Saturday, 16 September 2023

ARIEL SHARON: A Man of Sign: The True ' King of Israel ' cometh !!

A Man of Sign: The True ' King of Israel ' cometh !!

ARIEL SHARON
A Man of Sign : The True ' King of Israel ' cometh !!

Woe to Ariel , to Ariel , the city where David dwelt !!
Yet I will distress Ariel & there shall be heaviness & sorrow
& it shall be unto me ' as Ariel ' . . . .

For the LORD hath poured out upon you
the spirit of ' deep sleep ' & hath ' closed ' your eyes
the prophets & your rulers , the seers hath he covered

Ariel Sharon's life & the astonishing circumstances
& timing of his recent death are a ' prophetic sign '
warning of approaching catastrophic global events
that will precede the return of the Lord Jesus Christ

It is our " heads - up " from above.

Our opportunity to prepare is ... now !!

Isaiah 29 v 1-10

The death of Ariel Sharon , Israel’s former prime minister & legendary war hero is a ‘ major ’ historical event.
It is an ominous prophetic & biblical warning of calamitous events coming for the nation of Israel.

Among the most controversial figures in the history of Israel , Ariel Sharon’s life was an amazing parallel to his nation’s own short but turbulent history. Incredibly , the remarkable circumstances of Ariel Sharon’s death on the 11th January 2014 - after laying in a vegetative coma for 8 years - were actually foretold in amazing detail in God’s Word over 2,000 years before !!! We implore you to read the following information that graphically details Ariel Sharon’s truly remarkable life & the stunning significance of his recent passing & what it means for God’s people Israel . . . & the whole world

HISTORY

Over his long career Sharon , was a man of destiny. Rising from an Infantry Officer in Israel’s 1948 War of Independence , he rose to the highest office in the land when he was elected Israel's 11th Prime Minister in 2001. His life was a litany of epic military conquests , fighting in all four of Israel's major wars , he quickly rose to the rank of general in the Israeli army.

Later Ariel Sharon’s transition into political life was marked by controversary & seismic contradictions. Reviled by Arabs over his hardline policies & viewed with a mixture of respect & suspicion by many Israelis, Sharon became a lightning rod for controversy , all centred around the question of the final status of Jerusalem & the Holy Land , Israel.

Born in Palestine ( as it was then known ) in 1928 , he began his career as a platoon commander in the Israeli military at the outset of the 1948 War of Independence , during which time he was critically wounded & left for dead. As a commander he later fought with distinction in the 1956 Sinai War against Egypt.
In the 1967 Six-Day War as a major general , he headed Israel's most powerful armoured division , the 10th Battalion , leading a crushing victory over the Egyptians.

In the 1973 Yom Kippur War , Ariel Sharon's bold manoeuvre ( while defying orders ) in crossing the Suez Canal & encircling the Egyptian 3rd Army was considered the key to Israel's victory. It led to the Israeli public giving him the nickname " The king of Israel " & " The Lion of God ". Following this decisive victory against overwhelming odds , crowds swarmed the streets singing a revised Hebrew song called " David - King of Israel " & changed it to " Ariel - King of Israel "

During the 1970's & 1980's as Secretary for Agriculture , Ariel Sharon became known as the ‘ Father of the Settlements Movement ’ as he actively encouraged & directed the building of Jewish settlements on the West Bank. Eventually he became the head of the Likud Party & later in 2001 he was elected Prime Minister of Israel.
ARIEL SHARON'S SECURITY WALL
AUG / SEPT 2005 - SHARON ABANDONS GOD'S PROMISES

In 2005 as Israel’s Prime Minister, Ariel Sharon caused a national & religious crisis over his Gaza withdrawal plan. He instigated a seismic shift in Israeli policy , having resolved to enforce the unilateral withdrawal of all Jewish settlers & Israeli troops from the disputed Gaza Strip & part of the West Bank.

This decision & it’s execution caused a furore domestically , shaking Israel's Orthodox Jewish community to its foundations. Never before had an Israeli government relinquished what the religious population universally regarded as ' holy land ' promised to the Jews by God. For the first time since the Jewish state was founded , Israel had voluntarily uprooted its own people & ceded land to the Palestinians.

It was a turning point for the Zionist project , So who was the man behind this withdrawal ? The Lion of God - Ariel Sharon !! What a stunning turn around. Sharon who had led Israel to such amazing victories , was now ‘ withdrawing ’ from the land , promised to Israel by God himself.
Thus saith the Lord GOD ; I will even gather you from the people & assemble you out of the countries where ye have been scattered & I will ‘ give you ’ the land of Israel.
In 2002 , Ariel Sharon controversially ordered the construction of the security barrier - an 18ft high combination of concrete wall & chain fence that snakes through the West Bank ( fore-told 2000 yrs ago !! )

Because , even because they have seduced my people ,
saying , Peace : & there was no peace & one built up a wall & lo others daubed it with untempered morter Ezekiel 13 v 10

Sharon promised ' peace '. Sharon built ' a wall '
Verse 13 tells us the wall will be destroyed by God

Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD ; I will even rend it with a stormy wind in my fury & there shall be an overflowing shower in mine anger & great hailstones in my fury to consume it.

So will I break down the wall that ye have daubed with untempered morter & bring it down to the ground , so that the foundation thereof shall be discovered : & it shall fall & ye shall be consumed in the midst thereof : & ye shall know that I am the LORD.

Thus will I accomplish ' my wrath ' upon the wall & upon them that have daubed it with untempered morter & will say unto you , The wall is no more, neither they that daubed it
Ezekiel 13 v 13-15

Incredibly . . . these verses above , clearly describe
' FUTURE EVENTS ' all fore-told in Bible Prophecy !!
Ariel Sharon was instrumental in securing the whole land of Israel. His conquests in 1967 & 1973 ensured Israel's survival in the land given to them by God '. Given his extraordinary exploits , it is clear God was undoubtedly with him in these victories. But in his old age Ariel Sharon trod a different path . . . .

In 2003 he promised to create a Palestinian state

We may ask if Gaza is part of the land that God had promised ? We are told clearly in :

Exodus 23v31 " I will set thy bounds from the Red Sea even unto the sea of the Philistines & from the desert unto the river : for I will deliver the inhabitants of the land into your hand & thou shalt drive them out before thee"
The sea of the Philistines = Gaza .
NOVEMBER 2005 -- ARIEL SHARON PLOTS ' THE FINAL SHAPE OF ISRAEL '

Sixty years after the state of Israel was created , Ariel Sharon - who as a military general in successive wars since 1948 played a leading role in the expansion of Israel's borders , now as a politician - was finalising plans to further divide the land & set the country's elastic frontiers in stone.

With the withdrawal of Gaza complete , Sharon planned to complete the process by finally dividing the land of Israel in two. This is where it gets interesting . . . ( All this recorded in the UK’s Daily Telegraph ) At about 3 pm on January 4th 2006 a man called Otniel Schneller was ushered into Ariel Sharon's office. He was a senior cartographer - known as the map maker. He had the ‘ final plans ’ for the future borders of Israel. The plans detailed the withdrawal this time not of Gaza , but of the vast majority of the West Bank & some parts of the Holy City , Jerusalem. The meeting lasted 1½ hours - at the end of it , Sharon agreed the map would form the basis of Israel's disengagement from the West Bank & the creation of a Palestinian State. Two hours later Sharon suffered a massive stroke & went into a coma. Co-incidence ??

The area of the ancient Philistines was ' included ' in the land. But in Aug/Sep 2005 Sharon sent in soldiers who physically pulled Jews out of the land ( & parts of the West Bank ). The picture above shows soldiers weeping as they removed their own people. As Exodus 23 says , it was God who drove out the inhabitants of the land. But now here was an Israeli leader - the first in history - to give away ( voluntarily ! ) land given to the Jews by God.

Ought ye not to know , that the LORD God of Israel ‘ gave ’ the kingdom over Israel
to David . . . for ever , even to him & to his sons by a covenant of salt ?? 2 Chron 13 v 5

Ariel Sharon should have known this - but it was about to get worse . . .

' ARIEL ' . . . IN BIBLE PROPHECY

Woe to Ariel , to Ariel . . .

For the LORD hath poured out upon you
the spirit of ' deep sleep '
& hath ' closed ' your eyes

Isaiah 29 v 1-10
The coma lasted almost exactly 8 years. Ariel Sharon died on Saturday January 11th 2014. Throughout the Bible record the number ' 8 ' represents ' change ' or ' a new beginning '. Was Ariel Sharon's death a fore-warning of dramatic change for both Israel & the whole world , & a new beginning with the coming establishment of God's Kingdom on earth ??

‘ Ariel ’ is a name that means ‘ Jerusalem ’. Ariel is mentioned in this context in only ‘ ONE ’ chapter in the entire Bible . Isaiah 29 speaks of Ariel being ' the city ' where David lived. It speaks prophetically of Jerusalem being ' brought down to the ground ' ( ' Levelled ’ )

But amazingly , this ancient Bible passage also speaks of ‘ the leaders ’ falling into a deep sleep. This condition will be the catalyst for the terrible time of trouble soon to befall , not just Jerusalem & Israel , but will also engulf ALL nations culminating in God's righteous judgments on mankind. So we can see the remarkable cirumstances of Ariel Sharon's personal demise ( all foretold over 2,500 years ago in God's Word ) unmistakably ' foreshadow ' global events soon to unfold.
THE RABBI , THE NOTE & THE MESSIAH

In 2005 ( while Ariel Sharon was at the height of his power & busy withdrawing from Gaza ) Israel's most loved & venerated Rabbi pronounced that the Messiah would not come until AFTER the death of Ariel Sharon.

Rabbi Yitzhak Kaduri wrote a cryptic note in September 2005 that he requested should only be opened one year after his own death. One year is the traditional mourning period , during which certain privileges are accorded the family out of respect for the deceased. More importantly, condemnation of actions of the dead cannot be placed on the family after this time period , so Kaduri was likely protecting his family from the backlash he thought may come from his note.

Rabbi Yitzhak Kaduri died just 24 days after Sharon's stroke in 2006 at the age of 108. Over 300,000 people attended his funeral. By the time Kaduri’s note was opened on 28 January 2007 , Ariel Sharon had been in a coma for over 12 months. In the note he had left , Rabbi Kaduri had revealed that the true ' Messiah ' was in fact Jesus !!! ( Yehoshua or Yeshua ) All this was reported in Israel Today ( April 7 , 2007 ).

Now , 8 years later & following the recent death of Ariel Sharon , many in Israel & around the world are asking whether the Messiah will come soon
. . . A ' WARNING ' of COMING GLOBAL JUDGMENT

We also know one scriptural precedent for a significant death before world-wide judgment. There has only ever been one world-wide judgment before. The next one is coming soon . The first one was at the time of the flood. Just BEFORE the flood came , a man died whose name was ' Methusaleh '. His name means " his death shall bring judgment " He definitely died in the year of the great flood & just before the flood came. His own name spelt out judgment was coming & served as a warning of impending judgment to those around him. Given the remarkable circumstances of his life & his death , Ariel Sharon might be a similar person. His own name predicts what is coming . . . judgment concerning Jerusalem . . . namely ‘ the levelling ’ of ‘ Jerusalem ’. Sharon who led Israel to capture & expand the land , also became the leader who gave some of it away & tried to divide it in two. He has recently died at the very time the world is pushing for division again in 2014 as US-led ‘ Peace Negotiations ’ near their conclusion & we see Israel edging closer to a final deal to trade ' Holy Land ' for the false promise of peace. So , is all this pure chance ?? or is God's hand behind these things ?? You decide .
The world at that time was destroyed , being flooded with water.

But by His word ,
the present heavens & earth are being reserved for fire
kept for the day of judgment & destruction of ungodly men

God is patient toward you , not wishing for any to perish
but for ' all ' to come to repentance.

2 Peter 3 v 6-7

bible prophecy Psalm 83

Psalm 83

3 With cunning they conspire against your people;
   they plot against those you cherish.
4 “Come,” they say, “let us destroy them as a nation,
   so that Israel’s name is remembered no more.”

Ahmadinejad, president of Iran is leading an alliance of Israel's enemies towards an attack on Israel. He is developing a nuclear capability, thought to be related.

5 With one mind they plot together;
   they form an alliance against you—
6 the tents of Edom and the Ishmaelites,
   of Moab and the Hagrites,
7 Byblos, Ammon and Amalek,
   Philistia, with the people of Tyre.

Note the last two can be related to Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon.

8 Even Assyria has joined them
   to reinforce Lot’s descendants.

Assyria was a border area including todays northern Iraq and Iran.

Iran has funded and trained Hezbollah and Hamas fighters, arming Lebanon and Gaza with 10,000's missiles and rockets, many via Syria.

In January 2011 Hezbollah and Iran took control of the government in Lebanon.

Following events in Egypt in February 2011 Iran is working with its allies to ?link with the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt and secure North Sinai as part of a future Palestinian State. Egypt has been responsible for securing Israel's southern border and this is now vulnerable.

Top 10 Signs ' of CHRIST'S RETURN

Top 10 Signs ' of CHRIST'S RETURN

There is simply NO DOUBT . . . the Lord Jesus Christ will soon return to the earth !!!
To provide you with ' the facts ' we listed TEN of the most notable global signs warning of the Lord's imminent return

Over 2,000 years ago , the Bible precisely described events & conditions that would precede the Lord's coming. Please read through the ' Top10 Signs ' & consider the amazing accuracy of the parallel Bible passages . . . THEN decide for yourself

SIGN # 1 -- JERUSALEM ... Centre of Coming World Conflict
The Holy City , Jerusalem , historically is the home of 3 global religions ( Christianity , Judaism & Islam ). No other city in the world has caused so much controversy & bloodshed. For over 2,000 years , the Bible has " fore-told " it would become the center of world wide contention. In 1967 Israel re-claimed its ancient capital Jerusalem ( after nearly 2,000 years ). In the 46 years since , the Palestinians have waged an often violent struggle to arrest control of Jerusalem. The fight for Jerusalem in the past decade has escalated , culminating in Sept'2011 with the Palestinian bid for statehood before the United Nations , setting the scene for the final dramatic conflict before Christ's return.

Zechariah 12v2-9
Behold , I will make JERUSALEM a ' cup of trembling ' unto all the people round about , when they shall be in the siege both against Judah & against Jerusalem. In that day will I make JERUSALEM a ' burdensome stone ' for all people : all that burden themselves with IT shall be cut in pieces , though all the people of the earth be gathered together against it. And it shall it come to pass in that day , that I will seek to destroy ALL the nations that come against JERUSALEM

SIGN # 2 -- DISTRESS OF NATIONS
Turmoil is spreading around the world. With the USA , China & multiple European economies in debt crises , global stock markets reeling , global food shortages & skyrocketing prices , climate & energy crises around the globe , mass protests & uprisings world-wide , political & corporate corruption rife , inequality & injustice everywhere & NO solutions to these burgeoning dilemmas - mankind's overwhelming problems threaten to bring the total collapse of the global community. These ' exact conditions ' have long been predicted in God's Word the Bible & herald the imminent return of the Lord Jesus Christ from heaven.

Luke 21v25-27
There shall be ' SIGNS ' in the sun & in the moon & in the stars & upon the earth DISTRESS OF NATIONS with PERPLEXITY the sea & the waves roaring. Men's hearts failing them FOR FEAR & for looking after those things which ARE COMING on the earth for the powers of heaven shall be shaken. And THEN shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power & great glory

SIGN # 3 -- IMMORALITY ~ VIOLENCE ~ UNGODLINESS
Human civilization is in steep decline. The corrosive effects of ' unrestricted immorality ' in recent years is evidenced by self-indulgence , materialism , dishonesty , greed , sensuality , sexual promiscuity , alcoholism , drug abuse & violence in every level of society. Throughout the world , society is breaking down under the morass of human dysfunction. This deterioration of social values has been seen in the global move to legalise homosexuality & same-sex marriages - described in God's Word , the Bible as " an abomination ". The descent into an abyss of immorality & violence by mankind , is the ' direct result ' of society's denial of God's existence & the abandonment of His Laws & Commandments. It is this immorality & godlessness which will precipitate God's judgments on mankind as foretold in the Scriptures.

2 Timothy 3v1-4
In THE LAST DAYS perilous times shall come ... For men shall be ' lovers of their own selves ' , covetous , boasters , proud , blasphemers , disobedient to parents , unthankful , unholy , without natural affection , trucebreakers , false accusers , incontinent , fierce , despisers of those that are good , traitors , heady , highminded , ' lovers of pleasures ' more than lovers of God.

SIGN # 4 -- MIDDLE EAST REVOLUTIONARY TURMOIL
2011 saw unparalleled historic events - most notably the massive political & social upheaval in the Middle East. With the ' Arab Spring ' rattling through more than 14 separate nations in the Arab World , overthrowing longstanding governments & dictatorships ( Tunisia , Egypt , Libya ) & throwing others into chaotic civil wars ( Syria , Yemen ) it has created a maelstrom of political dynamics transforming this already volatile region into a tinder-box of instability & strategic uncertainty. In 2013 , the continuing emergence of brutal terrorists groups such as Al Qaeda , Al Nusra , ISIS , Ansar Al-Islam has further escalated the violence , bloodshed & suffering in this troubled region. These events are the prelude to the final global conflict , long prophesied in the Bible & centered around God's people , the tiny nation of Israel.

Revelation 16 v 12 - 16

STAGE 1 - Mid.East Uprising

v12 And the sixth angel poured his vial upon the great river Euphrates & the water thereof was dried up ,
that ' the way ' of the kings OF THE EAST [ Middle East " Arab Spring " ] might be prepared

STAGE 2 - Political Uprising

v13 And I saw three unclean ' SPIRITS ' like frogs come out of the mouth of THE DRAGON [ Russia ] & out of the mouth of THE BEAST [ EuroUnion ] & out of the mouth of THE FALSE PROPHET [Papacy ]

STAGE 3 - Global Revolution

v14 For they are the ' spirits ' of devils [ Spirit of REVOLUT'N ] working ' miracles ' which GO FORTH unto the kings of THE EARTH & of THE WHOLE WORLD [ Arab Spring ~ 'Occupy' & 'Austerity' Protests ] to gather them to the battle of that Great Day of God Almighty

STAGE 4 - Christ's Return

v15 Behold , I COME AS A THIEF. Blessed is he that watcheth & keepeth his garments , lest he walk naked & they see his shame & He gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue ARMAGEDDON
Note : 3 unclean " spirits " [ Liberty + Equality + Fraternity = " Democracy " ] - originating from 1789 French Revolution ( ie. " Frogs " )

SIGN # 5 -- RISE OF RUSSIA & VLADIMIR PUTIN
With the iron-fisted Vladimir Putin reclaiming Russia's Presidency in 2012 & a mandate of ' supreme power ' of Russia until 2024 - a resurgent Russian economy , rapid growth & advancement of Russia's military machine has emboldened Mr Putin , who continues to re-shape the international political landscape with his aggressive foreign policy , often challenging & defying US , European & United Nations initiatives - particularly in the Middle East - by supporting pariah states Iran , Syria , Lebanon & the Palestinians. Mr Putin has signaled his quest for ' world dominance ' by his plan to create a ' Eurasian ' axis of powers ( extending from Portugal to China ) to rival the US & European alliances. Russia's stealthy acquisition & control of energy pipelines provides a formidable stranglehold over most European nations & is key to Russia's strategic plans & consistent with her increased involvement in the Middle East as she ' eyes ' huge energy reserves discovered recently near Israel

Daniel 8 v 23-25
IN THE LATTER TIME of their [ man's ] kingdom , when the transgressors [ sinners ] are come to the full , A KING of ' fierce ' countenance & understanding dark sentences , shall stand up. And his power shall be mighty , but not by his own power & he shall destroy wonderfully & shall prosper & practise & shall destroy ' the mighty ' [ USA ? ] & ' the holy people ' [ ISRAEL ] Through his policy also he shall cause craft to prosper in his hand & he shall magnify himself in his heart & ' BY PEACE ' shall destroy many : he shall also stand up against the Prince of princes [ Christ ] but he shall be broken without hand

SIGN # 6 -- EUROPEAN UNION
Since its formal creation on 1st December 2009 , the European Union has had a short , turbulent history as European leaders have struggled to merge their national economies together as a ' United States of Europe '. Over the past 4 years , the EU's development has been severely jeopardized by a string of spiraling economic debt crises that have ravaged many EU nations ( Greece , Spain , Portugal , Italy , Ireland ) & driven strong EU nations to their knees. In a desperate effort to save the EU & its stricken Euro-zone currency , EU policy makers are aggressively pushing for a rapid acceleration towards a single centralized EU government - usurping power from individual states. As the European financial crisis deepens , resistant states are being ' forced to comply ' to survive. Recent moves to create a central EU " military " force have also alarmed some sovereign member states & regional nations raising the specter of a new emergent regional threat.

Revelation 17 v 11-14
THE BEAST [ Euro Union ] that was & is not , even he is the eighth & is of the seven & goeth into perdition. And THE TEN HORNS which thou sawest are TEN KINGS , which have received no kingdom as yet ; but receive ' power ' as kings one hour with THE BEAST [ Euro Union ]. These have one mind & shall give their power & strength unto THE BEAST [ Euro Union ]. These shall make war with THE LAMB [ Lord Jesus Christ ] & THE LAMB shall overcome them : for He [ Lord Jesus Christ ] is Lord of lords & King of kings : & they [ Believers ] that are with Him are called & chosen & faithful

SIGN # 7 -- ABOMINATION OF DESOLATION in The Holy Place
In a dramatic fulfilment of Bible Prophecy , the ' individual ' clearly referred to in the Bible records of Daniel , Matthew & Mark as the " Abomination of Desolation " the Catholic Pope , on the 12th May 2009 made the ' FIRST EVER ' Papal visit INTO ' THE HOLY PLACE ' in Jerusalem. No Roman Catholic Pope in history had EVER ' STOOD INSIDE ' the HOLY PLACE until Pope Benedict's historic visit to the site in May 2009 when he actually entered into the revered building. The purpose of this prophecy ( given by Jesus Christ himself ) was to provide a ' clear signpost ' to the faithful believers , of the imminency of the time of Great Tribulation to come , just before the return of the Lord Jesus Christ from heaven. We have now seen the unmistakable fulfillment of this prophecy & await the beginning of the ' Time of Trouble ' foretold

Matthew 24 v 15-21
When YE therefore shall see the ABOMINATION OF DESOLATION [ Catholic Pope ] spoken of by Daniel the prophet , ' STAND IN ' The Holy Place ,( whoso readeth , let him understand : ) Then let them which be in Judea flee into the mountains : Let him which is on the housetop not come down to take any thing out of his house : Neither let him which is in the field return back to take his clothes ... For ' THEN ' shall be GREAT TRIBULATION ,such as was NOT since the beginning of the world to this time , no , nor ever shall be.

SIGN # 8 -- ' FALSE CHRISTS , PROPHETS & RELIGIONS '
While man's advances in technology & communications , have in recent years enabled a world-wide awareness of the Bible , it has also resulted in an explosion of divergent & at times , extreme array of faiths & religions - extending from ' the fundamental ' to ' the fraudulent '. Recent years have seen an unprecedented number of religions , sects & cults around the world , many even claiming to be the manifestation of the Lord Jesus Christ. Invariably these fraudulent scams masquerade in the name of religion to exploit their followers & in many instances have ended in heartbreak & tragedy. God's Word fore-told this would be a ' clear signal ' of the nearness of the ' true Christ ' from heaven

Mark 13 v 22-26
For FALSE CHRISTS & FALSE PROPHETS shall rise & shall shew signs & wonders , to seduce , if it were possible , even the elect . But take ye heed : behold , I have fore-told you all things. But in those days ' after ' that TRIBULATION , the sun shall be darkened & the moon shall not give her light , And the stars of heaven shall fall & the powers that are in heaven shall be shaken. And THEN shall they see THE SON OF MAN coming in the clouds with great power & glory

SIGN # 9 -- NATURAL DISASTERS
2011 to 2013 have been ' Years of Natural Disasters ' almost unparalleled in human history. With the three-fold disaster in Japan ( earthquake - tsunami - nuclear ) being the epicenter of this incredible period of cataclysmic events around the globe. The frequency of earthquakes has risen dramatically in recent years , while many nations have in the last 2 years suffered their worst ever natural disasters ( Australia - Floods / Brazil - Flood-Mudslides / NZ - Earthquakes / Thailand - Floods / Philippines - Typhoon ). USA above all has experienced the ' most bizarre ' series of catastrophic disasters through 2011-2013 including its ' worst ever ' Tornado season in 2011 , historic flooding in many states , unprecedented earthquakes , huge wildfires , record heatwaves , severe droughts , epic blizzards & 2 catastrophic hurricanes ( Irene - Sandy ) which shut down 20% of the USA & caused hundreds of billions of dollars in damage. It is NOT just " co-incidence " all these disasters are happening in parallel with the US Govt's policy of supporting the dividing of Israel ( God's Land ) as a 2-state solution

Jeremiah 25 v 31-33 ( Amplified Version )
" The tumult will resound to the ends of the earth , for the LORD will bring CHARGES AGAINST THE NATIONS [ as all nations move to divide Israel ] He will bring judgment on ALL MANKIND & put the wicked to the sword " declares the LORD. This is what the LORD Almighty says . . . ." Look ! DISASTER is spreading FROM NATION to NATION ; A MIGHTY STORM is rising from THE ENDS OF THE EARTH. "

SIGN # 10 -- SIGNS & WONDERS
Aside from the incredible series of natural disasters in 2011 & 2012 , the scriptures also forewarned there would be extra-ordinary " Signs & Wonders " immediately prior to the Lord's return as a warning & encouragement to those who believe. Signs & Wonders both in the ' LITERAL ' heavens & earth , such as stunning volcano eruptions & ash clouds extending around the globe , rare lunar & solar eclipses , mysterious mass deaths of birds & fish , ' freak ' tornadoes in unheard of regions ( Italy ~ NewZealand ~ Portugal ) & devastating earthquakes. These natural events , being symbolic of events in the METAPHORICAL ( ' political ' ) heavens & earth that would shake the world. ' Seismic ' global events such as the Arab Spring - Global Financial Crisis - Debt Crises - Occupy Protests - Austerity Protests . . . . all unprecedented & all heralding the Master's soon return

Joel 2 v 30-32
I will shew ' WONDERS ' . . . in the heavens & in the earth . . . BLOOD & FIRE & PILLARS OF SMOKE . The SUN shall be turned into darkness & the MOON into blood , BEFORE the great & the terrible DAY of the LORD come. And it shall come to pass , that whosoever shall call on the name of the LORD shall be delivered : For in mount Zion & in Jerusalem shall be deliverance , as the LORD hath said

The great 'Blood Moons' deception

There are 2 videos recently published by Rugby Christadelphians on their rather strangely named Bible Truth Prophecy Video Vault channel on YouTube entitled The Coming FOUR Blood Moons and Bible Prophecy Concerning Israel.

The modern notion of the blood moons in the Rugby Christadelphians video is lifted entirely from an American evangelist named Mark Blitz who apparently looked at NASA data for eclipses in the hope of finding something to tie in to bible prophecy. He found the series of four full lunar eclipses happening on 2014-15 all fall on Jewish feast days! Passover and Sukkot (Feast of Tabernacles) in both years. The video tell us that this is beyond co-incidence!

But it's not really beyond co-incidence at all. It is design! The Jewish calendar is based on lunar months always starting with the new moon, and Passover and Sukkot are celebrated on the 15th day of the month - at the time of the full moon. The only time when a lunar eclipse can occur! Since a lunar eclipse can occur in any month you would expect that about 1 in 6 chance in any given year of it occurring on one of the feast days. Not really a long shot!

But there are four in a row on Jewish feast days? Well, this would be expected to occur from time to time given the way the Jewish calendar works. And of course it has happened before, and Blitz again looked at the data of two previous concatenations of lunar eclipses and feast days and noted that it happen in 1493-94 and in 1949-50. He couples these dates respectively with the Jews being expelled from Spain, and the establishment of modern Israel. It's a pity that the banishment of the Jews from Spain happened in 1492 and modern Israel was established in 1948, making these signs from heaven a little tardy to say the least!

The video then tells us that even more remarkable is the solar eclipse that will happen in 20 March 2015 - 1st Nisan in the Jewish calendar - the day Israel was set free from bondage in Egypt. A sure sign to Israel that something is about to change! One slight problem with this is that if you put that date into the Hebrew to Gregorian date converter here you find that 20 March 2015 is equivalent to 29 Adar 5775 - the day before 1 Nisan. Again, not such a great sign after all!

The real clincher is that NONE of this eclipses will be particularly noticeable in Israel - and if they are God's sign to Israel wouldn't he make sure that they were? The first of the three lunar eclipses are totally invisible from Israel, only the last will be seen at all as a partial eclipse. A partial eclipse does not make a blood red moon!

The Solar eclipse - this great sign to the world - will only be seen in totality if you are in the Norwegian Sea, all the way up to the North Pole. The only place it will be visible from land is on the Norwegian Island of Svalbard - which has a population of less than 3000 souls.

If this is God's great sign that "something is about to change" you would think he might consider making it visible to rather more people!

At about 4:20 the video tells us that "The blood moons are a Sign to Israel" quickly followed by a picture of the western wall in Jerusalem like the one at the head of this post with a huge red moon in the sky. By now I won't have to tell you that that picture is utterly bogus!

The plain facts of the matter are that eclipses are natural phenomena that we have a good understanding of and are able to predict. By pattern seeking and some confirmation bias Mark Blitz has spun a story about these perfectly normal natural events being "signs" to Israel and to the world that the second coming is near, and the Rugby Christadelphians have been taken in.

I have a notion that many Christadelphians would share the view that the whole blood moons yarn is bogus and would probably want to disassociate themselves from the nonsense put out by the Rugby Christadelphians Bible Truth Prophecy Video Vault. Would any Christadelphian readers care to comment?

FLIGHT MH-370 . . . A SHADOW OF EVENTS TO COME !!!

FLIGHT MH-370 . . . A SHADOW OF EVENTS TO COME !!!

Six weeks from it's mysterious disappearance & despite the intense efforts of over 26 nations , still no physical trace has been found of this enormous commercial airliner. With never-ending media coverage & conspiracy theories abounding - the world is transfixed by this ever-deepening mystery . . . an event , unprecedented in human history !!! For the lost 239 people & their families , simply unimaginable. But could it be a shadow of a greater mystery to come ?? Imagine for a moment , the sudden & unexplained disappearance of thousands of people , tens of thousands , or perhaps even hundreds of thousands worldwide , from all walks of life , vanished in an instant . . . without a trace !! Add to this , countless graves , mysteriously opened & empty . . .without explanation !! Consider the confusion , the hysteria & the panic that would ensue around the globe , after such a massive & perplexing event. It is a ' REALITY ' that is coming . . . foretold in God's Word , as the Lord Jesus Christ returns to collect His followers. The terrible tragedy of MH-370's mysterious disappearance is a warning to all . . . of these coming events

1Cor 15v51 - Behold , I shew you a mystery ; We shall not all sleep , but we shall all be changed. In a moment , in the twinkling of an eye , at the last trump : for the trumpet shall sound & the dead shall be raised incorruptible & we shall be changed.

Matt 24v39-42 So also shall the coming of the Son of man be. Then shall two be in the field ; one shall be taken & the other left. Two women shall be grinding at the mill ; one shall be taken & the other left. Watch therefore : for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.

Have we finally found EARTH 2.0?

Have we finally found EARTH 2.0?

Astronomers discover first same-size planet in habitable zone that could support alien life

The first Earth-sized world in the habitable zone of a star has been found
Kepler-186f is 1.1 times the size of Earth and orbits its star in 130 days
The discovery was made by a team of scientists using the Kepler telescope
It could be the first planet found outside our solar system with liquid water
And it is the most likely place for alien life to exist that's been found so far
By Jonathan O'Callaghan

Published: 18:00 GMT, 17 April 2014 | Updated: 18:42 GMT, 17 April 2014

For decades astronomers have been searching for a world like our own outside the solar system that could host alien life.

And now astronomers have announced that they have found one - a planet 1.1 times the size of Earth orbiting a star just 490 light years away.

Called Kepler-186f, the planet is the first to be discovered with the right conditions for liquid water to exist on its surface, meaning it could support alien life as well.

Earth 2? Kepler-186f

Astronomers have announced they have discovered a planet called Kepler-186f, artist's illustration shown. It is the first Earth-sized planet outside our solar system that has been discovered in the habitable zone of a star, which means it could have both water and life on its surface

The find was made by a team of astronomers led by Elisa Quintana of the SETI Institute at Nasa Ames Research Center, who pored through planetary data from Nasa’s Kepler space telescope.

To date, the telescope has found hundreds of planets, but most are uninhabitable worlds that are either too large or orbit too close to their host star to support life.

The discovery of Kepler-186f, therefore, is a big milestone in the field of planet hunting.

It is the fifth and outermost world of the planetary system around red dwarf star Kepler-186 and is almost certainly a rocky planet.

The find is significant because it is the first Earth-sized world we’ve found in the habitable zone of a star.

Habitable zones, also known as ‘Goldilocks zones’, are regions around a star where the temperature is just right for water to form.

Earth, for example, sits almost bang in the middle of our sun’s habitable zone.

Although previously we have found exoplanets (worlds outside the solar system) in these zones, none have been the same size as Earth.

As our planet is known to have life, it stands to reason that a similar planet may also be habitable.

This could make Kepler-186f the first world we’ve found that might host life as we know it.

It should not surprise us if God has many Earths scattered throughout His Universe. What is God's Purpose with Earth is a Question that should be pondered by us ALL. God has given us the anwer to this in His Word the Bible.

No Chance for Middle East Peace

Israeli Palestinian peace talks had no chance, say analysts

Michele Chabin, Special for USA TODAY 1:41 p.m. EDT April 11, 2014

(Photo: Nasser Ishtayeh AP)

JERUSALEM — The Palestinian refusal to recognize Israel as a Jewish state is at the core of why a negotiated settlement between the two sides is all but dead, say experts on both sides of the divide.

Public sentiment and the positions of political leaders for the Israelis and the Palestinians indicate that neither side will bend on the issue Israel says is critical, which means peace talks pursued by U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry had little chance of working from the start.

"After 65 years of Arab rejection and warfare, closure for Israelis can come in the form of acceptance of the legitimacy of the Jewish state, in Palestinian renunciation of refugee claims, or perhaps simply a statement that this is the end of the conflict," says Gerald Steinberg of Bar Ilan University.

Israel has in the past offered compromises on hurdles such as settlements on disputed land. But the refusal by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to concede that Israel is a Jewish state is a deal-breaker, says Steinberg.

The refusal means Israel has no confidence that a Palestinian state on its border will end the decades-long attempt by Arab nations to destroy it, so there is no reason to agree to a two-state solution, he says.

Israelis worry that "an agreement will be signed, Israel will give up territory, and the wars, terrorism will continue," Steinberg says.

Kerry spent months shuttling between the two sides to broker a deal, and when talks fell apart he blamed both sides for taking steps that hurt progress, citing Israel for refusing to release more Palestinian prisoners, including some involved in terrorism against Israelis, and Palestinians for seeking recognition at international organizations, something they had promised not to do.

Palestinian experts say the hurdle of recognizing Israel's right to exist as a Jewish state was always there and Kerry should have recognized it.

"Israelis are free to declare that Israel is a Jewish country, but it is unjust to ask the Palestinians to support that narrative," said Basem Ezbidi, a professor at Birzeit University in the West Bank. "We will never get even close to this kind of recognition, and I can't see any decent Palestinian entertaining this idea."

A March 20-24 poll by the Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research in Ramallah found that a majority of Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza would reject Kerry's framework for peace talks if it included the topic of whether to recognize Israel as the state of the Jewish people.

The majority polled felt that way even if Israel agreed to remove all Israeli towns and cities on the West Bank and carved off East Jerusalem to the Palestinians for the capital of a Palestinian state — which Israel says it will not do.

Israel has agreed to remove some of the settlements but make major ones part of Israel by wrapping its border around them. And it says Jerusalem will remain Israel's undivided capital forever.

In Senate hearings this week, Kerry refused to "recognize reality" and Sen. John McCain put it and accept that Palestinian refusal to recognize Israel as a Jewish state made a negotiated solution impossible.

"We are trying to get something done. I think it's important to do this," Kerry said. "Sure we may fail. You want to dump it on me, I may fail, I do not care. It is worth doing. It is worth the effort."

Kerry said the Palestinian Authority should acknowledge that Israel is the homeland of the Jewish people but that, "it's not going to happen" at this stage of the negotiations.

It seems the world still needs to be reminded of the fact that the Palestinains were given land, more land in fact than Israel when the United Nations Partitioned the land between Israel and Palestinians. The Lard the Palestinians were given extended into what is known today as Jordan, but the real issue is that they don't want Israel to have any land. This makes for an ongoing impasse in any Peace Negotiations. But one day this will be resolved, maybe the Four Blood Moons signs will see something happen that will lead to a break through on this crucial issue.

SIGNS OF OUR TIMES April 2014

"Thy word is a lamp unto my
feet and a light unto my path."
Psalm 119:105

Isaiah 29:6 Thou shalt be visited of the LORD of hosts with thunder, and with earthquake, and great noise, with storm and tempest, and the flame of devouring fire. 7 And the multitude of all the nations that fight against Ariel [Jerusalem], even all that fight against her and her munition, and that distress her, shall be as a dream of a night vision.
PRESSURE BUILDS AGAIST ISRAEL
For over three years now the war in Syria has ebbed and flowed. Sometimes the rebels have appeared to be winning and then the government forces of President Assad would regain the upper hand.
Recent developments have seen Assad’s forces, heavily reinforced by thousands of Hezbollah militia have forced the rebel army from its last stronghold in the east of Syria to abandon the city of Yabroud after five months under cruel battering, [Hezbollah is Iran’s puppet].
The loss of Yabroud has cut rebel supply lines to the forces still holding out in rural Damascus against a government army siege which is starving these areas of food, power and clean water. Yabroud was the rebels’ last stronghold in the Qalamoun range, and its fall allowed the deal struck between Assad and Hezbollah last September to be executed.
Under that deal, Debka sources reveal, the 8,000 square-kilometre area of the Syrian Qalamoun range was promised by the Syrian ruler to Hezbollah as a reward for its sterling contribution to the Assad regime’s war.
This augments Hezbollah’s threat to Israel!
The Qalamoun range is now transformed into a barrier separating Syria from Lebanon, the while endowing Hezbollah with a superb strategic vantage point for monitoring events in Lebanon. The area under its lofty oversight arches out from its new mountain fief to South Beirut and southern Lebanon and further east to the Shebaa Farms - the disputed Hermon strip controlled by Israel – a crescent encompassing Lebanon from the south, east and north.
By removing most of its military forces to this stronghold, Hezbollah can also reduce its dependence on South Lebanon and use it as a buffer zone against Israel.
For Israel this is a major setback. Its tactics for keeping advanced Iranian arms out of Hezbollah’s hands hitherto were to bomb the shipments on their way from Syria to Lebanon as they crossed the border. That border has now shifted and the bulk of Hizballah personnel and weapons will be cached in the Qalamoun Mountains which is formally sovereign Syrian territory. The mountainous terrain in any case presents a difficult target to reach. [Debka – abridged]
IRAN’S ATTEMPT TO SMUGGLE ARMS FOILED
Iranian Rockets Intercepted by Israeli Commandos
40 rockets unloaded from Iranian arms ship in Eilat
Israeli troops Sunday unloaded 40 M302 rockets whose range is 160km, nearly two hundred 121-mm mortar shells and about 400,000 7.62-mm-caliber bullets for Kalashnikovs in the hold of the KLOS C ship from Iran, which Israeli commandos seized on the Red Sea.
The Iranian missile ship was bound for Sinai or Gaza
An Egyptian security source reported Sunday that the Egyptian missile ship apprehended by Israeli commandos destined for terrorists in Sinai or the Gaza Strip. The sea route through Sudan is plied routinely by smugglers and illegal migrant traffickers. “Tomorrow Iran will hide nuclear suitcases.” Debka 10-Mar-14
Binyamin Netanyahu warned Monday, March 10, that because the world chooses to ignore Iran’s concealed nuclear program, the next KLOS C ship may not carry missiles but “nuclear suitcases.” Debkafile: He was the first Western leader to acknowledge Iran’s possession of nuclear suitcases, which were part of a ten-year old illicit Ukrainian shipment to Iran of six X-55 nuclear capable cruise missiles with a range of 2,000km. A nuclear suitcase can enable terrorist organizations to quickly transport a tactical nuclear or dirty bomb from place to place.
In presenting the illicit cargo, Netanyahu also implicitly rebuked EU Foreign Police Executive Catherine Ashton for failing to raise the Iranian weapons ship in her talks in Tehran Monday, when he said, “There is a shrill chorus of international condemnation when we build a balcony in Jerusalem, but scarcely a word when Iran tries to smuggle missiles into Gaza.”
RUSSIA ANNEXES CRIMEA
Crimea was a Russian province until 1954 when it was given to the Ukraine by former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev as a “good-will gift.” Strangely, it was General Mikhail Gorchakov who led the 80,000 Russian soldiers who crossed the Pruth River in 1853 into the first conflict of the Crimean war!?
The Crimean War (October 1853 – February 1856) was a conflict in which the immediate issue involved the rights of Christians in the Holy Land which was controlled by the Ottoman (Turkish) Empire. The French promoted the rights of Catholics, while Russia promoted those of the Orthodox. Russia lost and the Ottomans gained a twenty-year respite from Russian pressure. The Christians were granted a degree of official equality and the Orthodox gained control of the Christian churches in dispute. Russia survived, gained a new appreciation for its religious diversity, and launched a reform program with far-reaching consequences.
We cannot but feel that, with the rise of the Orthodox Church in Russia, there may be a (secret?) religious “stouch” behind this new Crimean confrontation. The coming financial retaliation may well result in Germany gaining even more control of the European + economy! – and provide a ready market for Israeli gas and oil! Doing business with Russia: A German dilemma 17TH March, 2014 by Valentina Pop . BERLIN - German Chancellor Angela Merkel is a cautious politician. A natural scientist by formation, she never goes for bold statements unless they have been carefully weighed beforehand. By her standards, the speech in the Bundestag last week was bold. She spoke of a three-step reaction to Russia's illegal actions in Ukraine. The assets freeze and visa ban on 21 names adopted on Monday (17 March) by EU foreign ministers are step two. If Moscow does not change course and "further destabilizes the situation, for instance in eastern Ukraine," step three - economic sanctions - will follow. Her statement was repeated on Monday by her spokesman, Steffen Seibert. Seibert said Russia had done nothing to de-escalate the situation, had isolated itself on the international scene by recognizing the "illegal" referendum in Crimea and further fuelled tensions, for instance by seizing control over gas pipelines in eastern Ukraine. Economic sanctions will hurt Germany, too . Russia exports mostly oil and gas to Germany, while German firms export industrial machines, trains, cars and medicines. More than 6,000 German companies are registered in Russia and are now fearing retaliatory measures from the Russian government - for instance having their properties seized or their assets frozen. Merkel on Friday downplayed their impact on the German economy, noting that bilateral trade with Russia (€76bn) is not worth much more than trade with the Czech Republic (€60bn), a much smaller country. She was speaking in Munich where she met the representatives of the business community and industry chambers, who gave a cautious support to her stance.
FOUR BLOOD MOONS!
The Internet is awash with the phenomenon of the
apparently established fact that four eclipses of the moon
– in which the moon, as seen from Jerusalem, will appear
to be blood red.
These total lunar eclipses will appear on the
following dates:
April 15, 2014 Feast of Passover
October 8, 2014 Feast of Sukkot
April 4, 2015 Feast of Passover
Sept. 28, 2015 Feast of Sukkot
This group of four total eclipses is known as a ‘Tetrad.’
It is significant because it has happened before and on
each occasion some vitally important event has occurred
in the history of Israel!
For example, the most recent of these total lunar
eclipses was at the time when Israel gained control of
the Old City of Jerusalem for the first time in over 2000
years, and led to the declaration of Jerusalem as its
eternal capital. .
April 24, 1967 Feast of Passover
Oct. 18, 1967 Feast of Sukkot
April 13, 1968 Feast of Passover
October 6, 1968 Feast of Sukkot
(Israel took the Old City of Jerusalem, June 7, 1967)
Prior to that tetrad there was another which occurred
during the time of the establishment of the State of
Israel. Mr. Ben Gurion proclaimed the State of Israel on
the 14th May, 1948. The War of Independence started
on that day and continued through to August 1949.
During that period there were four total lunar eclipses!
April 13, 1949 Feast of Passover
October 7, 1949 Feast of Sukkot
April 2, 1950 Feast of Passover
Sept.26, 1950 Feast of Sukkot
I should mention also (for our American Brethren) that
the only other tetrad that gets a mention had occurred
during the time that Columbus discovered the New
World. America became the sanctuary for persecuted
Jews all over the world from where they found little rest.
Those tetrad dates also fell on significant Feast Days!
Columbus departed on his 1st voyage on August 3,
1492.
April 2, 1493 Feast of Passover
Sept. 25, 1493 Feast of Sukkot
March 22, 1494 Feast of Passover
Sept. 15, 1494 Feast of Sukkot
Columbus set out on his 2nd voyage on September 24,
1493. His discoveries of the New World have proved
highly significant in the history of Israel.
THE GREAT AND TERRIBLE DAY OF THE LORD
The reason for mentioning these lunar events is because of the Scripture which refer to what appears to be a rather significant lunar event – most probably a total eclipse. The prophet Joel, when speaking of the Last Days, wrote of the terrors of that time:
Joel 2:30 And I will show wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke. 31 The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and the terrible day of the LORD come. 32 And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the LORD shall be delivered: for in mount Zion and in Jerusalem shall be deliverance, as the LORD hath said, and in the remnant whom the LORD shall call. Seeing that the Apostle Peter quoted these words in his appeal to the Jews on the Day of Pentecost, we wonder if perhaps there was a “total lunar eclipse” at that time, for the sun also didn’t shine for three hours! [Matt.27:45].
ISRAEL’S IMMEDIATE DILEMMA
Israel is approaching Passover time which everyone, especially the Arabs, know is a statewide holiday time. The Arabs have used Jewish holy days before to launch attacks on Israel or Jewish targets world-wide.
At present Israel is surrounded on all sides by terrorist and Arab national armies that are “armed to the teeth” with a vast array of rockets, mortars, planes, tanks and artillery that can reach any part of Israel. There are Al-Qaida in Sinai. Hamas in Gaza, Hezbollah in Lebanon, the regular army and a host of militias in Syria and the Palestinians in the West Bank and Jordan!
All these have one aim – to destroy the nation of Israel! The present tense situation cannot continue! Israel must act soon and quickly to disperse or destroy these antagonists.
The LORD GOD has promised deliverance for Israel in a number of prophecies such as Jeremiah 30:7 which warns of a ‘day’ unequalled in Jacob’s [Israel’s] history – “but he shall be saved out of it!”
Ezekiel also prophesied about the present situation:
Ezekiel 36:1 Also, thou son of man, prophesy unto the mountains of Israel, and say, “Ye mountains of Israel, hear the word of the LORD: 2 Thus saith the Lord GOD; ‘Because the enemy hath said against you, Aha, even the ancient high places are ours in possession:” 3 Therefore prophesy and say, “Thus saith the Lord GOD; Because they have made you desolate, and swallowed you up on every side, that ye might be a possession unto the residue of the nations, and ye are taken up in the lips of talkers, and are an infamy of the people: …. 5 Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; “Surely in the fire of my jealousy have I spoken against the residue of the [Arab] nations, and against all Idumea [Sinai Arabs. Al Qaeda and Bedouins], which have appointed my land into their possession with the joy of all their heart, with despiteful minds, to cast it out for a prey.
6 Prophesy therefore concerning the land of Israel, and say unto the mountains, and to the hills, to the rivers, and to the valleys, thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I have spoken in my jealousy and in my fury, because ye have borne the shame of the nations: 7 therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; I have lifted up mine hand, Surely the nations that are about you, they shall bear their shame.” Paul the apostle linked Israel’s deliverance with the return of our Lord Jesus: And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, “There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob.” (Romans 11:26}
As Revelation 16:15-16 links the Coming of the Lord with Armageddon we are on the threshold of World War 3! Judging by the build-up of terrorist forces in every country bordering Israel (except perhaps Jordan) it is probable that this Passover could see the most violent outbreak of war in the Middle East since Roman times. It will certainly be the “time of Jacob’s trouble” should that be the case!
Isaiah 11:14 appears to relate the progress of the battle: 14 But they shall fly upon the shoulders of the Philistines toward the west; they shall spoil them of the east together: they shall lay their hand upon Edom and Moab; and the children of Ammon shall obey them. 15 And the LORD shall utterly destroy the tongue of the Egyptian sea; and with his mighty wind shall he shake his hand over the river, and shall smite it in the seven streams, and make men go over dryshod. 16 And there shall be an highway for the remnant of his people, which shall be left, from Assyria; like as it was to Israel in the day that he came up out of the land of Egypt.
Obadiah vs 19 & 20 confirms this.
We can therefore but wait and see what the month of April will bring. We have never lived in such a time of trouble. The question is, “will it continue to get worse or are we at that point in time where our Lord Jesus will come as a thief to those who ignore the abundant signs about us?”
That we are on the verge of some momentous upheaval is quite obvious: political, ecological, geophysical, etc.

“Even so, Come! Lord Jesus.”

Thought for the Day

This was my reward”

We continue on from some of our thoughts yesterday on how the wisest of kings, Solomon, reflected on what his life had really achieved. In reading Ecclesiastes, we perceive his remarkable insight into the meaning and purpose, from a human perspective, of all that exists and our interaction with them in our lives. What do his insights reveal?

Solomon uses his wisdom to accomplish everything possible. His second chapter details this, “…my heart still guiding me with wisdom … I made great works, I built houses and planted vineyards … made myself gardens and parks and planted in them all kinds of fruit trees. I made myself pools … had slaves … also great possessions of herds … also gathered for myself silver and gold … I got singers … many concubines … so I became great and surpassed all who were before me … whatever my eyes desired I did not keep from them. I kept my heart from no pleasure … this was my reward for all my toil” (verses 3-11).

Note his conclusion! “this was my reward” – but note even more his next comment, “then I considered all that I had done and the toil I had expended” – and what does he see as the outcome of his considerations? “Behold, all was vanity and a striving after wind”. Other versions have, “I saw everything was emptiness and chasing the wind” (NEB) “meaningless” (NIV). Solomon saw that human lives have no lasting substance. Yet we all strive after things we can possess and experience, we may these days, for example, travel to many parts of the world but, let us recognise that, at the end of the day there is nothing ‘eternal’ in what we have experienced or achieved! Solomon then declared “so I hated life” (verse 17). A remarkable comment!

It seems evident he wrote this near the end of his life; he lacked the vision that his father David possessed when he wrote a Psalm and commented about “men of the world whose portion is in this life” – but in the next verse David said to his Creator, “As for me, I shall behold your face in righteousness; when I awake, I shall be satisfied with your likeness” (Psalm 17:14,15). What will we be satisfied with?

Those who read Ecclesiastes should look into the mirror of their hearts and consider their ambitions – and what they mean, or do not mean – in the eternal perspective of their future.