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IN TODAY'S NEWSLETTER...
The Days of Noah: And the Ark Is Security - By Ron Ferguson - https://www.raptureready.com/2022/04/08/the-days-of-noah-and-the-ark-is-security-by-ron-ferguson/
What was it like in the days of Noah? Before that question is answered, we must put it into context, and here is that setting – {{Matthew 24:37 “The coming of the Son of Man will be just like the days of Noah, 38 for as in those days which were before the flood they were eating and drinking, they were marrying and giving in marriage until the day that Noah entered the ark, 39 and they did not understand until the flood came and took them all away – so shall the coming of the Son of Man be.”}} The Lord’s Olivet Discourse is entirely set in the Tribulation and the Second Coming, and what happens immediately after. I have argued that frequently, and if people can’t see that, then I can’t help it. In verse 37, the coming is the Second Coming, not the Rapture, so what does that then tell us? The Lord makes the parallel, which is, His coming will be like the coming of the flood. Both are connected with judgment and a new order. The flood was the greatest catastrophe to hit mankind since creation, and the Second Coming will be the greatest catastrophe to hit mankind since the flood. The two climaxes go hand in hand. The connection is so close, and the NASB uses “just like.” This is all about the wrath of God on sin, nothing whatever to do with the Rapture. With that established, what are the details we know about the days of Noah?
I know others have written on the wickedness that is taking over the world, but consider how it was in Noah’s day. As I read those verses, the thought I get is that violence was just everywhere. It is as if the world was saturated in violence. Today we have the satanic Putin, Islamic violence frequently, and civil wars around parts of the world, but I do not think the world is overwhelmed by violence as it was in Noah’s time. However, let us remember that the days of Noah apply to the Tribulation, not to our current world. Of course, we may see the beginnings of this like a lot of things, as if they have hatched and are starting to find legs. Once the Church is raptured and the Holy Spirit goes, then I expect there will be an onrush of violence as men and evil will be unrestrained, and then in the Tribulation, it will be like the days of Noah regarding violence. There we have it, just a glimpse of what it was like in Noah’s day. The days of Noah ended in the flood judgment; the days of man’s wickedness will end in the Second Coming. The Lord Jesus used the words “the coming of the Son of Man” to equate with the Flood. His 2nd Coming Armageddon judgment will break over this world like a flood. The gathering clouds (that must have happened at Noah’s time) to herald something ominous can be compared with the gathering clouds of the great destruction, such as this ominous example – {{Revelation 16:18 “and there were flashes of lightning and sounds and peals of thunder; and there was a great earthquake such as there had not been since man came to be upon the earth, so great an earthquake was it, and so mighty. 19 The great city was split into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell. Babylon the great was remembered before God, to give her the cup of the wine of His fierce wrath.”}} There is one verse I want to come back to, one I have spoken on before, but I feel it is not often understood. This is the verse – {{Matthew 24:39 “and they did not understand until the flood came and took them all away – so shall the coming of the Son of Man be.”}} Who were taken away? Well, they were ALL taken away. Those who did not understand, because they were evil continually. They were taken away in judgment. Now look at these two verses that follow straight on and look at how the verse begins – {{Matthew 24:40 “THEN there shall be two men in the field – one will be taken and one will be left. 41 Two women will be grinding at the mill – one will be taken, and one will be left.”}} Verses 40 and 41 are tied into verse 39. Based on verse 39, that can mean ONLY that those who are taken away are taken away in judgment. They are the unrighteous ones. And who are left? Well, I will ask you a question, who were left alive in Noah’s time? It was the righteous ones, and they inherited the cleansed earth, the redeemed ones of the Lord. So shall it be at the end of the Second Coming. The wicked are taken away, judged, and the righteous ones are left to inherit the cleansed earth under the reign of the King Messiah in the Millennial Kingdom. It is so simple that I wonder how people can’t see it. Second Coming, not Rapture. PRECIOUS LESSONS FOR US There is a great lesson in the ark for Christians. Enoch was taken up from the world before the judgment came (albeit some time before), but he walked with God and was removed. Some time afterward, the judgment came. Enoch is a type of the rapture. Now a question – Did Noah go through the judgment? The answer is important. No, he did not go through the judgment. He was lifted up above it. He was secure, totally safe in the ark. Noah was raised from the earth, and the judgment raged below. It was the ark that separated Noah from judgment. There is a great lesson for Christians. We will not be on earth when the judgment rages here. We will be lifted up above it, lifted up to Jesus in rapture, protected in the ark. Jesus is our Ark, the One who is our protection. Think of the ark that sheltered Noah for a moment. It was the ark that was battered that went through the fiercest storm and did not fail and came out safely on the other side. Christ is the Ark who battled the storm of Calvary and was battered as the fierce judgment of sin raged against Him, as the wrath of God beat upon Him. But He never faltered and came out victoriously on the other side. Christ is our Ark, our shelter from the storm. He is our Protector and our Saviour who went through the wrath of judgment for us but who holds us secure in Him. What a beautiful application and type that ark of Noah was. THE PITCH INSIDE AND OUTSIDE {{Genesis 6:14 “Make for yourself an ark of gopher wood. You shall make the ark with rooms, and shall cover it inside and out with pitch.”}} The Hebrew word for “pitch” in the book of Genesis is the same as the word for atonement. Here is Strong’s reference to that – Strong’s Hebrew 3722: וְכָֽפַרְתָּ֥ (wə·ḵā·par·tā) to cover, purge, make an atonement, make reconciliation, cover over with pitch, to coat or cover with pitch, to cover over, pacify, propitiate, to cover over, atone for sin, make atonement, to cover over, atone for sin and persons by legal rites, to make atonement for, to be covered. It is amazing that God introduces so early in the piece the truth of atonement. It is a covering, and in our case, a covering for sin. Here we have atonement in the face of judgment. What more could we ask for? That is so beautiful. You will see as well that God required the ark to be pitched inside and outside. That is a double pitching, but it had such a deep meaning, for it was atonement inside and out. God looked at the ark (as if on the outside), and in the judgment, he saw atonement that preserved those inside. Noah looked at the inside, and he saw atonement. He knew judgment was not for him. It satisfied both God and man. The atonement through the precious blood of Christ has satisfied both God and man. God sees the atoning sacrifice of Christ that has covered our sins, and man sees the atonement Christ made and knows he is secure. THE WINDOW IN THE ARK {{Genesis 6:16 “You shall make a window for the ark and finish it to a cubit from the top and set the door of the ark in the side of it. You shall make it with lower, second, and third decks.”}} Have you ever thought about the window in the ark that Noah was in? Well, God placed it so high up, not low. It was high up because while the storm raged on, Noah could only look up to see from where the storm came (to heaven as it were) and to know there was no storm for him. He was not permitted to look on the earth at the destruction and mayhem. In the Tribulation, we are all sheltered in the Lord, our Ark, removed from the earth. We won’t look down at a sinful earth destroying itself. We will only look up to our Lord. In heaven, the whole focus is on the Lamb of God. For many decades I have loved the writings of C H Macintosh, and I want to quote him on the matter of the window and the door: We read in Genesis 7:1, “Come thou and all thy house into the ark”; and when he had taken his place there, we read, {{“the Lord shut him in.”}} Here, assuredly, was full and perfect security for all within. Jehovah kept the door, and no one could go in or out without him. There was both a window and a door to the ark. The Lord secured, with His own omnipotent hand, the door, and left Noah the window from which he might look upward to the place from whence all the judgment had emanated, and see that no judgment remained for him. The saved family could only look upward, because the window was “above” (Genesis 6:16). They could not see the waters of judgment, nor the death and desolation which those waters had caused. God’s salvation – the “gopher wood,” stood between them and all these things. They had only to gaze upward into a cloudless heaven, the eternal dwelling-place of the One who had condemned the world, and saved them. Nothing can more fully express the believer’s perfect security in Christ than those words, {{“the Lord shut him in.”}} Who could open what God had shut? None. The family of Noah was as safe as God could make them. There was no power, angelic, human, or diabolical, which could possibly burst open the door of the ark and let the waters in. That door was shut by the self-same hand that had opened the windows of heaven and broken up the fountains of the great deep. Thank you, Lord Jesus, for battling the storm of wrath for sin, and doing it for me. You are my precious ARK. ONE FINAL POINT I said that Noah and his family were left to inherit a cleansed earth. That was true, but the heart of man is always bent to wickedness. That will never change until Satan is cast into the lake of fire with his demonic hordes and there is a new heaven and earth where righteousness will dwell. It was but a short time until sin appeared in Noah’s family, awful sin. And it has continued right down to our time, and it will, beyond our time. When Christ sets up His Millennial Kingdom in a cleansed earth, the “saved” of the tribulation will enter – those who are “the left” from Matthew 24:40-41. However, sin is still present in the old natures, and during the Millennium, some/many people will be of a rebellious spirit. At the end of the Millennium, Satan rounds up the malcontents, and they are destroyed as the Gog of Revelation 20. There are such wonderful parallels from Noah, his time, his ark, and the actions. [email protected] A Poem as Lovely as a Tree – Jack Kinsella (March 4, 2013) - https://www.rev310.net/post/a-poem-as-lovely-as-a-tree I receive emails often from skeptics challenging me to one of those ridiculous verbal duels over whether or not God exists. Such arguments are pointless. In the first place, the skeptic doesn't want me to convince him that God exists, he wants to convince me that He doesn't. I've never fully understood why anyone would want to advance a philosophy that offers nothing and takes everything. Christianity offers eternal life -- the skeptic offers the cold grave. ("I think I'll take "What is a stupid trade?" for five hundred, Alex!") In the second place, neither side can prove their argument empirically. The skeptic cannot prove God does not exist. He can only argue the reasons why he believes God does not exist. But it is impossible to prove a negative. Just because I can't see God doesn't mean He doesn't exist. (I can't see my mother in law at the moment, either. But believe me, she exists.) I turned down the offer although I had the advantage over my would-be opponent. While it is impossible to prove a negative, the contention that God does exist is a positive statement. The argument against the existence of God rests on the absence of evidence acceptable to the skeptic -- not the absence of evidence itself. The evidence is overwhelming. There is certainly more evidence arguing in favor of God than there is against, since, by definition, there is no evidence for a negative. The Bible says that such an argument is the epitome of foolishness: "The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God." (Psalms 14:1) The rules of philosophy and science concur. One can only deny the existence of God based on the fatally-flawed assumption that because they cannot see Him, He does not exist That's a pretty foolish foundation upon which to build one's conclusions. The furthest either science or philosophy can legitimately take it is the assumption that because they can't see Him, He is not there. Theoretically, He could be somewhere else. The evidence for God is everywhere. The Apostle Paul writes: "For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse." (Romans 1:20) The Psalmist declared: "The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork." (Psalms 19:1) Look at the sublime precision of chemistry, for example. All the elements combine in very precise mathematical ways to produce their various compounds. Each of the elements are recorded on a valance chart -- the precise number and weight of each atom can be counted and measured. Every plant has a precise number of leaves or petals, arranged in a precise order. Every living thing has a certain number of chromosomes in its cellular structure according to its design. Man has twenty-three paired chromosomes. A dog has thirty-nine. An ape has twenty-four. Poet Joyce Kilmer offered this eloquent argument in his poem, "Trees": "Poems are made by fools like me. But only God can make a tree." Assessment: If there is a more powerful argument for the existence of God than the Bible, I don't know what it might be. No skeptic can offer an adequate explanation for desert-dwelling Job's description of the Arctic permafrost. Who told him? He didn't look it up in a book and he sure didn't go see it for himself. Who told Job that wind moves in circles and not in a straight line? Who told Isaiah the earth was round and suspended by nothing? The Bible speaks to us in the two existing languages of sentience: the spoken word and the universal language of mathematics. (And this is the point where I usually lose patience with the skeptic. The best rebuttal he can offer is "oh yeah?") Because words can be used to tell a lie. That's why God also wrote it out numerically. Because numbers CAN'T lie. And neither can God. "Hear, O Israel! The Lord our God is One God." (Deuteronomy 6:4) For God, the number one signifies Divine completion. For human beings, it takes two to make man complete; "Two are better than one because they have a good reward for the labor. For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow." (Ecclesiastes 4:9-10) The number Three is the simplest compound unity -- it is the first and simplest compound unit of mathematical science. God is one God in Three Persons; Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Three is the number of the Godhead. Four signifies the number of this created world. There are four seasons, winter, summer, spring and fall. There are four points on a compass, north, south, east and west. The living creatures (cherubim) of Ezekiel chapter 1 are four in number. They each have four faces, four sides, four wings and move on four wheels, representative of God's creation and providence. Man has five fingers on each hand and five toes on each foot. We have five senses. Added together we have ten fingers and ten toes. The decimal system is based on this system of tens. We think in tenths. A tithe is ten percent. No man could be consecrated as a priest under Jewish law unless he had all ten fingers and toes. Five, doubled to ten, stands for human completion. The number six is the number of man. As we'll see in a moment, the number seven is the sacred number of spiritual perfection, so six falls just short of it. Man was created on the sixth day. The Divinely-appointed work week is six days, with the seventh set aside for God. Hebrew slaves were appointed to serve for six years before manumission. Goliath had six fingers and six toes. His spear weighed six hundred shekels of iron. Goliath's height is recorded as six cubits and a span. Nebuchadnezzar's golden image was sixty cubits high and six cubits wide. Jesus Christ was crucified on the sixth hour of the sixth day of the week. And of course, there is the most famous six of all as recorded in Revelation 13:18: "Here is wisdom. Let him that understandeth count the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man; and his number is six hundred three score and six." (666) Six units six tens, six hundreds. Three sixes, each successively higher on the decimal scale. The number 666 represents the antichrist -- the number of imperfect, spiritually incomplete man, multiplied 100 times over. Then we come to the number seven. The number seven is representative in Scripture of spiritual perfection. Four is representative of the physical world. Three, the representative of the Trinity. Together, they equal seven. Seven days make up one of the four quarters of the moon. There are seven basic notes in music. There are seven colors in the rainbow. On the seventh day, God rested. The number seven is the fourth prime number is also a Mersenne prime, the first Woodall prime, the fourth factorial prime, the second lucky and the second safe prime number. A ladybug has seven spots. Most mammalian necks have seven bones. There are seven rows in the periodic table. The neutral pH value between acidity and alkalinity is seven. There are seven stars in the Big Dipper. There are seven continents and seven seas. The Book of the Revelation is addressed to the seven Churches of Asia Minor. There are seven star representing the seven angels who represent the seven churches. In Revelation 3:1, Jesus is identified as having the 'Seven Spirits of God' -- or the whole and completed Spirit of God. In Revelation 5:6, the Lamb is pictured as having seven eyes (representing omniscience) and seven horns(representing omnipotence). There are seven seals, seven thunders, seven vials; the dragon has seven heads and seven crowns upon his heads. There are seven mountains, seven kings, etc. The Bible specifically says there were fourteen generations from Abraham to David; fourteen generations from David to the Babylonian captivity, and fourteen generations from the Babylonian exile to Christ. (Matthew 1:17) Fourteen is seven doubled. The Passover is on the fourteenth of Nisan, and fourteen lambs are offered on each of the seven days of the Feast of Tabernacles. Pentecost is on the fiftieth day, after the passage of the full 49 (7x7) days from Passover. The Jubilee Year is the fiftieth year after the passage of seven 'weeks' of seven years each. Under OT Law, an animal must be at least seven days old before it can be sacrificed. The Feast of Unleavened Bread lasts seven days. A male child could not be circumcised until after seven full days had passed. The rules of cleansing (as in cleansing a leper) involved seven sprinklings of water. The Day of Atonement demands seven sprinklings of blood. The menorah has seven branches and seven lights. Noah entered the ark on the seventh day. (Genesis 7:4,10) Noah's ark came to rest on Mt Ararat on the seventh month. (Genesis 8:4) Jacob worked for seven years for Rachel. Joshua sent seven priests who marched around Jericho for seven days blowing seven trumpets. On the seventh day, the circled the city seven times before the 'walls came tumbling down.' Samson's marriage feast lasted seven days. Samson had seven locks of hair (Judges 16:19) It took Solomon seven years to build the Temple. Job had seven sons. His friends grieved in silence with him for seven days and seven nights. Job offered seven bullocks and seven rams for a burnt offering. Jesus told the Pharisees to forgive trespasses seventy times seven. He imposed seven 'woes' on the Pharisees. Romans 8:35 lists seven afflictions; 12:6-8 enumerates the seven gifts. James 3:17 lists the seven qualities of heavenly wisdom. 2nd Peter 1:5-8 outlines the seven virtues imparted by faith. The seventieth week of Daniel lasts for seven years. The disciples took up seven baskets of fragments after the Miracle of the Loaves and Fishes. The skeptic's counter-argument is 'coincidence'. Or that some human or group of humans actually wrote the Bible using the two universal languages of sentience. Either takes more faith in nothing than I am capable of mustering. "I will praise Thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are Thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well." (Psalms 139:14) The skeptic knows that in his soul, too. So there isn't much point in debating it. Nearing Midnight: Are Things Betting Better for the Republicans? – Todd Strandberg - https://www.raptureready.com/category/nearing-midnight/ The liberal media and the Democrats are having a bad month. Both of them are suffering from poor ratings. President Biden’s approval ratings are down 33%. Biden frequently mispronounces words in his speeches. The press ignores the bloopers in his speech, but there is no covering up Biden trying to shake hands with an invisible person. After delivering a speech in North Carolina, he turned to his right and offered a handshake with no one there to receive it. He then turned his back to the audience and stood for a second or two before walking off the stage. Amid soaring inflation, 47% of the public say the economy is “poor,” the highest number in that category since 2012. Only 17% rank the economy as excellent or good, the lowest since 2014. Only one in five Americans describe their personal financial situation as “getting ahead,” the weakest showing in eight years. Most say they are “remaining in place,” and one in 10 say they are “falling backward.” Meanwhile, 56% say they expect a recession in the next year — a level only achieved in the survey during an actual recession. The Republicans have a good chance of taking back the Senate and the House this fall. In a normal year, the party out of power picks up several seats. As it stands right now, the Republicans appear set to have a sizable majority in the House and a slim lead in the Senate. Many liberal organizations are having a difficult time drawing viewers. Following a string of reports about underwhelming subscriber numbers, Discovery has reportedly decided to shut down CNN+, CNN’s ill-fated streaming service, one month after its launch. CNN+’s dramatic failure to launch comes after it lured talent such as Chris Wallace from Fox News and Kasie Hunt from NBC News. Netflix’s stock fell sharply last week after the streaming giant posted disappointing first-quarter earnings, prompting a flurry of price target cuts and critique from analysts. Netflix saw exponential growth in earlier years. As Netflix started producing more leftist content, many conservatives started backing away from the service. The Obamas are set to part with Spotify after the streaming giant decided against offering a new deal, a report says. The Obama’s helped boost Spotify’s podcast credentials after announcing in June 2019 that they would develop and produce audio shows for the streaming giant. Higher Ground had begun shopping for new deals in recent months ahead of the end of the three-year deal, podcast industry insiders previously told Insider. Spotify and the Obamas are parting ways because they are boring. I constantly monitor the news, and I’ve never run across a story that quoted the former President and his wife’s media project. Walt Disney Co. has been protesting a New Florida law that blocks teachers from talking to young students about sex. Florida legislators passed a bill that revoked a special tax status given to the company in 1967. I couldn’t find any articles on how much it would cost Disney. Walt Disney Co. has no business sticking its nose into matters that should solely be between a parent and their children. Elon Musk offered to buy Twitter for $46.5 billion. By making the offer, he revealed how the leftists view social media as the exclusive domain. Twitter’s board of directors threatened to fight back with a “poison pill” strategy, allowing it to flood the market with new shares if Musk buys more than 15 percent of the company. Fending off Musk’s $46.5 billion offer by creating more shares could dilute the value of shareholders’ stock — but Twitter’s 10 board members own just a tiny portion, Musk noted in an April 16 tweet: “The Twitter board collectively owns almost no shares! Objectively, their economic interests are simply not aligned with shareholders.” Musk’s reason for wanting to purchase Twitter is to increase the value of the firm by making it open to people of all views. The Twitter board is only after power, and their willingness to damage the firm’s financials shows their lust for control. I’m hopeful that the mid-term elections will go well for the Republicans. It is depressing to realize Bible prophecy predicts that any respite will only be brief, but the ultimate joy comes in knowing that someday all of the ungodly will be blown away like chaff for grain. “The ungodly are not so: but are like the chaff which the wind driveth away. Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous. For the LORD knoweth the way of the righteous: but the way of the ungodly shall perish” (Psalms 1:4-6, KJV). A Rational Argument For Rebuilding The Temple – Today - By Rabbi Uri Pilichowski - https://www.jewishpress.com/blogs/settlers-view-pilichowski/a-rational-argument-for-rebuilding-the-temple-today/2022/04/26/?utm_source=webpushr&utm_medium=push&utm_campaign=582383 Responding to questions of how Israel will handle recent violence by Palestinians on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem, Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid said Israel “will not change” the status quo on the Temple Mount. “Muslims pray on the Temple Mount, non-Muslims can only visit. There is no change, and there will be no change.” The hallowed status quo must remain at all costs. The argument for keeping the status quo on the Temple Mount was outlined in an op-ed in Haaretz, “Israel Must Stop Breaching the Status Quo on the Temple Mount.” The editorial argued, “The attempt to impose equality of all places on the only place where Muslims have some autonomy, a place that is both a religious and a national symbol for the Palestinians, constitutes needless provocation.” The op-ed goes on to argue that it is cynical and manipulative to demand that values, like freedom of worship, be upheld for Israelis by those who themselves do not uphold them for Palestinians. Between the festivals of Passover and Shavuot Jews count the Omer for 49 nights. After reciting the blessing and counting, many Jews have the custom of reciting a short prayer, “May it be Your will that the Temple be rebuilt speedily in our days,” or “May the Merciful One restore the service of the Temple to its place, speedily in our days.” Our ancestors stood in the dark study halls of Poland and the cavernous synagogues of Iraq and recited this prayer in exile, dreaming of a return to Jerusalem and a rebuilt Third Temple. They would be perplexed by a third commonwealth of the Jewish people in control of Jerusalem but who refuse, on their own accord, to rebuild the Temple. I imagine my ancestors chiding me, “Look at Exodus 25:8 where G-d wrote, ‘Build Me a sanctuary that I may dwell among them.’ They’d pull a volume of Maimonides’s Book of Mitzvot off my library shelf and point to his 20th mitzvah: ‘The 20th mitzvah is that we are commanded to build a Sanctuary to serve G-d. In it we offer sacrifices, burn the eternal flame, offer our prayers, and congregate for the festivals each year.’” It is time to begin taking steps to rebuild the Temple on the Temple Mount. I am aware that taking such a position will lead many to call me extremist, irrational, a religious fanatic and playing with fire. I used to think the same way about people who advocated for building the Third Temple. In a recent Jerusalem Post op-ed, “When blood spills on Passover and Easter, it’s time to build the Temple,” Rabbi Tuly Weisz wrote that the biggest fear of Hamas and other Palestinian terror groups is that Jews will build the Temple. An appropriate response to the current wave of terror is to build the Temple. “On a national level, the rebuilding of the Temple would be a great humiliation to Palestinian terror groups,” Rabbi Weisz wrote. “For thousands of years, Jews have been praying for a return to the Land of Israel. Over the last century, we have miraculously been restored to our homeland from the four corners of the earth but are still awaiting the proper time to build the Temple. Judaism is incomplete without the Temple.” In an essay titled, “Dayan’s Key Error,” Rabbi Chaim Ozer Chait wrote, “It is most shocking and appalling that after two thousand years of yearning and praying for the Beit HaMikdash, and only by the grace of G-d it was returned to the Jewish people, we, a Jewish nation, give it back! This is an outright rejection of G-d’s gift to the Jewish people.” People will argue that rebuilding the Temple will bring war with the Muslim world and instigate Palestinian terror attacks. I don’t doubt the Muslim world will be angered by plans to build the Temple, but let’s be honest, Arab nations don’t have the power to hurt us – look around our neighborhood, no one has the power to attack Israel. Palestinians attempt three to six attacks a day, every day, already. Israel has gotten better at preventing attacks, and there’s no reason to fear a reality we’re already living in. Just as Israel can take steps to mitigate the damage of terrorism, it can also take steps to mitigate the diplomatic fallout of rebuilding the Temple. Secular Jews who don’t regularly attend synagogue services don’t see the need to build a Temple at the risk of an international outcry and possible up-tick of violent terrorism. If not for the religious benefits, Israel should rebuild the Temple because if Israel doesn’t stand up for its rights on our own land, how can we face ourselves and our children? Where is our national pride? In addition, as the Haaretz editorial noted, “Jews who want to pray on the Temple Mount have one main argument, which liberal secular people are compelled to support: Freedom of worship is a basic principle of democracy.” That same Haaretz editorial made an important point, “The right of Jews to also pray on the Temple Mount must come as part of a comprehensive agreement between Israel and the Palestinians. Prayers held on the sly, by means of creeping annexation, endanger the fragile quiet not only in Jerusalem but in the entire region.” I agree and extend the argument to building the Temple. The next steps towards building the Temple shouldn’t be unilateral, it should be done in conjunction with the Arab world. In the midst of the latest violence on the Temple Mount, Jordanian Prime Minister Bisher al-Khasawneh addressed a session of the Jordanian parliament and hailed Palestinian rioters: “I salute every Palestinian, and all the employees of the Jordanian Islamic Waqf, who proudly stand like minarets, hurling their stones in a volley of clay at the Zionist sympathizers defiling the Al-Aqsa Mosque under the protection of the Israeli occupation government.” In response to Jordanian praise of violence, Foreign Minister Yair Lapid held a meeting in his office, stating that “severe measures” should be taken. In my opinion, the first step should be to take custodial control of the Temple Mount away from Jordan and hand it to the UAE or Saudi Arabia in exchange for diplomatic ties. In instigating violence, Jordan has forfeited its privilege to manage the Temple Mount peacefully. Part of the transition of custodial power must include the understanding that Israel will begin rebuilding the Temple. At the next United Nations General Assembly, Prime Minister Bennett should announce that Israel plans on moving the Golden Dome shrine but keeping the Al-Aqsa Mosque in its current location. Israel will begin construction on the Third Temple but keep its commitment to freedom of worship to Muslims and Christians on the Temple Mount. Just as Jews, Muslims and Christians share the Cave of the Patriarchs in Hebron, so too will they share the Temple Mount. Prime Minister Bennett should stress the point that no democracy can justify prohibiting its own people from praying at its most sacred sight and there is no legitimate argument that can be made to justify such a position. While the notion of rebuilding the Temple might seem fantastic to a generation that has been raised to think it impossible or a step that should be reserved for a Messianic era, it serves to remember the same was said about the Zionist dream of returning the Jewish people to Eretz Yisrael to create a Jewish state. Yet Zionists persisted and the “impossible State” was born. The time has come to do the same for the dream of the Third Temple. Daily Jot: Stupidocrisy: Free Speech Undermines Democracy - Bill Wilson – www.dailyjot.com The puppet master of the Democratic Party, Barack Obama, wasn’t satisfied with undermining human autonomy and personal privacy with socialist healthcare. He is now going after free speech, although he calls it “disinformation.” In his speech to Stanford University sponge-brains last Thursday titled “Disinformation is a Threat to Our Democracy,” Obama attacked the First Amendment, saying that wild conspiracy theories like claims that COVID vaccines and treatments were ineffective and that the 2020 election was fraught with voter integrity issues should be regulated. In all, Obama said that what amounted to dissent against the government and Democratic Party narratives threatens democracy. His solution is very similar to how he fixed the healthcare system—set up a government regulatory entity that determines what is disinformation and misinformation and then censors it or regulates it. Let’s remember how this worked in healthcare. The Centers for Disease Control controlled treatment protocols for COVID by paying hospitals bonuses (bounties) of about $100,000 per patient for CDC mandated treatments such as Remdesivir and ventilators. Virtually no other treatments were allowed despite multiple studies that indicated CDC treatments carried with them 50-80% mortality rates. CDC characterized legitimate scientific and experiential studies questioning CDC mandates as misinformation. Untold thousands died after these treatments, and the impact of vaccines not performing as indicated is mounting. Dissent questioning the effectiveness of the vaccines and the mandated treatments was censored and people made decisions to take an experimental vaccine without full disclosure of its tremendously unhealthy side effects. Anyone attempting to blow the whistle on this was ostracized. Many lost their jobs, were threatened with losing their licenses to practice medicine. It is a system that betrays scientific autonomy. Obama wants to set up a government regulating body made up of nonelected technology companies, advocacy groups and government officials to “regulate” speech. He considers this cross section as most qualified to determine what kind of speech to allow across social media platforms. This commission would not be concerned with, as Obama puts it, absolute truth or fixed truth, but rather what is “more true.” And he proposes to regulate—translated censor–speech that attacks his brand of politics because nothing else is “more true.” If the commission considers it “more true” that there was no voter integrity or security issues in an election, all opinions otherwise would be censored. Ephesians 5:6 says, “Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things comes the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience.” The ability to dissent comes from the guaranteed right of free speech. Taking away such right by deceitfully characterizing it as saving democracy by eradicating disinformation is a step toward tyranny. It is, say it with me…Stupidocrisy. Daily Devotion: The Task of a Lifetime - by Greg Laurie – www.harvest.org And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus. —Philippians 4:19 https://harvest.org/resources/devotion/the-task-of-a-lifetime/ - Listen The great British preacher Alan Redpath said, “The conversion of a soul is the miracle of a moment, the manufacture of a saint is the task of a lifetime.” That is called sanctification. Salvation is instantaneous. But sanctification, which is becoming more like Christ, takes a lot of time. In fact, it takes a lifetime. Just one month after God parted the Red Sea for the Israelites and delivered them from their enemies, they basically said to Moses, “Oh, great. You just brought us out here to die! We remember how awesome it was back in Egypt. We had pots filled with meat. And there was so much bread!” Actually, that wasn’t true at all. They suffered in Egypt. They were in pain. It was hard for them. But the Devil is cunning, and sometimes he will bring back certain memories from our past. But they’re never the miserable memories, of course, when we faced the repercussions of our sins. In the same way, the Israelites had memories that weren’t even based on reality. And the first step to going back is looking back. God told Moses, “I have heard the Israelites’ complaints. Now tell them, ‘In the evening you will have meat to eat, and in the morning you will have all the bread you want. Then you will know that I am the Lord your God’” (Exodus 16:12 NLT). The Israelites had never read the book of Exodus, so all this was happening in real time. God was saying, “I’ll give you meat,” and it rained quail. Then came the bread, a sweet, flaky substance called manna. God has promised to supply all our needs “according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:19 NKJV). But He has not promised to supply all of our wants. God always will provide what we need, when we need it—sometimes before, but never after. 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. 4) We need your financial support!- To put it quite simply, without your support, there would be no Prophecy Update. 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: DONATE NOW Or write us at: Prophecy Update P.O. Box 40516 Bakersfield, CA 93384-0516 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. Click below to download! "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
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