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Biblical Prophecy Thread

ETNVol

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And the way to fight this type of demonic possession is done in one way only. What is a prince by definition? A son, correct?

Jesus Heals a Boy with an Unclean Spirit​

14 And when they came to the disciples, they saw a great crowd around them, and scribes arguing with them. 15 And immediately all the crowd, when they saw him, were greatly amazed and ran up to him and greeted him. 16 And he asked them, “What are you arguing about with them?” 17 And someone from the crowd answered him, “Teacher, I brought my son to you, for he has a spirit that makes him mute. 18 And whenever it seizes him, it throws him down, and he foams and grinds his teeth and becomes rigid. So I asked your disciples to cast it out, and they were not able.” 19 And he answered them, “O faithless generation, how long am I to be with you? How long am I to bear with you? Bring him to me.” 20 And they brought the boy to him. And when the spirit saw him, immediately it convulsed the boy, and he fell on the ground and rolled about, foaming at the mouth. 21 And Jesus asked his father, “How long has this been happening to him?” And he said, “From childhood. 22 And it has often cast him into fire and into water, to destroy him. But if you can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.” 23 And Jesus said to him, “‘If you can’! All things are possible for one who believes.” 24 Immediately the father of the child cried out[d] and said, “I believe; help my unbelief!” 25 And when Jesus saw that a crowd came running together, he rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, “You mute and deaf spirit, I command you, come out of him and never enter him again.” 26 And after crying out and convulsing him terribly, it came out, and the boy was like a corpse, so that most of them said, “He is dead.” 27 But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him up, and he arose. 28 And when he had entered the house, his disciples asked him privately, “Why could we not cast it out?” 29 And he said to them, “This kind cannot be driven out by anything but prayer.”[e]

Combine this with Ephesians 6:

The Whole Armor of God​

10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. 11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. 12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. 13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. 14 Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15 and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. 16 In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; 17 and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, 18 praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints, 19 and also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel, 20 for which I am an ambassador in chains, that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak.

Prayer is our weapon. Nothing else will win.

Prayer is our weapon, but fasting is also our weapon, although often forgotten. Christ told the disciples after helping the distraught father in Mark 9 that sometimes victory can only be achieved by both. Daniel was doing both in ch.'s 9 & 10 when he received 2 of the most important prophetic messages in history. Sometimes, a weapon is also our weapon. Nehemiah using a sword did not diminish or disprove his faith, he wielded it trusting that God had given him the means to protect himself and others.

There's a war going on all around us that we - thankfully - can't see. Sometimes I think it would be great to see the army of God the way Elisha and his servant did, but then if we saw the opposition, it would probably drive us mad.
 

ETNVol

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Anybody notice that Canada just started taking away peoples ability to buy or sell if you are not loyal to their regime?

Foreshadowing?

Our world is full of that foreshadowing. China has a social credit score that economically cripples anyone who resists. Many Australians can't leave home without a vaccination card (and some American cities still have this policy).

Look how many people willingly complied with the vax mandates. And those came at a time when there was still at least a little discernment left in the world. When it comes to the anti-Christ, billions will bend the knee without a second thought.
 

catfishpunter

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We finished up last night by describing the potential players in this war. While there is a little uncertainty as to whether "Cush" is Ethiopia, Sudan, Rwanda, or some combination thereof, and the same is true for most of the other countries, the point is that Israel is going to be subjected to an all-out, coordinated attack from all angles.

See the re-post of the map below to show what this might look like.

Russiamap.jpg


Now, some people will say, "Hey, this has already happened. Israel has already been attacked by its neighbors." This is true. Israel was attacked immediately after its modern rebirth in 1948, and the attack did come from all angles.

See this map for what that brief, one-sided war looked like. The aggressors in this war were also a league of allies - Syria, Jordan, Egypt, Lebanon, Iraq, and Saudi Arabia.

War-of-Independence-Invasion.jpg


How does this group of aggressors compare to the list of participants in the Magog War? There is zero overlap. In fact, one of the 1948 combatants, Saudi Arabia, appears to be a protesting nation in the Magog War. Also, while many of the identities of the other nations on our Magog list are possibly in question, one aggressive nation's identity is set in stone: Persia, modern day Iran.

Iran did not invade Israel in 1948. In fact, Iran was the second Muslim-majority country to recognize Israel's independence, and Israel and Iran remained allies until the Islamic Revolution in 1979.

Thus, the 1948 war cannot be the war mentioned in Ezekiel 38.

What about the Six Day War in 1967? That was another time when Israel was surrounded and attacked.

See the map from that war below.

1967lead.jpg

Events-Leading-to-Six-Day-W.jpg

Israel's neighbors got the band back together - Jordan, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Syria and Lebanon positioned their troops near Israel, and major combat operations were fought between Jordan, Syria and Egypt.

Again, this famous war does not come anywhere near matching the Magog list, and Persia was still an Israeli ally, so it cannot be the war prophesied in Ezekiel.

Next candidate? The Yom Kippur War in 1973. That was mainly an Egypt and Syria operation, not anything that matched Ezekiel's prediction. Again, Israel and Persia were allies, not enemies, at this time.

Never, in Israel's history, has she been concurrently attacked by a group of nations remotely resembling the group listed in Ezekiel 38.

We can draw three alternate conclusions from this:

1. The Bible is wrong, and this attack will never happen.
2. The attack foretold in Ezekiel 38 is metaphorical, not literal.
3. The attack has not yet occurred, but it will.

Option three is by far our best option.

As we've mentioned before, the Bible is batting 1.000 on prophecy fulfillment (and I'd be glad to answer anyone who thinks otherwise - as you see, I've got no problem going as far down the historical, theological and eschatological rabbit hole as needed). The best predictor of future performance is past performance, and since the Bible has proven itself a remarkably reliable predictor of the future, we ought to bet on it again.

What about option 2? Why not a metaphorical interpretation, rather than the literal one we've been pursuing?

The specificity of the prophecy and the incredible detail tied to real places in the real world ought to lead us towards a more literal interpretation. Let's consider just one aspect that should support this view. The text clearly defines a "when" for the fulfillment that in itself is a fulfilled prophecy. It predicts that Israel would be a wasteland for a very long time, and then its people would return to the land and live in prosperity. That is exactly what has happened. No other people group has been scattered around the world for almost 2,000 years, retained its ethnic identity while spread across every country, and returned home to its own land.

If this stage-setting has happened with perfect, literal fulfillment, we ought to anticipate that the rest of the passage should be fulfilled in the same fashion, rather than switching from literal to metaphorical mid-passage.
 
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catfishpunter

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So, the war is coming - someday. How do the attacking nations view this war?

Frankly, they're ALL IN.

Read what God says to them at the beginning of this prophecy. I've bolded and capitalized a few words for emphasis.

"Behold, I am against you, O Gog, chief prince of Meshech and Tubal. And I will turn you about and put hooks into your jaws, and I will bring you out, and ALL your army, horses and horsemen, all of them clothed in full armor, a great host, all of them with buckler and shield, wielding swords. Persia, Cush, and Put are with them, all of them with shield and helmet; Gomer and ALL his hordes; Beth-togarmah from the uttermost parts of the north with ALL his hordes—many peoples are with you."

These guys are coming to Israel, and they're bringing E'RYBODY. They are coming to do what so many of Israel's neighbors have dreamed of for years - fighting a war of annihilation.

Look at Russia's current deployments near Ukraine. Today, the BBC stated that there might be 190,000 Russian ground troops deployed around Ukraine. This is two thirds of their estimated 280,000 active soldiers.

Think about the alarm raised around the world with this current massive movement of troops, and it won't even compare to what's going to happen in the Magog war, when several nations move all of their troops against Israel.

What does that tell us about the condition of the world at that future date?

Multiple nations across three continents - Africa, Europe and Asia - are going to deploy their armies and move overland towards Israel. They will violate the territorial integrity of country after country to get to Israel, meaning that these violated countries will either be cowed into submission, dominated militarily, or accepting these entries as allies.

The world and its institutions will be powerless to stop the attack. Certainly, some countries will protest, but according to the prophecy, their protests do nothing to stop the military advance.

Up next we'll investigate why these countries would do something so completely insane as leaving their homelands and marching on an intercontinental mission to fight one of the tiniest countries in the world.
 

catfishpunter

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So, why would this group of countries ever do something so completely insane? Why would they send all of their troops and materiel on a mission of annihilation overland to Israel?

Well, what are the normal reasons for war?

It can't be a war of traditional territorial expansion, for none of the offenders border Israel.

It can't be a war of colonization, as there is a massive, multi-nation coalition involved. Nobody colonizes by committee, especially when that committee is comprised of a hodge podge of cultures.

It can't be a war of retribution, because there's no way that Israel goes out of its way to launch the war of Magog. There are millions of Jews who are anticipating this war, and there is not a widespread apocalyptic impulse to force this event (Fascinating side note - An apocalyptic impulse was and is at the core of ISIS - seeking to hold the town of Dabiq, Syria, and drawing the nations of the world to fight them there. They hold the Muslim eschatological belief that a battle against the world in Dabiq will bring about the appearance of The Mahdi, a Muslim end-times hero, who will lead their forces to victory and help bring about the end of the world).

There are three reasons this war will take place, and the text tells us what these reasons are.

1. Pillage. "...I will go up against the land of unwalled villages. I will fall upon the quiet people who dwell securely, all of them dwelling without walls, and having no bars or gates,’ to seize spoil and carry off plunder"

2. Evil. "...thoughts will come into your mind, and you will devise an evil scheme"

3. God's design for judgment against these particular aggressor nations.. "Behold, I am against you, O Gog, chief prince of Meshech and Tubal. And I will turn you about and put hooks into your jaws, and I will bring you out, and all your army..."

How do we harmonize all of this? We can summarize these reasons for war like this:

Someday, a mysterious, aggressive leader, motivated by the evil in his own heart, will build a coalition of nations to pillage and plunder Israel. His foolishness and determination will lead to him and his allies bringing the entirety of their armies to this fight, despite the insanity of such a venture. God Himself will use this time to bring judgment against these leaders and the military of these armies. He will allow this wicked man to put his evil plan in action, and will even lead him out on this mission, which leads to his own destruction.

Let's talk about something that sticks out a bit in the text. It seems like Gog might be treated a little unfairly by God, doesn't it? I mean, God says that He Himself is going to "put hooks into [Gog's] jaws," leading him right to the fight.

Isn't God a God of forgiveness and grace? If God is leading this, how can Gog be held responsible for his own actions?

Our God is a God of tremendous grace and patience. Psalm 145 says so eloquently - "The Lord is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. The Lord is good to all, and his mercy is over all that he has made."

The story of the Bible is not one of a judgmental God. It's a consistent story of a God who ultimately gives every man exactly what that man wants. God is delighted by men who want to follow, serve and love God. Men who choose to remain enemies of God are allowed to do so - and treated accordingly.

Thankfully, those of us who choose to remain enemies of God often receive grace, mercy and patience, as God gives opportunity for people to change their ways.

The thing is, nobody receives an infinite amount of patience. Someone choosing to remain an enemy of God will ultimately reap exactly what he sows.

In Ezekiel 38, Gog, his country, and the countries of his allies, show what happens when we have the time for grace and patience run out.

Gog desperately decides in a lust for plunder to head to Israel, bent on destruction of God's people. God more or less says, "OK, this is where you want to go? This is where you're going. Come on now. Let's get this over with."

One final note on this post - if you ever find yourself fighting against Israel, it is not a good thing. God made ample promises to Israel, and as He never breaks His promises, we must recognize the very special place Israel holds in God's eyes. This does not mean that we should accept or celebrate when Israel does things that are wrong, nor should we bow to unreasonable Israeli demands.

Rather, the right approach we Christians ought to have towards Israel is as follows. We might call this list "How to NOT be like Gog:"

1. Recognizing that the land of Israel is the historical, present and future homeland of the Jewish people, and Jerusalem is its capital.
2. The Temple Mount was the site of two Jewish temples throughout history, with the last temple destroyed in 70 AD. The Temple Mount is holy to the Jews because God said that it is holy to Him. Though we believe that Jesus is our once and only sacrifice for sins, we also believe that the Temple Mount is still holy to the Lord.
3. God says that He will bless those who bless Israel, and curse those who curse Israel. We ought to find ways to honor Israel and its people, whether at home or abroad. As such, we recognize that anti-Semitism is an evil straight from the pits of hell, as is other racial hatred.
4. We should not seek to force Israel's hand in partitioning its land. Israel is the sole sovereign power over its own territory, and we ought to respect their sovereignty.
5. While we ought to be allies and supporters of Israel, we should view all things through the greater lens of the principles of the Kingdom of God. When people and nations (Israel included) act in a manner that is sinful, we should not tacitly accept that. We should instead encourage all to follow Jesus (an interesting conversation with our Jewish friends, no doubt).
 

Hoosier in Mad Town

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Our God is a God of tremendous grace and patience. Psalm 145 says so eloquently - "The Lord is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. The Lord is good to all, and his mercy is over all that he has made."

The story of the Bible is not one of a judgmental God. It's a consistent story of a God who ultimately gives every man exactly what that man wants. God is delighted by men who want to follow, serve and love God. Men who choose to remain enemies of God are allowed to do so - and treated accordingly.
We have AW Tozer reincarnate folks. Take note.

Following on to the witnessing to the Jews. There are two specific areas worth focusing:

  1. Isaiah 53 Most Rabbi's do not teach Isaiah 53. They call it the "Forbidden Text." Simply reading that text and asking a Jew, or anyone really, if that is OT or NT tends to start conversations.
  2. Another common rationale taught by Rabbi's is that if Jesus was truly the Messiah, there is no way that God would forsake him, which Jesus, by his own words, "stated" while on the cross. This one is very interesting, and somewhat mind blowing. More below:
During the life of Jesus, there weren't a lot of books. Most information was shared from generation to generation via oral communication. As a result, when the Jews went to Temple and wanted to begin referencing a certain scripture, it's not as if they could say "everyone turn to Deuteronomy 3: 31-35" because the book hadn't yet been compiled. What was done to let everyone know, who had all memorized the scriptures, was to begin with the first line of the scripture to orient everyone to what text was coming.

Go to Psalm 22.

First line: "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me" Now go further through the passage to what is highlighted below.

A Cry of Anguish and Song of Praise​

221 My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, from the words of my groaning? 2 O my God, I cry by day, but you do not answer, and by night, but I find no rest. 3 Yet you are holy, enthroned on the praises[1] of Israel. 4 In you our fathers trusted; they trusted, and you delivered them. 5 To you they cried and were rescued; in you they trusted and were not put to shame. 6 But I am a worm and not a man, scorned by mankind and despised by the people. 7 All who see me mock me; they make mouths at me; they wag their heads; 8 "He trusts in the Lord; let him deliver him; let him rescue him, for he delights in him!" 9 Yet you are he who took me from the womb; you made me trust you at my mother's breasts. 10 On you was I cast from my birth, and from my mother's womb you have been my God.

11 Be not far from me, for trouble is near, and there is none to help. 12 Many bulls encompass me; strong bulls of Bashan surround me; 13 they open wide their mouths at me, like a ravening and roaring lion. 14 I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint; my heart is like wax; it is melted within my breast; 15 my strength is dried up like a potsherd, and my tongue sticks to my jaws; you lay me in the dust of death. 16 For dogs encompass me; a company of evildoers encircles me; they have pierced my hands and feet[2]-- 17 I can count all my bones-- they stare and gloat over me; 18 they divide my garments among them, and for my clothing they cast lots. 19 But you, O Lord, do not be far off! O you my help, come quickly to my aid! 20 Deliver my soul from the sword, my precious life from the power of the dog! 21 Save me from the mouth of the lion! You have rescued[3] me from the horns of the wild oxen!

22 I will tell of your name to my brothers; in the midst of the congregation I will praise you: 23 You who fear the Lord, praise him! All you offspring of Jacob, glorify him, and stand in awe of him, all you offspring of Israel! 24 For he has not despised or abhorred the affliction of the afflicted, and he has not hidden his face from him, but has heard, when he cried to him. 25 From you comes my praise in the great congregation; my vows I will perform before those who fear him. 26 The afflicted[4] shall eat and be satisfied; those who seek him shall praise the Lord! May your hearts live forever! 27 All the ends of the earth shall remember and turn to the Lord, and all the families of the nations shall worship before you. 28 For kingship belongs to the Lord, and he rules over the nations. 29 All the prosperous of the earth eat and worship; before him shall bow all who go down to the dust, even the one who could not keep himself alive. 30 Posterity shall serve him; it shall be told of the Lord to the coming generation; 31 they shall come and proclaim his righteousness to a people yet unborn, that he has done it.

Jesus wasn't crying out to the Lord in doubt. He was teaching those people who literally knew the text by heart, that that prophesy was being filled in that very specific moment in the way David described 750 years prior. He loved them so much he taught them up to the very end of his death.

Now this typically opens a door to share the Gospel, which you have to do if you want to be obedient to God. If you don't know the Gospel, here is a great presentation:

God is perfect and holy and He requires nothing less than His own perfection. But, we are not able to attain His holiness. He doesn’t lie, cheat, or steal, but we do these things. Therefore, there’s a judgment upon us because we have broken the Law of God, we have sinned by lying and cheating and stealing. This judgment is eternal damnation. However, God the Father loves us so much that He sent God the Son, Jesus, who died on the cross as a sacrifice to pay the penalty for our sins. He died on the cross and physically rose from the dead three days later. This proves that His sacrifice was acceptable to the Father. Therefore, if you want to receive what Jesus has done to remove the wrath of God the Father, then you must receive Him and His sacrifice by faith. Would you like to pray and ask Jesus to forgive your sins against God?
 

catfishpunter

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We now know the answers to several questions related to the Ezekiel 38 war. We know:

What - A multi-national, omnidirectional invasion and war against Israel.
Where - Armies will move on Israel from Europe, Africa and Asia, converging on the Holy Land.
When - After Israel is re-established as a country and the land and people are prosperous.
Who - The lists of nations we've dissected above.
Why - Plunder, evil, and God's judgment.
How - The agressors are bringing the entirety of their militaries to fight this evil war.

Now, let's answer What Will Happen?

I'll tell you this - you never want to be on the receiving end of God making a statement like the one below:

"You will come up against my people Israel, like a cloud covering the land. In the latter days I will bring you against my land, that the nations may know me, when through you, O Gog, I vindicate my holiness before their eyes."

As the kids might have said back in the day, "Oh snap." God is going to go full judo maneuver on Gog and his allies, using their own desperate evil to make an example and demonstrate His holiness. Gog, this demotivational poster was made for you.

mistakesdemotivator_1024x1024.jpeg


So far, we've looked at the first 16 verses of Ezekiel 38, which set the stage for this war. Let's look at the remainder of chapter 38 to see what happens when Gog attacks Israel.

“Thus says the Lord God: Are you he of whom I spoke in former days by my servants the prophets of Israel, who in those days prophesied for years that I would bring you against them? But on that day, the day that Gog shall come against the land of Israel, declares the Lord God, my wrath will be roused in my anger. For in my jealousy and in my blazing wrath I declare, On that day there shall be a great earthquake in the land of Israel. The fish of the sea and the birds of the heavens and the beasts of the field and all creeping things that creep on the ground, and all the people who are on the face of the earth, shall quake at my presence. And the mountains shall be thrown down, and the cliffs shall fall, and every wall shall tumble to the ground. I will summon a sword against Gog on all my mountains, declares the Lord God. Every man's sword will be against his brother. With pestilence and bloodshed I will enter into judgment with him, and I will rain upon him and his hordes and the many peoples who are with him torrential rains and hailstones, fire and sulfur. So I will show my greatness and my holiness and make myself known in the eyes of many nations. Then they will know that I am the Lord." [Ezekiel 38:17-23, English Standard Version]

Here, God reiterates the fact that this attack is not taking Him by surprise. In fact, He has been ready for Gog for a long time.

What happens when Gog and his allies show up in Israel? Well, to quote Forrest Gump, "...right then, God showed up."

This war ends definitively, and not by human hands. Rather, Gog and his allies are destroyed in what we could consider truly biblical fashion. God wipes them out by:

- "a great earthquake in the land of Israel."
- "Every man's sword will be against his brother."
- "With pestilence and bloodshed..."
- "I will rain upon him and his hordes and the many peoples who are with him torrential rains and hailstones, fire and sulfur."


These guys are going to be in a bad way, and it's going to be obvious to them, to Israel, and to the entire world that God Himself is fighting against these aggressor nations. I imagine, in that day, many of those who chose to fight against Israel will have this response:

gob_bluth.jpg


They will see nature itself turn on them as a monstrous earthquake, fire, sulfur, flooding rain, and killer hailstones all fall on these armies. They will also die from pestilence in their midst. Finally, their alliance will collapse, and they will turn on themselves, killing each other.

God will win, as He always does, and the world will know it. "So I will show my greatness and my holiness and make myself known in the eyes of many nations. Then they will know that I am the Lord."

This is not necessarily the end of the world. Most biblical scholars believe that this war happens near the end of time. The text says that it happens in the "latter years." There's still more to come, and the times before the end of the world grow increasingly horrific.

God will use this similar pattern of judgment to reveal his glory. Men who want to be evil will be allowed to do so, and God will display signs and supernatural wonders to reveal His holiness. While He has revealed Himself thus far through nature, the Bible, the person of Jesus, the work of His Holy Spirit in those who follow Him, and miracles, God has been relatively hands-off with mankind, allowing people the freedom to choose Him or choose to be His enemy.

As time nears its end, God's supernatural displays become increasingly bold and clear, giving no person an excuse for wickedness. Though it might seem odd, many people around the world will likely turn to God and recognize Him as the true Lord and Ruler of this world as they watch the remarkable destruction of Gog's armies. When we return to our walk through Revelation in future posts, we'll see God draw more people to Himself through similar means at the end of time.

Sadly, we will also see that millions (if not billions) choose to look at the clear evidence of God's righteousness and goodness and still follow their own way. They will choose to fall into lies and selfishness, rather than surrendering to the God who made and loves them. They, like Gog, will instead fight against the God of all things and seek the death of people who are His. Persecution will rise to unprecedented levels, but ultimately, at the end of all things, as with the war of Gog, God and His people win - this time, eternally.

For those of you reading now, I urge you to turn to Him while you can. God's time of patience and grace runs out for each of us who persist as His enemy, be it in our own individual lives or at the end of all things. Do not continue to reject Him and reject the truth, because ultimately, you will condition yourself to believe any lie presented to you.

I hope the past two years have shown you how easily and how willingly people follow lies, and how willing governments are to traffic in those lies to accomplish their own aims.

The lies will only get bolder and more well-crafted, and your sense to detect them will only be dulled, unless you choose to pursue the ultimate Truth in Jesus Christ. You might have sniffed out some of the major lies of our current times, but Satan, the Father of Lies, is soon to have free reign to lie unhindered. If you are not grounded in the truth, you will be ground into submission to deceit.

I'm getting on a plane right now, and will try to get a post off about Ezekiel 39 later tonight.
 

ETNVol

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Few things to keep in mind as you read Catfish's posts above and watch the news of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Eze. 38:15 says this army will come from the North parts. It may be that the army will converge from every direction as the map CF posted above shows, but the scripture says the horde will come from the north, so we can only assume that the brunt of their armies will come from that direction.

38:21 says "I will call for a sword against him throughout all my mountains", and 39:2 says "will cause thee to come up from the north parts, and will bring thee upon the mountains of Israel", and vs. 4 "thou shalt fall upon the mountains of Israel".

When Israel won the Golan Heights from Syria/Jordan in 1967, Israel finally had mountains. Trump recognized the Golan Heights as legitimately part of the state of Israel in 2019. Prior to that, U.S., and every other nation's policy, was that the mountains were not part of Israel. The obliteration described in Eze 38 & 39 happens in that mountainous region. A region that quietly found itself in the news last week.

Just hours before the Ukraine invasion began, what was it the UN and Russia's deputy UN ambassador were discussing? The Golan Heights. "Russia doesn’t recognize Israel’s sovereignty over Golan Heights that are part of Syria,” Dmitry Polyanskiy, told the UN Security Council.

So here - even with Russia on the brink of war in the Ukraine - Russia is concerned about its potential future satellite state, Syria, and the Golan Heights, the strategic key to so many countries. Is the next move after the Ukraine the "hooks into the jaws" that will drag the Russians south?
 

ETNVol

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The Book of Enoch is worthless. You might as well be gaining prophetic insights from The Lord of the Rings.
There are some who argue it was stripped from the bible because of its fantastical nature, giants, angels and so forth. As if the Bible isn't already chock full of those things. It was never included in canon because it contradicts scripture in numerous places.
 

Hoosier in Mad Town

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There are some who argue it was stripped from the bible because of its fantastical nature, giants, angels and so forth. As if the Bible isn't already chock full of those things. It was never included in canon because it contradicts scripture in numerous places.s places

this is true. And it wasn't even written by Enoch (who would've lived sometime in between 1500-1300BC and the scriptural/textual analysis shows the book was written sometime between 300BC and 100AD.

It's a crock.
 

racernhra

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I was reading Mark this morning and noticed this verse:

17 But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days!

Formula shortage?
And the effects the gene editing shots may have both during the pregnancy and long term.

I once wondered how a society could be put in a position where non-compliance with governmental authority could make it impossible to transact without acceptance of a prescribed set of rules. I know exactly how this can work now.
 

PleasureMoose

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And the effects the gene editing shots may have both during the pregnancy and long term.

I once wondered how a society could be put in a position where non-compliance with governmental authority could make it impossible to transact without acceptance of a prescribed set of rules. I know exactly how this can work now.
This formula shortage is most likely designed so vaccinated women will be forced to breastfeed newborns with their vaxx milk
 
D

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Very insightful.

Thank you, all.

So wonderful to witness each individuals uniquely subjective interpretations.

Would love to participate, as I have many questions.

Ironically however, it has consistently been made clear by some, that my own subjective opinions are to be silenced with intense irrationality, & passive aggression.

I respect these individuals & their free will to do so, it actually pleases me that they exercise this fundamental right.

The mess that this behaviour causes for everyone else though, I cannot justify, so I must continue to censor my-self.

Nonetheless, I do look forward to reading additional posts.
Cheers everyone🙂👍
 

ETNVol

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I was reading Mark this morning and noticed this verse:

17 But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days!

Formula shortage?

That's a good one.

But for those who stumble across this one day and don't know the context, Christ is telling Jews that when the anti-christ turns on them, exactly 42 months into the 70th week, run for it immediately (out of Jerusalem). Don't worry about your belongings or anything else, just get out of town and find someplace to hide. A pregnant woman or one who recently delivered will have a difficult time getting away.
 

Old Glory

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A question for who I consider to be the experts in this thread.

Do you believe that we are living through the end times with the current state of affairs, or is this God preparing for what will happen in the end times and giving us time to get right with Him and to know what the signs of the end times are?
 

Old Glory

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Decided to make a separate post for this. I know it doesn't fall under biblical prophecy but I learned the other day that an actual rainbow (God's promise) has 7 colors, whereas the LGBT flag only has 6.

Red Orange Yellow Green Blue Indigo Violet vs. red orange yellow green blue violet

TikTok might be full of filth but I have learned a lot from it, this being one of those things.
 

catfishpunter

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I've spent the past several months watching the world continue to play out along its pre-determined course, and tonight felt compelled to post again in this thread.

Friends, what more can I do to point you at Jesus? I'm glad to post more about biblical prophecy, if that helps.

If you go back and re-read the posts I made last summer, I think you'll find that the arc of history over the past 14 months has bent towards every trend I laid out.

The world is willingly racing towards deception, authoritarianism and corruption.

We've gotten to a point now where our politicians are openly lying to us about numbers and facts as they are published. The hunger for deception is so great that we're not even waiting for revisionist history; entire swaths of our society and our leaders are lying with boldness and impunity while catastrophe rains down.

Inflation and war have been allowed to run rampant, and our elites have been tickled to condemn others to wallow in forced human suffering around the world in support of various aspects of their own value system.

There is a bolder anti-Christ, anti-God, spirit at work in this world than I have ever seen in my life.

I stand by every prediction I made last year, and urge you even more strongly to consider Jesus.

No man will save you. No technocrat, no politician, no amount of prepping, nothing will save you but Jesus. YOU will not save you.

The best efforts of man will always fall short, as we're seeing now. We are generating misery at an exponential rate.

Follow Jesus.

In case it's not clear, what does that look like? It's really simple. You agree to surrender and end your personal war with God, asking Jesus to forgive you for choosing a sinful life apart from God in the first place, and submitting to Him as Lord, the rightful authority in your life.

If you do this:

He will change you.
He will give you lasting peace with God.
He will NOT abandon you.

If there's interest, we can talk more prophecy, as there are several things that continue to point even more towards the lateness of the hour. I just don't want people to lose the plot.

It's all about Jesus.
 
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D

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I've spent the past several months watching the world continue to play out along its pre-determined course, and tonight felt compelled to post again in this thread.

Friends, what more can I do to point you at Jesus? I'm glad to post more about biblical prophecy, if that helps.

If you go back and re-read the posts I made last summer, I think you'll find that the arc of history over the past 14 months has bent towards every trend I laid out.

The world is willingly racing towards deception, authoritarianism and corruption.

We've gotten to a point now where our politicians are openly lying to us about numbers and facts as they are published. The hunger for deception is so great that we're not even waiting for revisionist history; entire swaths of our society and our leaders are lying with boldness and impunity while catastrophe rains down.

Inflation and war have been allowed to run rampant, and our elites have been tickled to condemn others to wallow in forced human suffering around the world in support of various aspects of their own value system.

There is a bolder anti-Christ, anti-God, spirit at work in this world than I have ever seen in my life.

I stand by every prediction I made last year, and urge you even more strongly to consider Jesus.

No man will save you. No technocrat, no politician, no amount of prepping, nothing will save you but Jesus. YOU will not save you.

The best efforts of man will always fall short, as we're seeing now. We are generating misery at an exponential rate.

Follow Jesus.

In case it's not clear, what does that look like? It's really simple. You agree to surrender and end your personal war with God, asking Jesus to forgive you for choosing a sinful life apart from God in the first place, and submitting to Him as Lord, the rightful authority in your life.

If you do this:

He will change you.
He will give you lasting peace with God.
He will abandon you.

If there's interest, we can talk more prophecy, as there are several things that continue to point even more towards the lateness of the hour. I just don't want people to lose the plot.

It's all about Jesus.
Great commentary there mate, am stoked as!
Really glad to see ya posting again too, defs appreciate your insight aye.

Cheers catfishpunter
😁👍
 

Old Glory

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I've spent the past several months watching the world continue to play out along its pre-determined course, and tonight felt compelled to post again in this thread.

Friends, what more can I do to point you at Jesus? I'm glad to post more about biblical prophecy, if that helps.

If you go back and re-read the posts I made last summer, I think you'll find that the arc of history over the past 14 months has bent towards every trend I laid out.

The world is willingly racing towards deception, authoritarianism and corruption.

We've gotten to a point now where our politicians are openly lying to us about numbers and facts as they are published. The hunger for deception is so great that we're not even waiting for revisionist history; entire swaths of our society and our leaders are lying with boldness and impunity while catastrophe rains down.

Inflation and war have been allowed to run rampant, and our elites have been tickled to condemn others to wallow in forced human suffering around the world in support of various aspects of their own value system.

There is a bolder anti-Christ, anti-God, spirit at work in this world than I have ever seen in my life.

I stand by every prediction I made last year, and urge you even more strongly to consider Jesus.

No man will save you. No technocrat, no politician, no amount of prepping, nothing will save you but Jesus. YOU will not save you.

The best efforts of man will always fall short, as we're seeing now. We are generating misery at an exponential rate.

Follow Jesus.

In case it's not clear, what does that look like? It's really simple. You agree to surrender and end your personal war with God, asking Jesus to forgive you for choosing a sinful life apart from God in the first place, and submitting to Him as Lord, the rightful authority in your life.

If you do this:

He will change you.
He will give you lasting peace with God.
He will abandon you.

If there's interest, we can talk more prophecy, as there are several things that continue to point even more towards the lateness of the hour. I just don't want people to lose the plot.

It's all about Jesus.
This thread has helped me tons so if you are asking for a vote, my vote is yes.
 

noleology

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In case it's not clear, what does that look like? It's really simple. You agree to surrender and end your personal war with God, asking Jesus to forgive you for choosing a sinful life apart from God in the first place, and submitting to Him as Lord, the rightful authority in your life.

If you do this:

He will change you.
He will give you lasting peace with God.
He will NOT abandon you.

If there's interest, we can talk more prophecy, as there are several things that continue to point even more towards the lateness of the hour. I just don't want people to lose the plot.

It's all about Jesus.
 

catfishpunter

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Messages
403
In case it's not clear, what does that look like? It's really simple. You agree to surrender and end your personal war with God, asking Jesus to forgive you for choosing a sinful life apart from God in the first place, and submitting to Him as Lord, the rightful authority in your life.

If you do this:

He will change you.
He will give you lasting peace with God.
He will NOT abandon you.

If there's interest, we can talk more prophecy, as there are several things that continue to point even more towards the lateness of the hour. I just don't want people to lose the plot.

It's all about Jesus.

Thanks for catching the biggest typo ever!!
 

Skinnyman

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Wild stuff, isn't it? I don't know what all to make of the meaning when a society decides to devote its resources to a project like rebuilding the Pergamon Altar. You don't really want to read too much into it, because it almost seems nuts to do so, right?

The thing is, when you read the Old Testament, it is FULL of stories of wicked kings who went out and rebuilt the old pagan "high places" that their fathers had torn down, and that devotion to rebuilding pagan worship sites reflected a shift in priorities for the nation, moving away from God's priorities to their own selfish worship, which was a sensual, self-serving demonic affair, as they would worship Ba'al, Molech, Asherah, etc.

In modern terms, does that mean that every archaeological restoration of some pagan instrument, shrine, etc., implies that the nation or group undertaking it is going to take part in pagan demon worship?

I don't think so, but I think that Christians who are involved in such efforts ought to think and pray about what they're doing, and why they're doing it. Are they edifying God, or introducing a new generation to ancient cultic practices that are better left alone?

That's what makes this example with the Nazis so fascinating. They actually did the modern equivalent of the wicked ancient Israelite kings. In that parade grounds, they took inspiration from a site of demonic worship and used it to build a site for Hitler worship, which by extension, is worship of Satan, whom he served.

I'm going to bring up another example of this type of behavior that ties to another ancient artifact in that same museum in Berlin. This major artifact comes from the most wicked city ever built - Babylon - and was given the same level of respect and care as the Pergamon Altar. It doesn't tie to the Nazis; rather, I believe that it reflects the values system that Revelation foretells will dominate the world religious scene under The Antichrist.

The last thing I would say to other readers of this thread (though, @Hoosier in Mad Town, given your comments throughout this thread, I have no doubt you already do this) is that you should believe exactly nothing that I say. Go and read, pray and study for yourself. Test everything. As we've seen over the past several years, fake news and manipulation is a real thing. Don't fall prey to it anywhere, including here.
Guys this is fascinating and so appreciated. Cant thank you enough. Nothing matters unless you are saved and that effort is being put forward with my family, albeit very green on this, my brother has become a pastor and has inspired me to try my best to bring my family of 3 (wife/daughter) towards a path of salvation. With a handle like CatfishPunter, i would have never suspected such genuine insight and research, yet i’m at optimal attention and intrigue. (No offense mi amigo). May Gods blessings always be upon you!
 

Skinnyman

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I'm so glad to hear all of this. If this helps you see Jesus more clearly, perfect. I hope that, by the end of this, whoever is reading this forgets who wrote all of this, and I'm sure @ETNVol and @Hoosier in Mad Town and any other contributor on here would feel the same. Just know Him, and that's all that matters.

Where do you think you'll start when you start reading your Bible again?

I don't want to be presumptuous, but it often seems that when we grow up in a Christian home and then take some time off in early adulthood, we need to really revisit the foundations of the faith of our childhood to make sure we really understood it all correctly and personally.

I can't speak for the Catholic experience, but that's pretty common for Protestants. Someone will grow up and be pretty active in the church and then drift off during college, and finally reconnect with their faith when they have a young family.

When folks do decide to engage on their own, sometimes they take a hard look and realize that they may not have fully understood the Gospel as a young person, or that they might have taken part in church activities but never actually surrendered their own life to Jesus. That's so common.

I love that you see it as "knocking the dust off." It's like taking an old car out that hasn't been driven for a long time. We pull the cover off and give it a detailed inspection, making sure that everything's in good working order, and fixing anything that isn't. I'd recommend that initial "once over" with your faith, so that you've got a certain foundation that you can build on and enjoy for the rest of your life.

I talked with a guy recently who had a similar background - away from church for a long time, then back in the faith. We had a great discussion. These are some questions we talked about, and ones I'd think about, which might identify some areas that are in great shape in your faith and others that might need a little thoughtful consideration.

1. People call Jesus their "Savior." Why do I need a Savior?
2. Who do I believe Jesus is?
3. How can I be sure that I'm right with God and can spend forever with Him?

You can find the answers to all of those questions in the book of Romans, which I'd highly recommend. It is a challenging read, but it lays out clearly the case for salvation through faith in Jesus, and the futility of trying to do anything on our own to try and merit God's favor (as if we could somehow improve upon or add to the infinitely valuable sacrifice of the holy and perfect Son of God dying on our behalf). I have read it a number of times, and find it a great message for clearing up my own thinking, which can get cloudy.

Also, if you've got any thoughts or questions - keep 'em coming!
God Bless you brother. No doubt you have clearly made things understandable for me that otherwise i never would have. In turn of your work here i am now stronger in mu faith than ever before and i cannot thank you enough, and the help of ETN Vol and Hoosier for providing clarification in Lamens terms for those of us that were somewhat” lost in translation”. What a blessing and gift that has been collectively put together here. Surely it will save souls, hopefully mine and family included.
 

Skinnyman

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Guys any chance for a prayer for my amazing father, with dementia, and colon cancer as he goes through appendicitis surgery that i just found out right now. Im 42 and having a rough run with my hero not doing well these days. Hes literally about to go into surgery and i need my Guy to come out on the other end ok❤
His name is Jay, and hes well worthy! 🙏🏻
 
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Let's start by getting all Ohio State up in here. It's THE Revelation. We often hear it referred to as Revelations, but there is no "s" in the title.

It was originally written in Greek, and the Greek name for the book is Apocalypsis, which is a singular noun (Apocalypses would be plural... I am no Greek scholar, so you'll have to bear with the little bit that I use it).

As you might have guessed, Apocalypsis sounds a lot like our English word Apocalypse. This is an interesting point. While we view an apocalypse (or The Apocalypse) as a catastrophic event, the Greek word actually means something to the effect of "to unveil" or "to take away a cover." That is why the book is called Revelation. Something that was hidden is being revealed.

So, the book is a single revelation. Even though it contains a LOT of information, it's peeling the cover back on one big topic. What is it?

The book starts out and lets us know right away what we're dealing with in the first verse of the first chapter (FYI, if you're new to this, you will see a lot of chapter and verse shorthand notation. Rev 1:4 means Revelation chapter 1, verse 4, for instance).

"The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show to His bond-servants, the things which must soon take place; and He sent and communicated it by His angel to His bond-servant John, who testified to the word of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, everything that he saw." (Rev 1:1-2)

OK, according to this, everything that comes from here on after is an unveiling of information by Jesus Christ Himself. God the Father gave it to Him to share with His followers. Jesus communicated this revelation to His follower John by way of an angel sent to John.

What is being revealed by Jesus? It's "the things which must soon take place." In other words, we're going to learn about the future.

Who, by the way, is John? John is not the guy you may have heard of named John the Baptist; rather, this is John the Apostle, one of Jesus's 12 disciples. John wrote the Gospel of John, three short letters in the New Testament (1, 2 and 3 John), and this book of The Revelation.

John's situation when he received this vision and wrote the book were pretty bad. It was around the year 95 AD, and John was an old man. He had been a follower of Jesus back in the early 30's AD. Over 60 years had passed, and all his fellow Apostles had died by this time. Things didn't look to great for him. He had been banished to the small Greek island of Patmos in the Aegean Sea. He was sent there due to his Christian faith.

patmos.jpg


Frankly, Patmos looks pretty awesome today, but it was not so in John's time.

180913173939-view-of-skala-the-port-of-patmos-from-chora-the-capital-full-169.jpg


He tells us plainly in verse 9 that his banishment was due to his faith. Details beyond that are found in extra-biblical sources, which may or may not be true. They aren't Scripture and shouldn't be treated as such. We can learn from them, but should not base our theology on them. In this case, Tertullian, writing in 200 AD, claimed that the Romans had tried to boil John to death in hot oil, but he was not hurt. Since they couldn't kill him, they banished him.

While on Patmos, John received a vision that he recorded and that would come down to us intact nearly 2,000 years later.

Can you show me where "the antichrist" is a person or being to come? This is of great importance.........speaking of John..........


where here does it both capitalize and refer to antichrist in the singular?
 

ETNVol

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Can you show me where "the antichrist" is a person or being to come? This is of great importance.........speaking of John..........


where here does it both capitalize and refer to antichrist in the singular?
See the bolded:

2 Thes 2:3-4 - Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.

1 John 2:18 - Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time.

Rev. 13 - 16-17
16 And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads:
17
And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.
 

catfishpunter

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Can you show me where "the antichrist" is a person or being to come? This is of great importance.........speaking of John..........


where here does it both capitalize and refer to antichrist in the singular?

Great question. That's as good a subject for tonight as any. Is there "an" Antichrist, or does that term refer to something different? The term Antichrist can be understood not just as "against Christ" but also as "instead of Christ," someone presented as an alternative to Jesus.

Those passages you linked from John's epistles show the spiritual nature of anyone who could be described as antichrist. Such a person denies Jesus, either that He came in the flesh or that He is God.

There have been millions of people who have had this "antichrist" aspect. They refuse to acknowledge Jesus, seek alternatives instead of Him, and live in opposition to Him. They are, by definition, anti-Christ.

That said, the Bible lays out a progressively clearer picture throughout the Old Testament and the New Testament that, one day, the ultimate expression of this attitude will appear on earth. He will be THE Antichrist, a man who defiantly mocks God and defies the name of Jesus.

He is known by many identities and titles throughout Scripture, including:

The Lawless one (2 Thess 2)
The Beast (Rev 11)
The Man of Sin (2 Thess 2)
The Prince That Shall Come (Dan 9)
The Worthless Shepherd (Zech 11)
 
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