Watchman Blog

The “Interfaith Alliance” and Islam, followup

CARM (Link) - Matt Slick (July 12, 2011)

An organization called “The Irnterfaith Alliance” promoted a “Faith Shared” project where churches across the U.S. would do things like have a Muslim Imam read the Quran at the Christian Pulpit.

The churches that participated were listed on the Faith Shared website. They consisted of United Methodist churches, some liberal Lutheran churches, a few that were Catholic, several that were United Churches of Christ, along with Episcopal, Presbyterian, and Unitarian universalist churches. There was a Baptist church and one church called “The Church of our Savior.” Undoubtedly, these “churches” are so liberal they probably aren’t Christian. After all, why would any Christian church want anti-Christian literature read from the pulpit, the place where the truth of God’s word is supposed to be preached?

Why? The answer is simple; they have ignored God’s word and trampled underfoot the gospel of Christ so they might follow the liberal call of political correctness and social tolerance. Fortunately, there were less than 75 churches that participated. But even one is too many.

Revolution in the Middle East and its connection to Revelation

The Examiner (Link) - Nicole Horrelt (February 7, 2011)

In response to the recent wave of Arab revolts and current uprising in Egypt, Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in his February 4 Friday Prayer sermon in Tehran, welcomed the “revolution and awakening” and interpreted in detail his ideological analysis and aspirations with regard to the “explosion of sacred anger” in the Middle East.

Khamenei, identifying himself as a ‘brother in religion’ to the Arab people, concluded that the recent wave of unrest shaking the nations was an “earthquake” triggered by the Islamic Revolution of 1979 and condemned the Mubarak regime for siding with the West; choosing to support the ‘Zionists’ rather than the Palestinians, pointing out that since Camp David a great divide was created between the Egyptian people and the government.

During Friday prayers the Ayatollah addressed the Egyptian protestors saying “the uprising of the Muslim Egyptian nation is an Islamic and freedom-seeking movement. I, in the name of the people and government of Iran, send salutations to you and pray to God for your complete victory. Of you and your uprising I am filled with pride.”

A Land of Unwalled Villages

Grace Thru Faith (Link) - Jack Kelley (June 26, 2010)

I know I’m beginning to sound like a broken record by now, but there’s an enormous potential for a giant leap forward in End Times prophecy this summer, and this week we came breathtakingly close to witnessing its beginning.

After many days you will be called to arms. In future years you will invade a land that has recovered from war, whose people were gathered from many nations to the mountains of Israel which had long been desolate. They had been brought out from the nations and now all of them live in safety. You and all your troops and the many nations with you will go up, advancing like a storm, you will be like a cloud covering the land.

This is what the sovereign Lord says: On that day thoughts will come into your mind and you will devise an evil scheme. You will say, “I will invade a land of unwalled villages, I will attack a peaceful and unsuspecting people – all of them living without gates and bars.” (Ezekiel 38:8-11)

Many students of prophecy, myself included, see the battle of Ezekiel 38-39 as one of the most significant events on God’s prophetic calendar. In the scenario Ezekiel described nearly 2500 years ago, a coalition of Moslem countries, armed and led by the Russians, will attack Israel and be utterly defeated due to God’s direct intervention. He will use this battle to re-introduce Himself to Israel as their protector, to recall the rest of His people to their ancient homeland, and to reinstate His relationship with them.

Lest We Forget [Who Owns] Jerusalem

Jerusalem Watchman (Link) - Stan Goodenough (May 17, 2010)

It is not all that unusual for an Israeli politician to garnish his or her speeches with a verse or even two from the Bible (the Tanach or “Old Testament.”) Religious and non-religious Jew alike will dip into the most famous and cherished Hebrew-language original to underscore a message to their people.

Prime ministers have also used the Bible to encourage Christian visitors to Israel to continue and increase their support of the Jewish state.

Somewhat less common is the practice of using the scriptures in the Knesset (Israeli parliament) to buttress one side of a political debate.

When, on Jerusalem Day last week, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu dared reference the Holy Book in defense of the Jews’ claim to the city, the response was predictably harsh.

According to Reuters, Netanyahu told a parliamentary session commemorating the 1967 return of Jerusalem to Jewish control that “Jerusalem” and its alternative Hebrew name “Zion” appear 850 times in the Tanach.

“As to how many times Jerusalem is mentioned in the holy scriptures of other faiths, I recommend you check,” he said.

Mideast Matters May Meltdown in 2010!

Prophecy News Stand (Link) - Bill Salus (April 14, 2010)

Major Mideast wars are coming according to the Bible prophecies in Psalm 83 and Ezekiel 38-39. It would be prudent for people to prepare now, in 2010, for their soon and sequential arrivals.

It is public knowledge that as of December 2009 Iran, Syria, Hezbollah, and Hamas became allied together by bonafide war pacts against Israel. Iran is a member of Ezekiel 38-39 and Syria, Hezbollah, and Hamas appear to be identified in Psalm 83. These war pacts reportedly commit them to fight alongside each other should any of them come under attack by Israel. Had these war pacts been in place during the 22 day conflict between Israel and Hamas that ended in January 2009, the outcome could have been dramatically different.

Back then the Israeli Defense Forces (I.D.F.) seemingly ambushed Hamas with their retaliatory show of force and caught these others off guard. None of them were able to lift a finger to rescue Hamas from the pounding inflicted by the I.D.F. Iran’s nuclear program was incomplete, Hezbollah was in the process of restocking their rocket arsenals, and Syrian war scars from 1948, 1967, and 1973 made them reluctant to join alongside Hamas. Thus, these vowed enemies of Israel were reduced to sideline saber-rattling at the time.

However, matters have deteriorated and are quite different today. A brief review of Mideast events occurring since the Israel – Hamas war suggests the Fertile Crescent is presently a ticking end time’s bomb set to explode. In addition to the war pacts described above, here are a few more troublesome interim occurrences:

Who are Daniel’s end time’s Kings of the North and South?

Prophecy Depot (Link) - Bill Salus (November 27, 2009)

A blogger recently stated - “Another person wrote in yesterday asking pretty much the same thing - if Syria’s wiped out by Psalm 83 and “the king of the North” is always a reference from Daniel that has been historically corroborated as Syria, then how can Syria be bothering Israel and the Antichrist later in the Tribulation. Very good question! I don’t know, though, and can only speculate that as a vassal of Israel the ruler of Syria rebels at some point.”

The blogger alludes to Daniel 11:40, which foretells the coming of two kings that war against the Antichrist near the end of time. These kings are identified as the “king of the south” and the “king of the north”. Daniel chapter eleven references a “king of the south” eight times and a “king of the north” seven times. Most expositors believe that seven of the eight king of the south references, and six of the seven king of the north, have already found fulfillment in connection with Egypt (south) and Syria (north). Thus the common teaching is that the king of the south is an Egyptian, and the king of the north a Syrian.

Both Bloggers, questioner and responder, appear familiar with this traditional teaching. They also preclude the possibility that Israel defeats their Arab enemies, including Syria, in the Psalm 83 War prior to the fulfillment of Daniel 11:40. Thus, the legitimate question is raised that if Syria is wiped out as per Psalm 83 how can the Daniel 11:40 king of the north be a Syrian.

Another school of thought regarding the Daniel 11:40 king of the north connects with the Ezekiel 38 Gog of Magog invasion. Some believe because this invasion is led by Russia in the latter years (Ezekiel 38:8) from the uttermost parts of the north as per (Ezekiel 38:15), that this king is a Russian rather than a Syrian.

The Kings Of The North And The South

Grace Thru Faith (Link) - Jack Kelley (October 17, 2009)

This is an update of an article I first posted 2 years ago. Two things prompted me to post it again at this time. First, it’s a good follow up to last week’s article on the growth of Islam. And second, last week, at the last minute, Turkey booted Israel out of a joint training exercise also involving Italy and the US. When they withdrew in protest, Turkey responded by scheduling a training exercise with Syria instead. The reason Turkey gave was Israel’s inability to deliver an order of Heron surveillance drones to Turkey on the agreed schedule, even though it was the failure of a part produced by Turkey that made on time delivery impossible.

Turkey has been distancing itself from Israel since the Gaza offensive, and on top of the canceled training exercise recently began airing a TV series depicting Israeli soldiers as child killers. Inside sources indicate that Turkish PM Erdogan has become convinced that Turkey is destined to play a more pivotal role in Middle Eastern politics by reviving the Ottoman Empire. To that end Turkey has been more involved in MidEast diplomacy, acting as a mediator between Syria and Israel, and has formed a pact with Syria and Iran that features increased military and commercial involvement among the three. Some see in this the re-birth of an end times military force known as the King of the North in Daniel 11. Let’s take a closer look.

Middle East Update 2

Psalm 108
O God, my heart is fixed; I will sing and give praise, even with my glory. Awake, psaltery and harp: I myself will awake early. I will praise thee, O LORD, among the people: and I will sing praises unto thee among the nations. For thy mercy is great above the heavens: and thy truth reacheth unto the clouds. Be thou exalted, O God, above the heavens: and thy glory above all the earth; That thy beloved may be delivered: save with thy right hand, and answer me. God hath spoken in his holiness; I will rejoice, I will divide Shechem, and mete out the valley of Succoth. Gilead is mine; Manasseh is mine; Ephraim also is the strength of mine head; Judah is my lawgiver; Moab is my washpot; over Edom will I cast out my shoe; over Philistia will I triumph. Who will bring me into the strong city? who will lead me into Edom? Wilt not thou, O God, who hast cast us off? and wilt not thou, O God, go forth with our hosts? Give us help from trouble: for vain is the help of man. Through God we shall do valiantly: for he it is that shall tread down our enemies.

In watching the news, there are some more stories I feel relevant to add here as an update.

• Fear of new Mid East ‘Cold War’ as Syria strengthens military alliance with Russia Times Online (August 21, 2008)
• Russia sends aircraft carrier to Syria Barents Observer (August 20, 2008)
• Monitor: UN peacekeepers in Lebanon co-opted by Hizbullah World Tribune (August 20, 2008)
• As US Looks to Improve Ties, Libya Positions Itself in Russia’s Corner CNS News (August 19, 2008)
• Israeli missile defense system detects Syrian tests World Tribune (August 19, 2008)
• Israelis: War With Hezbollah Inevitable Newsmax (August 18, 2008)
• Report: Israel threatened to target Syria if Hezbollah attacks YNet News (March 14, 2008)
• Lisbon treaty would have helped in Georgia crisis, says France EU Observer (August 18, 2008)
• Lebanon, Syria open diplomatic relations The Jordanian Times (August 15, 2008)
• 'Syria and Hizbullah gaining strength' The Jerusalem Post (August 12, 2008)
• Exclusive: Hizbollah ’stronger than before’ and ready to strike Israel Telegraph UK (August 2, 2008)

Keep watching…

Middle East Update: Interesting Summer?

In case you’ve just joined the Watchman Newsletter or have not yet seen some of the stories linked from it, my current theory in light of what I’ve studied from the Bible and seen in current events reported here is as follows. (I’m just watching and reading in prayer, so in all things hold to Acts 17:11.)

The attack of Ezekiel 38 & 39 where Iran, Russia, Turkey, Libya and friends attempt to destroy Israel and God destroys them with fire and brimstone from heaven, will come before the abomination of desolation and indeed be the event that both quiets the opposition and cause a spiritual shift in the nation of Israel that will lead to the rebuilding of the temple for the third time in several millennia.

The Coming Times: 2008 And Beyond

In the course of studying Bible prophecy and watching current events, a series of events became clear that I would like to lay out for you here. It began with my personal search through the Bible to see for myself if God’s Word clarified itself to the point of the bride of Christ being able to understand the times in which we live. I had read in the Bible that we would not be in darkness and that we should watch and pray, but there are so many personal interpretations of scripture out there and I hadn’t taken the time to really search the scriptures myself because I didn’t feel I had the background to understand. So acknowledging my deficiencies, I came before the Lord in prayer and asked Him to reveal His Word through the guidance of the Holy Spirit and show me His plans and not my own desires or interpretations of His plans.

This doesn’t mean I’m always right and this is not a claim to have all the answers. I will never stop warning people not to take my word for anything but to search the scriptures themselves to see whether these things are so. Acts 17:11 The Watchman Bible Study website is the result of my search for Truth and my desire to share the clarity I’ve discovered written into and interpreted by the Bible. While I am not always correct the Bible is, and so if this sequence of events does not turn out to be completely accurate that doesn’t change the Bible’s validity, just shows my lack of full understanding.

What I would like to focus on in this post is a collection of diverse prophesies found throughout the Bible in the order of events as understood through examining the context of these prophesies in light of the HIStory, Our Future Bible studies. The premise of this collection of research by other watchmen on the wall traces Israel’s judgment history through time and showing how that snaps to Israel’s feast days and the 70th week of Daniel, the final seven years of God dealing with Israel before His return in glory. These studies examine the precision of Bible prophecy and history to build faith in what was already fulfilled with 100% accuracy to look toward the future with faith that God’s Word will again be fulfilled in the future with that same accuracy. According to Matthew 24:14,15 “the end” comes at the abomination of desolation, which the HIStory, Our Future Bible studies place in just under one year (February 16, 2009) from today (March 3, 2008).