World News Through the Third Lens: Egypt and Islam

EGYPTIAN OFFICIAL: WAR WITH ISRAEL WITHIN THREE MONTHS: Egyptian Presidential Candidate Tawfiq Okasha declared last week that the Egyptian Army will engage in armed warfare against Israel, the United States and the EU within three months. The declaration also said that “like the Nazis, the Jews aim to rule and own the world.” He then went on to say that Israel, America and the European Union are planning to destroy three institutions in Egypt with
“exceptional malice,” namely the Egyptian general intelligence agency, the Egyptian armed forces, and the Egyptian military intelligence. He then declared, “As of today, the war effort of the people has begun. The Egyptian army will open fire on the armies of the enemies,” he proclaimed. When asked exactly when an armed war would begin, he replied, “within three months.” (INN) as reported by JNN News, Feb. 23, 2012.


REPUBLICANS: THE FACTS ARE CLEAR THAT OBAMA IS NO FRIEND OF ISRAEL: The Republican Jewish Coalition (RJC) has released a statement entitled “Security,” highlighting the discrepancy between President Obama’s rhetoric regarding his support for Israel’s security and his actions. The ad states: “These are dangerous times for Israel. Iran is threatening Israel’s
destruction. Hizbullah has armed itself with over 40,000 rockets and missiles to rain down on innocent Israelis. Shockingly, President Obama has dramatically cut proposed critical support for Israel’s defense program - the same systems Israel needs to protect itself from these threats. President Obama’s rhetoric would have you believe he is doing all he can for Israel’s security. The reality is that he wants to slash American support for Israel’s critical defense.” RJC Executive Director Matt Brooks said that at this dangerous time, no true friend of Israel would talk about cutting funding to its joint missile defense programs with the Jewish state. (Arutz-7)


Through the Third Lens of Scripture: "The Lord said to Abram, 'Leave your country, your people, and your father's household and go to the land I will show you. I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples of the earth will be blessed through you'" (Genesis 13:1-3).


It is not always a pleasant task to view developments on the world scene and how they are connected to prophecies in the Holy Scripture. First, the view is often troublesome, at least in the short term. Second, there is always the concern that I will not overstep proper bounds and that what I write will be guided by the Holy Spirit. Some things are so very clear in God's Word that they must be proclaimed, with conviction. So it is with the above promise which God made to Abram. The promise was restated by God several times, and was even pronounced in a solemn covenant (Genesis 15). The covenant was confirmed in Genesis 17 through the rite of circumcision, and Abram's name (meaning "exalted father') was changed to Abraham (meaning "father of many." The greatest promise to Abraham in this covenant was that God promised to be Abraham's God (Genesis 17:7). The greatest promise to the world was the blessing in Genesis 12:3 which, as history unfolded, was to be the Messiah, Jesus the Christ, Savior of Jew and Gentile alike.


Included in God's covenant promise to Abraham and his descendants was the promise of the land (Genesis 15:18-21). The covenant was an everlasting covenant (Genesis 17:7-8). The covenant concerning the land was fulfilled briefly under King Solomon, and has since been diminished, interrupted, and restored in part through the interaction of Israel's disobedience and God's sovereignty. Eventually the full scope of the covenant promise will be established forever. From A.D. 70 until A.D. 1948 it looked like God was either unable or unwilling to fulfill His promise as the "promised land" lay under the rule and domination of other people. Then, miraculously, on May 14, 1948 the nation of Israel was born.


Never before in history had a people been without a country while still maintaining their identity. Attempts had been made to wipe this people from the face of the earth, including the 6,000,000 who died in the Holocaust between 1933 and 1945. No sooner had the United Nations declared Israel to be a sovereign nation that the surrounding nations attacked her. Several times, most notably in 1948, 1967 and 1973 she was attacked by forces superior in number and might but God always protected her. The people were drawn back to the land in unbelief, just as the Bible prophesied.


Through it all, promise of Genesis 12:3 has remained true. The Messiah did come through the line of Abraham. Those nations that have chosen to bless Israel have in turn been blessed by God. Near the top of that list is the United States of America. I personally believe that it has been our support of Israel that has forestalled God's judgment upon our land for the way we have turned our collective back on Him, especially through the legalized genocide called abortion. While there has been some progress in reducing the number of abortions performed in this country, that's not very comforting considering the fact that some 3,000 innocent babies die in the USA every day. All the while, our support for Israel seems to waver and wane with each passing year.


What does this have to do with Egypt? Egypt is an interesting country, with a history far greater than ours. Throughout the centuries, Egypt has also developed an interesting history with Israel. It was Egypt which provided a place of refuge for Abraham (Genesis 12:10-20) during a time of famine. Egypt rescued the 70 which Abraham had become through Isaac, Jacob and Jacob's 12 sons during a time of famine (Genesis 41:53 - 50:26). The fertile land of Goshen was enjoyed by Israel, and they grew in numbers, until a king arose in Egypt "who did not know about Joseph" (Exodus 1:8) who then made slaves of the Israelites (Genesis 1:11) and sought to reduce their numbers by murdering all the baby boys (Genesis 1:16). We all know of Moses, who would deliver his people from the slavery of Egypt and bring them into the land promised to Abraham some 400 years earlier.


Some 1500 years later, Egypt would become a temporary refuge for our Lord and Savior as the baby Jesus and his parents fled to Egypt to escape the paranoid wrath of King Herod (Matthew 2:13-23). All this is said to be a brief example of the parallels between Egypt's treatment of Israel and that of the USA. Sometimes it's been good; sometimes not so good. The Lord inspired Ezekiel to prophesy against Egypt (Ezekiel 29-32) and the outcome is not good. The Arab Spring uprising in Egypt and the overthrow of a secular government officially at peace with Israel may well be a fulfillment of Isaiah 19:1-4. Other parts of that chapter seem to await fulfillment, such as the four prophecies of "in that day" (Isaiah 19:16-25).


Will the USA be dealt with in the same manner as Egypt? We have not yet joined in persecuting Israel yet. Pray that we don't. Egypt suffers greatly at the hand of God but in the end they will turn to the Lord (Isaiah 19:22). Is it too late for the USA to repent or will she too suffer judgment at the hand of God? Egypt is now on the verge of being governed completely by sharia law. The United States has a president who has shown himself time and time again to be a at least a Muslim sympathizer, if not an actual Muslim vainly trying to hide in plain sight as a Christian.


The people of God, those who are truly His through saving faith in Jesus Christ, must heed the Lord's command to patiently endure, and thus reap the promise to be kept from the "...hour of trial that is going to come upon the whole world to test those who live on the earth.' (Revelation 3:10).

World News Through the Third Lens: Closed!

"What if your church was evicted tomorrow?" read the subject line in an email dated January 28, 2012 from the Family Research Council. There are probably thousands, if not millions, who call themselves Christians here in the United States who either don't care to consider the question or who are unaware that it is happening right now............RIGHT NOW in the land of the First Amendment! As is often the case, persecution against a particular group of people (those of the Christian faith in particular) usually begins on the margins. Wholesale attacks against the main body of that group are rare in the beginning.


Marginal attacks tend to cause the main body to think, "Oh, it's just those radicals, so we have nothing to worry about." Or the thinking goes, "That's just happening in _______, but nothing like that would ever happen there," or "If we just don't make any waves, that will blow over." In times like this I often think of the words of Martin Niemoller.


"First they came for the communists, and I didn't speak out because I wasn't a communist.
Then they came for the trade unionists, and I didn't speak out because I wasn't a trade unionist.
Then they came for the Jews and I didn't speak out because I wasn't a Jew.
Then they came for the Catholics and I didn't speak out because I was a Protestant.
Then they cam for me and there was no one left to speak out for me."


The above captioned email says that unless a change is made, "on February 12, 2012, as many as 100 churches in New York City face eviction on February 12, as the school board's ban against the use of property by religious congregations goes into effect. The evictions could be devastating to small congregations and church plants in the city and......opportunities for ministry in many areas of the Big Apple would be effectively shut down." All of this is happening in spite of the fact that: 1) The Lamb's Chapel decision by the Supreme Court several years ago guaranteed equal access to government buildings by all groups (even religious groups), and 2) the churches using schools in New York City have been model tenants, providing much needed revenue and services to the city.


Through the Third Lens of Scripture......There are some prophetic portions of Scripture that tell us that there will come a time when such incidents will not be isolated or infrequent. In fact, because all of the last days events are described as "birth pains" we can expect that they will increase in both intensity or severity. Consider: "But before all this they will lay their hands on you and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues and prisons, and you will be brought before kings and governors for my name's sake. This will be your opportunity to bear witness......You will be hated by all for my name's sake" (Luke 21:12-13, 17). This whole passage could serve as a summary of the life of the Apostle Paul.


This confirms that such persecution of the followers of Christ has been around for almost 2000 years, but remember the birth pangs. One of the agonizing results of our military intervention in the countries of Iraq and Afghanistan (in addition to the loss of so many of our finest and bravest) has been the increase of persecution of Christians in these countries. Many have died and many more have fled for their lives. Some of the places to which Christians have fled are Muslim countries, formerly ruled by moderate, secular governments, but which, in the name of "democracy" have undergone revolutions, only to be ruled by the Muslim Brotherhood (e.g., Egypt). Since becoming "democratic" persecution of Christians has increased in these countries.


"Of course," you might say, "the persecution mentioned in Luke 21 is future, not now," or, "New York City is not the Bible belt," or, "Egypt is not the USA!" May I remind you, there were a lot of things Martin Niemoller was not, but he spent 5 years imprisoned at Dachau. The Bible makes it clear that there is a time coming when persecution of true Christians will be world-wide. "And the beast was given a mouth uttering haughty and blasphemous words, and it was allowed to exercise authority for forty-two months. It opened its mouth to utter blasphemies against God, blaspheming his name and his dwelling, that is, those who dwell in heaven. It was allowed to make war on the saints and to conquer them.** And authority was given it over every tribe and people and language and nation, and all who dwell on earth will worship it, everyone whose name has not been written before the foundation of the world in the book of the Lamb who was slain." (Revelation 13:5-8).


Just because Christians have been being persecuted from Acts 3 until this day, make no mistake about it; the events spoken of in Revelation 13 are the same as those spoken about by Jesus in Matthew 24 depict a time like never before seen in history. "For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, no, and never will be. And if those days had not been cut short, no human being would be saved [physically].But for the sake of the elect those days will be cut short." (Matthew 24:21-22) Those days will be cut short, as you follow the sequence of Matthew 24, by the Coming of the Son of Man, or the Rapture. It is obvious that the church does not escape exposure to the Great Tribulation. Death will be the portion of many, but it is said of them, "And they have conquered him [the devil] by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death." (Revelation 12:11)


So, how can we be encouraged in the midst of such dire predictions, predictions which are seeing early (from a western viewpoint) signs of fulfillment? What can and should we do? I believe this is a time when every commandment, every promise in the Word of God, when rightly viewed in the light of unfolding prophecy should be considered with the utmost urgency. The followers of Christ need to:

1. Read, understand and practice, with all seriousness, the Great Commandment(s). "And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. The second is this: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no commandment greater than these." (Mark 12:30-31)


2. Read, understand and practice, with all seriousness, the Great Commission. "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age." (Matthew 28:19-20)


3. Read, understand and begin to find ways to practically live within our own culture as the early church did (Acts 2:42-47).


At some point, the Lord willing, we will explore these three points in much greater detail. Until then, encourage others with, and be encouraged yourselves by the fact that Christ has died, Christ has risen, and Christ will come again. When He does, it will be obvious "....that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us." (Romans 8:18)

World News Through the Third Lens: Birth Pains

Birth pains, with respect to child birth are something I have never experienced. I am told, by reliable sources, that they usually begin in relatively mild fashion and then increase in intensity as the birth draws ever closer. Likewise, the pains begin spaced quite far apart and increase in frequency as the baby's arrival approaches. When I was training to be an EMT, we were taught that when dealing with pain, one of the things we should ask the patient to do was rate their pain on a scale of 1 - 10 with 1 being very mild and 10 being the worst they had ever experienced. One of the students in the class, a mother of 3 piped up and said, "For female patients, they should add an 11th class - birth pains just prior to delivery.


In the picture above, birth pains are not necessarily being illustrated, but we can see the foot print of the little one pressing hard against its mother's stomach. At the very least, it's a picture of discomfort, and a sign that birth is not far off. I cannot say with certainty whether the world has now entered the birth pains stage of history, just prior to the return of Christ, or whether we are just in an ever-increasing state of discomfort. One thing is for certain, both the intensity and the frequency of troubling events is increasing.


I am far from being the most learned or informed person on the planet concerning the end-times and how current events fit into the prophesied scheme of things. I do know that many who claim to be experts, and who enjoy large spheres of influence are constantly getting it wrong. The errors range from naming the Antichrist to picking the date of the Rapture; from proclaiming an imminent (anytime, signless) Rapture, to preaching a feel-good Gospel with no mention of the prospect of suffering. And so they come, in Christ's Name, and deceive many with messages that appeal to the flesh.


In Matthew 24:3 Jesus' disciples asked Him three questions: 1) When will this happen (temple destroyed)? 2) What will be the sign of your coming? 3) What will be the sign of the end of the age?Jesus' first response was, "Watch out that no one deceives you. For many will come in my name claiming, 'I am the Christ' and will deceive many. You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. Nation will rise up against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these things are the beginning of birth pains." (Matthew 24:4-8)


The "I am the Christ" deception is not speaking just of those who claim to be the Christ, but also of those who claim to speak for him. So little is being done these days to prepare the saints for the return of Christ. The Bible makes it clear that the saints will have to endure all the way through and up to the sixth seal of Revelation 6. That means that the false Christs, the false peace-maker who initiates a 7-year covenant with Israel, wars and rumors of war, famines and earthquakes, the breaking of the 7-year covenant and the persecution of both godly Jews and Christians that follows will all have to be endured. Thus, the Bible does not fit with a "Your Best Life Now" philosophy or any variation thereof. The Bible declares "...everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, while evil men will go from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived." (2 Timothy 3:12-13)


Jesus was asked to give signs of His coming. Jesus gave signs of His coming. The last sign, immediately preceding the return of Christ (the event which will cut short those days of terrible tribulation for the sake of the elect - Matthew 24:22) is the darkening and shaking of the heavenly bodies and the coming of the Son of Man visibly, as lightning from east to west (Matthew 24:27 - 30). And what happens at this coming? The angels are sent to gather the elect with a loud trumpet call (Matthew 24:31). This is the Resurrection/Rapture, right down to the trumpet call (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18).


When Jesus was in the midst of listing all the things that would take place prior to His coming and the end of the age, He declared, "Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, but he who stands firm (endures) to the end will be saved." (Matthew 24:12-13). It is from this verse 13 that Encouragement for End-Times Endurance was birthed as a ministry. The only way to prepare people to endure is to speak a challenging message about the necessity to gird up our minds with a "boot-camp" mentality. Some teachers and preachers have said, with an air of righteousness, "I'm not looking for the Antichrist, I'm looking for Christ." That sounds so nice, but it disregards the fact that right in the middle of the signs that PRECEDE His coming, Jesus speaks of the revelation of the Antichrist, and his persecution which begins in Jerusalem and spreads throughout the world (Matthew 24:15 - 21; 2 Thessalonians 2:3-10; Revelation 13:7-8).


Contrary to other installments of this blog, there is no mention of a particular news item, followed by a Scriptural commentary. They are coming so fast and furious these days: Arab Spring Wars, Syrian oppression, Iran's nukes, economic chaos in Europe, floods in the Philippines, earthquakes in Turkey, famine in South Africa..........Rather than comment on any one, I would like to point out something I believe the Lord gave me. I say that, not to suggest that I am someone special, but to say that I have never read or heard this from any man. The signs which Jesus mentioned in Matthew 24, Mark 13, Luke 21 would have meant little to people living 150 years ago, much less 1800 years ago. In fact, you and I are living in what has been dubbed "The Information Age." We are living at a time when virtually anything happening on the planet can be seen by anyone else on the planet. We are living in an age when the signs are more significant than ever, for they are signs for all people, signs that can be measured and counted, just just like birth pains.


"Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, and since we have a great high priest over the house of God, let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another - and all the more as you see the Day approaching" (Hebrews 10:19-25)

World News Through the Third Lens: Limited Nuclear War?

Russia’s military chief warns that heightened risks of conflict near borders may turn nuclear (Associated Press, November 17, 2011).

Gen. Nikolai Makarov, chief of the General Staff of the Russian armed forces, cautioned over NATO’s expansion eastward and warned that the risks for Russia to be pulled into local conflicts have “risen sharply.” Makarov added, according to Russian news agencies, that “under certain conditions local and regional conflicts may develop into a full-scale war involving nuclear weapons.”

FRANCE HAS RULED OUT A MILITARY OPTION IN DEALING WITH THE IRANIAN NUCLEAR THREAT: France has expressed deep concern over the Iranian nuclear program and its clear progress towards development of a nuclear warhead. The latest report by the United Nations International Atomic Energy Agency made it clear that Iran is intent on creating such a weapon. Nevertheless, the French government opposes a military strike against Tehran
because it might cause irreparable damage. Juppe said France would tighten sanctions by asking the European Investment bank to freeze loans to Iran. (INN, November 17, 2011)

Through the third lens of Scripture: The prophet Ezekiel spoke of a war between nations to the north of Israel, described by ancient names, such as Magog, Meshech and Tubal. There is not full agreement as to the present-day names of those nations (parts of Turkey, some of the "stans" and even Russia are possibilities). There is no doubt about the identity of one of the countries mentioned by Ezekiel. Persia is definitely present-day Iran. With no further ado, and with no commentary on my part, I invite you to read Ezekiel 38 and 39 and see if there might be some connection between these Scriptures and today's headlines.

Jesus said there would be signs preceding His coming and He told us to watch. Others He told to be watchmen. I pray that by His grace I can do both.

World News Through the Third Lens: Upside Down or Rightside Up?

"The world is pretty much upside down," stated Bill Wilson, senior analyst with KIN in the October 21, 2011 edition of Koenig's Eye View. He proves his point with these remarks:


"We have presidential candidates in the United States who profess to be Christians but are unwilling to call a cult a cult. Heaven forbid that a Christian offend anyone with the truth. We have a president who says of communists, Islamists, anti-American protesters, 'We understand their struggles, and we are on their side.'"


"We have politicians who believe the bizarre idea that they could spend trillions of taxpayer dollars that they don't have and somehow create enough debt that the nation would prosper. And through it all, we have people who say they are followers of Christ who get angry when these truths are pointed out."


Wilson goes on to point out how the Arabs/Islamists of the middle east have millions of acres of land, their own closed societies, and significant amounts of money and wealth. Yet they continue to contend for a small area of land in the Jerusalem area whose value, truth be told, is that it contains Jews and is the center of God's promises to them. They are intent upon exterminating the Jews once and for all and in taking over the land promised to them. Satan, in his age-old attempt to defy and usurp God is behind it all, but politicians are so duped in their group-think that they believe that if they give the terrorists what they want, there will be peace.


Through the third lens of Scripture: "Woe unto them that call evil good and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter." (Isaiah 5:20) Our American society and most other cultures of the world suffer woe because evil is being called good and good is being called evil. Just try and convince a politician or a corporate CEO that the economic woes of our country are really the result of serious moral failure as a nation. We have taken the practices of homosexuality and called them good, normal, alternative, genetic, and a dozen other things rather than what God calls them: "abominations." We have taken the practice of infanticide and called it a choice, a woman's right, a necessary medical procedure, et al rather than call it what God calls it: "murder."


"Therefore is the anger of the Lord kindled against His people." (Isaiah 5:25) Since people are so caught up in not only doing those things which anger the Lord, but societies and nations have gotten on board and legitimized those very things, should it surprise us that God is bringing judgment born out of His righteous anger? Yet He is a merciful God and as Jeremiah says: "Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness." (Lamentations 3:22-23) So rather than bring judgment in one swift stroke, He does it in increments. These increments are compared to the pains of a pregnant woman in labor (Matthew 24:8).


Ironically, the Bible makes it very clear that a peace treaty (which proves to be false) between Israel and her neighbors will usher in a seven-year period in which calamity will increase world-wide on an exponential scale (Matthew 24:4-14; Revelation 6:1-17). Yet the world still clamors for this peace treaty, in spite of the overwhelming evidence from the natural perspective, that it's a sham. The Bible goes on to tell us that even when the treaty is broken Daniel 9:27; Matthew 24:15; 2 Thessalonians 2:3-4) and the lawless one (Antichrist) is revealed, many will worship him (2 Thessalonians 2:9-12; Revelation 13:8) and will thus perish, their names not being found in the Lamb's Book of Life.


Many professing Christians will be caught up in the worship of the beast and the taking of his mark. That day will come upon them like a thief in the night (1 Thessalonians 5:2-3) and they will fall for the deception. The deceptive work of the devil is aided, often inadvertently, by the false teaching that Christians will be raptured from the planet before the Antichrist begins his work. Consequently, they will be ill-prepared to face the great distress (tribulation) in those days (Matthew 24:21) and will succumb to the great deception. The deceptive work of the devil is also aided by the wide-spread teaching of "Once-saved-always-saved). Without getting into the details of this, suffice it to say that eternal security is dependent upon remaining in Christ. God's merciful keeping power has a lot to do with our remaining in Christ, but in the end, if faced with a choice of denying Christ of die physically; God will sufficiently aid those who choose to remain true, but He will not override the choices made to deny Him. Read the parable of the sower and you will find that there are those who once received the Word with gladness, but when persecution and affliction arise because of the Word, he quickly falls away (Matthew 13:21).


While there is yet time, all those who proclaim Christ Jesus as Lord and Savior (beginning with me) need to embrace a movement of God in their own hearts. This is not so much about jumping and shouting and claiming it as it is about a sober, solemn and humble reflection of the times in which we live vis-a-vis the Word of God. After all, Jesus was asked "...and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?" (Matthew 24:3) Jesus gave a number of progressive signs and then concluded with the most prominent one of all, which immediately follows the distress of those days (referring to the period of time from the revealing of Antichrist until Jesus' return). "'..the sun will be darkened and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from the sky, and the heavenly bodies will be shaken.' At that time the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and all nations of the earth will mourn [note how this matches with Revelation 6:12-17). They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky, with power and great glory. And He will send His angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather the elect from the four winds [note how this matches with 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18], from one end of the heavens to the others." (Matthew 24:29-31)


This is biblical; this is part of the doctrine of Christ, about which John wrote: "Watch out that you do not lose what you have worked for, but that you may be rewarded fully. Anyone who runs ahead and does not continue in the teaching of Christ does not have God; whoever continues in the teaching has both the Father and the Son." Paul give this admonition to the professing Christians in Corinth (and through them to us): "Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you - unless of course you fail the test." (2 Corinthians 13:5) It is better to test oneself now while there is time, and thus be prepared to meet the real test (Jeremiah 12:5). To help turn your part of the world upside-down and make it right-side up, continue to speak the truth in love. That is the spirit in which this is meant to be written.

World News Through the Third Lens: Israel Again!

Jerusalem - Israel OK's 1100 new East Jerusalem settlement homes. (msnbc.com news service) US calls building in area coveted for 'Palestinian Capital' counter-productive to peace talks. The US also said that this move will complicate an international effort to diffuse the crisis caused by the Palestinians bid for statehood recognition at the UN. According to US State Department spokesperson, Victoria Nuland, this is "counterproductive to our efforts to resume direct negotiations between the parties and we have long urged both parties to avoid actions which could undermine trust, including Jerusalem, and we will continue to work with parties to try to resume direct negotiations."

Through the third lens of Scripture - I know this is the second time in a row that the topic of this blog has been Israel and Jerusalem, but because this is the epicenter of God's end-times fulfillment of so many prophetic promises, it probably will not be the last. Scripture has so much to say about this, but I will try to be succinct here.

Jerusalem will be a problem to the nations until God finally says "No more!" "Behold, I will make Jerusalem a cup of drunkenness to all the surrounding peoples, when they lay siege against Judah and Jerusalem. And it shall happen in that day that I will make Jerusalem a very heavy stone for all peoples; all who would heave it away will surely be cut in pieces, though all nations of the earth are gathered against it" (Zechariah 12:2-3).

In Luke's account of the Olivet discourse, a long and short term implication is given concerning Jerusalem when Jesus said, "And they will fall by the edge of the sword, and be led away captive into all nations. And Jerusalem will be trampled by Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled" (Luke 21:24). The first part of this statement was fulfilled in A.D. 70. The latter part has been on-going ever since. Even since 1967 Jerusalem has not been completely under Israeli control, especially the Temple Mount.

Again we read, concerning the temple and its courts (located in Jerusalem), "But leave out the court which is outside the temple, and do not measure it, for it has been given to the Gentiles. And they will tread the holy city underfoot for forty-two months" (Revelation 11:2). So Israel, and Jerusalem in particular is a problem for the world. So much so that the US appears more troubled by the construction of homes in this area that it is by the continued rocket attacks against Israel (even in land defined as pre-1967). Irrationality flows through the issue like a water through a 5" hose. Yet........

Peace will come. I don't know how much more volatile the situation must become before peace is so desired that it will finally be accepted as brokered by the man of Daniel 9:27 and Revelation 6:2. This is what we are to be looking for. When? I don't know, but I suspect soon. According to 2 Thessalionians 2:3 this individual will not be revealed until the middle of the 7 year peace treaty, so there is no use trying to guess his identity now.

I only urge the saints, in the middle of everything else that you do to fulfill the purposes God has for you, to keep an eye on Israel. She is God's prophetic time clock, and as we do so, we shall not be ignorant of the "times and seasons" (1 Thessalonains 5:1).

World News Through the Third Lens: Israel Dominates the News

Israel dominates the headlines, but not in the United States. I found none of the following stories in the local paper, either yesterday or today. Life goes on in the West, with precious little concern for the land of God's promise, or the people to whom He promised it. Meanwhile things are heating up on all sides surrounding the little strip of land called Israel. US Veto of PA Bid for UN State Recognition Not the End of the Matter (Jerusalem Post). Palestine could still gain recognition as a non-member state, with observer status. This would require only a simple majority vote of the General Assembly. 120 countries have already recognized Palestine. A decision is expected before the end of September.

UN Secretary General: Palestinian Statehood is Long Overdue. (Ha'aretz) Ban-Ki-Moon went on to say, "The two state vision where Israel and Palestinians can live side by side in peace and security -- that is still a valid vision and I support it." As illogical as was the original Road map to Peace, it at least contained certain conditions that Palestine must keep for the process to move forward: 1) recognition of Israel as a legal state in the region, 2) renounce terror against the Jewish nation, 3) dismantle all terrorist groups within its territory, 4) end all forms of anti-Israel incitement within its systems. Not one of these conditions has been met, and yet the UN is about to recognize Palestine as a legal state. To Islamists, the two state solution is neither a reality nor a vision.

Israel Faces Worst Crisis With Egypt for 30 Years as Diplomats Flee (INN). Hundreds of protesters tore down the protective barrier in front of the building housing the Israeli embassy, stormed the building and entered the floors of the embassy, destroying hundreds of documents in the process, while 86 embassy members were air-lifted to safety. Egyptian security forces did not intervene, even as the Israeli flag was torn down and burned. This is the new face of "democracy" in Egypt which was supported by President Obama. The peace between Israel and Egypt has now been strained to the breaking point.

Jordanians Planning March on Israeli Embassy (INN). A group in Amman has called for one million people to gather at the large mosque near the Israeli Embassy, and to then march on it and do what protesters did in Cairo just last Friday.

Turkish Warships to Challenge Israel (DEBKA). Turkish PM, Tayyip Erdogan announced that Turkish warship would henceforth accompany any aid ships on route to the Gaza Strip. This is in spite of the fact that this piece of land was given over to the Palestinians by Israel, and included in the cost was the displacement of over 9,000 Israeli citizens. The Palestinians destroyed most of the infrastructure left behind, killed many of their own during the infighting between Hamas and Fatah, and then continued to bombard the south of Israel with rockets and missiles. This lead to Operation Lead Cast in which Israel defended herself as any sovereign nation would, only to incur false defamation on the part of UN inspectors. Even now, rockets and missiles are fired into Israeli settlements, with no regard for targets.

Through the Third Lens of Scripture: "The burden of the word of the Lord against Israel. Thus says the Lord, who stretches out the heavens, lays the foundation of the earth, and forms the spirit of man within him: 'Behold, I will make Jerusalem a cup of drunkenness to all the surrounding peoples, when they lay siege against Judah and Jerusalem. And it shall happen in that day that i will make Jerusalem a very heavy stone for all peoples; all who would heave it away will surely be cut in pieces, though all nations of the earth are gathered against it'" (Zechariah 12:1-3). It's beginning to take shape, just as the Lord declared it. The problem in the Middle east, with Jerusalem the epi-center, will get so intense that peace will be sought at all cost; and to the relief of the un-believing world, it will be gained. Even the majority of Israel, gathered in the land in unbelief, will accept this 7 year peace agreement.

This will be the time for the saints of God to be watching and waiting for the return of their Lord and King. It will mark the beginning of Daniel's 70th week and the opening of the first seal in Revelation 6. It will be a time when faith must be strengthened, and trust renewed, for this will mark the beginning of sorrows. Follow the drama in Matthew 24. This will be a time when deception runs rampant, man-made and natural disasters increase, persecution of the true church intensifies, false prophets abound and apostasy runs rampant. This will lead right up to the "abomination of desolation" spoken of in Daniel 9:27, followed by the worst persecution the church has ever faced. Those days will be cut short by the return of Christ, who will raise the faithful dead, and in an instant transform those living in Him, gathering them all together to meet Him in the air (Matthew 24:22, 31; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18).

This is just a brief summary of events to expect in the future, and in no way is meant to predict the timing of Christ's return. However, it is important to say to anyone reading this, "Let no man deceive you..." There is much deception out there concerning the return of Christ, ranging from exact date predictions (like last May 21st) to an "any-time rapture." While we do not, and will not know the day or the hour of Christ's return, He has gone to great lengths to give us the signs. That is why Paul said, "...concerning the times and the seasons, brethren, you have no need that I should write you" (1 Thessalonians 5:1). He goes on to say that "the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night" (1 Thessalonians 5:2). Don't be deceived into thinking that the day of the Lord is the entire seven years of Daniel's 70th week. It is not! The day of the Lord is not unbelieving man's wrath against the church, neither is it the wrath of Satan through the Antichrist against the church. The church must go through all of this, by which she will be purified and made spotless. The day of the Lord comes and He pours out His wrath upon the world, sometime well into the second half of the 7 year period, and only after He has gathered His saints unto himself - thereby cutting short the Great Tribulation. This happens between the 6th and 7th seals of Revelation. The signs are all there. Today's headlines are just harbingers of the signs that are yet to come..........shortly, it seems.

"And when you see these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift your heads; for your redemption draws near" (Luke 21:28).