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The Four Gospels of Christ and the Four Living Creatures – Randy Nettles - https://www.rev310.net/post/the-four-gospels-of-christ-and-the-four-living-creatures
The word “Christ” is mentioned 573 times in the New Testament (KJV). The Greek word is Χριστός (Christos). The equivalent word for Christ in Hebrew is “Messiah” or מָשִׁ֫יחַ (Mashiach), and is only found twice in the Old Testament (Daniel 9:25-26). Messiah is also found twice in the New Testament and is spelled “Messias” (NKJV of John 1:41; John 4:25). 1 Corinthians mentions Christ the most with 69 usages (17 times in the first chapter) and Romans comes in second with 68 mentions. Messiah and/or Christ is a title and means anointed or the anointed one, a consecrated person for service to God such as a priest, prophet, or king; prophetically in relation to the Jewish ruler to come who will rule the world during the end times. In the New Testament, “Christ” is often used by itself, but usually, Jesus’ name is added to the title. Some of these combinations of titles and names include Jesus Christ, Christ Jesus, Christ the Lord, Christ the Son of God, Lord Jesus Christ, Jesus Christ our Lord, Jesus Christ the son of David, Christ the Savior of the world, and Jesus Christ of Nazareth. The word “Christ” literally means anointed with oil. Priests (Exodus 28:41; 40:15; Numbers 3:3), prophets (1 Kings 19:16), and kings (1 Samuel 9:16; 16:3; 2 Samuel 12:7) were anointed with oil and thus consecrated to their respective offices. The ultimate Messiah/Christ, Jesus, is anointed “above his fellows”(Psalm 45:7) as he fulfills all three offices of priest, prophet, and king. The Gospels are the teachings or revelations of Jesus Christ. The four Gospels are Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. These disciples and followers of Jesus wrote their Books under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. According to God’s design, each Gospel writer presented Jesus in a different way. THE GOSPEL OF MATTHEW Matthew presents Jesus as the promised Messiah/Christ, in the very first verse of his Book (Matthew 1:1), and as the coming king of Israel in Matthew 2:2. Matthew 1:1-17 presents Jesus as the legal heir to the throne of David and gives the genealogy from Abraham to Joseph (Jesus’ stepfather). Matthew compresses his genealogy (known as telescoping) into 3 sets of 14 generations. The number 3 represents divine perfection in the Bible, and 14 (7 X 2) represents spiritual perfection and completion doubled., i.e., Jesus through David through Abraham. Coincidentally (or not), 14 is the gematria of David’s name in Hebrew. The number 14 is a well-known number throughout Israel’s religion and history. The Feast of the Lord known as Passover occurred on the 14th day of the first month of Nisan, according to Leviticus 23:5. Most Bible students are aware of the significance of this Feast and how Jesus fulfilled it (as the Lamb of God) with his death on this day. On the 7 days of the Feast of the Lord, known as Tabernacles, the Jews were to offer 14 lambs without blemish (Numbers 29:15,32) as a sacrifice to the Lord. It appears Matthew is emphasizing the number 14 to such a degree that he intentionally leaves out multiple generations of the line of David. Matthew lists only 42 (7 X 6) generations from Abraham to Jesus, whereas Luke lists 56 (7 X 8) generations. Actually, Matthew only lists 41 names, as David is listed twice. Matthew wanted to showcase Jesus’ genealogy in such a way as to leave no doubt that Jesus is the Christ (Messiah) and eternal King of the Jews as the prophets of the Old Testament wrote about. David was a king (and a good one), but Jesus is King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Matthew’s first set of 14 generations is complete (if you include Abraham). His second set is missing 3 Kings of Judah (Ahaziah, Joash, and Amaziah) that should be listed between Joram and Uzziah. Matthew’s third set is missing King Jehoiachin (Jehoiakim or Eliakim). There are probably many more names/ generations that aren’t listed from the time of the Babylonian exile until the time of Jesus, but Matthew definitely made his point (with his genealogy and Gospel book) that Jesus is the true King and Messiah of the Jews. Jesus fulfilled the Old Testament expectation that a son of David would reign on the throne of David forever (Psalm 132:11-18 and others), as Gabriel had announced to Mary (Luke 1:32-33). The Gospel of Matthew is very Jewish in its message, revealing Jesus as the Star that would come out of Jacob, the Scepter that would rise out of Israel (Num 24:17-19 and Genesis 49:10), and the One who would sit on David’s throne (Isa 9:7). Matthew 2:1-2 describes the birth of Christ whereas wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, saying, “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him.” Throughout Matthew’s gospel account, Jesus is portrayed as King of a heavenly kingdom (Matthew 16:28; 21:5; 28:18). Matthew 3 describes John’s ministry as preparing the people for the kingdom of heaven. Evidently, the kingdom of heaven would actually begin with the ministry and subsequent baptism of Jesus the Christ. John said, “Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. For this is he that was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight” (Matthew 3:2-3). Matthew’s Gospel gives great revelation of the Kingdom to come and Jesus spoke often of it. The “kingdom of heaven” is mentioned 33 times in the Book of Matthew. 33 is a number that is associated with King David and also King Jesus. The symbol of the Gospel of Matthew is the lion, the king of the jungle. Jesus is the lion of the tribe of Judah. The Book of Matthew begins with the genealogy and birth of Jesus and ends with the resurrection. THE GOSPEL OF MARK Mark presents Jesus as the Suffering Servant, prophesied in Isaiah 53. The NKJV subtitles this chapter as The Sin-Bearing Messiah. “He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities. Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he has poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors” (Isaiah 53:11-12). Jesus taught his disciple that greatness doesn’t come from ruling over others but from serving others. His best lesson on this subject is found in Mark 10, where Jesus said, “You know that those who are considered rulers over the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you shall be your servant. And whoever of you desires to be first shall be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many” (Mark 10:42-45). There is no genealogy in the Book of Mark, as a servant doesn’t have one or doesn’t know his genealogy. A servant’s genealogy was insignificant and not worthy of being recorded. The symbol of the Gospel of Mark is the ox, a beast of burden and service, representing the burden of sin Jesus took upon Himself and his role as a servant to mankind. The Book of Mark begins with the ministries of John the Baptist and Jesus of Nazareth and ends with the ascension of Jesus into heaven, where He then sat down at the right hand of God. THE GOSPEL OF LUKE Luke presents Jesus as the Son of Man, a messianic title from the prophecy of Daniel (Daniel 7:13), “I was watching in the night visions, And behold, One like the Son of Man, Coming with the clouds of heaven!” Just as the Lord liked to call Ezekiel the son of Man, so did he refer to himself as the Son of Man in the Book of Mark and other Gospels. Jesus told his disciples, “The Son of Man is also Lord of the Sabbath” (Mark 6:5). He also told them, “But that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins” (Luke 5:24). As the Son of Man (and the kinsman redeemer) and the Son of God, Jesus Christ had the right and the authority to forgive sins. Luke focuses on Jesus’ humanity and details the announcement of His incarnation and His birth (Luke 1,2). Luke is the only Gospel that gives a glimpse into Jesus’ childhood years (Luke 2:40, 42-43). Luke’s genealogy count of generations is much more historically reliable than Matthew’s because it is not omitting any names or generations to emphasize Jesus’ Kingship or Divinity. Luke affirms Jesus’ divinity, but the real emphasis of his book is on his humanity. Jesus, the Son of God, is also the Son of man and the kinsman-redeemer of all mankind. Luke’s descending genealogy traces back to Adam (actually God), showing Jesus is related to all human beings, Jews as well as Gentiles. This is consistent with Luke’s picture of Jesus as the Savior of the whole world. Luke’s account is actually the genealogy of Mary’s ancestors (through Nathan, a son of David), which he probably received from Mary herself. The Jews were meticulously good record keepers of generations, especially when it came to the Davidic lineage, through the kings of Judah. There are 77 generations in Luke’s genealogy, which begins with Jesus and ends with God instead of Adam. I believe Luke did this intentionally to prove that just as Adam was a son (albeit created) of God, so was Jesus. Jesus was the only begotten Son of the Father God. Luke begins his genealogy in Luke 3:23 with these words, “Jesus Himself began his ministry at about 30 years of age, being (as was supposed) the son of Joseph.” Luke wants to be clear on the fact that Joseph is not the biological father of Jesus. Joseph is merely the adoptive father of Jesus and his legal guardian/father; therefore, Jesus inherits Joseph’s ancestry as well. Unlike Matthew’s ascending genealogy, Luke’s descending genealogy starts with Jesus and works back to Adam and God. There is one (human) name in Luke’s New Testament genealogy that is not in the 1 Chronicles (1:24) Old Testament genealogy. It is number 64 on the list, and his name is Cainan. Ironically, it is number 14 on the list if you start in the reverse order from God to Jesus. He is listed between Sala (Shelah) and Arphaxad. Luke was following the Septuagint (Greek translation of the Old Testament) text and not the Masoretic text. This Cainan (not the Antediluvian one) is not included in the Masoretic text. As a result of Luke listing Cainan (#64 on the list) and God (#77 on the list), there are 77 names on the list and not 75 (by omitting Cainan and God). The 77 names are apparently arranged in 11 groups of 7, although he never calls attention to this. Once again, we see the significance of the number 7 and its multiples in the history and lineage of the Jewish people. The 77 generations to the appearance of the Messiah also agree with the 70 generations from Enoch, which is recorded in the non-canonical book of Enoch, which Luke probably knew. For more information on Jesus’ genealogy, see https://www.raptureready.com/2022/06/11/jesus-family-tree-by-randy-nettles/ . It’s interesting that when Gabriel gave Mary the news that she would be the mother of the Son of God that he would be called the son of David. “You will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest, and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David” (Luke 1:31-32). It’s also interesting that in verse 33, Gabriel calls Jesus a king over Israel and His kingdom will be everlasting. “And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end” (Luke 1:33). The “kingdom of God” is mentioned 33 times in the Book of Luke (NKJV). Once again, we see the comparison of Jesus to David and the number 33 as representing the two kings. The symbol of the Gospel of Luke is a man, representing Jesus’ incarnation in human form. The Book of Luke begins with the parents of John the Baptist, Zacharias and Elizabeth, and ends with the promise of the Father to send His Spirit and the subsequent ascension of Jesus into heaven. THE GOSPEL OF JOHN John presents Jesus as the Son of God, the second Person of the Trinity, co-equal and co-eternal with the Father and the Spirit. John’s record is amazing in revealing Jesus’ divinity and recording the pre-incarnate life of Jesus as the Word and his part in the creation as described in Genesis 1. “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it”(John 1:1-5). John then tells how the Word became flesh in human form and that His name is Jesus. As the Son of God, and through the power of the Holy Spirit, Jesus accomplished many miracles. John records 7 major miracles.
Near the end of his gospel account, John said, “Jesus performed many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God and that by believing you may have life in his name” (John 20:30-31). This tells us he selected these seven miracles specifically for their ability to help us believe that Jesus is who He claimed to be and that by believing we might have eternal life. So what do these particular miracles show us that would help us believe? According to the late Jack Kelley in one of his articles entitled “The Seven Miracles in John” The Seven Miracles In John – Grace thru faith) the reasons for these miracles are:
I believe the main reason the trumpet that is sounded at the Rapture is called the last trumpet is that it occurs on the last day of the Church. The Church began on the day of Pentecost (known as Shavuot to the Jews) and will end on the day of the Rapture. It will be the last day for Christians on the earth in our earthly bodies and the last day for Christians in heaven without a body. It will be such a magnificent and joyous event that even Jesus and the archangel will give a great shout of victory. “The last day” (not last days) is mentioned 7 times in the New Testament, all of them in John. I believe John is referring to the Rapture (in most of these verses) and not Jesus’ 2nd Coming. John wrote the book of John in approximately 95 AD. He was familiar with the teachings of Paul and his writings and letters, such as 1 Corinthians, which was written in 56 AD, so he would have also been familiar with the concept of the Rapture. John’s audience was not limited to one nation or people (Israel and the Jews); rather, he presents Jesus as the Christ and Lord over all nations and peoples. The 7 references to “the last day” are found in John 6:39,40,44,54; 7:37; 11:24; and 12:48. There are two main Scriptures in John that record Jesus’ words in regard to the Rapture, which Jesus hinted at but didn’t teach about extensively. The first one is a conversation between Martha and Jesus during the time before Lazarus’ resurrection. “Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believes in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: And whosoever lives and believes in me shall never die” (John 11:25-26). Paul expounded upon these words of Jesus in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-17, regarding the Rapture to come, “For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. The second Scripture in which Jesus talks about the Rapture is found in the 14th chapter of John. “Let not your heart be troubled: you believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there you may be also” (John 14:1-3). The genealogy in the Book of John is short but complete. Jesus is the only begotten son of God, the Father, the first Person of the Trinity. “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life” (John 3:16). The symbol of the Gospel of John is an eagle, representing the majesty that is above our earth. The eagle is the king of the heavens. The Book of John begins with the pre-incarnate Jesus Christ, the Word, and ends with the promise of Jesus’ return, which is prophesied in John’s later writing of the Book of Revelation. THE FOUR GOSPELS AND THE FOUR LIVING CREATURES Therefore, for all the reasons given in the four Gospels, in all of God’s earthly created beings, the ones that best represent Jesus Christ are an ox, an eagle, a lion, and a man. Ezekiel, the Old Testament prophet, had visions of God and of four heavenly beings called “living creatures.” In Ezekiel 10, they are called Cherubs or Cherubim. Here is part of their description: “They had the likeness of a man. And every one had four faces, and every one had four wings. And their feet were straight feet; and the sole of their feet was like the sole of a calf's foot: and they sparkled like the color of burnished brass. And they had the hands of a man under their wings on their four sides; and the four had their faces and their wings. Their wings were joined one to another; they turned not when they went; they went every one straight forward. As for the likeness of their faces, the four had the face of a man, and the face of a lion, on the right side: and they four had the face of an ox on the left side; they four also had the face of an eagle” (Ezekiel 1:5-10). It is thought that there are only four Cherubim. There might have been five originally, as Lucifer was created as an anointed Cherub who covers (protects or guards), according to Ezekiel 28:15. Four is the number for creation. The fourth day saw the material creation finished as God created the sun, moon, and stars. The fifth and sixth days saw only the furnishing and populating of the earth with living creatures, including man. In Genesis 3:24, the Cherubim are first mentioned. They are seen here keeping and guarding the Tree of Life, and thus preserving the blessed hope of immortality for all of creation. John, the apostle, saw these same living creatures when he was raptured/transported to heaven in Revelation 4. John saw God on the throne and surrounding him were 24 elders (representing the raptured Church) with crowns of gold sitting on seats. There were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God. There were also four “beasts” full of eyes in front and behind that were round about the throne. “And the first beast was like a lion, and the second beast like a calf, and the third beast had a face as a man, and the fourth beast was like a flying eagle“ (Revelation 4:7). The four Cherubim (called beasts) announce the Coming One and sing of creation and of Him who created all things, and for whose pleasure they were created. Whenever they speak, it is in connection with the earth. In Revelation 5:5 (5 is the number for grace), Jesus Christ is introduced as the Lion, of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, who is found worthy to “open the book, and to loosen the seven seals thereof.” So now you have the Lamb of God with seven horns and seven eyes (which are the Seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth) about to open the book with the seven seals. Yes, God loves His sevens! You also have 30 beings around the immediate vicinity of the throne of God. You have the Father, the Lamb of God, 24 elders, and 4 cherubim. The number 30 is 3 x 10, with 3 being the number of divine perfection and 10 being the number of ordinal perfection. All the living created beings fell down and worshipped the Lamb that lives forever and ever. In Revelation 6, the four Cherubim announce the first four seal judgments when they tell John to “Come and see.” In Revelation 15:7, one of the four Cherubim gave unto seven angels seven golden vials full of the wrath of God. The angels then, one at a time, poured out the vials full of the wrath of God upon the earth. The four righteous Cherubim of God are taking an active role against Satan, the first “anointed Cherub” who became corrupt. They are helping God to preserve His creation while Satan is trying to destroy it. The last we see of the four Cherubim is in Revelation 19 where once again they are worshipping with the 24 elders when Babylon is destroyed once and for all, and the marriage of the Lamb is about to take place in heaven. E.W. Bullinger says the Cherubim mark the purpose of God from the moment the curse was pronounced, and are the pledge that it will one day be removed. “The fact, therefore, of the living creatures being four, marks them as connected with Creation and as a symbolical representation that its hope of deliverance from the curse is bound up with the blood-shedding of the coming Redeemer.” {1} The four faces of the Cherubim reflect the attributes of Jesus Christ as portrayed by the four Gospels of the New Testament. He is the suffering servant (the ox). He is the king of the earth (the lion). He is the king of the heavens (the eagle). And He is God who became a man so he could become our kinsman redeemer to set us free from sin and death. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus. Randy Nettles [email protected] Endnotes: {1} Number In Scripture by E.W. Bullinger – pg. 125 Worldview with Amir Tsarfati: Surrounded By Enemies – By Amir Tsarfati - https://harbingersdaily.com/worldview-with-amir-tsarfati-surrounded-by-enemies/ Israelis once again took to the streets and blocked major thoroughfares as the bill to remove the judiciary’s “reasonableness” review of laws and decisions passed its first reading. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his supporters say that this ability within the courts to determine “reasonableness” gives the judicial branch of the government way too much power. Ultimately, it means the courts rather than the legislature have the final say in the laws of the land. No other country gives their judiciary that much power. Unfortunately, the media buys into the lies of the liberal left, and the people eat it up. For the sake of the country, judicial change must happen. But it is going to be a long battle. IDF Busy on Three Fronts The Israeli Air Force (IAF) attacked an area near Damascus, Syria, Wednesday night. The targets were warehouses which stored “advanced Iranian weapons.” Closer to Israel’s border, three Lebanese suspects attempted to damage the fence between Israel and Lebanon. The IDF used non-lethal weapons to chase them away. Finally, in the West Bank city of Nablus, two men suspected of carrying out a terrorist attack on June 5 were killed in a shootout with Israeli security forces. This, sadly, has been indicative of the State of Israel since its inception in 1948. We are constantly surrounded by our enemies, forced to strike either preemptively or in retaliation for what is perpetrated upon us. War with Hezbollah Nears It is almost inevitable that a war between Israel and Hezbollah will break out soon. And, because Hezbollah has so much power within Beirut’s government, the entire country of Lebanon will likely be brought in. Currently, Lebanon is a rudderless ship. There is no sitting president. The terrorist group Hezbollah is looking for regime change and seeking to bring it about by installing their own candidate in the country’s top spot. It is quite possible that we will soon see assassinations within the country itself, as the Iranian-sponsored Hezbollah seeks to rid itself of competition. Meanwhile, the terrorists are continually antagonizing Israel along the border seeking to draw Jerusalem into a shooting war. We are now at a place where the best option may be to give them what they want. At least if Israel launches hostilities, they will be able to do it in their time and in their way, rather than being in a reactive position. Israeli Citizen Kidnapped in Ethiopia An Israeli in his late 70’s was kidnapped from the Gondar region of Ethiopia this past week. A voice message from the victim indicated that he was being held in a very rainy portion of the jungle, and that he was not being given food. The kidnappers originally demanded millions of shekels for his release but have since lowered their asking price to hundreds of thousands of shekels. Just last week, the Prime Minister’s office announced the ongoing rescue work to bring back Elizabeth Tzurkov, whose story I led with in the last newsletter. She is being held in Iraq by the Shi’ite terrorist militia Kataib Hezbollah (“Brigades of the Party of God”). Iran Behind Attempted Attack on Israeli Embassy in Azerbaijan Israel has officially blamed Iran for a foiled plot against the Israeli embassy in Baku, Azerbaijan. Foreign Minister Eli Cohen said in a statement, “Iranian terror is a global threat, as we saw in the past few days in Azerbaijan in an attempted attack against the Israeli Embassy in Baku, as well as in recent months in Cyprus and Greece in attempted attacks against Israelis and Jews.” Earlier this week, an Afghan national was arrested for the plot. So far, Israeli intelligence has done well thwarting Iran’s terror attempts. But all it will take is one missed attack to bring devastation to many people. Syrian Lira Hits All-Time Low – Again It seems there is no rock bottom for the failing Syrian lira. In February of this year, it had fallen to 7000 lira to the US dollar. In the last five months, the currency has lost another 40% of its value, hitting an all-time low of 10,000 lira per US dollar. And still, there is no economic hope in sight for Bashar al-Assad’s failed regime. Tension Builds Between Moscow and Reelected Erdogan Government It seems that the love story between Vladimir Putin and Turkey’s Recep Tayyip Erdogan has hit some choppy water. Since his reelection, the Turkish president has voiced his support of the liberation of Crimea, vowed to help Ukraine’s acceptance into NATO, freed some of Ukraine’s Azov fighters to return home, agreed to back Sweden’s inclusion in NATO, and renewed his interest in Turkey becoming part of the EU. Meanwhile, Putin is back in Moscow saying, “Recep, my man, what gives?” For those of us, however, who understand Bible prophecy and the Ezekiel 38 coalition, we know that this is not a breakup. Soon enough, the two world leaders will kiss and make up before setting their eyes southward toward a little country called Israel. Bulgaria to Sell Russian Nuclear Reactors to Ukraine Half a decade ago, Bulgaria purchased two nuclear reactors from Russia. The plan was to install them at their Belene nuclear power plant project with the help of Moscow. But now Putin has decided to withhold Russia’s assistance. Bulgarian Prime Minister Nikolay Denkov said, “Okay, Vlad, if it’s like that, then we’ll just sell these nuclear reactors to Ukraine.” The EU, who are always looking for a way to poke Putin in the ribs, jumped up and said, “Hey, we’ve even got €600 million laying around we could put toward that.” Said a spokesperson for the EU Commission, “Ukraine can use EU funds to buy nuclear reactors from Bulgaria, as this would help strengthen the Ukrainian economy.” France Continues to Burn Violence, looting, vandalism, and arson are still filling the nights in many French cities. It all began with the death of 17-year-old Algerian, Naher Merzouk, shot by police in a Paris suburb. Now most major cities, along with many smaller villages which in the past were immune to this type of unrest, have been rocked by the riots. “Unfortunately, the increase of uncivil behavior, of violence, is developing even in modest towns like ours…. It’s very hard to solve,” said Philippe Van-Hoorne, mayor of L’Aigle in Normandy. It certainly is a hard problem to solve. After years of open immigrations policies, the cultural and religious makeup of France has changed dramatically. What we are seeing is the result of these leftist policies, and, unfortunately, it is likely too late to do anything about it. Prophecy Update Videos Must Watch Videos! Videos You Can Trust
Is Bizarre Activity on The Sun Causing Catastrophic Disasters All Over the Globe? - by Michael Snyder - http://endoftheamericandream.com/is-bizarre-activity-on-the-sun-causing-catastrophic-disasters-all-over-the-globe/ When you see a graphic that depicts the Sun as just about as large as the Earth, you should just chuckle. The truth is that we are a tiny little rock compared to the giant ball of fire that we revolve around. And whenever that giant ball of fire become more active, that greatly affects what is happening on our planet. This is not a revolutionary concept, but a lot of people out there just can’t seem to grasp it. Yes, the Sun is a long distance away, but without it none of us could survive for long, and to say that it is absolutely enormous would be a massive understatement… The Sun is 864,400 miles (1,391,000 kilometers) across. This is about 109 times the diameter of Earth. The Sun weighs about 333,000 times as much as Earth. It is so large that about 1,300,000 planet Earths can fit inside of it. Please don’t just skim over those numbers. The Sun is so large that we could literally fit 1.3 million Earths inside of it. That is incredible. Unfortunately for us, the Sun is also becoming increasingly active. In fact, more than 160 sunspots were detected in the month of June alone… The sun produced over 160 sunspots in June, the highest monthly number in more than two decades. The data confirm that the current solar cycle, the 25th since records began, is picking up intensity at a much quicker pace than NASA and the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) forecasted, sparking concerns of severe space weather events in the months and years to come. Just days ago, one sunspot grew to be 10 times wider than Earth in just 48 hours, and it released an X-class flare that could have potentially caused major problems… An enormous, rapidly growing sunspot on the sun’s surface has unleashed a mighty X-class flare — the most powerful type of solar flare the sun is capable of producing. The solar storm slammed into our planet, triggering brief radio blackouts in parts of the U.S. and elsewhere, but it could have been a lot worse, experts warned. The enormous dark patch, named AR3354, emerged on the solar surface on June 27 and within 48 hours had grown to cover around 1.35 billion square miles (3.5 billion square kilometers), or 10 times wider than Earth. Space weather scientists were alarmed by the colossal sunspot’s rapid emergence and feared it could spit out a barrage of potentially harmful solar storms, according to Spaceweather.com. Scientists have known for a long time that when the sun becomes more active it has a tremendous impact on our weather. So, have we been witnessing unusual weather lately? We sure have. For example, a “mega cluster of tornadoes” just monkey-hammered the Chicago area… A mega cluster of tornadoes and thunderstorms have battered greater Chicago, leaving thousands without power and forcing hundreds of flights to be canceled. Trees were uprooted and rooftops were ripped off, as the series of tornadoes left a path of destruction on Wednesday amid the meteorological chaos. At least eight tornadoes touched down in four counties in northeastern Illinois, including four in Cook County, which is home to Chicago, as officials warned people to take shelter. Chicago has never been known for tornadoes. But now we have entered a time when we should expect the unexpected. After the tornadoes had passed, one journalist said that he had “never seen anything like this in Chicago before”… Following the storm, journalist James Kay tweeted a photo of billowing, low-lying clouds sitting over Lake Michigan behind the city’s skyline, commenting: ‘I’ve never seen anything like this in Chicago before.’ On the east coast, two months of rain just fell on the state of Vermont in only two days, and this has caused the worst flooding in about 100 years… WATCH: https://youtu.be/EUyqwjjo5X8 We are being hit by disaster after disaster after disaster, and we are being told that this is “the new normal”. But I don’t think that I will ever consider this to be normal. On the other side of the world, India is dealing with catastrophic flooding too… Flooding in parts of New Delhi forced the city government to close all education institutions in India’s capital on Thursday and advise people to work from home, while warning that there would be water rationing after the Yamuna river broke its banks. Since the rainy monsoon season began on June 1, Delhi has recorded 113% above-average rainfall, the India Meteorological Department said, and the rains in the hilly states to the north have fed the river’s floodwaters. As a result of the flooding and the unprecedented heat that has been hitting the country, the price of tomatoes in India has gone up by 400 percent… India’s extreme weather is taking its toll on crops, with tomato crops being hit especially hard. Tomatoes have become so expensive that shops need ‘bodyguards’ to protect them, Vice news reports. Prices have soared by 400 percent in recent weeks with a kilogram now costing more than a litre of petrol. Speaking of heat, Europe is being absolutely slammed right now. A heat wave named “Cerberus” had been baking Europe for days, and now a new heat wave named “Charon” is coming next… Another searing 47C heatwave is already heading for Europe, forecasters have warned – even as the continent remains on red alert and in the grips of a deadly weather system from the Sahara desert. British tourists across the Mediterranean have been warned of the life-threatening effects of the sweltering heat after an anticyclone system called Cerberus expanded northwards. But as Cerberus exhausts itself, Italian weather forecasters are now predicting that another heatwave – named ‘Charon’, after Hades’ ferryman – will push temperatures back up to 43C in Rome and as high as 47C in Sardinia next week. Needless to say, Europe has had many heat waves in the past. But what we are seeing now is different. In Spain, the temperature of the ground actually reached 60 degrees Celsius on Thursday… Land temperatures – how hot the ground is to touch – in Spain reached upwards of 60C in parts of southern Spain on Thursday, with the European Space Agency warning next week could break continental records. That is hot! In case you are wondering, 60 degrees Celsius is 140 degrees Fahrenheit. Here in the United States, an absolutely massive “heat dome” is expected to cause temperatures to rise to dizzying heights in the days ahead… An unforgiving heat wave is gripping much of the Lower 48, bringing triple-digit temperatures to the nation’s three most populous states — California, Texas and Florida — and is poised to set a litany of records. In the Southwest, readings are expected to climb as high as 130 degrees, while the southern Plains and Southeast will face an oppressive overlap between extreme temperatures and tropical humidity. Is there anyone out there that wants to claim that this is “normal”? Of course, it isn’t normal. As I discussed yesterday, the truth is that we are starting to experience the apocalyptic weather of the end times all over the planet. And if you think that things are bad now, just wait until you see what is coming. Global weather patterns will continue to get even more unstable, and this is going to cause a lot of panic and fear. But this is not a time for panic or fear. This is a time to become the person that you were meant to be, because God put you at this specific time in history for a reason. Nearing Midnight: The Total Polarization of the Government – Todd Strandberg - https://www.raptureready.com/category/nearing-midnight/ The Democratic Party and the Republican Party—together have won every United States presidential election since 1852 and controlled the United States Congress since 1856. Since most political issues are two-sided, one party is generally for something and the other opposes it. A few decades ago, Democrats and Republicans worked together on many issues. On July 30, 2014, the House of Representatives passed H.R. 4810, known as the Veterans Access to Care Act of 2014. The bill, co-sponsored by Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders and Arizona Senator John McCain, passed the House on a vote of 420-5. When the United States declared war on Japan, only one person voted against it. Today it has become common to have votes that completely follow along party lines. The House recently passed a resolution that directs the House Homeland Security and House Judiciary panels to examine any evidence of wrongdoing related to the president’s immigration policies. It was approved because 219 Republicans outvoted 208 Democrats. During the Trump years, the Democrats had control of the House, and they did several things that were politically motivated. Now that the Republicans have a majority, they clearly plan to perform similar stunts. A couple of weeks ago, there was a censure vote against California Rep Adam Schiff, which was a rebuke of a vocal Trump critic by the House Republican majority. Years ago, it would be a significant rebuke of a member of Congress. Today it is seen as a badge of honor. As House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) tried to read out the resolution, House Democrats, gathered on the floor in solidarity with Schiff, repeatedly shouted him down. They chanted “shame!” and cheered Schiff, jeering at McCarthy as a “spiteful coward” and “weak.” Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) called for him to be ousted. One Republican shouted back, “Jack***es!” The House of Representatives approved a resolution referring articles of impeachment against President Biden to two committees. The resolution directs the House Homeland Security and House Judiciary panels to examine any evidence of wrongdoing related to the president’s immigration policies. It was approved 219-208 along party lines. There is zero chance of getting enough votes to convict Biden in the Senate. I don’t see any indication that Republicans share the fondness for political theater that the left enjoys. I think the best idea in Republican circles is a vote to dissolve Trump’s previous two impeachments. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy said he supports the idea of expunging the impeachments of Donald Trump as Republican allies of the former president introduce a pair of proposals to declare it as though the historic charges never happened. McCarthy told reporters that he agrees with Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene and Elise Stefanik, who want to erase the charges against Trump from the former president’s impeachments of 2019 and 2021. “I think it is appropriate,” said McCarthy, the Republican from California. “Just as I thought before — that you should expunge it because it never should have gone through.” The political divide can really be seen in the Supreme Court. Justices are there to simply vote if something is constitutional or not. The change in the political environment has caused the conservative court to strike down a series of rulings that liberals hold dear. I like the recent rulings, but I think there is a great danger to the nation in the long run. When Ruth Bader Ginsburg became a Supreme Court candidate, everyone knew she had a leftist background. The vote to make her an Associate Justice was 96-3 because there was still a vestige of civility in the Senate. Even during the Clarence Thomas fiasco, he still managed to have 11 Democrats vote for him. When Amy Coney Barrett was nominated to be the next Associate Justice of the Supreme Court in 2020, it quickly became apparent that she was an excellent Justice. The vote was straight down party lines. My biggest fear is what will happen when the Democrats gain full control of the government. It was as recent as 2016 that they had a filibuster-proof majority in the Senate. If this was today, the Democrats would pack the Supreme Court, suspend all voting rules in the Senate, and they would remove Republican members by vote. If people love power more than truth and our nation, tyranny will eventually prevail. We could have a dictator come from both parties because most despots come to power under the promise of saving the country from the opposition. “First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way” (1 Timothy 2:1-2 ESV). As World Politics Plays Out Around Us, Take Comfort… The King of kings has the Final Move – By Tim Moore - https://harbingersdaily.com/as-world-politics-plays-out-around-us-take-comfort-the-king-of-kings-has-the-final-move/ Archimedes said, “Give me a place to stand, and a lever long enough, and I will move the world.” What he postulated as a mathematical law of physics has become the megalomaniacal dream of mankind: Give me enough power — concentrated in time and place — and I will rule the world. Kings and rulers have ranged from the relatively benevolent to the utterly despotic. Even today, that spectrum is manifest among the nations of the world. To the Greeks, “politics” described the affairs of the cities. The Old Testament speaks of kings who ruled over individual cities in Canaan. Later, God gave the Israelites a king following their clamor to “be like all the other nations.” He warned that even the most benign rulers would still take some of their bounty and some of their freedoms. Today, there is a renewed demand for ever-expanding governmental power. The cry, “there ought to be a law!” leads to an insidious expectation for government solutions to every problem — real or perceived. This, of course, plays into the machinations of our great adversary, who fashions himself a ruler preferable to Almighty God. That is not to say that government in and of itself is evil. Just as God instituted the family as the basic building block of society, He ordained government to uphold order, encourage societal goods, and punish inevitable wrongs. Within its proper boundary, government is an agent for good. But Satan has incited mankind to pursue powers and policies that reject God’s laws and usurp His authority. Since Babel, the result has been disappointment, failure, and heartbreak. God’s Word tells us that the nations of the world will align in a particular way in the End Times. Aspiring global elitists will try to manipulate the nations like pieces on a chessboard. The swirl of world politics is yet another sign that we are living in the season of the Lord’s return. But the King of kings has the final move! As we Christians observe the Signs of World Politics playing out around us, take comfort in knowing that neither the elephant or the donkey will prevail in the end. The Lamb who was slain will return as a roaring Lion to set up His own righteous Kingdom on the earth. I am looking forward to that glorious benevolent Monarchy! Daily Jot: The American Chronicles: The whole of mankind - Bill Wilson – www.dailyjot.com It was June 30, the beginning of our long-awaited beach vacation with Ed and Christine, friends we have done so with for some dozen years. This year was special because we were traveling together in our travel van and doing an overnight at a campground less than five miles from Virginia Beach before moving on to Emerald Isle, NC. Chris and I were staying in our van. Christine and Ed in a nearby cabin. A beautiful setting. Christine and Chris went on a bike ride, while Ed and I rested in our camp chairs beneath the shade of a stoic oak tree near our camp, our dog Charlie sniffing around and panting in the hot afternoon sun. There came a small Chevy SUV pulling up in the space beside our van. Out came a family of five Asians—an older man and woman, a younger man and woman, and a little girl. They cautiously walked around the space given them to camp and popped open the hatch door on the Chevy. It was packed so full there was no daylight from back to front. The younger woman found a can of insect repellent and began spraying it on the ground in a most peculiar and regimented fashion. Soon out came a pop-up tent. Then two bicycles were unfolded, then several camp chairs. As they worked together setting the tent, the younger woman took pictures, several pictures, many pictures. Ed and I kind of chuckled at the sight, as Ed explained that his Asian daughters-in-law loved taking pictures, too. Later, the older man and woman got on the bikes and went for a ride. The little girl was in an out of the tent, enjoying the novelty of what they all had worked so diligently to construct. The older man and I crossed paths a couple of times that evening, but he said nothing. Looking down at the ground, not a smile or a gesture, he walked past me, seeming not to notice my nod or smile. They kept quietly to themselves throughout the evening. By the time Chris, Ed and Christine and I came back from our outing and dinner at the Virginian Beach boardwalk, they had settled in around a small campfire. All to themselves, hardly a sound among them could be heard. The next morning, after Chris had cooked breakfast on our new griddle, we were breaking camp. Ed and I set the bikes in their rack and I noticed the older man smiling at me. He gave me the “thumbs up,” signaling he liked the bike rack. This gave me the opportunity to walk over and say “hi.” The younger man, Yenti, explained that his father was impressed with the bike rack. Yenti told me he worked in Arlington, Va., and this was their first-ever camping experience and they really liked it. He said they were from China and I looked to the father and mother and said with a smile, “Welcome to America,” which Yenti translated. The father grabbed my hand and with the warmest smile shook it vigorously and nodded his head joyously. Then he wanted a picture with me and the bike rack. And another with Yenti and me. Then, as I was climbing into the driver’s seat of our van, Yenti, his wife and the little girl flagged me down. The girl, Iris, wanted a picture with me and her grandfather. All warmth and smiles. I know that us Americans have our issues with the Chinese, but in this moment and this point in time, warmth and kindness melted away any differences real or perceived. 1 John 3:1 says, “See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are.” I do not know their religious beliefs, but I do know that some seed, some water and some harvest. In this family, I saw the love of God and showed the love of God. My prayer for them is for their relationship, current or future, with the King of Kings. It is the substance of things not seen, the hope for the whole of mankind. Daily Devotion: Into the Storm - by Greg Laurie – www.harvest.org Immediately after this, Jesus insisted that his disciples get back into the boat and cross to the other side of the lake, while he sent the people home. —Matthew 14:22 https://harvest.org/resources/devotion/into-the-storm/ - Listen Typically, we want to avoid storms. Pilots, for example, fly away from storms, not toward them. But there are times when storms can protect us. In three of the four Gospels, we find the account of Jesus walking on the water to reach His disciples. But that event followed the most popular miracle that Jesus ever performed: feeding five thousand men, plus women and children, with only five loaves of bread and two fish. The people thought Jesus was someone they could follow because He not only healed people, and even raised some from the dead, but also fed them. In fact, they wanted to make Him king by force. As a result, Jesus sent His disciples across the Sea of Galilee, away from that situation. And then Jesus slipped away by Himself to pray. Meanwhile, a huge storm arose on the Sea of Galilee, which grew worse and worse. Finally, during the fourth watch of the night (around 3:00 a.m.), Jesus came walking to them on the waves. So, how was that a protecting storm? Jesus was protecting His disciples from something that could have destroyed them. If Jesus had allowed the people to make Him king by force, the disciples would have been pulled into it. They were ambitious men, and on more than one occasion, they argued about who would be greatest in the kingdom. It was a diversion. It wasn’t part of God’s plan. So, Jesus protected them. And the storm they feared actually was a barrier that kept them away from what could really harm them. When we’re experiencing success, we can be more vulnerable than when we’re facing failure because we can become prideful. Success can be as dangerous as failure—or sometimes even more dangerous. Maybe you’re experiencing a protecting storm in your life today. God’s thoughts toward you come from a motive of love. He has a plan and a purpose for you. PROPHECY UPDATE NEWS HEADLINES Yesterday's Prophecies - Today's Headlines HEADLINES IN PARTNERSHIP WITH TRACKING BIBLE PROPHECY 7/14/23 http://trackingbibleprophecy.org/birthpangs.php
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