The Agony of Love

by Dr. Mark Eastman

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On the evening before His crucifixion Jesus was gathered with His disciples in the upper room, sharing with them some of the most intimate truths of His entire ministry. As He discussed the love of the Father and His love for His disciples he declared:

Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. John 15:13

Though they did not realize it at the time, the disciples were only hours from the practical realization of this truth. One of the subtle evidences of the supernatural origin of the Biblical text is that astonishing events are often described in extremely brief narratives.

This is perhaps best illustrated in the matter-of-fact way in which the crucifixion of Jesus Christ-the most pivotal event in the history of the universe-is described in the Gospel accounts.

After Jesus was examined and declared to be without fault by the Roman Procurator Pontius Pilate, he delivered Him to be judged by the assembled crowd. When the opportunity arose to decide the destiny of Jesus, the crowd and the Jewish leadership cried out saying, "Crucify Him, crucify Him." ¹
The horrifying events of the next six hours were preceded by the simple words:

Then delivered he Him therefore unto them to be crucified. And they took Jesus, and led him away. John 19:16

"Great Drops of Blood"

The physical suffering of Jesus began in the Garden of Gethsemane on the evening before His crucifixion. While the disciples slept, the Gospel of Luke records that the LORD "being in an agony he prayed more earnestly: and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground."²

The notion that someone could actually sweat blood seems contrived. However, there is a rare but recognized condition called hematohydrosis, in which capillary blood vessels that feed the sweat glands rupture, causing them to express blood. This usually occurs under conditions of extreme physical or emotional stress. Jesus wasn't sweating blood because he was afraid of the physical pain of the cross. Indeed, the book of Hebrews tells us that Jesus looked forward to the cross:

Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Hebrews 12:2

The Trials

After Jesus' arrest they led Him away to the High Priest Caiaphas, where the Scribes and elders were assembled. During this inquisition we are told that "some began to spit on Him, and to blindfold Him, and to beat Him, and to say to Him, 'Prophesy!' And the officers struck Him with the palms of their hands."³

Beatings about the face received by a blindfolded individual cause even worse trauma because the victim cannot "roll with the punches." In the hours that followed Jesus received two additional beatings at the hands of Roman soldiers.⁴ Severe disfigurement of the face would certainly have resulted from the brutal treatment. It is likely that the eyelids were swollen shut as a result of such beatings. This was done in fulfillment of Isaiah 52:13-14:

Behold, my servant shall deal prudently, he shall be exalted and extolled, and be very high. As many were astonished at thee; his visage was so marred more than any man, and his form more than the sons of men.

The Scourging

After His trial before Pontius Pilate, Jesus was scourged (flogged) by the Roman guards. This process typically involved a whip with numerous leather thongs, 18-24 inches long, with bits of metal, bone or glass embedded in the leather. At times they would use an iron rod to beat the prisoner. According to Jewish custom, a prisoner was usually flogged 39 times (Forty minus one was a sign of Jewish mercy!)
Scourging was an extreme form of punishment. The skin on the victim's back was usually shredded, thus exposing the underlying muscle and skeletal structures. Severe blood loss and dehydration were the rule. Many victims died from such scourging.

After the scourging of Jesus, the Roman soldiers beat Him a second time with their hands and with a reed. Then they put on him a "crown of thorns."

Jesus had not drunk since the night before, so the combination of the beatings, the crown of thorns, and the scourging would have set into motion an irreversible process of severe dehydration and cardiorespiratory failure. All of this was done so that the prophecy of Isaiah would be fulfilled:

I gave my back to the smiters, and my cheeks to them that plucked off the hair: I hid not my face from shame and spitting. Isaiah 50:6

And:

But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. Isaiah 53:5

 

Crucifixion

Crucifixion was invented by the Persians between 300-400 b.c. It was "perfected" by the Romans in the first century b.c. It is arguably the most painful death ever invented by man and is where we get our term "excruciating." It was reserved primarily for the most vicious of criminals.

The most common device used for crucifixion was a wooden cross, which consisted of an upright pole permanently fixed in the ground with a removable crossbar, usually weighing between 75-100 lbs. Victims of crucifixion were typically stripped naked and their clothing divided by the Roman guards. In Jesus' case this was done in fulfillment of Psalm 22:18, "They divide My garments among them, and for My clothing they cast lots."

As a gesture of "Roman kindness" the prisoner was offered a mixture of vinegar (gall) and wine as a mild anesthetic. This anesthetic was refused by Jesus.⁵ Consequently, He bore it all! The Apostle Peter stated of Jesus:

Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed. 1 Peter 2:24

The victim was then placed on his back, arms stretched out and nailed to the cross bar. The nails, which were generally about 7-9 inches long, were placed between the bones of the forearm (the radius and ulna) and the small bones of the hands (the carpal bones). (Figure 1.)

The placement of the nail at this point had several effects. First it ensured that the victim would indeed hang there until dead. Secondly, a nail placed at this point would sever the largest nerve in the hand called the median nerve.

The severing of this nerve is a medical catastrophe. In addition to severe burning pain the destruction of this nerve causes permanent paralysis of the hand. Furthermore, by nailing the victim at this point in the wrist, there would be minimal bleeding and there would be no bones broken! Thus scriptures were fulfilled:

I can count all my bones: they look and stare upon me. Psalm 22:17He keepeth all his bones: not one of them is broken. Psalm 34:20

The positioning of the feet is probably the most critical part of the mechanics of crucifixion. First the knees were flexed about 45 degrees and the feet were flexed (bent downward) an additional 45 degrees until they were parallel the vertical pole. An iron nail about 7-9 inches long was driven through the feet between the 2nd and 3rd metatarsal bones. In this position the nail would sever the dorsal pedal artery of the foot, but the resultant bleeding would be insufficient to cause death.

The Catastrophic Result

The resulting position on the cross sets up a horrific sequence of events which results in a slow, painful death. Having been pinned to the cross, the victim now has an impossible position to maintain. (Figure 2)

With the knees flexed at about 45 degrees, the victim must bear his weight with the muscles of the thigh. However, this is an almost impossible task-try to stand with your knees flexed at 45 degrees for 5 minutes. As the strength of the legs gives out, the weight of the body must now be borne by the arms and shoulders. The result is that within a few minutes of being placed on the cross, the shoulders will become dislocated. Minutes later the elbows and wrists become dislocated. The result of these dislocations is that the arms are as much as 6-9 inches longer than normal.

With the arms dislocated, considerable body weight is transferred to the chest, causing the rib cage to be elevated in a state of perpetual inhalation. Consequently, in order to exhale the victim must push down on his feet to allow the rib muscles to relax. The problem is that the victim cannot push very long because the legs are extremely fatigued. As time goes on, the victim is less and less able to bear weight on the legs, causing further dislocation of the arms and further raising of the chest wall, making breathing more and more difficult.

The result of this process is a series of catastrophic physiological effects. Because the victim cannot maintain adequate ventilation of the lungs, the blood oxygen level begins to diminish and the blood carbon dioxide (CO₂) level begins to rise. This rising CO₂ level stimulates the heart to beat faster in order to increase the delivery of oxygen and the removal of CO₂.

However, due to the pinning of the victim and the limitations of oxygen delivery, the victim cannot deliver more oxygen and the rising heart rate only increases oxygen demand. So this process sets up a vicious cycle of increasing oxygen demand-which cannot be met-followed by an ever increasing heart rate. After several hours the heart begins to fail, the lungs collapse and fill up with fluid, which further decreases oxygen delivery to the tissues. The blood loss and hyperventilation combines to cause severe dehydration. That's why Jesus said, "I thirst."⁶

Over a period of several hours the combination of collapsing lungs, a failing heart, dehydration, and the inability to get adequate oxygen supplies to the tissues cause the eventual death of the victim. The victim, in effect, cannot breath properly and slowly suffocates to death. In cases of severe cardiac stress, such as crucifixion, a victim's heart can even burst. This process is called "Cardiac Rupture." Therefore it could be said that Jesus died of a "broken heart!"

To slow the process of death the executioners put a small wooden seat on the cross, which would allow the victim the privilege of bearing his weight on his buttocks. The effect of this was that it could take up to nine days to die on a cross.

When the Romans wanted to expedite death they would simply break the legs of the victim, causing him to suffocate in a matter of minutes. At three o'clock in the afternoon Jesus said, "Tetelastai," meaning "it is finished." Then He gave up the ghost. When the soldiers came to Jesus to break His legs, He was already dead. Not a bone of Him was broken!
How Should We Then Live?

I realize that it is difficult to read of the details of Jesus' physical sufferings. And yet, when we realize that He looked forward, on our behalf, to the cross, we are overwhelmed with His practical demonstration of love and, hopefully, a personal realization of our unworthiness. How should we then live? I believe that the Apostle Paul said it best:

Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Philippians 2:5-11
 

Read more at  -  http://www.khouse.org/articles/1998/113/

The Passion of the Christ - Crucifixion

The Mars Near Pass-By and the Long Night of Sennacherib

Mars’ Near Pass-by? The Long Night of Sennacherib by Dr. Chuck Missler

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Virtually all ancient calendars were initially based on a 360-day year: 12 months of 30 days each. However, all calendars change in 701 b.c.; they all resort to adjustments to accommodate the current sidereal reckoning. Why?

 

There is a strange segment of history that is, apparently, so important that it is repeated three times in the Old Testament—2 Kings 18, 19, 20; 2 Chronicles 29, 30; and Isaiah 36, 37, 38, 39 (a unique historical parenthesis inserted in the prophecies of Isaiah). Why? Why did the Holy Spirit provide this unusual emphasis of these particular events? Are there some surprises hidden behind these details? These three passages (each) detail three unique miracles:

1. The death angel slays 185,000 Assyrians (Isaiah 37:36–38);
2. God heals Hezekiah and extends his life fifteen years (Isaiah 38:1–5);
3. The sun retreats ten degrees on the sundial of Ahaz (Isaiah 38:7–8).

The Long Night of Sennacherib

Isaiah was the official prophet that served King Hezekiah. In general, Hezekiah did well: he tore down the idols throughout the land and reestablished worship to the true living God in Jerusalem. However, this was misunderstood by his enemies. The Assyrians were encamped against Jerusalem, encouraged by their soothsayers and astrologers. Hezekiah’s anxiety came from the imminent attack of the Assyrians, led by Sennacherib. The fears associated with the awesome power of the Assyrian Empire were justified: they were very powerful and relished in extreme brutalities upon their captives.

However, Isaiah counseled Hezekiah that God was going to intervene and protect them. And He certainly did. On the Passover night of March 20, 701 b.c., the angel dramatically destroyed 185,000 (of an estimated 250,000) Assyrians.¹ It is provocative—and perhaps quite insightful—that so many catastrophic events frequently occurred on the precise anniversary of the Passover of Egypt. This is suggestive of a cyclical (perhaps orbital) mechanism being employed. Could these events also bear a relationship to the drama that occurred on the fabled “long day” of Joshua? The subsequent behavior regarding Ahaz’s sundial is also suggestive of some “cosmological irregularities.” Could they all be related to orbital planetary intervention?

Planetary Intervention

Apparently the cyclical near pass-bys of the planet Mars (every 108 years) were a key factor in a significant series of catastrophic intrusions that ultimately resulted in Mars (“Ares,” or “Baal”) being worshipped (and universally feared) by the ancient cultures.² These pass-bys were accompanied by, among other things, interplanetary lightning. (An aurora or electromagnetic flux tube can currently be observed between Jupiter and its innermost moon, Io.)

Could an interplanetary flux tube have been an instrument of God’s intervention on behalf of Jerusalem? Could Sennacherib’s extensive iron weapons and chariots present been a distinguishing (electromagnetic) factor highlighting the vulnerability of the Assyrian warriors? Apparently, Sennacherib personally also suffered some strange burns, although his clothes were unscathed.³ This, too, is suggestive.

Mars’ Near Pass-bys

Catastrophic Realities

Virtually all ancient calendars were initially based on a 360-day year: 12 months of 30 days each.⁴ However, all calendars change in 701 b.c.; they all resort to adjustments to accommodate the current sidereal reckoning. Why? Something distinctive occurred that year, 701 b.c., to perturb the previous resonances. It is interesting to catalog the Biblically recorded catastrophes:

Catastrophe	Bible Ref.	B.C.
Flood of Noah	Gen 6–8	Oct 2484
Tower of Babel	Gen 11	Oct 1944
Sodom-Gomorrah	Gen 19	Mar 1889
Exodus from Egypt	Exodus 12	Mar 1447
Long Day of Joshua	Joshua 10	Oct 1404
Sisera’s Defeat	Judges 5	Oct 1296
Gideon’s Victory	Judges 7	Mar 1241
Philistine Defeat	1 Sam 7	Oct 1080
Davidic Catastrophe	2 Sam 22	Oct 972
Mt Carmel & Elijah	1 Kings 18	Oct 864
Jonah-Joel-Amos	Jonah 3f, et al.	Oct 756
Sennacherib’s Night	Isa 37, 38	Mar 701

The Long Day of Joshua apparently occurred on 1080^th anniversary of the Flood of Noah, and the 540^th anniversary of the Tower Babel event. The confrontation on Mount Carmel would occur on the 540^th anniversary of the Long Day of Joshua. A careful study of the cyclic underpinnings, and the frequent multiples of 54 (or 108) years, supports the view involving orbital resonances with the planet Mars (with assists involving Jupiter and Saturn as well). The apparent role of the near pass-bys of the planet Mars is persuasive.

A strange form of confirmation has also emerged from fictional literature: Jonathan Swift, in his political parody known as Gulliver’s Travels, has Gulliver, in his third voyage, encounter the astronomers in Laputa who brag that they know about the two moons of Mars while the astronomers in London don’t. (They even describe the sizes, periods and orbits of the two moons with disturbing precision.) What makes this documentation so startling is that Swift published his imaginative fiction in 1726, 151 years before these moons were discovered by the astronomical world!⁵

It is assumed that Swift simply embroidered his colorful parody drawing upon an ancient legend of some sort, probably not realizing that it was, apparently, an actual eye-witness account long prior to the development of telescopic optics.⁶

The Mars near pass-by in 701 b.c. was particularly distinctive in that, for orbital mechanics reasons, it stabilized both the Earth and Mars in their present non-resonant orbits, ending the disruptive pass-bys.

The Roche Limit Factor

The Roche limit is the distance within which a celestial body, held together only by its own gravity, will disintegrate due to a second celestial body’s tidal forces exceeding the first body’s gravitational self-attraction. Inside the Roche limit, orbiting material will tend to disperse and form rings, while outside the limit, material will tend to coalesce.

It is suspected that it was the penetration of a Roche limit that led to the fragmentation resulting in the numerous asteroids now infiltrating the solar system, forming the rings around Saturn, and pockmarking the planet Mars.

Yet, why are over 90% of the craters on Mars located in a single hemisphere? It would appear that the majority of them occurred in a single epoch of time. It has been suspected that if the fragments were composed of ice—a source of water—they could also account for the peculiar erosion evidences on Mars, and despite the current absence of water, perhaps they could have been an additional factor in the flood of Noah.

Summary

We are all victims of a form of uniformitarianism, a presumption that ignores observable evidences, and desperately requires reexamination. Even a casual review of the solar system reveals that it was once a very rough neighborhood. And its history is surprisingly well documented in ancient records. The diligent student will discover that behind the Biblical records lie surprises illuminating the realities of both the macrocosm and the microcosm of cosmological history, a drama indelibly written on the tapestry of what apparently is a holographic universe.⁷ We are having a grand time with our continuing current study of Isaiah. Come join us on www.KITrust.org. There are even bigger surprises in the chapters ahead.

Notes

1. Rabinnical sources: Shabbat 113b; Sanhedrin 94a; Jerome Is. 10:16; Tosefta-Targum 2 Kings 19:35; Targum 2 Chron. 13:21. Also, Louis Ginzberg, Legends of the Jews, Jewish Publication Society of America, 1928, Vol IV, p.269. “Their souls were burnt, though their garments remained.”
2. Donald Patten, Ronald Hatch, and Loren Steinhauer, The Long Day of Joshua, Pacific Meridian Publishing Company, Seattle, Washington, 1973. Donald Patten, Catastrophism and the Old Testament, Pacific Meridian Publishing Company Seattle, WA 1988; Also, Patten, Donald, W., and Windsor, Samuel R., Recent Organization of the Solar System, Pacific Meridian Publishing Company, Seattle, Washington, 1995.
3. LouisGinzberg, Legends of the Jews, Jewish Publication Society of America, 2nd Edition, 1938; Vol 2, p.1047, note 59.
4. Ancient calendars featuring 360-day years include Arabia, Assyria, Babylonia, China, Egypt, Greece, Hebrews, India, Japan, Mexico, Persia, Peru.
5. This strange corroboration is discussed in our Expositional Commentary on Joshua, and also in our summary survey, Learn the Bible in 24 Hours.
6. The two moons are very small, and have an albedo (reflectivity) of less than 3% (almost black). The further observation is that one of them, Phobos, is the only moon in the solar system going backwards!
7. Read our materials on the “boundaries of our physical reality” to better appreciate and understand the Bible.

The Coming 360 Day Year Predicted in Revelation

It's an interesting topic, but as I was reading I don't see that the author actually explains how this will all happen...it is an interesting idea that it may happen.

Everyone knows there are 365 days in a year--except, seemingly, the Bible. The Bible repeatedly talks like there are only 360 days in a year and even 30 days in all months but never speaks of a shorter month or a 365 day year like we see today. While some say it simply means primitive man had inaccurate calendars, that does not explain why the length of the Great Tribulation given in Revelation only works on a similar 360/30 calendar. Is the 360/30 calendar of revelation a "prophetic calendar" needed to interpret the 1260, 1290, 1335, and 2300 days or do these day counts literally mean what they say that the calendar will be different then? Is that really possible and what does the troublesome Wormwood star that Revelation mentions just before the Tribulation have to do with it? Find out why once again, the Bible can make sense more literally than anyone thought!

One Period, Three Time Measurements?

The Book of Revelation contains many insights and predictions to encourage, thrill and scare you. Some are plain and obvious; others are subtle and hidden from the understanding of all but a few (Dan 12:4, 9-10; Rev 1:1-3). For example, that an evil beast-like ruler will dominate the entire earth (Rev 13:7) for the last 42 months of this age (Rev 13:5) is plain and easy to understand. That a major change to earth's orbit is predicted by this and related numbers is not obvious at all. What numbers? Curiously, there are three different time lengths implied for the great tribulation found among six accounts of activities taking place then:

• 3½ Years
  Daniel 9:27 tells us that the Abomination of Desolation and ceasing of the daily oblation will happen in the "middle" of the 70th week (or final 7 year period) not in the beginning of it. Jesus also says at the time of the Abomination of Desolation that it will be urgent to head to the place of safety (Mt 24:15) as “great tribulation” follows it (Mt 24:21). Half of 7 years = 3½ years.
  
  Daniel 7:25 says that the Little Horn (Antichrist) will speak against God and oppress the holy ones for a time, (pair of) times, and half of time or 1 + 2 + ½ = 3½ years
  
  Revelation 12:14 says that the Woman is protected from Satan for the same amount of “times” (3½) as the Little Horn oppresses = 3½ years.
• 42 Months
  Revelation 11:2 says that Gentile armies will trample Jerusalem for 42 months.
  
  Revelation 13:5 says the Beast (Antichrist) will blaspheme God and conquer the saints for 42 months.
• 1260 Days
  Revelation 11:3 says that the Two Witnesses prophesy during this same period for 1260 days.

In other words, the 1260 days of the Two Witnesses is the same 42 months that the Temple Mount is trampled while the Little Horn/Beast speaks against God and oppresses the saints (Rev 11:1-3=Dan 7:25=Rev 13:5). It is also the same 3½ years that the righteous Woman is protected in the wilderness (Rev 12:14). All these events relate to the tribulation when the Antichrist continues for “a time, (pair of) times, and half a time” as Daniel 7:25 says.

 By the way, I can appreciate that the above information may come as a surprise to many readers. Most Christians have been taught that the tribulation or great tribulation is seven years long. However, as you can see, the only time seven years is mentioned in connection with the great tribulation is for entire seven year 70th week of which the great tribulation is only the second half. The first half is not called “the tribulation” also but has another name given by Jesus: the “beginning of birth pains/sorrows” (Mt 24:8; Mk 13:8). (If it surprises you that this kind of numerical error can happen, consider that there are not three days and three nights between a Good Friday crucifixion and a Easter Sunday resurrection!)

The Hidden Prediction in Great Tribulation Lengths

So, why do Daniel and Revelation give us three different measurements of length for the same time period when all that was necessary to establish the length is to use one measurement such as “three and one half years?” Good question. The answer will begin to take shape once we do a little math on the numbers above:

• 1260 days ÷ 3.5 years = 360 days per year
• 1260 days ÷ 42 months = 30 days per month

Obviously, this does not match the current cosmology of:

• 365.2422 days per year.
• 29.531 days per lunation. The Hebrews used lunar months, or the cycle from new moon to new moon. This is reflected in the Hebrew word for month (chodesh) meaning also moon, similar to how the etymology of “month” is related to the moon.

Given that a 360/30 calendar does not match our 365¼/29½ reality it is very tempting to dismiss the great tribulation numbers above as not intended literally, but as convenient approximations. But again, why even bother to give these redundant “approximations” if all we needed was to have any one of these lengths to give us an idea of the breadth of the reign of the Antichrist?

 If it means what it literally says then what we have hidden in those numbers is a implied prediction of a coming change of the calendar through a shortening of the year by five days before the Great Tribulation begins. In other words, the earth's orbital velocity must speed up by around 1% by the time the Antichrist takes power to shave five days off the year.

The 360/30 Calendar in the Old Testament

Is that even possible? Yes, it is not only possible, but it appears to have happened before. Most educated people assume that the earth has been going around the sun the same way for thousands or even billions of years. They are not aware of catastrophism or the theory that the earth has been affected by sudden violent planetary-wide events in the past. Catastrophism should not be a strange concept to those who have read the Bible. The deluge in Noah's day was just such a thing. Today it is also commonly accepted that the dinosaurs were wiped out when an asteroid or comet struck the earth. That, too, is catastrophism—and of a kind that could explain how the calendar of the earth could change and probably changed before. You see, the Old Testament implies that the Hebrews and other ancient peoples knew nothing about the 365¼/29½ cosmology of today. The implication is always a 360 day year and 30 day month. Some examples:

• Noah's Flood: During the time of the flood Genesis tells us that 150 days started on the 17th day of the second month, and ended on the 17th day of the seventh month or exactly five months later (Genesis 7:11, 24 and 8:3-4). 150 days ÷ 5 months = 30 days per month. 30 days × 12 months = 360 days per year.


• Month Of Mourning Statute: Mourning for the dead is ordered for a "full month" and is recorded as carried on for thirty days (Dt. 34:8; 21:13; Nu 20:29). If it were as today that some lunar months were 29 days and others 30 days, why is there never a record of a 29 day month anywhere in Scripture but many accounts of 30 days? (In fact, the number 29 never appears in the Bible.)


• King Ahaseurus' 180 Day Feast: Esther 1:4 implies a 360 day year or consistently 30 day month by recording that the feast continued exactly 180 days. Whether the feast is meant to fulfill half a year or six months, neither approach would arrive at 180 days under a 365¼/29½ cosmology but both approaches would work under a 360/30 calendar.

 

How the Original 360 Day Year Lengthened to 365 Days

The Bible is not the only ancient testimony we have of the ancients living in a world of 360 day years and 30 day months. There is much historical evidence from ancient history that we were on a 360/30 calendar once before; (from which we get our 360 degrees of a circle). There are over a dozen ancient calendars with 360 day years or 30 day months before the 8th century BC. After that, many of the calendars changed. Did something happen in the 8th century BC to require calendars to be updated? From Chuck Missler I first learned an answer to this question. There is evidence that Mars used to be on a different orbit that brought it dangerously close to earth. Chuck Missler talks about how it came so close it brought catastrophes with semi-regularity. From this we have much of the dread and ferocity associated with the name Mars (as in martial arts). In the last interaction with earth, it both modified earth's orbit and its own so that it has the present “safe” orbit seen today. But what about the 30 day lunation becoming 29½ days? If Mars slowed down the orbit of the earth to take five days longer, then automatically the lunar cycle would shorten from 30 days to the current 29½. If you are as fascinated by these ideas as I am, then I suggest reading the book The Mars-Earth Wars for more details.

Wormwood Catastrophe Before the Great Tribulation

If Mars is now in a different orbit which never brings it close to earth anymore, then it is not likely to reverse what it did before to our calendar. However, there is another object also mentioned in Revelation that could effect this reversal right on time for the great tribulation. The great tribulation is from the 5th trumpet through 7th trumpet. Not surprisingly, the 3rd and 4th trumpet describe catastrophic effects (polluted fresh waters and a “nuclear winter”-like darkening of the sky) blamed on a wayward star called Wormwood. Before that, the 1st and 2nd trumpets describe a storm of meteorite and asteroid impacts on the earth which would readily send filth and dead bodies into the water and particulate into the atmosphere to cause and explain the next two trumpets, respectively. Before that, the 6th trumpet describes a global great earthquake and multiple eclipses with a meteor shower. All of this can be explained by a comet passing close by the earth or partly breaking up near us. There is an astronomical hypothesis postulating the periodic catastrophic extinctions seen in the geologic record could be caused by regular appearances of comets. The Nemesis Hypothesis suggests that comets circling the sun past Pluto in the “Oort Cloud” would be stirred up periodically by the passage of a twin star companion to the Sun, named Nemesis. Some of these comets would reach the earth and cause catastrophes. In other words, scientists may have discovered what Revelation has been trying to tell us for 2000 years that there is another star out there circling the sun and it will be responsible for a dire future catastrophe. By this, Revelation also explains how the Antichrist comes to power right after. He with the power of Satan (2Th 2:9) is able to convince the world that he is God (2Th 2:4) and capable of fixing the mess...for a price (the mark of the beast).

 And part of what he will be fixing is the calendar!

Conclusion

When it comes to the biblical calendar, the Bible once again turns out to be more literal than anyone imagined. Just as the Bible repeatedly implies a 360 day year and 30 day month, over a dozen other ancient calendars and sources are witness to the same cosmology. Ancient histories show that the calendars changed in the time of Hezekiah to match what we take for granted today. It appears that Mars could have gotten its “war” planet reputation by swinging by the earth periodically to bring catastrophes and eventually slow our orbit to the current 365 day year. But Revelation predicts a reversal. Through its three different lengths for the great tribulation, a 360/30 calendar is subtly predicted to come right before the great tribulation begins. Thankfully, Revelation does not leave us wondering how this fantastic turn of events can happen. It also describes something just like the Nemesis binary twin star to our sun that a handful of scientists predict is out there and responsible for regular catastrophes on earth: Wormwood. By the way, this all may sound scary, but there is no need to fear. Revelation also explains that God has a plan to protect the faithful that anyone can take part in. Read The Four End Time Groups: Will You Be in the Safe Group? to learn more about that.

Read more at - http://www.escapeallthesethings.com/1260-day-42-month-tribulation.htm

Home-schooling family who fled to U.S. from Germany face deportation: Parents face charges for taking kids out school as Obama officials prepare to send them back

Just one more example that the peoples of the world really are free.  That is they are free to do what their government tells them to do, free to worship the religion their government tells them to worship, free to teach their kids what the government tells them to teach.  That's still freedom isn't it?  Just like a prisoner is free to walk around their cell or lay on their bunk...

By David Martosko
 

The Obama administration is arguing in federal court that a homeschooling family from Germany should be deported back to their homeland, despite what they say is religious persecution. The German government prevented Uwe and Hannelore Romeike from teaching their five children at home instead of sending them to government-run schools, fining them and threatening to prosecute them if they don't obey.

When they took their three oldest children out of school in 2006, police showed up at their house within 24 hours, only leaving after a group of supporters showed up and organized a quick protest.
But their legal troubles were just beginning. Germany began fining the family, ultimately racking up a bill of more than 7,000 Euros ($9,000).

After they fled to the United States in 2010, the Romeike family initially were granted political asylum and found a home in Tennessee. They had a sixth child. But then U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) appealed the asylum decision in 2012.

The federal Board of Immigration Appeals sided with the government despite a 2011 policy that gives the government broad discretion to pursue only high-priority cases.

ICE would not provide details about the case, or its reasons for pursuing the Romeikes.

'We do not comment on pending litigation,' ICE public affairs officer Brandon Montgomery told MailOnline.

Uwe and Hannelore Romeike fled Germany with their five children because the government there criminalized home schooling. A sixth child was born after they took up residence and Tennessee and won permanent asylum on human rights grounds. The Obama administration appealed and seeks their deportation back to Germany

The Romeikes teach their five school-age children at home, including computer lessons along with reading, writing, math, history, music and other subjects

 

The Home School Legal Defense Association sued the US Department of Justice because a judge in that agency's Executive Office for Immigration Review was responsible for the decision.

A three-judge panel in the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals will hear the case of Romeike v. Holder on April 23.

Michael Farris, that organization's founding chairman, told MailOnline in a telephone interview that the even if the federal government doesn't believe home schooling is a human rights issue that qualifies for political asylum, it can still let the family remain in the US and home school their children.

'The attorney general absolutely has the discretion to let these people stay,' Farris said of the devoutly Christian family.


Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2300568/Obama-administration-wants-DEPORT-home-schooling-family-Germany-fined-threatened-prosecution-teaching-children.html#ixzz2OzkURyc3

Via Dolorosa (The Way of Suffering) - Sandi Patty

Joh 15:18

If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you.

Joh 15:22

If I had not come and spoken unto them, they had not had sin: but now they have no cloke for their sin.
Joh 15:23
He that hateth me hateth my Father also.
Joh 15:24
If I had not done among them the works which none other man did, they had not had sin: but now have they both seen and hated both me and my Father.
Joh 15:25
But this cometh to pass, that the word might be fulfilled that is written in their law, They hated me without a cause.

Jesus Last Teachings - The Beginning of the New Covenant - Part 2

Finishing Jesus final teaching found in John 16 and 17, with more about the coming and the work of the Holy Spirit as well as the "High Priestly Prayer", the prayer Jesus offers for the church of all ages in John 17.  Great stuff.

Latest Flyover Video As Louisiana Sinkhole Disaster Continues to Expand

Christ in the Passover

by Chuck Missler

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Last month we celebrated our Lord’s death and resurrection, but we need to make sure we never distance our Easter from Passover. They are intrinsically connected and yet calendar-wise they are often separated-this year, Passover is celebrated a month later than Easter. As Christians it is imperative that we understand how these two events are intertwined and how Christ is the fulfillment of the Seder.

Is Passover for Christians?

Whether or not a Christian celebrates Passover would be a matter of conscience for the individual Christian. Like all the Old Testament Jewish Feasts, the Passover Feast was a foreshadowing of Christ’s atoning work on the cross. Colossians 2:16-17 tells us that we should “let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of a holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days: which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ.”

Christians are no longer bound to observe the Passover feast the way the Old Testament Jews were, but they should not look down upon another believer who does or does not observe the Passover or other special Jewish days and feasts (Rom 14:5).

While it is not required for Christians to celebrate the Passover, it is beneficial to study it, and it could be beneficial to celebrate it if it leads one to a greater understanding and appreciation for Christ’s death and resurrection. The Passover is a wonderful picture of Christ’s atonement for His people and His deliverance of us from the bondage of sin. That is something we should celebrate every day of our lives.

The Seder Plate

The Seder plate is the focus of the whole Seder service:

• Zeroth: a portion of the shank bone of a lamb to represent the paschal offering. Many Messianics do not include this because of Hebrews 10:9-14.

• Haroseth or Charoses: a mixture of apples, almonds, raisins and cinnamon mixed with a little wine. This symbolizes the mortar used by the Isra­elites during the Egyptian bondage.

• Karpas: either parsley, celery, lettuce, onion or potato, used to dip in the saltwater, a reminder of both the tears of hardship and slavery as well as the resolve and intense effort of the Jew.

• Hazereth: the green top of a bitter herb. Symbolic of lowly origins, suffering, and resolve.

• Baytzh: a hardboiled egg, which is the token for both grief over the destruction of the Temple and, at the same time, a symbol of the resurrection.

In addition to those mentioned above, more items are essential to the Passover Table: Unleavened Bread, Wine and the Haggadah.

Matzo: The Unleavened Bread. These are flat, bland, cracker-like wafers, which are both striped and pierced (Isa 53:5; Zech 12:10). There are three matzos and usually are placed in what is called a Matzo Tash, a square white silk bag that is divided up into three compart­ments for the three matzo wafers.

Why three matzos? The Jewish tradition is that the three represent or symbolize unity. Here are some theories: The Unity of the Patriarchs: Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; The Unity of Worship: Priests, Levites, and the Congregation; The Unity of the Crowns: The crowns of Learning, Priesthood, and Kingship. Or, another suggestion: The Unity of God: The Trin­ity-Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

Four Cups of Wine

The Four Cups and their meanings are taken from Exodus 6:6-7:

• Cup 1 - The Cup of Consecration: “I will take you out of Egypt.” Simply put … God delivers, He alone intervenes! All the miracles and the plagues were part of the plan of God to deliver Israel from Egypt. In spite of their hardships, He was with them. The same is true today!

• Cup 2 - The Cup of Deliverance: “I will take Egypt out of you.” Becoming the people of God takes work! Knowing what the Lord requires and then becoming like Him, representing Him to the world around us.

• Cup 3 - The Cup of Redemption: This is the cup that Jesus used to memorialize His blood. Without this cup we cannot be completely transformed into His image! (1 Cor 11:24-26).

• Cup 4 - I will take you to be My people: Jesus is wait­ing for the marriage feast before He drinks from this cup (cf. Mishnah, Pesahim 7:13). Passover wine was red and mixed with warm water. Why? It reminded them of the blood of the Passover lamb:

But when they came to Jesus and found that he was already dead, they did not break his legs. Instead, one of the soldiers pierced Jesus’ side with a spear, bringing a sudden flow of blood and water.

John 19:33-35

The Haggadah

The literal meaning is “telling” or “showing forth.” It is the same root used in Exodus 13:8. The Haggadah not only tells us what to do at the Seder, but also when, how, and why. The modern Haggadah is based on ancient writings in the Mishnah and dates back to the second century.

How the Seder Begins

The Haggadah book is opened and the Host reads from it. Everyone has a pillow in order to relax and to enjoy the celebration of their being freed from the bondage of slavery. The wife then has the honor of lighting the white Passover candles and saying a blessing:

Blessed art Thou, O LORD our God, King of the Universe, who sanctifies us by Thy commandment and commands us to light the lights of the Passover.

Elijah?

Two cups at the table are usually larger and more elaborate than the others. This night they are silver (remember that silver symbolizes blood and, thus, re­demption). One sits at the head of the table, the other at a prominent spot before an empty chair. It awaits the lips of Elijah. The Prophet is the invited guest to every Seder and who, according to Malachi, is to an­nounce the coming of the Messiah.

The Breaking of the Matzo

Early in the Seder, the Host takes the middle matzo and breaks it in two, leaving one half in the middle and puts the other half under the cloth for the “afikomen.” It is always wrapped in linen and hidden in a dark place.

The Four Sons

The Wise, Wicked, Simple, and Foolish Sons each play a part in the Seder meal by asking questions and get­ting instruction from the Host.

It’s Personal

In every generation each individual is bound to regard himself as if he had gone personally forth from Egypt. As it is said, “And you shall relate to your son on that day saying, this is on account of what the Eternal did for me, when I went forth from Egypt. Thus it was not our ancestors alone, whom the most Holy, blessed be He, then Redeemed, but us also did He redeem with them. As it is said, He brought us forth from thence in order to bring us in, that He might give us the Land He swore to our ancestors.”

Reflection

What has God done for you? Remember one of your weapons in witnessing is your testimony-your story! In general people don’t want to be preached to but they love to hear stories... “ Let me tell you what Jesus has done for me …”

Jesus is The Lamb of God, The Middle Matzo, The Afikomen, and The Third Cup of Wine. The only Greek word in the Haggadah is “afikomen” and its literal meaning is “He Came”! See our briefing, The Feasts of Israel for further study.  Read more at - http://www.khouse.org/articles/2008/770/

Solar-Planetary Earthquake Prediction System

Fascinating how the Sun seems to have a direct corolation to large (6.0 and greater) earthquakes.  Throw in planetary alignments, and we could have a big one soon.

Whidbey Island Landslide Pictures Reveal Devastation

• One home destroyed and 33 other properties isolated or threatened after the landslide on Wednesday morning
• Residents reported hearing a noise 'like thunder' before the ground gave way
• No one was hurt, but stranded residents had to be rescued by ATVs and boats
• Officials do not know what caused the slide as there has not been rain
• Resident said he knew the area was prone to movement but it was a price to pay 'for marvelous views'
• A geotechnical expert warned that the ground is still moving on Wednesday night

By Daily Mail Reporter

Devastating damage to homes sustained by a massive landslide in Washington state on Wednesday morning will not be covered by homeowners' insurance, residents have been warned.

The Northwest Insurance Council, which covers Whidbey Island where the early-morning slide destroyed one home and threatened scores more, released a reminder to homeowners that their policies specifically exclude damage caused by earth movement.

It will come as yet another blow to the families in Coupeville who awoke at 4 a.m. on Wednesday as a 50-yard-wide landslide wiped out roads, gardens and a home, leaving a trail of destruction and debris behind. Experts have warned that the earth could continue to move for several weeks or more.
Homes are only covered if their owners have shelled out for extra coverage, the NW Insurance Council said in a statement.

Concerns: Bret Holmes, who was evacuated from his home in Whidbey Island near Coupeville on Wednesday, has learned that his insurance company will not cover the damage from the landslide

Destruction: The landslide that wiped out one home and threatened scores more visibly disrupted the shoreline on Whidbey Island in Washington

 

'Heavy rain can saturate the ground on cliffs and steep slopes, causing the soil to loosen and give way,' Karl Newman, NW Insurance Council president, said. 'Property owners in high-risk areas need special coverage that is not included in a standard home or business policy. Coverage is available through specialty carriers at an additional cost.'

One such homeowner is Bret Holmes, who inherited an elegant home from his late parents recently and was getting it ready for sale. When his brother called Allstate Insurance, he was told the property was not covered for the damage.

Speaking to the Seattle Times, he recalled hearing a noise 'like an earthquake' and took a flashlight to see where it came from. But the light ran out of battery and he went inside to get another. But when he returned 'where I had been standing was no longer there'.
He scooped up as many possessions as he could to store in a garage which is further away from the cliffside, and he is now staying at a nearby home.
The area is known for its beautiful views, and is home to some of Washington's wealthiest residents including Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer. The tech giant's home was not destroyed but emergency crews cut across his lawn to save a neighbor who was in danger.

Mystery: Geologist Terry Swanson from the University of Washington surveys the damage after the landslide broke across 500 yards of the cliff face

Displaced: This home was most dramatically displaced after it was knocked off its foundations when the landslide began at 4 a.m. on Wednesday

Sounding the alarm: Residents who heard the slide about eight miles south of Coupeville on Wednesday described it as sounding like thunder

Dream homes ruined: Many of the homes are summer cabins or weekend getaways and were unoccupied. Some are larger, upscale properties and others are more modest dwellings

Dangerously close: Officials did not immediately know what had sparked the movement but said that the area is prone to landslides

Prime: The area is home to some of Washington's wealthiest residents, including Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer

 

Authorities said no one was hurt, but that a resident in the destroyed home had a pre-existing medical condition and was taken to the local hospital.

Eleven people from 16 homes along a road close to the water were evacuated by boat after the road became blocked by the landslide, officials told KOMO News.
Another 20 to 25 people were evacuated from 17 homes along a road higher up the hill that is being threatened by the slide

It was within 10 feet of one home - and a geotechnical engineer said the landslide was 'still active' last night.

Whidbey Island officals say they were told 'the ground is still moving' by the expert from the Department of Natural Resources, who was brought in to test the soil in the wake of the dramatic scenes yesterday.

This slide is likely to continue moving for several weeks or more, the state Department of Natural Resources said.
The area at risk has been narrowed slightly, a Fox News report said.
'It's possible more homes could be lost. We're trying to ensure the safety and awareness of people,' Central Whidbey Fire and Rescue Chief Ed Hartin added. 'There's not anything we can do to stop the movement of the ground.'

Neighbors began helping others to load furniture and other belongings on Wednesday afternoon in a frantic panic to get everyone away from the area.
'We don't even know where the trucks are going,' one woman told KOMO. 'Just getting them the hell out of here.'
Many of the homes are summer cabins or weekend getaways and were unoccupied at the time of the slide. Some are larger, upscale properties and others are more modest.

Drop: Authorities are still investigating the landslide but believe it was caused by stored moisture in the mud - which is often the cause of landslides

 

Read more at - http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2300117/Whidbey-Island-landslide-Thirty-homes-threatened-swathe-coastline-falls-sea-massive-landslide-Washington-island.html

North Korea cuts off last communication with South: ‘a simmering nuclear war is now underway’

The problem with all of this rhetoric and gesturing is that one misstep by someone could create all out war. Remember that China holds the leash to North Korea, and any war that draws in South Korea and likely Japan and Taiwan, draws in the U.S. Which also draws in China. So the potential for a kick-off to world war is very possible.

 

Posted by The Extinction Protocol

March 28, 2013 – NORTH KOREA – Reclusive North Korea is to cut the last channel of communications with the South because war could break out at “any moment,” it said on Wednesday, days of after warning the United States and South Korea of nuclear attack. The move is the latest in a series of bellicose threats from North Korea in response to new U.N. sanctions imposed after its third nuclear test in February and to “hostile” military drills under way joining the United States and South Korea.

The North has already stopped responding to calls on the hotline to the U.S. military that supervises the heavily armed Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) and the Red Cross line that has been used by the governments of both sides. “Under the situation where a war may break out at any moment, there is no need to keep north-south military communications which were laid between the militaries of both sides,” the North’s KCNA news agency quoted a military spokesman as saying. “There do not exist any dialogue channel and communications means between the DPRK and the U.S. and between the north and the south.”

The Pentagon condemned the latest escalation in North Korean rhetoric, with spokesman George Little calling Pyongyang’s declaration “yet another provocative and unconstructive step.” The U.S. military announced on March 15 it was bolstering missile defenses in response to threats from the North, including a threat to conduct a preemptive nuclear strike against the United States. Despite the shrill rhetoric, few believe North Korea, formally known as the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK), will risk starting a full-out war.

North and South Korea are still technically at war anyway after their 1950-53 civil conflict ended with an armistice, not a treaty, which the North says it has since torn to pieces. The “dialogue channel” is used on a daily basis to process South Koreans who work in the Kaesong industrial project where 123 South Korean firms employ more than 50,000 North Koreans to make household goods. About 120 South Koreans are stationed at Kaesong at any one time on average. It is the last remaining joint project in operation between the two Koreas after South Korea cut off most aid and trade in response to Pyongyang’s shooting of a South Korean tourist and the sinking of a South Korean naval vessel blamed on the North. Kaesong is one of North Korea’s few hard currency earners, producing $2 billion a year in trade with the South, and Pyongyang is unlikely to close it except as a last resort. –Yahoo News

 

 

Stealth bombers sent overnight to S. Korea: The American military made a rare announcement that two nuclear-capable B-2 stealth bombers ran a practice bombing sortie over South Korea on Thursday, underscoring Washington’s commitment to defend its ally amid rising tensions with North Korea.

The two B-2 Spirit bombers made a nonstop round trip from Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri, demonstrating the United States’ ability to “provide extended deterrence to our allies in the Asia-Pacific region” and to “conduct long-range, precision strikes quickly and at will,” the American command in the South Korean capital, Seoul, said in a statement.

It was the first time the American military publicly confirmed a B-2 mission over the Korean Peninsula. As the bombers dropped inert munitions that they carried 6,500 miles over the Pacific to an island bombing range off South Korea’s west coast, Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel conferred with his South Korean counterpart, Kim Kwan-jin, on the phone, reaffirming the United States’ “unwavering” commitment to defend the South. Both B-52 and B-2 can launch nuclear-armed cruise missiles.

The Pentagon used their training sorties over the Korean Peninsula to highlight the role the long-distance strategic bombers play, as part of Washington’s “nuclear umbrella” over South Korea and Japan. In South Korea, North Korea’s successful launching of a three-stage rocket in December and its nuclear test last month were unsettling enough that several right-wing politicians began calling on their government to build nuclear arms.

A news release from the South Korean Defense Ministry on Thursday said that the “extended deterrence” Mr. Hagel reaffirmed for South Korea included “nuclear umbrella” and “missile defense capabilities.” The allies also agreed to develop “customized” plans to deal with various types of threats posed by North Korea’s nuclear and other weapons of mass destruction, it said. North Korea has escalated its bellicose rhetoric since a Feb. 12 nuclear test.

It threatened pre-emptive nuclear strikes against the United States and South Korea for conducting joint military drills and supporting United Nations sanctions against the North. In response, Washington has stood behind the new government of President Park Geun-hye, South Korea’s first female president, by running B-52 bomber sorties over South Korea earlier this month and publicizing them.

It also signed an agreement last weekend to enhance consultation and coordination of the allies’ responses to North Korean provocations. Such coordination became all the more important with growing North Korean threats; under a mutual defense treaty, Washington is obliged to intervene should a local skirmish expand into a full-blown war. –NY Times