Blessed Be the Name of the Lord

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Blessed Be the Name of the Lord – Randy Nettles - https://www.rev310.net/post/blessed-be-the-name-of-the-lord
 
THE OLD TESTAMENT
 
Note: In this article, all translations are from the King James Version. In the KJV Old Testament, the word LORD (all the letters are capitalized) is used as the proper name of the one true God. This is the English translation of the Hebrew word YHWH. YHWH was believed in Judaism to be the name of God, and that was so sacred, it was not even uttered by people. Ancient Hebrew had only consonants and no vowels. So it is unclear how Jews pronounced these four consonants together. However, scholars seem to be unanimous that the pronunciation of YHWH must have been Yahweh. The name YHWH, consisting of the sequence of consonants Yod, Heh, Waw, and Heh, is known as the Tetragrammaton (the Greek word for four letters).
 
“The Masoretes, who from about the 6th to the 10th century CE worked to reproduce the original text of the Hebrew Bible, added to “YHWH” the vowel signs of the Hebrew words Adonai or Elohim. Latin-speaking Christian scholars replaced the Y (which does not exist in Latin) with an I or a J (the latter of which exists in Latin as a variant form of I). Thus, the tetragrammaton became the artificial Latinized name Jehovah (JeHoWaH). As the use of the name spread throughout medieval Europe, the initial letter J was pronounced according to the local vernacular language rather than Latin.” {1}
 
“In ancient times, it was common for the Jews to fear uttering the name of God (See Exodus 20:7). This was also because the old Hebrew had no vowels and only consonants and there was every chance of mispronouncing the name of God that was constituted of four Hebrew letter YHWH. In fact, Jews, even when reading their scriptures aloud, substituted the name of YHWH with Adonai (Strong’s H136) which is translated as “Lord” (only the first letter capitalized). It was only later that Hebrew developed vowels. When they placed these vowels over the four-lettered word for God (YHWH), it got uttered as Yahweh. However, when Christian scholars did the same to YHWH placing the vowels of Adonai, they developed a new sound that was Yahovah, which later got converted into Jehovah (Strong’s H3068)”{2}
 
By the time of the Babylonian captivity worship in the Temple was no longer possible, so the Jews eventually forgot how to pronounce the name of God (YHWH). Since they didn’t want to mispronounce the name of God while reading Scripture aloud, they replaced YHWH with Adonai (Strong’s H136). Adonai is a form of the word adon (Strong’s H113), which comes from a root word meaning “to rule.” So adon means “lord, sovereign, or master.” Adon was used for governing authorities such as kings, military commanders, teachers or mentors, and even oldest brothers. Of course, it was also used for employers and owners of servants and slaves.
 
Adonai means “master, sovereign, or Lord,” indicating God has sovereignty over our lives. When referring to God as Lord, the first letter is capitalized. When Adonai (Lord) is mentioned in conjunction with God, it is sometimes used as an adjective (as in sovereign God). Adonai can also refer to humans or angels who have charge over us. When used for humans it is usually spelled lord (the first letter is not capitalized). Often, we see the two names Yahweh (LORD) and Adonai (Lord) paired together in the Bible. “And Moses returned unto the LORD and said, Lord (master), why have you treated these people so evil?” (Exodus 5:22).
 
It’s interesting that from Genesis 1:1 to Genesis 2:3 there are 35 mentions of the word “God,” which is English for the Hebrew word “Elohim” (Strong’s H430). Elohim is a plural noun, meaning Gods or gods. This is a clear reference to the Trinity or Godhead consisting of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. When Scripture wants to accentuate the oneness of God, the word El (Strong’s H410) is used instead of Elohim.
 
“For the LORD (H3068) your God (H430) is God (H430) of gods (H430), and Lord (H113) of lords (H113), a great God (H410), a mighty, and a terrible which regards not persons, nor takes rewards” (Deuteronomy 10:17).
 
Genesis 2:3 describes God blessing the seventh day and resting from His work of creation. It’s not until Genesis 2:4 that the first mention of the conjoined name “LORD God” (YHWH Elohim) is used. As distinguished from Elohim, Deus omnipotens, the mighty One (El Shaddai), Yahweh/Jehovah is the absolute, self-existent One, who manifests himself to man, and, in particular, enters into distinct covenant engagements for his redemption, which he in due time fulfills. The words LORD and God are conjoined partly to identify Jehovah (or Yahweh) with Elohim, and partly because the subject which it treats is the history of man.
 
From Genesis 2:4 to 3:1a, the name “LORD God” is mentioned 12 times. Most of these verses are describing the Garden of Eden and the events that transpired there between Yahweh and the man/woman (Adam and Eve). In the Bible, when the name “LORD” is used before God, it is usually when God is having direct communications with man. It is more of a personal relationship. In these verses, Yahweh is talking to Adam and Eve and even walking with them. In verse 3:1b we see the snake indwelt by Lucifer talking to Eve about what “God” had said. He does not refer to God as “LORD God.”
 
Genesis 3:8 to 3:23 describe the LORD God (a christophony of Jesus Christ) confronting Adam and Eve over their sin of disobedience and their subsequent eviction from the Garden of Eden. The term “LORD God” is used 8 more times in these verses before “God” (only) is used again in Genesis 4:25.
 
It’s not until Genesis 4:1 that we see “LORD God” shortened to just “LORD.” This occurs when Yahweh is having personal relationships and communications with the sons of Abel. Genesis 4:26 says that during the time of Enos, men began calling on the name of the LORD. When the English word “LORD” is used, it is usually in regard to God having personal interactions with mankind. It is even more personal than “LORD God.” It is like calling someone by their first name instead of by their first and last names.
 
During the time of Noah and his sons, in Genesis 6-9, the words “God” and “LORD” are both used. The Bible records God talking with Noah, but there is no mention of Noah talking to God. Noah definitely knew God’s name. “And he said, Blessed be the LORD God of Shem; and Canaan shall be his servant” (Genesis 9:26).
 
Although Abraham and his progeny knew the name of YHWH/Jehovah, It was in His attribute as El Shaddai (God Almighty) that God had revealed His nature to the patriarchs. “And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the Lord appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be perfect” (Genesis 17:1). In Genesis 28:3, Isaac blesses Jacob in the name of El Shaddai. In Genesis 35:11, after God changes Jacob’s name to Israel, God blesses him in His name El Shaddai. El Shaddai (Almighty) is mentioned 57 times in the Old Testament, mostly in the Book of Job (31 times). The Almighty is not so much a name for God as it is a description of His omnipotent nature.
 
I AM THE LORD GOD
 
In Exodus 3, Yahweh, as the angel of the LORD, appears to Moses as a theophany in the form of a “burning bush.” First, the angel of the LORD told Moses, “I am the God of your father—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” The LORD then told Moses He would deliver the children of Israel out of the hand of the Egyptians and bring them to the land of Canaan.
 
“Then Moses said to God, Indeed, when I come to the children of Israel and say to them, The God of your fathers has sent me to you, and they say to me, What is His name? What shall I say to them? And God said to Moses, I AM WHO I AM. And He said, Thus you shall say to the children of Israel, I AM has sent me to you. Moreover, God said to Moses, Thus you shall say to the children of Israel: The Lord God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you. This is My name forever, and this is My memorial to all generations” (Exodus 3:14-15).
 
Exodus 6:2-4 says, “And God spoke to Moses and said to him: “I am the LORD. And I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, by the name of God Almighty (El Shaddai), but by my name Jehovah (LORD) was I not known to them” (KJV). And I have also established my covenant with them, to give them the land of Canaan, the land of their pilgrimage, wherein they were strangers.” Though the name JEHOVAH/YHWH was ancient, and known to the patriarchs, its full meaning was not known to them, and so God was not manifested to them by it.
 
God announced to Moses that the children of Israel should now refer to him as YHWH (which is translated as LORD or JEHOVAH). “And I have also heard the groaning of the children of Israel, whom the Egyptians keep in bondage; and I have remembered my covenant. Wherefore say unto the children of Israel, I am the Lord, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will rid you out of their bondage, and I will redeem you with a stretched out arm, and with great judgments: And I will take you to me for a people, and I will be to you a God: and you shall know that I am the Lord your God, which bringeth you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians. And I will bring you in unto the land, concerning the which I did swear to give it to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob; and I will give it to you for a heritage: I am the Lord” (Exodus 6:5-8).
 
By God’s omnipotence, He is known as El Shaddai. By God’s faithfulness to keep His promises and covenants and His commitment to personal relationships, He is known as JEHOVAH/LORD. “For not only had He established His covenant with the fathers (Exodus 6:4), but He had also heard the groaning of the children of Israel, and remembered His covenant (Exodus 6:5). The divine promise not only commences in Exodus 6:2 but concludes at Exodus 6:8, with the emphatic expression, "I Jehovah," to show that the work of Israel's redemption resided in the power of the name Jehovah.” {3}
 
There are 158 mentions (KJV) of “I am the LORD” in the Bible. All of them are in the Old Testament. Sometimes they are accompanied by “God” or “your God.” There are 5 instances of “I am the Lord (Adonai) GOD” in the Book of Ezekiel. When GOD (Strong’s H3069) is capitalized it has been translated from the Hebrew word Yahweh (or Jehovah). In other words, it is the equivalent of “LORD” (Strong’s H3068). Lord (Strong’s H136) is almost always used before GOD (Strong’s H3069), as in Lord GOD. The Hebrew name would be Adonai YHWH.
 
The Old Testament is divided into 5 major sections: the Law, History, Poetry, Major Prophets, and Minor Prophets. The name “LORD God” is used more prevalently in the Law, History, and Poetry, while the name “Lord GOD” is used more prevalently in the Major Prophets such as Isaiah, Jeremiah, and especially Ezekiel. In the Book of Ezekiel, there are 217 mentions of “Lord GOD” and 5 of “Lord.” Ezekiel didn’t use the name “LORD God,” however, he used the name “LORD” 217 times as well.
 
As a matter of fact, out of 445 mentions of “Lord (Adonai)” in the Old Testament, 222 of them are in Ezekiel. Psalm comes in second with 55. In Ezekiel, the term “saith the Lord GOD” is used 202 times. When “God” is omitted, the term becomes “saith the LORD” where Adonai is replaced with Yahweh/Jehovah. This term is used only 7 times in Ezekiel. The Word, or the pre-incarnate Jesus Christ, is the Lord God or LORD who is speaking. 
 
Another name for God that is used often is “LORD of hosts.” It is mentioned 245 times in the Old Testament; 53 times in Isaiah, 71 times in Jeremiah, and 46 times in Zechariah. There are 61 times that the “LORD of hosts” is used in conjunction with “name.” For example: “As for our redeemer, the LORD of hosts is his name, the Holy One of Israel” (Isaiah 47:4).
 
TOTALS FOR THE OLD TESTAMENT
 
The KJV Old Testament translates “Jehova/Yahweh” (Strong’s H3068) in the following manner: LORD (6,510 times), GOD (4 times), JEHOVAH (4 times), variant (1 time). The Book of Psalm has the most mentions of “LORD” with 687, followed by Deuteronomy with 548.
 
The KJV Old Testament translates “Adonai” (Strong’s H136) in the following manner: Lord (431 times), lord (2 times), God (1 time). Ezekiel has the most mention of “Lord” by far with 222 (most of them are Lord God), followed by Psalm with 55.
 
The KJV Old Testament translates “Adon” (Strong’s H113) in the following manner: lord (197 times), master/s (105 times), Lord (31 times), owner (1 time), sir (1x). Genesis has the most mentions of “lord” with 72, followed by 1 Samuel with 38.
 
Note: The total number of times the words “LORD/Lord/lord” are used in the Old Testament (KJV) is 7173. 1, 3, and 7 are all numbers that represent God. See: 137 - The Number of God in Scripture and Science (rev310.net)
 
The KJV Old Testament translates “Elohim” (Strong’s H430) in the following manner: God (2,346 times), god (244 times), judge (5 times), GOD (1 time), goddess (2 times), great (2 times), mighty (2 times), angels (1 time), exceeding (1 time), God-ward (1 time), godly (1 time). The Book of Deuteronomy has the most mentions of “God” (H430) with 374, followed by Psalm with 362.
 
The KJV Old Testament translates “El” (Strong’s H410) in the following manner: God (213 times, god (16 times), power (4 times), mighty (5 times), goodly (1 time), great (1 time), idols (1 time), Immanuel (2 times), might (1 time), strong (1 time). The Book of Psalm has the most mentions of “God” (H410) with 77, followed by Job with 56.
 
The KJV Old Testament translates “Jehovah/Yahweh” (Strong’s H3069) in the following manner: GOD (304 times), LORD (1 time). Ezekiel has the most mentions of “GOD” with 217, followed by Isaiah with 25.
 
In the KJV Old Testament, the name “LORD God” is used approximately 248 times, while the name “Lord GOD” is used approximately 303 times (thanks largely to Ezekiel).
 
THE NEW TESTAMENT
 
While the Old Testament has a wide variety of names and epithets that refer to God in Hebrew, the Greek text of the New Testament uses far fewer variants. When referring to the true God, the New Testament usually uses the Greek word “kurios (or kyrios)” translated as "Lord.”
 
Kyrios (Lord/lord) has a number of different meanings. It can mean sir, master, owner, and can even refer to an idol. However, on a number of occasions, it is the Greek equivalent of the Hebrew word Yahweh or Jehovah. This is the divine name for God. Jesus Christ is designated as the Lord in many New Testament references.
 
If the meaning of the verse being discussed is in reference to a human master or owner, the first letter of “lord” is not capitalized. If the meaning of Scripture is in reference to God or the Messiah, the first letter of “Lord” is usually capitalized. Here is an example of a verse that has both meanings in it: “And the Lord said, Who then is that faithful and wise steward, whom his lord (master) shall make ruler over his household, to give them their portion of meat in due season?” (Luke 12:42).
 
The KJV New Testament translates “Kyrios” (G2962) in the following manner: Lord (667 times), lord (54 times), master (11 times), sir (6 times), Sir (six times), and miscellaneous (4 times). Acts has the most mentions of “Lord” with 113, followed by Luke with 107.
 
The KJV New Testament translates “Theos” (G2316) in the following manner: God (1320 times), god (13 times), godly (3 times), God-ward (2 times), miscellaneous (5 times). Acts has the most mentions of “God” with 172, followed by Romans with 153.
 
The KJV New Testament translates “Christos” (G5547) in the following manner: Christ (569 times). Christ is another name for “anointed” or “Messiah” in Hebrew. 1 Corinthians has the most mentions of “Christ” with 68, followed by Romans with 67. Note: There are only two mentions of “Messiah” in the Old Testament. Both are in Daniel (9:25,26). However, there are multiple Scripture that talk of God’s “anointed.”
 
The KJV New Testament translates “Jesous” (G2424) in the following manner: Jesus (972 times), Jesus/Joshua (2 times), Jesus/Justus (1 time). John has the most mentions of “Jesus,” by far, with 256, followed by Matthew with 172.
 
“Lord Jesus” is used 34 times in the New Testament (KJV). Likewise, “Lord Jesus Christ” is used 84 times, and “Lord God” is used only 13 times. Jesus is derived from the Hebrew name “Yehoshu‘a” or Joshua. Joshua/Jesus means “the Lord is salvation.” “You shall call his name Jesus: for he shall save his people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21).
 
TOTALS FOR BOTH THE OLD AND NEW TESTAMENT
 
The total mentions of “God/GOD” in the KJV Bible is 4458. Likewise, the total mentions of “Lord” (all types) is 7888. This sounds about right since the word of God is Holy Spirit inspired. 7 is the number for God, the Holy Spirit, and is the number for perfection and completion. 888 is the isopsephia value (gematria) of Ιησους (Iesous, translated as "Jesus"). The total mentions of “Lord God” (all types) in the KJV Bible is 3790. That is ironically the same number for the Jewish calendar year of 3790 AM, which is 30 AD on the proleptic Gregorian calendar.
 
THE LORD JESUS CHRIST IS HIS NAME - THE WORD OF GOD
 
“I am the Lord: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images” (Isaiah 42:8). “As for our redeemer, the Lord of hosts is his name, the Holy One of Israel”( Isaiah 47:4). ”Therefore, behold, I will this once cause them to know, I will cause them to know my hand and my might; and they shall know that my name is The Lord (Jeremiah 16:21). “For, lo, he that forms the mountains, and creates the wind, and declares unto man what is his thought, that makes the morning darkness, and treads upon the high places of the earth, The Lord, The God of hosts, is his name” (Amos 4:13). “And the LORD shall be king over all the earth: in that day shall there be one Lord, and his name one” (Zechariah 14:9).
 
“But these are written, that you might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you might have life through his name” (John 20:31). “And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved” (Acts 2:21). “That the name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in you, and you in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ” (2 Thessalonians 1:12). “And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God” (Revelation 19:13).
 
Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
 
 Randy Nettles
 
[email protected]  
 
 Endnotes:
 
{1} https://www.britannica.com/topic/Yahweh
{2} https://www.differencebetween.com/difference-between-jehovah-and-vs-yahweh/
{3) https://biblehub.com/commentaries/exodus/6-3.htm
 

 


 


 
Revelation 14: The sickle of judgment and the grapes of wrath - By Mark Creech - https://www.christianpost.com/voices/revelation-14-the-sickle-of-judgment-and-the-grapes-of-wrath.html
 
In the book, Meet Yourself in the Psalms, author Warren Wiersbe talks about a town in America’s era of early development where a horse bolted and ran away with a wagon that had a little boy in it. A young man who saw the child in danger, risked his life to catch the horse and stop the wagon.
 
The child whom he rescued grew up to become a lawless man, and one day he stood before the bar of justice to be sentenced for a serious crime. The outlaw recognized the judge as the same man, who many years prior, had saved his life in the wagon. So, he pled for mercy from the judge based on that experience.
 
But the words from the bench silenced his plea, “Young man, then I was your Savior but today I am your judge, and I must sentence you to be hanged.”
 
Revelation chapter 14 warns that one day Jesus will return to say to those who have been rebellious sinners – spiritual outlaws: “During a long, long period of grace, I was the Savior, and I would have forgiven you. I beckoned you to receive my pardon over and again. But today, I am your Judge. Depart from me, you are cursed and sentenced to everlasting fire.”
 
Consider these solemn words of Scripture from Revelation 14:
 
“Then I saw a white cloud, and seated on the cloud was someone like the Son of Man. He had a gold crown on his head and a sharp sickle in his hand.
 
“Then another angel came from the Temple and shouted to the one sitting on the cloud, ‘Swing the sickle, for the time of harvest has come; the crop on earth is ripe.’ So the one sitting on the cloud swung his sickle over the earth, and the whole earth was harvested.
 
“After that, another angel came from the Temple in heaven, and he also had a sharp sickle. Then another angel, who had the power to destroy with fire, came from the altar. He shouted to the angel with the sharp sickle, ‘Swing your sickle now to gather the clusters of grapes from the vines of the earth, for they are ripe for judgment.’ So the angel swung his sickle over the earth and loaded the grapes into the great winepress of God’s wrath. The grapes were trampled in the winepress outside the city, and blood flowed from the winepress in a stream about 180 miles long and as high as a horse’s bridle” (Revelation 14:14-20).
 
Here is depicted one who sits on a cloud with a sharp sickle, and an angel comes from the Temple and instructs the one on the white cloud and with the sickle to reap the earth because the harvest is ripe.
 
There is considerable debate among theologians about who the person on the white cloud is, with some saying it is Christ, the Lord, while others suggest it is an angel. The argument for it being Christ is primarily based on the use of the term “Son of Man,” that he wears a golden crown, and he is surrounded by the white cloud of the Shekinah glory. Nonetheless, there are objections to this particular interpretation, seeing that the angel gives instructions to the one on the cloud. It hardly seems likely an angel would give directives to the King of kings and the Lord of lords. Still, others counter that the angel coming from the Temple is not exactly giving an order, but conveying the will of the Father whose presence he just left from within the Temple.
 
Those who contend that the one on the white cloud is an angel say that he is not the Lord, but a mighty angel who bears the likeness of Christ’s glory, meaning that he is an angel very near and dear to the Lord, and is appointed to carry out the Lord’s judgment on the unredeemed – the people of the earth – the harvest of the land. Admittedly, there is no consensus on the issue.
 
What is abundantly clear about the text, however, something that essentially all serious interpreters agree upon, is that the passage anticipates the final judgment of the world. It may be somewhat unclear as to who is on the cloud, but it is evident that the sickle is a symbol of God’s final judgment.
 
The sickle has been used as a representation of judgment throughout history in various cultures and contexts.
 
The sickle’s primary association is with agriculture and the harvest. It is a tool used for cutting and harvesting crops, particularly grains like wheat. Because of its strong association with reaping, it became connected symbolically with judgment in many societies.
 
For instance, in Mesopotamia, the Sumerian god Nergal, a god of war, death, and destruction, was portrayed holding a sickle as a symbol of his power and ability to judge the fate of humans. The belief was the sickle could separate the righteous from the unrighteous.
 
Ancient Egyptians also used the sickle in this manner. In their mythology, the god Osiris was often shown with a crook and flail. The crook denoted his role as a divine ruler, while the flail or whip represented judgment and punishment. The flail resembled a sickle in its shape, further emphasizing its association with judgment.
 
Even in Western cultures, there is the image of the Grim Reaper. He is a cloaked figure carrying a scythe or sickle. He is the personification of death and his scythe is equal to the concept of judgment and the reaping of souls.
 
It is more than a coincidence that throughout human history, most cultures and civilizations have held a belief in a judgment or evaluation taking place at the end of the world or the end of life. This concept, especially that of a post-mortem judgment, carries with it the idea that the actions of nations and personal deeds will inevitably be weighed in the balance and determine a final destination. While specific beliefs and details may vary across cultures, the overarching notion of some form of judgment is a recurring theme.
 
In a magnificent sermon titled, "The Hope of Judgment," the former president of Moody Bible Institute, George Sweeting has argued:
 
“Many thoughtful people are convinced that the modern world is very much like the leaning tower [of Pisa]. Civilization, they believe is tipping more and more under the weight of moral decline, decadence, and world problems. And, indeed the evidence seems to support such a conclusion.
 
“The heart of the problem in our world is the problem of sin in the human heart. And man can rise above his sin through the Lord Jesus. He has died to redeem us from our sins. But we must trust him in order to be saved. That is the gospel. It is truth. And a day is coming when every man will be judged on his response to the truth.
 
“There are those who ask how an all-powerful and loving God could allow so much suffering and pain and heartache. They suggest that if there really was a righteous, omnipotent God, he would be morally obligated to stamp out such evil.
 
“There is a God, and he is righteous and omnipotent; a day of reckoning is coming. On that day God will wipe out all evil forever. He delays that judgment now because of his love. He is dealing with mankind in grace and mercy in this age, bringing men to faith in Christ so that they might be redeemed from their sins.
 
“The knowledge of a day of judgment coming is frightening to some, but it does not have to be. The promise of judgment is God’s promise that this world will not have to go through misery and pain and suffering indefinitely. His judgment has already begun, and he will complete what he has started.
 
“Some sins are judged immediately. Others are judged later. But the great and final judgment is left to come.
 
“Paul wrote to the Galatians about the certainty of judgment. ‘Don’t be misled—you cannot mock the justice of God. You will always harvest what you plant. Those who live only to satisfy their own sinful nature will harvest decay and death from that sinful nature. But those who live to please the Spirit will harvest everlasting life from the Spirit.’ (Galatians 6:7-8).
 
“Do you see it? Sin and judgment are like sowing and reaping. The sin itself determines the judgment, just like the sin that is sown determines what is harvested. Sowing to the flesh, Paul says, is asking for a harvest of corruption. God may delay the judgment, but he will not be mocked. Judgment is coming for sure.”
 
Additionally, there is a discussion about whether Revelation chapter 14 verses 15 through 20 refer to the gathering of the faithful or the judgment of the wicked. Some argue for both interpretations, while others suggest it is only about harvesting the wicked.
 
Consider first the view that contends this passage describes only a judgment of the unsaved, the unrighteous.
 
Advocates of this view argue that the imagery of harvesting and the winepress is symbolic of God’s judgment upon the unrepentant and evil. They contend that the mention of the “Son of Man” must be Jesus and the sickle he possesses is not indicative of a separate judgment for the righteous, but rather a proclamation of Christ’s authority over all judgment.
 
Larry R. Heyler and Richard Wagner in their book, The Book of Revelation for Dummies, discuss this view, saying:
 
“John apparently borrows the imagery for both the wheat and the grape harvestings from the Old Testament prophet Joel. In Joel 3:13, in a context of impending divine judgment on the nations, the prophet says, ‘Put in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe. Go in, tread, for the wine press is full. The vats overflow, for their wickedness is great.’ The last line many scholars observe casts quite a different perspective on both the first and second harvestings. From this one perspective, both seem to represent divine judgment. John’s vintage scene is introduced by describing an angel who performs the action: ‘And he too had a sharp sickle.’ (Revelation 14:17). This seems to link closely the two sickles, and clearly, the second conveys a negative image. Therefore, many commentators conclude that both harvestings, in this context, depict God’s End Time Judgment on an unbelieving world.”
 
John Walvoord, a long-time recognized authority on eschatology, in his book, The Revelation of Jesus Christ, notes that “the passage itself does not tell us what the first harvest is. There is no distinct event in the sequence of prophecies which clearly presents a harvest of saints, and it is probably preferable to consider the first harvest as the judgments in general which characterize the period and the second harvest as the final climatic one.”
 
Advocates of two separate judgments, one for the righteous and another for the wicked, describe Jesus as the “Son of Man” sitting on the white cloud, wearing a golden crown, and holding a sharp sickle. They say what this represents is Jesus coming to gather and reward the faithful, initiating the judgment of the righteous. The idea is that believers are being separated from the wicked before any judgment is executed upon the wicked.
 
In other words, some would say the reaping imagery in the first harvesting is an ingathering or rapture of the church. This view seems to be strengthened by the fact the person sitting on the white cloud who does the reaping is like “the Son of Man,” which many argue unquestionably identifies the figure as Christ, the Lord.
 
The reason why so many Christians believe the Church will be raptured before the Tribulation – that period of God’s wrath on earth – is because the godly have not been appointed to God’s wrath.
 
In the subsequent verses (15-20), an angel is said to be coming out of the Temple with a different sickle, and an angel commands the angel with the sickle to gather the clusters of grapes representing the earth’s wicked, who are ripe for judgment and are to be thrown into the great winepress of God’s wrath. This is a second judgment.
 
The renowned Scottish Bible commentator William Barclay in his book on The Revelation of John, summarizes the view this way:
 
“There are two difficult things in this passage. First, there is the fact that the one like the son of man reaps and also an angel reaps. We may regard one like the son of man, the risen and victorious Lord, reaping the harvest of his own people, while the angel with the sharp sickle reaps the harvest of those destined for judgment.”
 
Finally, the second harvest is without any doubt about the judgment of those who have set their hearts against the Lord and his Christ. An angel comes out from what is probably the altar of incense because the imprecatory prayers of God’s people are about to be answered. The text is an expression of God’s terrible wrath against those who have oppressed and persecuted the followers of Christ.
 
What is described is the language of warfare, which is why many Biblical scholars believe the second harvest is a reference to the battle of Armageddon.
 
According to various Biblical prophecies, Armageddon is a future apocalyptic event where the nations of the world gather to fight against God. It represents the war that will certainly end all wars. Although the specifics of this event remain veiled, it signifies the ultimate triumph of God’s righteousness and his judgment upon evil. Ultimately, it serves as a reminder of the certainty of God’s final victory and the fulfillment of his plan for a world of peace and prosperity. Evil and everyone who defies the Lord and his purposes shall be crushed beneath his feet.
 
John seems to borrow language from the prophet Isaiah in describing this future moment in history:
 
“Who is this who comes from Edom, from the city of Bozrah, with his clothing stained red? Who is this in royal robes, marching in his great strength? ‘It is I, the LORD, announcing your salvation! It is I, the LORD, who has the power to save!’ Why are your clothes so red, as if you have been treading out grapes? ‘I have been treading the winepress alone; no one was there to help me. In my anger, I have trampled my enemies as if they were grapes. In my fury, I have trampled my foes. Their blood has stained my clothes. For the time has come for me to avenge my people, to ransom them from their oppressors. I was amazed to see that no one intervened to help the oppressed. So, I myself stepped in to save them with my strong arm, and my wrath sustained me. I crushed the nations in my anger and made them stagger and fall to the ground, spilling their blood upon the earth.’” (Isaiah 63:1-6).
 
Daymond R. Duck and Larry Richards in The Book of Revelation: The Smart Guide to the Bible, add:
 
“Since the blood will rise as high as the horses’ bridles for approximately 200 miles, we know that millions will die. Before it happens though, God will preach the Gospel through the 144,000 Jews, the Two Witnesses, and his angel (the first angel of chapter 14) to warn those who follow the Antichrist. He will give the world many chances to repent before he destroys it.”
 
Someone said, “Procrastination is the art of wasting opportunities disguised as free time. Act now, for tomorrow may arrive with regret and faded dreams.”
 
Genesis 6: 3 reads, “The Lord said, ‘My Spirit will not contend with humans forever…’” The Lord’s offer of grace and mercy is not indefinite. Judgment is as certain as the rising and setting of the sun.
 
The Battle Hymn of the Republic, which derives its message from passages like the one in Revelation 14:15-20, in one of its stanzas admonishes:
 
“He has sounded forth the trumpet that shall never call retreat; He is sifting out the hearts of men before his judgment seat; Oh, be swift, my soul, to answer him! Be jubilant, my feet! Our God is marching on.”

 


 
Prophecy Update Videos
Must Watch Videos!
Videos You Can Trust

• Prophecy Update: The Great De-Banking: Global, Draconian, and Devastating – Tom Hughes & Patrick Wood
• Prophecy Update: Lot and The Boomerang Effect – Brandon Holthaus
• The Lord is Fiercely Angry with Iran | Bill Salus
• Sober Up! Christ Is Coming For His Church!!! – James Kaddis
• Rapture Nugget — Beauty for Ashes – Lee Brainard
• Persecution Of The Saints – Pablo Frascini & Curt Reed
• Is THIS the Mark of the Beast System? – Britt Gillette
• True Religion – Barry Stagner
• This is MORE Exciting than the Rapture! - Tom Cote - Watchman River

 


 RECOMMENDED READING

• New World Order: Worlds in Collision and The Rebirth of Liberty - by Terry James & Pete Garcia
• Marking the Masses – Tom Hughes
• The Future War Prophecies – Bill Salus
• Has the Tribulation Begun?: Avoiding Confusion and Redeeming the Time in These Last Days – Amir Tsarfati
• The New Heavens and Earth: Recreation or Renovation? – Lee Brainard
• The Triumph of the Redeemed: An Eternal Perspective that Calms Our Fears in Perilous Times – Jonathan Brentner
• Lost But Not Forgotten: A Story of Redemption During the Great Tribulation - Skye Burgdorf
• Ignite Your Life: Defeat Fear With Effortless Faith - Barry Meguiar

 


 


 
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Dimensional Deceivers – Terry James - https://terryjamesprophecyline.com/2023/08/07/dimensional-deceivers/
 
The committee member, Tennessee Congressman Tim Burchett (R), spoke bluntly:
 
“We’ve been dealing [with government cover-ups] since 1947, probably since about 1897 in what was the Aurora Texas UFO crash.”
 
He said further, “[Extraterrestrial craft] can travel light years or at the speeds that we’ve seen defy physics as we know it. They can fly underwater and don’t show a heat trail,” he added. According to Burchett, the aliens could simply turn humans “into a charcoal briquette” if they wanted to, given their technology that is different from what humans known on earth.
 
He concluded, “We are out of our league. We couldn’t fight them off if we wanted to. That’s why I don’t think they’re a threat to us, or they would already have been.”
 
The past week, an emailer who is a frequent visitor to Rapture Ready wrote me regarding the hoopla over UFO sightings, etc., that currently surrounds testimony given during congressional committee sessions. He, in part, wrote the following:
 
I fully believe in UFOs and any person who wants to can go to any party favor store, Walmart, etc., and buy the materials needed to make a UFO…. However, I believe that extraterrestrial UFO technology /extraterrestrial life do not exist and do not line up with God’s Holy Word, the Bible. So, what are your thoughts on extraterrestrial life?
 
He then wrote:
 
I believe the UFO reports are all a distraction by some government officials and nothing more and that God created our planet, solar system and universe as unique.… I would like to know your thoughts on this.
 
I, of course, have addressed the UFO matters in depth over the years of writing commentaries, and I’ve even written extensively in novels, taking considerable literary license—but not anti-biblical license—in the storytelling.
 
Since there is an effort by the New World Order types to ratchet up interest in things perceived to be extraterrestrial, I encourage you to get Gary Ritter’s and my series, The Second Coming Chronicles, which I believe provides a heads-up on things going on at present. It consists of three novels: The Rapture Dialogues; The Nephilim Imperatives, and The Minion Protocols.
 
You can find them at the following:
 
The Second Coming Chronicles box set
 
Books individually at the following:
 
The Rapture Dialogues
 
The Nephilim Imperatives
 
The Minion Protocols
 
Now that the UFO narrative has ramped up just as all other things that seem to be going on are converging, the subject of my emailer’s note, I think, deserves some increased scrutiny.
 
First, it’s interesting that US government officialdom has seen fit to change the nomenclature of unidentified flying objects (UFOs) to unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAP).
 
My wonder over this—perhaps because of my overwhelming skepticism of anything coming out of this government nowadays—comes from the thought that someone wishes to get the public’s mind off of the kind of superfluous view that surrounds the topic of UFOs—i.e., people kind of look at these things with tongue in cheek. Even with the blockbuster movies about all of the space beings, etc., people as a whole still see in their mind’s eye little green beings of a spoofing, fictional sort.
 
I’m wondering if these controller-types in high places now want us to begin taking the UFOs seriously. Maybe that’s why the mysterious sightings have been dubbed “UAPs” to help change our mindsets.
 
Certainly the whistleblowers on the UAP matters being sent to testify before congressional committees is a sea change in the way government has to this point dealt with the strange sightings over the years.
 
We see the change in the way government wants to deal with possible visitors from other worlds in the following:
 
In July, Congress quietly admitted that Unidentified Flying Objects (UFOs) are not “man-made” and that the threat is “expanding,” burying the startling revelations in a report added to the Intelligence Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2023. The finding was first reported by Vice on Tuesday. The report also criticized the DoD for “the slow pace” at which the department was establishing the office “to address those threats” related to UFOs. (“Congress quietly says UFO threat ‘expanding,’ not all are ‘man-made’,” American Military News)
 
The congressman’s statement at the beginning of this post convinces me that he wholeheartedly believes the UAP is of extraterrestrial origin. The testimony of the whistleblowers indicates there are indeed proofs of little green men—or gray men, or whatever their color—whose cadavers are stored in US government warehouses. The testimonies, allowed to go forward—a thing totally unlike government permission ever given in the past—should make us ask: “Why now?”
 
It does make me wonder, “Why now?” and here’s what I think in that regard—in answer to my emailer friend.
 
My response is wrapped up in the title I’ve given this post, “Dimensional Deceivers.” Jesus’ first Words in giving prophetic signs to look for in anticipation of His Second Coming were a caution that we should be careful not to be deceived. I believe this is deception of the first order—or perhaps of the last, or final, order. We are being set up for the great delusion that will follow the sudden disappearance of multiple millions from the earth—including every child below the age of accountability.
 
The human minions of Ephesians 6:12 no doubt aren’t in on this deception—at least, not at the Luciferian level of collusion. They are likely genuinely looking for ways to control the masses if and when an invasion of the supposed extraterrestrials takes place. Many of these human minions no doubt believe they will have entry into the highest positions of power if they are ahead of things that will be coming forth when the ETs strike.
 
But Satan and his demonic minions know the Rapture is coming. They are setting up the deception in advance of 2 Thessalonians and the appearance of their man of sin, Antichrist.
 
It is a “dimensional invasion,” not an “extraterrestrial invasion,” that the post-Rapture world will experience. Planting the thought in in the people’s minds that we face an actual, proven, extraterrestrial threat is coming on full force.
 
This, again, all means that the moment when Jesus, our blessed hope, shouts, “Come up here!” to all believers must be very soon.
 
To go to the safety found only within the Lord Jesus Christ when He shouts those words, please follow the instructions Paul the apostle was given by the Holy Spirit:
 
“That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” (Romans 10:9–10)

 


 


 
Is America Doomed? - by Michael Snyder - http://theeconomiccollapseblog.com/is-america-doomed/
 
Is time running out for America? Throughout human history, great civilizations have risen and fell, and many believe that the U.S. will be no exception. At this point, we have already drifted so far from our core values that our founders would not even be able to recognize the Republic that they once established if they were alive today. Of course most Americans realize that something has gone horribly wrong, but most of them also believe that sending the right people to Washington is the answer. But is that really the solution to what ails us?
 
According to a brand new Rasmussen poll that was just released, 40 percent of likely U.S. voters believe that Joe Biden must win the next presidential election “or the United States is doomed”…
 
Per the poll, 40% of likely US voters agree with the statement, “Joe Biden must be re-elected president next year, or the United States is doomed,” which includes 25% who strongly agree. 53% are in disagreement, which includes 43% who strongly disagree.
 
That is nuts.
 
Nearly half the country literally believes that our nation is “doomed” if Joe Biden does not win in 2024.
 
The same poll also found that 45 percent of likely U.S. voters believe that Donald Trump must win the next presidential election “or the United States is doomed”…
 
45% agree with the statement, “Donald Trump must be re-elected president next year or the United States is doomed,” which includes 26% who strongly agree. 53% disagree, which includes 44% who strongly disagree.
 
I am assuming that there is no overlap between those two groups.
 
If that is true, that means that 85 percent of likely U.S. voters believe that our nation is “doomed” if the candidate that they are supporting does not win the next presidential election.
 
I have never seen numbers like this before.
 
The stakes in 2024 are incredibly high, and the side that loses is going to be absolutely devastated.
 
Over the next year there will be endless campaigning as the upcoming election approaches, but meanwhile our society is being ripped to shreds right in front of our eyes.
 
In Chicago, predators literally roam the streets in their vehicles in the middle of the day looking for someone to attack.
 
When a suitable target is identified, brutal violence often ensues.
 
WATCH: https://twitter.com/i/status/1688570095042240512
 
In the old days, thieves would at least wait until the cover of night to go out and do their thing.
 
But now there is very little fear of the police.
 
There are more than 1,000 identifiable gangs in the city of Chicago today, and mafia-style killings have become quite common…
 
Three suspects shot and killed a man whom they also reportedly hit with a car at a gas station in Chicago in a brazen daytime shooting.
 
A small memorial was left by family members for 31-year-old Anton Benoit after he was shot and killed in a gang-style shooting at a Shell gas station in Chatham, a neighborhood in Chicago. Chatham is located on the south side and has a population of approximately 32,000.
 
I don’t want to just pick on Chicago, and so let’s talk about major cities on the west coast for a bit.
 
This week, a video posted by a San Francisco woman named Hanna Ayla went viral, because it accurately conveyed emotions that so many other San Francisco residents are feeling right now…
 
“I was just getting groceries and I live in San Francisco, and I never really feel fully safe. If you live in San Francisco, I’m sure you know what I’m talking about. And I just got groceries, I’m walking out of the store, and this guy is walking past me and says, ‘Move you stupid b****,’ and he spits in my face!” she said.
 
“Spits all over my face,” she repeats.
 
“And I say, ‘Excuse me, did you just spit in my face?’ And he says, ‘Move or I’ll rape you.’ There’s also people everywhere and everyone’s just walking by because they’re like, I can’t handle something else in San Francisco, it’s always something else!” Ayla continued.
 
“I don’t even know why I’m posting this,” she concluded. “If you live in San Francisco, do you feel this way all the time? I don’t feel safe. Ever. I literally never feel safe. It’s better when it’s daytime, but nighttime? No. Not leaving my house.”
 
WATCH: https://twitter.com/i/status/1688603374860877824
 
I don’t think that anyone that lives in San Francisco truly feels safe at this point.
 
Crime is completely out of control, but many would argue that conditions in Oakland are even worse.
 
In fact, a 48-year-old woman that has lived there her entire life says that she is being forced to move because she has become “too scared” to go outside of her own home…
 
>A lifelong Oakland resident has made the heartbreaking decision to move out of the city after soaring crime rates left her ‘too scared’ to go outside.
 
Kristin Cook, 48, spoke for many in Oakland as she sobbed: ‘I can’t take it anymore. I got to the point I was too scared to leave my house.’
 
‘The fact that I am being pushed out because I emotionally can’t take it anymore is horrible,’ she added.
 
Burglary rates in the city are 41 percent up on last year and robberies have increased more than 20 percent, according to police data. Rape offenses are also up 12 percent.
 
Our cities have degenerated into crime-ridden hellholes, and our country does not have a future if we stay on this path.
 
But instead of working to fix our cities, Joe Biden continues to send giant mountains of money overseas.
 
For example, it is being reported that Biden has actually given more than two billion dollars to the Taliban during the past two years…
 
A report by the Special Inspector General for Afghan Reconstruction (SIGAR) notes that the Biden administration has given $2.35 billion to Afghanistan over the past two years, despite the fact that it is now ruled by the Taliban again following the disastrous U.S. withdrawal in 2021.
 
The Washington Free Beacon shared details of the findings Tuesday, noting that the funds could be propping up the Taliban’s terrorist government.
 
Of course two billion dollars is just a drop in the bucket compared to what Biden has given to Ukraine.
 
Meanwhile, our own country is in absolutely horrible shape.
 
I write a lot about our rapidly growing economic problems, but the moral decay that is eating away at the foundations of our culture is an even bigger crisis.
 
We can see this moral decay in major cities from coast to coast, and we can also see it in rural areas. Here is just one example…
 
A woman in Texas has been placed under arrest after dozens of dead horses and dogs were discovered at a ranch reportedly under her control.
 
Animal cruelty had been suspected at a ranch in Westminster, Texas, about 50 miles northeast of Dallas, for some time. Dating back to 2019, police had received reports of alleged animal cruelty at the property at least 15 times.
 
Recently, police had received yet another report regarding animal maltreatment. Landscapers who had been doing work at the ranch called authorities to claim that they had seen the decaying remains of several animals.
 
Reading that probably made you very angry.
 
And it should.
 
If the police had taken previous reports of animal cruelty seriously, a lot of those deaths could have been prevented.
 
But it isn’t just a few crazed nuts like that woman that are our problem.
 
The truth is that our entire society is deeply sick. It is being reported that Pornhub is visited 115 million times a day, and many of those visitors are young adults and children…
 
Pornhub, the YouTube of pornography, gets more global users than Amazon or Netflix. In 2019, the last year Pornhub released its data, the site was visited 42 billion times, or 115 million times each day.
 
To put those numbers in perspective, there are only 331 million people living in the United States.
 
And please keep in mind that we are just talking about one website. There are thousands of other websites that are also preying on our young people.
 
I get extremely passionate about these issues, because the future of our country is literally hanging in the balance.
 
For decades, extreme leftists have been rapidly advancing their agenda, and that has brought us to where we are today.
 
Just about every form of evil that you can possibly imagine is exploding all around us, and if we don’t find a way to turn things around America really is doomed.

 


 


 
Daily Jot: Stupidocrisy: Secret Service Secrets - Bill Wilson – www.dailyjot.com
 
One of the biggest secrets about a major news story in recent weeks is being kept by the Secret Service. After all, the Secret Service is by law required to protect the President. It seems that one of the duties of the Secret Service under Joe Biden is to protect him and his son Hunter’s problems with cocaine. Yes, there is no proof that the cocaine found at the White House was Joe’s or Hunter’s. There is, however, a whole lot of speculation about who had access to the area where the cocaine was stored, when they had access, and who else was involved with the incident. The Secret Service is essentially saying, “we don’t know nothing about no cocaine in the White House.” This doesn’t meet the straight face test.
 
But nobody is laughing unless it’s the Biden family who really knows the truth. And the Secret Service knows the truth, too, but nobody is telling it. In fact, the Heritage Foundation filed a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request seeking the list of those who had access to the area where the coke was found. The Secret Service responded. No go. In a July 25 letter, the Department of Homeland Security, Freedom of Information Act Program Communications Center Freedom of Information Act Officer, Office of Intergovernmental and Legislative Affairs Kevin L Tyrrell declined to provide the requested FOIA information. With all the agency layers it takes to make a simple request, it’s a wonder any information can be had. But I digress.
 
Tyrrell wrote: “As your request seeks records reflecting visitors or related information concerning the Office of the President, please be advised that these records are not Secret Service agency records subject to the FOIA. Rather, these records are governed by the Presidential Records Act, 44 U.S.C. 2201 et seq., and remain under the exclusive legal custody and control of the White House.” Well now, that kind of clears up the whole custody of public information that is being withheld from the public by none other than Joe Biden’s White House. It’s only a year away from an election, give or take a few months. Probably, this information will be found in a top secret clearance box behind Joe’s cob-webbed corvette sometime after the election.
 
On July 13th, just ten days after the cocaine was found at the White House, the Secret Service ended its investigation into the matter “due to a lack of physical evidence.” The FBI, Secret Service, and who knows who else found no fingerprints. No DNA found. No video surveillance footage. No access records. Kind of hard to believe when these people can identify every face in the crowd of thousands for the January 6 investigation. They can arrest somebody after January 6 and hold them without due process for years, but can’t find who slipped a bag of coke into a White House locker. What would Joe say, “C’mon man!” Proverbs 6:17-18 says these things the Lord hates: “A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief…” This is no less, say it with me…Stupidocrisy.
 
Sources:
 
https://first-heritage-foundation.s3.amazonaws.com/live_files/2023/07/Presidential-Records-Act-Ltr.-Current-President.pdf

 


 


 
Daily Devotion: Hospitable Hearts - by Greg Laurie – www.harvest.org
 
And do not bring sorrow to God’s Holy Spirit by the way you live. Remember, he has identified you as his own, guaranteeing that you will be saved on the day of redemption.
—Ephesians 4:30
 
https://harvest.org/resources/devotion/hospitable-hearts/ - Listen
 
Have you ever noticed that different homes have their own smells? Some have odd odors, and you don’t want to stay very long. Others have inviting scents, like the smell of delicious food cooking, and you enjoy being there.
 
There is a difference between being in a home and being at home.
 
The Bible tells us that the Holy Spirit lives in the heart of every Christian. Romans 8:9 says, “But you are not controlled by your sinful nature. You are controlled by the Spirit if you have the Spirit of God living in you” (NLT).
 
When you become a Christian, the Holy Spirit seals and indwells you. But is the Holy Spirit at home in your heart? Is He comfortable in your life?
 
The Holy Spirit has a personality. Yes, He is God. And yes, we might even sin against Him specifically. The Bible tells us that it’s possible to insult the Holy Spirit, resist the Holy Spirit, and blaspheme the Holy Spirit.
 
We also can make the Holy Spirit sad. The apostle Paul wrote, “And do not bring sorrow to God’s Holy Spirit by the way you live. Remember, he has identified you as his own, guaranteeing that you will be saved on the day of redemption” (Ephesians 4:30 NLT).
 
Have you ever done or said something that reduced another person to tears? It’s hard to look at someone who is crying because of what you said or did. In the same way, we can do things that grieve the Holy Spirit.
 
Paul went on to say, “Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior” (verse 31 NLT). These things make the Holy Spirit sorrowful.
 
So, how can you tell if you’re living a Spirit-controlled life? The Holy Spirit will be at home in your heart.
 

 


 
PROPHECY UPDATE NEWS HEADLINES
Yesterday's Prophecies - Today's Headlines

 
HEADLINES IN PARTNERSHIP WITH 
TRACKING BIBLE PROPHECY
8/9/23
 
http://trackingbibleprophecy.org/birthpangs.php 

• 2023 sets record for settlement construction and outpost legalization - watchdog
• Australia: Government to harden stance against Israel's 'illegal settlements in occupied' West Bank
• Australia pledges to reinstate use of term 'Occupied Palestinian Territories'
• Shin Bet says it foiled West Bank terror cell's plans for shooting attacks
• Clashes Erupt as IDF Demolishes West Bank Home of Palestinian Who Killed Israeli Brothers in February
• Settler suspected in fatal shooting of Palestinian released to house arrest
• 2 Rahat men killed in drive-by shooting, as 2023 Arab crime death toll jumps to 144
• Protests against Hamas reemerge in the streets of Gaza, but will they persist?
• Cabinet peers assail far-right Smotrich for holding back funds for Arab community
• Amid rising accusations of racism, Smotrich adamant funds for Arab towns will be cut
• Europe's far-left is normalizing antisemitism, report co-authored by ADL warns
• Activists urge High Court to okay protest in moshav where Netanyahus are vacationing
• Police let protesters into Golan community where PM vacationing after court petition
• Bloomberg: Netanyahu's talk of shelving parts of overhaul fails to win over investors
• 'Almost everything is ready for the Third Temple' claims Israeli TV report on red heifers brought to Israel last year - Those five red heifers continue to cause excitement and consternation in the Jewish state
• Israel will attack 'every meter' of Lebanon in self-defense - Gallant
• Gallant warns Hezbollah against escalation: 'We'll return Lebanon to the Stone Age'
• Satire a Casualty as Arab Nations Clamp Down on Free Speech: AlHudood, the Onion of the Middle East, was banned in Jordan ahead of new law to curb online criticism
• Over 90 Iranian reporters said arrested or interrogated since protests started
• Five people killed in Cape Town taxi strike violence
• Christian anti-war activist leads vigil to protest Biden sending cluster bombs to Ukraine
• America Last: Biden's Billions for Ukraine Could Have Built a Wall Two Times Across U.S.-Mexico Border
• Niger coup: Wagner taking advantage of instability - Antony Blinken
• Zakharova Calls State Department "Liars": "They Know Perfectly Well They Told Zelensky to Stop Peace Talks"
• The MSM Suddenly Has Started To Discuss Replacing Zelensky
• China, Philippines' dispute over grounded warship heats up
• 'Alarming' China data upsets global stock markets
• Moody's Downgrades US Banks, Warns of Possible Cuts to Others
• Biden Admin Has Sent $2.35 Billion to Taliban Since Disastrous Afghanistan Withdraw
• Do scandals matter anymore? Study finds major controversies barely impact today's politicians
• White House Cocaine Traced to Individual in 'Biden Family Orbit': "If You Want the Name, Ask Joe Biden," Claims Source
• You Can't Make This Up: Obama-Appointed Judge Tanya Chutkan and Hunter Biden Shared Professional Ties at Boies Schiller Flexner, Firm that Worked for Burisma
• Mitch McConnell Urges House Republicans to Avoid Biden Impeachment
• President Trump Reveals the Dirty Jan. 6 Committee Illegally Destroyed their Records and Documents Now that He Has Full Subpoena Power
• Gaetz: Trump Could Get Immunity by Testifying Before House
• Washington DC grand jury that indicted Trump meets again in sign Jack Smith's probe isn't over - Mr Smith said his investigation would continue and focus on 'other individuals'
• Trump likely to face gag order after he targeted prosecutors, witnesses, and judges online, experts say
• Trump Signed Documents Acknowledging Conditions of Release, Includes 'Tampering, Retaliation, or Intimidation'
• Trump vows to keep talking about criminal cases despite prosecutors pushing for protective order
• Trump risks legal threats with public outbursts
• Trump says 'young racist' Georgia DA had an affair with a gang member - days before she's due to indict him
• Judge in Trump's Jan. 6 Case Gets Beefed Up Security Detail as Trump Calls for Her Recusal
• MSNBC's Jason Johnson: GOP Has Turned into a Terrorist 'Religious Cult' Called 'MAGA'
• Lindsey Graham: Democrats Break All Rules to Get President Trump
• Chris Christie Asserts Trump Guilty of Crimes in Classified Documents Case and Obstruction of Justice: "Reminded Me of What Maybe Abbott, Costello Meets the Corleones Would Have Looked Like"
• US judge sets hearing on evidence in Trump's 2020 election case
• Judge in Trump election case sets hearing for arguments about what evidence can be publicly disclosed
• Ballot Scanner Malfunction Disrupts Special Election in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio
• Former Conservative President of Brazil Jair Bolsonaro Attempts to Prevent Disqualification Until 2030 - His Criticism of the Electronic Voting System was Prohibited
• Brazil's Supreme Court Censors YouTuber Monark, Known as "Brazil's Joe Rogan"
• Zoom hit with allegations of enabling spying by China, hackers
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• "Project Omega" could be even bigger than Musk's Tesla, SpaceX, and PayPal combined - This tech is already being adopted 42-times faster than the internet, which is very important because faster adoption means faster wealth creation
• Russian rocket debris falls from space in spectacular fireball over southern Australia
• Russia deploys new defense military satellite days ahead of lunar launch
• Nasa asteroid strike unleashes boulder storm 'as deadly as Hiroshima'
• A Solar Flare Just Knocked Out Radio Across The US, And More Are on The Way
• 5.9 magnitude earthquake hits near Tonga
• 5.5 magnitude earthquake hits near Ikungi, Tanzania
• 5.3 magnitude earthquake hits near Pondaguitan, Philippines
• Sabancaya volcano in Peru erupts to 22,000ft
• Ubinas volcano in Peru erupts to 20,000ft
• Ruiz volcano in Colombia erupts to 19,000ft
• Semeru volcano in Indonesia erupts to 15,000ft
• Fuego volcano in Guatemala erupts to 15,000ft
• Santa Maria volcano in Guatemala erupts to 14,000ft
• Reventador volcano in Ecuador erupts to 14,000ft
• Typhoon Khanun lashes southern Japan, north braces for another storm
• Freak August hailstorm causes chaos as snowplows take to streets in summer - Germany experienced two freak hailstorms while wildfires ravage parts of Europe
• 'Glacial outburst flood' sweeps away homes in Alaska capital
• Chinese farmers hit by floods and drought say extreme weather is getting worse
• Alaska floods become latest climate symbol in disaster-filled summer
• Scientists confirm July was Earth's hottest month on record by a wide margin
• 'Extreme' marine heatwave reaches Oregon, Washington coast
• Wildfire rages for fourth day in southern Portugal, 1,400 people evacuated
• Southwest will appeal judge's ruling requiring 'religious liberty training'
• Tampa mayor makes $1.1M cocaine catch while fishing in Florida Keys with family
• Reports of Farm Attacks in South Africa Surge After Leftist 'Kill the Boer' Stadium Chant
• State of emergency declared for surge of migrants seeking shelter in Massachusetts
• Global child sexual abuse probe that was launched after two FBI agents were killed leads to almost 100 arrests - The Australian Federal Police announced Tuesday that at least 13 children were rescued from further harm as a result of a joint operation with the FBI, dubbed "Operation Bakis"
• A Simple Law Is Doing the Impossible. It's Making the Online Porn Industry Retreat. Pornhub has pulled out of multiple states rather than comply with age-verification laws.
• College Professor to Riley Gaines: 'Normalize' Exposing Kids to Adult Genitalia to Prepare Them for Trans Athletes
• Teen charged in death of gay man used homophobic slurs before fatal stabbing, complaint says
• Iraq bans media from using term 'homosexuality', says they must use 'sexual deviance'
• World Bank halts new loans to Uganda over anti-gay law
• Massachusetts bans Catholic couple from fostering children due to beliefs on gender, sexuality, lawsuit claims
• Florida district bars trans teachers from using preferred pronouns and bathrooms to comply with state law
• NYC doctor Zhi Alan Cheng facing over 20 sex crime charges after drugging and raping at least 6 women -and filming assaults
• Voters in Ohio reject GOP-backed proposal that would have made it tougher to protect abortion rights
• ADF slams Biden admin. for 'hijacking' Pregnant Workers Fairness Act with 'abortion mandate'
• Israeli researchers grow miniature, beating model of a human heart
• "Unprecedented" outbreak of West Nile virus alarms Colorado health officials
• Tainted Medication Fears Spur US Defense Department to Seek Outside Testing
• Facebook execs felt 'pressure' from Biden White House to censor COVID vaccine skepticism, emails show: report
• Study Suggests COVID Vaccine Heart Damage Much More Common Than Previously Thought
• Scientists work to make vaccine for 'Disease X,' the future pandemic
• UK developing vaccines for next pandemic - Virus remains unknown, but cause will be 'climate change'

 


 


 
FROM THE HEART
    
Let Us Make the Short Time We have Left,
Count for ALL of Eternity!

IF YOU HAVE BEEN BLESSED THROUGH THIS MINISTRY, THEN WE ASK THAT YOU WOULD PLEASE REMEMBER PROPHECY UPDATE IN YOUR GIVING - WE ARE TRULY, TRULY, THANKFUL FOR YOUR SUPPORT  
 
WORTHY OF YOUR SUPPORT?
 
One of the most reliable ways to determine if a ministry is worthy of your financial support is to examine its fruits. If Prophecy Update is keeping you informed, and if that information inspires you, and causes you to draw closer to the Lord, if Prophecy Update equips you with valuable information and knowledge to share with and encourage other believers, and open the eyes of non-believers, and if Prophecy Update keeps you connected to current events relating to Bible Prophecy, then you are partaking of the fruit produced through this ministry. None of this would be possible without the Lords blessings and your support. I believe where the Lord guides, the Lord provides, and most of the time He provides through the willing and generous hearts of believers just like you and me.
 
Humbly Seek Your Support
 
Prophecy Update has no corporate sponsors. This ministry is paid for and prayed for by readers and supporters. Without your support, there would be no Prophecy Update, Please pray about becoming a monthly supporter - thanks!
 
If ever there was a time to invest in God's Kingdom, it's now!
What on earth are you doing for Heaven's Sake?
"Share in the Blessings and Rewards that will last Forever!"
 
"Folks, it's all beginning to unravel. America is in more danger of falling than at any time in its history. But I believe Bible prophecy predicts this very decline. From this point on, we believers have to get serious. We are going to face discouragement, disillusionment and, most certainly, persecution in the time between now and the Rapture. But don't be discouraged or disillusioned. The coming turmoil will provide us unrivaled opportunities to share the good news of the Gospel. So be ready to share your faith and your hope with those who need Christ. We still have time to reap a great harvest of souls for God's kingdom!" - Hal Lindsey
 
1) We need your prayers!- We proclaim the Truth of the Word of God and we are under constant spiritual and sometimes even physical attack.
2) We need your encouragement!- We need to hear from you, let us know how the Lord is blessing you through this ministry so that we can share it with others.
3) We need your input! - If you have a prophetic article or story or if there is a news related item we missed, let us know.
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I ask that you would prayerfully consider partnering with us to get the Word out and keep the world informed. Remember, your gift, no matter how small, does make a difference! You will be helping to touch lives, around the world, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, thanks to the internet your generosity carries a global impact! - Thanks!
 
Our Prayer for You- "Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God. This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of God's people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God. Because of the service by which you have proved yourselves, men will praise God for the obedience that accompanies your confession of the gospel of Christ, and for your generosity in sharing with them and with everyone else." 2 Corinthians 9:10-13
 
If you have been blessed by Prophecy Update and would like to help support this ministry financially. You can make a secure donation online by going to:
 
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Prophecy Update
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We are very pleased to offer all our readers this FREE download on Bible Prophecy from the Evangelical Bible College of Western Australia - Just download and enjoy and be blessed! Feel free to share it with all your friends and family members.
 
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"AS YOU SEE THE DAY APPROACHING"
 
 
 
 
If You Died Today, Would You Go To Heaven?
Find out, visit:
www.thegoodtest.net
www.gotquestions.org
www.wayofthemaster.com 
How to know God
 
 
 
DID YOU KNOW?
You can submit an article, leave a comment or praise report at email:
[email protected]
 
 
Maranatha! (Lord Come Quickly)
 
 "On Christ the Solid Rock I Stand, All other ground is sinking sand."
 
 "Let Us make the short time we have left count for all eternity!"
 
 YBIC-Randy