Prophecy Update Newsletter
February 13, 2017
IN TODAY'S NEWSLETTER...
Men of Renown - Pete Garcia - http://www.omegaletter.com/articles/articles.asp?ArticleID=8388
And just as it happened in the days of Noah, so it will be also in the days of the Son of Man: they were eating, they were drinking, they were marrying, they were being given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all. Luke 17:26-27 Much discussion has been made about the Nephilim over the past twenty years by many from within evangelical Christianity. Most I'd wager would agree to disagree on the specifics of the who what, when, where, and why of what that actually looks like, but most would agree that they are coming. Personally, I think we need look no further than our current crop of movies to get a glimmer of things to come. The Marvel Cinematic Universe, or MCU, exploded into movie theaters beginning with the 2008 theatrical release of Iron Man, starring Robert Downey Jr. Previous attempts at superhero movies tended to be more misses than hits, but the bar was raised with this release because of the right recipe of timing/cast/technological advancements and direction which made this movie a box office hit, garnering $585M around the world. But more than that, was the character himself (Tony Stark/Iron Man). People loved the comics long before the movie came out because it told the story of an ordinary man (albeit wealthy and intelligent) who fought evil by overcoming his lack of supernatural powers by harnessing the power of his technological prowess. Not soon after came the 'god' of thunder Thor, dovetailing into the MCU with the visitors from outer-space. It explored the notion that beings from other 'realms' could come to earth because man had finally "evolved into a higher form of warfare" (quoting Thor from the Avengers). Next came Captain America, played by the all-American Chris Evans, who introduced the real-life super-soldier into our world. But, with the success of Iron Man, Thor, Captain America, and the Avengers, Marvel had the cracked the right formula and now possessed the technological know-how to build the Marvel Comic powerhouse into what it has become today. All told we love a movie where an ordinary person can become extraordinary. Given the lack of real magic in the world, who doesn't want an occasional escape from the daily grind into one where good and evil really do wear uniforms...even "spangly" ones. Assessment The Nephilim were on the earth in those days, and also afterward, when the sons of God came in to the daughters of men, and they bore children to them. Those were the mighty men who were of old, men of renown. Genesis 6:4 The world we live in now is not the way it has always been. That is a difficult reality for most people to accept. What we today would identify as 'pre-history', was known as the 'Golden Age' to the ancient world. Those who lived in the 'Golden Age' are they whom the Greeks and Romans believed lived for centuries, were exceedingly tall and strong, and generally lived a life of bliss. Supposedly, this was in the land known as Hyperborea. Granted there isn't complete consensus on where exactly Hyperborea was as some thought it where Siberia is today, while others thought it in the British Isles. Either way, what the ancient Greeks where in agreement about, was that these people were from the far north and powerful. One other interesting note about ancient mythologies, is that they generally all share the same back story in that...these super people, originally came down as 'gods'. As far as ancient civilizations go, the generally accepted timeline is as follows:
Even to the ancient Greek historians and scholars like Sophocles, Herodotus, and Hecataeus of Abdera (all 5th-4th BC), the 'Golden Age' was considered very ancient. Much in the same way we look back to the first century AD as ancient, the 'Golden Age' to them would have just as far removed back in time. It was a magical time that spoke of gods, demigods, and those ancient 'superheroes' and 'men of renown' that roamed the earth. Interestingly, the bible makes note of just such a time prior to the Flood of Noah. Genesis 5 lists the accounts of the genealogies from Adam and Eve. The descendants of Adam lived for hundreds of years with Methuselah living to the ripe old age of 969 years. The long life span began to dwindle after Noah's flood, but even Job and Abraham lived supernaturally long lives as compared to our standards today. Assumptions can be made that the veil between our natural world and the spiritual supernatural world was either non-existent (God physically walked with Adam in the Garden) or far different than we have today. We could also deduce that the world (earth and atmosphere) was vastly different before and afterward the flood. For the curious, the non-biblical accounts from the Book of I Enoch and Jasher fill in the blanks of what life was like back then. The Enoch account states that fallen angels came down and settled on Mt. Hermon (now modern day Lebanon) and comingled with human women. Genesis 6 affirms such accounts that resulted in the Nephilim (means 'fallen ones' and translated gigantes in Latin to giants when Anglicized). Not to get bogged down on too much familiar territory, but the Nephilim would be the physical descendants of the unnatural sexual relations between fallen angels and human women (Gen. 6). Not only this, but they taught humans things that mankind shouldn't have known about then (weaponry, warfare, astrology, conjuring potions and incantations). So follow my logic on this; since almost every known culture records some type of mythos pertaining to a superior race of beings, the most likely reason is that they (we) can all trace their stories back to a common event that was known to mankind prior to Babel (Gen. 11). It couldn't have been after that, because God separated mankind linguistically, genetically, and geographically at Babel-hence no more shared history. Remember, part of the motivation for defying God in the first place was not to be scattered around the world. And they said, "Come, let us build ourselves a city, and a tower whose top is in the heavens; let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be scattered abroad over the face of the whole earth." (Gen. 11:4) After the flood subsided and Noah and company departed the ark. Two generations would transpire before the Tower of Babel judgment. Thus we can conclude that the world before Babel all spoke the same language and lived in a region known as Mesopotamia. This is key because at some point either during or after the flood in Peleg's day, the earth's continents separated. The scientific theory of Pangea is one in which the landmasses were all together before separating along their respective tectonic plates. It's also a reasonable conclusion based on the Genesis 1:9 passage in which God collected all the waters (below the firmament) together in one location. Then God said, "Let the waters under the heavens be gathered together into one place, and let the dry land appear"; and it was so. Yet despite the separation which existed until today, most (if not all) cultures across the planet share similar ancient mythologies about a large or global flood and that of 'demi-gods' reigning upon the earth. Most ancient cultures tell tales of giants. If none of these were true, where did the ideas come from? There would have had too been some truth to their myths or they would have never lasted as long as they did. The 'gods' never really changed, just their names. How long would Judaism have lasted if Moses hadn't been called, the plagues never took place, or the Exodus stalled out at the Red Sea? How long would Christianity have survived had Christ not come? There has to be some signs and supernatural activities (Elijah calling fire down, Jesus raising the dead and of His own resurrection, and the miracles of the Apostles, etc.) in order for Christianity to have presented itself as a form of real power. Conclusion A nations pop-culture reflects what's on the hearts and minds of that generation. Simply look back to the American 1950's to see who they held up as heroes. Our generation on the other hand is fixated on violence and loosening sexual proclivities of every kind. Thus the success of the MCU, Science Fiction genre, and the occult likewise consume man's obsession on to evolving to that next level. Just like the old saying goes, "if you can dream it, you can do it". An idea is birthed in the minds of fallen men. That idea than gives legs to conceptual design, and then onto analytical research. That research begins to find solutions to the things man is lacking until a breakthrough occurs. What modern man lacks today is a race of fallen angels physically guiding them on how to create hybrid humans. What modern man now has is the technological knowhow to circumvent that through quantum computing, artificial intelligence, bio-engineering via genetic manipulation. What once took decades, is now down to years. Pretty soon those years will turn into months, and then man will achieve the very things he has set his mind towards. People may scoff at the return of the supernatural and fantastic. People may scoff at the idea that 'Captain America' and 'Iron Man' people might become the norm. Remember, people use to scoff at the idea of planes and cars, or that the mile could be ran in under four minutes. People scoffed at the idea of sending a man (men) to the moon. Yet, nobody's scoffing at those things anymore are they? What was it that God once said? And the Lord said, "Indeed the people are one and they all have one language, and this is what they begin to do; now nothing that they propose to do will be withheld from them. Genesis 11:6 When man becomes united in a single purpose, we have a pretty good track record of doing that thing. If CERN is intent on opening portals to other dimensions, you can pretty much guarantee that they will (barring God's intervention). If man becomes intent on creating a sentient, self-aware artificial intelligence system that is billions of times smarter than the smartest person, you can pretty much bet man will ultimately achieve it. If man becomes on intent on creating hybrid humans (whether trans-human or biologically altered), you can pretty much bet man will achieve that thing. My understanding has developed somewhat regarding my understanding of the Dispensation of the Church (which was from Pentecost until today). Rather than calling the giving of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost as the 'birth of the Church', I now understand that it is actually the 'conception of the Church'. This is akin to the outcome of the Holy Spirit overshadowing Mary at the Immaculate Conception, of which she didn't give birth right then, but rather became pregnant. Likewise, the Church wasn't born at Pentecost, but rather was conceived and has entered into this 2,000 year gestation period, in which believers are being added daily into the body of Christ. (Romans 11:25) The reason for my departure into the topic of the Church age dispensation, is that once we are complete, we are then birthed into our perfect, incorruptible bodies at the Rapture. We will be translated from mortal to immortal and from corruptible to incorruptible. Our departure, which coincides with the removal as the Restrainer (Holy Spirit empowers us to be salt and light), allows for darkness to ascend and allow the age of lying signs and wonders to once again take hold of the earth. (Romans 8:22-23, 1 Thess. 4:13-18, 2 Thess. 2:9-12, 1st Cor. 15:51-56) The return of the days of the supernatural are not farfetched. This correlates with what will be coming during Daniel's 70th Week...which then is a continuation of the Dispensation of the Law, which saw the Red Sea parted, the Exodus plagues, giants (Anakim), fire from the heavens, etc. Further corroborating this idea, is the return of the Two Witnesses, who this author believes to be Moses and Elijah which perform signs and wonders as both a judgment on those who reject God and a witness to the Jews. (Rev. 11:1-14, Malachi 4:5-6, Jude 1:9, Matt. 17:2-4) Does this current obsession with the fantasy and the occult feed into the 'strong delusion' that God allows to happen once He removes His Spirit-filled Church at the Rapture? It would seem so. 1st Corinthians 1:22 states that the Jews (God's chosen) seek after a sign, to which Daniel's 70th Week promises to be the likes man has never seen. 
Ahead of Netanyahu-Trump talks, Abbas woos Iran - http://www.debka.com/article/25925/Ahead-of-Netanyahu-Trump-talks-Abbas-woos-Iran
Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas (Abu Mazen) has pivoted towards Iran in a move to pre-empt a possibly impending US embassy move from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, and the friendly talks scheduled to take place in Washington Wednesday, Feb. 15, between President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu. This is revealed by debkafile's exclusive intelligence sources. Our sources report that the Abbas has opened a direct channel of communications between Ramallah and Tehran as a permanent fixture. Fatah Central Committee member Jibril Rajoub is in charge of the Palestinian end of the relationship and will lead the first official Palestinian delegation to Tehran. For some months now, he has served as Abbas's senior spokesman and the Palestinian Authority's "foreign minister." In the third week of January, Rajoub declared: "In our opinion moving the embassy to Jerusalem is a declaration of war on the Muslims." Two weeks ago, Palestinian and Iranian delegations met secretly for the first time in a European country. Two more encounters followed and dealt with such urgent matters as the fate of Palestinians stranded on Syria's battlefronts and in former refugee camps. They also discussed the Palestinian refugees living in Lebanon and their problematic relations with Iran's Shiite surrogate, Hezbollah. At their third meeting, the Iranian delegates asked where the Palestinian Authority in Ramallah stood vis-a-vis a political resolution of the Syrian conflict. They decided to talk about this some more at the next Iranian-Palestinian meeting on a date this month and a location yet to be arranged. As part of his pivot towards Tehran, Abbas made sure to send the Palestinian Authority's warm congratulations to Iran's rulers on the anniversary of their Islamic revolution: He asked God "to bring more stability and prosperity to Iran and its brotherly people as they celebrate this occasion, and more progress and advancement the brotherly relations between our peoples." Abu Mazen's pro-Iranian shift is intended as a signal to five parties, debkafile's intelligence sources report: President Trump, the Presidents of Russian and Egypt, the rulers of the Gulf Emirates and King Abdullah of Jordan. He is warning Trump that the US embassy's relocation to Jerusalem and the strengthening of US-Israeli ties would be countered by a parallel enhancement of Palestinian relations with Tehran. The message to Vladmir Putin is that, even though he is fully engaged in Syria, he can't afford to abandon the Palestinians; Abdel-Fatteh El- Sisi, the Gulf rulers and Jordan's monarch are put on notice that if they have a problem with rising Iranian influence in Baghdad, they had better be prepared to find Tehran's imprint in Ramallah too. 
Trump and The Third Temple - By Enoch Lavendar - http://www.prophecynewswatch.com/article.cfm?recent_news_id=1015
The Jewish Temple Mount movement are excited over the recent election of Donald Trump. They know very well that rebuilding the Jewish temple in today's world would be a dangerous and politically incorrect task. In their view, if there is any modern political leader with the guts and determination to stand behind such a project, it could be President Trump. Biblically, many Christians affirm that the Jewish temple will be rebuilt at some point in the End Times. Could President Trump's strong pro-Israel stand be the game changer which could help lay the groundwork? What role would President Putin play in the mix? The Cyrus Mandate A number of Christian leaders have been comparing Trump to the Biblical King Cyrus. They point out that King Cyrus was a leader called and appointed by God. Despite the fact that this Persian King did not know the God of Israel, God appointed him by name with the mandate to fulfil God's divine purposes concerning the nation of Israel. President Trump, like King Cyrus, appears an unlikely champion for God's purposes. Despite the controversies swirling around him, Trump has though already taken action to re-align America with important Biblical values (such as pro-life) as well as making an unusually firm stand alongside the nation of Israel. While several Christian bible teachers have pointed out similarities with Cyrus, few have raised the point that a primary part of Cyrus' divine calling was to order the rebuilding of the Temple in Jerusalem (Isaiah 44:28, Ezra 1:2). If President Trump really has a similar calling to King Cyrus, could it be that God would use this real estate developer turned President to facilitate the greatest property development of modern time - the rebuilding of the Temple? A Letter from the Sanhedrin Key figures in Israel's Temple Mount movement certainly are optimistic that Trump's victory could be the catalyst needed to bring their dream to reality. Within days of the election victory, long time Temple Mount advocate and now prominent member of the Israeli Knesset Rabbi Yehudah Glick, issued a public call inviting Trump to visit the Temple Mount. This call was followed days later by an open letter from the re-convened Jewish Sanhedrin. The open letter addressed BOTH Russian President Putin and the new US President Trump - asking them both to fulfill the Cyrus mandate of enabling the rebuilding of the Temple. Rabbi Hillel Weiss, who serves as spokesman for the Sanhedrin, explained that Donald Trump's rise to power had 'made the eternal Jewish dream a very real possibility'. Trump's strong stand in support of the Jewish claim to Jerusalem and the West Bank (Biblically known as Judea and Samaria) has led to the Sanhedrin to the belief that he could also support full Israeli rights to the Temple Mount. Compared to President Trump, Russian President Vladimir Putin might seem like an even more unlikely Cyrus. Many would instead view him as a potential 'Gog' - one of Israel's great End Time enemies. The Sanhedrin however are basing their letter to Putin on unverified positive reports concerning Putin's attitude to the Temple Mount. Visiting the Western Wall in 2012, Putin allegedly disclosed that he was personally praying for the rebuilding of the Temple. On this basis, the Sanhedrin decided to write to both Putin and Trump - inviting them both to fulfil the Cyrus mandate. The optimism of the Sanhedrin is palpable. Rabbi Weiss explains: "We are poised to rebuild the Temple. The political conditions today, in which the two most important national leaders in the world support the Jewish right to Jerusalem as their spiritual inheritance, is historically unprecedented". Cyrus or the Anti-Christ While the Sanhedrin is looking for a Cyrus type figure to arise to help support the building of the Third Temple, many Christians tend to link the rebuilding of the Temple not with a Cyrus but rather with the anti-Christ himself. The Scriptures appear clear that the coming anti-Christ will defile the temple, but we shouldn't necessarily equate foreign leaders who facilitate the rebuilding with the coming anti-Christ. In his day, King Cyrus helped build a temple in Jerusalem at divine instruction, which was later defiled by Antiochus and then frequented by Jesus the Messiah. Could it be that God will likewise in the End Times raise up a new Cyrus figure that will help facilitate the rebuilding of the temple - which will later be defiled before the Messiah finally returns to take His rightful place in the Temple? Trump's got the numbers Jewish leaders have pointed out that the gematria (numerical value) of Donald Trump's name equals that of the phrase 'Meshiach Ben David' (Messiah, Son of David). These same rabbis are quick to point out that they do not believe that Trump is the Messiah (just as well!). They view the gematria of Trump's name as an indication of him playing a role in the 'redemptive process' - a role in preparing the conditions for the Messiah's arrival. What could prepare the way for the Messiah more than the rebuilding of the Temple? It is interesting in this context to also consider Michael Snyder's calculations that Trump was born 700 days before Israel became a nation, won the election on Prime Minister Netanyahu's 7th year, 7th month and 7th day in office, and served his first full day in the White House at the age of 70 years, 7 months and 7 days old. While we should be careful of reading too much into these numbers, it would seem that God Himself has had His hand on the unusual rise of Donald Trump and if so would have a particular purpose for his presidency. Could these Jewish leaders be right that Trump could have a Cyrus call on his life? Summary There is great excitement within the Temple Movement in Israel that the time might be drawing near for the long-desired rebuilding of the House of God. While the Sanhedrin is obviously excited about the rise of Trump and rumours of Putin being supportive, it is still early days, and we have no definite statements from either leader to support these assumptions. As believers, we should none-the-less be watching these developments, praying for God's prophesied purposes to be accomplished, and checking our own spiritual lives to make sure that we are ready to meet the soon coming King. 
Mysteries of Ark's Journey Revealed as Excavation Begins at Site of Ark of Covenant -
By Abra Forman - https://www.breakingisraelnews.com "And it came to pass, from the day that the ark abode in Kiryat Yearim, that the time was long; for it was twenty years; and all the house of Israel yearned after Hashem." I Samuel 7:2 (The Israel Bible™) This summer, archaeologists will begin the first-ever excavation of the major Biblical site where the Ark of the Covenant was kept for two decades before King David conveyed it to Jerusalem. The site, known in Hebrew as Kiryat Ye'arim and often transliterated at Kiriath Jearim, is mentioned over a dozen times in the Bible as a Judean town near Jerusalem during the period of Biblical history associated with the judges and King David. Today, it remains one of the last such Biblical landmarks unstudied. The Book of Samuel tells of the moving of the Ark from Beit Shemesh to Kiryat Ye'arim after it was returned to the Israelites by the Philistines, who were stricken with disease in punishment for having stolen the sacred Ark in battle. There, the Ark resided for twenty years as the people of Israel began to turn from idol worship back to God. And the men of Kiryat Yearim came, and fetched up the ark of Hashem, and brought it into the house of Avinadav in the hill, and sanctified Elazar his son to keep the ark of Hashem. And it came to pass, from the day that the ark abode in Kiryat Yearim, that the time was long; for it was twenty years; and all the house of Israel yearned after Hashem. I Samuel 7:1-2 At the end of that period, King David brought the Ark to Jerusalem. After the First Temple was built by David's son Solomon, the Ark was placed there and remained until the Temple was destroyed by the Babylonians, after which all traces of it completely disappeared. The Ark of the Covenant, one of the most mysterious and sought-after Biblical treasures in history, is described in the Book of Exodus as a gold-plated wooden box which holds within it the two tablets given by God to Moses on Mount Sinai. And they shall make an ark of acacia-wood: two cubits and a half shall be the length thereof, and a cubit and a half the breadth thereof, and a cubit and a half the height thereof. And thou shalt overlay it with pure gold, within and without shalt thou overlay it, and shalt make upon it a crown of gold round about. Exodus 25:10-11 After the destruction of the Temple, it vanished from all record, though different legends have sprung up around it. While the archaeologists running the Kiryat Ye'arim dig will not be primarily looking for clues to its current location, the chance remains that uncovering some of the mysteries of the Ark's journey could yield surprising results. "It's a large, central site in the Jerusalem hills that hasn't been studied until now. It may be the only key site in Judah that hasn't undergone a systematic archaeological excavation," Israel Finkelstein, one of three archaeologists heading the project, told the Times of Israel. As of now, the archaeologists believe there may be a smaller ancient temple at the site where the Ark once stood, but as Biblical accounts often connect the city with the pagan deity Ba'al, a shrine found there could be a site of idol worship. "To follow the story, the place where they took the Ark of the Covenant wasn't, of course, just some field or under a tree, they refer to an important cult place," Finkelstein explained. He hopes that the dig's findings could reveal significant information about the history of the site and improve scholars' overall picture of the period of King David's rule. 
The Great Sign - By Daymond Duck - http://www.raptureready.com/2017/02/12/the-great-sign/
I have recently seen some very interesting videos about an event that some are calling "The Revelation-12 Sign." These videos are about the sun-clothed woman in Rev. 12:1-2. But I want to begin in Genesis chapter 1 which says the sun, moon and stars are for signs. "And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years: And let them be for lights in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth: and it was so. And God made two great lights; the greater light to rule the day [sun] and the lesser light to rule the night [moon]: he made the stars also" (Genesis 1:14-16). This brings to mind something Jesus said about His return. "And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity . . . And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh" (Luke 21:25, 28). When the return of Jesus is close there will be signs in the sun, moon and stars, but He didn't reveal what these signs are, or did He? In the Revelation of Jesus Christ (Rev. 1:1), commonly called the book of Revelation, it is written: "And there appeared a great wonder (a great sign) in heaven; a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars" (Rev. 12:1-2). This woman is Israel (see Gen. 37:9-11) and John called her a great wonder (a great sign) in heaven with the sun, moon and stars. This is the only thing that is called a "great wonder" or a "great sign" in the Bible. Could this be what God meant when He said, "Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs?" I can't say for sure, but it could be too important to overlook. In 2012, someone noticed that a very rare event will occur in 2017. Two constellations (Virgo and Leo) will line up in a way that seems to create this sign in heaven. Some say they come close to lining-up quite often (there may be 10 stars in the crown or 11 stars in the crown, or all of them may present with the moon out of line, etc.). But this may be the first time the sun, moon and all 12 stars have been in this position in thousands of years (perhaps since God created Adam and Eve). Notice the names of the constellations; Virgo is Latin for virgin. Leo is Latin for lion. And notice that Jesus is the virgin born Son of God who will come back as the Lion of the Tribe of Judah (Rev. 5:5). These constellations will be lined-up like the sun-clothed woman in Revelation 12:1-2 on Sept. 23, 2017. Some believe the Rapture of the Church will be on the Jewish Feast day called Rosh Hoshanah (the Feast of Trumpets; sundown to sundown Sept. 21-22). So according to that view this great sign will appear on the first day after Rosh Hoshanah which is the first Sabbath after the Feast of Trumpets. 2017 is the year 5777 on the Hebrew calendar. It is 50 years from 1967. At the Second Coming, natural disasters will be like a woman in travail (birth pangs). Concerning this great sign in heaven, John said, "And she being with child cried, travailing in birth, and pained to be delivered" (Rev. 12:2). John added, "And she brought forth a man child [Jesus], who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron (second coming): and her child was caught up [raptured] unto God, and to his throne." (The First Coming cited in Revelation 12:5.) Is this astrology? It would be if it was about humans, their horoscopes, etc. But it is not about that. It is about what some have noticed about a great sign in the Bible. It could be very important and there is more to it than this article covers. It is recommended that everyone take a look at Revelation 12 and decide for themselves. 
My Review of "Rapture Ready...Or Not?" Over the last 35 years, I have literally read hundreds of books on Bible Prophecy and End Time signs. I especially enjoy books on the Rapture, and I have read almost every Rapture-related book published. In all those years, devouring thousands of pages, and millions of words, I have not read a better book on the Rapture than, Rapture Ready...Or Not? Terry James might be physically blind, but he is spiritually sharp and well discerning beyond most authors. In "Rapture Ready...Or Not?" Terry has nailed the pre-trib Rapture, and removed any doubt what so ever about the Church going through the Tribulation. With great insight and Godly discernment, Terry explains with simple, yet profound words, why and how that he has come to believe the ways he does about the Rapture, the Tribulation, and the End Times scenario. I think after reading "Rapture Ready...Or Not?" you too will believe as Terry does, and be Ready for the Rapture like never before! - Randy Thomas - Publisher / Editor - Prophecy Update For more information and or to get your copy of "Rapture Ready...Or Not?" use this link: http://www.raptureready.com/terry/book35.html 
News from Hal Lindsey Media Ministries - Hal Lindsey - www.hallindsey.com
On last week's program, I discussed President Trump's executive order establishing a temporary ban on persons entering the United States from seven nations -- all hotbeds of terrorism, sponsors of terrorism, or involved in civil wars that have terrorist combatants. It had caused quite an uproar. Protests were staged at U.S. airports. Some were led by immigration rights organizations and groups who are paid by the federal government to resettle refugees. The New York cab drivers protested, too. They said the temporary ban made them targets for retribution. But they only stopped picking up passengers at JFK for an hour, then it was back to work. Shortly after I recorded that program, a U.S. District Judge in Seattle, Washington, issued a nationwide restraining order that blocked the President's travel ban. Incredibly, he didn't dispute the President's very clear authority to issue the order. He really couldn't. The law is very precise and previous Presidents, including Obama, have done precisely what President Trump did. The judge just said that he thought "there's no support" for the idea that "we have to protect the U.S. from individuals" who reside in the countries on that list. In other words, he said that in his opinion the President didn't make a wise choice in doing what he did. It wasn't necessary. So the judge just decided to order that the ban be lifted. Many on the Left have tried to paint the temporary ban prohibiting travel into the U.S. from those specific nations as a "Muslim ban." Either they are terribly uninformed or they are lying. My vote goes for lying. The seven nations on the list are Iraq, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, and Yemen. Seven nations specified by the previous administration. It bans entry of all travelers from those nations, not just Muslims. The executive order doesn't even mention Muslims. The five largest predominantly Muslim nations in the world are not on the list. Of the world's 1.7 billion Muslims, 90% are not affected by the temporary ban. So how can anyone say with a shred of honesty that this is a "Muslim ban?" If you hear anyone in the government or the media call it that, you know they are doing so to advance their own agenda. With the temporary travel ban, the President is simply pausing the immigrant admissions process for a short while so that the Department of Homeland Security can figure out ways to more safely allow people in those countries to come here. Each of the seven nations represent a unique vulnerability in U.S. security. As things now stand, it is almost impossible to properly vet visa applicants from these nations. That's why DHS needs some time to devise new guidelines and procedures before the process resumes. As President Trump told members of the U.S. Central Command, we don't want to import into America the very threats that our soldiers are facing on the battlefield. Now, doesn't all of this sound reasonable? And responsible? We normal folks think so. But, apparently, members of the judiciary on the Left Coast (appropriately labeled, if you ask me) don't think so. Just yesterday, a panel from the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco upheld the original judge's stay of the ban. Once again, they found no fault with the President's authority to do this. (That makes me wonder how they would have responded to President Obama's order suspending these programs for six months if any Democrat state attorney-general had bothered to sue President Obama to stop his ban. Hmmm. Doesn't that make their motives sound a bit suspect? Just saying....) Once again, the appeals court seemed to feel that the President's temporary ban might cause some inconvenience for a few foreign students studying at universities in the states of Washington and Minnesota. Never mind the President's unquestioned authority to do it or the danger some incoming "refugees" might pose to Americans. Or never mind that President Carter completely banned the entry of all Iranians, then had the FBI hunt down and deport all Shi'ite Muslims from Iran and many Iranian students. Of course, at that time the Muslim Brotherhood had not exerted several years of influence on a Presidential administration and the Democrats weren't so desperate to flood America with millions of questionable, military-aged immigrant men from the Middle East. On top of that, we've had an additional 40 years of delusional, anti-American attitudes inculcated in our youth at America's colleges and universities. So, the practical effect of the judge's nullification of the President's ban, and the appeals court refusal to overturn the stay, is that the rush is on for people traveling from those seven nations to get to America as quickly as possible. In fact, that is exactly what this New York Times headline proclaims: "Lifting of Travel Ban Sets Off Rush to Reach U.S." Now, it's headed for the Supreme Court. No one argues that the ban was not rather messy in its implementation. It was abruptly announced on a Friday afternoon. Lower-level officials were caught off-guard. Interpretation of the new order varied from location to location. It created confusion. There were some unfortunate detentions, but in the end, everyone was allowed in and no one was detained for more than a few hours. In all, just a couple of hundred travelers (of more than 350,000 entering the country that day) were subject to the review and all were released. Within a couple of days, many of the kinks had been worked out and it was announced that all valid "green card" holders either in the country, en route, or about to embark would be accepted. But, to be fair, there was a compelling reason for the abruptness of the ban's announcement. To make something like this go smoothly, it would have to be publicly announced in advance. Seminars would need to be held to teach DHS and TSA personnel how to implement it. In other words, the very terrorists we are trying to prevent from entering the country would be notified well in advance just how much time they had to get into the U.S. before the welcome mat is yanked. That sort of defeats the purpose of the whole operation. For the order to work, it had to be done without warning. But the terror organizations needn't worry. The judges on the West Coast have your back. You now have plenty of time to get your stuff together and get over here before rational thinking is restored! This week, too, I'll discuss what may be some softening of the new administration's backing of Israel's right to expand the settlements in Jerusalem. Also, our resolve to move the U.S. embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. During the campaign, President Trump did not mince words. He would move the embassy. But now, it seems to appear that the government may be walking that promise back a bit. Is it a return to the policies of previous administrations? Or, is it a decision not to add fuel to fires that are burning white-hot right now? Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is due to visit the White House in a few days. It will be interesting to see what emerges from those meetings. Nevertheless, we should continue, as the Psalmist encouraged, to "pray for the peace of Jerusalem." [Psalms 122:6 KJV] Finally, it may surprise you to learn that I was not born again as a full-grown, mature Christian. I started off as a baby in Christ. Just like you. We are all works in progress. We are all continually "under construction." Simon, the vacillator, later became Peter, the rock. Saul, the legalist, became Paul, the champion of grace. The process of pruning and cultivating continues day by day, season by season, until we go home to be with our Father. This week, I will discuss the danger of "Galatiansim." That's the erroneous teaching that says God's grace covers all our failings up to the point that we are saved. But after that, we must live the Christian life by somehow mixing "grace" with "being good" to qualify for heaven. The Apostle Paul was so upset by that teaching that he called the believers at Galatia "foolish!" He wrote to them: "Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh?" [Galatians 3:3 NASB] I'm so glad that once we are born again into the body of Christ, we don't have to depend on our own devices to keep us there. We can fully trust the same grace that redeemed us to keep us. Don't miss this week's Report on TBN, Daystar, CPM Network, The Word Network, various local stations, www.hallindsey.com or www.hischannel.com . Check your local listings. A NOTE FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO WATCH "THE HAL LINDSEY REPORT" ON TBN: Remember, the Report is now seen 30 minutes later, beginning at 6:00 pm Pacific/9:00 pm Eastern each Friday. God Bless, Hal Lindsey 
Daily Jot: The perilous times we live in - Bill Wilson - www.dailyjot.com
If you had an army some 30,000 strong and a court system stacked over the decades with judges who would allow you to break the laws, how much damage could you do to a country? We are about to find out in America. The ex-"president" said he was going to stay involved through community organizing and speak out on the issues, and that appears to be one post-administration promise he intends to keep. He has moved many of his administration's top dogs over to an organization called Organizing for Action (OFA). OFA is behind the strategic and tactical implementation of the Marxist resistance we are seeing across America, and politically active courts are providing the leverage for this revolution. OFA is dedicated to organizing communities for progressive change, meaning Marxist revolution. Issues are gun control, socialist healthcare, abortion, sexual equality, climate change, and of course, immigration reform. OFA members were propped up by the ex-"president's" message from the shadows: "Organizing is the building block of everything great we've accomplished. Organizers around the country are fighting for change in their communities-and OFA is one of the groups on the front lines...Commit to this work in 2016 and beyond." OFA's website says it obtained its "digital" assets from the ex-"president's" re-election effort and that he inspired the movement. In short, it's the shadow government organization aimed at resisting and tearing down the Constitutional Republic, picking up where Communist Party America leaves off. Paul Sperry, writing for the New York Post, says OFA is an army of agitators 30,000 strong who will fight President Donald Trump at every turn of his presidency and the ex-"president" "will command them from a bunker less than two miles from the White House." Sperry writes that the ex-"president" is setting up a shadow government to sabotage the incoming administration through a network of leftist nonprofits led by OFA, which is growing its war chest (more than $40 million) and has some 250 offices nationwide. OFA IRS filings, according to Sperry, indicate OFA has 32,525 volunteers nationwide. The ex-"president" and his wife will oversee the operation from their foundation office near the White House. Think about how this works-Trump issues an immigration executive order; OFA signals for protests and statements from Islamic and pro-immigrant leftist groups; ACLU lawyers file lawsuits in jurisdictions where activist judges obstruct the laws; volunteers are called to protest at airports and Congressional town hall meetings; the leftist media springs to action; the twittersphere lights up with revolutionary social media; violence follows-all emanating from the ex-"president's" signal that he is heartened by the protests. Speaking of the end times, the Apostle Paul wrote in 2 Timothy 3:1-3, "This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be...without natural affection, truce-breakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good." Indeed, perilous times are ahead for us and our nation. 
Daily Devotion: Always Fruitful - Greg Laurie - www.harvest.org
It is the same with my word. I send it out, and it always produces fruit. It will accomplish all I want it to, and it will prosper everywhere I send it. -Isaiah 55:11 I once read that Elvis Presley wore a cross, a Star of David, and other religious medallions around his neck. When someone asked him why he wore all of them, he replied, "Don't want to miss out on Heaven 'cause of some technicality." That was King Nebuchadnezzar. He acknowledged the existence of God. But whenever he was in trouble, he also called out to the sorcerers, astrologers, and magicians. He wanted to have all his bases covered. I think Nebuchadnezzar represents the mindset of many Americans today. They believe everything. And that is the problem. As the king of Babylon, Nebuchadnezzar once was the most powerful person on earth. He had everything a person could possibly want to be happy. He had seen God at work, and he had been exposed to the truth of God's Word. Nebuchadnezzar knew what was right. He simply had not acted on it. Yet one night, something as simple as a dream penetrated this king's heart and mind. The prophet Daniel, who had been carried away captive to Babylon in his youth, had been faithfully sowing his seeds over the years. But year after year went by, and Nebuchadnezzar persisted in his unbelief. But it wasn't all in vain. Maybe you have been talking to someone for years. You have been praying for them. You have been trying to reach them. You're saying, "This isn't working. They never will come around." It isn't over till it's over. I have heard so many stories of people who attended a Harvest Crusade and made a commitment to Christ a day, a week, or a month later. A seed was sown, and that seed broke ground later. Remember, the harvest is not at the end of a church service; it's at the end of the age. 
FROM THE HEART
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 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 Prophecy Update is a 501 (c) (3) tax exempt - non-profit organization, and all your donations are tax deductible. 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 Visit our website: http://prophecyupdate.com/donations/ Or write us at: Prophecy Update P.O. Box 40516 Bakersfield, CA 93384-0516 
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