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IN TODAY'S NEWSLETTER...
The Mark of the Beast: Part II - Pete Garcia -
https://www.rev310.com/2020/10/the-mark-of-the-beast-parts-i-iii Mystery-Babylon Inc. Part II A couple of weeks ago, I had a very vivid dream about this very subject. In fact, I woke up from it (3AM-ish) to scribble down some notes. Normally, I don't remember my dreams, so it's a rare thing indeed for me to have one that vivid and also have the self-discipline to get up and actually write it down while simultaneously wiping the crusties from my eyes. I hope you'll join me on this excursion, and as always, a caveat to this interpretation: as the Apostle Paul succinctly put it, 'for now we see through a glass darkly'. (1 Corinthians 13:9-12) Most scholars assumed that Mystery Babylon was simply the accompanying religious system that the Beast uses to promulgate his/their madness upon the peoples of the world. Yet, neither government nor religion causes people to be astonished since they have been ever-present with mankind down through the ages. It has to be something that either the world has never seen before, or it is something that has not been seen for a LONG time and is present again in today's day and age. Two verses jump out at me that I think although they are of different topics, they're very much connected. "Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number [is] Six hundred threescore [and] six." Revelation 13:18 "And here [is] the mind which hath wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains, on which the woman sitteth." Revelation 17:9 Both instances call the reader to reckon a special understanding of what John was speaking of. One has to deal with a specific number that will be utilized by the entire world in all manners of financial transactions and as a matter of loyalty and worship. The other, is describing Mystery Babylon, and in this, John marveled at it: "And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus: and when I saw her, I wondered with great admiration." Revelation 17:6 Greek Lexicon for the Textus Receptus version: megas thauma = great admiration 1) a wonderful thing, a marvel 2) wonder a) to wonder [with great wonder i.e.] exceedingly The NIV states that John was 'astonished'. The ESV records it as 'marveled greatly'. The NASB states it as 'wondered greatly', so based on the context and the other translations; we can dismiss number one from the Greek Lexicon here as a possible alternative. Apparently, this is something that really blew John away, which is saying a lot, considering all he had already been witness to. The angel goes on to tell him about what the Mystery is: "And the angel said unto me, Wherefore didst thou marvel? I will tell thee the mystery of the woman, and of the beast that carrieth her, which hath the seven heads and ten horns. The beast that thou sawest was, and is not; and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit, and go into perdition: and they that dwell on the earth shall wonder..." Revelation 17:7-8 So what is Mystery Babylon? Unlike the beast, she is not a government. She rides the beast:
"And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH." Revelation 17:5
And what was the first lie? Genesis 3:4-5 says: "And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil." Every religion and belief system, not based around the Gospel of Jesus Christ, inherently promotes this notion that we can be as gods. It is bathed in pride and sprinkled gratuitously with the idea that man can achieve salvation without God's help. It was the lie that led to God destroying the world by a global flood. It led God to separate mankind at Babel. It led to the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. It led to God having to come down here in person, and sacrifice Himself so those who believed could be saved. Mystery Babylon is the lie that man can be as a god. She rides the revived Roman Empire while shrouding herself with the Babel globalist's mantra of, one race. "And the woman which thou sawest is that great city, which reigneth over the kings of the earth." Revelation 17:18 It's not until Revelation 17:18 that the woman finally described as 'that great city' who controls all the kings of the world. Only two cities are called 'that great city' in the Bible; Nineveh and Babylon. She is a system of control over the rulers of the earth. At the Tower of Babel, mankind united under the world's first dictator, Nimrod. Mankind, united outside of the will of God, is a disastrous thing to behold indeed. God knew back at the Tower of Babel, that mankind under the leadership of a single man, would have reaped apocalyptic judgment back then. It was God's mercy, not cruelty that separated mankind to prevent us from destroying ourselves many thousands of years ago. Conclusion It is likely, that since the global infrastructure for global worship is already in place via the Roman Catholic Church network (more so than any other single religion) that this could easily and readily be put in place through the church as the mechanism of implementation. Granted, any church still remaining beyond the rapture will likely be incorporated into this system, but the Roman Catholic Church already has a global reach and doctrinally doesn't have any qualms about re-writing their doctrine to stay relevant during this time. *Not saying that all Roman Catholics are a part of this system, rather, the system itself is what I am referencing. The papacy has already shown a great willingness to compromise doctrinal beliefs to accommodate Islam and Protestants alike in a misguided effort to promote ecumenism. As the EU waffles, the US sinks, and the 'Arab Spring' disintegrates, the Union for the Mediterranean (UofM) will take on more significant responsibility in stabilizing the region, ultimately fulfilling the role of the revived Roman Empire. When the US collapses, what's left of our government may cede control of our military assets to NATO and the European Union, of which to prevent them (military weapons) from falling into the hands of rogue 'terrorists'. Within the UofM, contains the previous ancient dynasties of Egypt, Greece, Rome, Persia, and Assyria (Syria). The "Arab Spring" will shake up the current power holders in the Middle East and fill the vacuum with leaders who are willing to take war to Israel. In lieu of their biblically prophetic defeats, most likely the UofM will be there to reorganize the pieces, just like they did after the Ottoman Empire's defeat at the end of World War I. And since Rome is the geographical hub there, it seems logical that it would also serve as its headquarters for both the religious and economic center that can control and direct this resurrected empire. Maybe this was why John was astonished. At the time he recorded this (95AD), the Church in Rome was still Christian. He could also be astonished at the fact that the Roman Empire still exists at the time of the end. Either way, as the old saying goes, 'All roads lead to Rome.' The Future of Arab Normalization with Israel - by Alan M. Dershowitz - https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/16699/arab-normalization-with-israel Now that the Sudan has joined the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain in normalizing relations with Israel, the future seems bright for even more Arab countries to make peace with their former enemy. The big prize, of course, would be Saudi Arabia, and already we are hearing rumors from its leaders pointing in that direction. Even Lebanon, which currently houses Hezbollah, has dropped hints about possible peace overtures. The possibility does exist that before long, most of the Sunni Arab states will recognize that their interests lie in a peace process with Israel. They will see the economic, technological, diplomatic and military advantages in having Israel as an ally instead of an enemy. An important uniting force behind this movement is Iran, a non-Arab Shiite Muslim state, which is a destabilizing force among other Muslim nations. Iran is the largest exporter of terrorism and the only country with the potential for developing a nuclear arsenal. Its hegemonic goals extend throughout the Middle East and require the overthrow of stable Sunni regimes. These regimes realize that Israel, which is the primary target of Iran's animosity, will never allow it to develop nuclear weapons. They also realize that Israel plays an important role in constraining Iran's exportation of terrorism. But more is involved in this new development than the old cliché of "the enemy of my enemy is my friend." Israel is a stabilizing influence in an unstable region of the world. It is a democracy, a military and technological innovator, an economically advanced country. It can assist its new allies in each of these areas, as it has already begun to do even in the short time since normalization began. U.S. President Donald J. Trump hinted at the possibility that Iran may someday join in the process toward a more stable and peaceful Middle East. That seems unlikely with the current regime. The Ayatollahs, with the help of American sanctions, are bankrupting Iran and destroying its historically affluent middle class. Were there to be a popular election, the current regime would fall. The middle unity of Sunni Arab nations with Israel may increase the pressure for regime change in Iran. That would be a good thing for the Iranians and for the region. The other outlying regime is Turkey, which is a military powerhouse and a member of NATO. Although the Turkish people, like the Iranian people, have no history of hatred against the nation state of the Jewish people, its current leader, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, like the Iranian Ayatollahs, has stirred up hatred and animosity. They have done so largely for domestic reasons, to distract attention from their failed leadership. It is ironic that not so long ago, Iran and Turkey were Israel's closest allies in the Middle East, while the Arab states that are not in the process of making peace with Israel were its most intransigent enemies. The Middle East has changed quickly and it can change back just as quickly. The big losers from these new developments are the Palestinians. Their leadership has "never missed an opportunity to miss an opportunity," as Israel's former Foreign Minister Abba Eban put it. This may be their last opportunity to achieve a reasonable two state solution. Israel's Arab neighbors have demonstrated that the Palestinian cause is not as high on their agenda as it appeared to be in the past. These nations understand that the situation the Palestinians now find themselves in have been the result of self-inflicted wounds -- most importantly an unwillingness to take yes for an answer when the Israelis have offered them statehood. Even now, the Palestinian leadership refuses to sit down and negotiate with Israel. They must understand that they will not get a state as the result of the boycott movement, protests on university campuses or meaningless resolutions of the United Nations. Recent developments make it clear that statehood for the Palestinians will come only through negotiations with Israel. The time has come for the Palestinian Authority to join with other Sunni Arabs in recognizing that the nation state of the Jewish people is here to stay and that negotiation is the only road to statehood and a permanent peace that will benefit both the Palestinian and Israelis, as well as the rest of the region, and indeed the entire world. Nearing Midnight: What Makes Hypersonic Missiles So Dangerous? - Todd Strandberg - https://www.raptureready.com/category/nearing-midnight/ What has kept the world safe from nuclear war over the past 60 years is the concept of Mutually Assured Destruction (MAD). This principle is founded on the notion that a nuclear attack by one superpower would be met with an overwhelming nuclear counterattack such that both the attacker and the defender would be annihilated. For about two years I've been reading about the Russians' advancement in hypersonic missiles. I didn't understand the significance of Moscow's ability to deliver nuclear weapons at vastly faster speeds until I watched a recent YouTube news video on the subject. If a conventional nuclear missile is launched against a target in the US from Russia, it would take about 30 minutes for the missile to travel from Russia to the US. A hypersonic missile can cut this travel time down by several minutes. Because a hypersonic missile can fly at a very low altitude, it can avoid radar detection. This means an attack on Western targets can occur within a few minutes. A Russian nuclear submarine off the coast of Louisiana could strike at Offutt, AFB command system in Nebraska and take out our ability to launch a counter strike. In 1948, Air Force Secretary Stuart Symington chose to headquarter the Air Force's crucial long-range atomic strike force at Offutt primarily because the base was centrally located on the North American continent - placing it well beyond the existing range of potentially hostile bombers or missiles. The planes that transmit launch codes would be able to get airborne before Offutt was destroyed by a nuclear strike. A hypersonic missile would now be able to span the 850 miles distance between Offutt and the Gulf of Mexico in less than eight minutes. Since it would take three minutes to sound the alarm, there would not be enough time to get the doomsday planes into the sky. The president and the Pentagon would have almost no time to react. Being only a few miles from the Atlantic Ocean, a hypersonic missile attack would take out the DC area at a speed measured in seconds. A surprise attack on the organizations that have the launch codes could leave the US unable to carry out a retaliatory strike. Our submarines could be sitting under the Baltic sea with no way to return fire to the enemy. As it became clear that command and control units could be easily wiped out, the ability to launch missiles would have to be greatly relaxed. I was stationed at Offutt for 19 of 20 years of military service. I remember we had an airborne command post, called the Looking Glass, flying 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. After the demise of the Soviet Union, it was decided that is safe enough to end the continuous flights. We may need to relaunch Looking Glass with time for a nuclear reaction cut to just a few minutes. During the Cold War there were several times when various glitches caused false alarms that led to the contemplation of the nuclear option. The Russian advancement in hypersonic missiles has spurred the need for us to develop this technology. The US Air Force is moving forward with a new hypersonic missile that it says can strike a target 1,000 miles away in under 12 minutes, reported Air Force Magazine. The hypersonic missile would be able to fly between 5,000 and 6,000 mph, or roughly between Mach 6.5 and Mach 8, to strike a target at that distance. Bible prophecy clearly implies that humanity will largely destroy itself with nuclear weapons during the Tribulation. Isaiah 13:12 says that man will become "more rare than fine gold." Zechariah 14 seems to give a firsthand view of a nuclear holocaust. The graphic descriptions in this ancient prophecy are a good description of what would happen to people exposed to an atomic blast: "Now this will be the plague with which the LORD will strike all the peoples who have gone to war against Jerusalem; their flesh will rot while they stand on their feet, and their eyes will rot in their sockets, and their tongue will rot in their mouth. It will come about in that day that a great panic from the LORD will fall on them; and they will seize one another's hand, and the hand of one will be lifted against the hand of another. Judah also will fight at Jerusalem; and the wealth of all the surrounding nations will be gathered, gold and silver and garments in great abundance. So also like this plague will be the plague on the horse, the mule, the camel, the donkey and all the cattle that will be in those camps" (Zechariah 14:12-15). Rabbi In Israel Claims He's Already Holding Meetings With The "Messiah" - Ricky Scaparo - https://endtimeheadlines.org/2020/10/rabbi-in-israel-claims-hes-already-holding-meetings-with-the-messiah/ Editors Note: As believer's we know that the 'Messiah' the Jews will first accept will be a 'false Messiah" and in fact will actually be the 'antichrist' - just another sign - that we are so very close to Flight 777. A Jewish Rabbi in Israel has recently made the stunning claim that he has been holding meetings with what he is calling the "Messiah". This comes as a recent interview on Israeli radio again featured the prominent rabbi along with others explaining that the Messiah is just about to reveal himself to the World. According to Israel Today, One, of these teachers of Israel named Rabbi Yaakov Zisholtz told religious broadcaster Radio 2000 that Rabbi Chaim Kanievsky recently told him that he (Kanievsky) is already in direct contact with the "Messiah". Rabbi Chaim Kanievsky is considered one of the two or three top rabbis of the ultra-Orthodox Jewish community in Israel. therefore it gives much weight to this report. Rabbi Zisholtz is stating that Kanievsky and others of the mystical "concealed" rabbis have now tasked him with informing the public of the "Messiah's" imminent arrival. In the three-hour meeting with Rabbi Zisholtz, he began with a strong warning: "...the process of redemption is about to start happening very quickly and at a fast pace. It is important that people remain calm and steady to act properly at the right time. "There is a potential Messiah in every generation and there are righteous men who know precisely who it is. This is, of course, true in this generation. "Getting the word out now that the Messiah is closer than ever is a matter of life and death. Haven't you heard of Gog and Magog? That is what is going to happen very soon. Right now, the situation is explosive more than you can possibly imagine. Everyone needs to know whether they are on the inside or if they are going to be left out." The Rabbi went further to reiterate a number of signs of which prominent rabbis have taken note of and firmly believe to be evidence of the coming of the "Messiah". "Rabbi Dov Kook, as everyone knows, is a very righteous man. He is one of the greatest men of our generation...[and] ten years ago when Israel was suffering from a horrible drought, someone asked Rabbi Kook when the Sea of Galilee will again be full," recounted Rabbi Zisholtz. "Rabbi Kook responded that when the Messiah arrives, the Sea of Galilee will be full. In a few weeks, the Sea of Galilee will be full for the first time since Rabbi Kook made this statement." "Another righteous rabbi said that according to the current situation in heaven, there will not be Israeli elections - rather, there will be a war," cautioned Zisholtz. "If the elections do take place, it's pointless since it will end like the other elections; no government will come out of it. No one will take the government away from Netanyahu." Daily Jot: More Biden corruption revealed - Bill Wilson - www.dailyjot.com Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden is compromised because of he and his son's influence peddling with China and other countries, according to former business partner Tony Bobulinski's new revelations made on Fox News' Tucker Carlson Tonight. Bobulinski also revealed that Biden's son Hunter "represented" the Chinese energy company, CEFC, in brokering a 14% stake in the Russian state oil company Rosneft to assist the company in identifying new markets as relations with the west were deteriorating. The deal fell through because CEFC wanted a far too large stake in the Russian company. These revelations indicate just how intricate the Biden dealings were with China and Russia. According to Bobulinski, he met with Joe Biden to "discuss what I was doing with his family's name and the Chinese." He said, "Hunter introduced me as, this is Tony, dad, the individual I told you about that's helping us with the business that we're working on and the Chinese." Bobulinski told Tucker Carlson that the meeting was scheduled at the request of the Biden's, it was "crystal clear" that Hunter had informed Joe about the business dealings, and Joe Biden's recent statements that he didn't know about nor discuss his son's business dealings is "a blatant lie." In addition, Biden's brother Jim told Bobulinski that the political risk posed by the Biden's enrichment scheme was mitigated by, what he called, "plausible deniability." Bobulinski said, "After I met with Joe Biden the morning of May 3 at the Milken Conference, and then was taken backstage after Joe had spoken, we joked around for about 10 minutes, 15 minutes, and then I walked him out to his car....And then after that, I went over to the Peninsula Hotel and I sat with Jim Biden for two hours, where Jim Biden walked through his history, in his own words, stating all the work and effort he did to get Joe Biden elected initially in Delaware and then through the family history and the role that he had played in it... And I remember looking at Jim Biden and saying, how are you guys getting away with this? Aren't you concerned? And he looked at me and he laughed a little bit and said, plausible deniability." The facts surrounding this corruption come from at least four sources: 1) Senate Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee and the Senate Committee on Finance investigation; 2) Hunter Biden's laptop; 3) Hunter Biden's former business partner Bevan Cooney, who is serving time for the very business dealings Hunter and he did; and 4) Bobulinski's emails and eyewitness accounts. These are four independent sources saying that Joe Biden is a compromised candidate. He cannot possibly represent America's interests without being leveraged by Russia, Ukraine and China. It's like God telling Ezekiel to dig into the temple wall and in Ezekiel 8:9, "Go in, and see the wicked abominations which they are doing here." The more that people dig, the more we are finding that Joe Biden and his family are horribly corrupt. Daily Devotion: Endless Hope - by Greg Laurie - www.harvest.org We look forward with hope to that wonderful day when the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, will be revealed. -Titus 2:13 https://harvest.org/resources/devotion/endless-hope/ - Listen We're living in a time when a lot of people have lost hope. In fact, some experts have described Generation Z as the hopeless generation. One person has said that "man can live 40 days without food, three days without water, six minutes without air, but only one second without hope." If we have a proper biblical understanding of what Heaven is and all that's awaiting us there, we should be happy. God loves us. God cares about us. He has a plan for our lives. Ultimately, that plan is for us to join Him in Heaven for all eternity. We'll be reunited with loved ones who died in faith and have preceded us to Heaven. Titus 2:13-14 tells us, "We look forward with hope to that wonderful day when the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, will be revealed. He gave his life to free us from every kind of sin, to cleanse us, and to make us his very own people, totally committed to doing good deeds" (NLT). Therefore, we can have happiness-not from things or experiences, but from a relationship with God himself. When you ask Christ to come into your life, He forgives your sin. And because of this, you can have hope. Maybe you've lost hope today. You might have received the worst news imaginable from a doctor. Maybe you've lost a loved one. Or maybe you feel as though life isn't worth living anymore. You need Jesus right now. He says, "Look! I stand at the door and knock. If you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in" (Revelation 3:20 NLT). Jesus will give you the hope, happiness, and purpose you want in life. Life without Jesus has a hopeless end. But life with Jesus has endless hope. 
FROM THE HEART
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