Month: September 2017

The book of Daniel in chapter seven tells of four beasts that rise out of the water. The majority of the chapter focuses on the last beast with the first three getting a single verse each (Daniel 7:4-6). All four beasts rise prior to the advent of the antichrist. The past two years have seen three countries rise in hegemony throughout the world waiting for the great conflict that spurs the rise of the last beast (Daniel 11).

Daniel 7:4 is succinct but filled with innuendo. The lion of Daniel seven has wings like an eagle. The wings are “plucked” off and the lion is forced to stand like a man. Plucked is not an endearing term. It means to tear off or out; sounds painful. In the case of the lion of Daniel seven, it means the lion’s ability to soar above the earth is taken away and it is forced to stand and lead, like a lion that head’s a pride.

It is interesting to watch current events that confirm the prophesies of Daniel seven. Most recently China has been placed in the extremely difficult position of preventing an armed conflict between the U.S. and North Korea on its doorstep. Xi Jinping must appear decisive and firm in dealing with both countries as he postures himself for re-election at the next Communist Party congress in October. It is evident from news in the Chinese media that Xi does not want this kind of distraction but is being forced to take action before Kim Jung Un triggers an armed reaction from Donald Trump.

There is no Biblical prophecy that tells if North Korea will ignite Southeast Asia in war, nuclear or otherwise. What Kim Jung Un has accomplished is to expose the Achilles heel of the U.S.; its vulnerability to an E.M.P. attack. Just one hydrogen boom explosion over the U.S. and the U.S. would cease to be a world power. Regardless of the fact that North Korea would cease to exist, the majority of institutions in the U.S. would no longer function. What Donald Trump has accomplished is to encourage the U.N. to look for new leadership outside an ever increasingly unpredictable U.S. Un and Trump are bringing China to the moment where its wings will be plucked off and it will be forced to stand as the voice of reason in the world. The world is about to change.

May God bless you in your study of His word.

 

Most Christians probably don’t realize the connection between the end-time Babylon of Daniel two and the book of Revelation. Missing the connection is understandable since Daniel speaks to the formation of the end-time Babylon just prior to the dawn of the tribulation while Revelation speaks to its destruction at the end of the tribulation. A greater appreciation for the closeness of the tribulation immerges when the scriptures of the end-time Babylon are harmonized from the two books

In the first apocalyptic vision of Daniel, God reveals to Nebuchadnezzar what is to be the final state of Babylon. It is composed of five parts; a head of gold, chest and arms of silver, stomach and thighs of bronze, legs of iron, and feet of iron and clay. It is the Babylon that exists at Christ’s return and the Babylon destroyed in the book of Revelation (Daniel 2:31-35). The following apocalyptic visions of Daniel concern the forming of the statue, using the term rising, and the struggles that lead to the ascension of the antichrist.

Daniel seven changes the end-time Babylonian metaphor of chapter two to that of four beasts rising from a great sea corresponding to the silver, bronze, iron, and iron-clay of the statue. The head of gold is not included because the characteristics of the head of gold in the end-time Babylon was already given; Nebuchadnezzar represents the head of gold (Daniel 2:36-38). The four beasts are a lion, bear, leopard, and one that is different. Most of Daniel seven focuses on the fourth beast that rises out of the sea, different from the others. The Greek word interpreted different means being diverse or a composite and is the link to the end-time Babylon in Revelation (Daniel 7:7).

In Revelation thirteen a diverse beast rises out of the sea composed of parts of a lion, bear, and leopard (Revelation 13:1-4). At this point in the tribulation the union of the end-time Babylon and it’s rule by the antichrist is complete. The conflicts that form the diverse beast and ascension of the antichrist is the subject of Daniel eleven while revelation is concerned with the destruction of end-time Babylon.

Where confusion arises is when the end-time Babylon is thought of as a city alone. All references to the end-time Babylon in the book of Revelation describe Babylon as great, meaning in the broadest sense of the object and in this case the object is Babylon (Revelation 14:8; 16:19; 17:5; 18:2, 10, 21). The end-time Babylon in its broadest sense is the statue of Daniel two. Even where Revelation implies that a city will be synonymous with the end-time Babylon by calling it Babylon the great city (Revelation 18:10, 21) it is evident that no single city meets the characteristics of the scale of commerce described at its destruction. It is more likely that a city will come to represent the religious, political, and economic dominance of end-time Babylon and its destruction in Revelation eighteen coincides with the crushing of the feet of iron-clay and the destruction of the statue of Daniel two.

The rise of the four beasts of Daniel seven that complete the statue of Daniel two occur before the start of the tribulation. Even if you believe in a pre-tribulation rapture you will be here for the events described in apocalyptic visions in Daniel. If you follow this blog you know that three of those beasts are identified as China, Russia, and Iran. The fourth beast will rise out of a conflict between the fourth Supreme Leader of Iran and Turkey. The makeup of the dominion of the last beast is unknown because it doesn’t exist today; the map of the Middle East will be re-drawn (Daniel 11).

Anyone who follows the news recognizes the rise of China, Russia, and Iran over the last year while the other super powers are waning. If these countries are indeed the rising beasts then expect Iran to gain in wealth and hegemony. Israel will not be able to stop Iran’s efforts to establish a land corridor to the Mediterranean through Iraq, Syria, and Lebanon. Iran’s presence on the Med will set the stage for the conflict between Iran and Turkey.

China will influence governance throughout the world by massive funding of infrastructure projects. Look for China to gain influence in the U.N. as well as dominate the South China Sea.

At some time expect Russia to abandon its clever guise of supporting Russian speaking nationals in bordering countries for a full-fledged military conflict in Eastern Europe that the West is unprepared to match.

All of this and more is prophesied to happen before the tribulation.

May God bless you in your study of His word.

A subtle change has occurred in Middle East news. Israel is waning as the focus of conflict. The Muslim world is mired in struggles for hegemony between Sunni and Shi’a. Europe struggles to stem the tide of refugees from the Mediterranean while trying to blunt the effects of Britain leaving the European Union. Palestinians are losing on all fronts. Hamas has lost its funding that supports its terrorist activities. The U.S. is ambivalent about an Israeli-Palestinian peace deal with the P.L.A. as it deals with North Korea. Even the Israeli news is focused on corruption charges in the Netanyahu administration and Israel’s improving foreign relations rather than the Palestinian conflict. Are we on the verge of a new attitude to live and let live? Not at all.

The world is approaching the prophecy in Daniel eleven where two major powers engage in a serious war that changes the hegemony of the entire Middle East. Daniel two and seven tell of four nations that rise in the end-time culminating in the return of Jesus. Three of those nations are rising, China, Russia, and Iran. The fourth nation rises out of the war between the two major powers identified in Daniel eleven, Turkey and Iran (Daniel 11:1). The antichrist rises from that upheaval and then the destruction of Israel will once again become the focus of the world (Daniel 11:21-45). The difference for Israel then is that there will not be a strong U.S. to prevent the prophesied invasion and occupation.

It’s difficult to be convinced that the tribulation and the rise of the antichrist is approaching. The passing of time isn’t fully comprehended when reading end-times prophesies. In reality, the fulfillment may take years as stated in Daniel eleven. In addition the news is inundated daily with the posturing between the major world powers further desensitizing the saints to the events that signal the approach of the tribulation.

Still, Daniel eleven begins with the defining event that signals the approach of the tribulation; the reign of the fourth Supreme Leader of Iran (Daniel 11:2). As of today Iran is ruled by its second Supreme Leader and it will continue to gain in wealth and hegemony until the reign of its fourth and last Supreme Leader. It may take a few years before Turkey and Iran engage in their world changing conflict but the saints need to remain aware that their conflict signals the beginning to the end.

May God bless you in your study of His word.

I came across this article by Rabbi Anson Laytner of Seattle titled “Looking for a new God”.  It was published at the start of Elul, the time set aside by Jews each year to get their spiritual house in order.

(Please note that all quotes are from Rabbi Laytner’s article with the exception of Bible verses.)

“This being the month of Ellul, when Jews are supposed to begin taking stock of their relationships and accounting for their behavior ”

I believe Rabbi Laytner takes a whimsical and insightful jab at modern day perception that God, the Creator and Keeper of all, has lost interest in the daily affairs of His creation.  One might get the impression, tongue in cheek of course, that mankind hires it gods and the God of the Jews is not meeting their expectations.  As with any profitable corporation a change in leadership is considered when the CEO loses the confidence of his shareholders.

“Every organization needs to take stock of its chief executive officer’s performance on a regular basis.

1. Despite an open-ended contract and outstanding work in the initial years, Adonai has allowed his performance to slide in subsequent millennia. This has shown itself in several crucial contractual areas:

• failure to perform core functions other than maintaining the natural order
• failure to respond to requests for service from the membership
• failure to prevent the rise of competing deities and faiths
• failure to prevent repeated attempts by adherents of said competing deities to massacre segments of the membership
• failure to communicate with either the board or the membership to account for any the above.

1. With this job performance in mind, it is our recommendation that we terminate our existing contract with Adonai and seek a new candidate for the position, one who will bring a fresh vision and new energy to the job.”

The expectations of a new CEO are clear.

“A higher-performing deity articulating a dynamic new message would inspire our members, bring about the return of many lapsed members, and attract many non-members as well. These are the benefits of revising the job description and opening the search for a new deity.”

Rabbi Laytner ends with a list of characteristics the “ideal candidate” should have.  The last characteristic is more prophetic than the rabbi may have intended.

“8. Communicate clearly and authoritatively through established channels with the authorized leadership of the membership and, to a lesser degree, with the leadership of other peoples and faiths, so that everyone knows where things stand.”

Isaiah forty declares that God’s word stands forever and that there is none like Him.  Listen to God’s words to the children of Jacob.

“Why do you say, O Jacob, and speak, O Israel, ‘My way is hidden from the LORD, and my right is disregarded by my God’? Have you not known? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable.” (Isaiah 40:27-28 ESV)

Why do people think when God answers “no” that He hasn’t listened or cares?

So, do we get to negotiate with God on His performance?  You might ask Job how that worked for him.

One can only hope that the Jews who read Rabbi Laytner’s article will somehow be guided to the last verse of Isaiah forty .

“But they that wait on the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.” (Isaiah 40:31 AKJV)

We are not shareholders in some heavenly corporation but we are servants with the potential to be treated as God’s children by grace through faith in the propitiation provided by the blood of Jesus.  Heirs, yes, but bondservants while we wait for the return of Jesus (Rom. 1:1; Gal. 1:10; Phl. 2:7; Col. 4:12; Jas. 1:1; 2Pe. 1:1; Jde. 1:1 KJV).

Let us all reflect on our commitment to God’s commandments this Elul and remember the words that end the Christian hymn of Isaiah 40:31, “teach me Lord, teach me Lord to wait”.

You can read Rabbi Laytner’s article at the link that follows.

http://blogs.timesofisrael.com/looking-for-a-new-god/

May God bless you in your study of His word.