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IN TODAY'S NEWSLETTER...
The Unbiblical Basis of Amillennialism – Jonathan Brentner - https://www.jonathanbrentner.com/https/jonathan-brentner-g8fgsquarespacecom/config/2021/7/5/the-unbiblical-basis-of-amillennialism
Throughout the Dark Ages and Reformation, Amillennialism remained the mainstay of the church because of three critical factors. I know my title sounds a bit theological. Why even bring up the topic of amillennialism? I do so because a great many pastors today subscribe to some form of this errant teaching that denies the prophesied restoration of a kingdom for Israel as well as the biblical promise of Jesus’ millennial reign before the eternal state. Amillennialism dominated the church during the dark ages and persisted long after the Reformation. The reason for this rests with three factors that fueled this teaching for well over a thousand years and remain in place today, at least to some degree. It’s vital to our faith that we understand the errant foundation of amillennialism so we can recognize the error and defend the integrity of Scripture when others seek to lead us astray. ALLEGORY Apart from the allegorization of Scripture, amillennialism would not exist. Rather than interpret prophecy according to the intent of biblical author, those who apply this method to prophecy retrofit biblical texts with meanings that do not match the words nor the intent of the authors. The practice of allegorizing biblical texts began with Philo, an Alexandrian Jew who lived during the time of Christ. He admired Greek philosophy and used allegory as a means to make the Old Testament agreeable with Greek. In the second century AD, Clement and Origen adopted Philo’s allegorical approach to God’s word. Clement (AD 150-215) “embraced Greek philosophy and maintained that Scripture must be understood allegorically so as not to contradict it.”[i] Origen (AD 185-254) used allegory to make biblical prophecy comply with Plato’s dualism, which stated that only the spiritual, immaterial realm was good. The church Council of Nicea, which met in in AD 325, condemned the teachings of Origen and affirmed the place of the book of Revelation in the New Testament in direct contradiction to Origen’s rejection of Jesus’ thousand-year reign as described in Revelation 20:1-10.[ii] At the beginning of the fifth century AD, a much more capable theologian named Augustine utilized Origen’s allegorical approach to biblical prophecy and steered the church away from its premillennial footing in favor of amillennialism. During the dark ages, theologians extended Augustine’s allegorization of prophetic texts to passages in the New Testament, which led to the contamination of the doctrine of justification by faith. We see this same pattern happening today; the practice of allegorizing Bible prophecy invariably leads, over time, to an undermining of the purity of the Gospel and an acceptance of immoral cultural norms for behavior. Allegory never remains confined to biblical passages dealing with prophecy; it always spreads. Always. THE BIBLICAL RESPONSE: WORDS MATTER Words matter in Scripture. Notice the words of the apostle Peter in 2 Peter 1:20-21, “. . . knowing this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture comes from someone's own interpretation. For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.” Just as the prophets of old did not speak from their own understanding, in the same way we must not apply our own private “interpretations” to what they wrote; we must let the words speak for themselves. The Greek word for “spoke” in verse 21 is laleo. According to Trench in in his book Synonyms of the New Testament, the “prominent notion” of this verb is “the fact of uttering articulated speech. . . it is the words uttered, and that these correspond to reasonable thoughts . . . .”[iii] Biblical prophets, in both the Old and New Testament, expressed truths in words as God moved them through the Holy Spirit (see also 2 Tim. 3:16; Proverbs 2:6). Yes, the biblical authors used symbolism and figures of speech, but they did so in a way that was clear from a normal understanding of the text. We must not veer from what the authors of biblical prophecy intended to communicate to us at the time they wrote. We are not free to interpret Scripture in a way that does not align with the words on the page such as many pastors do today, especially with the book of Revelation (see my previous post on this matter). PLATONISM The practice of allegorizing Scripture began with the purpose of making Greek philosophy compatible with the Old Testament. Theologians such as Origen employed it to diminish the physical blessings of the millennium in order to comply with the teachings of Plato, who taught that all matter was evil. Although Augustine claimed to disagree with Plato on most issues, he nevertheless incorporated the philosopher’s unbiblical scheme of reality into his theology. He stated that the millennium “would not be objectionable” to him if somehow “the nature of the millennial kingdom was a ‘spiritual one’ rather than a physical one.”[iv] He objected to the thoughts of “carnal banquets,” which he visualized as a part of such a kingdom.[v] Augustine’s basis for rejecting the premillennialism that dominated the first three centuries of the church came from Plato, not the Bible. Although the Reformers firmly rejected the use of allegory to interpret Scripture, they retained it in regard to biblical prophecy and thus continued the amillennialism of Dark ages. A key reason for this was the enduring influence of Plato upon Reformers such as Calvin and Luther. E. J. Hutchinson, in his article Calvin’s Plato, cited several of John Calvin’s references to Plato. He summarized his findings with these words, “In conclusion, Calvin makes regular use of Plato’s philosophy both in philosophical and in theological contexts. Far from being mere window-dressing, he often finds in Plato an argumentative ally against his contemporary opponents. Plato was, in other words, a living source of truth for Calvin.”[vi] Calvin’s affinity for Plato played a key role in his continuing use of allegory to reinterpret biblical promises regarding the future restoration of a kingdom for Israel. His comments regarding the question of the disciples regarding the future of Israel in Acts 1:6 clearly reflect Augustine’s Platonic repulsion regarding the “carnality” he saw as an aspect of the millennium. Martin Luther, a former monk who once belonged to the Augustinian Order, also did not distance himself from Augustine’s Platonism in regard to future things. Though not as evident as with John Calvin, Luther nevertheless maintained a high regard for Plato.[vii] A key motivating force for the enduring strength of amillennialism since the time of Augustine down to the current time is the organized church’s long-held affinity for Plato’s dualism. THE BIBLICAL RESPONSE: GOD CREATED THE MATERIAL WORLD The Bible absolutely refutes the dualism of Plato. Throughout Genesis 1, God made it abundantly clear that His creation of the material world was “good.” Paul wrote these words in 1 Timothy 6:17, “As for the rich in this present age, charge them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy.” The Lord intends for us to enjoy the good gifts He gives to us, which certainly includes material benefits and earthly pleasures. He blesses us both spiritually and physically in this life, which is but a foretaste of the kindness God will show to us throughout eternity (Eph. 2:7). Consider the words of Psalm 16:11,“You make known to me the path of life; / in your presence there is fullness of joy; / at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.” Even as I typed the words of this verse, I felt the platonic influence on the church suggesting to me that the meaning of “pleasures” is not really what it says. However, the Bible says that the redeemed of the Lord can look forward to a wondrous eternity complete with many physical pleasures. If the Lord says we celebrate at the marriage supper of the lamb, why would anyone consider that carnal or sinful; that’s ridiculous. ANTI-SEMITISM I encountered anti-Semitism in a prophecy class that I taught a few years ago. The man who often opposed my teaching held to a popular variation of amillennialism called Preterism, which teaches that Jesus returned to earth in AD 70 and fulfilled most, if not all, of future prophecy in the Bible. It was not until the end of the class that I discovered his hatred of the Jewish people lay at the root of his false beliefs. Anti-Semitism was a factor in Augustine’s amillennialism and it also helps explain why the Reformers did not extend their literal approach of Scripture to passages that teach the future restoration of a kingdom for Israel. Both Calvin and Luther retained the anti-Semitism that dominated the church during the Dark Ages, which in turn helped keep amillennialism in place during and after the Reformation. With the return of amillennialism to many evangelical churches during the past twenty-five years, anti-Semitism has also resurfaced as seen in the increasingly popularity of Christian Palestinianism as well as in the current anti-Zionism movements. The further that the church drifts away from premillennialism, the more it becomes susceptible to an unbiblical view of Israel’s claim to the Promised Land. Let me be clear; I am not saying that those who now teach that the current nation of Israel is just an anomaly of history are anti-Semitic, not at all. However, such racism has historically been one of the three foundations of amillennialism and the resurgence of this teaching explains, at least in part, the rapid increase of animosity toward Israel and the Jewish people, even within churches that claim to believe the Bible. THE BIBLICAL RESPONSE: THE LAND BELONGS TO ISRAEL The Promised Land belongs to Israel. Psalm 105:8-11 tells us that God’s covenant with the Patriarchs regarding the Land is an “everlasting covenant.” Although Israel’s enjoyment of the land has always been conditional upon her obedience, the Lord unconditionally promised that the Land would always belong to them. We have not yet reached the end of “everlasting;” the covenant of the Land thus remains in effect. Apart from retrofitting the Old Testament prophets under the veil of allegory, one cannot read the words of Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and Zechariah without recognizing the Lord’s intention to someday restore a glorious kingdom to Israel in the future. If the words of Scripture mean what they say, and they do, God will keep all His promises to the descendants of Jacob. Any hatred for a particular race or group of people is evil; it’s something that God hates. Anti-Semitism in the established church during the Dark Ages, fueled by Augustine’s amillennialism, led to centuries of murderous hatred toward the Jewish people. CONCLUSION Amillennialism came back to life under Augustine and flourished during the Dark Ages because he popularized the allegorization of Scripture in order to align biblical prophecy with the teachings of Plato and his hatred of the Jewish people. These same three factors empowered amillennialism throughout the dark ages, sustained it and through the Reformation, and to varying degrees contribute to its sustainability and growing popularity in many churches today. Amillennialism has produced catastrophic results inside and outside the church since the time of Augustine and continues to undermine the integrity of Scripture in churches where it has been the mainstay of teaching for several years. Note: Please consider signing up for my newsletter on the home page of my website at https://www.jonathanbrentner.com/ . It will greatly help me in reaching more people. Thanks! [i] Randy Alcorn, Heaven (Carol Stream: Tyndale House Publishers, 2004), p. 477. [ii] Grant R., Triumphant Return: The Coming Kingdom of God (Colorado Springs: Waterbrook Press, 2001), p. 127. [iii] Richard C. Trench, Synonyms of the New Testament (Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1975), p. 287). [iv] Allen, D. Matthew, Theology Adrift: The Early Church Fathers and Their Views of Eschatology, A paper published on the Bible.org website, Chapter Five [v] Ibid. [vi] E. J. Hutchinson, in his article Calvin’s Plato, on The Calvinist International website: https://calvinistinternational.com/2017/08/07/calvins-plato/ [vii] See Eric Parker, The Platonism of Martin Luther, on The Calvinist International website: https://calvinistinternational.com/2013/05/20/the-platonism-of-martin-luther/ The Top Twenty Pre-Tribulation Prophecies - By Bill Salus - www.prophecydepot.com (Article taken from The Pre-Tribulation Prophecies: A Prophetic Documentary) This article is intended to acquaint you with the top twenty Pre-Tribulation prophecies. These are ancient predictions that are about to roll off of their parchments soon and pound down on the world’s pavement. These are globally impacting events that could happen before the Seven-Year Tribulation Period begins. Thus, it’s possible that the Christian Church might actually witness the fulfillment of some of these perilous biblical predictions before it gets Raptured. Over the past seven years, I have had the opportunity to author five-books and DVDs in an end times prophecy series. The goal of these non-fiction works is to explore, explain and sequence all of the unfulfilled prophecies that will happen on the last days. Twenty-five hundred days, thirteen hundred pages, one-hundred chapters and twelve appendices later, I feel compelled to tell you that, in my educated estimation, the landscape, environment, economy and geo-politics of this present world are all about to change quickly and dramatically! All of the end times signs are converging. The required technologies are developed, the apocalyptic weapons are fashioned, and the evil political leaders and their wicked national relationships are in place for every Pre-Tribulation prophecy to find fulfillment soon. In the event that the long-suffering and merciful Heavenly Father tarries from sending His Only Begotten Son Jesus to come Rapture His Bride, Christians need to brace themselves for the rough road ahead. Survival in these last days will largely depend on a Christian’s ability to know what prophecies are coming, prepare for their arrival and endure their adverse effects when they happen. Although Christians are instructed to remind and comfort one another about the imminence of the Rapture, they should also resist the lackadaisical attitude that leads them to think they will be Raptured before the bad stuff happens. The Rapture is only one of the Pre-Tribulation prophecies and there could be a photo-finish between the Rapture and several other prophecies. The Pre-Tribulation Period The Pre-Tribulation period includes the Church Age and the Post-Rapture / Pre-Tribulation Time Gap. The Church Age ends when the Rapture happens. Then mankind enters into a pre-tribulational interval period of unspecified time. This time gap concludes when the Antichrist confirms the false covenant of Daniel 9:27 and Isaiah 28:15. For those unfamiliar with this mysterious time gap, it is based upon the premise that it’s not the Rapture that triggers the Seven-Year Tribulation Period, rather it’s the ratification of the false covenant that kick-starts it. Many of today’s top Bible prophecy experts believe this interval period exists, such as: Dr. Mark Hitchcock, Dr. David Reagan, Gary Stearman, Tom Hughes, me and the late Dr. Tim LaHaye (1926-2016) and Dr. Chuck Missler (1934-2018), just to name a few. Some of us suggest that this time gap could last for several years. The Top Twenty Pre-Tribulation Prophecies The top twenty Pre-Tribulation prophecies are the subject of a prophetic documentary produced by Thomas J Hughes ministries with Hope For Our Times and me. It is a 2-Disc DVD set that provides approximately 2 ½ hours of timely prophetic information. The top twenty Pre-Tribulation Prophecies and their related verses are:
Also, another Pre-Tribulation scenario worth mentioning are the three seemingly connecting Gaza, (ancient Philistia), prophecies that appear to predict the elimination of Hamas in Psalm 83, Zephaniah 2:4-7 and Ezekiel 25:15-17. These are all globally impacting prophecies. Although some of them are centered in the Middle East, they will likely increase international terrorism, lead to worldwide oil and gas shortages, fuel economic collapses, provoke geo-political upheavals and result in unprecedented humanitarian calamities. The Seven-Year Tribulation Period If the menu of devastating events above isn’t frightening enough it only gets worse from there. Once prophecies #19 and #20 are fulfilled, the false covenant gets confirmed by the Antichrist and the Seven-Year Tribulation Period commences. During those final seven years this planet and the people left behind will face off with the Wrath of God. The planet gets destroyed and billions of people are killed. I have written extensively about this tribulational period in my LAST Prophecies and FINAL Prophecies books. The good news is that the Church is:
The bad news is that believers have loved ones who are presently unsaved and at risk of being left behind to experience the most perilous seven-years in all of post-flood history. In closing let me speak to three prevalent Christian attitudes. 1. I DON’T CARE: “I’ll be Raptured, so why should I worry about such things that don’t concern me.” I would encourage someone who has adopted this position to first, realize that you may be here to endure some of the Pre-Tribulation prophecies. If you face off with one or more of these powerful predictions, you will undoubtedly be forced to care! Therefore, be cautious not to get caught up in the trap of thinking that the rest of your days will be persecution free. Second, be more compassionate toward your unsaved family, friends and neighbors. Put yourself in their future shoes. If they get saved after the Rapture they will have to survive through three periods of Christian martyrdom that follows the Rapture. These three periods of martyrdom are thoroughly unpacked and explained in The Pre-Tribulation Prophecies DVD. 2. I’M BURNED-OUT: “I am blue in the face from trying to witness to my loved ones and teach them about the Rapture and the Tribulation Period that follows.” Get a second wind. The end times signs are converging and that should excite you and reignite the flame you once had to share the Good News about Jesus Christ. Your loved ones are watching the same crazy current events unfold that you are. Their once deaf ears are listening, blind eyes are opening and hard heads are ready for some fresh Bible-Thumping! Besides, you don’t want them to get LEFT BEHIND! 3. I CARE AND WANT TO SHARE: “I’m expecting Jesus Christ to come Rapture us out of here soon and I want to redeem the little bit of borrowed time we have remaining.” I encourage you to watch The Pre-Tribulation Prophecies prophetic documentary. It is your friend in need that will strengthen your faith and hope in Jesus the Messiah and provide you with the up-to-date prophetic perspective of current events. With this information in heart, head and hand, you will be thoroughly equipped to share your faith with your loved ones. Nearing Midnight: Is the Time at Hand? – Terry James - https://www.raptureready.com/category/nearing-midnight/ One can almost physically feel evil’s powerful pull at the godly restraints imposed by Heaven’s Love and wisdom. Wickedness exerts its mesmerizing influence on this generation from its high places, inducing an insanity that can only be defined as the reprobate mind given in Romans 1:28. Those of us fifty years of age or older can but blink and wonder at the upside-down world as it continues to descend into a madness of sorts. Those younger, for the most part, don’t seem to notice the deliberate deconstruction of all we of the 50-plus generation recognize and by which we are vexed. I refer to such developments in America as the following. * Disdain for human life in the form of abortion. * The slaughter of babies in their mother’s wombs doesn’t seem to matter to more than half of our numbers. The younger generation –the baby-producing ages—especially don’t seem to notice and care. (And I realize that there are those who do care about the unborn among this age. But they are in the minority, and a significant minority at that.) * Disregard for formerly moral principles. * Marital status means nothing to a growing percentage of America’s population. Statistics bear it out. Sexual activity outside of the marriage bond is as common as any other entertaining, social activity. * Embrace of homosexuality as more normal than heterosexuality is now the “enlightened” view. * The norming of same-gender sexual relations has over powered today’s culture in a brief time. If one doesn’t embrace the social construct that biblical prohibitions are no longer relevant and that it is perfectly normal for men to have sex with men and women with women, then it is the one holding such an outmoded view who is the great sinner, not those who are “enlightened.” * Welcome of new thought in adult-children sexual relations is a growing reality within progressive ideology. –Thus although there is no realization that such thought is not new at all, but is as ancient as every civilization that has lived and died. * Such organizations as the North American Man/Boy Love Association (NAMBLA), which was not too long ago seen as among the most disgusting and perverted of groups, now are considered acceptable under growingly lenient circumstances. It all depends upon whether such relationships as adults and children being sexually involved are “consensual”–which in itself is as reprobate a concept as any that could be devised, in this writer’s view. Thankfully there are Christian and other groups organized against this pedophile movement to normalize such filthy and evil activity. But it is a satanically driven trend that will not be stopped as mankind devolves ever deeper into total depravity. Even public libraries and schools are becoming ever more involved in this movement to bring adults and children together in this unholy way. Dolly Madison Library in Fairfax, Virginia has invited preschoolers, babies and toddlers to attend ‘Drag Queen Story Hour’ to celebrate ‘Pride Month.’ “Celebrate Pride Month by attending Drag Storybook Hour cosponsored by Fairfax County Public Library and The McLean Community Center. Registration required. All Ages.”… The event will take place on Saturday, June 26 from 10:30 am to 11:15 am. Event planners invited “babies, toddlers, preschoolers and school age children.”… The Fairfax Republican party slammed the library for inviting young children to Drag Story Hour in celebration of pride month. ***[Ang, Source: Virginia Library Invites Preschoolers, Babies and Toddlers to Drag Queen Story Hour to Celebrate Pride Month, by Cristina Laila, Gateway Pundit, June 25, 2021]*** And the powerful tug of that luciferian hand, pulling this generation farther from godly restraint, manifests in the arena of commerce. All who want to live under a more moral society and culture are increasingly marginalized by the wicked forces of earthly, financial power. Amazon, which is on track to be America’s largest retailer next year, launched its charity program Amazon Smile in 2013. The company has banned multiple conservative organizations since then, because it relies on the anti-conservative Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) to decide what groups qualify for the program. WORLD News Group reported in 2020 that “Liberty Counsel, Family Research Council (FRC) and the American College of Pediatricians” are not allowed on Amazon Smile. Alliance Defending Freedom was reportedly removed from the site as well. Meanwhile, Planned Parenthood, Black Lives Matter, and The Satanic Temple are all free to collect donations from the program. The AmazonSmile program is fairly simple. “Shop at smile.amazon.com and we’ll donate 0.5% of eligible purchases to your favorite charitable organization—no fees, no extra cost,” the website explained. However, Amazon will not let just any charity into the program. “Organizations that engage in, support, encourage, or promote intolerance, hate, terrorism, violence, money laundering, or other illegal activities are not eligible to participate. Amazon relies on the US Office of Foreign Assets Control and the Southern Poverty Law Center to determine which registered charities fall into these groups,” AmazonSmile’s about page said. ***[Source: From Planned Parenthood to Satanism, AmazonSmile encourages shoppers to donate to some extreme charities — at least 216 different groups. But multiple prominent conservative groups aren’t even allowed to participate, by Kayla Sargent, NewsBusters.org]*** We know, of course, who are the “intolerant” in today’s definition of the term. Christian organizations, in particular, are not allowed to participate in the charitable largesse of the beneficent Amazon money masters. The transgender curriculum is becoming ubiquitous throughout the nation’s public school systems. Children in grade school are taught that God’s Word, the Bible, is wrong. That they can be whatsoever gender they wish. And as parents begin to catch on to this type of hellish inculcation and attend school board meetings to protest, the school officials in some cases are contriving ways to obfuscate their nefarious doings. The following news link brief on Rapture Ready News frames this attempt to deceive.
Another such brief on a link further emphasizes the satanic tug at the knot teeing this generation to the last vestiges of its moral moorings.
All of this means that the stench of these end times must be singeing the nostrils of a Holy God. It is more than appropriate to ask if this is not that time He forewarned of in the one book we are promised His blessing if we read and heed. Is that time at hand? “And he saith unto me, Seal not the sayings of the prophecy of this book: for the time is at hand. He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still. And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last. Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city. For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie. I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star. And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely. For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book: And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book. He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.” (Rev. 22: 10-21) In Many Cities In America, The Criminals Are Starting To Gain Firm Control Of The Streets - by Michael Snyder - http://endoftheamericandream.com/in-many-cities-in-america-the-criminals-are-starting-to-gain-firm-control-of-the-streets/ Every week the horrendous crime wave that is sweeping across America seems to get even worse. In some of our largest cities, looting, murder and violence are becoming a way of life, and authorities seem powerless to do anything about it. Is this what we can expect life in the United States to look like moving forward? All over the globe, people are watching us, and they are stunned by what they have been witnessing. Criminals are wildly out of control, and many of our largest cities are being transformed into extremely violent war zones. For example, just check out what happened in Oakland over the weekend. According to Police Chief LeRonne Armstrong, his officers were completely overwhelmed by “the level of violence and gunfire”… The Fourth of July reeled into “12 hours of non-stop chaos” Sunday night with several victims wounded by celebratory gunfire, a homicide and a massive sideshow marred by gunfire. The night culminated at the sideshow, where more than 200 participants pelted police officers with debris and flashed them with hand-held lasers. Embattled Oakland Police Chief LeRonne Armstrong told reporters that the level of violence and gunfire overwhelmed his officers. Next door, the shoplifting epidemic in San Francisco has evolved into systematic looting. Sadly, no retailer is immune. Even though Neiman Marcus has enthusiastically embraced a whole host of “woke” causes, criminals ruthlessly looted one of their stores in San Francisco on Monday… Looters were captured on video Monday ransacking a Neiman Marcus in San Francisco as thefts continue to plague businesses in the area. At least nine suspects smashed display cases, snatched handbags, and jetted out of the building before law enforcement arrived to the scene at about 6 p.m., according to footage. The suspects were seen running out of the store with their hands full of merchandise before entering an apparent getaway car that sped off down a busy intersection. If you have not seen footage of the looters yet, you can watch it right here. This happened in broad daylight, and it is hard to believe that such scenes are actually happening in the United States of America. At this point, the looting has gotten so bad that some major retailers are taking drastic actions… Walgreens shuttered 17 of its stores in the San Francisco area in the past five years, and the company said thefts in the area are four times more likely than anywhere else in the country as executives budgeted 35 times more for security personnel to guard the chains. Target executives in the city also decided to limit business hours in response to an uptick in larceny. But unless they completely close up shop, the looting is going to continue. Criminals in California have learned that if they keep the value of the merchandise they steal at each store to under $950, they won’t be charged with a felony even if they are caught. So now we are witnessing a wave of retail theft that is unlike anything we have ever seen before… SF Police Lt. Tracy McCray pinned the blame on DA Chesa Boudin (whose parents were part of the radical and violent Weather Underground, and left two police officers dead during a botched heist). According to McCray, Boudin’s “criminals first agenda” is responsible for the uptick in crime. “What happened in that Walgreens has been going on in the city for quite a while,” McCray said in June. “I’m used to it. I mean, we could have a greatest hits compilation of people just walking in and cleaning out the store shelves and security guards, the people who work there, just standing by helplessly because they can’t do anything.” Up in Portland, the street violence just continues to get even worse. Earlier today, I was saddened to learn that a very generous man that had put up a pop-up swimming pool for the homeless during the heat wave had been viciously stabbed to death… A man whose ingenious pop-up swimming pool kept the homeless cool during the recent heat wave was fatally stabbed in the same spot just one day later, according to Portland police. Officers identified Tyson L. Morlock as the man who was found stabbed in the inner eastside Hosford-Abernethy neighborhood at Division Street and Southeast Martin Luther King Junior Boulevard around 3:37 a.m. on Thursday, July 1. He tried to make Portland a better place, and now he is dead. Of course so many people are being murdered these days that it is extremely difficult to keep up with all of the carnage. In Chicago, this holiday weekend was the most violent weekend that we have seen in 2021 so far, and that is really saying something… Every July 4th weekend police in Chicago brace for an uptick in violence – even more than is usual when typical weekends average about 40 shootings – and this holiday weekend was no different, easily registering as the deadliest and most violent this year given the total death count. New York City has also been witnessing a steady uptick in seemingly random shootings and violence, including brazen acts committed in broad daylight in heavily trafficked areas, such as the recent Times Square wounding of a US Marine. On Monday the Chicago Sun-Times has tallied 92 people shot over the long July 4th weekend, with 16 killed. The Sun-Times database shows the numbers killed to be a weekend high for all of 2021 so far. There are certain areas of Chicago that are essentially “no go zones” at this point, but of course the same thing could be said about the worst parts of many other major U.S. cities. As I discussed the other day, it is being reported that murder rates in our largest cities were up by an average of 30 percent in 2020, and as of a few weeks ago they were up another 24 percent so far in 2021. Ordinary citizens are begging our leaders to “do something” about this enormous wave of violence, but at this point nothing seems to be working. If things are this bad now while the U.S. economy is in “recovery mode”, how bad will conditions get when the next severe downturn comes along? It is heartbreaking to watch our society come apart at the seams all around us, and I have a feeling that what we have witnessed so far is just the beginning. Daily Jot: Stupidocrisy: Ignorance among us - Bill Wilson – www.dailyjot.com There has been something I have been pondering for quite some time. I sense you are thinking about the same. The state of our country. The visceral political division, the fact that most news is editorial opinion based on lies and half truths, the fact that people who have been friends for years have ended their friendships over these differences. We all have a lot of concerns about America, many of them are put to rest at the sight a young soldier in uniform opening a door for a senior citizen, or young child helping someone across the street. These individual acts of kindness bolster my confidence that somewhere deep in the soul of America, the values that make us all Americans are still flickering. But what concerns me are those who, for whatever reason, do not see that the sacrifice of those before us was made for the better gains we enjoy. I asked a group of children why we celebrate Independence Day. By and large their answers were “so we can see fireworks” or “so we can have hamburgers from the grill.” They did not even know what Independence Day meant. Their guesses were anywhere from “celebrating God’s freedom” to “my dad has a day off from work.” Some of these children openly admit they do not understand why they should stand and say the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag—seems like something silly to them. Then there was the Black man who was so upset with the wars in the Middle East that he told me it was better to abort these children than to let them grow up and force them to die in war. I asked him how many abortions there were in the United States each year. He didn’t know. I told him there were over a million abortions a year and that during a three-year period there were 1,700 brave volunteer soldiers killed in Iraq. Another lady chimed in, “And that’s supposed to make me feel good?” No, its’ not. But it is supposed to demonstrate clearly how the folly in denying a chance at life because kids are going to die anyway. Would he even understand that Planned Parenthood’s founder, Margaret Sanger, wanted to end the entire Black race? Or that the Democratic Party institutionalized racist Jim Crow laws and policies for over a century? There have been many interviews of high school and college students, as well as adults, including politicians, who cannot correctly answer some of the most basic questions about US history or the political process. It would be laughable if these people were not so serious and confident of the correctness of their stupidity. Thought leader Dennis Prager says the only way to fix this problem is to remove our children from the public schools. He may have a point. Hosea 4:6 says, “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because you have rejected knowledge, I will also reject you, that you shall be no priest to me: seeing you have forgotten the law of your God, I will also forget your children.” And this is what is happening right before our very eyes. Rejecting God’s laws and wisdom is nothing short of, say it with me…Stupidocrisy! Daily Devotion: An Eternal Impact - by Greg Laurie – www.harvest.org For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Is it not even you in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at His coming? —1 Thessalonians 2:19 https://harvest.org/resources/devotion/an-eternal-impact/ - Listen When the Rapture takes place, not only will we meet the Lord in the air, but we’ll also rejoin friends and loved ones who have already gone on to be with the Lord. Isn’t that wonderful to know? If you’ve lost loved ones who were believers, then you will see them again. That’s a great comfort for anyone who has ever lost someone they cherished in life. Death is the great separator, but Jesus Christ is the great reconciler. Jesus will bring together those whom death has separated. The Bible also reveals that we’ll not only be reunited with Christian relatives and loved ones, but we’ll also be reunited with those who trusted in Jesus through our witness. For example, the apostle Paul wrote to the believers in Thessalonica, “For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Is it not even you in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at His coming?” (1 Thessalonians 2:19 NKJV). Paul was saying that his spiritual children would be his crown of exaltation in the Lord’s presence when He returns. From this it would appear that in Heaven, each of us will have those whom we helped to believe in Jesus grouped around us. Think about that. Understand, God gives the increase in evangelism. I’ve never saved anyone, and neither have you. But God, by His grace, does allow us to participate in the wonderful process of seeing people to come to faith. You might have sown seeds of the gospel in someone’s life, or you may have had a key role in watering a seed that another Christian had sown as you shared your faith in the Lord. Ultimately, when we get to Heaven, we’ll be able to see what kind of impact that our lives on Earth have had. 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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