The Scepter Of Judah

The Scepter of Judah
by Chuck Missler

One of the most familiar "Christmas Card" verses is found in Isaiah:

For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the Throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever.
Isaiah 9:6-7
As we mentioned earlier, David's throne didn't exist in Jesus' day. Jeconaiah was the last of David's line to sit on the throne. (Remember the blood curse on his line.1 This curse was "side-stepped" by the virgin birth. Mary was of the line of David, but through Nathan, not Solomon.2 The legal line descended through Solomon to Joseph, but not the blood curse.)

There is another remarkable prophecy-in Genesis-concerning the rulership of the tribe of Judah.

The Scepter of Judah

In Genesis 49, Jacob prophesied over each of the twelve tribes. Among these seemingly cryptic riddles, the best known one concerns the royal tribe of Judah:

The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and unto him shall the gathering of the people be.
Genesis 49:10
The term "scepter" refers to their tribal identity and the right to apply and enforce Mosaic Laws and adjudicate capital offenses: jus gladii. It is significant that even during their 70-year Babylonian captivity (606-537 B.C.) the tribes retained their tribal identity.3 They retained their own logistics, judges, etc.4

The term "Shiloh" was understood by the early rabbis and Talmudic authorities as referring to the Messiah.5

The Scepter Departs

In 6-7 A.D., King Herod's son and successor, Herod Archelaus, was dethroned and banished to Vienna, a city in Gaul. Archelaus was the second son of Herod the Great.6 The older son, Herod Antipater, was murdered by Herod the Great, along with other family members. (It was quipped at the time that it was safer to be a dog in that household than a member of the family!) Archelaus' mother was a Samaritan (1/4 or less of Jewish blood) and was never accepted. After the death of Herod (4 B.C.?), Archelaus had been placed over Judea as "Entharch" by Caesar Augustus. Broadly rejected, he was removed in 6-7 A.D.

He was replaced by a Roman procurator named Caponius. The legal power of the Sanhedrin was immediately restricted and the adjudication of capital cases was lost. This was normal Roman policy.7 This transfer of power is mentioned in the Talmud8 and by Josephus:

After the death of the procurator Festus, when Albinus was about to succeed him, the high priest Ananius considered it a favorable opportunity to assemble the Sanhedrin. He therefore caused James, the brother of Jesus, who was called Christ, and several others, to appear before this hastily assembled council, and pronounced upon them the sentence of death by stoning. All the wise men and strict observers of the law who were at Jerusalem expressed their disapprobation of this act... Some even went to Albinus himself, who had departed to Alexandria, to bring this breach of the law under his observation, and to inform him that Aranius had acted illegally in assembling the Sanhedrin without the Roman authority.9
This remarkable passage not only mentions Jesus and His brother James as historical figures, it also underscores that the authority of the Sanhedrin had already been passed to the Romans.

Panic Reaction

When the members of the Sanhedrin found themselves deprived of their right over life and death, they covered their heads with ashes and their bodies with sackcloth, and bemoaned, "Woe unto us for the scepter has departed from Judah and the Messiah has not come!"10 They actually thought that the Torah, the Word of God, had failed! They should have known better.

The scepter had, indeed, been removed from Judah, but Shiloh had come. While the Jews wept in the streets of Jerusalem, a young son of a carpenter was growing up in Nazareth. He would present Himself as the Meshiach Nagid, Messiah the King, on the very day which had been predicted by the Angel Gabriel to Daniel five centuries earlier.11

(In fact, every detail of His life had been foretold centuries earlier.)

The Babe of Bethlehem

There is another passage that will catch our attention this Christmas season. As we recall the prophecy in Micah that prescribes that the Messiah was to be born in Bethlehem:

But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.
Micah 5:2
This verse not only identifies the significance of Bethlehem, it also points to His eventual ruler-ship, and it also mentions His preexistence.

It is the remarkable Book of Ruth which connects the line of David with Bethlehem. As we recall this love story between Boaz (in the role of the kinsman-redeemer) and Ruth, who becomes his Gentile bride, it is interesting to consider the possibility that their fields may have been the very ones in which the shepherds were visited by angels that famous evening.12

His Political Destiny

At this moment, Jesus is sitting on His Father's Throne. The question is, will He ever sit on David's throne? Will the promise that Gabriel announced to Mary also be fulfilled? Of course. And much of what He is about to do is also predicted with the same accuracy.

As we enter the new year, we each will struggle to remember to write 2000 when we date our checks. The entire world measures its calendar from that singular, incomparable event.

The world will soon be in for a series of surprises! The world wishes it could go on without the reactionary Christians; God will soon give them what they want.

And it may come sooner than any of us realize. So as we reflect on the prospects of the coming year, let us all remember that, fundamentally, we are neither Republicans nor Democrats: we are monarchists! We look for our Coming King !

Merry Christmas and Happy New Millennium!

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Sources:







1.Jeremiah 22:30; See also Footprints of the Messiah briefing package, Koinonia House, 1994.
2.Lk 3:31; 2 Sam 5:14; 1 Chr 14:4.
3.Josh MacDowell, Evidence that Demands a Verdict, pp. 108-168.
4.Ezekiel 1:5,8.
5.Targum Onkelos, Targum Pseudo-Jonathan, and Targum Yerusahlmi, The Messiah: An Aramaic Interpretation; The Messianic Exegesis of the Targum, Samson H. Levy, Hebrew Union College Jewish Institute of Religion, Cincinnati, 1974.
6.Josephus, Antiquities, 17:13.
7.This transfer of power was recorded by Josephus, Wars of the Jews, Bk 2, Ch. 8 Also, The Jerusalem Talmud, Sanhedrin, folio 24.
8.The Jerusalem Talmud, Sanhedrin, folio 24.
9.Josephus, Antiquities, 20:9.
10.Babylonian Talmud, Chapter 4, folio 37; also, Augustin Lemann, Jesus before the Sanhedrin, 1886, translated by Julius Magath, NL#0239683, Library of Congress #15-24973.
11.Daniel 9:24-27. See also Daniel's Seventy Weeks, Koinonia House, 1993.
12.Luke 2:8-20.

Why A Virgin Birth?

Why a Virgin Birth?
by Chuck Missler

Every Christmas season our thoughts turn to the birth of Christ and to his mother, Mary. To some extent, we all take the nativity for granted. But why was Jesus born of a virgin? One answer, of course, is to fulfill the prophecy of Isaiah 7:14: "Behold the virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel."

But that's more descriptive than causal: why was it necessary in the first place? There are, of course, many profound theological issues inherent in the virgin birth. One way to view this issue is to address one of the problems it solves.

The Problem

God announced very early that His plan for redemption involved the Messiah being brought forth from the tribe of Judah1, and specifically from the line of David2. The succession of subsequent kings proved to be, with only a few exceptions, a dismal chain. As the succeeding kings of Judah went from bad to worse, we eventually encounter Jeconiah (also known as Jehoiachin), upon whom God pronounces a" blood curse" :"Thus saith the Lord, Write ye this man childless, a man that shall not prosper in his days: for no man of his seed shall prosper, sitting upon the throne of David, and ruling any more in Judah."(Jeremiah 22:30)

This curse created a rather grim and perplexing paradox: the Messiah had to come from the royal line, yet now there was a"blood curse" on that very line of descent! (I always visualize a celebration in the councils of Satan on that day. But then I imagine God turning to His angels, saying,"Watch this one!")

The Solution

The answer emerges in the differing genealogies of Jesus Christ recorded in the gospels. Matthew, as a Levi, focuses his gospel on the Messiahship of Jesus and presents Him as the Lion of the Tribe of Judah. Thus, Matthew traces the legal line from Abraham (as any Jew would) through David, then through Solomon (the . royal. line) to Joseph, the legal father of Jesus3.

On the other hand, Luke, as a physician, focuses on the humanity of Jesus and presents Him as the Son of Man. Luke traces the blood line from Adam (the first Man) through to David-- and his genealogy from Abraham through David is identical to Matthew's. But then after David, Luke departs from the path taken by Matthew and traces the family tree through another son of David (the second surviving son of Bathsheba), Nathan, down through Heli, the father of Mary, the mother of Jesus4.

Zelophehad

One should also note the exception to the law which permitted inheritance through the daughter if no sons were available and she married within her tribe5.

The daughters of Zelophehad had petitioned Moses for a special exception, which was granted when they entered the land under Joshua.

I believe it was C.I. Scofield who first noted that the claims of Christ rely upon this peculiar exception granted to the family of Zelo-phehad in the Torah. Heli, Mary's father, apparently had no sons, and Mary married within the tribe of Judah. Jesus was born of the virgin Mary, of the house and lineage of David and carrying legal title to the line, but without the blood curse of Jeconiah. [I believe that every detail in the Torah -- and the entire Bible -- has a direct link to Jesus Christ. "The volume of the book is written of me." (Psalm 40:7) [For a more detailed discussion, watch for our new book, Cosmic Codes -- Hidden Messages from the Edge of Eternity, presently in publication.]

Earlier Glimpse

This was no afterthought or post facto remedy, of course. It was first announced in the Garden of Eden when God declared war on Satan: " I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel."(Genesis 3:15)

The"Seed of the Woman" thus becomes one of the prophetic titles of the Messiah. This biological contradiction is the first hint -- in the early chapters of Genesis -- of the virgin birth.

John also presents a genealogy, of sorts, of the Pre-Existent One in the first three verses of his gospel6. The Prophet Micah also highlights this:" But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting."(Micah 5:2)




1.Genesis 49:10.
2.Ruth 4:22; 2 Samuel 7:11-16.
3.Matthew 1:1-17.
4.Luke 3:23-38.
5.Numbers 26:33; 27:1-11; 36:2-12; Joshua 17:3-6; 1 Chronicles 7:15.
6.John 1:1-3.

Who Were The Magi?

Who Were the Magi?
by Chuck Missler

Each year, as we approach the holiday season, our preparations for Christmas include revisiting the events surrounding the birth of Our Lord. Bethlehem,1 the shepherds, and the angels are familiar to us all. But not much is generally known about the mysterious "Magi" who came to worship the infant Jesus. The following background may be helpful to stimulate conversations around the fireplace as our thoughts turn to this incredible event from which we measure our very calendar.

Traditions

Most of what we associate with the "Magi" is from early church traditions. Most have assumed there were three of them, since they brought three specific gifts (but the Biblical text doesn't number them). They are called "Magi" from the Latinized form of the Greek word magoi, transliterated from the Persian, for a select sect of priests. (Our word "magic" comes from the same root.)

As the years passed, the traditions became increasingly embellished. By the 3rd century they were viewed as kings. By the 6th century they had names: Bithisarea, Melichior, and Gathaspa. Some even associated them with Shem, Ham and Japheth-the three sons of Noah-and thus with Asia, Africa, and Europe. A 14th century Armenian tradition identifies them as Balthasar, King of Arabia; Melchior, King of Persia; and Gasper, King of India.

(Relics attributed to them emerged in the 4th century and were transferred from Constantinople to Milan in the 5th century, and then to Cologne in 1162 where they remain enshrined.)

These are interesting traditions, but what do we really know about them?

The Priesthood of the Medes

The ancient Magi were a hereditary priesthood of the Medes (known today as the Kurds) credited with profound and extraordinary religious knowledge. After some Magi, who had been attached to the Median court, proved to be expert in the interpretation of dreams, Darius the Great established them over the state religion of Persia.2 (Contrary to popular belief, the Magi were not originally followers of Zoroaster.3 That all came later.)

It was in this dual capacity, whereby civil and political counsel was invested with religious authority, that the Magi became the supreme priestly caste of the Persian empire and continued to be prominent during the subsequent Seleucid, Parthian, and Sasanian periods. 4

The Role of Daniel

One of the titles given to Daniel was Rab-mag, the Chief of the Magi.5 His unusual career included being a principal administrator in two world empires-the Babylonian and the subsequent Persian Empire. When Darius appointed him, a Jew, over the previously hereditary Median priesthood, the resulting repercussions led to the plots involving the ordeal of the lion's den.6

Daniel apparently entrusted a Messianic vision (to be announced in due time by a "star") to a secret sect of the Magi for its eventual fulfillment. But first let's review some historical background.

Political Background

Since the days of Daniel, the fortunes of both the Persian and the Jewish nation had been closely intertwined. Both nations had, in their turn, fallen under Seleucid domination in the wake of Alexander's conquests. Subsequently, both had regained their independence: the Jews under Maccabean leadership, and the Persians as the dominating ruling group within the Parthian Empire.

It was at this time that the Magi, in their dual priestly and governmental office, composed the upper house of the Council of the Megistanes (from which we get the term "magistrates"), whose duties included the absolute choice and election of the king of the realm.

It was, therefore, a group of Persian-Parthian "king makers" who entered Jerusalem in the latter days of the reign of Herod. Herod's reaction was understandably one of fear when one considers the background of Roman-Parthian rivalry that prevailed during his lifetime.

Rome on the Rise

Pompey, the first Roman conqueror of Jerusalem in 63 B.C., had attacked the Armenian outpost of Parthia. In 55 B.C. Crassus led Roman legions in sacking Jerusalem and in a subsequent attack on Parthia proper. The Romans were decisively defeated at the battle of Carrhae with the loss of 30,000 troops, including their commander. The Parthians counterattacked with a token invasion of Armenia, Syria, and Palestine.

Nominal Roman rule was reestablished under Antipater, the father of Herod, who, in his turn, retreated before another Parthian invasion in 40 B.C.

Mark Antony reestablished Roman sovereignty in 37 B.C. and, like Crassus before him, also embarked on a similarly ill-fated Parthian expedition. His disastrous retreat was followed by another wave of invading Parthians, which swept all Roman opposition completely out of Palestine (including Herod himself, who fled to Alexandria and then to Rome).

With Parthian collaboration, Jewish sovereignty was restored, and Jerusalem was fortified with a Jewish garrison.

Herod, by this time, had secured from Augustus Caesar the title of "King of the Jews." However, it was not for three years, including a five months' siege by Roman troops, that Herod was able to occupy his own capital city! Herod had thus gained the throne of a rebellious buffer state which was situated between two mighty contending empires. At any time his own subjects might conspire in bringing the Parthians to their aid. At the time of the birth of Christ, Herod may have been close to his final illness. Augustus was also aged, and Rome, since the retirement of Tiberius, was without an experienced military commander. Pro-Parthian Armenia was fomenting revolt against Rome (which was successfully accomplished within two years.)

The Tensions in Parthia

The time was ripe for another Parthian invasion of the buffer provinces, except for the fact that Parthia itself was racked by internal dissension. Phraates IV, the unpopular and aging king, had once been deposed and it was not improbable that the Persian Magi were already involved in the political maneuvering requisite to choosing his successor. It was conceivable that the Magi might be taking advantage of the king's lack of popularity to further their own interests with the establishment of a new dynasty, which could have been implemented if a sufficiently strong contender could be found.

At this time it was entirely conceivable that the Messianic prophecies of the Old Testament, culminating in the writings of Daniel, one of their own Magians, was of profound motivating significance. The promise of a divinely imposed world dominion at the hands of a Jewish monarch might be more than acceptable to them. (Their own Persian and Medo-Persian history was studded with Jewish nobles, ministers, and counselors; and in the great Achaemenid days, some of the kings themselves were of Jewish blood.)

The Entourage to Jerusalem

In Jerusalem, the sudden appearance of the Magi, probably traveling in force with all imaginable oriental pomp and accompanied by an adequate cavalry escort to insure their safe penetration of Roman territory, certainly alarmed Herod and the populace of Jerusalem.

It would seem as if these Magi were attempting to perpetrate a border incident which could bring swift reprisal from Parthian armies. Their request of Herod regarding the one who "has been born King of the Jews"7 was a calculated insult to him, a non-Jew8 who had contrived and bribed his way into that office.

Consulting his scribes, Herod discovered from the prophecies in the Tanach (the Old Testament) that the Promised One, the Messiah, would be born in Bethle-hem.9 Hiding his concern and expressing sincere interest, Herod requested them to keep him informed.

After finding the babe and presenting their prophetic gifts, the Magi "being warned in a dream" (a form of communication most acceptable to them) departed to their own country, ignoring Herod's request. (Within two years Phraataces, the parricide son of Phraates IV, was duly installed by the Magi as the new ruler of Parthia.)

Daniel's Messianic Role

Living six centuries before the birth of Christ, Daniel certainly received an incredible number of Messianic prophecies. In addition to several overviews of all of Gentile world history,10 the Angel Gabriel told him the precise day that Jesus would present Himself as King to Jerusalem.11

It is interesting that Daniel's founding of a secret sect of the Magi also had a role in having these prominent Gentiles present gifts at the birth of the Jewish Messiah.

The Christmas Gifts

The gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh were also prophetic, speaking of our Lord's offices of king, priest, and savior. Gold speaks of His kingship; frankincense was a spice used in the priestly duties; and myrrh was an embalming ointment anticipating His death.

In the Millennium, He will also receive the gifts of gold and frankincense;12 but no myrrh: His death was once and for all.

What gifts are YOU going to give Him this year? Discuss it with Him.

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1.For background on Bethlehem, study the Book of Ruth, our briefing package, The Romance of Redemption, or Chuck's Expositional Commentary on Ruth and Esther.
2.Oneiromancy, not astrology, is their key skill mentioned by Herodotus, I.107, 120; VII.19.
3.Encyclopedia Britannica, 7:691.
4.Zondervan Pictorial Encyclopedia of the Bible, 4:31-34.
5.Daniel 4:9; 5:11.
6.Daniel Chapter 6.
7.Matthew 2:2.
8.Herod was Idumean (an Edomite), a traditional enemy of Israel.
9.Micah 5:2. (Revealed by Holy Scripture, not astrology.)
10.Daniel 2 and 7. See also, An Empire Reborn?.
11.Daniel 9:24-26. See also, Daniel's 70 Weeks.
12.Isaiah 60:6.

Christmas Origins

The Origins of our Christmas Traditions
by Chuck Missler

Each year at Christmas we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. After the New Year, we struggle to remember to add a year as we date our checks, which should remind us that the entire Western World reckons its calendar from the birth of the One who changed the world more than any other before or since.

Yet, it is disturbing to discover that much of what we have been taught about the Christmas season seems to be more tradition than truth.

When Was Jesus Born?

Most serious Bible students realize that Jesus was probably not born on December 25th. The shepherds had their flocks in open fields,1 which implies a date prior to October. Furthermore, no competent Roman administrator would require registration involving travel during the season when Judea was generally impassable.2

If Jesus wasn't born on December 25, just when was he born? Although the Bible doesn't explicitly identify the birthday of our Lord, many scholars have developed diverse opinions as to the likely birthday of Jesus. (It reminds one of the rabbinical observation: with two Jews, you have three opinions!) See our briefing, The Christmas Story: What Really Happened for more information.

Then Why December 25th?

The early Christian church did not celebrate Jesus' birth, and therefore the exact date was not preserved in festivals. The first recorded mention of December 25th is in the Calendar of Philocalus (A.D. 354), which assumed Jesus' birth to be Friday, December 25th, A.D. 1. This was subsequent to Constantine's Edict of Toleration in A.D. 313, which enabled the persecuted Christians to exchange the rags of hiding for the silks of the court. But the predictable expediency to adopt the inevitable cultural changes caused many of the former pagan rituals to be adapted to their new "Christian" trappings.

The date of December 25th, which was officially proclaimed by the church fathers in A.D. 440, was actually a vestige of the Roman holiday of Saturnalia, observed near the winter solstice, which itself was among the many pagan traditions inherited from the earlier Babylonian priesthood.3

Babylonian Traditions

All forms of occultic practices have their origins in the original city of Babylon. Isaiah Chapter 47 clearly brings this out. Most of what we associate with pagan Rome had its origins in ancient Babylon. Babylon is mentioned in over 300 references in the Bible; it is even alluded to three times in Christ's own genealogy.

The Tammuz Legend

Tammuz, the son of Nimrod and his queen, Semiramis, was identified with the Babylonian Sun God and worshipped following the winter solstice. As the days became shorter and shorter through the winter, they become the shortest at the winter solstice, about December 22-23. Tammuz was thought to have died during the winter solstice, and was memorialized by burning a log in the fireplace. (The Chaldean word for infant is yule. This is the origin of the "yule log.") His "rebirth" was celebrated by replacing the log with a trimmed tree the next morning. Sound familiar? (Jeremiah 10 contains an interesting verse which talks about trimming trees, etc.)

There are numerous other examples. The wassail bowl, the mistletoe (a fertility rite), and others are documented in such works as Alexander Hislop's, The Two Babylons. When Babylon was conquered by subsequent empires, this entire religious system was transplanted, first to Pergamos under the Persians, and then to Rome. As the pagan Roman (Babylonian) religious system was integrated with Christian ceremonial observances, many of our current traditions surrounding Christmas emerged. And it appears that an "ecumenical" integration of all the world's religions, including the ancient Babylonian occult forms that presently masquerade as the "New Age," is destined to be the final religious climax.

The Throne of David

There is another aspect to keep in mind this Christmas season. As we recall the prophecy in Micah that prescribes that the Messiah was to be born in Bethlehem, notice the entire verse:

But thou, Bethlehem ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.

Micah 5:2

Also, as we recall that other familiar prophecy in Isaiah, note again the whole verse:

For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the Throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever.

Isaiah 9:6-7

The "Throne of David" is not just an Old Testament concept. Remember the Angel Gabriel's promise to Mary:

And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.

Luke 1:31-33

But did Jesus ever actually sit on David's throne? He couldn't have. It didn't exist at that time. Jeconaiah was the last of David's line to sit on the throne. (Remember, the blood curse on his line.4) Herod, appointed by the Romans, was an Edomite ("Idumean"). He wasn't even Jewish.

At the moment, Jesus is sitting on His Father's Throne. The question is, will He ever sit on David's throne? Will the promise that Gabriel announced to Mary also be fulfilled? Of course. (And it may be sooner than we think.)

Keeping Christ in Christmas

Christians today tend to fight the ongoing secularization of their holidays. Some have rejected anything to do with them, saying they are not Biblically ordained. Others have tried to go back to keeping the Jewish feasts instead. It should be pointed out that the New Testament doesn't really ordain anything other than the Lord's Supper. But it does not prohibit it either, and under grace Christians are free to honor different days if they wish.

Those families who want to keep Christ as the center of Christmas may find it easier to do by understanding the various symbols that have been used to celebrate Christ's birth through the ages and using them to retain the uniqueness inherent in the mystery of the incarnation: the birth of the Son of God. For instance, at Christmas we remember the gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh presented by the Magi.5 These prophetic gifts celebrated his deity, priesthood, and death. When He returns to establish His kingdom, He will be presented only with gold and frankincense.6 There will be no myrrh: His death is now behind Him.

Let's make this season a real celebration. What are you giving Him this Christmas? Is there something in your life He would like to see you part with?

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**NOTES**

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1.Luke 2:8.
2.Matthew 24:20.
3.Alexander Hislop, The Two Babylons, Loizeaux Brothers, Neptune NJ, 1916.
4.Jeremiah 22:30.
5.Matthew 2:11.
6.Isaiah 60:6.

Is The White Horseman of the Apocalypse Here?

The Four Horsemane of the Apocalypse by Victor Vasnetsov, 1887

In Revelation chapter 5 we read of a special scroll, one which I believe (opinion alert) is the title deed to earth.  In Revelation 6:2, we read of the first of the four horseman, four spirits God releases on the earth.  As each seal on the scroll that I believe is the title deed to the earth itself is broken, another horseman is released.  (Rev. 5:1-7, 6:1)  And the horsemen do not bring good tidings to men.

The first horseman is characterized as the white horseman and horse, who wears a conquering crown, and goes out conquering.  The Greek word nikao used in Rev. 6:2 means to subdue, or conquer.  Conquer what?  Conquer kingdoms.  Nations.  The White Horseman overthrows existing governments preparing the way for a new ruler.  I wish this coming new ruler was the true Christ, Jesus the Messiah.  However, before Jesus returns, the Antichrist will come, and temporarily establish his false kingdom.  (2 Thes. 2:1-4, Dan. 11:36, Rev. 13:6-7) 

The Conqueror is setting the table for the coming Antichrist to establish his rule over all the world.  It won't last long, but neither will the Christian presence before the vicious onslaught the Antichrist will release.  (Matt. 24:22, Mk. 13:20, Lk. 18:8)  I'm getting ahead of the purpose of this article though.  The question is, has the White Horseman been released?  Let's examine the evidence.

Bambergs White Horseman, circa 1000 A.D.

In 2011 we witnessed the overthrow of long-time leaders in relatively stable political conditions.  These seemed to be focused around the Mediterranean nations.  Let's take a head count:  Tunisia, Egypt, Libya, Morocco and Algeria, comprising almost the entire North African coast.  Spain, Italy and Greece, comprising most of the coastline of Southern Europe.  And on the Arab peninsula, Kuwait, Jordan, Bahrain, Oman and Saudi Arabia.  Now some of these nations have not been overthrown (Jordan, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia) but are under intense pressure as I write this.  And looking just north in the heart of the middle east, Syria's current government hangs by a thread, with NATO forces apparently ready to invade if necessary to finish them off. Jordan also is under intense pressure to give the people a voice in politics for the first time ever.  As I write this just prior to Christmas 2011, Iraq, with the majority of U.S. troops having pulled out, may not survive the political chaos that is erupting within.

To add to this, Northeast African nations like Eritrea and Somalia are also in danger of collapsing (not that there is much to collapse in Somalia) quickly.  The Sudan was split into Northern (Muslim) and Southern (Christian) sections earlier this year.  And we can add the political change through election in Great Britain, by death of North Korea's long-time ruler, as well as the continuing move to socialism/marxism in South American nations. Large protests have also taken place in Russia for the first time since the overthrow of the last Czar.

Now, this could simply be a statistical anomaly, but there is one way we might confirm that this is indeed the white horseman.  That is if the red horseman follows soon.  The red horseman brings war, the kind of war that will envelop all nations.  (Rev. 6:3-4, Matt. 24:7)

Durer woodcut of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse

A primary theme of examining prophecy here is that the Lord communicated to "whosoever will" His truth's in a simple, straightforward manner.  When prophecies are symbolic, they are stated as such.  Most of the last days prophecies are presented in a very direct manner, and even presented in sequence as they will occur.  (Compare Matthew 24 to Revelation 6.  The same Author communicated both in the same sequence with the same results.) 

Therefore, before the Rapture which occurs at Jesus Second Coming, there must be a covenant signed (or renewed) by the State of Israel (Dan. 9:27, Is. 28:14-18), which will be followed by the sequence of events listed in Matt. 24:1-13, Rev. 6) leading up to the Day of the Lord (Rev. 6:12-17, Is. 13:9-10, Ezek. 32:7-8, Joel 2:10, 30-31, 3:15, Amos 8:9, Matt. 24:29-30, and many more). 

The signing or renewal of the covenant may not be a public event, as many today are done privately, especially in politically sensitive areas like Israel.  The release of the Horsemen however, will not be a private event.  It will be seen and experienced by the whole world. 

So two things to look for if the White Horseman is indeed loose.  The continuing overthrow of governments to prepare the way for the Antichrist, and the soon coming of the Red Horseman, who will bring war to the whole world.  Now more than ever, we must "watch and pray"...(Matt. 26:41).

The Serpent and the Synagogue of Satan

From a 1915 Postcard
The Serpent (Ourobouros) Encircling His Prey

Matt. 10:16 - Behold, I send ye forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves.

- And that, knowing the time that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now our salvation is nearer than when we believed.

Rom. 13:11

As seen in the above verses, it is our responsibility to be aware of our enemy and his methods. If there ever was a time for the church to be wide awake, it is now.

The serpent first appears in scripture in Genesis 3:1. The Hebrew word is nachash, and is very old. The oldest interpretations of the word found means serpent in Hebrew, but ancient implications of the word include “multi-colored, shining, brilliant”. This connection of bright, beautiful and colorful will remain with the serpent through history. This serpent is the one who first brought the curse upon all mankind by tempting Adam and Eve to disobey the Lord in Gen. 3:1-7.

In Rev. 12:9 the Lord reveals that this serpent is also known as “the great dragon”, the “Devil” (accuser, slanderer), and “Satan” (the adversary). He is also described here as the one who “deceives the whole world”.

This serpent is often identified today as “Lucifer”, from Is. 14:12. The name Lucifer means “light-bearer”, and is also identified as “the morning star”. The name Lucifer only appears in this one passage in the Bible, and is in relation to a prophecy in Is. 14 relating to the King of Babylon. However, the descriptions of this King clearly refer to a being greater than any earthly king. In verses 13 and 14 of this chapter, this king seeks to “be like the most High” (El Elyon), always a title for God Himself, meaning the Possessor of Heaven and Earth.

The devil is also described in Ezek. 28:12-19. Here we read that he is “full of wisdom” and “perfect in beauty” (vs. 12). His identity is fully revealed when we read that he was “in Eden” (vs. 13). He was the “anointed cherub that covereth” (vs. 14), presumably, the very throne of God. We note that on the Mercy Seat that covers the Ark of the Covenant, there are two cherubim that cover the Seat. The Seat is symbolic of God’s throne, and is the place His Shekinah glory dwelt above in the Tabernacle. Satan it would seem is one of the two chosen cherubs that covered the Throne of God in time past. Cherubim are described as angels having “four faces” (Ezek. 10:14). One of a man, one of an eagle, one of a lion and one of a bull. Verse 14 tells us the face of the bull is the cherub’s identifying face. Cherubs are always noted in connection to the throne of God. Speaking of Satan, he was also “perfect in thy ways, from the day thou wast created, until inquity was found in thee” (Ezek. 28: 15). It’s revealed that he fell from his special position because his “heart was lifted up because of thy beauty”, and his wisdom was corrupted by reason of his brightness or splendor (vs. 17). In other words, pride was at the heart of Satan’s fall.

This is a very brief overview of Satan. We know from his names like Devil, meaning accuser, that he lives to stand before the Lord and accuse the brethren (Rev. 12:10). Thankfully, we have Jesus Christ as our Advocate, (1 Jo. 2:1) for those times when we do stumble. We know from the name Satan, meaning adversary, that he stands to oppose the Lord and His church in all things. We see him using deception as the greatest of weapons against mankind (Gen. 3, Rev. 12). He used temptation and subtlety to lead Adam and Eve into sin (Gen.3) and tried the same attack against Jesus (Matt. 4:1-11), but was defeated by Jesus knowledge of the word, especially scripture from Deut. 6.

Peter describes his character when he says that he is like a “roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour” (1 Pet. 5:8). He strongly influenced Peter to speak against Jesus pending sacrifice in Matt. 16:23. In 2 Co. 11:4 we are told that Satan is “transformed into an angel of light”. A messenger from Satan “buffeted” or struck Paul three times in 2 Co. 12:7. He was able to hinder Paul in his work in 1 Th. 2:18.

Satan has the ability to appear before the Lord with the other “sons of God” (bene Elohim in Hebrew) referring to the angels as seen in Job 1:6. We also see in Job that he has the ability to cause one group to attack another (Job 1:15), to bring down fire from heaven (Job 1:16), and to bring about a great wind that would destroy a house and kill the people within (Job 1:19). Later, in Job 2:7, Satan strikes Job with severe boils over his entire body. In Luke 13:16 Jesus states that Satan had bound a woman for eighteen years before Jesus loosed her from a spirit of infirmity. He “entered into” Judas in Luke 22:3, and sought to “sift” Peter like wheat in Luke 22:31. 2 Co. 4:4 calls Satan the “god of this world” and states that he has “blinded the minds of those that believe not”. Eph. 2:2 calls him the “prince of the power of the air”, the spirit that works in those that disbelieve. This title connects directly to the kosmokratores or “spiritual wickedness in high places mentioned in Eph. 6:12. It also says in the first part of the verse in Eph. 2:2 that those who don’t know Jesus Christ as Savior are under the sway of this prince that controls the “course” (Greek aeon, or age) of this world. He was a “murderer from the beginning” and the father of lies. (Jo.8:44) Jesus Christ stripped Satan of his authority. It should also be noted that it appears there is a difference between angels, even fallen ones, and demons. Demons usually desire a body to inhabit (Matt. 9:32, 12:22, 15P:22, etc.), while angels don’t, although they are capable of this (Lk. 22:3).

His coming as manifested through the anti-Christ will be with great power, signs and lying wonders in 2 Th. 2:9. Speaking of this coming, Rev. 12:7-12 speaks of his being cast down from Heaven by Michael and the angels serving under him, and warns those that dwell on the earth of the coming wrath of Satan, because he has but a short time left.

THE SYNAGOGUE OF SATAN

 

Satan has his own places of worship and his own followers. Jesus called them the “Synagogue of Satan” in Rev. 2:9, 3:9. According to the testimony of Jesus Christ, these are their characteristics.

- They call themselves Jews, but they are not. One may be a Jew by birth (family line) or become one by conversion.

- Satan’s seat, or throne was once in Pergamos (Rev. 2:13). That seat today rests in Berlin, Germany. It is famous as it was worshipped in ancient times as the throne of Zeus. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pergamon_Altar)

- They bear false witness (lying) about Who Jesus Is. (Jo. 8:13)

- They claim that Jesus was fathered out of wedlock by a gentile. (Jo. 8:19, 41)

- They accuse Him of being a Samaritan (half-Jewish). (Jo. 8:48)

- They accuse Him of being possessed by a devil. (Jo. 8:48, 52)

Jesus for His part states in John 8 that these Jews in particular don’t know Him (vs. 19), shall die in their sins (vs. 21), will eventually kill Him (vs. 28), and that they are of their father, the devil (vs.44). These same teachings are held today in the religious book known as the Talmud.

The Talmud is a book of “oral law”, or commentaries on the Old Testament laws written between the 3^rd and 6^th centuries A.D. With the fall of Jerusalem and the Temple in 70 A.D., those Jews who rejected Jesus as the Messiah needed to reinterpret the scriptures in order to continue as an organized religion. Copies of sample verses from the Talmud with examples of the blasphemous teachings are available upon request. Let me make this clear. Not all who study or follow the Talmud accept these teachings, and in fact many may be unaware of the verses. The Talmud is very expensive to purchase, and most copies that are available are in Hebrew. Yet these ungodly teachings are in the Talmud and there are those who strongly believe it.

WE WRESTLE NOT AGAINST FLESH AND BLOOD

 

“For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. (Eph. 6:12)

The serpent has a very organized hierarchy of evil spirits in his service. In Eph. 6:12 we read of “principalities” (the greek arche, meaning first, beginning, or chief), “powers” (exousia), “rulers of the darkness” (kosmokratores skotos), and “spiritual wickedness in high places” (pneumatikos poneiria). Principalities are “princes”, the rulers of the spiritually wicked kingdom of Satan. The Bible mentions Michael, the archangel who is in charge of God’s angels (Rev. 12:7), the Prince of Persia (Dan. 10:13, 20), and the Prince of Greece (Dan. 10:20). Other spirits that are likely principalities or powers include Death and Hades/Hell (Is. 28:15, Rev. 6:8).

Other evil spirits mentioned in the scriptures include:

- Abaddon/Apollyon (Rev. 9:11), meaning the destroyer or angel of the bottomless pit. This may be the same as Hades/Sheol/Hell. Also equated by some with Apollo.

- Azazel (Lev. 16:8) possibly Satan, considered to be Lord of the demons.

- Lilith, a female demon of the night. (Is. 34:14)

- Satyr meaning He-goats, or half-man, half-goats. (Is. 13:21, 34:14)

- Leviathan, possibly Satan or a sea demon. (Ps. 74:14, 104:26, Job 3:8, Is. 27:1)

- Rahab a sea monster spirit associated with Leviathan and Egypt. (Ps. 89:10, Is. 51:9)

- Mystery Babylon, a female spirit known as the mother of harlots and abominations of the earth. (Rev. 17:5) Associated with worship of the “Queen of Heaven” in Jer. 7:18. Also known by the title, “Mother of God”.

- Baal the Caananite lord, equated with Apollo in Greece, Hermes in Rome and Thor in Scandanavia. (Num. 22:41, Hos. 13:1)

- Legion a multitude of spirits possessing one man (Mk. 5:9)

- various spirits including jealousy (Num. 5:14), a lying spirit (1 Ki. 22:22-23), infirmity (Lk. 13:11), divination (python spirit, Acts 16:16), perverse spirit (Is. 19:14), dumb spirit (Mk. 9:17), an unclean spirit (Mk. 1:23), and a familiar spirit, (1 Sam. 28:8-15). This is only a small sample size of the subject.

　

　

　

　

　

　

Who Is Mystery Babylon?

WHAT OR WHO IS

"MYSTERY BABYLON THE GREAT

THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS

AND ABOMINATION OF THE EARTH."

Understanding who the players are is essential if you are to come to an understanding of the truth of Scripture and Prophecy.

In the process we need to recall that The Christ warned His followers of "Deception" and that it would be the Key to the rise of Anti-christ.
That means that "Anti-christ" comes to power in a place not recognised, at a time not recognised and in a manner not recognised. A deception so great and so far reaching that today few christians would actually know who they worship or indeed what worship actually means in Scripture. I believe the prophetic world today is in a DEEP DELUSION, as their attention is drawn to the wrong area for the rise of "MYSTERY BABYLON THE GREAT, MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATION OF THE EARTH" and anti-christ forces.
We begin with an understanding what The Lord identifed the chief player of end times as being - MYSTERY BABYLON THE GREAT, MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATION OF THE EARTH, that mighty nation that thinks it's life is eternal and who refuses to believe that she will ever see sorrow. To locate this Beast we need to find Her roots and follow these roots through the ages and the simplest and in fact the only way to do that is to play a game of "follow that god".
The god in question has many names but she must root right back to Babylon and then to this present today.
Her name is Ishtar and she is the chief goddess of the Babylonian kingdom ... she was the goodess of Liberty and also therefore the goddess of slaves ... they were known to pray to her for liberation. There are many statues of Ishtar holding a torch and I have seen an embossed stone relief found a decade ago in Iraq that pictured her with the spikes or spears coming from her head. Ishtar is the Assyrian and Babylonian counterpart to the Sumerian Inanna and to the cognate northwest Semitic goddess Astarte. Anunit, Atarsamain and Esther are alternative names for Ishtar. It is historyicly recognised that those who worship this demon god do so by way of worshiping Freedom ... "Freedom" is the form of worship this demonic spirit demands.

Here are some other names this demonic god is refered to as.

'Goddess of War' 'Mother of prostitutes ' 'Mystery Babylon' 'Mother of Harlots' 'Goddess of Freedom' 'Goddess of Liberty'

'Our Dear Lady' 'The Scarlet Woman' 'The Lady of the Lake' 'The Queen of Heaven' 'The Queen of the World' 'The Queen of the Underworld'

'The Illuminatrix' 'Goddess of Love' 'The Weeping Virgin'   'The Black Virgin' 'The Celestial Virgin' 'The Queen of the Sea'

Here she is as she grew through the ages, lets see if we can recognise her today.





The cornerstone for the Statue of Liberty was placed in a solemn ceremony in 1884 organised by the Masonic lodges of
New York and records how it was laid in a Masonic ceremony, as one should note in the below image the masonic emblems either side at the bottom of this symbol of American freedom. Read it.


There are many websites under "Ishtar" and "Libertas" showing that The Statue of Liberty does in fact depict this god and
therefore has a direct connection with both Old Babylon (head of gold) to United States of America today.
THE STATUE OF LIBERTY
The Statue of Liberty in New York harbour was presented in 1884 as a gift from the French Grand Orient Temple Masons to the Masons of America in celebration of the centenary of the first Masonic Republic.
It was designed by Frederic Bartholdi, a Freemason, who sculpted the statue to be his artistic interpretation of the Roman Goddess Libertas which is the early Roman version of the Babylonian chief goddess Ishtar the goodess of liberty.
Bartholdi, like many French Freemasons of his time, was deeply steeped in ‘Egyptian’ rituals, and it has often been said that he conceived the original statue as an effigy of the goddess Isis, and only later converted it to a ‘Statue of Liberty’ for New York harbour when it was rejected for the opening of the Suez Canal in Egypt in 1867."

THE TORCH SYMBOL
She is holding the Masonic "Torch of Enlightenment". Also referred to back in the 1700's by the Illuminati Masons as the
"Flaming Torch of Reason". The Torch represents the "Sun" in the sky.
The Statue of Liberty's official title, according to Freemasonary is "Liberty Enlightening the World".
Illuminati means to "bare light" one way to symbolize this is by carrying a torch.



Above we see the very foundation of The United States of America.

The All-Seeing Eye in the Capstone is the Eye of Horus

MYSTERY BABYLON
"Mystery Babylon" is just that "A Mystery" it cannot be obvious at least not till right near the end and until 2004 most people thought America was a good nation at heart trying to do good in the world.
Babylon was the centre of communication, trade and political and religious power, and what's interesting is that America controls the World Wide Web. America here is quoted as being in total control of the internet ... Just as the Tower of Babel was.
America is in control of trade through Bretton Woods and the war you are seeing is a EURO v's $US war nothing else.
Mother of Harlots I believe is evident of the religious cults that mostly come out of America.
The term "Abomination of The Earth" is translated "destruction of the earth" and that is evident now is it not?
I have said that America is Mystery Babylon the Great, Mother of Harlots and Abomination of The Earth and if this is true you should be able to identify Anti-christ as all evidence should lead us to one end. Anti-christ is identified to rule over this nation so another piece of evidence of who this nation is should be found in it's leadership.
Enter "The Apotheos of Washington"
The Capitol Rotunda where Constantine Brumidi depicted "George Washington rising to the heavens in glory" surrounded by Greek gods.
"The Apotheos of Washington" means literally the "Raising of a person to the Rank of God". In this every president of the United States of America from George Washington on have constituted the term "Anti-christ".
Funny enough "Anti-christ" not only means "Against Christ" but also "replace Christ" and a true "anti-christ" will be both. We have evidenced nearly every US president claiming to be "christian" yet even a cursory observation shows quite the opposite.
One thing should be recognised at this point. The term "anti-christ" never refers to "one man" in Scripture. Not once in Scripture is the term "The Anti-Christ" found refering to it being a single man.
I've also considered for over 30 years that to completely fulfill the term "anti-christ" the entity must be "christian" and as it
turns out the entire anti-christ system is totally supported by and built on what is claimed to be christian but is rooted back to a false race calling themselves jews but actually come from Babylon and worship a completely demonic entity.
See: http://www.iron-clay.com/pdf/jew-zionist-antisemite-seed-deception.pdf
Enter "The United Nations"
The United Nations was created by the United States and it's mission is allegedly to bring world peace. Christ however is the "Prince of Peace" not the UN nor any American president yet right now we have both the UN and the American president claiming to be bring peace to the earth. The president is claiming to be ridding the earth of terrorists and thus making it safe and peaceful. Even to the "Chain Gang" (general public) that claim is wearing thin today ... actually it began to wear thin 3.5 years after the Rome Stature was signed and the Rome Statute is a seven year peace treaty. See my OWG page.

WHAT THE PROPHETS SAID ABOUT BABYLON
(Some of the references are I would say a little pushy on Scripture ... the lower portion of this is not my work but I've made some comments)

1. Babylon would be an END TIME GREAT NATION (Rev 17,18; Isa 13:19).
2. Babylon would have a huge seaport city within its borders (Rev 18:17).
3. The Great City Babylon is the home of a world government attempt (Rev.17:18, Jer.51:44, Gen. 11:1-6, compare
Matthew 24:27, implied throughout) We should note here that The United Nations is "The Image of The Beast" and the actual beast being the Roman Empire, and thus the return of the Roman Empire was an American creation.
4. The Great City Babylon would be the economic nerve center of the world (Rev 18:3). Try doing a search on "Bretton
Woods"
5. Babylon would be the center of a one world Luciferian religious movement (Jer 51:44).
I have always said nothing of any good has ever come out of America and fact is most cults have come out of America.
6. Babylon would be the center for the move to a global economic order (Rev 13:16).
Again Try doing a search on "Bretton Woods"

BABYLON THE NATION

1. Babylon would be the youngest and greatest of the end time nations (Jer 50:12).
2. Babylon would the QUEEN AMONG THE NATIONS (Isa 47:5,7; Rev 18:7).
3. Babylon would be the most powerful nation in the world (Isa 47, Jer 50, 51, Rev 1 .
4. Babylon would be the HAMMER OF THE WHOLE EARTH (Jer 50:23; Rev 18:23).
5. Babylon is called a lady, and has the symbol of the Lady (Isa 47:7-9). (See here the Jezebelic Principility is America).
6. Babylon would be the praise of the WHOLE EARTH (Jer 51:41).
7. Babylon is center of world trade (Jer 51:44; Rev 17:18; 18:19). Again Try doing a search on "Bretton Woods"
8. Babylon would grow to be the richest nation in the world (Rev 18:3, 7, 19, 23). "Bretton Woods"
9. All nations that traded with Babylon would grow rich (Rev 18:3). "Bretton Woods"
10. The merchants of Babylon were the GREAT MEN OF THE EARTH (Rev 18:23).
11. Babylon is a huge nation, with lands, cities, and great wealth (Too many references but implied throughout).
12. Babylon is nation "peeled", or timbered, a land of open fields (Isa 18:2).
13. Babylon had the communications tower of Babel. (America runs the World Wide Web today )
14. Babylon is a land that is measured out, and populated throughout (Isa 18:2).
15. Babylon destroys her own land, with pollution and waste (Isa 14:20, 18:2, 7).
16. Babylon is a land rich in mineral wealth (Jer 51:13).
17. Babylon is a the leading agricultural nation of the world (Jer 50, 51; Rev 1 .
18. Babylon is the leading exporting nation in the world (Jer 51:13; Rev 1 .
19. Babylon is the leading importing nation of the entire world.(Jer 50, 51; Rev 1 .
20. Babylon is a nation filled with warehouses and granaries (Jer 50:26).
21. Babylon is the leading INDUSTRIAL NATION OF THE WORLD (Isa 13, 47, Jer 50, 51; Rev 1 .
22. Babylon is noted for her horses (Jer 50:37).
23. Babylon is noted for her cattle, sheep and other livestock (Jer 50:26, 27; Rev 18:13).
24. Babylon is noted for her fine flour and mill operations (Rev 18:13).
25. Babylon is a nation of farmers and harvests huge crops (Jer 50:16, 26, 27).
26. Babylon is a huge exporter of MUSIC (Rev 18:22).
27. Babylon's musicians are known around the world (Rev 18:22)
28. Babylon has a huge aviation program (Isa 14:13-14; Jer 51:53; Hab 1:6-10).
29. Babylon's skies are filled with the whisper of aircraft wings (Isa 18:1; Jer 51:53).
30. Babylon has a huge space industry, has "mounted up to the heavens" (Jer 51:53).
31. Babylon fortifies her skies with a huge military aviation program (Jer 51:53).
32. Babylon is portrayed as a leading in high tech weapons and abilities (Jer 51:53; Hab 1:6-10; implied throughout).
33. Babylon is a nation filled with warm water seaports (Rev 18:17-19).
34. Babylon is a coastal nation and sits upon MANY WATERS (Jer 51:13). (Although this is true the many waters represent many nations and peoples which the US created through the UN. )
35. Babylon trades with all who have ships in the sea year round (Rev 18:17-1 .
36. Babylon is nation filled with a "mingled" people (Jer 50:37).
37. Babylon is a SINGULAR NATION founded upon OUT OF MANY (Isa 13, 47, Jer 50, 51, Hab 1).
38. Babylon is a REPUBLIC or a DEMOCRACY, it is ruled by many counsels (Isa 47:13).
39. Babylon's governmental system breaks down (Isa 47:13). CBS: America’s infrastructure is crumbling http://rawstory.com/rawreplay/?p=1027
40. Babylon is bogged down with deliberations and cannot govern properly (Isa 47:13).
41. Babylon's leaders use astrology, seers and mystics for guidance (Isa 47:13; Rev 18:2).
42. Babylon labored in the occult from her very inception (Isa 47:12).
43. Babylon falls to the occult just before her end by nuclear fire (Rev 18:2)
44. Babylon was born as a CHRISTIAN NATION (Jer 50:11).
45. Babylon turns upon its heritage and destroys it all in the end (Jer 50:11).
46. Babylon's Christian leaders lead their flock astray in prophecy and salvation (Jer 50:6; implied Rev 18:2).
47. Babylon's Christian leaders are "strangers" in the Lord Houses of Worship (Jer 51:51).
48. The people of Babylon are deep into astrology and spiritism (Isa 47:12; Rev 18:2).
49. Babylon becomes the home of all antichrist religions in the world (Rev 18:2).
50. Babylon is a nation of religious confusion (Isa 47:12-13).
51. Babylon turns upon its own people and imprisons and slays them by millions (Jer 50:7,33; 51:35; 39; Dan 7:25; Rev
13:7; 17:6; 18:24).
52. Babylon sets of detention centers for Jews and Christians and rounds them up for extermination (Jer 50:7, 33; 51:35, 49; Rev 17:6; 18:24).
53. Babylon has a mother nation that remains in existence from her birth to death (Jer 50: 12).
54. The mother of Babylon has the symbol of the LION (Dan7:4; Eze 38:13; Jer 51:38; Psalms 17:12).
55. The mother of Babylon will rule over her daughter her entire life (Dan 7:4; Jer 50:12).
(The Queen still writes US legislation today 1997. She has recalled debt and withdrawn over 3600 tons of gold out of
America in the last 2 years 2004. )
56. The mother of Babylon will be a state of major decline as the end nears (Jer 50:12).
57. Babylon is considered to be a lion's whelp (Eze 38:13; Jer 51:3 .
58. Babylon will have the symbol of the EAGLE and builds her nest in the stars (Dan 7:4 EAGLE WINGS; Isa 14:13-14;
Jer 51:53). (Also mentioned in Obadiah)
59. Babylon turns totally antichrist and is the leading antichrist power at the end (Rev 18:2; Isa 14:4-6).
60. THE KING OF BABYLON is called LUCIFER, ANTICHRIST (Isa 14:4-6).
61. The King of Babylon will rule from THE GREAT CITY BABYLON (Isa 14:4-6; Rev 17: 1 .
62. A world government entity will rise up to rule the world from BABYLON THE CITY (Isa 14; Hab 2, Rev 13, 17, 1.
The UN which is the Image of the Roman Empire was a US creation and is run from New York.
63. This world entity will be a diverse entity, different than all other ruling bodies of the world (Dan 7:7, 23).
64. This entity will be a TREATY POWER ENTITY (Dan 7:7, 23 DIVERSE).
65. This entity will rise up and use the military power of Babylon the nation to RULE THE WORLD (Isa 14:4-6; Hab 1 & 2,Rev 13, 17).
66. Babylon is a huge producer and exporter of automobiles (Jer 50:37; Rev 18:13). [automobiles?]
67. Babylon is a nation of CRAFTSMEN, experts in their trade (Jer 50, 51, Rev 18:22).
68. Babylon is noted for her jewelry of gold and silver (Rev 18:22).
69. Babylon is a huge importer and exporter of spices (Rev 18:13).
70. Babylon is a huge exporter of fine marble products (Rev 18:22).
71. Babylon is noted for her iron and steel production (Rev 18:12).
72. Babylon has huge corporations that have bases around the world (Rev 18:23, implied throughout)
73. Babylon is a nation of higher education and learning (Isa 47:10, implied throughout).
74. Babylon is a nation with a GREAT VOICE in world affairs (Jer 51:55)
75. Babylon is a VIRGIN NATION, untouched by major war (Isa 47:1).
76. Babylon has a vast military machine (Jer 50:36; 51:30; Hab 1 & 2, Rev 13:4).
77. Babylon will be instrumental in the setting up of Israel in the Middle East. (Jer 50:47; 51:45). ZIONIST Israel was setup by the US and shall also be greatly DESTROYED! Further, murdering homosexual pushing TALMUD worshiping FALSE Jews are STRONGLY CONDEMNED!! See Rev 2 vs. 9)
78. Babylon will have a major enemy to her north (Jer 50:3, 9, 41).
79. Babylon's enemy will lie on the opposite side of the world, over the poles (Isa 13:5)
80. The enemy of Babylon will be a FEDERAL OF NATIONS (Jer 50:9).
81. The enemy of Babylon will be largely Moslem in make-up (Jer 50:17; Rev 17:16; Psalms 83:5-12).
82. The enemy of Babylon will have nuclear missiles capable of reaching Babylon (Jer 50:9, 14,; Rev 18:8, 1 .
83. The enemy of Babylon will be noted for her cruelty (Isa 13, 14, Jer 50, 51, Rev 17, 1 .
84. The enemy of Babylon will also have a huge aviation military machine (Jer 50:9, 14, Rev 18:8, 18 implied throughout). 85. The enemy of Babylon will come into Babylon unnoticed (Isa 47:11, Jer 50:24; 51:2, 14).
86. Babylon will be filled with her enemies brought in under the guise of peace (Dan 11:21).
87. Babylon will have all of her borders cut off, and there will be no way of escape (Jer 50:28; 51:32).
88. Babylon will be destroyed by nuclear fire (Nuclear Implied throughout)
89. Babylon is land vast land with huge cities, towns and villages throughout (Implied throughout).
90. Babylon will have been a huge missionary nation (Jer 50:11; 51:7). I would question this one.
91. Babylon would be a home to multitudes of Jews who leave (Jer 50:4-6, 8; 51:6, 45)
92. The people of Babylon would not know their true identity (Jer 50:6, implied throughout).
93. The people of Babylon would think they are God's elect and eternal (Isa 47:7-8, Rev 18:7).
94. The people of Babylon would enjoy the highest standard of living in the world (Rev 18:7).
95. The people of Babylon would grow mad upon their idols (Jer 50:2, 38; Hab 2:1 .
96. The people of Babylon would go into deep sins of all kinds (Rev 18:5).
97. The nation Babylon dwells carelessly before the Lord (Isa 47: .
98. Babylon becomes proud, haughty, and does not consider her end (Isa 47:7- .
99. Babylon deals in the occult, in sorceries and drugs (Isa 47:9, 12; Rev 18:23)

When Scripture refers to Mystery Babylon and says "Come out of her" That Just What It Means.

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Trials and Pain: The Necessity Of Wounds

Before I was afflicted I went astray, but now I keep Your word....It is good for me that I have been afflicted, that I may learn Your statutes. --Psalm 119:67,71

It is amazing to me! There are people within the ranks of Christianity who have been taught and who believe that Christ will shield His followers from wounds of every kind.

If the truth were known, the saints of God in every age were only effective after they had been wounded. They experienced the humbling wounds that brought contrition, compassion and a yearning for the knowledge of God. I could only wish that more among the followers of Christ knew what some of the early saints meant when they spoke of being wounded by the Holy Spirit....

In every generation, the people who have found God have been those who have come to the end of themselves. Recognizing their hopelessness, they have been ready to throw themselves on the mercy and grace of a forgiving God. Men Who Met God, pp.59,62

The History Of Christmas: Is It Pagan?

Christ.mas n.
-A Christian feast commemorating the birth of Jesus.
-An annual church festival (December 25) and in some States a legal holiday, in memory of the birth of Christ, often celebrated by a particular church service, and also by special gifts, greetings, and hospitality. (www.Dictionary.com)

The celebration of Christmas has caused some controversy in recent years, for a variety of reasons. Many have been concerned that Christ is too often left out of Christmas; replaced by trimmings and presents and fudge. Others have battled over whether we should allow manger scenes on public property or allow the school choir to sing Christmas carols that actually contain a message about Jesus Christ. On the other hand, a growing number of Christians have been arguing that we should not celebrate Christmas at all because there is no command to do so in the Bible and because the celebration has pagan roots.

What stand should we take? How should we approach Christmas in the light of history and in the light of the Bible? This week we'll look at the history of the winter solstice and other pagan celebrations, and continue next week with the Jewish and Christian roots of this favorite of holidays.

The Pagan History:
Many pagan religions throughout the millennia have worshipped the sun as the source of light and warmth and life. As darkness deepened in the winter and the shortest day of the year approached, many pagans of yesteryear feared that the light might die altogether. Once the winter solstice hit, however, and the hours of sunlight began to increase once again, there would be great celebrations over the return of the sun and the accompanying hope for a future spring. In the northern hemisphere, these celebrations would occur toward the end of December.

Tammuz, the son of Nimrod and his queen, Semiramis, was identified with the Babylonian Sun God and worshipped following the sinter solstice, on about December 22-23. Tammuz was thought to have died during the winter solstice, and was memorialized by burning a log in the fireplace. (The Chaldean word for "infant" is yule. This is the origin of the yule log.) His rebirth was celebrated by replacing the log with a trimmed tree the next morning.

The Roman god Saturn's celebration fell on December 17 and lasted for seven days. Romans would gaily decorate their homes in evergreen boughs and candles, and would give gifts to one another. It was a time of visiting with family and friends, and of often-rowdy merry-making.

December 25 was also considered to be the birth date of the Iranian mystery god Mithra, the god of light and contracts. A once-minor god of the Persian pantheon, Roman soldiers adopted Mithra as the manly man's hero, a divinity of fidelity, manliness, and bravery. Women were excluded from the caves where men worshipped Mithra through secret rituals.

Mithra came to be identified with the sun-god Helios and became known as 'The Great God Helios-Mithras.' Several Roman emperors formally announced their alliance with the sun, including Commodus who was initiated in public. Emperor Aurelian (AD 270 to 275) blended a number of pagan solstice celebrations of such god-men/saviors as Apollo, Attis, Baal, Dionysus, Helios, Hercules, Horus, Mithra, Osiris, Perseus, and Theseus into a single festival called the 'Birthday of the Unconquered Sun,' celebrated on December 25th.

There are a few rumored similarities between the legends of Mithra and the story of Christ. Mithra was said to have been born in a cave, with shepherds attending, (although there were no men on earth at the time (?)). Other legends have him being born from a rock by a river under a tree. According to Persian mythology, Mithra was a moral god, upholding the sanctity of the contract even when the contract was made with one who was sure to break it. Initiates into Mithraism would be 'baptized' with the trickle of the sacrificial bull's blood that would flow into a pit. This blood was said to cleanse the initiates from any impurities.

The few actual similarities between the Persian Mithra and Jesus Christ are superficial and are nothing compared to the major differences between the two. The comparisons that are fairly close - that Mithra was born of a virgin, that he was buried and rose again, are based on Roman versions of Mithra that post date Jesus Christ and not the original Persian stories of the god. That a god who was (in the Persian tradition) born from a rock could also somehow be born of a virgin demonstrates the adaption of the story by the Romans after the time of Christ.

Tertullian (AD 160-220), the early Church writer, noticed that the pagan religion utilized baptism as well as bread and wine consecrated by priests. He considered Mithraism to have been inspired by the devil, who wanted to mock Christians and lead others to hell.

While Tammuz and Saturn, Mithra and the Unconquered Sun may have once been celebrated at the end of December, few people even are aware of them anymore. There are no shrines to Tammuz set up in town squares, nor are carols being sung around the neighborhood in honor of Mithra. Whatever celebrations that pagans once had (and still have) at the end of December, Christmas is a decidedly Christian holiday that celebrates the birth of our Savior.

As the Christmas season gets into full steam, let's certainly avoid the temptation to worship pagan gods (wherever those temptations might yet lurk), but let's do focus on rejoicing that God sent His Son to be a man like us. He was laid in a manger as a baby and later had no place to lay his head (Matt 8:20), yet he is the King of Kings (Rev 17:14) and God the Father has given him a name above all names, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow (Phil 2:8-11). Rather than fearing the pagan history of this time of year, let's take advantage of the current cultural opportunity to worship and bring glory to Christ at a time when people are most open to his being the "reason for the season". (Article by Koinonia House)

Trials and Pain: He Puts Us Flat Down

Now it came to pass at the end of seven days that the word of the Lord came to me, saying, "Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel; therefore hear a word from My mouth, and give them warning from Me." --Ezekiel 3:16-17

I once heard a brother preach on the fact that the church should be without spot or wrinkle. To get the wrinkles out of a sack, he said, you fill it. To get a wrinkle out of a rug, you lay it down and walk on it. God sometimes fills us, the preacher continued, but sometimes He just puts us flat down so that everyone can walk on us!

King David long ago knew something of the latter method. He wrote, "The plowers plowed upon my back: they made long their furrows" (Psalm 129:3). I think David was talking about his enemies. And they must have been wearing hobnail boots!

Ezekiel had just come to this kind of a low-ebbed, humbling experience when God opened the heavens. In effect, God put His hand on him and said, "Now I can use you. I have some words and some
plans that I want you to pass onto your country-men."
Men Who Met God, pp.117-118

Trials and Pain: God Send Us Tears

For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ: whose end is destruction, whose god is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame-who set their mind on earthly things. --Philippians 3:18-19

The Bible was written in tears and to tears it will yield its best treasures. God has nothing to say to the frivolous man....

The psalmists often wrote in tears, the prophets could hardly conceal their heavyheartedness, and the apostle Paul in his otherwise joyous epistle to the Philippians broke into tears when he thought of the many who were enemies of the cross of Christ and whose end was destruction. Those Christian leaders who shook the world were one and all men of sorrows whose witness to mankind welled out of heavy hearts. There is no power in tears per se, but tears and power ever lie close together in the Church of the First-born....

The whole Christian family stands desperately in need of a restoration of penitence, humility and tears. May God send them soon.
God Tells the Man Who Cares, pp. 2-3,6

Trials and Pain: We May Expect Trouble

These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.
--John 16:33

We are all idealists. We picture to ourselves a life on earth completely free from every hindrance, a kind of spiritual Utopia where we can always control events, where we can move about as favorites of heaven, adjusting circumstances to suit ourselves. This we feel would be quite compatible with the life of faith and in keeping with the privileged place we hold as children of God.

In thinking thus we simply misplace ourselves; we mistake earth for heaven and expect conditions here below which can never be realized till we reach the better world above. While we live we may expect troubles, and plenty of them. We are never promised a life without problems as long as we remain among fallen men....

What then are we to do about our problems? We must learn to live with them until such time as God delivers us from them. If we cannot remove them, then we must pray for grace to endure them without murmuring. Problems patiently endured will work for our
spiritual perfecting. They harm us only when we resist them or endure them unwillingly. Of God and Men, pp.121-122

Trials and Pain

But He knows the way that I take; when He has tested me, I shall come forth as gold. --Job 23:10

God has said He will exalt you in due time, but remember, He is referring to His time and not yours!

Some of you are actually in a fiery furnace right now. You are in a special kind of spiritual testing. The pastor may not know it and others may not know it, but you have been praying and asking the Lord: "Why don't you get me out of this?"

In God's plan it is not yet "due time." When you have come through the fire, God will get you out and there will not be any smell of smoke on your garment and you will not have been harmed.

The only harm that can come will be from your insistence that God must get you out sooner than He plans.

The Lord has promised to exalt you in due time and He has always kept His promises to His people.

As children, we can always afford to wait. A saint of God does not have to be concerned about time when he is in the will of God. I Call It Heresy! pp. 116-117

Trials and Pain: The Ministry of the Night by A.W.Tozer

For His anger is but for a moment, His favor is for life; weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning. --Psalm 30:5

But there is a limit to man's ability to live without joy. Even Christ could endure the cross only because of the joy set before Him. The strongest steel breaks if kept too long under nrelieved
tension. God knows exactly how much pressure each one of us can take. He knows how long we can endure the night, so He gives the soul relief, first by welcome glimpses of the morning star and then by the fuller light that harbingers the morning.

Slowly you will discover God's love in your suffering. Your heart will begin to approve the whole thing. You will learn from yourself what all the schools in the world could not teach you-the healing action of faith without supporting pleasure. You will feel and
understand the ministry of the night; its power to purify, to detach, to humble, to destroy the fear of death and, what is more important to you at the moment, the fear of life. And you will learn that sometimes pain can do what even joy cannot, such as exposing the vanity of earth's trifles and filling your heart with longing for the peace of heaven.
That Incredible Christian, pp.122-124

The Rapture and The Great Apostasy

The rapture (harpazo in the Greek text) means "to seize, to carry off by force, to snatch away" is perhaps the most talked about of all Biblical prophecies today. The idea of large numbers of people being "snatched away", often portrayed as shooting up into the air, or simply vanishing, is an headline grabber for sure. However the scriptures seem to indicate that there won't be many who get to experience the harpazo/rapture, and a prime reason for that is the coming apostasia, or "falling away, defection". These two ideas are intimately linked in scripture, and that is what we will look at in this article.

While the timing of the rapture is assumed by many thanks to the monumental success of books and movies based on the "Left Behind" series of Tim LaHaye, or the earlier "Pre-tribulation" interpretations of the popular Christian writer Hal Lindsey, we will see in another article that they have assumed quite incorrectly that the rapture could happen at any moment. It cannot.

The purpose of prophecies is to prove the power and glory of God, usually by His predictions coming true under the most amazing and unlikely circumstances. God insists that all of His prophecies must be fulfilled, and some of these remain before the rapture can occur.

Let's look at two that are clearly defined by Paul in 2 Thessalonians 2:1-4. Here Paul is writing to the Thessalonian church, who he had only roughly three weeks to work with before he was chased out of town by the Jews who constantly seemed to pursue Paul. In these verses, Paul is telling the Thessalonian church that two things must occur before Jesus Christ will return and claim His rightful throne, the Throne of David, and rule over Jerusalem and the whole earth. (1Kings 2:45, 9:5, Isaiah 9:7, Luke 1:32)

The two historical markers of the soon return of Jesus Christ is the revealing of the "man of sin" (the Antichrist) and the Great Apostasy. The first is clearly stated to happen midway through the final seven year period of this age. (Read Daniel 9:24-27.) The man of sin, we are told (Daniel 9:27, Matthew 24:15), will reveal himself 3 and 1/2 years into the final seven year period of prophetic history. The Great Apostasy will also occur at this time. As you can see from the definition of this word (Taken from Strong's and Thayer's Greek definitions), this apostasy means a betrayal, a mass migration of those who called themselves Christians departing from the faith and following the false Christ.

Many struggle with this idea because of an extremely simplistic idea of "eternal salvation". I believer your salvation is secure if you are willing to live, suffer and die for the Lord Jesus Christ. However, many today who call themselves Christians will prove, when the intense persecution (tribulation) of the last days comes, that they are not willing to give their lives for the Savior. In Revelation 12:11 we are told that believer overcome the Antichrist through three things. The blood of the Lamb (AMEN), their testimony, and that they loved not their lives unto death. If anyone is not willing to die for Jesus Christ, I dare say they are not worthy of the Kingdom of God.

Just a side note on this. Do folks really think that everyone that attends their church is willing to die for their faith? It is something to consider.

If we read a bit further in 2 Thessalonians 2 we see that the Antichrist is aided in his short-lived charade by a power, signs, lying wonders, (vs. 9) deceivableness, unrighteousness, (vs. 10) and finally a strong delusion (vs. 11)". This supernatural revelation and power will aid the Antichrist in accomplishing the Apostasy, the turning away of many who formerly professed faith in Jesus Christ.

Daniel 9:27 points out that these two events happen three and one half years into the final seven year period of this age. Let me add here that the end of the age is NOT, NOT THE END OF THE WORLD. It is the end of one period of history (rule of the Gentiles) and beginning of another (rule of Jesus Christ in His thousand year kingdom, the Millenial Kingdom, see Revelation 20:2-4).

The rapture/snatching away is accomplished by God's angels as stated in Matthew 24:31. They will come and gather all of the Lord's elect to Him. That is, those who survive the horrors that effect the whole world (the first six seals opened in Revelation 6) and the great persecution mentioned in Matthew 24:9-13, 21-22.

So, the rapture is a real event executed by God's angels (Psalm 50:5, Matthew 13:39, 24:31). It will occur sometime after the revelation of the Antichrist in the rebuilt Temple in Jerusalem (Daniel 9:27) and the following Great Apostasy (2 Thessalonians 2:1-4). As we read in Matthew 24:29-31 it will occur in conjunction with the "Day of the Lord" wrath which will be released on the unrepentant who remain on earth.

Believers in Jesus Christ are promised deliverance from God's wrath on the unrepentant world (1 Thessalonians 5:9), and the rapture is that deliverance for those believers who remain alive before the return of Jesus Christ in all of His power and glory.