PROPHECY BEFORE OUR EYES… The Rapture (Part 13)….

TUESDAY, JUNE 18, 2013

By Dr. Andy Woods 


Sugar Land Bible Church 

My previous articles commenced a series on the rapture of the church. We began with the question, “What is the Rapture?” This question can best be answered by noting ten truths about the rapture from 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 and 1 Corinthians 15:50-58. In previous articles from 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18, we saw that the rapture is an important doctrine and not something that can be marginalized or explained away as a secondary doctrine. We also noted that the rapture is an event that is distinct from the Second Advent of Christ. We further observed that the rapture will involve the catching up of every believer to meet the Lord in the air, and that therapture will involve a reunion between living and deceased Church-Age believers. We then began to examine several more points from 1 Corinthians 15:50-58. We noted that the rapture will be a resurrection, willexempt an entire generation of believers from death, will be aninstantaneous event, is a mystery, is an imminent event, and is also atraditional doctrine now being recovered.

We then moved on to our second major question, namely, “when is the rapture?” We noted that as we seek to answer this question, we make no attempt at assigning a date for the rapture. Such a practice is forbidden since the Scripture itself assigns no such date. Rather, here we merely seek to answer the question, “when will the rapture take place with respect to the coming Tribulation period?” After briefly defining the various views that theologians have posited in an attempt to answer this question, we stated that the pretribulation position (the church will be raptured from the earth before the Tribulation period begins) posits seven arguments in its favor. We explained that the first reason that the rapture will take place before the Tribulation period even begins relates to the fact that the Tribulation period itself concerns God’s unfinished work with national Israel rather than the church. The second reason relates to the concept of the missing church not only from Revelation 4–22, but also from all central and critical Tribulation texts.

While making this second point we further noted that if the church is ever hinted at or mentioned at all in Revelation’s description of the Tribulation period, she is always portrayed as being in heaven and never on the earth. For example, Revelation 1:20 symbolizes the church as seven lampstands. Theses lamps and lampstands are described as already being in heaven before the events of the Tribulation period begin to unfold (Rev. 4:5).

This point becomes even clearer when the twenty-four elders of Revelation 4:4 are properly identified. Revelation 4:4 says,

“Around the throne were twenty-four thrones; and upon the thrones I saw twenty-four elders sitting, clothed in white garments, and golden crowns on their heads.”

If it can be established that these twenty-four elders represent the church, then the case for the pretribulational rapture doctrine is further fortified since the Apocalypse presents the church in heaven before the events of the Tribulation takes place on the earth below.

IDENTIFICATION OF THE TWENTY-FOUR ELDERS

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The identification of the twenty-four elders has generated much debate. [1] Some say they represent the Tribulation martyrs. However, this identification seems unlikely, since the twenty-four elders as depicted in Revelation 4:4 already appear to be in a resurrected state. The Tribulation martyrs, by contrast, will not be resurrected until a later point just prior to the inauguration of the millennial kingdom (Rev. 20:4). Moreover, the Tribulation martyrs are distinguished from the twenty-four elders in Revelation 7:13-14. These verses say,

“Then one of the elders answered, saying to me, ‘These who are clothed in the white robes, who are they, and where have they come from?’ I said to him, ‘My lord, you know.’ And he said to me, ‘These are the ones who come out of the great tribulation, and they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb’” (italics added).

Since, in these verses, one of the elders inquires into the identification of the Tribulation martyrs, it becomes obvious that the elders and the Tribulation martyrs cannot be one and the same.

Some say that the twenty-four elders represent Israel. However, this identification seems unlikely. Once again, the twenty-four elders ofRevelation 4:4 already appear resurrected. Believing national Israel will not receive their resurrection until later, just prior to the inauguration of the millennial kingdom (Dan. 12:2Rev. 20:4). Moreover, while the twenty-four elders are located in heaven in the futuristic section of John’s Apocalypse, Israel seems to be fulfilling an earthly role during the Tribulation period (Rev. 7:1-812:1Gen. 37:9-10).

Still others teach that these elders represent the redeemed of all ages, which would encompass those who have trusted in a coming Messiah prior to or even after the conclusion of the Church-Age. Again, this identification seems unlikely since those from non-church age dispensations will receive their resurrected bodies at a later point just prior to the inauguration of the millennial kingdom (Dan. 12:2Rev. 20:4).

A common interpretation is that the twenty-four elders are angels. However, this identification also seems improbable since John elsewhere distinguishes the twenty-four elders from the angels. Revelation 5:11 says,

“Then I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels around the throne and the living creatures and the elders; and the number of them was myriads of myriads, and thousands of thousands” (italics added).

Revelation 7:11 similarly says,

“And all the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures; and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God” (italics added).

Notice that in both of these verses, the angels are mentioned as one category, and the elders are mentioned as a separate category. Such a delineation renders unlikely the notion that the elders are angels. A further problem with the angelic interpretation of the twenty-four elders is thatRevelation 4:4 depicts the elders as seated. Angels typically stand rather than sit in God’s presence (Luke 1:19).

It seems best to argue that the twenty-four elders represent the church. John describes the twenty-four elders the same way he describes members of the church in Rev 2–3. For example, he notes that they are crowned (Rev. 2:104:10), enthroned (Rev. 3:214:4), and clothed in white (Rev. 3:47:13). Moreover, the New Testament typically uses the designation “elders” (presbyteros) to depict New Testament church leadership (Acts 14:2315:620:171 Tim. 4:145:1719Titus 1:5Jas. 5:141 Pet. 5:15).

Why are there only twenty-four elders mentioned? The number twenty-four is used because that is how the Old Testament priesthood was organized (1 Chron. 24). Because the church is similar to (although not identical to) Israel in that the church is also a priesthood (Rev. 1:6), the number twenty-four communicates the church’s priestly function. The number twenty-four inRevelation 4:4 is a literal number. John is focused on twenty-four specific elders that seem to represent the church as a whole. However, the number twenty-four simultaneously signifies the spiritual idea of the church’s priestly designation.

In sum, having previously answered the question, “what is the rapture?”, we noted the first two of at least seven reasons that affirm the pretribulational rapture view. The first reason is that the Tribulation’s ultimate purpose concerns Israel rather than the church. The second reason relates to the concept of the missing church not only from Revelation 4–22, but also from all central and critical Tribulation texts. While making this second point, we further noted that if the church is ever hinted at or mentioned at all in Revelation’s description of the Tribulation period, she is always portrayed as being in heaven and never on the earth. This point is heightened when the twenty-four elders of Revelation 4:4 are properly identified as the church. This identification further strengthens the pretribulation rapture position. Before the events of the Tribulation period unfold upon the earth (Rev. 6–19), the Apocalypse depicts the twenty-four elders, representing the church, as already being in heaven before the earthly tribulation judgments even begin (Rev. 4–5). A logical and natural explanation for this location is that the church has already been raptured to heaven before the Tribulation period begins.

(To Be Continued…)

 

PROPHECY BEFORE OUR EYES….

The Bible Miniseries: Hollywood Heresy

The Bible Mini-series Roma Downey Burnett | Blasphemy and innacurate series.

Unfortunately the producers of the miniseries did not follow The Bible closely.

With much critical acclaim and fanfare, History Channel’s “The Bible” miniseries debuted as the highest rated program in the network’s history. A 10-hour mini-series that covers popular Bible stories from Genesis to Revelation, has been a commercial success. The Christian Post online news site proclaimed: “This Time, Hollywood Got It Right.” Christiancinema.com wrote in its review“This 10 part mini-series is a must-see epic of Biblical proportion. It is a wonderful testament to the enduring power of the Holy Bible, and the importance it plays in the history and eternal destiny of mankind.”

Yet watching the mini-series with a Bible-based perspective, it becomes obvious that this mini-series is full of unbiblical heresies, changes a great deal of the Bible’s details and ignores the message of salvation and forgiveness of sin in Jesus Christ that is the main purpose of the entire Bible itself. And what is even more dangerous is that many churches have adopted this series for teaching and sharing the Word of God in their services, continuing the fall of many Christian churches into spiritual apostasy.
The Mini-Series

Here is a trailer for the Mini-series:

The Spiritual Advisors Behind The Bible

History Channel The Bible mini-series | Basphemy and innacurate portrayal.

Joel Osteen, far left, was one of the main “spiritual advisors” to Miniseries co-creators Roma Downey and Mark Burnett, right.

Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. – Matthew 7:15-18.

“We weren’t qualified to teach the Bible, but we knew plenty of people who were,” –The Bible mini-series co-creator Mark Burnett, speaking of the panel of spiritual advisors who helped make the mini-series.

A quick look at the Board of Advisors on The Bible Miniseries and it becomes quite obvious that it was bound to contain heretical portrayals of the Scriptures. Prosperity Gospel preacher T.D. Jakes, Rick Warren of Saddleback Church and Joel Osteen of Lakewood Church, the largest church in the United States are the three most prominent names. As Beginning and End has detailed in past articles, all three pastors teach Unbiblical, New Age, false doctrines. In our article on T.D. Jakes we showed that in addition to preaching the money-focused prosperity Gospel, he also has yoked with New Age promoter Oprah Winfrey. Joel Osteen preaches a message of New Age mysticism that can be found in many books and websites on witchcraft, while Rick Warren has been a major promoter of a one-world religion that merges other faiths with Christianity.

Craig Groeschel of LifeChurch.tv, which is famous for its rendition of “Gangsta’s Paradise” during Sunday service is also on the board in addition to a number of Catholic advisors as well. What all these people have in common is teaching doctrines that are not found in the Bible and often contradict the Word of God. As The Lord Jesus Christ explained in the passage above, if the spiritual foundation of a mini-series is filled with heretical, New Age pastors, the “fruit” of the mini-series will be questionable.

Numerous Biblical Errors

History Channel The Bible mini-series | Innacurate and full of errors.

The writers of The Bible Miniseries should have consulted an actual Bible.

“The Bible miniseries is not a documentary, it is a scripted, acted docu-drama filmed on location in the Middle East and Morocco.” – The Bible Miniseries website.

“[Miniseries Co-Creator Mark Burnett] would send scripts our way and ask doctrinal or Bible questions about it, but a lot of it was a friendship and an advisory role,”[Pastor Joel] Osteen said. Osteen said much of his work was confirming if the extra biblical material stayed true to the Bible. (source).

“Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.” – 1 John 4:1.

In this day and age of spiritual confusion and heresies, it is very important that a Christian message is based on sound, Biblical doctrine. Obviously in a theatrical presentation, there is understandable creative license, because not every detail of every story is included in Scripture. Thus in a scene where Abraham greets Lots and says “Lot, my nephew!”, while not in the Bible, is done to inform he viewers of the relationship and the facts of these Biblical men. But The Bible Miniseriesgoes well beyond this as it changes much of the core message of the Bible and alters facts from Biblical accounts for no real reason other than entertainment value.

Noah And The Ark

The Bible Miniseries A Christian Review | Innacurate and errors.

Noah leaves out an important detail in telling the story of Adam and Eve.

The Bible opens with Noah on the ark with his family, struggling to plus leaking holes and keep the ark afloat (it seems the design for the ship, provided by God, was having issues). He then tells his children the story of Adam and Eve from Genesis. Here are some of the errors:

  • Noah’s sons are small children. In the Bible they are actually grown, married men and they and their wives come on to the ark.
  • As Noah tells the story of Adam and Eve, there is no mention of the promised Redeemer, who would one day be born and redeem Adam, Eve and all of humanity:

And the LORD God said unto the serpent, Because thou hast done this, thou art cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life: And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel. – Genesis 3:14-15.

This is one of the most important verses in the Bible as it marks the first prophecy of the Messiah, Jesus Christ who would be born of a woman and one day conquer Satan. This was done on the cross, when Jesus gave His life as a sacrifice for the sins of humanity, allowing forgiveness for those who put their faith in Him. All of the history in the Old Testament is centered on the expectation of this prophesied child one day being born. The many challenges and battles fought in the Old Testament often centered on preserving the lineage of the Messiah. And yet somehow,The Bible Miniseries has left the most important aspect of the Bible, out.

It was sin that cursed humanity and the Earth, invoking God’s wrath. Scripture tells us:“Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:” (Romans 5:11). Rather than make this very important point to his children, Noah says that humanity has made “bad choices! Bad decisions!”

In ignoring sin (the word is not even uttered in the first 2 episodes) and neglecting to mention God’s forgiveness and plan for redemption of humanity through the Savior, Jesus Christ, the main message of the Bible is lost.

History Channel The Bible mini-series | Basphemy and innacurate portrayal.

Eve sinned, but The Lord made it clear He would provide a way to forgiveness and redemption.

Even after receiving the punishment, Adam showed his hope in the future for he and his wife and The Lord once again showed His mercy to them:

And Adam called his wife’s name Eve; because she was the mother of all living. Unto Adam also and to his wife did the Lord God make coats of skins, and clothed them. –Genesis 3:20-21.

Adam names his wife Eve, meaning mother of all living, expressing hope in the promise that their “seed” or child, would crush the serpent and redeem them. And God showed another sign of His grace and willingness to forgive by making clothing for them out of animal skins. It was only after Adam and Eve sinned that their nakedness became a shame to them. And nakedness in the Bible is symbolic of sin. By God sacrificing a creature to cover their shame with animal fur, once again we have a beautiful foreshadow of God providing the ultimate sacrifice: His Son, Jesus Christ, in order to atone for the sins of all people. Yet again, The Bible Miniseries ignores this very important detail. Instead, Adam and Eve are banished from the Garden with no repentance and no hope of redemption. God is basically done with them, completely contradicting Scripture.

 

Abraham and Lot

History Channel The Bible mini series | Blasphemy and Biblical erros.

Abraham, the father of the faith, tells God “No” in The Bible Miniseries.

  • Abraham, whose name was actually Abram in the time depicted in the scenes in The Bible Miniseries. The Abrahamic covenant, where God promised to Abraham a great nation and that his seed would inherit the Promised Land, a foreshadow of all believers receiving eternal life in Heaven, is also the chapter where Abram’s name was changed to Abraham, signifying, as The Lord said: “..for a father of many nations have I made thee. And I will make thee exceeding fruitful, and I will make nations of thee, and kings shall come out of thee. And I will establish my covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee in their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto thee, and to thy seed after thee.” (Genesis 17:5-7).
  • Thus the Messianic bloodline established with Adam and Eve, the hope of all humanity to be redeemed and saved from the clutches of sin and damnation, would be  continued through Abraham. This is a critical point to understand God’s plan through the Bible and the presence of Jesus throughout Scripture.  Jesus said: “Search the scriptures; for.. they are they which testify of me.” (John 5:39).
  • Abram is portrayed as a ruddy,  nomad scraping to survive. The Bible says: “And Abram was very rich in cattle, in silver, and in gold.” (Genesis 13:2).
  • When the workers of Abram and  his nephew Lot begin to quarrel, it was Abraham’s decision to divide their land as a way to work out a peaceful resolution:

And there was a strife between the herdmen of Abram’s cattle and the herdmen of Lot’s cattle: and the Canaanite and the Perizzite dwelled then in the land. And Abram said unto Lot, Let there be no strife, I pray thee, between me and thee, and between my herdmen and thy herdmen; for we be brethren. Is not the whole land before thee? separate thyself, I pray thee, from me: if thou wilt take the left hand, then I will go to the right; or if thou depart to the right hand, then I will go to the left. – Genesis 13:7-9.

Abram then offers Lot the first pick of the land, opting to take whatever half Lot does not choose. This generous and compassionate gesture was an example of his kindness. In The Bible Miniseries, it is Lot who tells Abram that they must divide the land so he can move on to a new area for himself and his wife.

History Channel The Bible | Blasphmey and heresy with Biblical errors.

The angels sent to Sodom never get beat up in the actual Bible.

  • When God pronounces his judgment upon the wicked city of Sodom, he sends angels to rescue Lot before the city is destroyed for its rampant sexual immorality and rebellion:

And there came two angels to Sodom at even; and Lot sat in the gate of Sodom: and Lot seeing them rose up to meet them; and he bowed himself with his face toward the ground; And he said, Behold now, my lords, turn in, I pray you, into your servant’s house, and tarry all night, and wash your feet, and ye shall rise up early, and go on your ways. And they said, Nay; but we will abide in the street all night.
And he pressed upon them greatly; and they turned in unto him, and entered into his house; and he made them a feast, and did bake unleavened bread, and they did eat.But before they lay down, the men of the city, even the men of Sodom, compassed the house round, both old and young, all the people from every quarter: And they called unto Lot, and said unto him, Where are the men which came in to thee this night? bring them out unto us, that we may know them. And Lot went out at the door unto them, and shut the door after him, And said, I pray you, brethren, do not so wickedly. – Genesis 19:1-7.

These angels come to the city of Sodom to remove Lot and his family before God’s destruction rained down. Their rescue of Lot was a picture of God’s salvation for those who believe in him, while the destruction of Hell waits for those who die in their sin with no belief (symbolized by the fire and brimstone which destroyed Sodom and all the people in it). Once again this is a great occasion to teach the message of sinful humanity and its need for salvation that can only come through faith in The Lord. But instead, The Bible Miniseries runs wild changing the story. Instead of finding Lot as told in the Bible, it is Lot who discovers and rescues the wounded and beat up angels, who beg him for safe haven in his home (which again contradicts Scripture). At no time in the Biblical account were the angels ever harmed or even scared of the Sodomites.

Burnett and Downey also left out the homosexual sin of the people of Sodom. As detailed in the verses above, Sodom’s entire male population was engaging in homosexual sin as shown by the fact that every man, even the young men and the elderly, came to Lot’s door, demanding the angels be brought into the street for forced  public fornication. This is how far gone into sexual depravity this city and its neighboring city, Gomorrah, had descended to.
The Bible Miniseries omits this very important detail from the story, instead portraying the men of the city as promiscuous, heterosexual men who were just angry with the angels of God and seeking to fight them. This same compromise of the Christian faith exists in many of the apostate churches today where pastors will no longer preach the Bible’s verses on homosexuality being a sin, lest they offend the non-believing public. Thus the message of the Bible changes to suit the preferences and tastes of people, even if it is in rebellion against God. Galatians 1:9-10 addresses this:

“As we said before, so say I now again, if any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed. For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ.” – Galatians 1:9-10.

A Christian should never change God’s Word to accommodate others. Christians should be loving, forgiving and respectful towards all people. The Bible should not be used a means of attacking people. But that does not mean changing what one believes. But with a multi-million dollar big budget production, the desire to please the public is quite strong and won out over believing Scripture in the case of The Bible Miniseries. This may also explain the same angels protecting Lot engaging in martial arts fighting with the men of Sodom during Lot’s exit from the city. With a series of high-flying moves and swordplay, they battle the men of the city – something never seen in Scripture.

Abraham’s sacrifice of Isaac

History Channel The Bible | Blasphemyy and heresy with Biblical errors.

Abraham believed that even if Isaac died, God would raise him from the dead.

One of the most pivotal moments in Genesis is Abram’s offering up his son Isaac as a sacrifice in obedience to God. This test of Abram’s faith, on Mt Moriah was a foreshadow of where God Himself, would indeed offer His own Son, Jesus Christ as a sacrifice for the sins of humanity, 2000 years later. There is a very important aspect of Abram’s character that cannot be understated – his faith:

After these things the word of the LORD came unto Abram in a vision, saying, Fear not, Abram: I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward. And Abram said, LORD God, what wilt thou give me, seeing I go childless, and the steward of my house is this Eliezer of Damascus? And Abram said, Behold, to me thou hast given no seed: and, lo, one born in my house is mine heir. And, behold, the word of the LORD came unto him, saying, This shall not be thine heir; but he that shall come forth out of thine own bowels shall be thine heir. And he brought him forth abroad, and said, Look now toward heaven, and tell the stars, if thou be able to number them: and he said unto him, So shall thy seed be. And he believed in the LORD; and he counted it to him for righteousness. – Genesis 15:1-6.

Abram and his wife were well advanced in age, and thus not physically capable of bearing children. But God promised Abram that he and his wife would in fact conceive a son. And not only would they conceive a son, but through him, they would have more descendants than Abram could count through this particular son. The key moment is that Abram believed God. He had faith in the Lord’s promise of an heir (and his faith was counted as righteousness before God, foreshadowing the doctrine that Christians are saved by faith and not works). This heir would be the continuation of the Messianic bloodline prophesied to Adam and Eve in the Garden. The same line that God preserved on the ark through Noah and his son Shem. Abram would now continue this line through a miracle child, Isaac.
When the command came from God to offer Isaac as a sacrifice, Isaac did not have any children. Therefore if Isaac had died and never been heard from again, he would not have any children and the promise that God made to Abram in the passage above would have failed. However, Abraham believed God, even in the face of what looked like an impossible situation. After all, Abraham was 99 years old and Sarah 90 when they conceived Isaac, something that should have been physically impossible. Yet God made it happen. So Abraham had the same perspective when it came to offer his son as a sacrifice: he had faith that God would do something to make sure His initial promise to Abraham (that Isaac would have many descendents) came to pass:

And it came to pass after these things, that God did tempt Abraham, and said unto him, Abraham: and he said, Behold, here I am. And he said, Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of. And Abraham rose up early in the morning, and saddled his ass, and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son, and clave the wood for the burnt offering, and rose up, and went unto the place of which God had told him. Then on the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes, and saw the place afar off. And Abraham said unto his young men, Abide ye here with the ass; and I and the lad will go yonder and worship, and come again to you. And Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering, and laid it upon Isaac his son; and he took the fire in his hand, and a knife; and they went both of them together. –Genesis 22:1-6.

Notice in Abraham there is no doubting. He just listens to God and obeys. He rises up “early in the morning” to pack his things and take Isaac to Mount Moriah. And he tells his servants that he and Isaac were leaving on their own but would “come again.” He never doubted that Isaac was going to return alive.

Even when Isaac questioned Abraham, his answer reflected his faith in God’s Word:

“And Isaac spake unto Abraham his father, and said, My father: and he said, Here am I, my son. And he said, Behold the fire and the wood: but where is the lamb for a burnt offering? And Abraham said, My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering: so they went both of them together.” – Genesis 22:7-8.

History Channel The Bible | Blasphemyy and heresy with Biblical errors.

Rather than doubting Abraham and God, Sarah had faith in The Lord.

Abraham again demonstrated that he was not just acting on blind faith. He was acting on informed faith. He spoke to God directly. He saw God perform miracles that were not possible for humans to achieve on their own. He received God’s protection and saw God’s mercy in sparing the life of his nephew Lot. And he trusted that Isaac would have a child, if not many children, just as God had promised. And since Isaac did not have children at this point, Abraham knew with confidence that God would provide a way for the sacrifice to take place and Isaac still return with him alive. And he was right.

“And they came to the place which God had told him of; and Abraham built an altar there, and laid the wood in order, and bound Isaac his son, and laid him on the altar upon the wood. And Abraham stretched forth his hand, and took the knife to slay his son. And the angel of the LORD called unto him out of heaven, and said, Abraham, Abraham: and he said, Here am I. And he said, Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou any thing unto him: for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from me. And Abraham lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold behind him a ram caught in a thicket by his horns: and Abraham went and took the ram, and offered him up for a burnt offering in the stead of his son.
And Abraham called the name of that place Jehovahjireh: as it is said to this day, In the mount of the LORD it shall be seen. And the angel of the LORD called unto Abraham out of heaven the second time, And said, By myself have I sworn, saith the LORD, for because thou hast done this thing, and hast not withheld thy son, thine only son: That in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea shore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies; And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice.“ – Genesis 22:9-18.

As Abraham predicted, God did indeed provide a ram as a  substitute offering in place of Isaac. Some may ask: “well if God knew Abraham was faithful, why put him through this grueling test anyway?” The Bible tells us that all of these events in the Old Testament happened: “for examples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.” ( 1 Corinthians 10:11). If it is heart-wrenching to the reader to even think that Abraham was asked to offer his own son as a sacrifice, know that this is precisely what God has done for you. God offered His own Son, Jesus, as a sacrifice to take the punishment for the sins that humanity committed. Just as God provided the ram as a substitute for Isaac, God provided Jesus as a substitute for you, so you would not have to go to Hell. Why? Because God loves all people and is “not willing that any should perish.” Jesus’ sacrifice of His perfect, divine blood was the only way to provide forgiveness for all sins for all people for all time. And it takes faith to receive the gift of eternal life.
Hebrews 11 tells us that Sarah had faith that she would conceive a child at age 90. She believed God with true faith that He would bless them with the seed that would continue to lead to the Promised Messiah.  It then goes on to say of Abraham: “By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac: and he that had received the promises offered up his only begotten son, Of whom it was said, That in Isaac shall thy seed be called: Accounting that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead; from whence also he received him in a figure.” Abraham believed that even if Isaac died on that altar, God would raise him from the dead in order to fulfill the promise that Isaac would have many children and descendents and a nation would come through him, again giving a foreshadow to God raising His only begotten Son, Jesus from the dead, 2000 years later.

This is the message of this incredible passage. But how does The Bible Miniseries handle it? Abraham appears as a paranoid, babbling man who could be losing his sanity. When God asks him to offer Isaac as a sacrifice, Abraham recoils in horror and says “No! No! Have I not done enough?” , showing doubt and rebellion that is never seen in Scripture. When it is time to put Isaac on the altar, Abraham is weeping and babbling, full of regret and depression over what God is “making him do.”
Meanwhile, in a scene that clearly pushed the limits of “creative license”, Sarah hears the news of Abraham’s ‘insane sacrifice scheme’ and starts running to the mountain to stop Abraham from the sacrifice. She gets close enough to see Abraham in the distance and starts screaming for him to stop. Isaac, who is a small boy (he was actually a man by this time), is struggling and fighting with Abraham, crying and begging him not to kill him. But a wild-eyed Abraham continues on until angels tell him to stop. Sarah then runs up and grabs the crying Isaac, rolling her eyes in disgust at Abraham.
Does the version from The Bible Miniseries capture any of the important doctrinal elements of the Biblical account? Does Abraham’s faith, based on knowing God, believing God and trusting in His word, come through in this? Would a viewer know from this miniseries portrayal that Sarah was actually a faithful believer in God as well and not trying to stop her husband? The scene leaves Abraham looking like a mindless believer, God looking cruel and irrational and Sarah completely disagreeing with her husband and having no faith in God’s promises.

So what spirit is leading a film that would take such a dramatic departure from the text? What spirit would lead the film to ignore the beautiful type and foreshadow of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, on the exact same spot where Abraham offered up Isaac and the message of eternal life? Beloved, it is the same spirit that operates in the sermons of Joel Osteen, T.D. Jakes and Rick Warren – one that does not have a concern for Biblical accuracy and will teach any doctrine that excites the flesh and puts the focus on self. Do not be deceived.

Jesus Christ said this if the importance of adhering to the accuracy of The Word:

“I am come a light into the world, that whosoever believeth on me should not abide in darkness. And if any man hear my words, and believe not, I judge him not: for I came not to judge the world, but to save the world. He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day.” – Jesus Christ, John 12:46-48.

It is the words spoken by Jesus, the Word of God, that will ultimately judge a person before God. The Bible is not just a series of exciting stories. It is the written Word of The Lord. Romans chapter 1 calls the Gospel message “the power of God to salvation.” There is life, spirit and supernatural power in the words of the Bible. So not only actual Scriptures be used in a Christian program, they should never be altered to the point of contradiction to make a story more exciting or to overlook sins that society that many churches no longer have an issue with. Yet many pastors and churches today are doing just that: putting the focus on entertaining congregations and twisting Biblical doctrine to the point that even the Gospel itself is changed. Here is an example in a preview scene of the character of Jesus in The Bible Miniseries with the disciple Peter (who was also known as Simon in Scripture):

Here is that same account in the actual Bible:

And it came to pass, that, as the people pressed upon him to hear the word of God, he stood by the lake of Gennesaret, And saw two ships standing by the lake: but the fishermen were gone out of them, and were washing their nets. And he entered into one of the ships, which was Simon’s, and prayed him that he would thrust out a little from the land. And he sat down, and taught the people out of the ship. Now when he had left speaking, he said unto Simon, Launch out into the deep, and let down your nets for a draught. And Simon answering said unto him, Master, we have toiled all the night, and have taken nothing: nevertheless at thy word I will let down the net.

And when they had this done, they inclosed a great multitude of fishes: and their net brake. And they beckoned unto their partners, which were in the other ship, that they should come and help them. And they came, and filled both the ships, so that they began to sink. When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord. For he was astonished, and all that were with him, at the draught of the fishes which they had taken: And so was also James, and John, the sons of Zebedee, which were partners with Simon. And Jesus said unto Simon, Fear not; from henceforth thou shalt catch men. And when they had brought their ships to land, they forsook all, and followed him. – Luke 5:1-11.

Notice Peter’s reaction to the miracle that Jess had performed. He and his men were fishing all night and caught nothing. There was seemingly, no way to catch any. Yet Peter believed Jesus’ words and obeyed him. And after the miracle, Peter dropped to a position of worship and said“Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord.” Recognizing one’s own sin before the morally perfect God and Lord that is Jesus Christ, is key to going to Heaven. This is again a critical aspect of how a person is saved from the wrath of God and the lake of fire. Peter understood he was in the presence of Divine Power and did not feel worthy. Yet Jesus encourages him by inviting him to come with him to “catch men”, meaning bringing more people to believe in Christ. And Peter “forsook all”, meaning he gave up everything he was doing with his life on the spot, to follow Jesus. All of this is what a person has to do in order to go to Heaven. Acknowledging your sin, confessing it to God, believing in Jesus Christ and giving up your past life of sinful ways and letting your own heart rule, in order to follow Jesus and let Him be Lord of your life, is all a part of being a born again Christian.

Does The Bible Miniseries illustrate these powerful points? Not at all. Instead of being astonished and worshiping at the feet of Jesus, Peter asks him “How did this happen? What did you do?” as if he had no idea what was going on. The Jesus character (who looked  like the renaissance era/Catholic depictions of Jesus) responds: “I am giving you the chance to change your life..giving up catching fish and I will make you a fisher of men.” Peter answers “What are we going to do?” showing he still does not really understand if Jesus is divine or why it would be necessary for people to know Jesus. And the Jesus character’s answer is “Change the world.”  No mention of sin, acknowledging of Jesus as God in the flesh or a real salvation message. Instead it is almost a social justice message. Jesus Christ did not come to change the world, He came to save it from its sin. Without understanding that sin is the greatest problem the world is facing, Jesus’ message could be changed to just helping the poor, or providing water wells to communities in drought or working in a homeless shelter. All these actions, while noble, will not get you to Heaven or make one right before God. This is the problem with many churches as they put overemphasis on “changing the world” without first changing the sinful heart that has led a person into sin and damnation, lest they believe the Gospel. And the false doctrines being preach today, while exciting are not Biblical. Do not be deceived.
Roma Downey: Yoked With The New Age Movement?

History Channel The Bible | Blasphmey and New Age doctrine.

The Bible Miniseries Co-creator Roma Downey on the cover of the New Age OM Magazine.

Roma Downey has been celebrated for her co-creation of The Bible Miniseries and being an outspoken “Hollywood Christian.” Known for her role in the 90s drama “Touched By An Angel” in which she played an angel who comes to Earth to help people with problems, her name on The Bible Miniseries lent a great deal of Christian credibility. But looking a little closer at the testimony of Downey and it becomes apparent she is more involved with New Age mysticism than Biblical Christianity.

In 2010 Downey graduated from The University of Santa Monica with a Degree in Spiritual Psychology (the entire school is dedicated to the study of Spiritual Psychology and “Soul-centered Education”). The University describes this field as:

Spiritual Psychology is the study and practice of the art and science of human evolution in consciousness… “surrendering” and “sacrificing” is work that can and has been called “healing,” which includes healing on the physical, mental, and emotional levels in service to the deeper revelation of who we truly are as Loving, Peaceful, Compassionate, and Joyful beings. We refer to this level of awareness as the Authentic Self…

Put another way, Spiritual Psychology is a technology that empowers students to convert their everyday life experience into rungs on the ladder of Spiritual Evolution…” (source).

Downey also said in an interview:

‘My kids go to school about a 40-minute drive away. I’m open to the group’s opinion about what we listen to on the way there. On the way back, I get my own selections — books on tape by Eckhart Tolle, Tony Robbins…My husband says I’m so self-realized I’m practically levitating.’ (source).

“Self-realization” is a term in New Age and Eastern mysticism for achieving godhood, or releasing one’s true “inner divine self” through spiritual practices. Eckhart Tolle, a New Age guru and author of the book, A New Earth, promoted many doctrines that are contrary to Biblical Christianity.Among them:

“…heaven is not a location but refers to the inner realm of consciousness…. Earth, on the other hand, is the outer manifestation in form, which is always a reflection of the inner…. ‘A new heaven’ is the emergence of a transformed state of human consciousness, and ‘a new earth’ is its reflection in the physical realm.”[1,p.23]
“Recognize the ego for what it is: a collective dysfunction, the insanity of the human mind…. Nobody is wrong. It is the ego in someone, that’s all.” (p. 76).
“You realize your true identity as consciousness…. That’s the peace of God. The ultimate truth of who you are is not I am this or I am that, but I Am.” (p. 56-57).

Oprah Winfrey, one of the biggest promoters of New Age spirituality in history, was a major force behind launching Tolle’s career. In this video, at the 2:00 minute mark there are several minutes of Oprah interviewing Tolle and reading from his book to one of her fans. Notice that not only are these doctrines of contrary to Scripture, but even the female fan, who is a Christian notices this and points it out to Oprah:

Contacting The Dead

History Channel The Bible | New Age heresy and unbiblical errors.

Psychic Medium John Edward has collaborated with Roma Downey on his book on occult prayer.

Downey also has been featured on television trying to contact the dead:

ACTRESS Roma Downey has talked to her mother through a psychic on live TV. The Derry-born Touched By An Angel star was a guest on a celebrity version of the US psychic show Crossing Over, hosted by medium John Edward. Roma’s mother Maureen died of a heart attack in Derry when she was 10. And Roma was heartbroken that she was never able to tell her how much she loved her. So she jumped at an offer from the producers of the show on the Sci-Fi Channel to speak to her mum using Edwards for the connection. (source).

The Bible makes it clear that dabbling in the occult is a forbidden, sinful practice:

There shall not be found among you any one that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, or that useth divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch. Or a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard, or anecromancer. For all that do these things are an abomination unto the LORD: and because of these abominations the LORD thy God doth drive them out from before thee. – Deuteronomy 18:10-12.
“Regard not them that have familiar spirits, neither seek after wizards, to be defiled by them: I am the LORD your God.” – Leviticus 19:31.

Necromancy, the practice of speaking to the dead, is rebellion against God. Mediums like John Edward are able to relay facts and messages from the “dead” through the use of demons. When a person is alive, a demon can follow that person around and observe the things they do. So when the person dies, if a relative tries to use a psychic or a medium, the medium is contacting the demon to then retrieve the information about “Uncle Jack, who loved the Pittsburgh Pirates and always ate chocolate ice cream.” So to the person using the medium, it appears they have successfully contacted the dead. But it is all a satanic deception. This is why the Bible calls these demons “familiar spirits” as they become familiar with a person to later impersonate them once dead.
Not only has Downey used and endorsed John Edward’s occult practices, she has assisted him with a book on praying based on heretical Catholic practices. In the book Edwards encourages readers to “pray the rosary” a practice of holding a Catholic Crucifix necklace and uttering repetitive chants in prayers to Mary, the mother of Jesus in the Bible. This practice is sinful for several reasons. As shown above, Christians are not to communicate with the dead. Whether it is a relative, someone from the Bible or a celebrity, any attempts to speak with the dead is necromancy. Secondly, Mary was just a normal person. We are not to pray to her, hail her or seek anything from God through Mary. 1 Timothy 2:3 says: “For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.” It is Jesus Christ who is our advocate with God The Father. He is our High Priest who we take our prayers too.

History Channel The Bible | New Age heresy and unbiblical errors.

Roma Downey collaborated on the book that teaches prayers to Mary.

Edwards’ book comes with a CD of Downey reciting the Rosary prayers on it. So it is clear that she is yoked up with mystical Catholic practices. The Rosary is what is called “Marian worship”, the treatment of Mary as a God. Catholicism teaches that Mary is not only to be “venerated and prayed to but that she is also a “co-redeemer” of humanity, alongside Jesus Christ:

Mary is the Co-Mediator to whom we can entrust all our cares and petitions. (Roman Catholic Catechism 968-970, 2677).

This is from the Roman Catholic Encyclopedia under the listing for Mary:

She is conceived without the stain of original sin; she shows the greatest humility and patience in her daily life.. When there is question of sin, Mary must always be excepted. [81] Mary’s complete exemption from actual sin is confirmed by the Council of Trent (Session VI, Canon 23): “If any one say that man once justified can during his whole life avoid all sins, even venial ones, as the Church holds that the Blessed Virgin did by special privilege of God, let him be anathema.” Theologians assert that Mary was impeccable, not by the essential perfection of her nature, but by a special Divine privilege. Moreover, the Fathers, at least since the fifth century, almost unanimously maintain that the Blessed Virgin never experienced the motions of concupiscence [lust]. (source).

So rather than being a normal woman, Mary is a sinless God in this belief system. This is obviously contrary to Scripture where God is one being in three persons: The Father, The Son and The Holy Spirit. (B&E: In The Bible Miniseries, Downey herself plays the role of Mary).

Churches Are Using The Bible Miniseries To Preach The Bible

History Channel The Bible | A Christian review of the New Age heresy.

The Bible Miniseries is being used as church doctrine all over the world.

More than just entertainment, The Bible Miniseries website has a large number of items on sale for pastors and churches to use to make The Bible Miniseries a part of their church services, sermons and Bible studies. So the intent behind the movie series is not just to entertain but to be used as doctrine in the church. Their “Church Kit” comes with study guides, special clips to show in church and pre-written sermons for a 5 week series. Burnett and Downey marketed The Bible Miniseries heavily to churches all over the world and many, many pastors, eager to entertain their flocks, even if it is with unbiblical, heretical “interpretations” of the Bible are rushing to preach The Bible Miniseries to their congregations. As one secular  newspaper described:

The real masterstroke of the campaign may be the deal struck with Outreach.com, a Colorado Springs purveyor of church curricula and multimedia that Burnett says has a sales reach of 180,000 churches. Outreach has made a sermon package linked to The Bible, for use in churches every Sunday during the five weeks of the History Channel broadcasts, which start on March 3 and end on Easter Sunday…Imagine thousands of preachers, delivering sermons custom-made around your TV series, with clips they can show before the altar, the very day of each episode’s broadcast. P.T. Barnum could not have drawn a more inescapable net around his target audience. (source).

The miniseries has also received a number of strong endorsements from Pastors:

“I’ve probably seen most, if not all, of the films about the Bible produced in the past 50 years. This one stands alone, in a class by itself, as the best I’ve ever seen. .. The key to its effectiveness is that it lets the Bible speak for itself, without commentary, excuse or qualification, which makes it unique. This is living history at its best!” – Dr. Rick Warren.

“Unlike any other film or miniseries I’ve ever encountered, The Bible brings the Word of God to life in the full richness of its scope, diversity, power, and magnificence. History and mystery collide as Mark Burnett and Roma Downey infuse every scene with their divinely inspired vision for sharing the poetic beauty and timeless wisdom of Scripture. – Bishop T.D. Jakes.

“I’m convinced that The Bible represents a unique opportunity to convey God’s redemptive message to a broad audience-many of whom may be unfamiliar with the narrative of Scripture. My prayer is that many lives will be impacted not only by the beauty and quality of the production, but by the Truth that lies at the center of the story.” – Jim Daly, President, Focus on the Family

“It’s impossible to put into words the awe-inspiring emotions I felt watching the Bible stories come to life on the screen. The attention to detail is impeccable.” – Craig Groeschel, Pastor, Lifechurch.tv.

“We have read all the scripts, spent time on the set and viewed some remarkable footage. The World Evangelical Alliance stands fully behind this incredible Bible project.” – r. Geoff Tunnicliffe, Chief Executive Officer/Secretary General, World Evangelical Alliance.

History Channel The Bible | New Age heresy and unbiblical errors.

There are a number of products for churches to purchase.

And this is just a small sampling of the many churches across the country using The Bible Miniseries as the basis of their church services. With the “Church Kit” being sold on the miniseries website, a Pastor receives study guides, clips and sermon notes to preach The Bible according to the doctrine of Downey and Burnett. And many Pastors are jumping on the bandwagon. Again, this miniseries is not just “entertainment.” They are providing sermons to be preached at the pulpit in churches all over the world. And despite its blatant inaccuracies, apostate spiritual advisors and the New Age mystical practices of its creators, Christian pastors are still using it.
In instructing his disciple Timothy on how to be a pastor, the Apostle Paul wrote: “Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all long suffering and doctrine.” A Pastor’s duty is to preach the Word, meaning the Bible. The real Bible, not a miniseries that changes the Bible’s message and details. The Apostle Paul continued with a prophetic warning about the state of the church:

For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables. – 1 Timothy 2:3-4.

Rather than sticking to the Bible, churches with “itching ears” are turning to fables like those being told in The Bible Miniseries.
Pray for the pastors teaching this inaccurate miniseries to use Biblical discernment and repent. And pray for Christians to hold anything related to our Holy Bible to a high standard. One that is accurate and  focuses on the real message of the Bible: the sin of humanity and God’s plan of redemption through Jesus Christ. Lord willing, the many millions of people watching The Bible Miniseries who are unsaved, will open the real Bible and learn the Gospel message the miniseries should have been preaching.

Mid East Prophecy Update - June 16th, 2013

PROPHECY BEFORE OUR EYES… COUNTDOWN TO ISAIAH 17….

Israel, US, Mull Raids on ‘18 Chemical Targets’ in Syria

TIME: Israeli and U.S. militaries may target Assad’s arsenal of unconventional weapons together.
By Arutz Sheva  First Publish: 6/15/2013, 9:57 PM
F-15
F-15
Israel news photo: Flash 90

Israeli and U.S. military officials are coordinating how to target and destroy Syrian president Bashar Assad’s arsenal of unconventional weapons under assorted scenarios, Israeli military and intelligence officials toldTIME Magazine.

One scenario would be the sudden removal of Assad from the scene, the magazine said. “That would prompt the allies to launch operations on the estimated 18 depots and other sites where WMDs are stored,” Israei military and intelligence officials said.

“Search and destroy operations would also be launched if the weapons appeared to be about to fall into the hands of the rebels, which include Islamist extremists aligned with al-Qaeda.”

The Israeli officials emphasized, according to the magazine, that it has not been decided whether Israeli and U.S. forces would act together, and how the work would be divided between them if they did cooperate. “But the U.S. plans called for deploying forces on the ground as well as waves of airstrikes, to assure that the chemical and biological components are neutralized, according to the Israeli officials.”

“The main arms of concern to us are the arms that are already in Syria — these are anti-aircraft weapons, these are chemical weapons and other very, very dangerous weapons that could be game changers,” Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu told the BBC in April. “They will change the conditions, the balance of power in the Middle East. They could present a terrorist threat on a worldwide scale. It is definitely our interest to defend ourselves, but we also think it is in the interest of other countries.”

Hal Lindsey World Prophecy Report (June 14, 2013)

PROPHECY BEFORE OUR EYES… Kanye West’s “Yeezus”: New Album Mocks Jesus Christ – Pays Tribute To The Antichrist?

Kanye West Illuminati Satanic Rap Music

The artwork for Kanye’s new album, entitled ‘Yeezus.’

Superstar rapper Kanye West has reignited his blasphemy of Jesus Christ with his new album entitled ‘Yeezus.’ The name, a play on the rapper’s nickname ‘Yeezy’ and the name of The Lord Jesus Christ, is just the latest in direct insults this artist has made to the Christian faith. And not only has he once again compared himself to Jesus Christ with his latest album, West also gave a subtle nod to the Antichrist.

According to reports:

A pre-order page for Kanye West’s sixth solo album went up on iTunes and KanyeWest.com today, Pitchfork reports, before both were quickly taken down. The briefly-public pre-order details provide the most reliable confirmation that the album title is Yeezus, a pun on the rapper’s nickname “Yeezy” and Jesus.

The pre-order page listed 14 tracks without their titles, and including June 18th release date. Although West hasn’t explicitly confirmed when he’s releasing the album, he did fuel speculation earlier this month on Twitter after posting “June 18″ (which he has since deleted). Girlfriend Kim Kardashian and co-manager Don C also posted cryptic social media messages, including an Instagram picture apparently depicting the album artwork, that suggested the June 18th album release date. (source).

Beginning and End exposed the blatant satanic and Illuminati imagery and influence in the music of Kanye West in our article “The Rise And Fall of Kanye West: Illuminati Superstar.”  In it we showed how from the onset of his career, West became more blatant in his disrespect for Christianity and embrace of the occult.

History of Blasphemy against Jesus Christ

Kanye West Rolling Stone Cover Jesus | Illuminati Satanic blasphemy.

Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. – Galatians 6:7.

Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.Exodus 20:7.

But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man. For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies:Matthew 15:18.

Remember this, that the enemy hath reproached, O LORD, and that the foolish people have blasphemed thy name. – Psalm 74:18.

Webster’s 1828 Dictionary, which was based on the English of the King James Bible defines blasphemy as:  “An indignity offered to God by words or writing; reproachful, contemptuous or irreverent words uttered impiously against Jehovah.” Insulting the name of God or Jesus Christ is not something taken lightly by The Lord.  Yet entertainers today remove any stigma from disrespecting the Christian faith and instead turn it into entertainment.  Wit superstar status and fame, it is only a matter of time before their fans  follow suit and have their own attitudes adjusted and shifted to accept this blasphemous behavior without even realizing it. 

As noted in our first article, West made one of his early blasphemies against Jesus by depicting himself as the crucified Jesus on the cover of Rolling Stone magazine. But this was only the beginning. Some of his other mockery of the Christian faith:

“I got the Jesus on a chain that don’t mean sh—“ (Put On ).

“Sunday morning, praise the Lord
You the girl that Jesus had been saving me for
So let’s savor this moment, and take it to the floor
Black excellence, truly yours” (Murder to Excellence).

Additionally, West has been using “Yeezus” as his nickname for some time. Here is a tweet from 2012 from rapper Kid Cuddi  using West’s blasphemous moniker:

 

No Church In The Wild

Kanye West Illuminati Satanic Music Industry

Kanye West, left, wearing shirt with Baphomet design, performs with his mentor, Jay-Z.

No Church In The Wild, a song he collaborated with occult and Freemasonic promoter Jay-Z, was a reference to there being no place for Christianity in the “wild” where real stars like Jay-Z and Kanye inhabit. They collaborated on the song with singer Frank Ocean of the group Odd Future, a rap group who we featured in our article “Antichrist Generation: Tyler The Creator Leads Pop Music’s Open Blasphemy”. Ocean, who sings he hook, recites the following lyrics:

Human beings in a mob
What’s a mob to a king?
What’s a king to a god?
What’s a god to a non-believer?
Who don’t believe in anything?

This portion of the song is repudiation of a concept called the Great Chain of Being, a hierarchy created by ancient philosophers and theologians that places God above all created beings. But in the song God is no match for a non-believer, who denies God’s existence. And thus for those have “no church” they are superior over all.

Psalm 14 says: “The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that doeth good.” It truly is folly for created human beings to believe they are “gods” in their own right. But when one is blinded by their own sinful nature, immense wealth and status, it is easy to  ignore the Gospel of salvation in Christ and ensnared in Satan’s clutches.

 
In Jay-Z’s verse, he insults Jesus Christ:

Jesus was a carpenter, Yeezy, laid beats
Hova flow the Holy Ghost, get the hell up out your seats
Preach

The inference from these verses is that Jesus, rather than being the Son of God and Savior of the world, was a “carpenter.” This rejection of faith in Christ as the Son of God attempts to minimize Him to the level of mere man. Jay-Z goes even further by then comparing Kanye, aka “Yeezy” to Jesus by saying West “laid beats” a euphemism for producing music. This same denial of Christ was something The Lord Jesus encountered in Matthew 13:

And when he was come into his own country, he taught them in their synagogue, insomuch that they were astonished, and said, Whence hath this man this wisdom, and these mighty works? Is not this the carpenter’s son? is not his mother called Mary? and his brethren, James, and Joses, and Simon, and Judas? And his sisters, are they not all with us? Whence then hath this man all these things? And they were offended in him. But Jesus said unto them, A prophet is not without honour, save in his own country, and in his own house. And he did not many mighty works there because of their unbelief. – Matthew 13:54-58.

Atheists, deists and Bible skeptics take note – if there is just a desire to mock or refute Jesus in your heart, do not be surprised when you do not feel His presence in your life. Christ did not do great works where the was rampant unbelief. And this song is a proclamation of unbelief.

Jay-Z New World Order Satanic music industry | Kim Kardashian

A shirt promoting a Jay-Z album from his Rocawear clothing line.

Jay-Z who calls himself “Jay-Hova” as a mockery of the name of God the Father, started this trend of taking on the name of God. It is all from a belief system that deludes celebrities and many others into believing they are gods or are on the path to god-hood. For high level initiates into the New Age movement and Freemasonry alike the goal is god-hood. This delusion is the same lie that Satan used in the garden of Eden to lure Eve into sin. The Secret, one of the best-selling New Age books of all time, also teaches this concept. All three carry the same message:

“You are God in a physical body. You are Spirit in the flesh. You are Eternal Life expressing itself as you.” (The Secret, p. 164).

“Now the serpent [Satan] was more [subtle] than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden? And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden: But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die. And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods..” –Genesis 3:1-5.

“Take over, the wait’s over,

The God MC, Me-Jay Hova..” – (Takeover, Jay-Z).

 

Here are excerpts from Kanye’s verse in “No Church In The Wild”:

We formed a new religion
No sins as long as there’s permission’
And deception is the only felony
So never f– nobody wit’out tellin’ me

The running theme of the song – the rejection of Christianity and elevation of themselves as the Godhead, continues. And like so many deceived occultists before them, Kanye promotes the idea of love or sexual relation as the real “law” of life. This completely aligns with the teachings of Satanist and black magick practitioner Aleister Crowley. Crowley, who referred to himself as “The Beast”, “666” and was declared the wickedest man on the planet, has been one of the most influential figures in pop culture as his philosophy of rejecting God and pursuing every sinful desire in pure rebellion has inspired entertainers from Led ZeppelinThe Beatles and Ozzy Osbourne all the way to pop stars today like Ke$ha.

Jay-Z New World Order Satanic music industry | Kim Kardashian

Kanye West’s music embraces the sinful philosophies of Aleister Crowley.

His dark spiritual path started after a trip to Egypt where he claimed to channel the Egyptian god Thoth. Crowley’s most quoted statement, “Do as thou wilt shall be the whole of the law” has a double meaning. It is an exhortation to enjoy every vice and sinful pleasure one desires. In the next sentence he wrote: “Lust, enjoy all things of sense and rapture. Fear not that any God shall deny thee for this .” This is the essence of satanic rebellion – pursuing any desire with no fear of God. But the occult meaning of “Do what thou wilt” is to use the power of “the will” (through aid of occult means and magic) to achieve whatever goal one has. And here is Jay-Z, aka Jay-Hova, wearing a shirt that is a tribute to Crowley:

Jay-Z Illuminati Freemason | Satanic Music Industry

Jay-Z wearing his “Do what thou wilt” shirt.

Crowley described “love” as the most important aspects of what he called “the law”:

“Also, take your fill and will of love as ye will, when, where and with whom ye will! But always unto me… Love is the law, love under will.” -The Book of the Law I:51, 57

Notice the emphasis on promiscuous sex being “love.” And Crowley says that the initiate should do it with whom they will but “always unto me”, the same exact message West gives in his lyrics inNo Church In The Wild:

We formed a new religion
No sins as long as there’s permission’
And deception is the only felony
So never f– nobody wit’out tellin’ me

West continues in the song:

Two tattoos, one read “No Apologies”
The other said “Love is cursed by monogamy”
That’s somethin’ that the pastor don’t preach

As is the case with a person who denies God, there is no repentance (“no apologies”). This message is being blasted into the audience of pop culture today with phrases like “You Only Live Once” (or “Yolo”), “We’re Gonna Die Young!” and other mottos designed to encourage a life of seeking pleasure, rejecting authority and having no concern for an afterlife. Artists like Kanye West are able to send this message through their demonically-inspired lyrics and constant promotion of their material success – riding in luxury cars, wearing designer clothes and endlessly bragging about the millions of dollars they have made. And this is all a satanic deception.
The Bible prophesied that society would be led from God and into rebellion as we approach the end times:

This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away. – 2 Timothy 3:1-5.

Kanye West Yeezus Album Blasphemy | New Word Order Satanic Music Industry

West, driving a $1.7M Mercedes Benz, has no trouble attracting the attention of his adoring followers.

This passage sums up the constant message being pumped out of hip hop culture and pop music perfectly. Like Kanye West, people have focused on self-love and vanity and reckless disregard for consequences of their action. West’s music is an extreme form of being a “lover of pleasure more than lover of God.” And Scripture is clear that we are to avoid this type of influence.

The passage from 2 Timothy continues:

“For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts, Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. Now as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, reprobate concerning the faith. But they shall proceed no further: for their folly shall be manifest unto all men, as their’s also was.” - 2 Timothy 3:6-9.

Certainly millions of women (and men) have been captivated by the “spell” of Jay-Z, Kanye West and Jay-Z’s protégé, Rihanna.  Across the planet millions of fans literally idolize these artists, plastering their walls with their image, listening to their music daily, following their social network updates and passionately promoting and defending their false gods on the web. All based on their desire to be these artists and live the lavish lifestyle constantly bragged about on their records.

“Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.”

Verse 7 then says that those in rebellion like West are “ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.” The occult is all based on the acquisition of “secret knowledge.” In fact, the word “occult” means “secret.” From the Garden of Eden, Satan was able to tempt Eve into sin by offering hidden wisdom – by implying that God was withholding the true purpose of the fruit of the forbidden tree – that it could make her a “god.” And Satan’s strategy has not changed today as those in the occult, New Age movement or other similar doctrine, seek to reach higher levels or degrees in their quest for the ultimate secret or acquisition of immortality and godhood. But in all their learning, they fail to come to the real truth: there is only one God and there is only one way to salvation: Jesus Christ. The information of the mystery schools was provided by fallen angels and demons, all created beings. Meanwhile the occultist foolishly ignores the Creator of all, the God of the Bible (the real Jehovah).

“Now as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, reprobate concerning the faith.”

Jannes and Jambres were the two Egyptian sorcerers who had a duel of supernatural feats with Moses in the book of Exodus. Moses, sent by God to confront the Pharaoh of Egypt and demand the release of the then-enslaved Israelites, was empowered by God to perform miracles before the Egyptian King:

“And the LORD spake unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying, When Pharaoh shall speak unto you, saying, Shew a miracle for you: then thou shalt say unto Aaron, Take thy rod, and cast it before Pharaoh, and it shall become a serpent. And Moses and Aaron went in unto Pharaoh, and they did so as the LORD had commanded: and Aaron cast down his rod before Pharaoh, and before his servants, and it became a serpent. Then Pharaoh also called the wise men and the sorcerers: now the magicians of Egypt, they also did in like manner with their enchantments. For they cast down every man his rod, and they became serpents: but Aaron’s rod swallowed up their rods.” – Exodus 7:8-12.

The sorcerers Jannes and Jambres thought they could equal God’s power because they had knowledge of magic. But the serpents they created were consumed by the serpent of Moses and Aaron. Recall that Crowley had his first demonic encounter in Egypt, which was the centerpiece of the ancient world of satanic, occult magic. Today, those who promote the occult and Crowley’s anti-Christian philosophy still seek to contend with God and anyone who promotes faith in Jesus Christ by worshiping the creature (themselves, money, fame, demonic forces etc.) rather than the Creator (Jesus Christ).

New God Flow

Kanye West Yeezus Album Blasphemy | New Word Order Satanic Music Industry

The album cover for Kanye’s song where he once again compares himself to God.

In 2012, Kanye also released a song called “New God Flow” again referencing himself as god. Here are some of the lyrics from the song:

Welcome to Sunday service if you hope to someday serve us
We got green in our eyes, follow my Erick Sermon
Did Moses not part the water with the cane?
Did strippers not make an ark when I made it rain?
Once again, Kanye asserts himself as being on the level of Biblical figures by comparing his throwing money at strippers (“making it rain”) to Moses parting the Red Sea at the Exodus and The Lord bringing the flood in the days of Noah.

Did Yeezy not get signed by Hov and Dame?
And went to Jacob and made the new Jesus chains?
In Jesus name, let the choir say
“I’m on fire ay,” that’s what Richard Pryor say

 
West then mocks Christian prayer (which is done in the name of Jesus) to promote his own success. Isaiah 45:9 says: “Woe unto him that striveth with his Maker! Let the potsherd strive with the potsherds of the earth. Shall the clay say to him that fashioneth it, What makest thou? or thy work, He hath no hands?”  Those who continually challenge, mock and disrespect The Lord are only bringing more of God’s just wrath down upon them.

And yet, millions of people all over the world are singing these lyrics every day, pulling heir hearts deeper into sinful rebellion. And all of this is a part of Satan’s plan. Because the Devil seeks to usurp The Lord and copy Him in every way, he is preparing the world for his own “seed” to rule over the masses: the Antichrist.

Antichrist Tribute?

Kanye West Yeezus Album Blasphemy | New Word Order Satanic Music Industry

The projection shown on 66 buildings for Kanye’s single “New Slaves” off of his 6th album.

Adding to the satanic nature of this new album, Kanye West used a unique promotional event to launch his first single “New Slaves” off of the Yeezus album. This album, which is West’s 6th, had the new single premiere via a projection broadcast on 66 buildings all over the world:

Kanye West gave the world its first official taste of his new album on Friday night by projecting the new song “New Slaves” along with visuals on buildings across the globe. The video was projected at various times throughout the night on 66 buildings in cities including New York, Toronto, Chicago, London, Paris and Berlin. In West’s hometown of Chicago, it was projected on a wall of Wrigley Field; in Toronto, on the Royal Ontario Museum; and in New York, Kanye’s face appeared on the wall of a 5th Avenue Prada store, among other locations. (source).

So the 6th album is being featured on 66 buildings – was this a subtle allusion to the number 666? That number is the ‘number of the Beast’ or Antichrist, in Scripture:

And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads: And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name. Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six. –Revelation 13:16-18.

The Antichrist is the satanically empowered false Messiah who will rule over the world for the final 3 ½ years before the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. And his goal will be to proclaim himself God. Just as these artists today flaunt themselves as god-like, the Antichrist will truly proclaim himself a deity and demand worship under penalty of death. And his signifying number will be 666.

In their article “Occultists Worship Numbers”, Cutting Edge Ministries writes:

“Occultists place much faith in the inherent power of numbers. No plan of action can be carried out without first determining two things: Is the timing of this plan of action in accordance with the astrological lineup of the stars, moons, and planets? Is the timing of this plan of action in accordance with the numbers it will produce? This process is “Divination” and is specifically prohibited by God. (Deut 18:10-11).” (source).

Not only did Kanye generate a 666 by his special release of his song, the album itself is being released on June 18th. So the 6th album is being released in the 6th month on a day that is 6+6+6 (18). When a person is deep in sinful rebellion and under the influence of the “prince of the power of the air”, these coincidences become more and more common.

The Antichrist will also be an extreme blasphemer of God and Jesus Christ:

And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months. And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven. And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations. – Revelation 13:5-7.

Just proclaiming himself god will not be enough. The Antichrist will publicly blaspheme God, Jesus and all Christians, to the world. And then he will proceed to wage war to wipe out all believers in Jesus Christ (“the saints”). And today the seeds of the false gospel of the antichrist are being planted as blasphemy against God, which was once considered completely inappropriate, has now become cool and a form of entertainment. It has become completely acceptable to mock, insult or denigrate the name of Jesus Christ in society. Schools have gone out of their way to remove references to God or the Bible from their classrooms. And the message of “do what thou wilt” has been preached in numerous forms through movies, music, television and the internet.

Why The Name Of Jesus Must Be Attacked

Kanye West Yeezus Album Blasphemy | New Word Order Satanic Music Industry

Satan knows the real truth of God and eternal life are here.

And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins. – Matthew 1:21.

But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God,even to them that believe on his name.. – John 1:12.

But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God;and that believing ye might have life through his name. – John 20:31.

Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved. – Acts 4:12.
Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. – Philippians 2:9-11.

 
These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God. – 1 John 5:13.

The most exalted name on Earth is the name of The Lord Jesus Christ. And this is the only name that can be called on for salvation. There is no other name that one can believe in to avoid hell and the lake of fire for eternity. This is why it is critical to Satan to get society to reject His name. Because Satan wants people to either worship him or burn in the lake of fire with him after he is permanently punished by God.

When the Apostles began to spread the Gospel after Jesus’ resurrection and return to Heaven, the same Pharisees who opposed Jesus, continued their persecution against them. And when they threatened the Apostles, their intent was clear: “And when they had brought them, they set them before the council: and the high priest asked them, Saying, Did not we straitly command you that ye should not teach in this name?” (Acts 5:28).

The enemies of Christianity (Satan and his fallen angels) know the power of the name of Jesus and will do whatever they can to lead the hearts and minds of society away from it. 2 Corinthians 4says: “But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: In whom the god of this world [Satan] hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.” Satan is working to blind the minds of people and pop culture has provided an easy avenue to influence people to reject God and embrace sin and worldly pleasure. Do not be deceived.

Believe In The Name of Jesus Christ

Pray for Kanye West, Jay-Z and all those who blaspheme the Lord and promote an occult, sinful agenda to repent. And pray for their efforts to make merchandise of their fans through their rebellious music to fail. Jesus Christ said that all people, even those who blaspheme Him can be forgiven by believing and trusting in Him. And for the reader: if you are a Christian and are still supporting entertainment that openly disrespects and attacks the name of The Savior, pray for God’s forgiveness and for discernment. If you are not a born again Christian, understand that there is a war taking place. And your soul is the prize. There is a reason rappers are not just writing about cars and money but are also attacking Christianity – because there is a spiritual agenda behind them. Make the right choice and instead of dancing to blasphemy, pray for forgiveness of your own sins and receive eternal life through the name of Jesus Christ, the True Savior and God in the flesh.

“Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven. But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven.” – Jesus Christ, Matthew 10:32-33.

Mid-East Prophecy Update - June 9th, 2013… Another Great Prophecy Report As We Move Ever Closer To The Rapture…

If you don’t know Jesus as your Savior..Please don’t put it off.  God created us in His own image so we can know Him personally and have a joy-filled life. He did not make us as robots to automatically love and obey Him, but gave us a will and a freedom of choice. Since the beginning of time, we have chosen to disobey God and go our own willful way. We still make this choice today. This results in separation from God and ends in misery. The Bible says that disobeying God results in being separated from Him.  Our attempts can never unite us with God. Through the ages, people have tried many ways to bridge this gap and reach God – without success.  I believe that each one of us has a little puzzle piece in each of our bodies that only the love of God can fill.  We try to fill it with all kinds of things like sex, boyfriends, children, drugs, alcohol, education, clubbing, partying and everything else that you can think of.  The thing is nothing fits right in there.  Only God can quench the longing of your soul.

3 Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.” 4 “How can someone be born when they are old?” Nicodemus asked. “Surely they cannot enter a second into their mother’s womb to be born!” 5 Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit. 6 Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. John 3:3-6

If you want a new life in Christ Jesus, ask Him into your heart today.  Simply pray this:  Lord Jesus Christ, I believe that You took the pain and the sins of world on the cross to give me new life. I ask You to come into my heart and to give me Your peace and joy. I confess that I am a sinner that I have gone my own way and have done wrong. Please forgive me for my sins. I receive You now as my Lord and Savior. Please fill me with Your Holy Spirit. Help me to follow You and to serve You all the days of my life. Thank you so much for loving me, in Jesus name I pray, Amen.  If you prayed that prayer you are a new creature in Christ Jesus!  You are Born Again!

Next, you really need to read the Bible if you are serious about your walk with the Lord Jesus.  The Bible is your spiritual food.  You need to read and meditate on the Word of God daily to be fed as a

Christian.  When you don’t spend time daily in the Word of God your spirit withers and dies.  Just like all “living things” your spirit needs food to thrive and grow.  God communicates to us through prayer and His word.  I would like you to set aside time every single day just for Jesus. I want it to be at least 15 minutes and I want you to read the Bible every day during this time and pray.  If you need a little more direction go to cbn.com (and no I don’t work for them) they have a sight that I use every single day.  I signed up for their read the Bible in a year.  They will e-mail you 2 scriptures every single day.  One from the Old Testament and one from the New Testament.  There is also an app that you can have loaded on your phone for free.  It is called Bible.is.  I love listening to the Word when I am out and about.  I promise that if you do this you will see a marked difference in your walk with Jesus Christ.  Next find a really good Bible based church to attend for teaching and fellowship.  If you need help finding one I will be happy to help you.

Maranatha!!!

Asker Portrait
Anonymous asked:Do you beleive in prophesying and healing ?

Yes I believe that God can heal anyone.  He healed my lung cancer and I am thankful every morning that I awaken!!!

The spiritual gift of prophecy is listed among the gifts of the Spirit in 1 Corinthians 12:10 and Romans 12:6. The Greek word translated “prophesying” or “prophecy” in both passages properly means to “speak forth” or declare the divine will, to interpret the purposes of God, or to make known in any way the truth of God which is designed to influence people. Many people misunderstand the gift of prophecy to be the ability to predict the future. While knowing something about the future may sometimes have been an aspect of the gift of prophecy, it was primarily a gift of proclamation “forth-telling,” not prediction “fore-telling.”

A pastor/preacher who declares the Bible can be considered a “prophesier” in that he is speaking forth the counsel of God. With the completion of the New Testament canon, prophesying changed from declaring new revelation to declaring the completed revelation God has already given. Jude 3 speaks of “the faith which was once delivered unto the saints” (emphasis added). In other words, the faith to which we hold has been settled forever, and it does not need the addition or refinement that comes from extra-biblical revelations.

Also, note the transition from prophet to teacher in 2 Peter 2:1: “There were false prophets among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you” (emphasis added). Peter indicates that the Old Testament age had prophets, whereas the church will have teachers. The spiritual gift of prophecy, in the sense of receiving new revelations from God to be proclaimed to others, ceased with the completion of the Bible. During the time that prophecy was a revelatory gift, it was to be used for the edification, exhortation, and comfort of men (1 Corinthians 14:3). The gift of prophecy has the same purpose today, declaring the truth of God. What has changed is that the truth of God has already been fully revealed in His Word, while in the early church, it had not yet been fully revealed.

Christians are to be very wary of those who claim to have a “new” message from God. It is one thing to say, “I had an interesting dream last night.” However, it is quite another matter to say, “God gave me a dream last night, and you must obey it.” No utterance of man should be considered equal to or above the written Word. We must hold to the Word that God has already given and commit ourselves to sola scriptura — Scripture alone.  God bless you!!! :):)

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COUNT DOWN TO ISAIAH 17… PROPHECY BEFORE OUR EYES… Israeli Forces on Syrian Border Have Been Put on Alert….

FRIDAY, JUNE 7, 2013

Joel Rosenberg

By Joel C. Rosenberg 
JoelRosenberg.com 

Forty-six years to the week after the Six Day War of June 1967, serious new tensions are mounting on the Israeli-Syrian border, with fears rising that a major conflict between the two countries could be coming. Israeli military forces have been put on alert as violence gets closer to the demilitarized zone and after Syrian rebels seized control of a border crossing post.

“Rebels fighting the Syrian government seized the only border crossing along the Israeli-Syrian cease-fire line in the Golan Heights on Thursday, according to the Israeli military and rebel groups, forcing the United Nations peacekeeping soldiers who patrol the crossing to vacate it and bringing the Syrian conflict ever closer to Israeli-held territory,” the New York Times is reporting. “Israeli forces were placed on alert along the frontier as the violence of the Syrian civil war threatened to spill over.”

Quneitra

“The rebel takeover of the border crossing, Quneitra, lasted for several hours,” noted the Times. “Later in the day Syrian state news media reported government forces had routed the insurgents and established control. Clashes in the area raged through much of the day. The mayhem was enough to threaten the continuation of the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force, the longtime peacekeeping mission in the sensitive and disputed area. The Quneitra crossing is patrolled by Austrian United Nations peacekeepers, who were ordered to pull back for their own safety. Later in Vienna the Austrian government said it was withdrawing its contingent from the force. Austria’s chancellor, Werner Faymann, was quoted by APA, the Austrian press agency, as saying he had spoken with Ban Ki-moon, the United Nations secretary general, and ‘personally informed him about the decision.’ Josephine Guerrero, a spokeswoman for the United Nations peacekeeping forces, confirmed in an e-mail message that Austria had informed the United Nations of its intended withdrawal….”

The Times also reported that “Austrians account for about 380 of the 1,000-strong United Nations force that has monitored the disengagement zone between Israeli and Syrian forces on the Golan Heights since 1974. The Philippines provides about 300 and India provides the rest. A fourth country, Croatia, withdrew its contingent earlier this year. Twice in recent months a rebel group has taken groups of the Filipino peacekeepers captive, releasing them unharmed after several days. The Philippine government has been considering pulling its peacekeepers out of the area. Israel’s Foreign Ministry issued a statement expressing regret over Austria’s decision and said it hoped the Austrian withdrawal would ‘not be conducive to further escalation in the area.’ The statement also said Israel expected the United Nations to maintain the peacekeeping force under the Security Council resolution that created it four decades ago….”

“Israel has repeatedly declared that it has no intention of getting involved in the Syrian civil war but that it will act to protect its own interests,” reports theTimes. “Israel’s minister of defense, Moshe Yaalon, said this week that Israel would not tolerate the transfer of advanced weapons from the Syrian government to Hezbollah, the Lebanese militia; a loss of Syrian government control over chemical weapons; or a heating up of the Golan frontier and a spillover of fire into Israeli-held territory. Tensions have risen between Israel and Syria after three airstrikes on Syrian soil this year that targeted advanced weapons and were attributed to Israel. There have been numerous instances of fire spilling over into the Israeli-held Golan Heights. The Israeli military said that much of it was assumed to be stray fire. But last month, Syria acknowledged it had intentionally attacked an Israeli target, a military vehicle that was shot at as it patrolled the cease-fire line. Syria said the jeep had crossed into its territory on the Golan Heights, which Israel denied. In that instance and others, Israeli tanks have fired back several times at Syrian positions.”

The Pre-Tribulation Rapture Of The Church - Don Stewart

Hal Lindsey World Prophecy Report (June 7, 2013)