECIAL PROPHECY UPDATE NUMBER 274B

May 10, 2006

An Exposition of Isaiah 61 – Part 8

ISAIAH 61:9 – And their seed shall be known among the Gentiles, and their offspring among the people: all that see them shall acknowledge them, that they are the seed which the Lord hath blessed.

Throughout the millennial reign of Christ, in a physical realm on this present earth, all the nations and peoples on the planet shall recognize Jesus as the King of kings and Lord of lords, as he reigns from Jerusalem. The Israelites will be looked upon by the Gentiles, left on the earth in physical bodies after the great tribulation, as the chosen children of God, and they will be treated with great respect as his children.

Zechariah 8:20-23 – Thus saith the Lord of hosts; It shall yet come to pass, that there shall come people, and the inhabitants of many cities: [21] And the inhabitants of one city shall go to another, saying, Let us go speedily to pray before the Lord, and to seek the Lord of hosts: I will go also. [22] Yea, many people and strong nations shall come to seek the Lord of hosts in Jerusalem, and to pray before the Lord. [23] Thus saith the Lord of hosts; In those days it shall come to pass, that ten men shall take hold out of all languages of the nations, even shall take hold of the skirt of him that is a Jew, saying, We will go with you: for we have heard that God is with you.

God will bring a third of Israel through the tribulation period in bodies of flesh and, having tried them in the Negev wilderness for some 1260 days, will call them his people, when they return to him by receiving Jesus as their Messiah, and calling on his name.

Revelation 12:6 – And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God, that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and threescore days. (See Archive Birth Pang Updates Number 36 to 39)

Acts 2:19-21 – And I will shew wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath; blood, and fire, and vapour of smoke: [20] The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before that great and notable day of the Lord come: [21] And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved. (See Archive Prophecy Update Number 131B)

Zechariah 13:9 –And I will bring the third part through the fire, and will refine them as silver is refined, and will try them as gold is tried: they shall call on my name, and I will hear them: I will say, It is my people: and they shall say, The Lord is my God. (See Archive Prophecy Updates 130 & 131)

Hosea 1:10,11 – Yet the number of the children of Israel shall be as the sand of the sea, which cannot be measured nor numbered; and it shall come to pass, that in the place where it was said unto them, Ye are not my people, there it shall be said unto them, Ye are the sons of the living God. [11] Then shall the children of Judah and the children of Israel be gathered together, and appoint themselves one head, and they shall come up out of the land: for great shall be the day of Jezreel.

Revelation 12:17 – And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ. (See Archive Birth Pang Number 43)

“For great shall be the day of Jezreel.” The valley of Jezreel is the place of the final battle of Armageddon.

Revelation 16:16 – And he gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon. (See Archive Prophecy Update Number 101)

Micah 5:6,7 – And they shall waste the land of Assyria with the sword, and the land of Nimrod in the entrances thereof: thus shall he deliver us from the Assyrian, when he cometh into our land, and when he treadeth within our borders. [7] And the remnant of Jacob shall be in the midst of many people as a dew from the Lord, as the showers upon the grass, that tarrieth not for man, nor waiteth for the sons of men. (See Archive Prophecy Update Numbers 66 & 67)

Hosea 2:14-23 – Therefore, behold, I will allure her, and bring her into the wilderness, and speak comfortably unto her. [15] And I will give her her vineyards from thence, and the valley of Achor for a door of hope: and she shall sing there, as in the days of her youth, and as in the day when she came up out of the land of Egypt. [16] And it shall be at that day, saith the Lord, that thou shalt call me Ishi; and shalt call me no more Baali. [17] For I will take away the names of Baalim out of her mouth, and they shall no more be remembered by their name. [18] And in that day will I make a covenant for them with the beasts of the field, and with the fowls of heaven, and with the creeping things of the ground: and I will break the bow and the sword and the battle out of the earth, and will make them to lie down safely. [19] And I will betroth thee unto me for ever; yea, I will betroth thee unto me in righteousness, and in judgment, and in lovingkindness, and in mercies. [20] I will even betroth thee unto me in faithfulness: and thou shalt know the Lord. [21] And it shall come to pass in that day, I will hear, saith the Lord, I will hear the heavens, and they shall hear the earth; [22] And the earth shall hear the corn, and the wine, and the oil; and they shall hear Jezreel. [23] And I will sow her unto me in the earth; and I will have mercy upon her that had not obtained mercy; and I will say to them which were not my people, Thou art my people; and they shall say, Thou art my God.

Zechariah 13:9 – And I will bring the third part through the fire, and will refine them as silver is refined, and will try them as gold is tried: they shall call on my name, and I will hear them: I will say, It is my people: and they shall say, The Lord is my God. (See Archive Prophecy Update Number 131)

Isaiah 65:9,10 – And I will bring forth a seed out of Jacob, and out of Judah an inheritor of my mountains: and mine elect shall inherit it, and my servants shall dwell there. [10] And Sharon shall be a fold of flocks, and the valley of Achor a place for the herds to lie down in, for my people that have sought me.

ISAIAH 61:9 – And their seed shall be known among the Gentiles, and their offspring among the people: all that see them shall acknowledge them, that they are the seed which the Lord hath blessed.

Romans 9:27-29 – Esaias also crieth concerning Israel, Though the number of the children of Israel be as the sand of the sea, a remnant shall be saved: [28] For he will finish the work, and cut it short in righteousness: because a short work will the Lord make upon the earth. [29] And as Esaias said before, Except the Lord of Sabaoth had left us a seed, we had been as Sodoma, and been made like unto Gomorrha.

PROPHECY UPDATE NUMBER 275

May 12, 2006

WHERE ISRAEL HAS BEEN IN PROPHECY! Part 10

WHERE JEWS AND GENTILES ARE AT PRESENT!

WHERE BOTH ARE HEADING IN PROPHECY!

Events 1 to 9 were covered in whole numbered Updates 265 to 274

John, Jeremiah, and Isaiah All Refer to the Same Wilderness

ISRAEL WILL SOON GO INTO THE NEGEV WILDERNESS AND SUFFER THROUGH A FIERY TRIAL OF TESTING. THEY WERE TOLD OF THIS TIME BY MANY OF THE PROPHETS, AND WERE TOLD IT WOULD OCCUR IN THE LATTER DAYS. IT IS TO LAST FOR SOME 1260 DAYS. GOD WILL KEEP ABOUT ONE-THIRD OF ISRAEL IN THE NEGEV, AND WILL PROTECT THEM FROM HIS WRATH DURING THIS PERIOD OF TIME. IN THE DAYS OF THE PROPHETS THE LAND OF ISRAEL WAS IDENTIFIED AS ALL THE LAND FROM DAN TO BEERSHEBA. ISRAEL WILL BE DRIVEN INTO THE ARID WILDERNESS OF THE NEGEV, WHICH EXISTS FROM BEERSHEBA TO EILAT, AND IS MORE THAN ONE-THIRD OF THE TOTAL LAND AREA OF ISRAEL.  IT IS MY GUESSTIMATE, REPEAT, GUESSTIMATE, THAT THE ATTACK IS LIKELY TO OCCUR AT SOME POINT IN TIME BETWEEN 2008 AND 2012.

TOWARD THE END OF THE 1260 DAYS A RESURRECTION WILL OCCUR, WHICH INCLUDES THE BODY OF ISAIAH, AND COMES BEFORE GOD’S WRATH IS POURED OUT IN SEVEN VIALS.  THE PROPHET ISAIAH WILL THEN BE JUDGED FOR REWARDS IN HEAVEN ALONG WITH ALL THE SAVED, WHILE GOD’S WRATH IS COMING DOWN UPON ALL WHOSE CONDUCT BROUGHT HIS DESTRUCTION DOWN ON EARTH.  GOD WILL DESTROY THEM, WHICH HAVE CAUSED HIM TO DESTROY THE EARTH AS A RESULT OF THEIR IMMORALITY, WHILE HE REWARDS THOSE IN HEAVEN FOR WORKS WROUGHT IN THEM BY HIS SON AS THEY LIVED ON THE PRESENT PLANET.

THE LAST TRUMP – THE SEVENTH TRUMPET RAPTURE!

I Corinthians 15:52 – In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.

Isaiah 26:19-21 – Thy dead men shall live, together with MY dead body shall they arise. Awake and sing, ye that dwell in dust: for thy dew is as the dew of herbs, and the earth shall cast out the dead. [20] Come, my people, enter thou into thy chambers, and shut thy doors about thee: hide thyself as it were for a little moment until the indignation be overpast. [21] For, behold, the Lord cometh out of his place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity: the earth also shall disclose her blood, and shall no more cover her slain.

THE JUDGMENT OF THE SAVED IN HEAVEN WHILE WRATH IS POURED OUT ON THE EARTH!

Revelation 11:18 – And the nations were angry, and thy wrath is come, and the time of the dead, that they should be judged, and that thou shouldest give reward unto thy servants the prophets, and to the saints, and them that fear thy name, small and great; and shouldest destroy them which destroy the earth.

GOD’S WRATH DESTROYS THOSE THAT MORALLY DESTROY THE EARTH!

Revelation 15:1 – And I saw another sign in heaven, great and marvellous, seven angels having the seven last plagues; for in them is filled up the wrath of God.

Revelation 16:1 – And I heard a great voice out of the temple saying to the seven angels, Go your ways, and pour out the vials of the wrath of God upon the earth.

Isaiah 66:15,16 – For, behold, the Lord will come with fire, and with his chariots like a whirlwind, to render his anger with fury, and his rebuke with flames of fire. [16] For by fire and by his sword will the Lord plead with all flesh: and the slain of the Lord shall be many.

THE LORD RETURNS WITH THE SAINTS HE JUST JUDGED IN HEAVEN!

Jude 1:14,15 – And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints, [15] To execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him.

Revelation 1:7 – Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen.

Zechariah 14:9 – And the Lord shall be king over all the earth: in that day shall there be one Lord, and his name one.

THE WOMAN ISRAEL WILL BE DRIVEN INTO THE NEGEV AT THE BEGINNING OF THE FINAL 1260 DAYS OF TRIBULATION.  SHE WILL BE SHELTERED THERE BY GOD THROUGHOUT THE TRIBULATION PERIOD.  ABOUT ONE-THIRD OF THE JEWISH POPULATION (1.8 TO 2.1 MILLION) WILL MAKE IT INTO THE NEGEV.  A PART OF THAT ONE-THIRD WILL CONSIST OF SOME 144,000 JEWS, LED BY TWO WITNESSES, WHICH ARE KEEPING THE NEW TESTAMENT COMMANDMENTS OF GOD, AND HAVE THE NEW TESTAMENT TESTIMONY OF JESUS CHRIST.  MANY JEWS, DURING THIS 1260 DAYS WILL BELIEVE WHAT THEY TESTIFY.  I SUSPECT THAT ALL WILL BELIEVE BY THE END OF THIS PERIOD.  JESUS IS THE SEED OF THE WOMAN ISRAEL. THE SEED’S REMNANT INITIALLY CONSISTS OF 144,000 JEWS THAT GO INTO THE NEGEV WILDERNESS.  THE 144,000 ARE A REMNANT IN THE TOTAL REMNANT OF 1.8 TO 2.1 MILLION.

Revelation 7:4 – And I heard the number of them which were sealed: and there were sealed an hundred and forty and four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel.

Revelation 12:6,17 – And the woman fled into THE WILDERNESS, where she hath a place prepared of God, that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and threescore days. [17] And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.

THIS REMNANT OF HER SEED WOULD CERTAINLY SEEM TO HAVE A LOT IN COMMON WITH THE GREAT COMMISSION OF CHRIST GIVEN TO THE FIRST LOCAL CHURCH.

Matthew 28:19,20 – Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: [20] Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

IN THIS LATTER TIME OF 1260 DAYS THE ONE-THIRD, THAT WERE SPARED THE SWORD IN ZECHARIAH 13:8 TO 14:2, WILL FIND GOD’S GRACE IN CHRIST IN THE NEGEV WILDERNESS.  AND, AFTER THE 1260 DAYS, THE MILLENNIAL REIGN OF HER MESSIAH WILL RESTORE ISRAEL TO A GREATNESS AND JOY THAT SHE HAS NEVER KNOWN.

Jeremiah 30:23 to 31:13 – Behold, the whirlwind of the Lord goeth forth with fury, a continuing whirlwind: it shall fall with pain upon the head of the wicked. [24] The fierce anger of the Lord shall not return, until he have done it, and until he have performed the intents of his heart: in THE LATTER DAYS ye shall consider it. [1] AT THE SAME TIME, saith the Lord, will I be the God of ALL the families of Israel, and they shall be my people. [2] Thus saith the Lord, THE PEOPLE WHICH WERE LEFT OF THE SWORD FOUND GRACE IN THE WILDERNESS; EVEN ISRAEL, when I went to cause him to rest. [3] The Lord hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee. [4] Again I will build thee, and thou shalt be built, O virgin of Israel: thou shalt again be adorned with thy tabrets, and shalt go forth in the dances of them that make merry. [5] Thou shalt yet plant vines upon the mountains of Samaria: the planters shall plant, and shall eat them as common things. [6] For there shall be a day, that the watchmen upon the mount Ephraim shall cry, Arise ye, and let us go up to Zion unto the Lord our God. [7] For thus saith the Lord; Sing with gladness for Jacob, and shout among the chief of the nations: publish ye, praise ye, and say, O Lord, save thy people, the remnant of Israel. [8] Behold, I will bring them from the north country, and gather them from the coasts of the earth, and with them the blind and the lame, the woman with child and her that travaileth with child together: a great company shall return thither. [9] They shall come with weeping, and with supplications will I lead them: I will cause them to walk by the rivers of waters in a straight way, wherein they shall not stumble: for I am a father to Israel, and Ephraim is my firstborn. [10] Hear the word of the Lord, O ye nations, and declare it in the isles afar off, and say, He that scattered Israel will gather him, and keep him, as a shepherd doth his flock. [11] For the Lord hath redeemed Jacob, and ransomed him from the hand of him that was stronger than he. [12] Therefore they shall come and sing in the height of Zion, and shall flow together to the goodness of the Lord, for wheat, and for wine, and for oil, and for the young of the flock and of the herd: and their soul shall be as a watered garden; and they shall not sorrow any more at all. [13] Then shall the virgin rejoice in the dance, both young men and old together: for I will turn their mourning into joy, and will comfort them, and make them rejoice from their sorrow.

BUT BEFORE GOD TURNS THEIR MOURNING INTO JOY, MAKES THEM REJOICE, AND COMFORTS THEM, THEY WILL SEE TWO-THIRDS OF THE POPULATION DESTROYED AND THEIR GREAT CITY OF JERUSALEM CAPTURED.  BUT GOD WILL BRING THE REMAINING ONE-THIRD THROUGH THE LAST 1260 DAYS, AND WILL NOT FOREVER CUT OFF ISRAEL FROM JERUSALEM.  ISRAEL WILL RECAPTURE JERUSALEM AFTER 1260 DAYS.

Zechariah 13:8 to 14:2 – And it shall come to pass, that in all the land, saith the Lord, two parts therein shall be cut off and die; but THE THIRD shall be left THEREIN. [9] And I will bring the third part through the fire, and will refine them as silver is refined, and will try them as gold is tried: they shall call on my name, and I will hear them: I will say, It is my people: and they shall say, The Lord is my God. [1] Behold, the day of the Lord cometh, and thy spoil shall be divided in the midst of thee. [2] For I will gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle; and the city shall be taken, and the houses rifled, and the women ravished; and half of the city shall go forth into captivity, and the residue of the people shall not be cut off from the city.

GOD WILL DRAW ISRAEL INTO THE WILDERNESS, AND THERE THEY WILL INDEED GO THROUGH TRIBULATION, BUT THERE HE SPEAKS COMFORT TO THEM. THEREAFTER HE WILL LEAD THEM OUT TO TAKE ALL THE LAND GRANT HE PROMISED THEIR FATHER ABRAHAM.  ISRAEL’S GOD WILL BETROTH HER TO HIM FOREVER, AND THEY WILL CALL HIM HUSBAND (ISHI).

Hosea 2:14-20 – Therefore, behold, I will ALLURE her, and bring her into THE WILDERNESS, and speak comfortably unto her. [15] And I will give her her vineyards from thence, and the valley of Achor for a door of hope: and she shall sing there, as in the days of her youth, and as in the day when she came up out of the land of Egypt. [16] And it shall be at that day, saith the Lord, that thou shalt call me Ishi; and shalt call me no more Baali. [17] For I will take away the names of Baalim out of her mouth, and they shall no more be remembered by their name, and in mercies. [18] And in that day will I make a covenant for them with the beasts of the field, and with the fowls of heaven, and with the creeping things of the ground: and I will break the bow and the sword and the battle out of the earth, and will make them to lie down safely. [19] And I will betroth thee unto me for ever; yea, I will betroth thee unto me in righteousness, and in judgment, and in lovingkindness, and in mercies. [20] I will even betroth thee unto me in faithfulness: and thou shalt know the Lord.

GOD’S CHILDREN OF ISRAEL HAVE BEEN WITHOUT A KING, A PRINCE, AND A TEMPLE SACRIFICE, FOR SOME 1933 YEARS.  BUT SOON MESSIAH THE PRINCE WILL RETURN TO BE THEIR KING, AND THEN THE MILLENNIAL TEMPLE WILL BE BUILT.

Hosea 3:4,5 – For the children of Israel shall abide many days without a king, and without a prince, and without a sacrifice, and without an image, and without an ephod, and without teraphim: [5] Afterward shall the children of Israel return, and seek the Lord their God, and David their king; and shall fear the Lord and his goodness IN THE LATTER DAYS.

Micah 5:6-9 – (SEE PROPHECY UPDATES 62 T0 69) – And they shall waste the land of Assyria with the sword, and the land of Nimrod in the entrances thereof: thus shall he deliver us from the Assyrian, when he cometh into our land, and when he treadeth within our borders. [7] And the remnant of Jacob shall be in the midst of many people as a dew from the Lord, as the showers upon the grass, that tarrieth not for man, nor waiteth for the sons of men. [8] And the remnant of Jacob shall be among the Gentiles in the midst of many people as a lion among the beasts of the forest, as a young lion among the flocks of sheep: who, if he go through, both treadeth down, and teareth in pieces, and none can deliver. [9] Thine hand shall be lifted up upon thine adversaries, and all thine enemies shall be cut off.

Genesis 15:18 + Ezekiel 47:17,19 – (SEE UPDATES 62 TO 69) – [18] In the same day the Lord made a covenant with Abram, saying, Unto thy seed have I given this land, from the river of Egypt unto the great river, the river Euphrates: [17] And the border from the sea shall be Hazar-enan, the border of Damascus, and the north northward, and the border of Hamath. And this is the north side. [19] And the south side southward, from Tamar even to the waters of strife in Kadesh, the river to the great sea. And this is the south side southward.

IN THIS LAND GRANT, IN CENTRAL ISRAEL, THERE IS TO BE BUILT A MUCH LARGER JERUSALEM, WHICH WILL CONTAIN A NEW TEMPLE.  (SEE EZEKIEL CHAPTERS 40 TO 43)

Ezekiel 40:2 – In the visions of God brought he me into the land of Israel, and set me upon a very high mountain, by which was as the frame of a city on the south.

Ezekiel 43:4,5 – And the glory of the Lord came into the house by the way of the gate whose prospect is toward the east. [5] So the spirit took me up, and brought me into the inner court; and, behold, the glory of the Lord filled the house.

SPECIAL PROPHECY UPDATE NUMBER 275A

May 14, 2006

An Exposition of Isaiah 61 – Part 9

Isaiah 61:10 – I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels.

When Israel is in right relationship with her God she no longer addresses him as Baali (my master), but as Ishi (my husband). During the millennium Israel will be in right relationship with God, and he will be Ishi to her.

Hosea 2:15-23 – And I will give her her vineyards from thence, and the valley of Achor for a door of hope: and she shall sing there, as in the days of her youth, and as in the day when she came up out of the land of Egypt. [16] And it shall be at that day, saith the Lord, that thou shalt call me Ishi; and shalt call me no more Baali. [17] For I will take away the names of Baalim out of her mouth, and they shall no more be remembered by their name. [18] And in that day will I make a covenant for them with the beasts of the field, and with the fowls of heaven, and with the creeping things of the ground: and I will break the bow and the sword and the battle out of the earth, and will make them to lie down safely. [19] And I will betroth thee unto me for ever; yea, I will betroth thee unto me in righteousness, and in judgment, and in lovingkindness, and in mercies. [20] I will even betroth thee unto me in faithfulness: and thou shalt know the Lord. [21] And it shall come to pass in that day, I will hear, saith the Lord, I will hear the heavens, and they shall hear the earth; [22] And the earth shall hear the corn, and the wine, and the oil; and they shall hear Jezreel. [23] And I will sow her unto me in the earth; and I will have mercy upon her that had not obtained mercy; and I will say to them which were not my people, Thou art my people; and they shall say, Thou art my God.

Isaiah 61:10 – I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels.

God put Israel away from him when she delivered his Son, their Messiah, to be crucified by the Gentiles. He declared her relationship with him to be broken, and their temple spiritually desolate. Messiah promised he would come again and, at that time, they would receive him, saying “Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord.”

Matthew 23:37-39 – O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not! [38] Behold, your house is left unto you desolate. [39] For I say unto you, Ye shall not see me henceforth, till ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord.

Isaiah 54:5 – For thy Maker is thine husband; the Lord of hosts is his name; and thy Redeemer the Holy One of Israel; The God of the whole earth shall he be called.

Zechariah 14:9 – And the Lord shall be king over all the earth: in that day shall there be one Lord, and his name one.

When Messiah comes at his Second Advent, he will then restore Israel to him, and she will no longer be termed “Forsaken,” but will be called “Hephzibah” (the object of God’s affection), and he will be married to her on the land while she dwells in the promised land grant he gave to them through Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

Isaiah 62:4-12 – Thou shalt no more be termed Forsaken; neither shall thy land any more be termed Desolate: but thou shalt be called Hephzi-bah, and thy land Beulah (married): for the Lord delighteth in thee, and thy land shall be married. [5] For as a young man marrieth a virgin, so shall thy sons marry thee: and as the bridegroom rejoiceth over the bride, so shall thy God rejoice over thee. [6] I have set watchmen upon thy walls, O Jerusalem, which shall never hold their peace day nor night: ye that make mention of the Lord, keep not silence, [7] And give him no rest, till he establish, and till he make Jerusalem a praise in the earth. [8] The Lord hath sworn by his right hand, and by the arm of his strength, Surely I will no more give thy corn to be meat for thine enemies; and the sons of the stranger shall not drink thy wine, for the which thou hast laboured: [9] But they that have gathered it shall eat it, and praise the Lord; and they that have brought it together shall drink it in the courts of my holiness. [10] Go through, go through the gates; prepare ye the way of the people; cast up, cast up the highways; gather out the stones; lift up a standard for the people. [11] Behold, the Lord hath proclaimed unto the end of the world, Say ye to the daughter of Zion, Behold, thy salvation cometh; behold, his reward is with him, and his work before him. [12] And they shall call them, The holy people, The redeemed of the Lord: and thou shalt be called, Sought out, A city not forsaken.

This is the city of Ezekiel 40:2 and 48:35, which will contain the sanctuary, the millennial temple, the house of God, in Ezekiel 37:25 and 43:4-7.

Ezekiel 40:2 – In the visions of God brought he me into the land of Israel, and set me upon a very high mountain, by which was as the frame of a city on the south.

Ezekiel 48:35 – It was round about eighteen thousand measures: and the name of the city from that day shall be, The Lord is there.

Ezekiel 37:26 – Moreover I will make a covenant of peace with them; it shall be an everlasting covenant with them: and I will place them, and multiply them, and will set my sanctuary in the midst of them for evermore.

Ezekiel 43:4-7 – And the glory of the Lord came into the house by the way of the gate whose prospect is toward the east. [5] So the spirit took me up, and brought me into the inner court; and, behold, the glory of the Lord filled the house. [6] And I heard him speaking unto me out of the house; and the man stood by me. [7] And he said unto me, Son of man, the place of my throne, and the place of the soles of my feet, where I will dwell in the midst of the children of Israel for ever, and my holy name, shall the house of Israel no more defile, neither they, nor their kings, by their whoredom, nor by the carcases of their kings in their high places.

PROPHECY UPDATE NUMBER 276

May 19, 2006

But Before All These – As Ye See the Day Approaching – Part 1

Luke 21:12 – But before all these, they shall lay their hands on you, and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues, and into prisons, being brought before kings and rulers for my name’s sake.

This Scripture began to be fulfilled in the lives of the first New Testament Church members who heard it directly from the lips of Jesus as he spoke it to them, and continued to be fulfilled right up the time of the fall of Jerusalem, and in the days of the early churches into the third century. But the last phrase in the following verse has yet to be fulfilled.

Hebrews 10:25 – Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.

The things in Luke 21:9 were, and still are, occurring!

Luke 21:9 – But when ye shall hear of wars and commotions, be not terrified: for these things must first come to pass; but the end is not by and by.

There were many wars and commotions around and within the vast boundaries of the great Roman Empire, and one of them was the fall of Jerusalem to Titus in 70 A.D. But Jesus indicated the end of the age was a long way off by his comment “but the end is not by and by.”

The following verses began to be fulfilled in 1948 when Israel became a nation.

Luke 21:10,11 – Then said he unto them, Nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: [11] And great earthquakes shall be in divers places, and famines, and pestilences; and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven.

If one desired to put Luke 21:5 to 20 in chronological prophetic order, it would be as follows:

Luke 21:5-9 – And as some spake of the temple, how it was adorned with goodly stones and gifts, he said, [6] As for these things which ye behold, the days will come, in the which there shall not be left one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down. [7] And they asked him, saying, Master, but when shall these things be? and what sign will there be when these things shall come to pass? [8] And he said, Take heed that ye be not deceived: for many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and the time draweth near: go ye not therefore after them. [9] But when ye shall hear of wars and commotions, be not terrified: for these things must first come to pass; but the end is not by and by.

Luke 21:12-24 – But before all these, they shall lay their hands on you, and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues, and into prisons, being brought before kings and rulers for my name’s sake. [13] And it shall turn to you for a testimony. [14] Settle it therefore in your hearts, not to meditate before what ye shall answer: [15] For I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which all your adversaries shall not be able to gainsay nor resist. [16] And ye shall be betrayed both by parents, and brethren, and kinsfolks, and friends; and some of you shall they cause to be put to death. [17] And ye shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake. [18] But there shall not an hair of your head perish. [19] In your patience possess ye your souls. [20] And when ye shall see Jerusalem compassed with armies, then know that the desolation thereof is nigh. [21] Then let them which are in Judaea flee to the mountains; and let them which are in the midst of it depart out; and let not them that are in the countries enter thereinto. [22] For these be the days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled. [23] But woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck, in those days! for there shall be great distress in the land, and wrath upon this people. [24] And they shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led away captive into all nations: and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled.

Luke 21:10,11 – Then said he unto them, Nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: [11] And great earthquakes shall be in divers places, and famines, and pestilences; and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven.

Luke 21:25-27 – And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring; [26] Men’s hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken. [27] And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.

I realize this may seem strange to some who read it, but in the weeks to come, Lord willing, I will make linguistic proofs that show this is a valid prophetic chronological sequence from the time it was uttered by Jesus until the end of the times of the Gentiles. So please stick with me as I demonstrate my proofs.

I Thessalonians 5:3,4 – For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape. [4] But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief.

The Olivet Discourse by Jesus is found in Luke, Mark, and Matthew. I have read hundreds of expositions of the discourse by many different men. I can truthfully say, without reservations or hesitation, that many positions are held, and wide differences do indeed exist between them. Some believe it was all fulfilled by 70 A.D., some say most of it was fulfilled by 70 A.D., and some say most of it is yet to be fulfilled. Some say it only applies to the Jews, and some say it applies to both Jew and Gentile. In this exposition I will attempt to weave a pattern based on all three discourses, with the account of Luke serving as the basic document to explain Matthew and Mark’s accounts.

Matthew 24:1,2 – And Jesus went out, and departed from the temple: and his disciples came to him for to shew him the buildings of the temple. [2] And Jesus said unto them, See ye not all these things? verily I say unto you, There shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down.

His statement shocked the first church members to the depths of their souls. They had been required from their teens to annually come to this temple for the three Feasts of Passover, Pentecost, and Tabernacles. It represented all that was holy to them, and many times they had met as a local church in its courtyards to worship God in the presence of their head, Jesus Christ. So, it is very easy to understand why, as soon as they were alone, they would be certain to ask him to elaborate on his shocking proclamation. They asked him a three-part question.

Matthew 24:3 – 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?

Question Number 1 – When shall these things be? When will the temple be leveled?

Question Number 2 – And what shall be the sign of thy coming? What things can we look for to let us know that you are soon to establish your kingdom?

Question Number 3 – And what shall be the sign of the end of the world (this age)? What things can we look for to let us know this age of Gentile domination is drawing to a close?

Christ began by telling them of two common things that would precede the leveling of the Temple Mount. They were to see many claiming to be the Messiah who could deliver them from the Romans, and there would be many rumors of wars within, and all around the periphery of, the borders of the great Roman Empire. This is precisely what happened from his crucifixion to 135 A.D., by which time Hadrian had placed the final touches on the prior leveling of the Temple Mount and the city of Jerusalem by Titus in 70 A.D.

Matthew 24:4-6 – 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 Christ; and shall deceive many. [6] And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, BUT THE END IS NOT YET.

Mark 13:7 – And when ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars, be ye not troubled: for such things must needs be; BUT THE END SHALL NOT BE YET. Luke 21:9 – But when ye shall hear of wars and commotions, be not terrified: for these things must first come to pass; BUT THE END IS NOT BY AND BY. Jesus clearly told them not to use these two things as the signs that were to mark his answers to questions two and three. These things would mark the period up to the last gasp of Jerusalem as a Jewish city, when it was given a new Roman name by Hadrian. Referring to question three, he stated very clearly: “but the end (of the age) is not yet, but the end (of the age) shall not be yet, but the end (of the age) is not by and by.” And even though he told them, and us, not to use these two things to mark his coming and the end of this age of the Gentiles, they are the very things we have repeatedly used right up to the present time. We have always had false messiahs and rumors of wars in all the ages since the cross and, while Scripture indicates false messiahs are to increase in the last times, they should not be used to teach that the coming of Jesus and the end of this Gentile age is rapidly approaching. So, just what should we use? I will cover this in the next article, Lord willing.

Hebrews 10:25 – Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.

Hebrews 10:21-24 – And having an high priest over the house of God; [22] Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water. [23] Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;) [24] And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works:

SPECIAL PROPHECY UPDATE NUMBER 276A

May 22, 2006

An Exposition of Psalm 91 in the Light of Psalm 110!

Part 1

Psalm 91 is one I have titled “God Watches over His Own, Past, Present, and Future – Trust Him to Watch Over You!” If you take that as the theme of this Psalm, you can make numerous duel applications of verses that can be applied to Jesus, David, the nation of Israel, and many of the faithful in both Old and New Testament examples. There are several verses that fit Jesus, some Jesus and David, some Jesus, David, and the nation of Israel, and some include all faithful believers, but there is a common thread that weaves them all together – God will provide deliverance, so trust him to do what he said he would do in his own way and time.

The concept of David recognizing that the Messiah, who was to come was also the Lord, is clearly stated in Acts 2:29-36 by Peter, by David in Psalm 110, and by Christ in Matthew 22:41-46. The Seven Part Exposition of the 110th Psalm in our Prophecy Update Archives sheds a great deal of light on our Exposition of Psalm 91.

The Devil quoted two verses from Psalm 91 where he tempted Christ in the wilderness after his baptism.

Psalm 91:11,12 – For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways. [12] They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone.

Luke 4:9-11 – And he brought him to Jerusalem, and set him on a pinnacle of the temple, and said unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down from hence: [10] For it is written, He shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee: [11] And in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone.

It is certain that only God understands God, but I also believe that the best understanding a believer can ever develop is by studying the conduct, words, and works of the man Christ Jesus, in whom all the fullness of the Godhead dwelt bodily.

Colossians 2:9 – For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.

John 14:7-9 – If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him. [8] Philip saith unto him, Lord, shew us the Father, and it sufficeth us. [9] Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father?

I believe there is only one God who has chosen to work in three offices or persons, the office of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.

II Corinthians 5:19 – To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.

John 14:10 – Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works.

John 16:7 – Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you.

John 14:18 – I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.

Psalm 91:1 – He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.

This Psalm is not unique in its character. Quite a few Psalms have dual characterizations sprinkled through their verses. Jesus Christ, the Lord and Messiah of David, dwells in the secret place of the Father as part of the Godhead. He abides in the Father and the Father abides in him. Since believers abide in the Son they also abide in the Father in him, and spiritually sit in him in the same heavenly places in the Father.

John 14:19,20 – Yet a little while, and the world seeth me no more; but ye see me: because I live, ye shall live also. [20] At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you.

Ephesians 2:4-7 – But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, [5] Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) [6] And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: [7] That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.

Hebrews 10:12-14 – But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God; [13] From henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool. [14] For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified.

I Corinthians 1:29-31 – That no flesh should glory in his presence. [30] But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption: [31] That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.

Believers also spiritually dwell in the secret place of the most High and abide under the shadow of the Almighty.

Believer’s souls are eternally secure in their position in the Godhead in Christ.

Colossians 2:9,10 – For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. [10] And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power:

John 10:28-30 – And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. [29] My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand. [30] I and my Father are one.

Matthew 28:18 – And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.

Psalm 91:1 – He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.

Our position in Christ will always cause us to dwell in the secret place of the most High, and to abide in the shadow of the Almighty forever.

Romans 8:38,39 – For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, [39] Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Hebrews 13:5,6 – Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. [6] So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me.

Hebrews 4:14-16 – Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. [15] For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. [16] Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.

SPECIAL PROPHECY UPDATE NUMBER 276B

May 24, 2006

An Exposition of Psalm 91 in the Light of Psalm 110!  Part 2

In Part 2, I will repeat the portion from Part 1 down to John 14:8.  After John 14:18 I will begin a continuing line by line exposition of Psalm 91.

Psalm 91 is one I have titled “God Watches over His Own, Past, Present, and Future – Trust Him to Watch Over You!”  If you take that as the theme of this Psalm, you can make numerous duel applications of verses that can be applied to Jesus, David, the nation of Israel, and many of the faithful in both Old and New Testament examples.  There are several verses that fit Jesus, some Jesus and David, some Jesus, David, and the nation of Israel, and some include all faithful believers, but there is a common thread that weaves them all together – God will provide deliverance, so trust him to do what he said he would do in his own way and time.

The concept of David recognizing that the Messiah who was to come, was also the Lord, is clearly stated in Acts 2:29-36 by Peter, by David in Psalm 110, and by Christ in Matthew 22:41-46.  The Seven Part Exposition of the 110th Psalm in our Prophecy Update Archives sheds a great deal of light on our Exposition of Psalm 91.

The Devil quoted two verses from Psalm 91 where he tempted Christ in the wilderness after his baptism.

Psalm 91:11,12 – For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways. [12] They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone.

Luke 4:9-11 – And he brought him to Jerusalem, and set him on a pinnacle of the temple, and said unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down from hence: [10] For it is written, He shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee: [11] And in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone.

It is certain that only God understands God, but I also believe that the best understanding a believer can ever develop is by studying the conduct, words, and works of the man Christ Jesus, in whom all the fullness of the Godhead dwelt bodily.

Colossians 2:9 – For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.

John 14:7-9 – If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him. [8] Philip saith unto him, Lord, shew us the Father, and it sufficeth us. [9] Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father?

I believe there is only one God who has chosen to work in three offices or persons, the office of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.

II Corinthians 5:19 – To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.

John 14:10 – Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works.

John 16:7 – Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you.

John 14:18 – I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.

Psalm 91:1,2 – He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. [2] I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust.

I have already exposited on verse 1 in Part 1.  I will now begin with the exposition of verse 2.

The Lord is my only refuge in whom I can hide and be certain that the Devil cannot touch me, and he is my only fortress behind whose high walls I can know I am perfectly safe, because the Devil cannot breach them to harm me.

Psalm 91:2 – I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust.

Psalm 2:12 – Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and ye perish from the way, when his wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all they that put their trust in him.

In the Middle East, at a meal or feast, a kiss on the neck or cheek between two men is a sign of trust and honor the host has for the guest. The usual Greek word used for “worship” in the New Testament is “proskuneo,” which literally means “to kiss toward.”  Failing to trust in the Son, as the only way to salvation in the Father, is a sign of disrespect for him as the only way to the Father, and those who do not honor the Son will perish from the way, suffering the wrath of God in hell.

Luke 7:41-47 – There was a certain creditor which had two debtors: the one owed five hundred pence, and the other fifty. [42] And when they had nothing to pay, he frankly forgave them both. Tell me therefore, which of them will love him most? [43] Simon answered and said, I suppose that he, to whom he forgave most. And he said unto him, Thou hast rightly judged. [44] And he turned to the woman, and said unto Simon, Seest thou this woman? I entered into thine house, thou gavest me no water for my feet: but she hath washed my feet with tears, and wiped them with the hairs of her head. [45] Thou gavest me no kiss: but this woman since the time I came in hath not ceased to kiss my feet. [46] My head with oil thou didst not anoint: but this woman hath anointed my feet with ointment. [47] Wherefore I say unto thee, Her sins, which are many, are forgiven; for she loved much: but to whom little is forgiven, the same loveth little.

Psalm 91:2B – My God; in him will I trust.

Trusting in God is trusting in Jesus Christ.  Jesus said in John 10:30, “I and my Father are one.”  You cannot come to the Father except through the Son.  If you do not honor the Son you cannot honor the Father.

John 14:6 – Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

John 5:39-41 – Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me. [40] And ye will not come to me, that ye might have life. [41] I receive not honour from men.

John 5:22-24 – For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son: [23] That all men should honour the Son, even as they honour the Father. He that honoureth not the Son honoureth not the Father which hath sent him. [24] Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.

Psalm 91:2 – I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust.

First, we hear the gospel, after that we believe it, after that we trust in the one we believed would save us, and after that we were eternally sealed in Christ by the Spirit forever.  The following Scripture confirms it!

Ephesians 1:12-14 – That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ. [13] In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, [14] Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.

Ephesians 4:30 – And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.

Luke 21:25-28 – And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring; [26] Men’s hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken. [27] And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. [28] And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh.

Ephesians 1:6,7 – To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved. [7] In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;

Ephesians 2:8 – For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: