QUESTION: "DOES WAR WITH SYRIA HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH THE END TIMES?"

Answer: As civil war rages in Syria and other nations ponder potential involvement, some Bible teachers believe we can see biblical end-times prophecy unfolding right before our eyes. The Middle East is a religious-political powder keg and has been for years, but the Syrian Crisis seems to be making the situation that much more explosive. Because of Syria’s proximity to Israel, Egypt’s troubles, Iran’s threats, and the United States’ ultimatums, there is talk of the end times, Armageddon, and World War III.

It is true that, with every passing day, we draw closer to the Second Coming of Christ (James 5:8). And the prophecy of Isaiah 17:1 has yet to be fulfilled: “A prophecy against Damascus: ‘See, Damascus will no longer be a city but will become a heap of ruins.’” Damascus, the capital of Syria, has a longstanding reputation for being the oldest continuously occupied city in the world. It has never been without citizens or totally destroyed. But Isaiah’s prophecy still stands; there is coming a day when Damascus will be nothing but a “heap of ruins.” The current war in Syria could indeed be one of the events leading up to the capital’s destruction.

There are other verses in the Bible tethered to Isaiah 17:1, but the idea of a ruinous heap suggests that not one building is left standing in Damascus. The city will no longer be a city. Some students of prophecy believe a nuclear bomb could be the means of fulfilling this prophecy; others suggest the possibility of an earthquake. Regardless of exactly how or when it happens, two things we know for sure: God is sovereign and His Word will stand (Isaiah 40:8).

There is much unrest in the Middle East, and the war in Syria is capturing the attention of the whole world. However, this particular conflict, even if it expands to other nations, cannot be associated with Armageddon. That battle occurs near the end of the Tribulation, during the bowl judgments, as the nations of the earth gather to fight against the Lord (Revelation 16:12–16). The war in Syria, if it is indeed part of end-times prophecy, is more likely part of the “birth pains” described in Mark 13:7–8.

In 700 BC, Isaiah wrote of the demise of Damascus. Today, 2,700 years later, many believe that we are close to seeing that long-standing prophecy fulfilled. However chaotic the events on the world stage appear, we know that all things are working toward the fulfillment of God’s Word.

“The Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever” (1 Thessalonians 4:16–17)—are you ready for His coming?

Recommended Resource: Understanding End Times Prophecy by Paul Benware.

WILL ISAIAH 17 SOON BE FULFILLED?

- By Daymond Duck -http://www.raptureready.com/featured/duck/dd87.html

On January 29, 2013, Israel launched the first of several recent attacks inside Syria. Several reports said Israel destroyed a Syrian military convoy that was transporting sophisticated Russian anti-aircraft missiles. Other reports said Israel destroyed a Syrian factory that produced and stored biological and chemical weapons. Some sources said several Iranian Revolutionary Guard troops were killed. Iran was livid and said Israel would regret it.

On May 5, 2013, Israel launched a second attack inside Syria. Bombs were dropped on a series of targets housing high-tech Russian missiles. One report said at least 300 elite Syrian soldiers were killed and hundreds were wounded and hospitalized. Syria's Foreign Minister quickly called this second attack a "Declaration of War."

On May14, 2013, Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu flew to Russia for an emergency meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin to discuss these two attacks and the Russian sale of two kinds of sophisticated missiles to Syria: The S-300 anti-aircraft missile and the Yakhont anti-ship cruise missile. Mr. Netanyahu opposed the sale of these missiles and warned Mr. Putin that Israel would destroy them if they were shipped. Mr. Putin warned Mr. Netanyahu that Israel is headed for a war with Syria and it would be a war that could drag in Russia (drag in Russia made me think of God's hook mentioned in Ezekiel 38:4). Mr. Netanyahu returned to Israel believing this quickly arranged very important emergency meeting had failed. He was also burdened with a bad feeling about what might happen in the very near future if Russia continued to ship these missiles and Israel continued to destroy them. Russia's Foreign Minister said the missiles have been sold to Syria and they will be delivered.

The very next day, on May 15, 2013, a Palestinian group known for its strong support of Syrian President Assad fired several mortars out of Syria into Israel. Mr. Netanyahu quickly reacted with a strong warning to Mr. Assad: If Mr. Assad's proxies continued to attack Israel, Israel would remove Mr. Assad from power.

On July 5, 2013, Israel launched a third attack inside Syria. Several great explosions destroyed everything at a very large weapons depot near Syria's main seaport. There were contradictory reports about what happened and who did it, but some said Russia had carried through on its promise to deliver the controversial missiles and Israel had carried through on its warning to destroy them. All doubt was erased about the contradictory reports when several CIA officials, with the seeming approval of President Obama, said it was Israel.

Vladimir Putin was furious. He ordered a surprise drill, the largest since the fall of the Soviet Union, to begin on July 13, 2013 to test Russia's readiness for war. He urged his troops to enter a state of full combat readiness. This was seen as a clear warning to Israel to stop attacking the missiles he keeps sending to Syria.

On July 27, 2013, Israel launched a fourth attack, but this time it was in Lebanon and Syria. One unconfirmed report said Israel destroyed a convoy transporting weapons from Syria to Lebanon. Another unconfirmed report said Israel bombed a Syrian army post.

On August 1, 2013, CIA officials with President Obama's approval confirmed that Israel was behind the July 27, 2013 attack. But they said that Syria had moved some of the missiles and all of them didn't get destroyed. These same CIA officials said we can expect Israel to carry out more attacks on Syria to finish the job in the future. They added that as long as Russia keeps sending controversial missiles to Syria we can expect Israel to keep attacking them. By deliberately disclosing Israeli military secrets against the wishes of Israel, President Obama is increasing the likelihood of war between Israel and Syria.

Why would he deliberately release information that could start a war between Israel and Syria that could drag in Russia? I don't know, but he might be trying to weaken Israel (which he has threatened to do), help the rebels in Syria (which he has said he will do), and embarrass Putin (who looks the "bored kid in the back of the classroom") that he clearly doesn't like.

With all of this going on it is difficult to imagine that someone won't make a mistake and trigger a war between Israel and Syria in the near future (or that Russia, Iran and others won't quickly get involved). The Bible says it will happen in that day (at the end of the age). Are you ready? The way these explosive events are lining up with Bible prophecy is too real to ignore.

FYI: "God Has Spoken (And We Know It)" by Daymond Duck will be out this month (August 2013).

Prophecy Plus Ministries

Daymond & Rachel Duck

daymondduck@bellsouth.net

rachelduck@bellsouth.net

THE REVIVED OTTOMAN EMPIRE

This Week’s Feature Article by Jack Kelley

The Ottoman Empire existed from 1299 until 1922. It was in many respects the Islamic successor to the Eastern leg of the Roman Empire and like the Roman Empire it had its headquarters in Constantinople (Istanbul). At the peak of its power and influence, the Ottoman Empire extended from the Adriatic Sea in the west to the Caspian Sea in the east and from Austro-Hungary in the north to the southern tip of the Red Sea. It was at the center of interactions between the Eastern and Western worlds for 6 centuries. The Ottoman Empire was defeated in World War 1, having aligned itself with Germany. Its dissolution at the end of the war led to the formation of 40 new nations in Eastern Europe, the Middle East, and Northern Africa, many of them on land once claimed by the Romans.

Suleiman The Magnificent

The Empire’s greatest days occurred under the rule of Suleiman the Magnificent who reigned from 1520-1566. Only 25 years old when he came to power, Suleiman began his reign by performing many acts of kindness and mercy toward his people. He freed hundreds of slaves, showered his officers with gifts, and built a school for slaves. To the Ottomans he was known as The Lawgiver, having re-written the non-Shariah portions of the law. This was the law by which the Ottoman Empire was governed for all of the remaining years of its existence. Because of the humanitarian nature of his laws he was also called Suleiman the Just by his subjects.

Suleiman was a powerful conqueror for Islam. His armies pushed the boundaries of the Empire nearly to Vienna and his powerful navies controlled the Mediterranean. Because of the tribute he received Suleiman became one of the wealthiest men of all time. He never wore the same clothes twice, he ate from solid gold plates with jewel encrusted utensils and had a harem of over 300 women.

The Ottomans were tolerant toward the Jews and welcomed thousands of them into the Empire after King Ferdinand expelled them from Spain in 1492. Suleiman’s father had wrested control of what is now Israel from Egypt in 1517 and Suleiman fell in love with Jerusalem, ordering its walls rebuilt in 1535. It was the first successful rebuilding of Jerusalem’s walls since the Romans destroyed the city in 70 AD and Suleiman’s walls can still be seen surrounding the Old City today.

According to Nehemiah, the Persian King Artaxerxes Longimonus issued a decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem following the Babylonian destruction. He did this in the spring of the 20th year of his reign (Nehemiah 2:1). On our calendar it would have been March of 445BC. On the 483rd anniversary of this decree Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a donkey on what we know as the first Palm Sunday, fulfilling the prophecy from Daniel 9:25 of the Lord’s 1st Coming as Israel’s Messiah. Then in 68-70 AD the city was destroyed by the Romans.  After centuries of being rebuilt and then torn down by various conquering groups, the walls around Jerusalem were finally rebuilt for good by Suleiman beginning in 1535 AD, and during his reign the city enjoyed an exceptional period of peace and religious tolerance.

Mustafa Kemal Ataturk

Turkey is the surviving remnant of the Ottoman Empire. Following their defeat in WW1 the Empire was divided up by the victorious Western powers. Mustafa Kemal Ataturk had been a high ranking Ottoman officer and led the effort to found the Republic of Turkey. He set about to make it a secular nation in the style of western democracies. While endorsing Islam, he limited it to the status of a religion instead of allowing it to be the political force it had been. He saw to the suspension of the Ottoman Caliphate and Sultanate, clearing the way for the newly formed National Parliament to assume ultimate power. Among the many changes he enforced were the institution of a new language and alphabet, the adoption of western style of dress and mandatory 2nd names for men, and the granting of full political rights to women.

Until recently, Turkey has been viewed as a western nation. With membership in NATO and more than a dozen military and commercial treaties with Israel, Turkey has been an important western ally in the Middle East. In fact, many students of prophecy have seen Turkey’s alignment with the west as a major obstacle to an early fulfillment of Ezekiel 38-39. It appears from a study of the modern equivalents to the Biblical names mentioned there that Turkey has to be among the Islamic forces that will invade Israel in the future.

Recep Tayyip Erdogan

Lately there’s been a major shift in Turkish politics in what could be a dramatic step toward the fulfillment of Ezekiel 38. After stalling for years, the EU has put Turkey’s application for membership on the back burner and as of now a majority of EU ministers oppose Turkey’s admission to the Union.

Perhaps as a result of this Turkey has begun to look to the East, and current Prime Minister Erdogan is fast becoming a regional Muslim leader by criticizing Israel—particularly after the Gaza war. His clout is spreading from the streets of Gaza to Beirut, Damascus, and Cairo—the traditional strongholds of Arab nationalism.

PM Erdogan is by far the country’s most popular political leader enjoying wide support among the Turkish people, due in part to his frequent criticism of Israel. He’s become convinced that instead of relying on outside powers to bring peace to the Middle East the Ottoman Empire should be re-born to take the lead. He’s been quoted as saying, “Turkey’s goal is to live in peace with all countries and restore the might of the Ottoman Empire.”

In this regard, a recent article by historian Robert E. Kaplan entitled ,”The US Helps Reconstruct The Ottoman Empire” has been getting some attention.  Dr. Kaplan’s specialty is modern Europe and he received his doctorate from Cornell University.  His article was published by the Gatestone Institute, “an international organization dedicated to educating the public about what the mainstream media fails to report.”

In the article Dr. Kaplan shows that with the exception of Iraq, the ultimate outcome of each American military intervention in Europe and the Middle East since the mid 1990′s has been the replacement of a secular government with an Islamist regime in an area that was formerly part of the Ottoman Empire. Providing detailed documentation, Dr. Kaplan wrote the article more to raise awareness of what he sees as US strategy in the region rather than to draw any conclusions.

It turns out that there are three primary beneficiaries of a revived Ottoman empire.  Turkey is an obvious one because Turkey is the surviving remnant of the original empire and is the logical choice to head up a revived version.  Germany is another beneficiary.  Germany had a close and beneficial relationship with the Ottomans in the years leading up to WW1 and is working behind the scenes with the US in the hope of regaining its influence in the Muslim world.  And the US benefits because like Turkey the New Ottoman Empire would be primarily composed of the Sunni sect of Islam.  Helping the Sunnis get control of the Middle East would further marginalize Shiite Iran, something the US sees as being strategically important.

If this is what’s really going on, it could help to explain Pres. Obama’s efforts to reconcile with the Islamic world,  why he included Turkey in his first overseas tour upon taking office, and why he seemed to be so obviously on the side of the Sunni Muslim Brotherhood in their efforts to unseat Hosni Mubarak’s secular government in Egypt.  It would also help to explain Turkey’s decision to build a $100 million mosque/cultural center in Lanham, Maryland,  about 30 minutes by car from the White House.  It is expected to “be the largest and most striking example of Islamic architecture in the western hemisphere” when it is finished in 2014.

The Man With No Name (Yet)

A Revived Ottoman Empire would send students of prophecy scurrying back into their Bibles to see if the re-birth of the Ottoman Empire could fulfill the prophecy of the so-called revived Roman Empire. There are already some who believe the 7th Kingdom ofRev. 17:10 is the Ottoman Empire, and they point out that Constantinople is also a city on seven hills. If so, its Islamic heritage would confirm the identity of the one world End Times religion as Islam.  It would also support the idea that the end times Islamic leader called al-Mahdi could be the anti-Christ.

As details of Islamic eschatology become more widely known, prophecy students are discovering a striking similarity between Islamic prophecies of al Mahdi and Christian prophecies of the anti-Christ. I’ve made mention of these in several previous articles, how both come on the scene during a time of great turmoil on Earth, both come claiming a desire to restore peace, both have a seven year reign, both head a one world religion and one world government, both claim supernatural origins, and both reigns end in a battle between good and evil that brings Earth’s final judgment. Could they be one and the same? The legend surrounding al-Mahdi as being in occlusion (supernaturally hidden) since the 10th century could make him the 8th king who belongs to the seven, just like Rev. 17:11 says.

As you can see we might have an interesting circumstantial case here for a revived Ottoman Empire. It’s not something to build doctrine on just yet, but it certainly bears watching. One nice thing about our times is we won’t have long to wait before we find out how these prophecies are fulfilled. You can almost hear the footsteps of the Messiah. 06-01-13

ISRAEL: KEY TO THE END OF THE AGE

- By Pastor Mike Taylor - http://www.churchofgod-usa.org/1/post/2013/04/israel-key-to-end-of-the-age.html

"Now learn this lesson from the fig tree: as soon as its twigs get tender and its leaves come out, you know that summer is near. Even so, when you see all these things, you know that it is near, right at the door."

Look at the world around us. Are not the signs of the soon return of our Lord and Savior not displayed according to God's Holy Word on the condition of this world? What are those signs? Let's list just a few:

1.the moral decay of this world,. The USA is the last nation to expound Godly principles, unfortunately its star is fading as the last great hope of the world. It was likened unto a shining city on a hill, but moral decay will bring her to the pit.

2.the death of 50 million individuals upon the altar of convenience through abortion, or a whole generation in our nation alone, not counting international. This is synonymous with passing the children through the fires of Molech in land of Canaan and ancient Israel. A practice God says He loathes.

3.the decay of the foundation of the nation, the family. Homosexuality, same sex marriage, civil unions, and adoption of children into these families, (sic) and whole generation void of the teachings of the Word of God that's found in your bible.

4.The push recently for a One World government based on climate change? Who really buys this scientific (sic) junk? Catholicism wanting all religions to unite (One World Religion)?

5.the removal by legislation of God from all aspects of legal and civil proceedings, from our schools, from our courts, and from our lives.

6.the removal of our basic freedoms in the USA and a socialist agenda to match Europe and the rest of the world.

These are just a few, and we could name many more of the symptoms of a world ripe for judgment and the return of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

THE RETURN OF CHRIST IMMINENT

As Christians we should be cultivating fruit worthy of repentance, as we see the possible end of days approaching. We should be aware of our surroundings, as Christ commanded us "to watch". We are to be prepared for what could be coming on the earth very soon. We should be living like He will come today, and He just might.

Just think of the world that we may be living in. Even worse than what we are witnessing right now and it's hard to imagine. The symptoms of the end of the age are piling up quickly, but as the old saying goes, "you ain't seen nuttin' yet!"

Jesus warns in Matthew 24:24. "For there shall arise false Christ's, and false prophets, and shall show great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect."

We see that happening today, in our news, on our TV sets and publications. Obviously, unless you are well grounded in the Word of God and sound doctrine, a person could be deceived when counterfeit miracles are performed and will lead the person away from the truth. If a true Christian hides the Word of God in his heart and his mind, no manner of lies that mimic God's truth will fool the redeemed child of God. But we must stay close to God by His Holy Spirit and grounded in His Word. That's a warning from our God and Savior. (Matthew 24:24)

But what should we be doing as Christians in these last days of the closing Age?

Titus 2: 11-14

11. For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men,

12. teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously and godly, in this present world:

13. Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ:

14. Who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.

And at the same time Jesus Christ gave us a command found in Luke 21:36,

"watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man."

Jesus commands us to be watchful, alert, studying to "show thyself approved" (II Timothy 2:15) and not neglectful, sticking our heads in the sand and trying to blend into this world. This should be, for each of us, a time of joyous anticipation of the soon return of our King, our Saviour, and our Redeemer. Not a time to be fearful, but sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ to a dying world.

ISRAEL'S REBIRTH, AN END TIME EVENT

Jesus gave us hints in the Word of God to the time of the signs of His return. Let us look at Matthew 24:32-33

"Now learn this lesson from the fig tree: as soon as its twigs get tender and its leaves come out, you know that summer is near. Even so, when you see all these things, you know that it is near, right at the door."

I have often pondered what Jesus was saying concerning the fig tree. What do you think? Let's look at examples in the Bible where the fig tree was used, as in these scripture passages to prove a point.

Matthew 21:18-20:

"In the morning, as Jesus was returning to Jerusalem, he was hungry, and he noticed a fig tree beside the road. He went over to see if there were any figs on it, but there were only leaves. Then he said to it, 'may you never bear fruit again!' And immediately the fig tree withered up. The disciples were amazed when they saw this and asked, How did the fig tree wither so quickly?"

At first glance, it appears that Jesus was upset and disappointed because He was hungry and no figs were found, but was that all He meant? Jesus knew when He went to the fig tree that He would find no figs, as it was not their season. Jesus never did or said anything that did not have a deeper meaning. Figs are symbols of the nation of Israel and its faith, or the lack thereof. Israel was like the fig tree with full leaves. It looked righteous, and looks like it was following Jehovah, but produced no fruit of righteousness, faith, or obedience.

In other places in the Bible, Israel is compared to either a fig tree or an olive tree. Let's go to Jeremiah chapter 24

24:1 The LORD shewed me, and, behold, two baskets of figs were set before the temple of the LORD, after that Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had carried away captive Jeconiah the son of Jehoiakim king of Judah, and the princes of Judah, with the carpenters and smiths, from Jerusalem, and had brought them to Babylon.

24:2 One basket had very good figs, even like the figs that are first ripe: and the other basket had very naughty figs, which could not be eaten, they were so bad.

24:3 Then said the LORD unto me, What seest thou, Jeremiah? And I said, Figs; the good figs, very good; and the evil, very evil, that cannot be eaten, they are so evil.

24:4 Again the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,

24:5 Thus saith the LORD, the God of Israel; Like these good figs, so will I acknowledge them that are carried away captive of Judah, whom I have sent out of this place into the land of the Chaldeans for their good.

The people of Israel are compared to figs here, both good and evil in the mentioned verse above.

When Jesus cursed the fig tree, He symbolically and prophetically placed a curse on Israel for their unbelief. The reason for the curse is straightforward. The fig tree, (Israel) failed to bear fruit (faith) even though its leaves indicate it was in season (the appointed time for the coming of the Messiah). Due to it's lack of fruit, the fig tree withered,. Likewise, Israel's lack of faith when presented with her Messiah led to the eventual destruction of the Jewish Temple at the hands of the Romans in AD 70. For 2000 years, the nation of Israel ceased to exist and its people persecuted and cursed. They were sent into exile and dispersed into all the other nations. And Israel was no more.

Let's look at another parable concerning the fig tree, Jesus speaking:

In Luke 13:6-9. "He spake also this parable; a certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard, and he came and sought fruit thereon, and found none..

then said he unto the dresser of his vineyard, Behold, these three years I come seeking fruit on this fig tree and find none; cut it down; why cumbereth it the ground?

And he answering said unto him, Lord, let it alone this year also, till I shall dig about it, and dung it:

and if it bear fruit, well, and if not, then after that thou shalt cut it down."

For three years, Jesus spread His message throughout Israel performing miracles, exhibiting unprecedented knowledge of the Scriptures, and offering ample evidence of His claim to be the long awaited Messiah. Yet despite three years of testimony, Israel refused to believe in the One whom God had sent.

But God in His mercy, will give Israel another chance very soon and the dung He speaks of will be intense persecution, so He may refine them as silver in a hot fire, until He can see His image in them. (Malachi 3:3). The coming Tribulation is a time of God's wrath and judgment on the earth, and for refining Israel, as she has had 4000 years with God trying to teach and reach her. A question to you. Is it meant for God's church to be caught up between God's wrath, and judgment of the earth and refining Israel in the fire? We will answer that in a moment.

ISRAEL IS THE KEY

Everyone knows that Israel became a nation again after almost 2000 years of not being a nation. Never, I repeat, NEVER in the history of mankind, has a fallen nation resurrected to become that nation again, except Israel. Israel is compared to a flowering fig tree and putting on new growth in yet another parable found in Luke chapter 21, starting in verse 29,

And he spake to them a parable; Behold the fig tree, and all the trees;

21:30 When they now shoot forth, ye see and know of your own selves that summer is now nigh at hand.

21:31 So likewise ye, when ye see these things come to pass, know ye that the kingdom of God is nigh at hand.

21:32 Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass away, till all be fulfilled.

21:33 Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my words shall not pass away.........

21:36 Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.

This whole 21st chapter is pregnant with meaning. I see Jesus putting the order in reverse and the fig tree is stated last, when time wise, it would have been stated first. But I would like to key on the word "generation" in verse 32. What is a generation? Many people have tried to develop a time line for the return of our Lord. The Jehovah Witnesses have been doing that since the late 1800s and failed. You and I can't do that. But when does a generation start? Speculation had it that a generation started in 1948. Makes sense, as there are numerous illustrations found in your bible that shows God deals with people in lots of 40 years, before judgment is passed. But is that applicable here?

1. so Jesus would return in 1988, as a generation was theorized to be those 40 years...as previously mentioned. Did not happen.

2. They reasoned further, that a generation started when Jerusalem became the capital of Israel again in 1967, so 2007 was calculated to be the time of His return. Wrong again. Those dates have come and gone. Symptoms of the end time are piling up even faster, as time goes on and we're still here.

I believe here that God is speaking of the life span of those born around this time, as some will be alive to witness His coming. The bible speaks of that generation being 70 years, 80 years by strength. (Psalm 90:10). Do the math.

The whole point of the parables about the fig tree is that the fig tree is Israel. It's been six decades plus since Israel was once again declared a nation against all worldly odds. In Matthew 24, again, Jesus promises that the generation which witnesses the birth of Israel as a nation again, will not die off until the end of the age comes to pass....What is the end of the age? The return of Jesus Christ as Lord and King and ruler of this world for a 1000 year reign. A lot of you reading this article were born in the 1950s or earlier, right alongside the people who were born in Israel during this time of Israel being gathered and becoming a nation. I was born in 1951, so it is possible that I will see my Lord coming in the clouds for His elect before tribulation starts and so will you.

Given the Bible's impeccable track record, we have every reason to expect the soon return of our Lord to this earth and a wise person will prepare accordingly.

But of this time, Jesus, God of the Old and New Testament gave us comforting words to show us that we have nothing to fear. Let's ponder on a few scriptures that speak of this comfort and our hope in Christ Jesus and answers my question, will the church be caught between the wrath of God and refining Israel? :

Let's go to 1 Thessalonians 4:15-18, but after we read it, I will go to Isaiah 26:19-21. After we have read these two passages, if you put them side by side and look at each verse, you will see that Isaiah in the Old Testament states in different words the same thought pattern that Paul expressed in 1st Thessalonians chapter 4:

For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words.

Now compare these verses with Isaiah:

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. 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 over past. 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.

Just as God protected His people during the Passover in Egypt, by the sign of the blood over their doors, God in His wrath, will pass over us because of the blood of His Son and remove us to where He is. Because in the first part of verse 20 in Isaiah 26, the prophet speaks of chambers and shutting thy doors about thee? And about hiding till He passes by? What does it mean? I believe it is explained in John 14, when Jesus said:

Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.

14:2 In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.

14:3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.

Again in Revelation 3:10..when He speaks to he church in Philadelphia:

Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.

Till He comes again, He tells us how to be ready and not be found wanting:

1Thessalonians 5:1-10: Paul writes under the guidance of the Holy Spirit:

V.1, But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you.

V. 2. For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night.

V3. 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.

V4. But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief.

V5. Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness.

V6. Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober.

V7. For they that sleep sleep in the night; and they that be drunken are drunken in the night.

V8. But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation.

V9. For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ,

V10. Who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him.

I have heard sermon after sermon dealing with these scriptures and you could go into great detail of doctrinal teachings of their meaning, but without rambling on the subject and just letting the Words of the Living God speak for itself, we can read these verses and see that in the first 3 chapters of Revelation, that God is dealing with His church. Then taking all the other scriptures that I have quoted, supports that God will remove us from His coming wrath and move us out of the way, as many examples shown in the Word of God. These examples show God's people being removed before His Wrath is unleashed. When will that be? Many have tried to speculate the Lord's return just as the Jehovah Witness have done to their error.

We don't know for sure, not with any certainty, as Jesus told us. Only the Father knows the exact date and the exact hour, BUT we know the season. And that my brethren, we are living in the last days of that season. Are you prepared and waiting for His blessed return? Have you put on the likeness of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Have you put on the whole armour of God (Ephesian 6:11-18) and seeking to endure to the end. If not, I believe it's time to get prepared based on the clear instruction of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

This is Pastor Mike Taylor, praying God's mercy on all who seek Him. If you have troubles, need counseling, prayer, or just a listening ear, email me at realteam1999@sbcglobal.net , or visit me online for more biblical commentary at www.churchofgod-usa.org . God bless till we meet at Jesus feet.

ISAIAH 17, AN ORACLE AGAINST DAMASCUS

 - Jack Kelley -http://www.raptureready.com/featured/kelley/jack123.html

In the past couple of years it has become even clearer that Isaiah's prophecy of the destruction of Damascus will soon come to fulfillment, perhaps being part of the Psalm 83 scenario I've written about. If so, it would explain why Syria is not included among the coalition of Moslem nations who will gather against Israel in the Battle of Ezekiel 38. Updating our study of Isaiah 17 seems a fitting conclusion to our recent reviews of Ezekiel 38 and Psalm 83.

Emboldened by the outcome of the 2006 Hezbollah Israel war, Syria has become ever more bellicose in it's behavior toward Israel, as if inviting confrontation. Aggressive acts have included moving large military forces onto the Golan, opening the crossing that gives Syrians access to Israel for the first time since 1973, forming and training a Syrian terrorist force to infiltrate Northern Israel, and openly helping Hezbollah re-arm in violation of UN resolution 1701. Now Hezballah and Syria are building a massive fortified wall, 22 kilometers long, that promises to be one of the biggest fortified structures in the Middle East. It is designed as an obstacle against any Israeli tank forces heading through Lebanon toward the Syrian capital, Damascus. And most recently, Syria has moved 800 long range missiles into firing position and updated targeting coordinates for specific locations in Israel in preparation for war.

 It's been known for some time that Syria has one of the world's most advanced chemical weapons programs, even though such things are illegal, and is probably in possession of the bulk of Saddam Hussein's WMDs that the MSM (main stream media) delights in telling you never existed. Recent satellite imagery suggests significant efforts to update Syria's known chemical weapons facilities. They've also mobilized reserves, set up alternate communication centers, and moved all official historical and legal documents out of Damascus. They did this because they believe that Israel will respond to a chemical attack by destroying Damascus with nuclear weaponry. They've recalled all their citizens living in Lebanon. They've purchased Russian arms and defensive systems costing hundreds of millions of dollars in an effort to protect Damascus.

 Going Nuclear

 In July 2007, a chemical warhead exploded at a Syrian missile facility while being fitted to a Scud missile, killing dozens of Iranian and Syrian technicians. The only likely target within range of the missile was Tel Aviv. Then, just 2 months later, the Israeli bombing of a secret Syrian facility deep inside the country made headlines and demonstrated Israel's ability to render the Russian state-of-the-art anti-air defenses ineffective. These systems were sold to both Syria and Iran to protect against US or Israeli attacks by air. The presence of nuclear materials at the Syrian base has been confirmed, so it might have been the location of at least a dirty bomb assembly plant and perhaps even a clandestine nuclear weapons facility. The North Koreans were heavily involved in this, and are suspected of still helping Syria to develop some kind of nuclear weapons capability.

 More recently Syria has purchased untold millions of dollars' worth of offensive and defensive weaponry from Russia and Iran, making every population center in Israel a viable target. Passing a portion of this weaponry through to Hezbollah, they've all but transformed this terrorist organization into a regiment of the Syrian army, and made Lebanon their first line of defense against Israel.

 While some of this is more than the MSM has been willing to share with you, it is a matter of public record. My guess is that there's a lot more going on that we don't know about, making matters even more urgent. So let's take another look at Isaiah 17, An Oracle Against Damascus, while it's still prophecy.

 An Oracle Concerning Damascus:

"See, Damascus will no longer be a city but will become a heap of ruins. The cities of Aroer will be deserted and left to flocks, which will lie down, with no one to make them afraid. (Isaiah 17:1-2)

Because of the language of these verses, many scholars believe that this prophecy was only partially fulfilled when the Assyrians defeated the Arameans and overran their capital, Damascus, in 732 BC. To this day Damascus is thought to be the world's oldest continuously inhabited city with a 5000-year history and a population close to 2 million, yet Isaiah 17:1 indicates that it will one day cease to exist.

 Some believe the phrase "cities of Aroer" refers to Aramean territory east of the Jordan River around the Arnon River, which flows into the Dead Sea in southern Jordan. However, the Jewish Encyclopedia claims that this phrase in Isaiah 17:2 is probably translated incorrectly because the geographical distance from Damascus is too great. While they say it's possible that there may have been another Aroer near Damascus, it is more likely that the passage should be rendered "the cities thereof shall be forsaken." If that's the correct translation, it would include the Hezbollah stronghold in the Bekaa Valley of Lebanon, which was part of Aramean territory in Isaiah's time, and is in a direct line between Beirut and Damascus.

 The fortified city will disappear from Ephraim, and royal power from Damascus; the remnant of Aram will be like the glory of the Israelites," declares the LORD Almighty. "In that day the glory of Jacob will fade; the fat of his body will waste away. It will be as when a reaper gathers the standing grain and harvests the grain with his arm- as when a man gleans heads of grain in the Valley of Rephaim. (Isaiah 17:3-5)

 This segment speaks of the defeat of Damascus in 732BC and the destruction of Samaria 10 years later (722 BC). Damascus continued to exist as part of the Assyrian Empire and is still here today, but the ruins of Samaria are just now being excavated out of the sandy soil of Israel. The systematic relocation of the ruling classes to the far reaches of the Assyrian Empire is also in view here, symbolized by the fat of Jacob's body wasting away. This was standard Assyrian policy to reduce the likelihood of subsequent rebellion among their conquered peoples.   Jacob and Ephraim are alternate names for the Northern Kingdom, and Samaria was its capital.

 Yet some gleanings will remain, as when an olive tree is beaten, leaving two or three olives on the topmost branches, four or five on the fruitful boughs," declares the LORD, the God of Israel. (Isaiah 17:6)

 Not all the people were dispersed. Farmers were left behind to tend the crops and protect the harvest for their new rulers. They were joined by refugees from other parts of Assyria and their combined descendants were known as the Samaritans in the time of Jesus. (A quick reading of 2 Chronicles 11:16 shows that all the faithful from the 10 northern tribes moved south at the time of the civil war that divided the nation after King Solomon's death 150 years earlier. From then on, all 12 tribes were represented in the Southern Kingdom of Judah, so the 10 tribes from the North weren't totally lost. The Lord has always preserved a believing remnant from all the Tribes of Israel.)

 In that day men will look to their Maker and turn their eyes to the Holy One of Israel. They will not look to the altars, the work of their hands, and they will have no regard for the Asherah poles and the incense altars their fingers have made. In that day their strong cities, which they left because of the Israelites, will be like places abandoned to thickets and undergrowth. And all will be desolation. (Isaiah 17:7-9)

 This is another passage that's problematic for those who try to consign the whole passage to history. There is simply no reason to believe that the Assyrians turned to God following their conquest of Aram and Israel. And far from abandoning their cities because of the Israelites, it was the Israelites who were defeated and dispersed. The yet future Jewish attack on Damascus causing the destruction and abandonment of Syrian cities, and the eventual return of the survivors to their God is a much more likely fulfillment. And it could happen soon.

 You have forgotten God your Savior; you have not remembered the Rock, your fortress. Therefore, though you set out the finest plants and plant imported vines, though on the day you set them out, you make them grow, and on the morning when you plant them, you bring them to bud, yet the harvest will be as nothing in the day of disease and incurable pain. (Isaiah 17:10-11)

 Asshur, father of the Assyrians, and Aram, father of the Arameans were both sons of Shem. Aram's son Uz is the traditional founder of Damascus. (The setting for Job, the Bible's oldest book, is the Land of Uz.) The knowledge of God in the memories of these patriarchs cannot be questioned. It wasn't that they never knew Him, but that they had forgotten Him, abandoned Him in favor of the Canaanite gods of the region, Baal and his consort Ashtoreth (aka Asherah, Astarte, Ishtar, Aphrodite, Venus.) Currently Syria is almost totally Moslem.   Until they return to their Maker and Savior none of their plans and schemes will prosper in the long run, no matter how promising they seem at the beginning.

 Oh, the raging of many nations- they rage like the raging sea! Oh, the uproar of the peoples- they roar like the roaring of great waters! Although the peoples roar like the roar of surging waters, when he rebukes them they flee far away, driven before the wind like chaff on the hills, like tumbleweed before a gale. In the evening, sudden terror! Before the morning, they are gone! This is the portion of those who loot us, the lot of those who plunder us. (Isaiah 17:12-14)

 Having conquered most of the Middle East including the Arameans and the Northern Kingdom, the Assyrians set their sights on the Southern Kingdom, Judah. Assyria's King Sennacherib brought his armies almost literally to the gates of Jerusalem, so close his commanders were within speaking distance of the Jewish defenders. On the night before they were to attack, the Lord sent His angel into the Assyrian camp on Mt. Scopus to slaughter 185,000 Assyrian soldiers. Before dawn they had packed up and fled, ending 44 years of conquest. (Isaiah 37:36-38) This time in Israel's history so parallels the Jewish view of the End Times that Sennacherib is seen by them as a type of the anti-Christ, while Judah's King Hezekiah models the Messiah.

 But notice that Isaiah speaks of many nations raging against God's people, not just Assyria, leading us once again to consider Sennacherib's defeat to be a partial fulfillment of Isaiah's prophecy.

 The phrase "rushing of many waters" is often used to describe the sound of loud voices and today many nations are stirred up.   The cry of anti-Israeli sentiment can be heard around the globe. The various Mid-East "peace" conferences combined with the Gaza war and the recent boarding of the Turkish/Terrorist flotilla have left Israel standing alone against all but irresistible pressure to negotiate away its very existence. Syria and Iran are dead certain that Israel will attack soon, and are preparing accordingly. Israel's other next-door neighbors are also preparing for war, and indeed many nations are taking sides.

 Israel is not blind to these mounting threats, but until lately seems to have been ignoring them. That's about to stop. Israeli Prime Minister Benyamin Netanyahu has told the world he will not apologize for defending his country and will continue to do so even if it results in more confrontations. We can easily envision a scenario that escalates into the final fulfillment of Isaiah 17, the destruction of Damascus. Once again there will be sudden terror in the evening, and before morning they will be gone. If you listen carefully, you can almost hear the footsteps of the Messiah.

QUESTION : WHAT IS REPLACEMENT THEOLOGY ?

At Pentecost, the Holy Spirit came upon the followers of Jesus with the sound of a violent, rushing wind and the appearance of tongues of fire. In the ensuing years, the alteration of the worship of God was no less dynamic for the Jews who had chosen to follow Jesus as their Messiah. Christ caused an upheaval in their worldview. The Jewish believers no longer relied on the daily sacrifices for the forgiveness of their sins, and they learned to think of God as Someone whom they could speak to directly, bypassing the system of priesthood. They also had to deal with the steady influx of Gentiles into the church, which challenged their Jewish sensibilities. The Jews, who had always been God’s chosen people (Deuteronomy 14:2), now faced the fact that God was choosing people from all nations, ethnicities, and religious backgrounds.

The crucial first-century transition from Judaism to Christianity was so significant that we are still debating its ramifications. Specifically, if God is now relating to the world through the church instead of through the nation of Israel, what does that mean for Israel? Is this a temporary condition, as the dispensationalists believe, or is God really and completely done with the Jews as a nation?

The latter belief is called "replacement theology." It teaches that the church has replaced Israel in God's plans, prophecies, and blessings. The roles of Israel and the church are foundational to the events of the end times; what one believes about replacement theology largely determines what one believes about the rapture, the tribulation, and the millennial kingdom, not to mention the role of the church in modern society.

A couple of practical matters led to the formation of replacement theology. One was that, for 2,400 years, from their exile to Babylon to the formation of Israel in modern times, Jews did not have a sovereign nation. And, after the destruction of Jerusalem in A.D. 70, Jews were largely spread throughout the world. Another matter was the increasing wealth, advancement, and global reach of Christian sects and "Christian" nations. All this seemed to indicate God's abandonment of Israel and His focus on the church. Anti-Semitism also played a role. As the church emphasized the rejection of Jesus by the Jews, some Gentile believers adopted the common pagan belief that Jews are religiously backward and socially unapproachable.

Replacement theology is not based on a literal interpretation of the Bible. As the Bible uses metaphor (no one really expects God to send all the goats of the world to hell, as Matthew 25:31-33 allegorizes), some theologians concluded that much unfulfilled prophecy must have also been intended as metaphor—the promises made to Israel were really meant for the church. Once this simple "explanation" was made, large portions of the Bible became open to personal interpretation.

The Bible is filled with prophecies promising peace and wealth to Israel, and a great many are still unfulfilled, including a promise detailing specific borders (Genesis 15:18-20; Numbers 34:1-12), a promise of a King from the line of David (2 Samuel 7), and a promise that Israel would one day be wholly devoted to God (Jeremiah 31:31-34). Given the continued non-existence of a Jewish state and the success of Christian-led endeavors, it was difficult to see how such prophecies would ever be fulfilled. Some assumed they would be more easily and completely fulfilled through the church than through the Jewish people, and replacement theology was born.

In order to shift prophecy to the church, several specific promises must be "spiritualized" or "allegorized," that is, reinterpreted non-literally. Abraham's descendants beyond counting (Genesis 22:17) become all Christ-followers, not literal biological descendents. The literal 1,000-year reign of Christ (Revelation 20:1-6) becomes symbolic, either referencing the saints in heaven or the reign of Jesus in believers' hearts.

Allegorizing such a foundational concept as the subject of prophecy opens up many more issues. If the millennial kingdom is for the church, when will the rapture occur? If the prophecies of peace are for the church (Isaiah 32:18), should the church enforce peace in international affairs? If God's plan is for the church to lead (Isaiah 2:2), should the church take over politics? Replacement theology has several consequent beliefs:

- Amillennialism: The belief that the millennial kingdom is not literal, that it began at Christ's resurrection and is manifest either in the hearts of saints in heaven or saints on earth.
- Postmillennialism: The belief that the church is responsible for arranging the "golden age" of Christ's rule in people's hearts, resulting in godly overtones in politics, entertainment, family, and social life.
- Dominionism: Similar to postmillennialism but more extreme; the belief that the church is responsible for reinstating the Old Testament laws in all of the world's governments and societies.

As witnesses to the re-establishment of a Jewish state in 1948, we have an advantage over those earlier theologians; we've seen God's power in action to set the stage for a more literal interpretation of prophecy. This event, combined with a careful study of biblical prophecy, shows that the church was never designed to take the place of Israel.

First of all, the church is not a punishment on Israel for their failure to spread the gospel. It is God's work to draw Jews to Him (Romans 11:11). Daniel 9:20-27 is clear that God's plan for Israel is to last seventy "weeks" or 490 years, starting at the time of a decree to rebuild Jerusalem. Verses 25 and 26 suggest a significant event at the sixty-nine "week" mark—the point of the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus. It also allows for a break before the arrival of the seventieth week—this space of time has been manifested as the church age. As this prophecy is for Daniel's people (vs. 24), the church era is not mentioned. Instead, the prophecy skips ahead to the last "week"—the tribulation. Before the tribulation is the rapture, which marks the removal of the church—and the re-establishing of God's work with Israel.

Paul, in a letter written primarily to Gentiles, explicitly states that God is not finished with Israel. Romans 11:12 says that if Israel's rejection of Jesus is a blessing for the Gentiles, the restoration of Israel will be more so. Verses 25-26 go on to say, "For I do not want you, brethren, to be uninformed of this mystery…that a partial hardening has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in; and thus all Israel will be saved, just as it is written, 'The Deliverer will come from Zion, He will remove ungodliness from Jacob'" (cf. Daniel 9:24). As the previous verses clearly delineate Jews and Gentiles, there is no way that this prophecy can be applied to the church.

The more literal interpretation of God's plan for humanity is called "dispensationalism." Instead of the church replacing Israel, dispensationalism teaches that the Bible shows God working in very specific dispensations throughout history. The previous dispensation focused on Israel and the law. The current one on the church and grace. In "the fullness of time" (Ephesians 1:10), the next dispensation will begin. The church will be removed (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18), Israel will be sanctified (Daniel 9:24), and the prophecies made to both Israel (Genesis 15:18-20; Jeremiah 31:31-34; Isaiah 11:6-9) and the church (Revelation 20:1-5) will be fulfilled in Jesus' literal millennial kingdom.

The problem with replacement theology is that it relies on the judgment and effort of man instead of the Word and power of God. Two hundred years ago, the idea of a restored Jewish state was incredible. Today, the Jewish state is a fact. Having such gracious proof of God's sovereignty, we should be greatly exhorted to read the Bible as literally as it was written. God has given the church specific blessings and responsibilities. We should concentrate on these and reject the allegorical interpretations of replacement theology.

IS EGYPT'S PRESIDENT FULFILLING BIBLICAL PROPHECY

Joel Richardson - http://www.wnd.com/2012/11/is-egypts-president-fulfilling-biblical-prophecy/

Joel Richardson points to 2 Old Testament Scriptures

On Feb. 11, 2011, addressing the success of Egypt's revolution, which he himself enthusiastically supported, President Barack Obama stood in the Grand Foyer of the White House and triumphantly declared, "The people of Egypt have spoken, their voices have been heard, and Egypt will never be the same."

But the fruit of this change quickly became bitter to the Egyptian people. It is now becoming clear that the Egyptian people have traded a more secular autocrat for an Islamist dictator.

As Americans everywhere stopped to celebrate Thanksgiving Day, Egyptian President Morsi appeared on Egyptian television and shocked the nation, issuing a presidential decree effectively banning all challenges to his decrees, laws and decisions. The decree stated:

"The president can issue any decision or measure to protect the revolution. ... The constitutional declarations, decisions and laws issued by the president are final and not subject to appeal."

The decree also stated that the courts have no authority to dissolve the country's Constituent Assembly, which is now rewriting the constitution.

Disparate groups within and outside of Egypt have expressed their alarm.

Within Egypt's Constituent Assembly, various secularist opponents to Morsi have quit, including Coptic Christians and representatives of the April 6 Youth Movement, the very group that initiated the revolution in Egypt.

Mohamed El Baradei, another opponent of Morsi, accused the president of establishing himself as "a new pharaoh."

In a typically toothless statement released Friday, the European Union "urged" Morsi to "respect the democratic process."

In Tahrir Square thousands have gathered to protest what they are referring to as a "coup" carried out by Morsi. Thousands of others are counter-protesting. Violent clashes have broken out in a few cities.

Of course, seizing an ever-increasing level of power under the guise of democracy would be the most natural path for Morsi, with Turkey's Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan to the north having already demonstrated how it's done. In fact, Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood in many ways has modeled itself after Turkey's Islamist political party.

Playing off the title of Turkey's ruling Islamist political party, "The Justice and Development Party," the Muslim Brotherhood ironically named its political party "The Freedom and Justice Party."

Over the past 10 years, Turkey's Erdogan has systematically dismantled the most well-established secular form of government in the Middle East, while establishing and guaranteeing his own power for many more years to come - all in the name of "democracy."

The next significant step in Erdogan's plan to ensconce himself as Turkey's absolute ruler will come in 2014, when his present term as prime minister will come to an end. Already in the works are Erdogan's plans to radically alter Turkey's present parliamentary system to a presidential system, while placing himself on the ticket to be the next president. Beyond this, the present five-year term for president will expand to a seven-year term. If successful, this will guarantee that Erdogan will be able to maintain power until at least 2021.

But Erdogan's ambitions have caused many to believe that he is seeking a leadership role beyond Turkey, throughout the whole region.

In a recent interview with Russia Today, Syrian President Basshar al-Assad said of Erdogan, "He personally thinks that he is the new sultan of the Ottoman and he can control the region as it was during the Ottoman Empire under a new umbrella. In his heart he thinks he is a caliph."

But if Muhammad Morsi's recent actions in seizing greater power are an indicator of things to come, Erdogan may have competition for the title of regional caliph.

With the ascendancy of Turkey in the north and Egypt's new role as an emerging player, could we see two competing caliphates in the region? And as politically significant as all these events are, might they have have deeper significance as they relate to the fulfillment of biblical prophecy? There are two significant passages some students of the Bible are now considering.

The King of the North & The King of the South

The first passage is Daniel 11:21-45. In this prophecy, the Bible addresses the historical conflict between the infamous Antiochus IV Epiphanes, king of the Seleucid Kingdom, referred to as "the King of the North," and Ptolemy VI, king of the Ptolemaic Kingdom, referred to as "the King of the South." Antiochus ruled the region of modern-day Turkey, Lebanon, Syria, Iraq and Iran, while Ptolemy ruled the region of modern-day Egypt, Libya and north Sudan.

In verse 40, we are informed that the various conflicts that took place historically between these two kings would be repeated in the last days, immediately before the coming of the Messiah:

"At the end time the king of the South will collide with him, and the king of the North will storm against him with chariots, with horsemen and with many ships; and he will enter countries, overflow them and pass through. He will also enter the Beautiful Land, and many countries will fall. ... Then he will stretch out his hand against other countries, and the land of Egypt will not escape. But he will gain control over the hidden treasures of gold and silver and over all the precious things of Egypt; and Libyans and Cushites will follow at his heels." (Daniel 11:40-43)

The result of this last-days conflict between the northern "king" and his counterpart in the south will include massive regional wars, the defeat of Egypt, Libya and northern Sudan, and ultimately, the invasion and occupation of the nation of Israel. While numerous scholars and expositors throughout history have wrestled over the precise meaning of this passage, some are asking if it is possible that we are now witnessing the emergence of the last-days kingdoms of the North and South. Could Erdogan and Morsi be the last-days kings of the North and South, or are they merely precursors to the actual fulfillment of Daniel 11? Of course, we should be extremely cautious in considering these questions, but students of the Scriptures would certainly do well to remain watchful and in a sober spirit of prayer concerning the momentous evens we are now seeing unfold throughout the Middle East.

Isaiah 19

Another significant passage many are also now looking to is Isaiah 19, a profound prophecy concerning the state of Egypt in the days and years immediately preceding the return of the Messiah.

As massive demonstrations rock Egypt, some are protesting against Morsi, while many others are protesting in support of him. As violent clashes between the two groups erupt, it is clear that Egypt is a deeply divided nation. How far will it all go? Could Isaiah's prophecy of an Egyptian civil war be seen in our day?

"So I will incite Egyptians against Egyptians; and they will each fight against his brother and each against his neighbor, city against city and kingdom against kingdom." (Isaiah 19:2)

And if Isaiah's prophecy is beginning to unfold before us in Egypt, what would this mean with regard to the return of Jesus? Certainly, there are some "signs of the Messiah" the Bible indicates the wise would be able to discern and identify prior to his coming. Some of the more prominent of these signs include the following:

*The return of the Jewish people to their homeland.

*The emergence of the kings of the North and the South.

*A regional security alliance between Israel and her surrounding neighbors.

*The re-establishment of the biblical sacrificial system on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem.

Over the past 65 years, we have already witnessed the return of the Jewish people to their homeland in Israel. What might we witness next? One thing is clear: The world is changing rapidly before us, and watchful students of the Bible today must remain sober, alert and in a constant state of prayer as we all together eagerly await the return of Jesus.

"Even so, when you see all these things, you know that it is near, right at the door."

-Matthew 24:33

HAIL THE KING !

- By Mike Taylor - http://www.raptureready.com/soap/taylor77.html

Samuel 8:6-7:"But the thing displeased Samuel when they said, "Give us a king to judge us." And Samuel prayed to the LORD. And the LORD said to Samuel, "Obey the voice of the people in all that they say to you, for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected Me from being King over them."

In ancient Israel, God ruled over the people through judges that rendered justice according to the Word of God. But the people were not satisfied with an arrangement that had worked since they became a nation. If you read the story, Samuel was growing old and the office of being a judge fell to his sons who did not follow after the righteous judgments of their father, but departed into sinful acts of greed and evil.

The nation had been built on guiding principles found in their basic doctrines given to them from Mt. Sinai, The Ten Commandments. Israel forgot who was their source of power, protection, and their very lives to prosper and grow. They demanded a king to rule over them, just as the nations about them had over them. God commanded that Samuel warn the people of their rejection of Him, and look to a human ruler to meet their needs of daily living.

Samuel's Warning Against Kings

1 Samuel 8.9-18:

"Now then, obey their voice; only you shall solemnly warn them and show them the ways of the king who shall reign over them. So Samuel told all the words of the LORD to the people who were asking for a king from him. He said, "These will be the ways of the king who will reign over you: he will take your sons and appoint them to his chariots and to be his horsemen and to run before his chariots.

And he will appoint for himself commanders of thousands and commanders of fifties, and some to plow his ground and to reap his harvest, and to make his implements of war and the equipment of his chariots. He will take your daughters to be perfumers and cooks and bakers. He will take the best of your fields and vineyards and olive orchards and give them to his servants.

He will take the tenth of your grain and of your vineyards and give it to his officers and to his servants. He will take your male servants and female servants and the best of your young men and your donkeys, and put them to his work. He will take the tenth of your flocks, and you shall be his slaves. And in that day you will cry out because of your king, whom you have chosen for yourselves, but the LORD will not answer you in that day."

After those days, Israel had nothing but trouble. Wars on every side and the peace and safety they longed for, escaped them for years of hard living. Israel reasoned that to give the control to a king, would relieve them of the responsibility of controlling their own lives and following after the ways of their true leader, Almighty God.

A king would protect them, like other nations did, but never realized what they were giving up or what they had become. It was not that God was against them having a king, but the people had become rebellious against the ways of God, and the problem was not them wanting a king, but that they had fallen so far in their spiritual condition, they could not see that the problem was them, not the need for a king. So it is with us!

Voting for a Modern King amongst Us

Can we see this happening around us? Can we apply this biblical story of what happened to another ancient people who abandoned following after the founding principles that formed their nation? The Bible was written to give us examples that righteous living brings prosperity, a gift from God, when the people fear His name and reverence His teachings; by submitting to His righteous rule and embracing His ways by incorporating them into our individual lives.

So was it that this nation was founded upon principles laid as bedrock in our Declaration of Independence and the United States Constitution. We've had our "bumps in the road" but God has blessed this nation like no other in all of history. We elected our representatives to give a voice for the people who feared God and expected those we chose to guide this nation in the ways of our founding documents forged by men of honor, our founding fathers of this nation intended.

The nation was founded by the people and for the people. Our guiding rule was our belief and foundation in the invisible ruler of this nation, God Almighty. Our faith and trust by historical events pointed to our need, our desire, and our understanding of this principle, "One nation, UNDER GOD!" For two hundred years this is the way it was, but times have changed and not for the better.

A Nation in Decline

Since the late 1960s and early 1970s, this country has decided that we no longer wish to have God rule over us. We have abandoned the founding principles that made this nation great. We have looked to ourselves. Humanist principles have overtaken our once Godly principles based on the bible that the majority of Americans believed in. Fleshly desires of sinful living have dominated our culture starting with dissolving prayer in our schools. Our education system has indoctrinated a whole generation of impressionable young minds that are now the adults who govern this nation. It is said about education from a quote sometimes attributed to Abraham Lincoln:

"The philosophy of the school room in one generation will be the philosophy of government in the next."

From this period of secular education, the teachers of our children have infected impressionable minds with sex education, evolution, values clarification, moral relativism, Darwinian evolution, Socialism and Marxism, earth worship, multiculturalism, one-world globalism, Israeli "occupation" of Palestinian territories, and appeasement in foreign policy.

This is the generation that is of voting age that just elected Barack Hussein Obama to another term of at least four more years. This deplorable spiritual condition of our nation is manifested in the electorate voting for a man with credentials that would not qualify him for dog catcher, let alone PROTUS. Joel Rosenberg has noted:

It is stunning to think that more than 6 million self-described evangelical Christians would vote for a president who supports abortion on demand; supported the same-sex marriage ballot initiatives that succeeded in Maryland, Maine and Washington; and was on the cover of Newsweek as America's "first gay president."

Did these self-professed believers surrender their biblical convictions in the voting booth or did they never really have deep biblical convictions on the critical issues to begin with?...This is what happens when the church is weak and fails to disciple believers to turn biblical faith into action. Given the enormous number of evangelical Christians in the U.S., this bloc could still affect enormous positive change for their issues if they were to unify and vote for the pro-life, pro-marriage candidate as a bloc....

What will it take to educate, register and mobilize Christians to vote on the basis of biblical principles, and what kind of candidates could best mobilize them? This is a critical question that Christian political leaders as well as pastors must seriously consider. As we have seen, just a few million more evangelicals voting for pro-life, pro-marriage candidates could offset other demographics that are becoming more liberal.

This behooves us to ask us the question, "What has become of the citizens of this nation?" What has developed is an entire generation devoid of biblical instruction or understanding. They know nothing of the founding Christian principles that formed this nation or the blessing of free market capitalism. They forget what the Bible says when it comes to standing with His chosen people (Israel) in the last days. Let's look at that. Why have we been blessed in the last fifty years other than standing on founding principles that formed this nation?

We stood with Israel from its inception. We nurtured and helped defend their national right to exist. But you speak to a lot of the evangelical members and they only talk of the Palestinian plight of Israeli "aggression." And no more do we stand with Israel as a majority in our government or our citizenry. Oh, they talk the talk, but their deeds and actions prove otherwise. We talk of still being a "nation under God" but our actions and deeds prove us to be liars.

Cases in Point of National Decay

We have an administration that has from all reported details, lied to about what happened in Benghazi, Libya. As more and more details are brought to light, we discover how we were deceived. I hear reports of gun running headed by our now, deceased Ambassador Chris Stevens, to Syrian rebels through Turkey. Is that right?

I don't know, but since they lied to us about one aspect, what else are they covering up? Security was obviously lacking. So was it planned, or was it incompetence? It seems the people of this nation could care less to hold those responsible accountable. They should demand answers and punish those who are responsible bordering on treason, if the reports turn out to be true.

We hear about election fraud in Florida and the major portions of the all the swing states to give the election to Obama. Voting irregularities of fixed voting machines that are programmed to give a 51-49% voting edge to whomever they choose. Political analysts who projected a landslide based on historical demographics of past elections and somehow they got it all wrong? The people should be up in arms to hear these stories of a perversion of the national right to vote and have it mean something. Our God given right to vote our beliefs may have just been stolen by dark forces.

We have a debt of 16 plus trillion dollars with no sign of fiscal sanity and the reported "fiscal cliff" looms in our near future. Our economy is divided into the haves, and the have not's. Rich against poor, black against white, ethic group against ethnic group. We stand on the edge of financial ruin. Europe is burning with Greece, Spain, and Italy all fearing economic collapse. The world has impending financial collapse imploding upon itself. The people should be invading Washington D.C. demanding fiscal sanity. This is our money being wasted.

We have a Middle East crisis with looming war between Gaza and the IDF, with players of Egypt, Syria, Lebanon, and their benefactor Iran, just itching to get in the fight to remove Israel from being a nation. Could this be the precursor to Psalm 83:2-4?

"For behold, Your enemies make a tumult;

And those who hate You have lifted up their head.

They have taken crafty counsel against Your people,

And consulted together against Your sheltered ones. They have said,

"Come, and let us cut them off from being a nation,

That the name of Israel may be remembered no more."

Or Isaiah 17:1-3?

"Behold, Damascus will cease from being a city,

And it will be a ruinous heap.

The cities of Aroer are forsaken;

They will be for flocks

Which lie down, and no one will make them afraid. The fortress also will cease from Ephraim,

The kingdom from Damascus,

And the remnant of Syria;

They will be as the glory of the children of Israel,

Says the Lord of hosts."

Neither of these prophecies have been fulfilled. Damascus has been a city inhabited for over 5,000 years and a confederacy of these nations determined to destroy Israel has never taken place. A feared outbreak of war in the Middle East leading to another world war engulfing all of us gives the masses a fear that cannot be remedied except through the power of a man. This should give each of us pause to understand the prophetic closeness of the coming of the Son of Man again to end mortal man's rule and set-up His own kingdom that will never end.

Returning to our own home country, we see a nation devoid of love of one another. Crime is rampant as looting and evil grips the northeast after hurricane Sandy destroyed many lives and their feelings of security. Still we look to a man to save us. Also, voters embraced same sex marriage in a number of states, legalizing marijuana in others, fraud in elections, and our borders pouring illegals into this country with some, no doubt, with intent to do the citizenry harm.

Energy prices soaring only to get worse. Financial ruin awaits everyone who is suddenly out of a job and can't find work. Unemployment at a false low of 7.8% will most likely soar in the coming months. Evil is at the door of every American living today. It waits to engulf us, but most go merrily along without a care in the world. Obama will fix it. Really?

This is the man who has repeatedly circumvented the clear constraints of the U.S. Constitution with edicts and executive orders, thus bypassing the legislature who are the lawmakers, and guardians of the purse strings. This is the man, who threatens by UN agreement to take away our Second Amendment right to bear arms. This is the man who constrains our ability to be energy independent by bowing to the environmentalist at the EPA.

This is the man who spends and wants to tax the masses till the buffalo on the nickel bellows in pain. We are fast approaching financial insolvency and the collapse of our economy. Millions will die from starvation or the streets will be filled with rioters. Martial law will be enacted and many will be imprisoned for being scared and hungry. And this is just a partial list of the Obamination that inflicts our country. This is the same path that many dictators have taken to control the masses, thus making themselves in effect, king. All hail, the king?

Oh, we yearn for a simpler time; when American was the home of brave, land of the free. America started on the right foot, but see how far we have fallen?

James Madison said:

We have staked the whole future of American civilization, not upon the power of government, far from it. We have staked the future of all of our political institutions upon the capacity of mankind of self-government; upon the capacity of each and all of us to govern ourselves, to control ourselves, to sustain ourselves according to the Ten Commandments of God.

A great start for this country, but what have we done? We have turned our backs on God, and I fear that He has turned His back on us, as a nation.

Do we think that it was coincidence that the largest perfect storm to hit the United States called "Hurricane Sandy" was pure global warming, as the pundits want to suggest? I believe God has given us wake-up call after wake-up call. 9/11/2001 was such a call. Hurricanes Katrina and Sandy most likely, were wake up calls as well. It seems that God is trying to get our attention. Are we listening? Appears not, as we need a king to rule over us. We need someone to fix what ails this country.

We put our trust in a man, that the media says "gives them a tingle up their leg." We want a messiah, a deliverer, or anyone who can solve our problems for us. We want a modern day, King Saul. We want free health care, we want free "Obama phones," we want food stamps and any and all government handout systems that will relieve us from self-reliance and getting off our duffs to have God provide. What? God provide? It seems we threw Him out long ago. Don't look to God in your present condition. Look to Obama!! Yeah, right!!!

We don't even know who this man is or his background. We don't know where he came from with certainty. We just go right on trusting our modern messiah. So we went to the polls and at least 47% of Americans on the welfare dole, voted for this man. The rest was by hook or crook, as the powers that be aren't going to give up without a fight, or a plan to steal it right out from under our noses.

King Obama

It has been reported that this administration is the most divisive, non-transparent, and narcissistic of any modern presidency of our time. Look at his record, or the lack thereof. Barack Obama stands openly for the things that God is against. He takes great pride is doing so. He campaigned with these things as the reasons why you should vote for him and re-elect him to the office of president. The first time he ran for president he was largely an unknown entity, and he used great guile and deceit to become elected.

But when we all went to the polls this month to again decide to vote him in or not, he was a very well-known candidate. My question is, why? Because the problem is not that we elected again an unqualified man to lead this nation, as our prince, but the problem is "We the people." Look in the mirror, folks. Do you see the problem? It's an unbelieving society. We are so far removed from the teachings of the bible, if the founding fathers were resurrected, they would surely shake their head in dismay and disbelief.

I have changed my mind about the future of American, as I fear that we are so far removed from God that we will never find our way back. The corner has been turned, and there is NO coming back. Pray all you want for this nation, but I see the judgment of God coming to our shores and covering the land like a cloud. To administer judgment, God has a historical habit of using men to enact His penalty for rebellion against His Laws, and His way of life. Coupled with that, expect more natural disasters, environmental upheaval, and untold destruction. Islam and their evil cohorts smell our weakness and they will only get stronger, as we get weaker. The only thing holding back complete annihilation is that God's church, His true church is in the way. When I say, true church, I don't mean that modern social club that sits in Sunday services thinking on anything and everything that is of this world and its pleasures. As it was in the days of Noah and Lot, our Lord's statement in Luke 17:26-30 warns:

"And as it was in the days of Noe, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man. They did eat, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, and the flood came, and destroyed them all.

Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded; But the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all. Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed."

Jesus warned that there will be no messiah, until the true Messiah, the Lord of Hosts will break through the clouds and proclaim, "Come up hither." When Jesus calls for His church to be removed, then my reader, "All hell will break loose." No false messiah, no Obama and no mere man will be able to save this nation from utter destruction. America will have gone the way of ancient Rome, destroyed.

Why is the nation of America not mentioned anywhere in the Bible? I believe she will be decimated to the level of a third world country or invaded from without or from within. The principles that we rebelled against that were God given will matter not in the least to what's left of this nation at that hour.

Judgment in all its wrath will be raining down all over the world, and this nation SHOULD, and will possibly receive the greatest condemnation as it had so much, and gave up even more when so many turned their backs on their only benefactor that insured their greatness and their posterity, God Almighty.

This nation that poured untold amount of missionaries into other countries in days gone by, printed millions of copies of God's Word to be distributed worldwide, and professed to be a Judeo-Christian believing nation, has abandoned it all. It will be a judgment sorely deserved and awful to watch.

Election Is Over, America Lost

Men and women of conservative political persuasion lament the outcome of this past election. Maybe God would have given us more time by electing a president Romney, but from where I stand, God has said "NO." I believe there is no more time. When will this judgment start in earnest? I believe the introduction has begun. The first act of impending judgment awaits its beginning with the opening of the First Seal of Revelation 6:1-2:

"And I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals, and I heard, as it were the noise of thunder, one of the four beasts saying, Come and see. And I saw, and behold a white horse: and he that sat on him had a bow; and a crown was given unto him: and he went forth conquering, and to conquer."

This is the beginning of the wrath of God, or the revealing of the Antichrist, the one who sits on the white horse. How close is this man to be revealed? It would be safe to say that this man is alive today. Many have hypothesized that Obama could be this man. Is he? We can't say for sure, as he doesn't fit a lot of the requirements and attributes of the infamous anti-Christ. But one thing is certain, Obama is anti-God, anti-Bible, and anti-Christian no matter what he mouths in words, as his deeds betray him.

We have nationally elected by whatever means a man devoid of Christian principles and biblical foundation for governing in righteousness or at least in honesty and truth. BUT with all the doubts and failings in this president, WE THE PEOPLE ignored all that and elected him anyway. It will come back to haunt us all. It spells the spiraling death dive of a once great God fearing nation to its shame.

When the hour comes upon you and judgment begins to fall, who will you look to? Will you hold out your hand to Obama (or any sitting president if it should go to another man or woman to fill that office) or will you raise your hands to heaven and pray to your only hope, God Almighty through His Son, Jesus Christ?

If that man who is spoken of in Revelation chapter 6 rides upon the scene and you wonder what all the commotion is about when some report disappearance of a bunch of people all over the earth, then what will you be thinking. Will you be thinking that God is my source of deliverance or will you be voicing, "All hail, the king?" Most likely according to Scripture, the latter will be your only choice and you're only thought. Help from the king? Don't hold your breath. Death and destruction is probably your future. When that happens:

1 Samuel 8.18: And in that day you will cry out because of your king, whom you have chosen for yourselves, but the LORD will not answer you in that day."

But there is a better choice. A choice for eternity, a choice for life:

2 Corinthians 6.2:

"For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation."

For Jesus said in John:

Jesus said to him,"I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me."

Hebrews 9.27-28:

"And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment, so Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many. To those who eagerly wait for Him He will appear a second time, apart from sin, for salvation."

Don't make the mistake that Obama or any other mortal can make your life meaningful or solve your earthly problems. Look to Jesus who is our source for eternal life. Don't look to an earthly king, but to the Lord of lords, and King of kings. Don't wait another day. Time is running out.

This is Pastor Mike Taylor, praying God's salvation comes into your life. If you have need for counseling, prayer or just a listening ear, send me an email: realteam1999@sbcglobal.net , or visit me online at www.churchofgod-usa.org .

God bless you, until we meet at Jesus' feet.