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The Tower of Syene: A Prophetic Wonder - by: Gary Stearman - https://prophecywatchers.com/the-tower-of-syene-a-prophetic-wonder/
It's not often that one can point to a physical object at a specific geographical location in the contemporary world, and identify it as being the focus of a biblical prophecy that was written long before Christ. Yet, that is exactly what we can do in the case of a remarkable manmade edifice in Egypt that didn't exist until 1970. It is a 230-foot tower, called the "Lotus Tower," because it is topped by the five petals of the lotus blossom. The tower was designed as a token of Arab-Russian friendship, its five petals perhaps signifying the five pillars of the Islamic faith. It is only 49 years old, yet Ezekiel referred to it by name ... twice. In the 29th and 30th chapters of his prophecy, "the tower of Syene" is mentioned as a landmark that is specifically related to the fulfillment of latter-day prophecy. In fact, this prophecy is profoundly powerful, sounding the death knell of Egypt. We have written about the current crisis in Egypt, which began with street riots in 2010, followed by Hosni Mubarak's resignation early in 2011. This was followed by another coup, the assumption of power by the Muslim Brotherhood and more Islamic riots, finally resulting in the rise to power of Abdel Fattah el-Sisi in June of 2014. Egypt, like other countries in the Mideast, continues to experience uprisings and internal dissent. As this is written, war clouds surround Egypt in every direction. In this context, we have long studied a graphic prophecy in Ezekiel 29 and 30 that summons up the dark vision of Egypt's future destruction by a great flood, which itself, is linked to a number of end-time prophecies. A STAFF OF REED That Egyptian prophecy directly addresses these developments. In it, Ezekiel states that because of its failure to support Israel, Egypt will at some future point, be grievously judged. That judgment will turn it into a wasteland. This is clearly stated in the opening words of the following prophecy: "6 And all the inhabitants of Egypt shall know that I am the LORD, because they have been a staff of reed to the house of Israel. 7 When they took hold of thee by thy hand, thou didst break, and rend all their shoulder: and when they leaned upon thee, thou brakest, and madest all their loins to be at a stand. 8 Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I will bring a sword upon thee, and cut off man and beast out of thee. 9 And the land of Egypt shall be desolate and waste; and they shall know that I am the LORD: because he hath said, The river is mine, and I have made it. 10 Behold, therefore I am against thee, and against thy rivers, and I will make the land of Egypt utterly waste and desolate, from the tower of Syene even unto the border of Ethiopia. 11 No foot of man shall pass through it, nor foot of beast shall pass through it, neither shall it be inhabited forty years. 12 And I will make the land of Egypt desolate in the midst of the countries that are desolate, and her cities among the cities that are laid waste shall be desolate forty years: and I will scatter the Egyptians among the nations, and will disperse them through the countries" (Ezek. 29:6-12). THE DRAGON'S RIVER For a time, Egypt joined the legions of Islamic terrorists bent upon the annihilation of Israel. Currently, Sisi's administration has stabilized the situation. But in the days ahead, such militancy is bound to spread like wildfire, finally arriving at a critical mass, at which time the Brotherhood will believe that it has arrived at a historic moment. Then, it will launch its invasion against Israel. Many object to interpreting the above passage in Ezekiel 29 as being an end-time prophecy. They say that the context of this chapter took place in the past, during the days of the Babylonian captivity. In fact, it may be partially interpreted in that way. But the very nature of Ezekiel's words, places the final outcome of the Syene prophecy in the last days. Egypt has never been desolate and uninhabited for any 40-year period, as described above. Presenting its self-evident truth, this prophecy must be contemporary in nature, because when Ezekiel first wrote it, there was no "tower of Syene." In fact, it didn't even come into existence until 1970, at the dedication of the Aswan High Dam, spanning the Nile at the location of the first cataract, Egypt's southern border. The proper noun "Syene," from the Hebrew S'veneh [vbux], means "opening," or "key." This name is said to be the ancient designation for the opening to Egypt, as one approaches from the south, or from the direction of Ethiopia. From several sources, it is quite easy to confirm that the biblical Syene is really Aswan. One of these is the Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament, first published in 1866. It affirms the connection, from the Greek Septuagint: "[Suhnh], Syene, in the inscriptions according to Brugsch [was] the most southerly border town of Egypt in the direction of Cush, i.e. Ethiopia, on the eastern bank of the Nile, some ruins of which are still to be seen in the modern Assuan (Aswan) ..." (Vol. 9, Ezekiel 29-48, p. 8). When Keil and Delitzsch wrote their commentary in 1866, there was not a trace of the prophesied tower at Aswan. And when Ezekiel wrote his prophecy around 570 B.C., there was no tower. In fact, until the huge hydroelectric project was completed there, by the Russians and Egyptians in 1970, there was no tower at Aswan. Today, this dam is the most imposing feature of the area, doomed by biblical prophecy to be wiped out at some point between now and the Tribulation. Using Russian technology, the Egyptians completed the dam, effectively placing themselves in the position of being able to say, "The river is mine, and I have made it for my own use." "2 Son of man, set thy face against Pharaoh king of Egypt, and prophesy against him, and against all Egypt: 3 Speak, and say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I am against thee, Pharaoh king of Egypt, the great dragon that lieth in the midst of his rivers, which hath said, My river is mine own, and I have made it for myself. 4 But I will put hooks in thy jaws, and I will cause the fish of thy rivers to stick unto thy scales, and I will bring thee up out of the midst of thy rivers, and all the fish of thy rivers shall stick unto thy scales. 5 And I will leave thee thrown into the wilderness, thee and all the fish of thy rivers: thou shalt fall upon the open fields; thou shalt not be brought together, nor gathered: I have given thee for meat to the beasts of the field and to the fowls of the heaven" (Ezek. 29:2-5). At first glance, this prophecy seems generically directed toward "Pharaoh, king of Egypt." But upon further examination, its real target is, "... the great dragon that lieth in the midst of his rivers." This scaly creature seems to represent the remnant of Egypt's power, lurking behind the scenes since the days of Moses. In Ezekiel 28, the chapter that immediately precedes this one, Satan, as the "anointed cherub," is shown as defeated. This prophecy in Chapter 29, then, may possibly be taken as an extension of that preceding prophecy. Here, the fish of the Nile River figuratively stick to the dragon's scales, as all are hurled from the river onto its banks to rot and dry in the sun. His power is destroyed. The Nile, which annually flooded with clocklike predictability, has ceased its flooding since the construction of the High Dam at Aswan. Total destruction of this dam is the only way it could flood as catastrophically as described in Scripture. THE RUSSIAN PROJECT Interestingly, the huge dam is so massive that experts have pronounced it indestructible ... except through the use of nuclear force. This fact alone makes it more than clear that this is a latter-day prophecy. With the foregoing in mind, it is interesting to examine two distinct biblical prophecies. As we shall see, they are related. But they evoke a mystery. They suggest that Egypt will soon experience a massive devastation that is unique to its geography. And apparently, for reasons that shall become clear, this event will predate Gog's lightning assault upon Israel. We have written at some length about the first of the two prophecies, found in Ezekiel 29. As it begins, it seems to be directed to a specific Pharaoh, perhaps the one on the throne at the time Ezekiel wrote his prophecy. But as one reads carefully, it becomes clear that "Pharoah" is really a literary title given to the evil spirit of Egypt in general. It is quite easy to see this, since this particular "Pharoah" is a dragon who lives in the Nile River. Taking an expanded look in the verses that follow, the dragon professes ownership of the Nile, even boasting that he has created it. His arrogance is about to be challenged: "6 And all the inhabitants of Egypt shall know that I am the LORD, because they have been a staff of reed to the house of Israel. 7 When they took hold of thee by thy hand, thou didst break, and rend all their shoulder: and when they leaned upon thee, thou brakest, and madest all their loins to be at a stand. 8 Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I will bring a sword upon thee, and cut off man and beast out of thee. 9 And the land of Egypt shall be desolate and waste; and they shall know that I am the LORD: because he hath said, The river is mine, and I have made it. 10 Behold, therefore I am against thee, and against thy rivers, and I will make the land of Egypt utterly waste and desolate, from the tower of Syene even unto the border of Ethiopia. 11 No foot of man shall pass through it, nor foot of beast shall pass through it, neither shall it be inhabited forty years. 12 And I will make the land of Egypt desolate in the midst of the countries that are desolate, and her cities among the cities that are laid waste shall be desolate forty years: and I will scatter the Egyptians among the nations, and will disperse them through the countries" (Ezek. 29:6-12). In the last few decades, this arrangement has radically changed. The Russian hydroelectric project was amazing in its scope. It is huge, measuring 360 feet in height, 10,200 feet (almost two miles!) long and 3,200 feet wide at the base. Backed up behind it is the vast Lake Nasser, and the waters of the Nile that pool all the way into Ethiopia. The dam's dimensions are so massive that it is considered indestructible. Saboteurs using ordinary explosives wouldn't make a dent. However, experts have said that one or two well-placed nuclear bombs could blow it wide open. In Ezekiel's day, Aswan (biblical Syene) was a small village, some 550 miles south of the Great Pyramid, on the bank of the first cataract of the Nile. It was considered the southernmost extent of Egypt. When Ezekiel wrote this prophecy, the entire area was geographically different. Of course, there was no "tower" there! Today, of course, there is the towering High Dam, which this prophecy indirectly names as the source of the great flood that will ravage Egypt. Ezekiel wrote his prophecy about 2,500 years, before its targeted object even existed, saying that it will break, allowing flood waters to surge almost six hundred miles to the north, where they would empty into the Mediterranean Sea. If nuclear weapons are used to accomplish this catastrophe, the floodwaters would cover all Egypt with nuclear waste. As we have mentioned in the past, this would account for the virtual abandonment of the country for the forty-year period mentioned by Ezekiel. This has never before happened. ISRAEL'S EXPERT ASSESSMENT In 2002, Israeli Knesset member (MK) Avigdor Lieberman, admittedly a man given to controversial statements, announced that Israel could defeat an invading Egypt by bombing the Aswan High Dam. He knew that this would require the use of nuclear force, since many experts have testified that the dam is too massive to fall to ordinary explosives. Lieberman, who served as Israel's Deputy Prime Minister, and as Minister both of Foreign Affairs and Strategic Affairs, had obviously been briefed upon military alternatives. It appears that he wanted to give Egypt something to think about. Nor was he alone in his opinion. MK Yigal Allon had publicly made the same statement during the early 1980s. A Labor Party representative, he too, had served as a government minister for seven years. These men were saying what others knew, but refused to speak about openly. They were simply stating the obvious. If Israel's existence were threatened by an Egyptian invasion, drastic measures would be brought into play, The Aswan Dam holds back the waters of the enormous Lake Nasser, 340 miles long and 22 miles wide at its widest. If the dam were breached by a nuclear blast, radioactive waters would cover Egypt from Ethiopia's Blue Nile, through Sudan to the Mediterranean Sea. Satellite photos reveal a staggering truth about Egypt. Virtually its entire population lives in close proximity to the Nile River, from Aswan all the way down to Cairo and the Mediterranean Sea. Night photos show the Nile as a narrow river of light that fans out at the Nile Delta. Egypt may be the only country on earth so vulnerable to total destruction. FIRE FALLS UPON SYENE Naturally, when we read about the horrific event mentioned above, our first question is: When does this prophecy take place? In the following chapter of his prophecy, Ezekiel answers this question, too. The following verses link the Tribulation Period (Day of the Lord) and the coming of this dire event. Also, notice again that the "tower of Syene" is mentioned: "The word of the LORD came again unto me, saying, "Son of man, prophesy and say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Howl ye, Woe worth the day, "For the day is near, even the day of the LORD is near, a cloudy day; it shall be the time of the heathen. "And the sword shall come upon Egypt, and great pain shall be in Ethiopia, when the slain shall fall in Egypt, and they shall take away her multitude, and her foundations shall be broken down. "Ethiopia, and Libya, and Lydia, and all the mingled people, and Chub, and the men of the land that is in league, shall fall with them by the sword. "Thus saith the LORD; They also that uphold Egypt shall fall; and the pride of her power shall come down: from the tower of Syene shall they fall in it by the sword, saith the Lord GOD. "And they shall be desolate in the midst of the countries that are desolate, and her cities shall be in the midst of the cities that are wasted. "And they shall know that I am the LORD, when I have set a fire in Egypt, and when all her helpers shall be destroyed" (Ezek. 30:1-8). The language of this prophecy is unmistakable. A storm is gathering; the Day of the Lord is approaching. Note that not just Egypt, but all of northeast Africa is involved. Today, northeast Africa - Ethiopia, Somalia, Sudan, Chad and Libya - constitute a seething cauldron of Islamic terrorism. These countries surround Egypt, which is, itself, a seat of Islamic power. In spite of an intervening peace treaty, it has never deviated from its desire to eradicate Israel. In the prophecy above, Ezekiel states that all these countries will suffer judgment ... including "Lydia," representing modern Turkey. But the most devastating judgment of all is reserved for Egypt. Once again, the prophecy evokes the imagery of the "tower of Syene," which we have pointed out as the Aswan High Dam. It seems to be central to all the judgments mentioned here. Egypt's Islamic allies will also suffer greatly when the Lord sets His fire in the land of Egypt. It is clear that this fire is the instrument that will unleash the trillions of gallons of radioactive water that washes across Egypt. Many students of Bible prophecy have asked why Egypt is not listed among the allies that come against Israel in the great invasion described in Ezekiel 38. Certainly, Russia is represented, along with Persia and some of the countries of north Africa. Nations from parts of Europe and Asia are also represented, but Egypt is not among them. Under today's geopolitical circumstances, Egypt would be at the head of the line in support of such an invasion, as it has been in the past. We would conclude that by the time Gog launches his lightning invasion, Egypt has already been destroyed. This would explain why Egypt is prophesied to be uninhabitable for a future period of forty years. This also explains why Egypt is missing in the prophesied attack on Israel by the allied forces of Gog, in Ezekiel 38. Clean-up of the radioactive debris would be a staggering task. This massive project seems to extend into the early years of the Millennium. But somehow, it will be accomplished in the years following the Tribulation, probably supervised by the Lord and His followers. Palestinian Media Watch - Exposing The True Words Of The Palestinian Authority - By Stephen Flatow - http://www.prophecynewswatch.com/article.cfm?recent_news_id=2929 The Palestinian Authority last week removed a photo from the website of one of its ministries because it showed a meeting of P.A. officials in which bottles of a popular Israeli juice were visible on the table. For friends of Israel, it was another in a long series of mildly amusing incidents in which P.A. officials have gone to absurd lengths to slight the Jewish state. It was all the more entertaining because it exposed the blatant hypocrisy of P.A. officials who call for boycotts of Israeli products while they are enjoying Israeli products. It also fits into a narrative that friends of Israel have been repeating for decades, but which the Arabs never accept: If the Palestinian Arabs would just realize that peace is good for them, they could be enjoying delicious Israeli foods, having easier lives thanks to advanced Israeli technology, be exposed to the latest agricultural techniques and so on. I have a different take on stories about P.A. boycott advocates who violate the boycott. I say: Wait, that doesn't make any sense. The Oslo accords obligate the P.A. to have friendly relations with Israel. It's not allowed to promote a boycott of the Jewish state. J Street and The New York Times keep telling us that we can trust the P.A., that it wants peace, that it honors the treaties it signs. So why is the P.A. so blatantly violating the accords it already signed? Meanwhile, the official P.A. newspaper Al-Hayat Al-Jadida last week featured remarks by leader Mahmoud Abbas resurrecting the blood-libel accusation that Israel "poisoned Yasser Arafat." Wait, that doesn't make any sense. Separate teams of French, Swiss and Russian scientists have investigated the poisoning accusation and never found evidence to support it. Peace Now and the United Nations have been assuring us for years that Palestinian leaders are reasonable, rational people. So why are the P.A.'s leader and official newspaper knowingly propagating such baseless lies? And don't forget the little matter of such falsehoods blatantly violating the Oslo accords. The accords obligate the P.A. to refrain from "hostile propaganda" against Israel. Accusing Israel of murdering the P.A.'s most beloved leader surely qualifies as "hostile." So why does the P.A. keep violating the accords? What happened to all those promises that it can be trusted to honor the agreements that it signs? Also in the past few days, a rally was held in Tulkarm--under Abbas's official auspices--to honor convicted Palestinian murderer Maher Younes, while the Bethlehem branch of Fatah (the ruling party, chaired by Abbas) posted photos on its Facebook page glorifying teenage terrorist Ahmed Sanagrah. Wait, that doesn't make any sense, either. The proponents of creating a Palestinian state keep telling us that it's safe to create such a state because the P.A. is against terrorism. They say Hamas is the bad one, while the P.A. is moderate. So if the P.A. is against terrorism, why do its leader and ruling party keep glorifying, sheltering and paying terrorists? By the way, when Abbas spoke at the United Nations earlier this month, he proclaimed the P.A.'s "commitment to international law and legitimacy and to a peaceful solution." And that makes perfect sense. Abbas is truly bilingual. When he speaks to Western audiences, he uses all the right words that they want to hear. He sounds peaceful, reasonable and moderate. But when he speaks to his own people, he literally speaks another language: the language of hatred and violence. It's the kind of language that gets innocent people killed. There was a time, not so long ago, when it was almost impossible to find out what was being said by Palestinian Arab leaders in their own media. Every once in a while, something would leak out. But by and large, the world news media did an effective job of keeping Americans in the dark about what Arafat, Abbas and the others were saying. That's all changed, thanks to Palestinian Media Watch, which exposed the above-cited outrages and so many others. By exposing the P.A. leaders' true words, PMW has affected U.S. and European policy towards the P.A. and in some cases has led directly to reductions of Western aid to the PA. Palestinian Media Watch is a uniquely worthwhile organization, and it deserves to receive a level of support from Jewish federations comparable to what is given to various other Israel-based agencies that do good work. Now that would make a lot of sense. Republic or Monarchy? - By Hal Lindsey - https://www.hallindsey.com/ww-1-30-2019/ Just after he and his colleagues had hammered out an agreement on the US Constitution, a woman came up to Benjamin Franklin and asked, "Well, Doctor, what have we got, a republic or a monarchy?" He answered, "A republic, Madam, if you can keep it." And that has been the question ever since. Can we keep it? Alexis de Tocqueville was a French aristocrat who traveled extensively in the United States as he studied American democracy in the 1830s. As an aristocrat, he feared the volatility of a government vulnerable to the whims of the masses. He was also a religious skeptic. But in America, he found a force that calmed democracy's inherent instability. That steadying influence was Christianity. He called America's religious faith, "the great counterbalancing force to the instability and tyranny of democracy." His words remind me of John Adams' famous quote on the same topic. "We have no government, armed with power, capable of contending with human passions, unbridled by morality and religion. Avarice, ambition, revenge and licentiousness would break the strongest cords of our Constitution, as a whale goes through a net. Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other." One of the ways avarice, ambition, revenge and licentiousness threaten to break the strong cords of our Constitution is embodied in a quote Ronald Reagan often used. "A democracy... can only exist until the majority discovers it can vote itself largess out of the public treasury. After that, the majority always votes for the candidate promising the most benefits with the result the democracy collapses because of the loose fiscal policy ensuing, always to be followed by a dictatorship." Scholars debate the quote's source. But in this case, it's the thought that counts. And the thought is unsettling. Will America endure as a land of reliance on God, hard work, and productivity? Or will it eat the seed grain? Will one generation consume on itself the entire storehouse of seed meant to be planted for the next generation's harvest? We're seeing that scenario play out in several nations around the world. Governments are trying to extricate themselves from the unsustainable promises made by their socialist counterparts in the previous generation. It's like they're caught in quicksand. They want to return to a time of greater personal responsibility, but dependence on government keeps pulling them back down. While much of the world works to get out of socialist quicksand, a new generation of Americans seem intent on plunging in. A quick look at the ongoing tragedy in Venezuela should serve as a stark warning. But today, artificial intelligence engines feed individual Americans only those news items they want to read. In other words, news is being tailored to reinforce existing prejudices on all sides - especially for those who favor socialistic ideas. But socialism is not the disease. It is a symptom of the disease - just one of many symptoms. The disease itself is identified in Romans 1:25. "They exchanged the truth of God for a lie." Across America, members of the intelligentsia worry that democracy here is broken. And they don't see how to fix it. But if we look at what's really wrong with America, the solution becomes obvious. The nation is spiritually ill. Therefore, the solution is also spiritual. We need a revival among Christians and a great awakening to the Gospel among the rest. God gave us this amazing land. Only He can repair it. But don't look for a miracle imposed from the outside. God's repair will only come when we invite the miracle into our own hearts. Thank God for Prophecy - Nathele Graham - [email protected] "Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me, declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand and I will do all my pleasure: calling a ravenous bird from the east, the man that executeth my counsel from a far country: yea, I have spoken it, I will also bring it to pass; I have purposed it, I will also do it." Isaiah 46:9-11. Prophecy is one of the topics in Scripture that people seem to avoid. It can get confusing, but our knowledge is increasing so it's also becoming clearer. If you get confused by prophecy you're in good company. The prophet Daniel sometimes had trouble with it. He had been young when he was taken captive from Jerusalem to Babylon, but he never forgot God. He had kept a scroll of a prophecy of Jeremiah which said that the captivity would last 70 years. Because Daniel took God's words seriously, and also paid attention to the times in which he lived, he knew that the captivity was about over. He didn't try to find other interpretations in that prophecy but understood it as fact. Even though Daniel understood that prophecy because he could see the events unfolding, when he was given a prophecy of his own he wasn't able to understand it. Daniel was told of future events, including a very evil world ruler who would put himself above every god, even above God Almighty. Although he couldn't understand what the prophecy meant, he knew that God had described events that would come to pass. He recorded what God said, not what he thought God meant and that prophecy is found in Daniel chapters 9-12. Much of the prophecy describes events which are still future to us so it's understandable that Daniel couldn't know what God really meant. The time wasn't right for understanding. "And I heard, but I understood not: then said I, O my Lord, what shall be the end of these things? And he said, Go thy way, Daniel: for the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end." Daniel 12:8-9. It's been many, many centuries since Daniel received that prophecy and only today is it coming into focus. Time has passed and because we are living through the times leading up to the final seven years of history, end time prophecy is becoming clearer. We can see the stage being readied for the evil world ruler who will soon make himself known. "And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate." Daniel 9:27. Daniel believed God and wrote the words he was given. Through the years people have tried to read something into this prophecy that isn't there. Because of a lack of understanding and not believing what God clearly says, heresy has been promoted. Many false teachers try to convince us that the ekklēsia (Christians) has replaced Israel. These false teachers don't believe Scripture. It's always a mistake when people try to make prophecy fit a human perspective rather than accepting God's greater knowledge. God is very clear that He has not given up on His chosen people of Israel. Even though Israel is a nation once again and there's a stirring among the people to rebuild the Temple, some people still twist God's words. If the plain truth of prophecy had been believed, replacement theology would never have been dreamed up. Because we are nearing the end of days, end-time prophecy is becoming clearer. The prophecy which Daniel was given wasn't for his own time in history but it is for our time. "But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased." Daniel 12:4. Daniel wasn't the only one given prophecy about the days in which we live. Isaiah, Ezekiel, Zechariah, and John are just a few of those who foresaw the end days, believed God even though they couldn't fully understand, and faithfully recorded what God told them. As we study prophecy we need to prayerfully ask God for understanding. "If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not: and it shall be given him." James 1:5. God wants you to understand all of Scripture and you won't be rebuked for asking for His guidance. When studying any topic in Scripture, be sure to prayerfully consider all related Scripture and don't pull any verse out of context. As we draw nearer to the end of time knowledge is increasing. The final 7 years of earth's history have been prophesied to be unimaginably worse than any previous time. God's wrath will be poured out upon the un-believing world. He isn't being unfair. Thousands of years of prophetic warning has been given, but people choose ignorance. Those final 7 years aren't about Christians, but about God's chosen people of Israel. It's a time that will bring Israel to recognize Jesus Christ as their Messiah. Christians won't face God's wrath but will be caught up in the twinkling of an eye prior to the judgments of God coming upon the earth. We see that wickedness is growing stronger these days, but Christians won't see the worst of times. We will be delivered from God's wrath. "And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come." 1 Thessalonians 1:10. That's a comforting truth. "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. Wherefore comfort one another with these words." 1 Thessalonians 4:17-18. The Rapture could occur tomorrow or ten years from now. If you haven't accepted Christ for salvation you're making a big mistake. Without Jesus as your Saviour, you'll be left to face God's wrath. An understanding of prophecy reveals that we're very near to the end. Heed God's warnings and give your life to Christ. When asked about the end of time, Jesus confirmed Daniel's prophetic words, but gave even more detail. Jesus said there would be wars, earthquakes, famine, and pestilence. These things have always occurred but are getting worse by the day. News headlines can be very depressing, and strike fear into your heart. If you look to Scripture for comfort you'll find it, but you'll also find some things that are upsetting. We are living in perilous times just as Scripture says. You can live in fear and denial, or you can find comfort through studying God's word and understanding prophecy. If you take Scripture as truth you'll understand that none of today's events are a surprise to God. He exists outside of time as we know it and He gave us prophecy so we'll know where we are in history. He could "sugar coat" things, but God wants us to know truth and how events will play out so we can take comfort in Him...not in the world. "Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name's sake." Matthew 24:9. Christians around the world are being severely persecuted and the atrocities that are being done against our Lord is insane. Ronald McDonald is shown being crucified and it's called art. A comic book depicts Jesus as a failure who must return to earth to "get it right" by following the sun god for instructions. Where is the outrage against the blasphemy of our Lord and Saviour? If you stand up for Jesus you run the risk of being mocked or beheaded. If you stand against the legalized killing of babies you run the risk of being beaten up or murdered yourself. The governor of Iowa is in hot water for signing a bill saying if a heartbeat is detected the baby can't be killed, but New York is praised for allowing the murder of full-term babies. The hearts of men are wicked. "And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold." Matthew 24:12. These are heartbreaking signs of the times, but it will get worse. Jesus said that the end of days would be like it was in the days of Noah and of Lot. Those days were filled with demonic evil, perverse sexual practices, and wickedness. Have you noticed any that activity becoming more common today? I have. If you haven't then you're not paying attention. The Apostle Paul had much to say about end times. Pastors today should heed Paul's words of advice to a young pastor named Timothy. Even though Timothy lived many centuries ago, Paul told him what it would be like in the end. "This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away." 2 Timothy 3:1-5. News headlines are filled with these sins. Instead of reporting it as evil, the media makes heroes of the evildoers. Instead of taking a stand against evil, many pastors invite the wicked to join the congregation in order to not be accused of being legalistic. Scripture says we are to evangelize those who are lost, but we aren't to accept the sin. It's a sign of the times that Scripture isn't heeded. We can live in fear or we can study Scripture to find peace in spite of the wickedness of our times. Thank God for prophecy because through it we can know what time it is on God's prophetic clock. Time is running out for this fallen world. Brothers and sisters, keep yourself separate from the wickedness of this life, but share the Gospel with the lost. Only Christ can save us from the wrath to come. God bless you all, Nathele Graham [email protected] www.straitandnarrowministry.com [email protected] Ron and Nathele Graham's previous commentaries archived at http://www.raptureready.com/featured/graham/graham.html All original scripture is "theopneustos" God breathed. If you'd like to be on my mailing list to receive the commentaries just drop me an email and let me know. Daily Jot: Assigning the blame to advance socialism - Bill Wilson - www.dailyjot.com With the media firmly in their pocket, Democratic Party leaders have successfully blamed President Donald Trump for shutting down the government. Isn't it interesting how if a Democratic President shuts down the government the Republicans get the blame; if a Democratic led Congress shuts down the government the Republicans get the blame; and if the Republicans shut down the government, the Republicans get the blame. It's a great gig for the liberals, especially when they have the liberal media agreeing with them. There is no win for a Republican when the government shuts down. In this visceral environment of obstruction and revolution, everybody loses, especially as socialism advances. It is the Democratic Party that wants free healthcare, free education, free food, a minimum national salary, free abortions, free and open borders, and taxes to control the climate. These cost taxpayers billions upon billions of dollars. Instead of pulling people up, they push people down to the lowest levels. Yet, if someone asks for something that is far less costly, would protect citizens, reduce crime, and aid in the national security at a fraction of the cost of their precious programs, those making the ask get the blame for all the woes of the world. This is class warfare. It is the pitting of citizens against one another. It is socialism progressing to communism, and it is happening before our very eyes. Disaster awaits. William Bradford described the Pilgrim's failed socialist experiment of The Virginia Company Charter in "Of Plymouth Plantation": "The experience that was had in this common course and condition, tried sundry years and amongst godly and sober men, may well evince the vanity of that conceit of Plato's and other ancients applauded by some of later times; that the taking away of property and bringing in community into a commonwealth would make them happy and flourishing, as if they were wiser than God." Bradford was familiar with Plato's "Republic" espousing a utopian society under socialism. In ending this experiment that nearly cost the colony their lives, Bradford wrote: "...God in his wisdom saw another course fitter for them." This was the first capitalist system and the Plymouth colony then prospered. Even many Christians believe in socialism, citing Acts 2:44, "And all that believed were together and had (shared) all things in common." There is a tremendous difference between voluntarily sharing and being forced to share the fruits of your labor by the government. Socialism has its roots in communism. The Communist Manifesto requires that all religion and morals be abolished; that government replaces God. All wealth is redistributed so that everyone has the same-everyone would be forced to pay for the student loans, healthcare, rent and wages of others. This is a far cry from the blessing of voluntarily sharing with others. The first commandment, Exodus 20:1 says, "Thou shalt have no other gods before me." That includes government. Moreover, Bradford is still right. Man is not wiser than God. Young people would be wise to heed his advice. Daily Devotion: Give Him Your Best - By Greg Laurie - www.harvest.org But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. -Matthew 6:33 I heard about an old farmer who was very stingy. One day he said to his pastor, "You know, I just had two calves that were born, and I've decided to give one of them to the Lord." "Oh?" the pastor said, "Which one?" "I haven't decided yet." A week passed, and one of the calves got very sick and died. The next day, the farmer came to the pastor with the dead calf draped over his arms and said, "I have bad news. The Lord's calf just died." That's what we often do. We give our leftovers to God. If Jesus Christ showed up at your house today for lunch, would you give Him leftovers? I think you would make a feast fit for a king, just like Martha did when Jesus arrived at her home. We should give our very best to God, but often we give him second best. We know we should pray and read the Bible, but we think, "I'll get to that eventually." We know we should give of our finances to the Lord, but we say, "I don't have any money left." The Bible says "Honor the Lord with your possessions, and with the firstfruits of all your increase" (Proverbs 3:9 NKJV). Put God first, and He will bless you. Jesus said, "But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you" (Matthew 6:33 NKJV). What did Jesus mean by "all these things"? He was referring to what you will eat, what you will drink, and what you will wear. Put God first in your marriage, and watch how it changes. Put God first in your finances, and watch how they'll change. Put God first. Give Him the best. He gave His best to you. 
FROM THE HEART
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