Prophecy Update Newsletter
April 17, 2017
IN TODAY'S NEWSLETTER...
The Seventh Kingdom - Pete Garcia - http://www.omegaletter.com/articles/articles.asp?ArticleID=8425
Then the devil, taking Him up on a high mountain, showed Him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. And the devil said to Him, "All this authority I will give You, and their glory; for this has been delivered to me, and I give it to whomever I wish. Therefore, if You will worship before me, all will be Yours." Luke 4:5-7 The US, indeed, the entire world, is about to enter into its darkest period of human history ever and most people don't even realize it. What we are witnessing now is the collapse and reshaping of Western civilization. We are in its death throes as it were. The economic, political, financial, and military constructs we've been accustomed too for the last 70 years are changing in order to be shaped according to the confines of how Scripture describes them. Skeptics and secular authorities will scoff at that idea, but the Bible only continues to be fulfilled exactly how it says it will be. The Bible states that there will come about a system which will enable one man (the Antichrist) to gain control of it all. It is easy to get tripped up in all the symbolism but follow my logic here. According to Nebuchadnezzar's dream of the multi-metallic colossus, there were five kingdoms represented kings and kingdoms. Daniel later sees these as beasts. When John is given the Revelation, instead of being different kinds of metals in a statue, he sees them as mountains and heads. But instead of five, he is told there were seven. These kingdoms are listed out as follows: Seven Sequential Kingdoms spanning thousands of years Revelation 12, 13, & 17 mentions seven mountains/heads with ten horns 1. Egypt: the 400 years of bondage and Exodus by the Israelites a) Genesis 50:22-Exodus 14 2. Assyria: The conquering of the ten northern tribes by Tiglath-Pileser III, Shalmaneser V, Sargon II, and Sennacherib a) 1 Chronicles 5:25; 2 Kings 15:29, 17:3, 18:11-12 b) Egypt and Assyria are not mentioned by name but are the most likely candidates as they pertain to Israel: Zechariah 10:10-11 Daniel 2, 7, & 8 Summarized by five kingdoms with ten toes 3.Babylon-Head of Gold (like a lion) a) Nebuchadnezzar 4. Medo-Persia-Chest and should of Silver (like a bear with three ribs in its mouth) a) Darius: Daniel 5:31, 6:28 b) Cyrus c) Artaxerxes: Nehemiah 2, 5, 13 5. Greece-Belly and thighs of brass (like a leopard) a) Alexander, followed by four heads (i) Lysimachus (ii) Cassander (iii) Seleucus: Antiochus Epiphanes was a descendant-a type/model for the Antichrist and desecration of the Holy of Holies (iv) Ptolemy 6. Rome-Legs of iron (a dreadful and terrible beast with iron teeth) [different than the rest] a) 10 horns, but one uproots three, leaving eight horns b) The eighth is the Little Horn-has not yet come 7. The United States & EU???-Feet of Iron mixed with brittle clay (with the Ten Toes) So with the above kingdoms representing the major Gentile powers which the Bible makes mention are (as they relate to Israel): Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, Persia, Greece, and Rome. The European Union represents the last and final attempt at uniting all of Europa under one banner. Europa being the revived Roman Empire via the European Union who has enthusiastically embraced both the Babel symbolism (many voices, one tongue), architecture, and mythology surrounding Europa itself (the woman riding the beast). (See here for picture) These represent the major players concerning Israel as the times of the Gentiles. What we have seen over the past two thousand years is the legs of iron split (East and West Roman Empire-from 284AD onward) and the numerous yet unsuccessful attempts at trying to unify Europe again into a single empire. The Holy Roman Empire tried. Napoleon tried. Hitler tried. It wasn't until 1949 that we began to see this regional coalescence take place with the embryonic formation of an American and European defense force. When considering the 'legs of iron' which were representative of the Roman Empire, the split between east and west divided Rome and Constantinople. Is it possible that the split today is still between east and west, but the west being the United States and the east being Europe? The United States essentially came out of Europe via the Vikings, the Spanish, the British, and the French. At our founding and pretty much through the next two centuries, we were a hybrid of European immigrants and ethnicities, united under a constitution founded upon British, Greek and Roman laws, with a Judeo-Christian underpinning providing the necessary ethics for a moral foundation. If we are the feet, the US would be the Iron and the EU the miry clay, which is pretty indicative of where we are today. Assessment Taken as a whole, the EU has the largest economy in the world and the third largest population behind China and India. The United States has the second or third largest economy (depending on how you rank the EU), but with the world's greatest military. If combined, the United States and the EU could dominate the world very easily. This seems impossible in our day and age, but it wasn't that long ago that we were simply extensions of British, French, and Spanish colonialism. The EU today realizes that they will never be a power-broker in the 21st century without the means to back that power up militarily. Numerous EU leaders have been pushing forward with an ambitious agenda of creating an EU Army. Article 42 of the Treaty on the European Union allows for the creation of a military force. The problem was that the United Kingdom would not go along with this. But with BREXIT pending, this freed up the EU to proceed as planned. But the idea of a separate EU Army alongside NATO is not sitting well with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, who does not want there to be two separate forces, as EU Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker alluded too: Stoltenberg told a press briefing in Belgium that he would welcome an increased investment by European nations in defense, but this should be channeled towards NATO, adding that "duplication would be inefficient." "It's important to avoid duplication and I urge Europe to make sure that everything they do is complementary to the NATO alliance," he said, Reuters reported. The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) predates the official European Union by decades. When the Iron Curtain and the Soviet Union collapsed in the late eighties and early nineties, which temporarily ended the Cold War, the threat of war in Europe seemed impossible. NATO members got lax on contributing thus required the US to shoulder the bulk of the weight. It had recently come back into headlines when the new US President Trump publicly shamed NATO leadership into "paying for their fair share" of NATO or else the United States would reconsider the nature of the relationship. This got EU and NATO member's attention fairly quickly, considering the recent Russian incursions into Georgia, Ukraine and Crimea, not to mention the constant threats directed at Latvia, Estonia, Lithuania, Finland, Sweden, and Norway. For the last 69 years, the Europeans (to their detriment) had become overly-dependent on the United States to be her protector should Russia decide to move west. This in effect gave President Trump some leverage by reminding them that our role in NATO could be reexamined and that they didn't have the means to protect themselves should Russia want more real estate. The result...an excerpt from press conference by President Donald Trump and Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, April 12, 2017. Every generation has strived to adapt the NATO Alliance to meet the challenges of their times -- and on my visit to Brussels this spring -- I look very much forward to -- we will work together to do the same. We must not be trapped by the tired thinking that so many have, but apply new solutions to face new circumstances. And that's all throughout the world. We're not here to stand on ceremony but to develop real strategies to achieve safety, security and peace. We're here to protect the freedom and prosperity of our citizens and to give them the future they so richly deserve....And I did ask about all the money that hasn't been paid over the years, will that money be coming back. We'll be talking about that, right? We want to talk about that, too. In reality, the United States is NATO. The only reason that NATO isn't already the European Army is that the US provides around 75% of its funding, military expertise, and power. The US still has forces stationed in Europe and others who rotate through there on a routine basis, but recent global requirements have spread US forces pretty thin. Still, since 9/11, the US enacted the NATO Article #5 for the first and only time ever, which states that an attack on one member is an attack on them all. Will Trump follow through on his threats to abandon (or renegotiate) NATO if other members don't step up financially? It seems very unlikely the US would abandon NATO, because without US manpower, resources, and expertise, NATO becomes a hollow shell of an organization and makes the EU very vulnerable. If the EU collapses, it will likely drag the US down (economically) as well. The US and EU are too interlinked and intertwined to allow that to happen. Conclusion Many bible scholars and teachers believe that the Antichrist will come out of the revived Roman Empire. I believe that as well, but I think my understanding has matured somewhat on this. Whereas in the past I thought NATO would simply morph into the EU Army, but even then it still would not be near as powerful as the US currently is. Building a first-rate military takes time, and a lot of money, both of which the EU currently does not have. So that leaves two options:
We know that even if we added the entire 28 members of the EU together, they still do not have the power to dominate the planet. The EU is almost entirely dependent upon the United States to make NATO (its only real form of a military) function. We know that according to Scripture, the leader of this final human kingdom is the Antichrist, and somehow, he gains control over our military power. He will receive power from the Dragon (Satan) who has the ability to give kingship and kingdoms to whomever he will, albeit temporarily. Satan's attempts to control the world until now have been hindered by God the Father through His Son Jesus Christ and His decisive victory at the Cross. (1 Cor. 2:7-8) Furthermore, as extensions of Christ, the Church (the body) has been present in the world since then empowered and indwelt by God the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit's presence through the Church is currently keeping Satan at bay. Once the Church is removed at the Rapture, then the Antichrist will be revealed, which is why I think the Pre-Tribulation Rapture is the perfect crisis the world will use to unite into these kingdoms. (2 Thess. 2:3-8) People always want to know what role the US plays in the Tribulation? Well, just imagine the United States unconstrained by a Constitution that is steeped in a Judeo-Christian worldview. Imagine the terrible and destructive power the United States could wield if it were run by a vicious tyrants like Stalin or Hitler. Even those two couldn't hold a candle to this man, Antichrist. It has taken the US decades to perfect our form of warfare and expertise. Think about all the technology, the information and data collecting systems, the weapons of mass destruction, and military capabilities we currently possess...but in the wrong hands. It is likely that the Rapture itself will collapse the United States leadership from within, and that this man is set up to restore some semblance of normalcy, law and order back to the US. He could be from Europe, or he could be European (or from somewhere within the old Roman Empire). He along with other ten leaders set up "regional commands", but he is able to subdue three of them simply because he possesses the best and greatest military technology. (Rev. 12:3, 13:1-2, 17:9-18) When this man Antichrist gets control, he then appoints ten kings (who do not have a kingdom at the time of John's writing) and they reign with the Antichrist for one hour. (Rev. 17:12-14) This tells me that for one man to gain control over everything quickly, he needs a lot of power. Currently, this kind of power only resides with the US and China and the Bible makes no mention of the Antichrist being Chinese. "Who is like the beast? Who is able to make war with him?" Rev. 13:4 We also know that Israel and the US are two of the closest nations on earth (politically and militarily speaking), so it is likely that if anyone were to broker some arrangement, the US would be involved. How and when he does this, we simply don't know. But we do know that what seemed impossible even 30 years ago, is now possible. We see the world moving in a direction that the Bible states it will go and it is picking up momentum. Perhaps all the world needs is the right crisis to push it over the edge. Even so, Maranatha! 
Iran is trying to provoke a Russia-US hot war in Syria - Mark Langfan - http://www.israelnationalnews.com/Articles/Article.aspx/20391
In Syria, an ancient game is being played - with people, countries and strategic goals as pawns. When you boil Syria down to its principal players, there are only three: Russia, the United States and the Islamic Republic of Iran. With Assad's chemical attack, people have been misdirected from the reality by blaming the powerless Assad. But Assad doesn't mvoe without direct Iranian permission. So, the real question is why did Iran launch a chemical weapons attack? The answer is simple: Iran desperately needs Russia and the United States to get into a hot war in Syria so as to enable Iran to pick up the shattered pieces. In contrast, the United States and Russia desperately need each other to defeat Iran's waxing neo-Safavidic Empire from stretching from Iran to the Eastern Mediterranean Sea. In order to see why Iran is attempting to foment a Russia/US battle, one has to boil the Syrian theater into the child's hand-against-hand game of ROCK/PAPER/SCISSORS-shoot. When one child flashes PAPER against the other child's ROCK, the "paper" envelops and beats the rock. When one child flashes PAPER against the other child's SCISSORS, the scissors cuts and beats the paper. When one child flashes SCISSORS against the other child's ROCK the rock smashes and beats the scissors. Russia is the "rock," Iran is the "paper," and the United States is the "scissors." Iran's strategy is to envelope Syria like a piece of paper, topologically combining Iran's Iraqi "paper," along with Iran's Hezbollah/Lebanon "paper" to form a patchwork-quilt Shiite Empire spanning from Iran/Persia through Iraq, and Syria, and Lebanon into the Mediterranean Sea. As an example of this, Iran just announced it was to build a trans-Iran/Iraq/Syria/Lebanon railroad. Russia is the "rock" trying to bash the Sunni opposition to pieces in order to carve-out its eastern Mediterranean naval outpost and military enclave. The United States, through Sec of Def Mattis, under the strategic cover of defeating ISIS in Eastern Syria is the "scissors" against Iran's "paper" Shiite Empire. The United States with its indigenous allies is trying to efficiently occupy eastern Syria from the Kurds in the north to Jordan in the south. By topologically "cutting" off Iran's patchwork piece of paper, Iraq, from Iran's patchwork piece of paper, Syria, the United States is attempting to defeat Iran's waxing paper Shiite Imanate. Before Iran's chemical attack in the name of Assad, the western Syrian rock strategy of Russia, and the eastern scissors strategy of the United States were avoiding each other, complementing each other, and together quietly weakening the whole Syrian paper envelopment strategy of Iran. This was great for Russia and the US, but bad for Iran. Iran saw the United States' cutting its patchwork-quilt in two in eastern Syria as an existential threat to the grand strategic arc of its contiguous Mesopotamian/Levantian/Mediterranean swatch of Empire. Therefore, Iran had to do something to instigate a hot war between the United States and Russia. And presto, Iran bombs civilians with Sarin using Assad's planes, Assad takes the fall, and Russia and the United States are escalating against each other. Russia and the United States urgently need each other to thwart Iran's scheme to control the Middle East. It is in both Russia's and United States' worst strategic interests to allow Iran to become the colossus of the Middle East. Syria is big enough for Russia and the United States to find a modus vivendi and live with each other, allowing each to achieve strategic goals. Russia and the United States have a mutually exact goal i- both aim to defeat the ISIS Sunni Caliphate and the Iranian Shiite Imanate. To defeat both Islamic radical terror threats requires Russia and the United States to work together, and not fight each other. In the current war against both Sunni and Shiite radical Islamic terror, the United States and Russia are critically necessary for one another as allies, not inimical enemies. 
Will Nuclear Deterrent Keep North Korea EMP Threat at Bay? - Bob Unruh - http://www.prophecynewswatch.com/article.cfm?recent_news_id=1167
WND has been reporting on the threat to America from EMP, the electromagnetic pulse from a nuclear explosion high in the sky, since early in the 2000s when former CIA chief James Wooley, former Defense Department staffer F. Michael Maloof and former Congressional EMP Commission member Dr. Peter Vincent Pry were sounding the alarm. It was only weeks later that North Korea as a possible aggressor was brought into the conversation. Nothing has gotten better since then, according to Pry, who agreed to an interview with WND on Friday, and in fact, it's worse. In fact, the saber-rattling from North Korea dictator Kim Jong Un in recent days and weeks, the threats to destroy America, the warnings about "nuclear thunderbolts," and more, should be taken very seriously, he suggested. It's not just that North Korea may have missiles that could reach the United States, and may have a nuclear warhead that could be fitted on the rockets, it could have already put in place the potential for a nuclear blast and EMP attack when it wants. It's because, Pry explained, North Korea first launched one satellite, then a second, in oddly circuitous orbits that have them approach from the south of America, where there are no early warning systems, there are no interceptor missiles, or any defense. And the satellites, in fact, could actually contain a nuclear weapon ready to detonate. Pry, who is executive director of the Task Force on National and Homeland Security, and director of the U.S. Nuclear Strategy Forum, and served on the Congressional EMP Commission, as well as the Congressional Strategic Posture Commission and more, says the alarm truly is serious. "All of us," he said, referring to a team of experts in the field, "have written we think that the threat, the possibility of a super-EMP warhead is so great, the United States should take them [North Korea's satellites] down," he told WND. "We ought not tolerate them orbiting," he said, because nobody knows for sure what's on the satellites, which are in that suspicious orbit which was identified years earlier as a possible route should the Soviet Union ever decide to mount an assault on the U.S., the south polar trajectory. The problem is that a significant EMP attack properly carried out in the skies over the United States could take down the nation's electronic infrastructure. Electronic systems. All of them. Computers, networks, communications, systems that provide fuel and electricity. Systems that provide fuel and food, banking, medical systems, everything. The estimates range widely but there easily could be multiple tens of millions of fatalities across the U.S. following such an attack, because food wouldn't be available, as all the electronics allowing the shipping systems to operate all would be gone. Pry said it would be, literally, a new stone age. "The dark ages can come back... literally.... It's that stark: A cliff waiting for us to fall over," he said. The EMP threat, he said, is the one way where a rogue nation like North Korea could inflict horrible damage on the U.S., possibly even neutralize it. After all, if the electronic controls were gone, would it even be possible for the nation to respond to an attack militarily? The U.S., he said, would be "blind and defenseless." He said the suspicions about why the satellites were put into an orbit that approaches the U.S. from a concealed direction, and fly directly overhead, are great. "What does North Korea want to do, helps us with our problem with climate change?" he wondered. "It's so implausible. Unless they are practicing for an attack. The concept of a nuclear deterrent, the idea that an enemy would respond with nukes, is what kept the world away from nuclear conflict all during the Cold War and since. But Pry, who described North Korea's dictator as "Caligula with nuclear weapons," said that might not impact a decision from the closed kingdom. Many people also consider that North Korea isn't capable of the technology required for such an attack, he said. But consider that North Korea, at times, has been close to both China and Russia, both of which are considered capable of most of the same technology that the U.S. uses. North Korea has threatened another nuclear test as early as this weekend even as the politics seem to be turning against the regime. WND reported Friday Kim Jong Un - described only last week by Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., as the "crazy fat kid" - now is threatening a "big event" and "nuclear thunderbolts." The close ally of China has become bolder in its rhetoric in recent years as Barack Obama's foreign policy has left American enemies wondering about Washington's willingness to defend itself. North Korea has done several tests of nuclear devices in defiance of international bans and has issued multiple threats to kill Americans and destroy the U.S. However, under President Trump, the U.S. has been clear about its intent to destroy ISIS, as was this week with the delivery of a gigantic, nearly 11-ton bomb on ISIS fortifications in Afghanistan. Trump also has been pressuring China for fairer trade policies and to crack down on Pyongyang. Something must have worked, as the North Korean news agency on Friday blasted its "long-standing ally China" and implied Beijing was "'cooperating' with Washington for the collapse of North Korea." The agency also reported Pyongyang's threats to deliver "nuclear thunderbolts." North Korea's newest saber-rattling comes after there was word from unidentified U.S. intelligence officials, via NBC, that the U.S. is ready to launch a pre-emptive strike against North Korea - with conventional weapons - if it appears North Korea is going forward with more nuclear testing. Kim Jong Un has said a "big event" is coming, and U.S. officials revealed the the U.S. has dispatched two destroyers to an area just 300 miles from North Korea's nuclear test site. The U.S. also has bombers stationed in Guam, and the USS Carl Vinson aircraft carrier strike group is moving into the region. Only two months ago Maloof reported Pyongyang had been able to launch two satellites, even though nobody knows what they are doing. At that time Jim Oberg, who is one of the few American scientists to visit North Korea's Sohae space launch site in the northwest corner of the country, expressed similar concerns about the content of North Korean satellites. Oberg is a retired space shuttle Mission Control specialist with NASA and worked for U.S. Space Command. "There have been fears expressed that North Korea might use a satellite to carry a small nuclear warhead into orbit and then detonate it over the United States for an EMP strike," Oberg said in a Space Review article. "These concerns seem extreme and require an astronomical scale of irrationality on the part of the regime. "The most frightening aspect, I've come to realize," he said, "is that exactly such a scale of insanity is now evident in the rest of this 'space program.'" In making his visit to the Sohae site in 2012, Oberg said the North Koreans tried to assure him that the satellite launches were for peaceful purposes. However, he was not convinced. "The charade that Pyongyang's satellite program was purely for peaceful space exploration and applications was pitifully transparent from the start," Oberg said. "The real mystery was what was the true unseen purpose of the enormous expense that the government was pouring into the program." In 2014, WND reported that a "long-suppressed report" from the Department of Homeland Security concluded North Korea could, in fact, deliver on its threats to reach the U.S. with an EMP attack. In the suppressed study, DHS said that if North Korea attempted to deploy the Unha-3 space launch vehicle or the Taepodong-2 intercontinental ballistic missile, the Defense Department should destroy the missile on its pad before launch. At the time, however, President Obama and the White House "repeatedly asserted that North Korea did not yet have the capacity to attack the United States or U.S. allies with nuclear missiles." A report from just last year said North Korea's satellites are fully capable of performing a surprise EMP attack at an altitude and trajectory that evade U.S. National Missile Defenses. 
North Korean missile launch possibly sabotaged - http://www.debka.com/article/26012/North-Korean-missile-launch-possibly-sabotaged
An unidentified North Korean ballistic missile exploded seconds after it was launched Sunday, April 16, from a site near the port city of Sinpo, just as US Vice President Mike Pence arrived in Seoul for talks with. the South Korean government on how to deal with Pyongyang's belligerence. The medium-range missile failure occurred the day after a spectacular military parade rolled through central Pyongyang to mark the 105th anniversary of North Korea's founder Kim Il-sung. It showcased 50 missiles, including the first display of a submarine-launched missile. Missile launches have failed before - and not just in North Korea. But worth noting are the comments by US officials before and after the North Korean missile detonated: "We had good intelligence before the launch and good intelligence after the launch," was one. The US Pacific Command said it had detected and tracked what it assessed to be a North Korean ballistic missile launch. Another US official remarked: "It's a failed test. It followed another failed test. We don't need to expend any resources against that." The responses of US officials and the concurrence of the failed detonation with the arrival of the US vice president suggest that North Korea's missile and nuclear programs are closely monitored by US intelligence, electronic and cyber tools. A previous North missile launch on April 5 suffered an in-flight failure before the weapon crashed into the Sea of Japan. There was also an unsuccessful missile launch in late March. Out of a basketful of aggressive options, debkafile's military and intelligence experts pick the four most likely methods the Americans may have applied to thwart the latest North missile launch: 1. Sabotage of the missile's fuel, guidance, or communications systems, or of its exterior or the launch pad. Method: Cutting of cables or fuel lines, changing the flight system's programming, etc. Possible perpetrators: Engineers secretly collaborating with the US or those motivated by hatred, jealousy or other factors. 2. Sabotage of the missile's command and control system, such as changing its flight commands, ignition system, or ordering it to self-destruct, as is done to avoid landing in an unintended location or falling into enemy hands. Method: Secretly planting instructions in the command and control system, or interfering with the controllers in charge of sending instructions to the missile Possible perpetrators: mission control staff or military engineers involved in the composition of the command and control programs. 3. Electronic warfare against the command and control systems in the mission control center by sending powerful electromagnetic pulses to disrupt communications with the missile. Method: US warships, surveillance planes or satellites Possible perpetrators: US army or navy 4. A cyberattack against the missile's control system that changes the electronic commands and downs the missile Method: Planting of malware that enables the attackers to seize control of the computer system without being detected Possible perpetrators: US intelligence agencies, first and foremost the National Security Agency. 
My Thoughts on the Global Mess - By Daymond Duck - http://www.raptureready.com/2017/04/16/three-snippets-2/
Following accusations that Syria's President Assad used chemical weapons against women and children that were his own citizens, President Trump said, "I have to just say that the world is a mess. I inherited a mess." Most will surely agree: The world is a mess, Syria is just one part of this mess and it was that way when Donald J. Trump decided to run for President of the U.S. As a student of Bible prophecy, I believe the mess began when Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden of Eden. Satan and sin are the root of all the evil in the world. When history reached my generation, the mess seemed to get messier with the creation of the nation of Israel. God said He would bring Israel back into being at the time of the end and He has (Isa. 43:3-6, 10, 21-22; Jer. 32:44; Ezek. 20:34; 36:11, 24). [God said,] "For the day of the LORD is near upon all the heathen: as thou hast done, it shall be done unto thee: thy reward shall return upon thine own head" (Obad. 1:15). It seems to me that if non-Jews (Russia, Iran, Hezbollah, Syria, the Arabs, etc.) are going to try to destroy Israel, they should expect God to destroy them. He is patient. He will give them warnings, but that will be the end result if they don't repent. Jesus said the growth of Israel is a sign that the time of the end is near: "Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh: So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors. Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled" (Matt. 24:32-35). The growth of Israel appears to be a time-indicator that identifies the terminal generation. [Jesus said,] "For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened" (Matt. 24:21-22). The global mess will just get messier until humankind reaches the point of near self-destruction. The return of Jesus is the only thing that will stop it. Now for some of my thoughts on the mess in Syria: There is a long history of rockets being fired from Syria into Israel. Now, 59 Tomahawk missiles have been fired into Syria. Russia warned the U.S. that there would be "negative consequences" if the U.S. attacked Syria so now the Middle East mess will probably get worse. Iran and Hezbollah have troops in Syria helping President Assad and trying to prepare (build bases, dig tunnels and bring in weapons and troops) for a war with Israel. Some of President Trump's advisors wanted him to order an attack on those Iranian and Hezbollah troops at the same time he attacked Syria, but he didn't because of the presence of Russian troops. He didn't want to kill Russian troops and start a war with Russia. It is interesting because God told Russia to prepare herself and her allies for the battle of Gog and Magog and to be a guard unto them (Ezek. 38:7). He doesn't want the U.S. to wipe Russia and her allies out because He intends to do that in the battle of Gog and Magog. That way He will get the glory and the more they prepare the greater His glory. Some are asking, "Will President Assad respond by attacking Israel?" I don't know, but if he does, sorrow will be on the sea, extreme fear will dwell in Damascus and that ancient city will be reduced to rubble in one night (Isa. 17; Jer. 49:23-26). God's Word will be fulfilled. It is just a matter of whether the current situation is the triggering event or not. When will the battle of Gog and Magog take place? It will take place when God puts hooks into Gog's jaws and drags him into that great war (Ezek. 38:4). No one can rush it up and no one can stop it. God is in control. Recognize that these things are shaping up just exactly the way the prophets said and it means the latter days and latter years are upon us. Look up and lift up your heads because Jesus will soon Rapture His Church to heaven. When that happens, everyone that is left behind will be lost. The mess will be overwhelming. World leaders will turn power over to an evil man (the Antichrist) that is promising to have solutions for the mess. And the mess will grow worse than anything the world has ever seen. Before it is over many will beg for the return of Jesus. Prophecy Plus Ministries, Inc. Daymond & Rachel Duck [email protected] 
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 Remember Jerusalem - Hal Lindsey - http://www.hallindsey.com/ww-4-17-2017/
By the rivers of Babylon, There we sat down and wept, When we remembered Zion. - Psalms 137:1 NASB The word "Zion" was first used for the ancient stronghold built on one of Jerusalem's hills, but came to mean the city itself. To remember Zion, then, is to remember Jerusalem and all the promises God made concerning her. That attachment in memory, even by Jews who would never in their lives see the city, became a crucial part of maintaining a Jewish identity in all the foreign lands to which they would be dispersed through the centuries. Jerusalem and her memory became for the Jews a symbol of God's literal promises to the literal bloodline of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. The prophet Daniel would the model for Israeli prosperity and devotion during the diaspora. Daniel remembered Jerusalem at each time of prayer. He made sure that his home in Babylon had windows facing Jerusalem. He would open those windows, and pray in that direction three times a day. Now he certainly didn't do that because he thought God could hear him better if he prayed toward Jerusalem. He did it as a reminder that his people would return there someday. God made that promise, and would keep His word. Trusting God's faithfulness, Daniel remained faithful even under threat of death. In verses 5 and 6 of Psalm 137, we read the pledge that became central to the thinking of Jews around the globe for 2500 years. "If I forget you, O Jerusalem, May my right hand forget her skill. May my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth, If I do not remember you, if I do not exalt Jerusalem Above my chief joy." One of the great miracles of history is that God kept His people distinct from the societies they entered. They became productive members of those societies, but were not assimilated. A big part of that miracle comes from their attitude toward Jerusalem and the promises of God it represents. For hundreds of years, Jews have ended their Passover Seder with the phrase, "Next year in Jerusalem." Even Jews living in Jerusalem end the Seder with these words. For them, Jerusalem is not only a real place on the earth, but it also means "The City of Peace." So, they're saying, "Next year in the literal city," but it also carries the thoughts, "Next year in peace and in the fulfilled promises of God." Jesus came to Jerusalem at the climax of His life and ministry. He showed both His frustration and love for the city and its people when He said, "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, the way a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were unwilling." (Matthew 23:37 NASB) They rejected Jesus just as Daniel and the other prophets predicted. God used that very rejection for our salvation. Romans 11:11 says, "By their transgression salvation has come to the Gentiles." But that did not negate God's promises to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and others. Those promises began to be fulfilled in the 19th century when Jews started returning to the land in large numbers. They were returning to the place deeded to them by God Himself - the Promised Land. That led to the rebirth of Israel as a nation in 1948. They would regain control of Jerusalem in 1967. According to scripture, their return to the land portends another return - the return of Jesus. Peace is coming to Jerusalem - peace to "The City of Peace." God keeps His promises. JERUSALEM gives proof through the ages. Even Israelites who have little faith have a supernatural love for the City of Jerusalem that they don't fully understand. I was not born as a Jew, but as soon as I received Jesus Christ as Lord and savior - I too received that supernatural love for Jerusalem. It is going to be the eternal dwelling place God will dwell in with us in the center of the universe. How could anything be greater? 
Daily Jot: Magog, Meshach, Tubal, Persia and Today - Bill Wilson - www.dailyjot.com
A possibly significant prophetic event occurred over the weekend when voters in Turkey passed a referendum to afford the country's president near dictatorial powers by replacing the nation's parliamentary system with a presidential government. Associated Press reports that some 18 changes will "allow the president to appoint ministers, senior government officials and half the members of Turkey's highest judicial body, as well as to issue decrees and declare states of emergency. They set a limit of two five-year terms for presidents." This means that current president Tayyip Erdogan will have over a decade more of power that already has seen Turkey move rapidly toward a radical Islamic state. There are prophetic implications. Ezekiel 38:2 says, "...set thy face against Gog, the land of Magog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal, and prophesy against them." Magog, Meshech, Tubal are all located in what is now modern Turkey. Verse 5 says, "Persia, Ethiopia, and Libya with them..." Persia is modern day Iran. Turkey and Iran are rivals as they are positioning for control of the Middle East. We know, however, that Magog (Turkey) eventually leads and Persia follows. These players represent both Shiite and Sunni Muslims who unite against Israel in the "acharit-hayamim," meaning the end of days. God will destroy them with earthquakes, fire and brimstone. Ezekiel 38: 21 says, "...every man's sword shall be against his brother." Tensions between Iran and Turkey have been increasing as both countries vie for dominance in the region. The Islamic Sunni Turkey, under Erdogan, has become increasingly totalitarian and Shiite Iran is a formidable terrorist sponsoring state working on a very real nuclear program. Turkey has been supporting the terrorist Islamic State, while publicly denying that support, in an effort to block Iran from gaining a stronger foothold in the Middle East. It's a complicated mix of treacherous foreign policy involving Syria, Iran, Turkey, Israel and several outside forces, including Russia, Europe, and the US. Russia is simply supplying weapons and skills to Iran and its vassal state Syria against the Islamic State. We know what the Bible says is going to happen. For Gog (the antichrist) to lead Magog, Meshech, Tubal, and a broader coalition of what are currently Arab-dominated nations and Persia, against Israel, Persia must submit to Gog. The developments in Turkey bear careful watch as its leader seeks to establish a more radical Sunni state and support actions to impede the Shiite ambitions of Iran. For the end time battle of Ezekiel 38 to play out, there must be an alliance, however fragile it may be, to move against Israel. We know that these nations may hold hate toward one another, but it is a greater hate for Israel that unites them even for just a specific time. Watch Turkey and Iran to see how it all comes together. 
Daily Devotion: Hope for the Hopeless - Greg Laurie - www.harvest.org
Afterward he appeared in a different form to two of his followers who were walking from Jerusalem into the country. -Mark 16:12 Sometimes in our minds we feel as though God has fallen short, that He hasn't done what He said He would do. Maybe a tragedy has befallen us. Maybe something has happened in our lives that has left us feeling disappointed with God. That is how two disciples felt after the Crucifixion. They had lost hope. When Jesus appeared to them, they were walking away from Jerusalem into the country (see Mark 16:12). In their minds, Jesus had let them down. They had misunderstood His mission. They thought He would be a militant Messiah, not a suffering Savior. But if they had read the Scriptures carefully, they would have come across a vivid description of the physical sufferings of Christ in Isaiah. They would have read the words of Psalm 22, which pointed out that His hands and feet would be pierced, and that He would cry out from the cross, "My God, My God, why have you forsaken Me?" (NKJV). But they missed that. That was the problem with these discouraged disciples, and so they were leaving Jerusalem. They wanted to get that image of Jesus on the cross out of their minds. They wanted to put as much distance from them and the cross as humanly possible. Jesus was doing exactly what He had come to do, and they had misunderstood. And when it seems like God has failed us, it is because we have misunderstood. 
FROM THE HEART
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