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Daniel’s Prophecy Validates Our Hope in Jesus’ Imminent Appearing – Jonathan Brentner - https://www.jonathanbrentner.com/https/jonathan-brentner-g8fgsquarespacecom/config
The Bible tells us there will be a third Jewish Temple and that Israel will build it prior to the midpoint of the Tribulation, for it’s at that time the antichrist will defile it. This prophecy originates with the prophet Daniel, who wrote about the “seventy weeks,” or literally in the Hebrew “seventy sevens,” that God had decreed for the people of Israel. What does Daniel’s prophecy have to do with the Jesus’ imminent appearing? If the last period of Daniel’s “seventy weeks” is now nearing its start, this verifies that we live in the last days of human history. The scoffers of our day, however, tell us that Daniel’s words are no longer relevant for today and that Israel’s rebirth as a nation was just a fluke of history. Does this prophecy remain unfulfilled? Yes! Absolutely! As we follow it through Scripture, we not only gain greater clarity regarding it, but also understand why Daniel’s “seventieth week” must refer to a still future time. THE SEVENTY WEEKS OF DANIEL 9:24-27 We find this amazing prophecy concerning Israel and the Messiah in Daniel 9:24-27. Verses 25-26 provide the starting and endpoint events for the first sixty-nine grouping of seven years, which ended with the cutting off of “an anointed one,” the Messiah. Daniel tells us what will happen after the sixty-nine periods of seven years: “And after the sixty-two weeks, an anointed one shall be cut off and shall have nothing. And the people of the prince who is to come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary. Its end shall come with a flood, and to the end there shall be war. Desolations are decreed.” The Roman destruction of Jerusalem and the second temple in AD 70 fulfilled the words of this verse concerning Jerusalem and the second temple exactly as Daniel predicted. Verse 27 reveals what will mark the start the start of this last period of seven years, a covenant with the antichrist, and what will happen at its midpoint, the desecration of the Jewish temple: “And he shall make a strong covenant with many for one week, and for half of the week he shall put an end to sacrifice and offering. And on the wing of abominations shall come one who makes desolate, until the decreed end is poured out on the desolator.” As we turn to the New Testament, we see more references to this “desolator” that Daniel said would someday defile the Temple. JESUS REGARDED THE FULFILLMENT OF DANIEL’S PROPHECY AS A SIGN OF HIS RETURN In Matthew 24:15, Jesus referred to desecration of the temple, the event Daniel said would happen at the midpoint of the prophet’s seventieth seven, which we refer to today as the future seven-year Tribulation: So when you see the abomination of desolation spoken of by the prophet Daniel, standing in the holy place (let the reader understand). Jesus told His disciples that Daniel’s prophecy regarding the seventieth seven would find its fulfillment in the future, as a sign of the end of the age and of His Second Coming (Matthew 24:3). He regarded it as literal with a still future fulfillment. The Lord added an important detail to this prophecy saying that Israel would see Daniel’s “desolator” (Daniel 9:27) standing in the “holy place” of the temple. PAUL IDENTIFIES THE “DESOLATOR” AS THE FUTURE “MAN OF LAWLESSNESS” This prophetic thread regarding Daniel’s seventieth week does not end with Jesus’ prophecy. In 2 Thessalonians 2, the apostle Paul identifies the one who will desecrate the temple as the “man of lawlessness,” or the one we refer to today as the “antichrist.” “Let no one deceive you in any way. For that day will not come, unless the rebellion comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, who opposes and exalts himself against every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, proclaiming himself to be God.” (2 Thessalonians 2:3-4) In the above verses, the apostle also tells us how the antichrist will defile the temple. He will enter the temple and there proclaim himself to be God, the God of Israel. The apostle adds another essential detail in regard to our identification of this “man of lawlessness.” The Lord Jesus Himself will kill him at His Second Coming. In 2 Thessalonians 2:8, Paul says: “And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will kill with the breath of his mouth and bring to nothing by the appearance of his coming.” At His return to earth, Jesus will destroy the one that will desecrate the Jewish temple. THE APOSTLE JOHN WITNESSED THE FUTURE DESTRUCTION OF THE MAN OF LAWLESSNESS In Revelation 13:6, John tells us that the coming beast, the antichrist, will open “its mouth to utter blasphemies against God, blaspheming his name and his dwelling.” This is the guy of Daniel’s prophecy (9:27 and also 11:36) as well as the one Jesus referred to Matthew 24:15. In Revelation 19:19-20, John writes as an eyewitness to the future destruction of this beast that will desecrate the Jewish temple: “And I saw the beast and the kings of the earth with their armies gathered to make war against him who was sitting on the horse and against his army. And the beast was captured, and with it the false prophet who in its presence had done the signs by which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped its image. These two were thrown alive into the lake of fire that burns with sulfur.” Just as the Paul wrote in 2 Thessalonians 2:8, Jesus Himself destroys the “desolator” of Daniel 9:27 and Matthew 24:15 at His Second Coming. He throws him into the lake of fire. THE WITNESS OF IRENAEUS (AD 130-202) REGARDING THE ANTICHRIST Irenaeus, an early church leader, bishop in Lyons, France, and prominent theologian, wrote Against Heresies in AD 180 to combat the spread of Gnosticism in the early church. He was born in Smyrna and received his training in the faith from Polycarp, whom the apostle John himself discipled. In Against Heresies, book 5, chapter 30, section 4, Irenaeus wrote: “But when the antichrist shall have devastated all things in this world, he will reign for three years and six months, and sit in the temple in Jerusalem; and then the Lord will come from heaven in the clouds, in the glory of the Father, sending this man and those who follow him into the lake of fire; but bringing in for the righteous times of the kingdom . . . .”[i] This quote reveals several significant details about his beliefs:
Even though his words are not Scripture, they reveal an important understanding regarding the desecration of the Jerusalem temple during the second century AD church. Irenaeus along with many others in the early church saw Daniel’s seventieth week of years as awaiting a still future fulfillment. IT’S PROPHECY! As we followed the thread of Daniel’s prophecy through the New Testament and into church history, it became readily apparent that it remains unfulfilled. No other explanation fits. 1. THE ALLEGORICAL APPROACH In order for the allegorical interpretation to be true, one must: believe that when the disciples asked Jesus for signs of His return, He responded with allegory that did not provide them with any indication whatsoever of what to watch for in regard to the end of the age or His coming. assert that Paul responded to the Thessalonians’ panic regarding the start of the Day of the Lord with allegory that would not have alleviated their fears nor given them any clear guidance regarding whether or not this day had begun. One must do irreparable harm to the words of Scripture to hold to the view that Jesus’ and Paul’s words regarding the defilement of the temple were allegorical. 2. THE HISTORICAL FULFILLMENT The historical interpretation regarding Daniel’s prophecy of the desecration of the temple is also impossible. As we followed the thread of his words though the New Testament, we saw that it had not yet happened in AD 95 when John wrote the book of Revelation. And no Jewish temple has been built since that time. Scripture tells us that the Lord Himself will kill the defiler of the temple at His Second Coming. There is clearly no time in history when this has happened. The historical interpretation, as well as the allegorical approach, requires that one twist the words of Scripture to fit a predetermined, man-made hypothesis. When one interprets the words of Jesus, Paul, and John in the way they intended, it becomes abundantly clear that seventieth seven of Daniel has not yet happened. It awaits a future fulfillment. 3. THE FUTURE PROPHETIC INTERPRETATION The only interpretation of Daniel’s seventieth week that preserves the integrity of Scripture is the one that places the antichrist’s defilement of the temple at the midpoint of a still future seven-year tribulation. SO, WHAT IF IT REMAINS UNFULFILLED? The unfulfilled nature of this Daniel’s prophecy in 9:27 signifies that we live in the last days of human history. It confirms that the miraculous rebirth and supernatural protection of Israel since 1948 were not flukes of history as the scoffers tell us. The intense planning in Israel today to build the third temple is not a just an insane coincidence of time and space, it surely points to the nearness of the seventieth week of Daniel 9:27, and thus to the start of this seven-year period of time. For us as New Testament saints, the unfulfilled nature of the last week of Daniel’s validates our hope in Jesus’ imminent appearing. We do not live at a time similar to past chaotic and violent times in history, we live in the moments leading up to the seven-year Tribulation and thus to the Rapture that happens before it. Daniel’s prophecy tells us that we are not mistaken concerning the convergence of signs in our day. During the two-thousand-year gap between periods sixty-nine and seventy of Daniel’s prophecy, the Lord has focused His attention upon the church. However, that must of necessity change with the start of the last period of seven years, which pertain solely to Israel. This means that the church must be out of here, raptured, before God once again turns His attention to Israel and completes the purposes that He announced in Daniel 9:24 for His people. Just as it was through Israel that the Messiah arrived in Bethlehem long ago, so it is through the nation of Israel that Jesus’ reign of righteousness will begin as He takes His seat on the throne of David. The events of the seven-year tribulation will prepare Israel for that moment as God brings them to salvation. The Rapture must happen before Daniel’s “seventieth seven” because that’s when the Lord will deal with Israel and bring them to repentance just before He appears in His glory (Zechariah 12:10-13:1). My new book, The Triumph of the Redeemed-An eternal Perspective that Calms Our Fears in Perilous Times, is now available on Amazon. Jonathan C. Brentner Website: Our Journey Home [i] Irenaeus, “Against Heresies,” The Ante-Nicene Fathers, 10 vols., Vol. 1 (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1979), p. 560. The Gog-Magog and Armageddon Wars – Part 1 – Randy Nettles - https://www.rev310.net/post/the-gog-magog-and-armageddon-wars-part-1 The war of Gog-Magog that Ezekiel wrote about in Ezekiel 38 & 39 is located “in the midst” of Ezekiel 37 and Ezekiel 40. This gives us a sense of when this yet future war occurs. Ezekiel 37 is titled “The Dry Bones Live – One Kingdom, One King” and describes the resurrection of the nation of Israel back into their God-given land. Ezekiel is not referring to the nation of Judah returning to their homeland upon Cyrus’ decree but is prophesying about an even further (in time) future event, where the whole house (12 tribes) of the children of Israel will be ‘resurrected’ or brought back to the land that God gave to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and his sons forever (Ezekiel 37:18-20). In historical hindsight, we know this occurred on May 14, 1948, when Israel declared their independence and joined the ranks of the modern nations of the world. In Ezekiel 37:22-28, Ezekiel prophesies even further into the future and writes on the subject of King Jesus, Prince David, and the nation of Israel in the Millennial Kingdom. Chapters 40-48 describe the Millennial Temple that will be in place during Jesus’ 1000-year reign on earth, which begins at the end of the war of Armageddon and Daniel’s Seventieth Week. In between Israel’s resurrection as a nation in 1948 and the future Millennial Kingdom is the Gog-Magog war of Ezekiel 38 & 39. This is not the same Gog-Magog mentioned in Revelation 20:7-9 which occurs at the end of the Millennial Kingdom when God destroys the rebels with fire coming down from heaven (as He did at Sodom and Gomorrah). I believe this Gog-Magog is named thus because of the similarities of the original Gog-Magog (in Ezekiel 38, 39) who rebel against God and attempt to destroy the Jews. Their means of destruction and lack of a need for burial (because they are cremated by fire), etc. indicate these are not the same two events and are separated by at least 1000 years. In a previous article, entitled “What’s Next?” I described the what, where, and why of Gog and his allies' war on Israel. In this article, I will just give you my opinion (and many others) as to the ‘when’ of this war. There are three prevalent theories on the timing of the Gog-Magog War found in Ezekiel: 1) Before the Tribulation 2) During the Tribulation 3) At the end of the Tribulation and at the same time as the war of Armageddon. Many teachers of eschatology believe the war of Gog-Magog happens about the same time as the pre-Tribulation Rapture of the Church. God uses this battle to re-awaken the nations to His presence…, especially Israel. It is thought that the Church will have to ‘disappear’ at the Rapture, and then God turns His full attention back to Israel. Acts 15:14-15 confirms this: “Simon (Peter) has declared how God at the first visited the Gentiles to take out of them a people for His name. And with this the words of the prophets agree, just as it is written: ‘After this, I will return and will rebuild the tabernacle of David, which has fallen down; I will rebuild its ruins, and I will set it up; so that the rest of mankind may seek the Lord, even all the Gentiles who are called by My name, says the Lord who does all these things.’’” GOG – MAGOG WAR God will certainly get the attention of Israel and the nations when he supernaturally destroys the armies of Gog and his allies. First, God causes a great earthquake to occur in the land of Israel. “ For in My jealousy and in the fire of My wrath I have spoken: ‘Surely in that day there shall be a great earthquake in the land of Israel, so that the fish of the sea, the birds of the heavens, the beasts of the field, all creeping things that creep on the earth, and all men who are on the face of the earth shall shake at My presence. The mountains shall be thrown down, the steep places shall fall, and every wall shall fall to the ground’” (Ezekiel 38:20). The second method of destruction God uses is one of His old favorites. He causes all the different peoples in this confederacy to fight against one another. “ I will call for a sword against Gog throughout all My mountains,” says the Lord God. Every man’s sword will be against his brother (Ezekiel 38:21). The other method God uses to destroy Israel’s enemies is found in verse 22: “And I will bring him to judgment with pestilence and bloodshed; I will rain down on him, on his troops, and on the many peoples who are with him, flooding rain, great hailstones, fire, and brimstone.” The “fire and brimstone” that rain down on Gog and his co-harts will not be nuclear weapons from Israel or any other nation but will be a supernatural judgment from God. It is similar to how the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah. “Then the Lord rained brimstone and fire on Sodom and Gomorrah, from the Lord out of the heavens. So He overthrew those cities, all the plain, all the inhabitants of the cities, and what grew on the ground” (Genesis 19:24-25). Then God tells Ezekiel, “Thus I will magnify Myself and sanctify Myself, and I will be known in the eyes of many nations. Then they shall know that I am the Lord” (Ezekiel 38:23). Once again God reminds the children of Israel and the Gentiles that He is the Great I AM, just as when He made His covenant with Abraham, “I am the Lord, who brought you out of Ur of the Chaldeans, to give you this land to inherit it” (Genesis 15:7). God also told Moses to tell the children of Israel His name if they asked, “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). If this supernatural destruction of the Gog coalition described in the book of Ezekiel occurs 3.5 years before the Tribulation, then it satisfies the notion that the timing might occur at least 7 years before the “in the midst” event of the abomination of desolation as described in Daniel 9:27, Matthew 24:15, & Mark 13:14. This is because, according to Ezekiel, the Jews would burn the weapons of the armies of the nations that attacked them for a period of 7 years (Ezekiel 39:10). Juxtaposed with this same period of time is the warning Jesus gives in His Olivet Discourse, that when the generation that sees the A.O.D. spoken of by Daniel the prophet, they should immediately flee to the mountains. They should not even take time to pack their clothes, but to flee for their lives. Now, if this is the case, then the Jews that are fleeing will not bother to burn weapons or take the ‘fuel’ with them to burn later. The next theory of the timing of the Gog-Magog war is that it will occur at the start of the Tribulation or in the first 3.5 years of the 7-year Tribulation. If it begins at the start (or slightly before) of the Tribulation, the weapons could be burned up before the Millennium begins. However, the advice of Jesus to the Jews regarding to “flee to the mountains (immediately if not sooner) when you see the A.O.D.” would have to be ignored, and they will carry some of the weapons (as fuel for fire) with them to Petra. This will result in many deaths as the Antichrist’s persecution of the Jews will be swift and decisive. If the Gog-Magog war starts sometime in the first half of the Tribulation, then 7 years later the Millennium Kingdom will have already started. The Jews would still be burning weapons for fuel, for at least 3.5 years into the Millennium. Because of this fact, I don’t see this as a viable option. The last theory, and least likely in my opinion, is that the Gog-Magog war is the same as the Armageddon war, and will occur at the end of the Tribulation and before the 2nd Coming of Christ. In this scenario, Russia and her allies are merely part of a worldwide coalition that comes against Israel at the end of days. However, there are several problems with this view. According to Dr. Arnold G. Fruchtenbaum, there are eight objections to this end of the Tribulation (war of Armageddon) timing of the Gog-Magog war. “First, in Ezekiel, there are definite allies mentioned and they are limited in number, while other nations stand in opposition. In the Campaign of Armageddon, all nations are allied together against Jerusalem without exception. Second, the Ezekiel invasion comes from the north, but the Armageddon invasion comes from the whole earth. Third, the purpose of the Russian invasion is to take the spoil; the purpose of the Armageddon campaign is to destroy all the Jews. Fourth, in the Ezekiel invasion, there is a protest against the invasion; in the Armageddon invasion, there is no protest because all the nations are involved. Fifth, the Armageddon invasion is destroyed by the personal Second Coming of Jesus the Messiah. Sixth, the Ezekiel invasion is destroyed on the mountains of Israel; the Armageddon invasion is destroyed in the area between Petra and Jerusalem. Seventh, the Russian invasion takes place while Israel is living securely in the Land; the Armageddon campaign takes place while Israel is in flight and in hiding.” “Furthermore, this view fails to solve the problem of the seven months (burial) and seven years (weapons burning), since both would have to continue into the Millennium to be accomplished. Again, this is inconsistent with other revelation regarding the Kingdom, which starts out with a thoroughly cleansed earth.” {1} Let me reiterate the fifth point of Mr. Fruchtenbaum. Gog and allies will meet their demise by natural and supernatural means: a great earthquake, fighting amongst themselves, pestilence and bloodshed, flooding rain and great hailstones, fire and brimstone. The Armageddon forces will meet their demise by supernatural means as well, but it will be on a personal level as Jesus Christ defeats them in person with no outside help. Because of the supernatural means of destruction in the Gog-Magog war, it will be evident to the Jews that God intervened for Israel to save them. “I will set My glory among the nations; all the nations shall see My judgment which I have executed, and My hand which I have laid on them. So the house of Israel shall know that I am the Lord their God from that day forward’ (Ezekiel 39:21). They will, at this point, attempt to renew their old covenant (the Law) with God and make preparations to rebuild their third temple in Jerusalem. They will not at this point accept (still) Jesus as their Messiah. The destruction of the Gog-Magog alliance will initiate the conditions for the 10 kings' government to take control and begin the “great reset” or new world order (world government). They will re-zone the world into 10 regions with 10 kings. Israel will acquiesce and become part of this pact. Eventually, the Antichrist will come on the scene and will confirm (make stronger) a 7-year covenant (of nations) and guarantee Israel’s security in exchange for giving up some land for the Palestinians. As part of the ‘covenant’, the A.C. will allow Israel to build a temple in Jerusalem and allow animal sacrifices for their religious rituals. The temple must be built before the mid-point of the 7-year covenant when the A.C. attacks Jerusalem and sets up his ‘abomination of desolation’ in the newly built temple. I believe Ezekiel 39:25-29 is a continuation of Ezekiel 37:22-28 and is referring to the Millennial Kingdom of God after Jesus Christ returns to the earth; when He will gather all 12 tribes of the children of Israel back to the Promised Land after Jacob’s Trouble (Tribulation). Israel will then have fulfilled all the objectives of Daniel’s prophecy of the 70 Weeks/Sevens. This will only happen at the end of the Tribulation when Israel (remnant Jews) finally recognize Jesus as the Messiah and confess their national sin. They will plead with Him to return and save them from physical and spiritual death. In part II we will examine the Armageddon war and further compare the two. Randy Nettles [email protected] Endnotes: {1} The Footsteps of the Messiah by Dr. Arnold G. Fruchtenbaum – Ariel Ministries Publishers, pg. 119 Middle East Review: A Tense Jerusalem – Amir Tsarfati - https://harbingersdaily.com/mideast-review-w-amir-tsarfati-a-tense-jerusalem/ Again, the situation is tense in Jerusalem. Yesterday, Israelis planned a flag march around the old city in order to remind everyone that the city belongs to us. The request for permission was rejected by the police citing “short notice”. The protesters gathered anyway, but their path to the Damascus Gate which would have given them access into the old city was blocked by police. Last Thursday, an Israeli air strike took out Iranian weapons shipments and radar systems in western Damascus. This was part of an on-going battle against the Tehran regime arming its proxy militias. Rockets fired from Gaza toward southern Israel sparked an Israeli Air Force attack on the Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of Hamas. A weapons production facility was destroyed. Hamas was quite proud of the fact that they were able to fire a few Russian SA-7 anti-aircraft missiles at the Israeli jets, despite none of them finding their targets. Another rocket was fired yesterday from Gaza and it hit a house. The sinking of the Moskva, the flagship of the Russian navy, in the Black Sea has caused great jubilation amongst Russia’s enemies and no shortage of memes on social media. It is believed that two Ukrainian Neptune anti-ship cruise missiles struck the warship 60 miles south of Odessa sending it to its grave. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced Monday that Russia has launched its anticipated offensive in Ukraine’s eastern Donbas region. After failing to take Kyiv, Putin appears to be turning his efforts back to the southern areas east of the Dnieper River. As always, for detailed information as it happens, subscribe to my Telegram channel. Just today there was more Ramadan violence, as at least 22 people have been killed and 32 more wounded in a terrorist attack in Mazar-i-Sharif, Afghanistan. ISIS has claimed responsibility for the bomb blast that destroyed the Sai Doken mosque. Another four were killed and 18 wounded in an explosion in Kunduz city. Before the end of this month, Iran will likely have enough highly enriched uranium (HEU) to create a nuclear explosive. A nuclear Iran will drastically change world geopolitical dynamics and will put all countries at great risk, particularly Israel and Saudi Arabia. Iran claims that it arrested three Mossad agents. Because the Mossad has so many agents of various nationalities in a vast number of countries, it is probable that those detainees are not Israelis. Iran unveiled its new Kaman-22 UAV on Monday. This high-tech drone, similar to the US Predator MQ-1 and Reaper MQ-9, can be armed with a variety of missiles. Its range is over 3,000 kms and it can fly for more than 24 hours at a time. Kim Jong Un watched the testing of a new North Korean guided tactical weapon. The projectile system is said to bolster their ability to deliver nuclear warheads. New World Disorder: What the UN Vote on Russia Really Reveals About Global Politics - by Ahmed Charai - https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/18462/un-vote-russia The latest battle zone in the Russia-Ukraine war was in the quiet, mostly mannerly halls of the United Nations. There, in the UN's iconic New York headquarters, the world voted on Russia's largest invasion since World War II -- revealing fractures and fissures in global support for democracy. Suspending Russia from the UN Human Rights Council was technically the issue put before the delegates. But every diplomat knew it was really a vote on Russia's assault on Ukraine. The consensus for democracy and self-determination was fragile: only 93 states (out of 193) voted for removing Russia from the UNHRC, and therefore condemning its actions against its smaller, weaker neighbor. Another 24 nations (including China) voted with Russia. Most worrisome, 58 countries abstained, refusing to take sides in what many see as a duel between the great powers. Others feared that energy, food, and fertilizer prices might continue to climb if the conflict escalates. (Both Russia and Ukraine are major producers of oil, gas, wheat, and fertilizing petrochemicals -- all of which are a matter of life and death for developing nations.) Fear and food are more important to many developing nations than democratic ideals. American and European policy makers will have to face a hard truth: while Russia is diplomatically isolated, it is not entirely alone, and many countries do not side with Ukraine and its democratic hopes. The view from the rubble of Kyiv's suburbs isn't hopeful. Ukraine's democratically elected leaders know that they could be captured, wounded, or killed. And they also know that the history of sanctions, the weapon of choice of the Western coalition, shows that they almost always fail to tame invaders. All of these facts were known to the UN delegates. Indeed, they would have heard them directly from Ukrainian diplomats. But high ideals and real desperation didn't move them. Let's look more closely at why 100 nations decided not to support Ukraine in the UN vote. In Africa, Russia has forged long-standing relations with Libya, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Mali, and often deploys a postcolonial pattern, which suggests that Russia supports the independent, emerging nations over their former colonial masters. This line of rhetoric is a continuation of the theme first promoted in the days of the Soviet Union, particularly from the 1950s onwards. In Latin America, a form of anti-Americanism among the educated classes has translated into a reluctance to openly criticize Putin. This is amplified by messages vocally propagated by Cuba and Venezuela. China's initial abstention is seen more as a sign of embarrassment in the face of the belligerent aims of its Russian partner, than as a show of their interest in a rapprochement with the West. In Western capitals, many want to believe that Beijing has an interest in an early ceasefire, so as not to hinder its economic growth. In reality, China sees no reason to anger Russia, a major supplier of oil, gas, and coal, especially since Western nations are discouraging the production of the very fossil fuels that China needs. Policy-making circles in Beijing are not crowded with idealists, and its decisions are invariably self-interested and pragmatic. India, for its part, is a long-standing ally of Russia, one of its major arms suppliers. New Delhi believes that it will need those weapons in the face of the Chinese military build-up in the region, as well as in the face of unresolved issues with Pakistan. Arab nations do not intend to abandon their relations with Russia, which has established itself as a force to be reckoned with when it saved Syria's President Bashar al-Assad through its military intervention; nor with China, the largest buyer of oil and gas from Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. Indeed, Arab leaders are unhappy with the Biden administration for its precipitous withdrawal from Afghanistan last year, its ongoing negotiations with the threatening regime in Iran, and its laxity in the face of the Yemen-based Houthi terrorist and rocket attacks. For the first time, Arab leaders are asking questions, publicly, about the sustainability of the American political system and the coherence of American foreign policy. On the Iranian nuclear dossier, Israel, one of the firmest allies of the US in the region, fears that the Biden administration wants at all costs to conclude an agreement with the Iranian regime without taking into account the possible impact on the regional aggression of Tehran. The Israeli minister of defense even called for the implementation of a "solid plan B" to deal with the Iranian nuclear program. As a result, neither the Arabs nor the Israelis were enthusiastic about supporting the US at the UN -- although they did line up in the end. What has been eroding for some years now is the commitment of American leaders to defend, maintain, and advance an international order in which states observe common rules and standards, embrace liberal economic systems, renounce territorial conquests, respect the sovereignty of national governments, and adopt democratic reforms. In today's increasingly complex global environment, the US can only achieve its goals by leveraging its strength through a cohesive foreign policy that responds to the challenges posed by Russia and China. To do this, the US must deliberately strengthen and cultivate productive relationships with its allies, partners, and other nations with common interests. The US must offer attractive political, economic, and security alternatives to China's influence in the Indo-Pacific, Africa, and beyond. At the same time, the US must maintain a productive strategic dialogue with China that will clearly communicate US concerns and strive to understand Chinese interests and objectives. Universal principles must be combined with the reality of other regions' outlooks. Western leaders must recognize that non-Western leaders aren't just living in another place, but rather, they are coming from another place intellectually. Henry Kissinger put it best in 2014: "The celebration of universal principles must go hand in hand with the recognition of the reality of other regions' histories, cultures, and points of view on their security." The UN vote showed that universal principles aren't quite universal yet. Rather than condemn the nations that abstained from voting against Russia, America must seek to understand why they thought sitting out the vote was their best option. Next, America must make clear that it still supports the rule of law and the ideal of democracy and put steel behind its ideals. Ahmed Charai is the chairman and CEO of a media conglomerate and a Middle East adviser in the United States and abroad. He is on the board of numerous think tanks and NGOs, including the Atlantic Council, the International Center for Journalists, International Crisis Group, and the Jerusalem Institute for Strategy and Security. His articles have appeared in leading American and Israeli publications. A List Of 16 Major Fires That Have Occurred At Key Food Industry Facilities In The U.S. Since The Start Of 2022 - by Michael Snyder - http://theeconomiccollapseblog.com/a-list-of-16-major-fires-that-have-occurred-at-key-food-industry-facilities-in-the-u-s-since-the-start-of-2022/ Can anyone explain why absolutely massive fires just keep erupting again and again at critical facilities all over America? The tragic destruction by fire of the headquarters of Azure Standard in Oregon shocked millions of people, and since that news broke quite a few readers have been reaching out to me about the long string of unusual blazes that we have been witnessing from coast to coast in recent months. I decided to look into this phenomenon for myself, and I am sharing what I have discovered so far in this article. Dr. Benjamin Braddock and others had already been digging into this, and their research proved quite valuable as I began my investigation. Some of the incidents that people have reported I was not able to independently verify, and others I felt were too minor to be put on this list. With all that being said, the following is a list of 16 major fires that have occurred at key food industry facilities in the U.S. since the start of 2022… #1 Salinas, California As the smoke settles near Taylor Farms, questions remain on the future of the business and the roughly 1,000 people employed at the Abbott Street facility. There is little to nothing left of the processing facility due to fire and smoke damages caused by Wednesday night’s blaze, according to Deputy Fire Chief Sam Klemek. “About 85% to 95% of the building is a total loss,” he said. #2 Hermiston, Oregon Multiple workers are hospitalized following an explosion at a food processing facility that has nearby residents on alert for possible evacuation. The explosion occurred Tuesday evening at Shearer’s Foods in Hermiston, a city in agriculturally rich eastern Oregon. No deaths have been reported from the blast, but the extent of the damage to the plant and its future were not clear. City officials are concerned what the fire could mean for the community and local economy. #3 Conway, New Hampshire Neighbors banded together to support crews as they battled a fire in Conway for about 16 hours Monday night. More than 12 departments and agencies worked together to put out the fire at East Conway Beef and Pork. #4 San Juan, Texas On March 31, 2022, a structure fire significantly damaged a large portion of the largest fresh onion packing facilities in South Texas. #5 Jonesboro, Arkansas “The situation at our Jonesboro factory is under control and we are looking into the cause of the fire,” a Nestle spokesperson said. “Thankfully, no employees were injured and all are safe. We appreciate the quick response of the Jonesboro Fire Department and emergency response teams. The factory will remain closed as we assess the damage and return the factory to full operation. We plan to continue to support our employees financially during this time.” Nestle opened the plant in 2002 and in December 2020 the company unveiled plans to invest more than $100 million to expand the frozen foods plant, including the addition of 90,000 square feet and a new production line for Hot Pockets frozen sandwiches. In addition to Hot Pockets, Nestle makes products under the Stouffer’s, Lean Cuisine, DiGiorno, Tombstone and Sweet Earth brands at the plant. #6 Mauston, Wisconsin A portion of Mauston’s Wisconsin River Meats burnt down during an overnight fire Feb. 2-3, with the cause of the fire still under investigation. “The old portion of the plant is a total loss,” Wisconsin River Meats said in a Facebook post about the fire. “We humbly ask that you be patient and please give us some time to sort out the cause of the fire and for us to transition some of our business and invoicing to our warehouse.” #7 Fayetteville, Illinois Operating from what company officials referred to as the command center at Deli Star Corp.’s St. Louis Innovation Center, the Siegel family-led operations and executive team have spent the week scrambling to fulfill customers’ orders and work with local officials investigating a Jan. 11 fire that destroyed its 75,000-square-foot processing plant in Fayetteville, about 40 miles southeast of them. #8 Belfast, Maine Fire crews from several towns have been battling a fire at the Penobscot McCrum potato processing plant in Belfast. Crews were called to the scene at 28 Pierce Street around 3:30 a.m., according to Maine Department of Public Safety spokesperson Shannon Moss. #9 Leoti, Kansas A fire at a fertilizer company in western Kansas prompted evacuations Tuesday afternoon because hazardous materials were involved, officials said. The Ford County Regional Hazardous Materials Team deployed to Leoti for the fire and was fighting the blaze and removing hazardous material, Wichita County Clerk Lynda Goodrich said. #10 Claypool, Indiana Louis Dreyfus Company (LDC) said on Wednesday a fire had broken out in a bag house at its Claypool, Indiana, soybean processing and biodiesel plant on Tuesday and the affected systems had been suspended. No employees were injured and the fire was put out by 9:15 p.m. central time on Tuesday, LDC said in a statement. LDC’s website said soybean deliveries were suspended at the plant on Wednesday. LDC says Claypool is the largest fully integrated soybean processing and biodiesel plant in the United States. #11 Winston-Salem, Carolina An uncontrolled fire at a fertilizer plant in North Carolina forced thousands of people to evacuate as firefighters stood back Tuesday because of the danger of a large explosion. Authorities drove through neighborhoods and knocked on doors asking residents to leave within a one-mile radius (1.6 km) of the Winston Weaver Company fertilizer plant on the north side of Winston-Salem, where the fire started Monday night. Overnight, bright orange flames and thick plumes of smoke could be seen shooting into the sky. No injuries were reported. #12 Sunnyside, Washington A smoldering pile of sulfur quickly became a raging chemical fire just after 1 p.m. Monday at Nutrien Ag Solutions, 1101 Midvale Road, Sunnyside Fire Chief Ken Anderson said. The fire destroyed one storage building on the southeast corner of the fertilizer storage facility in the Port of Sunnyside and damaged others, but adjacent Nutrien buildings and storage tanks containing hazardous chemicals were spared, Anderson said Monday evening. #13 Lecompte, Louisiana A fire started at the Cargill-Nutrena feed mill in Lecompte, LA in the early hours of Thursday morning and burned for 12 hours, coverage by local television news station KALB said. An explosion reportedly occurred as firefighters were working the scene. #14 Maricopa, Arizona It’s a long road to recovery for Maricopa Food Pantry after a fire destroyed around 50,000 lb of food. The fire happened just 15 minutes after their food bank closed on Monday morning. Smoke was still coming from the rubble 24 hours later. “It had to be 40-50 feet in the air, just pure black smoke. It engulfed the entire neighborhood,” said Maricopa Food Pantry President Mike Connelly. “The heat we could feel down at the corner.” #15 Dufur, Oregon The headquarters of Azure Standard, the nation’s premier independent distributor of organic and healthy food, was destroyed by fire overnight. There were no injuries. The cause of the fire is unknown and under investigation. The loss of the facility and the impact on companywide operations is being assessed and expected to be limited and temporary. No other Azure Standard facilities were affected. #16 Planfield, Indiana Investigators from the ATF’s National Response Team began its on-scene investigation on Friday into the massive fire at a Walmart facility in Plainfield. The team, led by Supervisor Christopher Forkner, is working with the Plainfield Fire Territory, Indiana State Fire Marshal’s Office and the Plainfield Police Department, according to a press release. ATF special agents from the Indianapolis Offices of the Columbus Field Division will also be assisting. Of course it is not unusual for there to be fires at food industry facilities, and fire departments are accustomed to responding to such fires and putting them out. But in many of these cases, we are talking about absolutely uncontrollable fires that seemed to erupt very suddenly. And in many of these cases the firefighters that responded were not able to save the structures because the fires were so enormous. Needless to say, the collective loss of all of these facilities will make the coming food shortages that I have extensively written about quite a bit worse. If you come across more reports that are similar to the ones in this list, please feel free to send them my way. I am going to continue to dig into this mystery, and the American people certainly deserve some answers. Daily Jot: The Farm Chronicles: Farm Cars - Bill Wilson – www.dailyjot.com We all know the utility of a pick-up truck on the farm. The pick-up is a necessity. Before pick-up trucks, the buckboard wagon was the utility vehicle. Point is, you can throw fence posts, wire, tools, and gasoline in the back and drive that old truck anywhere on the farm. If you didn’t get stuck somewhere, you had enough supplies and tools to keep you busy all day. A pick-up on the farm, well, many people just felt naked without one. The pick-up has a storied history on farms, but many people are unaware of the legacy of the farm car. The farm car eventually replaced the horse and buggy, but not without its many challenges and after years of trials and tribulation in gaining the trust of the farmer. A picture I love is of my Dad holding a dog in front of the barn in 1930. He is dressed with a blousy shirt, baggy pants, with high-laced boots, wearing a newsboy hat. While I know the picture is of him and his dog, the rest of the picture tells a story of a farm car. To the left is the carriage of an early model, possibly Ford Model T, convertible. The tires are missing, exposing the rims, but there is a tire laying in the grass beside the right rear wheel. The right rear fender is missing. The top is missing. In fact, the top is laying on the ground about four yards behind the car. The picture informs us a bit about the story behind the story and many years of frustration that in their wisdom farmers kept the horse and buggy “just in case.” Dad told stories about that car; how he would have to crank it all day to get it started, then he was either too tired or it was too late to go where he wanted to go. Often, they had to hitch up the team of horses to pull start it. Once it got on the road, keeping tires on the rim were also a challenge. Those old country roads were rough. Dad was expert at fixing inner tubes and using a simple crowbar to get the tire and tube back on the wheel. My grandfather, Mom’s dad, was so frustrated with flat tires that he would get out of the car, kick the wheel, cuss at the car, throw the jack and tire iron as far as he could, and kick and cuss some more. Then he would go get the jack and tire iron and fix the flat, mumbling under his breath. Mom said she thought all men did that tire-changing ritual. She was shocked with Dad, who just quietly changed the tire. Dad taught Mom how to drive in an old farm car. As the story goes, one time they were putzing down old 627 by the Mahoning creek and Mom had to slow down. She instinctively pulled back on the steering wheel and the entire wheel just came off the steering column. She screamed and handed it to my Dad, who immediately jumped over and put on the brakes before they ended up in the creek—a creek that often flooded over the road, causing many farm cars to need a team of horses to pull them out. Even when I was a kid, there was always problems getting our cars started, fixing flat tires, and keeping mufflers secure. We always said a prayer before turning the key. Psalm 20:7 says, “Some trust in chariots, and some in horses: but we will remember the name of the Lord our God.” Who knew the farm car would bring us closer to God? Daily Devotion: Prodigal or Pig? - by Greg Laurie – www.harvest.org It would be better if they had never known the way to righteousness than to know it and then reject the command they were given to live a holy life. —2 Peter 2:21 https://harvest.org/resources/devotion/prodigal-or-pig/ - Listen My granddaughters have a pet pig, and they named him Sunday. He sounds like a pig, he looks like a pig, and if he were given the choice, he would like to be back in the mud like a pig. That’s because a pig is a pig. Jesus told a story in the gospel of Luke about a son who ran away from his father, went to a far country, and made a mess out of his life. But then he came to his senses and returned home, and his father welcomed him and forgave him. We call him the prodigal son. And a prodigal always will come back home to the Father. So, are you a prodigal son or daughter, or are you a pig? I don’t mean that as an insult. You decide which one you will be. The Bible tells us, “It would be better if they had never known the way to righteousness than to know it and then reject the command they were given to live a holy life. They prove the truth of this proverb: ‘A dog returns to its vomit.’ And another says, ‘A washed pig returns to the mud’” (2 Peter 2:21–22 NLT). When people make professions of faith and then fall away, the question is not whether they lost their salvation. The question is this: Were they Christians to begin with? You know whether you’re a believer by where you end up. If you end up returning to your commitment to Christ, it shows that you’re merely a prodigal. If you’re a prodigal, then you will want to come back to God. But if you’re a pig, then you will go back to the way you were living before because you never believed. You see, not everyone wants to change. God offers us forgiveness, but we have to be willing to do our part. 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. 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