BEYOND BABYLON EUROPE'S RISE AND FALL Dedicated to THE FAITHFUL GOD of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; And to the preservation of our nation."And it will be said in that day: 'Behold, this is our God; We have waited for Him, and He will save us. This is the LORD; We have waited for Him; We will be glad and rejoice in His salvation!" - Isaiah 25:9 DECLARATION OF WAR! "Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword" (Mat. 10:34). That bold statement of Jesus (the Christ) knocks down all the traditional images of "God with us." Jesus declared WAR - not peace - on earth! Not only had He seen "Satan fall like lightning from the sky" (when the devil was defeated and thrown out of Heaven), but now the preexistent Word had taken on flesh and blood to beat Satan on his own turf - earth! Christ came to finish what He had started: the destruction of an evil empire (Heb. 2:14). We are warned of an end-time configuration of states that will wreak such havoc - in the name of religion - that unless there's SUPERNATURAL INTERVENTION, nobody will survive! That persecuting power will attempt to stamp out every last vestige of opposition. It will astound the whole world by its rapid rise to power and appearance of being invincible. It is exposed as Satan's last stand against God (through an unsuspecting Europe). He's frustrated and furious, and in his hell-bent madness plans on taking down as many as possible with him! This spiritual conflict of interests is destined to be played out on an intercontinental scale. It has the frightening potential to divide and destroy beyond belief! Our civilization is about to crash. It's coming apart at the seams! The ominous structure rising in Europe to replace our present "leader of the free world" is doomed from the start. The Lord of history is not building such a house. He will not occupy it, but His archrival will possess it! It's a condemned building and it deserves to fall. Meanwhile, the GOOD NEWS of God's Kingdom of Immortals will continue to shine, even as earth plunges into a new Dark Age just prior to its establishment.AUTHOR'S NOTE Why this book? How did I decide to write it? Actually, once understood, I didn't! Shortly after my baptism and conversion, June 9, 1979, I had expected to write another book - America Warned! Since there are already plenty of books out there, I didn't want to write just another one. I only wanted to write a book if God was going to be its true author; so I asked my minister how to insure God's inspiration. After questioning me and considering the responses, my minister felt I could rest confident of God's blessing. Encouraged by this support, I thanked God and asked (as usual) that His Spirit be mightily upon me as "an inspired instrument of righteousness" in His holy hands - that the words in the book emanate from Him and not me. Immediately after that prayer, while still on my knees, I felt directed to open up the Bible. I did and proceeded to read a scripture my eyes became fastened upon: "Surely, I will pour out my Spirit on you; I will make My words known to you" (Prov. 1:23). I turned again, and continued to read: "The Lord gave the word; Great was the company of those who proclaimed it..." (Ps. 68:11). Whether by chance or design (GOD knows), this confirmed my minister's counsel. It even strengthened it with a proclamation and a promise! God's GREAT INSPIRATION would result in a GREAT PUBLICATION! With that encouraging experience came renewed determination and enthusiasm to continue writing. I felt compelled to finish what I had begun. America Warned! was basically a book comparing ancient Israel with the American and British people today. The startling parallels were to serve as a warning, in the sense others have shown frightening similarities between Rome and Western civilization. As thunder warns of the gathering storm, giving everybody a chance to seek shelter, so this book is GOD'S FINAL WARNING before the German blitzkrieg begins (Rev. 10:3)! Unexpectedly, during the course of that research, a brand new picture began to appear. Whole new vistas of scriptures and understanding were opened up before me. Exciting insight was imparted to my mind. I didn't search for those scriptures, but once exposed, I embraced their profound yet simple truths. This discovery is laid bare in the Book for all eyes to see, once pointed out, if we'll only allow GOD to remove spiritual blindness and religious prejudice. Suddenly this personal Bible study became ALIVE! It was imbued with life and testified that GOD remains the same. God has not deviated from His Master Plan or changed the perfect way in which He works. Whenever Israel went astray, God would send dire messages of national disaster and dispersion (i.e. The U.S. & Britain in Prophecy by Herbert W. Armstrong). After the fact, and even before their fulfillment, God would send a message of hope and comfort: national restoration upon repentance! I strongly felt that this was to be a "companion volume" to Mr. Armstrong's book. Both focus in on the pivotal prophecy of Leviticus 26. One to warn, and the other is to comfort. They say "hindsight is better than foresight." That is true (Isa. 41:22). This deeper understanding of divine dealings with Israel in the past revealed - was the necessary KEY to unlock - the mystery of the "two witnesses'" commission (Rev. 11). It answered the question of how GOD will deal with Israel and Judah in our immediate future! It made such sense! This truth became so plain, this new awareness so down-to-earth, it was now easy to understand (Ecc. 8:1)! TRUTH STOOD REVEALED! God became all the more real - the Bible relevant - and found faithful to His promises. Beyond Babylon - the little book with a big impact - is destined to become a national debate and an international controversy (Rev. 10:10)! May the GOD of our fathers - who has chosen us for a special purpose and a unique task - bless you as you read this book, that you will be encouraged to fulfill your part in our GREAT future! In the love of God and Israel, David Ben-Ariel Holland, Ohio, USATABLE OF CONTENTS SURVIVAL GUARANTEED! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 WHY NATIONAL DEFEAT? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 TRUTH OR CONSEQUENCES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 VICTIMS OF TRADITION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . EUROPE'S FATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . JESUS & THE JEWS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ELIJAH'S KEY ROLE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . CHAPTER 1 SURVIVAL GUARANTEED! "NEVER in a thousand years!" And yet in a twist of fate it did. The United States had surrendered. Uncle Sam was now a PRISONER OF WAR! The British and their commonwealth were fellow inmates. Israel found themselves under enemy occupation, and the Arab world was gloating. What had gone wrong with "the new world order?" How did we lose control and all this happen? Who would have ever believed it? The vaunted "leader of the free world" was enslaved! The DEVASTATION unleashed against America and her British allies was without precedent. Destruction was everywhere and a body count impossible. The catastrophe was beyond calculation. Europe - gripped with a messianic furor - justified this mass destruction of the body to "save the soul." Besides, they had the blessing of the pope. His white robes were stained with the blood of many martyrs. Weakened by war, and in a state of shock, the WASPs began to stir when they caught wind of some good news coming from Jerusalem. Rumor had it that there were two outspoken men down there railing against Rome. Evidently they claimed Europe was a counterfeit kingdom whose days were numbered. Supposedly, the Hebrew GOD was yet to establish His one-world-government. It wouldn't be composed of human-beings. They insisted that GOD was going to deliver His people - not just save them from sin, but liberate them from their enemies! And the so-called "lost 10 tribes of Israel" were in large part the scattered American and British peoples. The captives were encouraged to hold on. They were told to keep this conviction: GOD DOESN'T LIE! He will continue to keep His Word and remember the agreement He made with our forefathers. Those beliefs are based on God's track record. Historically, He has intervened and saved us, time and again. We are assured that we will survive to keep God's promise alive! It is an active agreement! But what exactly is that promise and agreement? And who are those two men in Jerusalem bringing all this to our attention? It's time we understood! The Plain Truth How did God deal with Adam - the first family unit (Gen. 5:2)? He gently instructed them (male/female) on the Sabbath about the facts of life, explained the concept of cause and effect, and encouraged them to avoid the pitfalls of being proud and stubborn. Then He allowed the serpent's first Sunday sermon to test them on what they'd been taught. Again, GOD first spoke to Pharaoh through Moses and Aaron, empowering them to confirm their message with miracles, and then the magicians were allowed to entertain his court. Now, in these last days of modern civilization, God's again making His TRUTH known. If it's also rejected, God's two witnesses dismissed, then the world's certain to fall for the perjured testimony of Europe's defense. The pattern is clear: if you don't want to be "confused" with the facts, you'll begin to believe the lies! Truth or consequences. "And for this reason God will send them STRONG DELUSION, that they should believe the lie, that they may all be condemned who did not believe the truth..." (2 Thes. 2:8-12). That, of necessity, demands that they were first told the truth and then left to decide for themselves what they were going to do with it. That particular passage of scripture previews two coming attractions: the glorious Second Coming of Christ, and the sudden appearance of an individual who will precede Him and attempt to preempt Him! We're forewarned that a counterfeit Christ will burst upon the world scene and put on quite a show! But God is not his sponsor: Satan is exposed as the real POWER behind his command-performance! And he'll give it everything he's got in this greatest effort to obscure the return of the true Messiah and rival the message of God's top assistants (preparing for His arrival). There's a real showdown coming in Jerusalem between the forces of good and evil! Darkest Before Dawn How can we rest assured Israel (the American, British, and Jewish peoples) will survive? Especially since the GENOCIDE attempted against us will be the most BRUTAL in earth's history! Jesus Himself wasn't exaggerating when He foretold this REIGN OF TERROR: "For then there will be GREAT TRIBULATION, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be." Jesus continued to show just how severe the WORLD TROUBLES are to become, threatening earth's citizens with extinction: "And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect's sake those days will be shortened" (Mat. 24:21-22). Did you catch it? In spite of mankind's darkest hour, our apparent point of no return, Jesus offers us HOPE! He says we'll survive! He will personally put a stop to those DAYS OF DREAD. The Destroyer will come to his end, and the source of this world's conflicts will be cut off! Satan will be restrained (Rev. 20:2). We have Jesus' own Word that life will go on. He'll stop the slaughter! Christ promises to prevent mankind's murder. A RAINBOW will appear in the sky after the storm - we'll all see Christ's coming! Why will this madness end? It will end for the "elect's sake." Who are they? The literal descendants of Israel! We are the chosen people! Because "the LORD has chosen you to be a people for Himself" (Deut. 14:2). We're special to God because of His unique love for our forefathers. He promised to be their God, and the God of their descendants. God doesn't go back on His Word. It's impossible for Him to retract His statement: we will be His people (Rom. 11:28-29)! Confidence Despite Carnage The two witnesses know and proclaim God's promise. They have read His Biblical pledge. Have you? Do you believe God will honor His agreement and keep His commitment? Your life will depend on it! Nevertheless, God will remember His sacred pact with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (Lev. 26:42). Even though we'll be responsible for our plight, and will have gotten ourselves into this predicament, "Yet for all that, when they are in the land of their enemies, I will not cast them away, nor shall I abhor them, to utterly destroy them and break My covenant with them; for I am the LORD their God" (Lev. 26:44). That's why the two witnesses can boldly testify on God's behalf! They know what a merciful GOD we have! They grasp how important faithfulness is to God. "For better or for worse..." God won't break His Word, even though we've broken ours. Isaiah was horrified by our holocaust, yet he was CONFIDENT God would stop it before we were totally destroyed, because of His promise: "Unless the LORD of hosts had left to us a very small remnant, we would have become like Sodom, we would have been made like Gomorrah" (Isa. 1:9). Even though millions will perish, and all hope seems lost, we have written guarantees that everything will work out for the best: "The remnant will return, the remnant of Jacob, to the Mighty God. For though your people, O Israel, be as the sand of the sea, a remnant of them will return; The destruction decreed shall overflow with righteousness" (Isa. 10:21-22). Regardless of our present numbers, only a few are going to make it. But our holocaust-survivors will return to God and come back home! National repentance will result in our national restoration! The corrective punishment will have served its purpose and we will have learned our lesson! Mission of Mercy Once you realize what we're going to have to go through, it becomes obvious that we'll have to receive some divine assistance along the way! That is why it's crucial that the command, "Comfort, yes, comfort My people! says your God" (Isa. 40:1), is faithfully carried out. But then that is the reason for God's inspiration upon His spokesmen in Jerusalem. Their very purpose and commission reflects this brilliant hope: "The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me, because the LORD has anointed me to preach good tidings to the poor; He has sent me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives, And the opening of the prison to those who are bound; To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, And the day of vengeance of our God..." (Isa. 61:1-2). But doesn't that refer to Christ? Yes, in its ultimate fulfillment. But someone has to proclaim the "good tidings" that the Day of the LORD is coming! Someone has to announce that Christ is about to return! And for further proof of a scripture that clearly refers to Christ, yet was fulfilled in part by two men (one in mind and purpose), read Acts 13:47 where Paul applies Isa. 49:6 to himself and Barnabas. The two anointed ones will be shining with this glorious GOOD NEWS! They will fulfill their mission to: "Strengthen the weak hands, And make firm the feeble knees. Say to those who are fearful-hearted, 'Be strong, do not fear! Behold, your God will come with vengeance, With the recompense of God; He will come and save you" (Isa. 35:3-6). Faith and Patience At that time, after we have been humbled, we will be healed! We will no longer be deaf, dumb, and blind, but will understand the message being given to us! We are also assured when God takes vengeance, we will be delivered! We are encouraged that the roles will be reversed, and the tables turned: "Every valley shall be exalted and every mountain and hill brought low..." (Isa. 40:4). Without a doubt, "He who leads into captivity shall go into captivity; he who kills with the sword must be killed with the sword. Here is the patience and the faith of the saints" (Rev. 13:10). Right in the middle of the chapter about the beast, God puts things in perspective, offers us hope, and warns our enemies! Our American, British, and Jewish brethren are to be sustained (in our coming wilderness) by the Word of God. We are to exercise faith that God will do as He has said, and have patience waiting for Him to act, knowing a PURPOSE is being worked out. "And shall God not avenge His own elect who cry out day and night to Him, though He bears long with them? I tell you that He will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on earth?" (Luke 18:7-8). Perhaps some will have difficulty basing all their hopes and dreams on GOD'S VENGEANCE, thinking it's not too "Christian!" Evidently they will get over it though, because we're given a glimpse that our camp guards and antagonists will be mocking our hope: "Then she [the daughter of Babylon/Europe] who is my enemy will see, and shame will cover her who said to me, 'Where is the LORD your God?' My eyes will see her; now she will be trampled down like mud in the streets" (Micah 7:10). Earth is about to plunge into a new age - a new Dark Age! Mankind is about to descend to an all-time low. Ironically, Europe will consider themselves the pinnacle of human success! They will misinterpret their "Tower of Babel" as enlightened and divine, temporarily uniting different peoples and nations under one roof: Rome's. Their rallying cry will be the cause of "Christendom." The Pope's Appeal to Europe Europe is a body without a "soul". The present pontiff was inducted into office amid reports worldwide that he feels compelled to unite Europe. Since then his support of the Polish Solidarity movement was the catalyst that caused cracks in the "Iron Curtain" and the ultimate collapse of communism. The pope has repeatedly urged Europe to "rediscover its roots." Those roots are firmly grounded in the blood-soaked soil of the "holy Roman empire." The politicians have made remarkable progress towards the realization of their dream, but only the pope can pull off the politico-religious miracles necessary to transform European unity into a living entity (Rev. 13:14-15). Even he might not be fully aware that what he's helping to create could turn against him. Church and State are, after all, quite quarrelsome lovers! We are forewarned that the growing European threat (to our national security) will cast DARK SHADOWS over our immediate future. Daylight is running out. "Then Jesus said to them, 'A little while longer the light is with you. Walk while you have the light, lest darkness overtake you; he who walks in darkness does not know where he is going. While you have the light, believe in the light, that you may become sons of light' (Jn. 12:35-36)." Whether we're ready or not, it's getting dark fast! We are to take every advantage of the truth God's given us, exercising our religious freedom to warn others and save ourselves. As Europe grows stronger and America weaker, we should sound the alarm even louder (Isa. 58:1)! We are not to shrink back in fear of offending someone, or reduce our efforts to nothing! God curses those who don't stand up for what they know (Jer. 48:10). We have got to help strengthen minds to withstand Satan's onslaught (Ephes. 6:11). We can ward off the NIGHT by living in the light. Light enhances beauty and exposes wrongdoing. Darkness covers both. When we act upon what God's revealed to us, we make it a part of us and don't have to be afraid (1 Jn. 2:24). If we reject this offer or neglect this opportunity, we will have condemned ourselves to fall under the captivating spell of darkness: "And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God" (Jn. 3:19-21). Emotions are going to be running high! Families are going to split over spiritual disagreements, and former friends will have nothing to do with each other. Lives are going to be both betrayed and lost over this religious WAR (Mat. 10:35-39)! Spotlight on Jerusalem The European confederation of kingdoms will go off on a crusade to squash all opposition. The beast will foam at the mouth against independent thought. The false prophet won't tolerate any dissent over his enforced doctrines! And yet, in the midst of all this madness, at the heart of this horror, will stand two men against the world! As darkness descends, God's stars come out: "Arise, shine; For your light has come! And the glory of the LORD is risen upon you. For behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and deep darkness the people; But the LORD will arise over you, And His glory will be seen upon you" (Isa. 60:1-2). When the prince of darkness overruns Europe, God's spotlight will shine upon Jerusalem! It will be the site of the two witnesses operations. They will represent God and Israel, bear the TORCH OF TRUTH, and burn bright throughout the long night. These LIGHT-BEARERS will confront Europe's counterfeit kingdom, expose its error, and foretell its ruin! As a result, they will keep Israel's faith focused and attention tuned, reciting our declaration of independence: "For unto us [Israel] a Child is born, unto us [Judah] a Son is given; And the GOVERNMENT will be upon His shoulder... Of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end, Upon the THRONE OF DAVID and over His kingdom, to order it and establish it with judgment and justice. From that time forward, even forever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this" (Isa. 9:6-7). The heart and core of the GOOD NEWS is that the Father has appointed Christ KING! Jesus is to administer God's Government over the earth. Mary, knowing Daniel's government prophecies and Isaiah's royal decrees, was startled when the angel informed her of the role she was to play: "And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name JESUS. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end" (Lk. 1:31-33). Jesus, on trial for His very life, testified before Pilate, "You say rightly that I am a king. For this cause I was born, and for this cause I have come into the world..." (Jn. 18:37). Christ wasn't afraid to admit that He was born to rule; it was His mission, purpose and goal in life. Is it yours? Are you afraid of your God-given potential? Even in death, Jesus was proclaimed the "King of the Jews." But He explained - lost to most - that God's Kingdom was yet to be inaugurated (Lk. 19:11). He would overthrow Rome and liberate Judah from foreign occupation, but in the far future - during a revival of the Roman empire. Those events will soon take place! DAVID'S THRONE WILL PREVAIL - the Roman U.N. forces will fail! Jesus - who died like a Lamb - will return as the LION OF GOD! He will fight for His subjects and rescue us from tyranny! Meanwhile, we have been taught how to cope with faith and patience, and endure injustice. State Persecution Herod wasn't the first or last politician to persecute God's people. Satan toys with world leaders, manipulating their minds to accomplish his diabolical purposes (Rev. 16:14). His disturbed mentality is too often revealed in troubled heads of state. The political realm - with its international tension - aptly reflects a spiritual conflict of interests (Dan. 10:13). Behind the human scenes are the true "star wars" (Rev. 12:7). Pharaoh also "had his reasons" to accuse Israel of dual loyalty. His cold-blooded attempt to murder every Hebrew boy (to avert an imagined insurrection) cost him the life of his son and cursed his kingdom! The forces of evil were well aware of God's prophecy to Abraham (Gen. 15:14). It decreed Egypt's destruction and Israel's deliverance. In the midst of apparent defeat, Israel's survival was insured: Moses was hid by a "righteous Gentile" and grew up in the courts where he would later appeal, "LET MY PEOPLE GO!" Passover, our Festival of Freedom, marks Israel's independence from Egypt. The seventh-day Sabbath also commemorates Jacob's rest from forced labor (Deut. 5:15). Then there was wicked Haman. Satan stirred him up against "those arrogant Jews" who refused to assimilate (Esther 3:8). He slandered the Jews as worthless rabble, incited the king to act intolerant, and insisted "the only good Jew is a dead Jew!" This mad call for genocide struck at the heart of Israel: Judah, the Sceptre-tribe, from whence the Messiah was to come! Haman's hatred backfired though, taking his life in the process, as well as removing many other threats to Judah's existence. Purim celebrates this remarkable turnaround of events. This Jewish renaissance enabled a number of Jews to return to Israel and pave the way for Christ's coming. Bethlehem, where David had been born and raised, awaited his descendant who was predestined to give birth to the Messiah (Micah 5:2). For that to have been possible, it was necessary for Jews to again be living there! The Destroyer attempted to take Israel's life and thus defeat God's purpose to overthrow him - in due time - from One who would be born to them; Pharaoh failed and Egypt fell; Haman was sent to the gallows with his ten sons, hung by his own plot to bury Judah; Herod knew that Israel's Firstborn - God's Son - had been born and went all out to abort His Ascension to David's throne. He also failed and the source of his Roman power was dried up and he died. Satan "can't win for losing!" Even Christ's crucifixion was part of the plan. Jesus' resurrection enables us to break Satan's stranglehold over our lives! The devil is doomed! He knows his days are numbered and he's getting desperate.... Precious Legacy One of the greatest crimes against humanity was the holocaust. Although Satan hates every human-being, he especially hates those descended from Jacob-Israel (the Anglo-Saxon and Jewish peoples). He knows they are instrumental in his eventual overthrow. And out of Israel he's targeted the Jews. They have borne the brunt of his brutality. Why? Because: #1. All the top positions in God's Kingdom will be filled with Jews! That explains the spiritual significance of "the Jewish conspiracy" theory. Satan is feeding people with half-truths and grotesque exaggerations, poisoning minds against the Jews and anything "Jewish." He sneers at their accomplishments and turns their praise into persecution! #2. The Jews are representative of all Israel, and they (NOT Ishmael!) hold the Promised Land in trust for all twelve tribes. #3. The Jews have preserved the Bible, thereby retaining the knowledge of the true God and His Sabbath and Holy Days. #4. The Jews are LIVING PROOF of God's invincible plan! No wonder the devil feels threatened by any Jewish presence and has repeatedly attempted to erase them from off the earth! (I'm reminded of "Precious Legacy." It was an exhibition of things Jewish on loan from Prague to America. The Nazis had collected these treasures to display in their proposed "Museum of an Extinct People!"). Jesus Christ, the KING of Kings, was born and raised a Jew. Ruling with, but under Him, in GOD'S GOVERNMENT, will be David - resurrected to reign over all Israel (Ezek. 37:24). King David was a Jew. Jesus' twelve disciples, the founding-fathers of "the Christian nation" (1 Pet. 2:9), all Jews, were particularly promised: "...when the Son of man sits on the throne of His glory, you who have followed Me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel" (Mat. 19:28). Christ is going to fill every office in His Administration with those whom the FATHER has personally recommended - not just the Jews, but they have got His Word on it for key positions. Hitler continued Satan's enmity against the Jews. He (probably possessed by the devil himself) declared WAR on Abraham's descendants - and lost! "The Master Race" attempted to eliminate any competition from the Chosen People, but Germany suffered defeat and went down in flames.... Every spring, Jews read in the Haggadah (a special booklet for Passover): "In every generation there are those who rise against us to annihilate us. But the Holy One blessed is He, ever saves us from their hand." However, it goes beyond simply celebrating our miraculous past; it expresses faith and confidence that God (past, present and future) will always save us: "And may we thank you with a new song for our redemption and the liberation of our soul. Blessed are You O Lord who redeems Israel." GOD'S FAITHFULNESS HAS BEEN PROVEN throughout the generations. Yes, He allows atrocities to occur, and governments and individuals have gone berserk for awhile, but only to a point. Then GOD steps in and the rest is history. Even Satan will come to his "end" (Rev. 20:10). Israel, Jesus, and the Jews, have survived! We will also survive - and the whole world will survive because of us. GOD'S PLAN WILL STAND, those who oppose it will fall.CHAPTER 2 WHY NATIONAL DEFEAT? Why are we in mortal danger? Why will the American, British and Jewish people SUFFER national defeat? How could Europe ever turn against us? "Hear the word of the LORD, you children of Israel, for the LORD brings a charge against the inhabitants of the land...." God then lists the charges brought against us: "There is no truth or mercy or knowledge of God in the land. By swearing and lying, killing and stealing and committing adultery, they break all restraint, with bloodshed upon bloodshed..." (Hos. 4:1-2). In other words, America's dying from AIDS! Our national immune system has broken down and we've lost all resistance. We've given in to temptation and now we're suffering from depression (Isa. 1:5-6). We've thrown caution to the wind, opened the floodgates of hell, and have gotten carried away. We've broken every commandment, breached every safeguard, and have become lost trying to find ourselves! We don't teach abstinence, we preach faith - in prophylactics! Latex or the Lord? Christ or a condom? Conversion or contraceptives? This dangerous "Cult of the Condoms" gives people a false sense of security and misleads them to believe in deadly lies! The days of self-defense and self-control are gone; our land and our lives lay dangerously exposed to foreign invasion! Our sick and dying society tempts Europe to deal us a death-blow! We live and die like there's no tomorrow. We don't keep up the struggle or fight for what's right, but surrender our will and prostrate our power. We've left the love of God behind to make love to ourselves, and claiming our "rights" we continue to do what's wrong. Our Judeo-Christian heritage is being sold-out! And it's going cheap, though we will all pay a high price for it. Closet-Christians and timid Jews have allowed the think-tanks of the politically correct to roll right over them, daring to advance into what was once sacred territory. Under the guise of such trojan-terms as "lifestyle choices," "sexual preference," and "pluralism," the irreligious left continues to gain ground. The godless, immoral, and hollow ideas of humanism are trampling Biblical traditions with impunity. "Therefore the land will mourn; and everyone who dwells there will waste away..." (Hos. 4:3). A Nation at Risk When we rejected God's Word, and refused to take it into account, we became rejects: robbed of common sense and spoiled rotten! God gives us what we want. "And because they did not like to retain God in their knowledge (or way of thinking), God gave them over to a debased mind..." (Rom. 1:28). As a frightening result, "My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I will also reject you from being priest for Me; Because you have forgotten the law of your God, I will also forget your children" (Hos. 4:6). GOD says we are to be DESTROYED because we are deliberately IGNORANT! He accuses us of being spiritual drop-outs. We have rejected His system of EDUCATION, lowered His high standards, torn down what we were to uphold, abandoned our children, and orphaned ourselves! We are a NATION AT RISK! God intended for ISRAEL to become HIS TEACHER, His Light-Bringer to earth. He informed us through the mediator Moses: "And you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation" (Ex. 19:6). He further instructed us in civil laws and legal precedents, emphasizing: "Therefore be careful to observe them; for this is your WISDOM and your UNDERSTANDING in the sight of the peoples who will hear all these statutes, and say, 'Surely this GREAT NATION is a wise and understanding people' (Deut. 4:5-6)." But we haven't paid attention or been careful to learn our lessons and watch our step; we've only grown more careless (promiscuous). Therefore, God will expel us - into EXILE! Rumblings of War We are warned of WAR! "Set the trumpet to your mouth! (The enemy's about to dive) like an eagle against the house of the LORD, because they have transgressed My covenant and rebelled against My law" (Hos. 8:1). Get ready, be prepared; swift action is coming against our delinquent nation! But our bugle boys are caught with their pants down! We're in a tight squeeze: our watchdogs are asleep on the job, and our minutemen are slow (Isa. 56:10)! "But truly I am full of POWER by the Spirit of the LORD, and of justice and might, to declare to Jacob his transgression and to Israel his sin" (Micah 3:8). God's Message will get delivered, even if it has to be done single-handedly. In our hour of need, the LION WILL ROAR (Amos 3:8)! Let the air-raid sirens sound! "Cry aloud, spare not; Lift up your voice like a trumpet; Tell My people their transgression, and the house of Jacob their sins." Explain the reason for all this, make some sense out of these tragic events - don't mince words! Why should we run for cover? What have we done? Aren't we "One Nation Under God?" Haven't we lived as a "Christian country?" Obviously NOT! We're under a curse! "Yet they 'seek' Me daily, and 'delight' to know My ways, as a nation that did righteousness, and did not forsake the (decree) of their God" (Isa. 58:1-2). God says our religion is a ruse, our faith is a farce, and our conversion shallow! Though we pretend to want what's right, God's not fooled by our spiritual pretense. He sounds the alarm about our religious wrongdoing: "For the leaders of this people cause them to err, and those who are led by them are destroyed... For everyone is a hypocrite and an evildoer, and every mouth speaks folly" (Isa. 9:16-17). Church and State Indicted God blasts our leaders, and indicts both Church and State! He blows their cover and exposes their greed. Ezekiel 34 is a scathing attack on our "shepherds." It paints an ugly picture of their motivations for public office and pulpit. It charges them with self-seeking, smug attitudes towards their malnourished, diseased constituents. It accuses their actions of further scattering our thoughts and littering our lives, leaving us an easy prey for every con-artist and thief. Jesus warned of these crooks, saying: "The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly." The shepherds should look out for their flock and contribute to their well-being - not rob them of it! Today, too many preachers and politicians are only in it "for the money." They are the fly-by-nights that Jesus condemned (Jn.10:7-14). The honest public servants, whether they are ministers of Church or State, are to uphold GOD'S LAW as the standard that He has set. But God's law has been trashed by rebel leaders, and His truth thrown out of court; therefore, they are to be held in contempt! "And now, o priests, this (decree) is for you... Behold, I will rebuke your descendants, and spread refuse on your faces, the refuse of your solemn feasts; and one will take you away with it" (Malachi 2:1-3). GOD blasts our preachers for their "BS"! Their smear campaign against God's truth is going to hit the fan and fly back in their faces! "They sow the wind, and reap the whirlwind" (Hos. 8:7). The religious lies they have unloaded are going to be dumped right back where they belong - on them! They have led the death march back to Egypt, corrupting God's Image and prostituting His truth, so they will be the first to fall on their faces and wallow in the mire. They have made their bed - in an orgy of error - so now they can lie in it (Rev. 2:20-23). Our ministers would do well to remember the golden calf incident. It had been proclaimed "God". Yet GOD ordered Moses - upset over such a brazen misrepresentation - to beat it to a pulp, mix it with water, and force the Israelites to drink it (Ex. 32:20)! Why? Because what goes in must come out! God wanted everyone to see what their RELIGIOUS BULL amounts to! Only Follow Men who Follow GOD God's true representatives are to teach God's word and law. "For the lips of a priest should keep knowledge, and people should seek the law [not human ideas] from his mouth; for he is the messenger of the LORD of hosts. But you [traditional Christianity & Judaism] have departed from the way; you have caused many to stumble at the law. You have corrupted (altered) the covenant of Levi, says the LORD of hosts. Therefore, I also have made you contemptible and base before all the people, because you have not kept My ways but have [been biased] in the law" (Malachi 2:7-9). Levi (the father of Israel's priesthood tribe) is commended for teaching GOD'S TRUTH and obeying Him. He has offered up as an ensign, a standard of excellence, for religious leaders to follow - not fault! It is noted that he "turned many away from iniquity" (Malachi 2:6); he didn't approve of people living in sin or justifying their behavior. The Hebrew name Malachi means "my messenger" or "my angel". Instead of sharing God's life-giving truth, today's preachers have spouted poison and taken lives! Entangled in their own traditional web of lies, they have been death-angels in disguise. They have not delivered GOD'S MESSAGE as told, but have sold God's people down river. They have been captivated with superstitions and carried away with their own holidays. "But if they had stood in My counsel, and caused My people to hear My words [not their own opinions], then they would have turned them from their evil way and from the evil of their doings" (Jer. 23:22). Spiritual Pimps But no, these preachers for profit, who put cash before conscience, pimp from their pulpits, and "...strengthen [!] the hands of evildoers, so that no one turns back from his wickedness... They continually say to those who (actually) despise Me, the LORD has said, 'You shall have peace, and to everyone who walks according to the dictates of his own heart (not God's Word!), No evil shall come upon you' (Jer. 23:14-17)." In other words, they endorse and offer "spiritual" support for those people and practices they know are anti-Christ: "...who knowing the righteous judgment of God, that those who practice such things are deserving of death, not only do the same but also approve of those who practice them" (Rom. 1:23). They know better and are without excuse! But they scrap the scriptures and say, "Let your conscience be your guide." That murderous motto spits at the Biblical "judge and jury!" We are warned: "There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death" (Prov. 14:12). Therefore, it's pretty dangerous to depend upon faulty human reasoning (Prov. 3:5). David said, "Your WORD I have hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against you," and "Your WORD is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path" (Ps. 119:11, 105). We are to take God's Word to heart (Jer. 31:33). It can clear up any confusion and lead us out of the dark. The Bible is the best guide, and every honest steward of God's truth will direct you to live in peace and harmony with it. Beware those wayward ministers who would lead you to your death! We are to be aligned with the Absolute, not confederate with the confused. Whereas God's truth remains consistent, their ideas remain in a state of flux. We are to become like Christ, NOT conform to their likes. Those who preach the Word - as commanded - are the faithful few. As prophesied, the time has come when most religious people (let alone others!) won't tolerate the Truth, but insist upon being told what they want to hear. Whether it is about abortion, homosexuality, or the ordination of women, they follow sentiment rather than scripture, putting their hearts above our Head (2 Tim. 4:2-4). "The prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests rule by their own power; And My people love to have it so. But what will you do in the end?" (Jer. 5:31). Instead of humbling ourselves before the Bible's authority, letting it have the last Word on the subject, we get argumentative. We insist on getting in our own two-cents worth. Adam and Eve discovered (too late) the hidden-costs of a "second opinion." It's not worth it. It's better to be honest and bite the bullet than self-destruct from self-justification. After all, who's fooling who? The Tree of Life offers preventive medicine. There's no need to get bloodied by hard experience. The trial and error approach exacts a high price, taking a terrible toll in the form of mangled minds and scarred lives. God warns us to avoid such accidents by paying attention to the signs of the times. It's better safe than sorry. Think twice, consider the consequences, CHOOSE LIFE! Enemies of Truth But those who speak the truth risk society's wrath. Their words of wisdom aren't appreciated by those who feel ignorance is bliss; trying to rescue victims, they become a prey themselves. Attacked by the liberal press and mauled by the media, truth is martyred by an angry mob; character is crushed under the heels of hedonism; and those who dare cry for a return to basic values are crucified by popular demand! The apostle Paul's question, "Have I therefore become your enemy because I tell you the truth?" (Ga.4:16) would receive a violent response today! "Yes, and all those who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution. But evil men and imposters will grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived" (2 Tim. 3:12-13). But we can't say Christ didn't warn us (Jn. 15:18-20). We are told to expect trouble, not to look for it, but expect it. Of course, like Elijah, we will be falsely accused of being religious rabble-rousers (1 Kings 18:17-18), and it was his own GOVERNMENT that branded him a subversive! But instead of having a pity-party, we're to enjoy a victory celebration! "Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of [terrible things about you] for My sake [because you stood up for the truth!]. Rejoice and be [ecstatic], for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you" (Mat. 5:11-12). Actually, the worst RELIGIOUS PERSECUTION in history is just ahead! It will mainly come from the Catholic kingdom of Europe, but it will start right here, in our own countries, by the very people we are trying to save: "You will be betrayed even by parents and brothers, relatives and friends; and they will put some of you to death" (Lk. 21:16). This isn't talking about an occasional family squabble or disagreement amongst friends - THE TIMES HAVE CHANGED - if you lose this argument, you could lose your life! Christians will become an endangered species! Mass Martyrdom - not Conversion! Society will misunderstand our motives, resent our religion, and hate our message. If you're not politically correct, you will become a target. The witch-hunt has already begun! You could be turned in to the authorities just for saying something "wrong." It will be open-season on us! The hounds of hell will be let loose. Jesus wants us to realize what we're getting into: "Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore be wise as serpents and harmless as doves" (Mat. 10:16). Watch what you say, be careful what you do, and don't be fooled by "friends". Nosy neighbors could inform on you, and your own flesh-and-blood might stab you in the back (Jer. 9:4). "For even your brothers, the house of your father, Even they have dealt treacherously with you... Do not believe them, Even though they speak smooth words to you" (Jer. 12:6). Nevertheless, we are to be BOLD and proclaim God's precious truth. It is going to become increasingly rare to hear and difficult to find (Amos 8:11-12). We are the only witness and warning some people will ever receive. Remember: our national destruction is due to our spiritual ignorance. Some don't know any better, and others should know better, but Satan wants to keep everyone in the dark, under his thumb. That is all the more reason we are to share what we know - even if it costs us our life. "And those of the people who understand shall instruct many; yet for many days they shall fall by sword and flame, by captivity and plundering" (Dan. 11:33). The plain truth isn't going to be popular - it's going to be perilous! MASS MARTYRDOM - not mass conversion - is prophesied! Courageous individuals will put their lives on the line, fighting against encroaching error and EUROPE'S BIG LIE! They will shine as stars, enlightening others, loosening the prince of darkness' hold, and undermining his KINGDOM OF CONFUSION. "Those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the (sky), and those who turn many to righteousness like the stars forever and ever" (Dan. 12:3). But the dragon won't be slain so easily! The beast will be out for blood! His troops will be in hot pursuit of these "trouble-makers", tracking them down without mercy. "And the dragon was enraged with the woman (our Israelitish nations), and he went to make war with the rest of her offspring (the true Church), who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ" (Rev. 12:17). But the destroyer defeats his own purpose! The pope's attempts to stamp out every ember of truth will backfire. His fiery indignation will spark controversy, raise questions and inflame passions (Rev. 13:7, Dan. 8:10). Rumors will spread like wildfire. Persecution will only scatter the seed, sowing it in fields far and away, before a growing audience and gathering crowd (Acts 8:4). Curiosity will demand to know what's going on. Who are these "heretics?" What exactly do they believe? We know they're "traitors" and express dangerous ideas, "But we desire to hear from you what you THINK; for concerning this sect, we know it is spoken against everywhere" (Acts 28:22). The exercise of independent thought will become so unusual, it will attract immediate attention! But "thinking aloud" could sentence some to death! Yet it will enable others to come alive, even as Jesus said: "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain" (Jn. 12:24). Such personal sacrifices will reap great rewards. No Guts, No Glory The apostle Paul, subject to frequent arrest and imprisonment, explains for our benefit that he really didn't enjoy jail, "But I want you to know, brethren, that the things which have happened to me have actually turned out for the furtherance of the gospel, so that it has become evident to the whole palace guard, and to all the rest, that my chains are in Christ; and most [but not all] of the brethren in the Lord, having become confident by my chains, are much more bold to speak the word without fear... For to you it has been granted on behalf of Christ, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake..." (Philip. 1:12-14, 29). This willingness to not only live for Christ, but to die for what we believe in - if and when we must - demands a deeper conversion than most Christians would feel comfortable with! Some have become too settled in, complacent in their church-kingdom, forgetting or denying that we are only to be temporary residents in this life, awaiting our new Country and Holy Capital (Heb. 11:13-16). If we truly love God (more than ourselves) and want to serve our Lord Jesus Christ, we don't have to worry: we'll be given SUPERNATURAL BOLDNESS AND ABILITY! It doesn't come naturally, it's a gift from God. He alone can enable us to withstand fierce opposition - fearlessly. He promises to transform those situations into opportunities to testify against Europe's error and defend God's truth. The lambs won't keep silent - they will learn to roar like lions! Those who find themselves on trial will give a POWERFUL WITNESS! Jesus, our Advocate, will take control of events and stand by our side (Lk. 21:13-15). He has a way of turning things around to fulfill God's purpose. Trust Him. As God's inspired witnesses, we will represent Christ well. Our day in court will be a day to remember! As God's Spirit fills our mind (with the words our mouth will speak), we will experience an amazing clarity of mind and purpose, and share the vision of GOD'S KINGDOM (Prov. 16:1). We will speak with such conviction and AUTHORITY, it's bound to have an impact upon everybody there! They will sit up, take notice and hear what God would have us to say. He will lead and guide you, as His spokesperson, and give you the exact words you'll need -just like He did for Moses and Aaron: "...for it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you" (Mat. 10:20). But even as Pharaoh didn't want to hear it -"LET MY PEOPLE GO!" - neither will the pope's pawns. Some will be thrown in jail to shut them up; others will lose their lives, holding on to the truth and eternal life. They will have followed Christ's instructions: "And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both body and soul in hell" (Mat. 10:28). This transformation (from fear to courage) is exemplified by the early apostles. They were imprisoned by the religious authorities, later released by angels, and found back in the temple teaching, not cowering in a corner somewhere (Acts 5:17-25). These were changed men! Earlier, when Christ got arrested, it was "every man for himself." Now, nobody was going to stop them! They went back to work. Living for Christ - Again! Those who are about to die, martyred by Europe for teaching the truth, will be as good as alive and back in action! The apostle John foresaw this wonder: "And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was committed to them. Then I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded [if you use your head, you'll risk your neck!] for the witness to Jesus and for the word of God [testifying that the true Christ was yet to come, and standing by God's Word rather than falling for Catholic tradition], who had not worshipped the beast or his image, and had not received his mark on their foreheads or on their hands [refuseniks: they didn't subscribe to the Roman system, support its pagan ideas, or identify with its idols]. And they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years... Over such the second death has no power [when both body and soul are destroyed], but they shall be PRIESTS OF GOD and of Christ, and shall reign with Him for a thousand years" (Rev. 20:4-6). That is in your Bible! Look it up! Why haven't you heard these things before? You should demand to know! This is the only true GOSPEL! "Jesus came to Galilee, preaching the gospel of the KINGDOM OF GOD, and saying, 'The time is fulfilled, and the Kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and BELIEVE THE GOSPEL" (Mk. 1:14-15). If you haven't been told the GOOD NEWS (gospel), how can you believe it? If you haven't been taught what life's really all about - preparing to enter the Kingdom of God - you're missing out! You've been robbed! You have got to repent and believe the gospel to be saved! "And they were ASTONISHED at His teaching, for His Word was with authority" (Lk. 4:32). People are still astonished! God's truth is hard-hitting, authoritative, no-nonsense. The true gospel blows the others away, and delivers a scorching attack on error (Jer. 32:28-29). It clears the way for Christ's Coming, shoveling the lies and confusion to the sides (Isa. 57:14). A "Christian" Conspiracy Jesus' gospel should have become common knowledge, but it has been purposely hidden (Rom . 1:18)! Who has sponsored this censorship? Traditional Christianity! They are the guilty culprits! Instead of telling "the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth" - so help them God - they have withheld vital information and suppressed important facts (Acts 20:27). The religious establishment has been involved in one of the biggest cover-ups in history! But this conspiracy of silence is blown! Their shroud of secrecy is left exposed! In spite of every effort to bury this story, it's now going public. Christ prophesied to raise this issue again - worldwide! "And this gospel of the KINGDOM will be preached in all the world as a witness to all nations, and then the end will come" (Mat. 24:14). But Satan doesn't want his world to come to an end! He refuses to abdicate. His counterfeit kingdom doesn't want us to announce Christ's Coming, because they know Jesus will throw them out of office! But we won't keep this quiet! We will shout it from the rooftops and go tell it on the mountains: "O Zion, you who bring good tidings (the gospel), get up into the high mountain; O Jerusalem, you who bring good tidings, lift up your voice with strength, lift it up (amplify the truth/turn up the volume!), be not afraid; say to the cities of Judah, 'Behold your God!' (Isa. 40:9)." This is all new and exciting to most people. They have either never heard of this before or read right over it, but God has now performed a MIRACLE - the blind can see and the deaf can hear! "...For what had not been told them they shall see, and what they had not heard they shall consider" (Isa. 52:15). This is the first time some of you have actually seen what is in the Word. Now you are witnesses to what is really written there, not just carelessly assuming something is in the Bible (when usually it's not!). Share what you have seen, spread what you have heard, and talk about these new revelations that have come to light. God expects you to: "You have heard; see all this. And will you not declare it? I have made you hear new things from this time, even hidden things, and you did not know them" (Isa. 48:6). God-given Understanding If you're beginning to understand this, and it's starting to make some sense to you, and you find these truths attractive -God must be dealing with you (Jn. 6:44-45). This ability to hear and understand, rather than fight and argue, is God-given. It is spiritual discernment (1 Cor. 2:14). No matter how clear I am trying to make these scriptures, only God can make you receptive to His Message. He alone can help you grasp what's recorded, even if I explained it a thousand times (Lk. 24:45). But if it has been given for you to know the mysteries of the Kingdom of God (Lk. 8:10), prepare yourselves for the following: God's Kingdom is composed of IMMORTAL GOD-BEINGS! Not pitiful human-beings playing God. It consists of those formerly conscripted Christians, now miraculously resurrected as DIVINE PRIEST-KINGS! We are to rule with, but under, Christ. The future European dictator - the final Caesar - and his religious ally, the pope, will have induced the top ten European kings to surrender their sovereignty to them - a counterfeit king of kings. "These shall make war with the Lamb (Jesus Christ), and the Lamb will overcome them, for He is Lord of lords, and King of kings; and those who are with Him are called, chosen, and faithful" (Rev. 17:12-14). Time and again, Jesus promised to include His followers in His power structu re. He offered them a share - not only in His suffering and shame - but in His POWER AND GLORY! As mentioned previously, Jesus' twelve disciples form His power-base, and He builds up God's power-house from there. Unlike this world, these powerful positions will be filled with qualified and incorruptible individuals - literally (1 Cor. 15:50-54)! Christ, in recognition of our loyalty, insures us a seat in His GOVERNMENT (Rev. 3:21). He promises to confer upon us an international clout, and an especially prepared, private office, in His ADMINISTRATION (Rev. 2:26, Jn. 14:1-3). We were born to become kings! What more could you ask for? Basically, everything that the Father's offered the Son, the Son's offered us: a Kingdom, shared responsibilities, and delegated authority (Lk. 22:29, Jn. 5:26-27, 1 Cor. 6:2). Jesus explains what our proper attitude should be towards these expanded opportunities: one that tempers authority with humility, and remembers we're crowned to serve - not to be selfish and demanding. Our spiritual stature is measured by how effectively we help others (Lk. 22:24-27). Divine Ministers of Education Actually, what we'll be doing in the Kingdom of God is what our people were supposed to be doing all along: TEACHING! God places such an emphasis on education. His reconstructed Temple in Jerusalem will be a TEMPLE OF HIGHER LEARNING. We are to be pillars in God's Community, teaching the truths of the Temple, and pledge allegiance to Jerusalem and all that it stands for (Rev. 3:12). We are to expect a mass influx into Israel, and be prepared for a steady stream of pilgrims, because Isa. 60:6-9 has already booked their travel arrangements (some will arrive by "land-rovers," others by ship or plane), and Micah 4:2 has made advance reservations for them: "Many nations shall come and say, 'Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the House of the God of Jacob [NOT Ishmael!]; He will teach us His ways, and we shall walk in His paths. For out of Zion the law shall go forth, and the Word of the LORD from Jerusalem." Representatives from all over will ascend to the Holy City -THE CITY OF THE GREAT KING - and seek instruction. We will be there to help them along, and assist them in gleaning the precious principles of God's Truth. They wll come bearing gifts fit for a King: silver and gold, incense and cedar, flocks and herds - all to beautify Jerusalem and adorn the Temple, and supply Israel's every need (Isa. 60). But the greatest gift of all will be our family reunion - they will turn over our POWs and MIAs! We will no longer be separated from our loved ones, but will finally be released from our fears and frustrations (Isa. 66:20)! Christ will receive these gifts, and embrace our kin who have come home, and then accept the Gentiles into an extensive work-study program. As repairmen and construction crews, they will service our cities; and others, outstanding in their various fields, will tend to our agri-business and manage our livestock, while we (Israel) supervise their activities (Isa. 61:4-6). When our former bosses aren't working for us, we will help them to feel at home in God's prayerful HOUSE OF STUDY. They will quickly master our holy language, and become legal experts, handling God's Word and Law professionally (Zeph. 3:9). New International Cooperation Those nations that will have fought against Christ and His followers, having been deceived, will experience a NEW ATTITUDE. God will gladly give them a change of heart. Hostility will be history. All the earth will enjoy a refreshing spirit of peace and cooperation, not war and contention. Instead of feeling an unbearable tension in the air, we'll learn to relax and appreciate the comforts of God's Holy Spirit: "The work of righteousness will be peace, and the effect of righteousness, quietness and assurance forever. My people will dwell in a peaceful habitation, in secure dwellings, and in quiet resting places..." (Isa. 32:17-18). This will be in stark contrast to our time in captivity: "And among those nations (where we'll be deported to) you shall find no rest, nor shall the sole of your foot have a resting place; but there the LORD will give you a trembling heart, failing eyes, and anguish of soul. Your life shall hang in doubt before you; you shall fear day and night, and have no assurance of life. In the morning you shall say, 'Oh, that it were evening!' And at evening you shall say, 'Oh, that it were morning!' because of the fear which terrifies your heart, and because of the sight which your eyes see" (Deut. 28:65-67). Instead of marching against the Holy City to conquer and divide it, former foes will return to worship our King: "And it shall come to pass that everyone who is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall go up from year to year to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, and to keep the Feast of tabernacles" (Zech. 14:16). They will want to ride on the coat-tails of every Jew, and hang on to the apron-strings of every Israelite (Anglo-Saxon), until they can stand on their own two feet (Zech. 8:23), because they know we have enjoyed a head-start education and are more familiar with God's truth than anyone else: "...who are Israelites, to whom pertain the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the service of God, and the promises; of whom are the fathers and from whom, according to the flesh, Christ came, who is over all, the eternally blessed God. Amen" (Rom. 9:4-5). However, there are always a stubborn few who need a "little prodding" to get them on their way, but they will soon discover it is in their best interest if they want to spiritually grow and stop being plagued with personal problems (Zech. 14:17-19). Every head-of-state will attend this annual event (held in Jerusalem - NOT Mecca or Rome!), and celebrate this international festival - all sponsored by our gracious Host, Jesus Christ! Teachers in Training Throughout history, God's been actively involved in teaching. A few of his better known students include Abel, Enoch, Noah and Moses. They have been part of a special process and selection - all in preparation for God's Kingdom. But the man of destiny, whom God chose to be known as "the father of the faithful", was Abraham. Abraham was especially qualified to represent GOD. He was privately tutored by the Priest-King, Melchizedek, in Jerusalem. Abraham dutifully paid tithes to his Teacher, and highly respected this Superior (Gen. 14:18-20) - unique among his contemporaries. Most Christians would be shocked to discover that this "King of Righteousness" and King of Peace" is the self-same One who was later born as "Jesus Christ!" Read it for yourself in Hebrews 7! Abraham's extensive training and initiation were instrumental in passing on God's truths (Gen. 18:19). As expected, Abraham taught his firstborn, Issac, everything he needed to know - and Issac in turn faithfully taught his son, Jacob. Jacob continued this tradition by educating his entire family - all twelve sons! The knowledge of God's truth grew and expanded with time. God later summoned Israel to Mount Sinai. He took their twelve tribes as His SERVANT-NATION! No longer were the "mysteries of the universe" to remain in the family: God's time had come to share these secrets with all mankind! God gave Israel His blueprint for an ADVANCED CIVILIZATION, and shared with them His ideals for a SUPERIOR CULTURE. Israel was to reflect a higher civilization - that is, a Heavenly Kingdom - to be established upon the earth. Traditional Christianity would do well to believe this GOOD NEWS! Israel was the forerunner, the prototype, of the governing Body of Christ - the KINGDOM OF GOD! God inducted our ancestors into His service. We were to become His KINGDOM OF PRIESTS (Ex. 19:6), a MODEL-NATION (Deut. 4:6), an ETERNAL FLAME (Isa. 42:6). No longer the slaves of men or their traditions, we were free to obey God and teach His commandments. Everything that God taught us, we were to teach to others by personal example and national instruction; not just one or the other, but both. Israel was to take these sacred truths, these embers of light, and share God's holy fire with all mankind - while guarding against burn out at home (Isa. 50:11). What was at the top of Jesus' agenda? During His earthly ministry, whom did He focus in on and privately tutor? The twelve disciples Although He spoke to thousands, Christ was busy imparting special insight and UNDERSTANDING to "a few good men". The Anointed One was sharing His anointing (1 Jn. 2:27). They had been well-trained in government affairs, and would be held responsible for carrying out Christ's Mission while He dutifully reported back to Headquarters (Dan. 7:13). As GIs, Jesus' men were given orders to spread out and teach what they themselves had been taught - that which had formerly been classified as TOP SECRET: "for assuredly, I say to you that many prophets and righteous men have desired to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it" (Mat. 13:17). Jesus' private school of revolutionary thought, His twelve disciples, were sent out to represent Him. Christ "multiplied" His ability to get out God's Message by certifying His students to become teachers like Him (Mat. 10:25). They were expected to #1. announce the coming KINGDOM OF GOD, and #2. teach God's truths that encourage us to become Christ-like: "Go therefore and make (students) of all nations... teaching them to (act upon) all things that I have commanded you..." (Mat. 28:19-20). God's Servants or Men's Slaves? But God says we've slacked off! He insists we haven't done the work! He condemns "Christians" and rejects the Jews! He reveals we've been taught, but not the truth! We've been fed - not the steak of scriptures - but A BUNCH OF BULL! Something's not kosher! "Therefore My people have gone into captivity, because they have no (true) knowledge... because they have rejected the law of the LORD... and despised the word of the Holy One of Israel" (Isa. 5:13, 24). Our substitute teachers have gotten rid of God's law to pay homage to men! Our lewd leaders have dishonored God's Word to play with humanist ideas! Since we have chosen such an empty education, a shallow understanding - God is going to empty our land and throw us into the depths of depravity! Since we HAve preferred to pay tribute to mens' ideas and have impeached God's truth - WE ARE TO BE THROWN OUT, exiled, and subject to others! "Because you did not serve the LORD your God with joy and gladness of heart, for the abundance of (material wealth and spiritual blessings), therefore you shall serve your enemies, whom the LORD will send against you, in hunger, in thirst, in nakedness, and in need of everything..." (Deut. 28:47). If we're not happy serving God, we're free to become slaves to men! If we don't want to enjoy God's ways, we're offered NATIONAL CAPTIVITY! The choice is clear: truth or consequences! What will it be?CHAPTER 3 TRUTH OR CONSEQUENCES! The Bible warns of an upsurge in Satanic activities. We are told that his invisible sway has affected all nations, deceiving the whole world. It will soon endanger earth's very existence (Rev. 12:9)! Dark storm clouds are gathering, preparing to cover every continent - but there is a silver lining. As global tensions increase, and threats of confrontation escalate, we might very well wonder whether humanity will survive this climactic century. UNLESS there's a GOD to intervene, we have a bleak future indeed: a DEAD PLANET! Will earth become a nuclear fireball? Will charred bones - aftermath of unleashed atomic fires - and the smoldering ruins of a suicidal civilization be all that's left? What's this world coming to? Its prophesied end! God told Adam and Eve the facts of life and they chose death. We have all rejected what's good for us and insist on doing our own thing. Everybody has chosen to snub God and eat the forbidden fruit. The Eternal Creator God, in His dealings with men and nations, has always afforded us a choice. Man has been made a free moral agent and isn't an idle automaton. Therefore, it is incumbent upon mankind to CHOOSE what they are going to do: follow God's Book of Life or go it on their own. But a sobering RESPONSIBILITY accompanies that freedom of choice! The Great Lawgiver has decreed that man must assume responsibility for his actions, and in a sense, for the collective actions of the nation as a whole. The Supreme Judge of the Universe has now chosen - in these last days of civilization (as we know it) - to call mankind to an accounting. Where will we stand? Where will YOU stand? It's time we find out. This is a LIFE and DEATH situation! God is again about to offer His Holy Spirit (the Tree of Life) to mankind. But God is first, as a witness, thundering to our lethargic world that we have been deceived. We have got to WAKE UP to what's really going on, and be warned about catastrophic events ready to strike! We'd better take action and make drastic changes! In order to escape atomic annihilation, we've got to turn around and go the other way. We are headed in the wrong direction! The fate of our nation hangs in the balance. The choice of continued freedom and national existence is up to Washington (London, Jerusalem, Pretoria...) and us to decide. Will we act now to halt America's decline in the face of the dangerous European ascent? It is extremely urgent that we recognize the serious significance of worsening world conditions and its relationship to the U.S. scapegoat - IF we are to avert a crisis situation and violent confrontation with an INDEPENDENT EUROPE! Regardless, God will remember His many promises to offer us His Holy Spirit again. We can either learn our lessons now (by believing the Bible about imminent national destruction) - or reject God's warning and scoff at it, as usual, only to have a RUDE AWAKENING in concentration camps! What will it be? Our Dying Civilization We are living in a sick world. This dying age desperately needs God's Tree of LIFE and its healing qualities (Rev. 22:2). Will we get help? Or will we go on like sheep to the slaughter? Why see how close to the edge we can get? Why deliver our loved ones into the rough hands of those who hate us? Why surrender to enemy terror and the savage state of near extermination? Yes, from that selfish act in Eden, the whole course of history was set, and the entire world has been swept away. That "crime of the centuries" opened up the floodgates of hell. We are still suffering its consequences. The daily newspapers and evening news testifies that we are WITHOUT EXCUSE! Our own way has not been better! Civilization is about to die - the end result of going the WRONG WAY! In the face of such a frightening torrent of sin, there appeared One Man who dared to stand up against it. By divine conviction, He defied the "impossible" by living in harmony with the Tree of Life, despising the lie of the Tree of Death and rejecting its "advances." By that One Man's bold action and divine initiative, the way has now been reopened to the Tree of Life (1 Pet. 2:21). The Tree of Life and its immortal fruit had been off-limits, closed to mankind, because God refuses to impart God-Life to "hardened criminals" (Heb. 3:13). Misery loves company, but one Satan is more than enough! But now, through Christ, we can have direct access to that Tree and to the Father (whom mankind still doesn't know). We are afforded the priceless opportunity to live a new and different life, in loving obedience, having been rescued from our old ways and forgiven our ignorance. Through this comparatively chosen few - who have had their eyes opened to see this world for what it really is, in contrast to what it can become with God's Help - God has prepared the foundation for His coming Kingdom (Jn. 14:1-3). Just as Satan took advantage of Adam's deceived descendants (to fill the earth with violent lies and a corrupt system), God will utilize those enlightened in Christ to teach the truth and administer proper justice (Rom. 5:19). A Nation of Drug Addicts But presently God's truth is suppressed. Pagan superstitions have clouded Christianity and dulled too many minds (2 Cor. 4:4). We haven't been enlightened by God's truth - we have been DECEIVED by Satan's lies! His serpentine ministers have been working overtime! They have drugged our nations into a comatose state! They have poisoned the churches with their venom and smitten fools with their "love!" WAKE UP, AMERICA, lest you die in your sleep! America's hour has arrived to receive her last WARNING! If we stumble, England and Israel will fall too! We have not known the liberating truth of God - instead we have been chained to tradition! We are about to come to a grinding halt, due to an "oil shortage" (Mat. 25:8). That proper understanding is only available by an acceptable attitude and response (Ps. 111:10) - a Biblical standard we're supposed to uphold (Isa. 62:10), not just stand by and watch as it's tossed to the side by rambling ministers (Acts 5:29, 32). We are headed for disaster! We have been deceived and don't even realize it yet. We have been misled by siren-songs and religious lullabies (Isa. 30:10). Sugar-coated sermons (lacking real substance), pretty prayers, and nice thoughts can't save us! Many, unable to be sustained on such an unhealthy diet, will succumb to malnutrition and die, their bellies bloated with their preacher's hot air (Amos 8:11, 2 Pet. 2:18). All the altar-calls in the world can't save a single soul - if they're only coming back to human traditions and not to God (Hos. 7:14, 16)! No Holding Back God understands many are sincere, but are sincerely wrong, having been led astray. That's why God has raised up the Philadelphia Church of God to "CRY ALOUD, SPARE NOT, lift up your voice like a trumpet (warning of war!), and show My people their transgressions (cause of coming war), and the House of Jacob their sins" (Isa. 58:1). We need honest men to explain what our nation is doing wrong, to show us where we are off-track, and point us back in the right direction. God's ministers are to speak out and show no mercy! Don't compromise God's message to appease us - that's not love! Challenge our conventional thinking. Get us good and angry. You might save us! (Yet, tragically, the Worldwide Church of God has been led off the track God inspired Mr. Herbert W. Armstrong to blaze, succumbed to a Laodicean condition [Rev. 3:16], and have returned to Protestant Egypt!). We need our sins clearly defined and spelled out, because we wouldn't guess the half of them. They have been white-washed. The Enemy has cleverly embedded them in religion. He knows that's the last place most people would look. But religion is a big part of our downfall! God hasn't written us off - yet! For the most part, God has been letting us stumble on in our own ways, and simply pay the price, and exact the natural consequences of our actions (Jer. 2:19). God hasn't intervened (as a general rule), but has basically followed a hands-off policy. But God is now taking an active interest in our affairs, and with decisive action, has brought our Israelite nations into JUDGMENT! God charges us with constant violations, and presents our mounting infractions as evidence against us. We are now required to act upon what God is revealing and make due restitution. We are now obligated, as never before, to change or stand corrected! We are now held accountable for what we know (unable to claim ignorance), and are henceforth responsible for all that we choose to do (Jn. 15:22). God is making His SENTENCE known! We can try and ignore it, but it won't go away. We are free to reject it and return to our old ways of thinking. But God has graciously warned us to avoid those "condemned buildings." He doesn't want anybody trapped inside (2 Kgs. 10:23, 2 Pet. 3:9). Our PROBATION is intended to give us the necessary time to prove that we have changed course, that we want what's right - it is not a pardon to continue in wrongdoing (Gen. 19:17)! Mercy isn't permission. God doesn't excuse those who would abuse this grace-period (Rom. 2:4). We can't keep living a lie once God's shown us the truth. We are WITHOUT EXCUSE! God is stripping away every distortion and wants the facts to speak for themselves. We can't honestly disagree with God's words, or reasonably argue against His wisdom (Acts 6:10). An Unholy Trinity Atheists and agnostics, due to an ignorant "intellectualism" that has closed their minds to common sense, have arrogantly attempted to deny the Creator's existence. They have foolishly rejected the facts of nature for the superstition of vain theories (Rom. 1:22). They are deceived, having devoured the forbidden fruit that promised them a "higher education" (Gen. 3:5). They have simply been brainwashed - blinded by a stubborn pride and ensnared by ego. The scientific community (those members who reject supernatural evidence) have taken advantage of the respect society has shown them. They have abused their authoritative positions to preach belief in their unholy trinity: evolution, humanism, and ethical relativism. Those illegitimate children (of Einstein's theory of relativity) deny God's existence, insist that there aren't any absolutes, and consequently judge everything by human standards (1 Tim. 6:20, Rom. 1:18-20). But they've got it all wrong! They are still searching for the "missing link" to confirm their faith! They know they're "not all there!" They are incomplete without that conclusive proof. But they are looking in the wrong direction. We are to look up to God and consider our awesome potential (Ps. 8). Prisoners of the past, their fossilized minds are oblivious to our Link with the future. Man's connection with animals is basic; we are both made of matter (Gen. 2:7, 19). But man's relationship with GOD offers unlimited opportunities! CHRIST is the Missing-Link (Gen. 28:12). Not between man and animals, but between God and man! He enables us to rise above ourselves, partake of His Divine Nature, and anticipate our transformation into glorious Spirit (1 Cor. 15:49-53). Human-beings, through the purifying process of conversion, become God-Beings! Mortals made immortal - not through evolution, but by a resurrection (Ps. 82:6)! Scientists are welcome in God's Kingdom also. They are not the only ones who have been confused about their "calling." Unfortunately, religious superstitions (and scandals) have been a stumblin gblock to atheists, and have prejudiced their minds against all religion. That pitiful fact doesn't justify narrow-minded men, but it helps us to understand some of their concerns. Catholics and Protestants But what about TRADITIONAL CHRISTIANITY? Has it escaped from Satan's clutches? Avoided his international deception? Are we hesitant, even fearful, to slaughter that sacred cow? The golden calf (of cherished beliefs) must also go through God's fire to test its authenticity. Will it hold up? God commands us to "PROVE ALL THINGS" (1 Thes. 5:21). It is a lifelong process of refining. Haven't most of us taken our doctrines for granted? Trusted our Church leaders to tell us the truth? Didn't the entire Protestant movement result from a serious cross-examination of their Catholic mother? Did they find everything in order? Or disarray? Could the Protestant groups also be wrong? Is it impossible for them to be filled with error and deceit? Shouldn't we check it out? Don't we owe it to ourselves and others? We have nothing to lose and salvation to gain! Let's dare open our eyes to see such "time-honored" traditions for what they are (Acts 17:11). But first let's examine the record of ancient Israel, "the Church in the wilderness" (Acts 7:38). God had repeatedly warned Israel to beware the Gentile influence about them. Moses stressed the importance of not underestimating the religious pull of the pagans and exhorted Jacob to resist their evil and steer clear of Canaan's customs. Nevertheless, Israel became polluted by too close of contact with the ways of this world, and subverted from within by that "mixed multitude" that had followed them out of Egypt. Obviously, too many had only physically left Egypt, but secretly, in their hearts and minds, remained behind (Acts 7:39). God jolted Israel when He rejected their religion (as it had become) and forced them to face reality: they were fired! God's "Private Tutor" - trained to help mankind - had quit going by the Book! Their lesson-plan, trying to receive accreditation from others, began to include more human ideas, at the expense of God's truth! Jacob lost his credentials, forgot his background material, and neglected his own education! Much to their DISBELIEF and ANGER, God exposed Israel as steeped in pagan superstition. That embarrassing revelation wasn't well received. The fact that God branded their worship as unacceptable was especially hard to swallow. He rejected it as an unfit mixture. They had forced desegregation; integrating paganism with God's truth! God condemns such diluted worship, regardless of motives (Deut. 12:30). Deaf, Dumb and Blind! Israel had smugly come to view herself as rather advanced, superior in culture and civilization, which they were - as long as they obeyed God (Rom. 2:17). But they were blind to their true spiritual condition. They were ignorant that beneath the glitter and glamor of success, sin was eating away at their nation's very foundations (Amos 6:1-8). As Isaiah lamented, "Who is blind but My servant, or deaf as my messenger...?" (Isa. 42:19). How unfortunate, but true, that God's Church and nation, throughout history, have suffered from various blind-spots. We know so much, and yet so little! Patriotic prophets urged Israel to forsake men's traditions for God's commandments (2 Kgs. 17:13). Usually, such stirring appeals to return to the law and covenant of God (our true Constitution) fell upon deaf ears. Everybody was content with the status quo: if it was good enough for others, it was good enough for them -but it wasn't good enough for God! Israel didn't want their boat rocked. They wanted to remain deaf, dumb and blind! They were happy with their national holidays, family traditions and childhood memories: so they were irritated with God's people and attacked His message. They carried on, in their stubborn ways, until they were carried away, carted off like cattle into foreign lands (Ezek. 6:9)! Ancient Israel's example proves it's not only possible, but PROBABLE, for individuals and entire nations to become deceived! Israel's religion was meaningless. They were only going through the motions. As far as God was concerned their worship was worthless. He didn't want anything to do with it. God hated their dead faith and despised their hypocritical hymn-singing (Amos 5:21-23). Since they refused to lose their old-time religion to find God, they lost their land and found themselves in exile (Jer. 9:13-14). God's intense hatred for religious sin still burns, and His stiff sentences against pagan blends (destined to go up in smoke) remains in effect (Rev. 19:3). Just because some of these things might not seem all that important to us, doesn't mean they're not serious to God. After all, from His vantage point He can see things more clearly and keep them in focus. He's in a better position to put things in perspective. The Bible shares God's views, if we wonder how He looks at any particular subject (Isa. 55:8-9). If and when we're not in harmony with the law and order of God's universe, or out of sync with some scripture, we're encouraged to have an attitude adjustment and/or religious alignment (Acts 3:19-21). We're freely offered, on a daily basis, to have our Biblical balance restored, and our spiritual senses recharged (Isa. 55:1). The Plain Truth God intended for Israel to preserve His law in its purest form. They were instructed to be intolerant towards any tamperings with the Torah, and thereby safeguard themselves against deception. This preventive measure would keep its simple (though profound) precepts from becoming complex, its original intent from becoming obscured, its statutes from becoming suppressed or twisted to the confusion of Israel's citizens. God hasn't budged on this issue either (Deut. 12:32). God damns those ignorant scholars or "editors" who attempt to alter or delete any of the material found within His Instruction Manual for mankind (Malachi 2:12)! There's no such thing as "higher criticism" - except in vain imaginations (Isa. 40:13). We're to embrace the basic foundational doctrines that are clearly evident in scripture. God doesn't require everyone to master degrees to understand His Word (1 Cor. 2:10), but does command us all to stick close to the trunk of the tree, and reject anything that contradicts sound teaching (Isa. 8:20). That's the surest way to avoid innumerable interpretations, religious confusion, and ultimate deception (Prov. 16:25). Those rebels who reject GOD'S PLAIN TRUTH for their own vague "understanding" are misleading others. They're looking at things from a "different angle" all right - they're seeing things through the serpent's eyes! God decrees the death penalty for treacherous pastor generals (who wage war against truth), for false apostles (sent by Satan), and lying ministers (who betray Christ). Satan deceives the entire religious world by misrepresenting God! Satan the Devil means, "the Enemy who slanders." And too many have believed his "white lies!" God understands the inability of some to comprehend that it's actually possible to be "religious" for nothing. That explains the reason why God has recorded many Biblical cases to state His utter contempt for various religious practices. Israel's rejection of truth for tradition resulted in their DEPORTATION AND DEATH - reminiscent of Adam and Eve. Such bitter experiences are supposed to teach and help us to learn from others mistakes. Would God allow a WAR to disturb our peace? Let something drastic happen to shake us to our sense? Threaten Rome's revival and Israel's downfall if we remain complacent in our customs? Torn Between Two Lovers Speaking of our religious ancestors, God says, "Did you offer Me slaughtered animals and sacrifices during forty years in the wilderness, O House of Israel? You also took up the tabernacle of Moloch, and the star of your god Remphan, (icons) which you made to worship; and I will carry you away beyond Babylon" (Acts 7:42-43). Israel was trying to live in sin and stay married to God at the same time. They were torn between two lovers. They had agreed to a monogamous relationship, but now they wanted the best of both worlds. However, God made it clear from the beginning that He wouldn't settle for an "open relationship." It was all or nothing (Deut. 6:5)! Joshua had to deal with this issue of half-hearted love and divided devotion; Elijah had to tell us to make up our minds; Jesus said you can't serve two masters - it only leads to confusion! And yet traditional Christianity, every holiday season, continues to mix and match PAGAN customs with Biblical truths! Why TAINT the truth (Isa. 52:11)? Israel was toting around idols while claiming to love God. If they would've believed the Bible verses against idolatry, they could've gotten rid of their excess baggage and lightened their load. Evidently, they were like Catholics today who justify their icons, and Protestants who hang on to their mental images of a long-haired, sleepy Jesus! Both interfere with the worship of the true GOD who condemns attempts to make Him visible before Christ's coming! We're to walk by faith, not sight! The first commandment deals with coming to a proper understanding of WHO AND WHAT GOD IS. Obviously, this remains a mystery to most since they continue to expose their ignorance by breaking the second commandment! Remember the golden calf incident? They were so close to the truth (Mt. Sinai), and yet so far away! They brazenly declared: "This is your god, O Israel, that brought you out of the land of Egypt..." and Aaron pontificated, and said, "Tomorrow is a feast to the LORD" (Ex. 32:4-5). Spineless Ministers While Moses was away, Aaron, who had withstood mighty pharaoh, now gave in to Israel's demands and constructed their golden calf! Meanwhile, God was instructing Moses to appoint Aaron as high priest, and yet here he was following the crowd! How many ministers today go along with trends they know aren't right? And sanction sin by their silence? They're more afraid of their congregations than the judgment of God! Was Israel's homage acceptable to the true God? The One who really freed them? Did He simply dismiss all their religious celebrations as "harmless?" Does God accept worship today that's done "in His Name" - even if the holidays are invented by apostate men? God thunders the answer: "I HATE, I DESPISE YOUR FEAST DAYS..." (Amos 5:21)! Pretty strong words from a God who knows what He wants and refuses to settle for less (Jn. 4:23). The Biblical God doesn't leave any doubt as to where He stands. He's not some poor, confused, weak deity who'll take whatever type of worship He can get. The Creator God is ALMIGHTY - with a strong Mind and Character. It's His Way or not at all. He's described as a JEALOUS GOD who wants our full attention (Rev. 3:15-16). Is this the kind of God you know and serve? Israel just barely survived their "near-death experience." Mt. Sinai almost became "hamburger hill!" God had had enough and was ready to destroy them (with their religious bull) and start over again! Thankfully, even though some heads rolled, God accepted Moses' merciful intervention on their behalf. God didn't let up against Israel's traditional way of doing things because He didn't enjoy watching them die. God didn't want to see them prolong their misery. He told them (day in and day out) they were killing themselves with their religious habits, and encouraged them to return to their roots, come back to life, and remember the faith once delivered (Ezek. 20:18-20). But Israel didn't want to kick their habit, or break their addiction to deception. They enjoyed sin's pleasures - until it finally caught up with them! Israel was supposed to follow God's ways, do what's right in His eyes, and trash the empty traditions of men. In fact, all the Gentile religions are based upon human imagination. But GOD called Israel to be different, to rise above misguided human reasoning and embrace divine revelation. The precious possession of God's truth is what separated Israel from all of the others. God's unique revelation and intervention in Israel's affairs is what sanctified them (Deut. 4:32-35). Only the truth - as opposed to human fables - is what set Israel apart as special (Jn. 17:17). Religious Wrongdoing Besides Israel's sedition at Mt. Sinai, there's the story about a misguided man from Mt. Ephraim, named Micah. He actually stole some silver from his mother to make an idol to "worship" God (Judges 17:1-6)! How can the true God - who forbids stealing, dishonoring parents and idolatry - accept such devotions? He doesn't! How blind can you get? Yet to this day, the majority of people continue to break God's clear commandments to do their own religious thing! Other worship that was worthless and condemned by God: evil Cain's sacrifice wasn't accepted, but despised; Nadab and Abihu (Aaron's sons), top-ranking ministers in the Tabernacle, attempted to modify God's religious rules, "so fire went out from the LORD and devoured them, and they died before the LORD" (Lev. 10:2); Korah, Dathan, and Abiram insisted on "serving" God as self-appointed priests, "and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them up... and they perished from among the assembly" (Numbers 16:32-33). Later Israel participated in pagan sexual rites - as seduced by that sorcerer, Baalam, the father/founder of "Interfaith, Inc." - and God plagued them for their spiritual promiscuity: "And those who died in the plague were twenty-four thousand" (Numbers 25:9). Remember: all of these bankrupt accounts, and more, were dutifully recorded for our sakes. Many have died "in the faith" -a false faith! Therefore, even if we think we're standing on some pretty solid ground, we'd better check again! It's better safe than sorry. Why fall for the same old deadly sins (1 Cor. 10:11-12)? Are you doing your own thing or what God says to do? When you serve God, in accordance to His commandments, it makes all the difference in the world. Will you enjoy a truly successful life or simply endure your mortal existence? Will you share in God's blessing or put yourself under a curse? Stay on Course We're not left to go it alone in this life. We don't need to stumble into unknown territory. God - through Christ - has been there before. He knows the way. He can lead us through. He's already made it! In fact, God even offers us a map to avoid the pitfalls. If we properly follow it we'll know what to expect, and can be on guard against getting lost when the going gets tough. So why not take God at His Word? Why let would-be guides take you off the track with their traditions (Mat. 15:14)? Only God has the prerogative to set standards! Why don't we believe that He means what He says, and says what He means? We don't need to second-guess Him. He's quite clear. But do we really want to understand or just play stupid? God's true people have always been taught to practice discrimination. Yes, to know and make a difference between right and wrong, good and evil (Ezek. 44:23)! And all based upon the black and white of the Bible. God condemns those who would confuse the issues, and complicate the simplicity that's in Christ (Isa. 5:20). After all, that's where Eve went wrong (2 Cor. 11:3). As God's Children, we're expected to question everything and consider its spiritual source (1 Jn. 4:1). What's there to hide? You shouldn't be afraid of truth, you should beware of error! Look into your religion deeply. Prove to yourself if it squares with the scriptures or not (1 Thes. 5:21). NEVER allow yourself to become a LOBOTOMIZED LAY-MEMBER! Don't leave your mind at the door and quietly accept spoon-fed doctrines, or get beaten into submission by fear of ridicule, rejection, and/or questioned motivation (1 Sam. 17:29). Your salvation is a legitimate concern! Don't entrust it to others (Philip. 2:12). Think for yourself! Don't fall for those ministers who only want to lord it over you (1 Pet. 5:3). Make sure you're following Jesus Christ and not some man. Remember Your Roots! After Moses' death, Israel got away from the ORIGINAL RELIGION God had given them. Moses warned them they would. They'd even begun to get that restless liberal spirit when he was alive. Joshua blocked attempts to alter "Church doctrine" for awhile, by remaining faithful to the MOSAIC LAWS (that were really God's laws), but too many, surrounded by wrong influences, chose to be led astray by "new truths." Once Israel rejected their anchor, making reference to Moses' stand on matters less frequently, they just drifted further away. When they distanced themselves from God's clear "Fountain of Life" - for muddled beliefs that couldn't hold water (Jer. 2:13) - they forfeited their future and sentenced themselves to death. God wants to set two things straight: #1. He refers to Moses as His servant, present tense, and we'd better not forget it (Malachi 4:4-5). He orders us to get back to the basics. How? By remembering what we've been taught and shamefully let slip -Moses' inspired words and works! Though Moses is dead, God's truth we received from him, as well as his blessed memory, ought to be very much alive! #2. God also tells us to expect Elijah's prophetic work to set things back on track; restoring God's tattered truths, and building up Moses' reputation again. We love and honor God to the degree we are receptive to His servants. Is Moses' influence, who foreshadowed Christ, evident in our lives? Kosher Food for Thought We've seen how Israel thought they were pretty good, a fairly religious folk, pleasing to God. But God rejected their rituals, was weary of their ways, and tired of their traditions! They left God's input out of their religion and forgot His servants! But what about today? What about our "Christian countries?" And is Israel really a Jewish State? Or a Gentilized state of Jews? There is a difference! Are we left to our own devices, our personal preferences, the "Church or synagogue of your choice" mentality? Or does God have something to say to us also? Meir Kahane, rabbi and author of Uncomfortable Questions for Comfortable Jews, was to the Jewish establishment what Herbert W. Armstrong was to traditional Christianity: an irritating prophet who spoke the plain truth! I was living at Kibbutz Shoval, in Israel's Negev desert, beautifying the grounds, when I heard that he had been murdered in New York. When his funeral took place in Jerusalem, I was honored to attend - and as a blond, stood out in the black sea of haredim. Is the modern Church or synagogue really any different from that carnal "Church in the wilderness?" And if so, then why does God warn us to run for our lives, to get as far away as possible from certain practices He promises to plague (Rev. 18:4)? And why does He expose those bastard beliefs as "baptized paganism?" (Rev. 17:5). Counterfeit Christians Didn't Jesus say that the MAJORITY of ministers, all claiming to represent Christ and preaching by His authority, would mislead their members (Mat. 24:5)? Didn't the apostle Paul warn about being blinded by high-ranking theologians, respected Church fathers, and other religious authorities? And that he wasn't surprised that such "spiritual luminaries" were actually inspired by Satan? Are you surprised (2 Cor. 11:13-15)? Do you think it couldn't happen? THINK AGAIN! Weren't we warned of a GREAT APOSTASY (2 Thes. 2:3) - to occur in God's own Church - that would result in a counterfeit Christ, another "gospel," and a different spirit (2 Cor. 11:3-4)? Are you of the spirit of truth or error (1 Jn. 4:6)? How do you know? Are you assuming you've been taught the truth? Can you prove it from the Bible? Have you seriously checked it out? History records wolves in sheep's clothing infiltrated the Church, introduced pagan ideas, and welcomed hordes of "converts" who further corrupted the composition of the Church (Acts 20:29). Embattled members of God's true Church (Lev. 24:2), particularly John, Paul and Jude, stood as the vanguard against Satan's attack. They urgently exposed error, warned repentance, and exhorted the faithful to hold out, confident in Christ's Coming and judgment (Jude 3-4, 2 Thes. 1:8). So what about today? Quite bluntly, we find a rebel Church full of liars, far removed from its Biblical bearings, docked at Babylon! They say they know God, and yet they repeat the lie that the "law's been done away" (1 Jn. 2:4). They've got people believing they're "free" to do as they please, it's all "grace" now (Jer. 7:8-10). They're hostile to God's law, and just like their father, Satan, don't want anything to do with obedience (Isa. 30:9-10)! Christ isn't their Lord! Traditional Christianity has done its own thing. They've been busy at Babylon, where they've begged, borrowed and stolen different wares from the pagan bazaar (Neh. 13:20-21). Meanwhile, the true Christians decried these attempts to adopt demonic doctrines (1 Tim. 4:1), and consequently endangered their lives ! Few realize the titanic struggle that taken place for control of the Church (Jude 9). The forces of good and evil have battled in every generation (Ephes. 6:12), but Christ promised that His "little flock" - though often battered - would not be beaten (Heb. 11:36-38). Our victory is assured (1 Jn. 4:4)! Jewish Lawyers God's Church foundation was to be based upon the apostolic bedrock, with Christ as the cornerstone, headquartered in JERUSALEM, the future capital of God's Government (Ephes. 2:20). Jesus' Jewish apostles, authorized by God, were the true Church-fathers, and as such, were experts in "Constitutional law," qualified to Biblically settle disputes and set guidelines (Acts 15:2). Counterfeit "Church-fathers," Gentiles, based in Rome (whose appropriate symbol is the wolf!) - without any Biblical background - were products of their pagan environment and subject to demonic influence (Acts 8:9). Consequently, their diseased minds infected "Christ's Body," the Church, with cancerous concepts (that contradicted scripture) , and weakened the defense of those who dared resist such chronic changes (Col. 2:8). Both Polycarp and Polycrates, held on for dear life to those priceless teachings passed down from Jerusalem (2 Thes. 2:15). They both struggled, to no avail in the West, to stem the flow of the Church's life-blood. This deteriorating condition caused many to lose consciousness of the foundational doctrines, and instead receive a delirious infusion of "new and improved" ideas (Ezek. 20:24-25). Those guilty of doctoring God's law are warned of an unprecedented malpractice suit (Jas. 3:1)! God's strict building codes command compliance. Everything's to be built upon the Biblical basis (1 Cor. 3:10-17). The traditional way of doing things is out (Acts 17:30)! Any contractor - self-employed or commissioned - will be held accountable for any faulty workmanship, shoddy performance, or substandard measures (Ezek. 22:28). Does your Church hold up? Or is it falling apart? Religious confusion (leftovers from that early clash between God's commandments and men's ideas) is still evident today (1 Cor. 14:33). God's sheep remain scattered, wandering in their bewilderment; splintered into sects and divided into different denominations and warring factions (1 Cor. 1:13). God holds the shepherds, the religious leaders, largely responsible for allowing error to creep into the Church, but the lay-members share some blame too (Isa. 9:16). All of us must change and get with it! Biblical Conclusions How did Jesus' disciples figure out He was the Messiah? Did they run and get approval from their synagogue rulers and chief rabbis? Do you think the Jewish establishment would've spoken highly of Jesus? Wouldn't they have spoken against Christ? Branded him as a dissident (Jn. 7:43)? Warned their synagogue members that Jesus was a false prophet, out to get a following for himself, and to avoid him? To ignore his wrong teachings - or get excommunicated (Jn. 9:22)?! Jesus is very pleased when we check out our leaders (Rev. 2:2). He doesn't condemn us for putting our pastors to the test (1 Jn. 4:1), but commends us for trying the scriptural slipper on them (Ephes. 6:15). How do we know if our pastor general, our leading ministers, or those appointed by them are kosher or not? Do we go and ask them? Wouldn't that be pretty stupid? Should we just take their word for it? Should we let them think for us? Is it Biblical for them to tell us not to even hear someone out or read their literature? Isn't that mind-control? Hasn't God given you a brain? Use it or you'll lose it! We're to CONSULT CHRIST! He's the Word of God. We're to familiarize ourselves with God's Word, by reading it daily, to KNOW whether someone's teachings are in agreement with it or not (Acts 17:11). We don't need anyone to contradict what God's personally taught us by His Spirit of truth (1 Jn. 2:27). How could John make the statement - "If anyone comes to you and does not bring this doctrine, do not receive him into your house nor greet him..." (2 Jn. 10) - unless he knew God's people were studying the scriptures and proving whether various individuals and ministries were of God? What if the brethren didn't allow Paul to clear his name (Acts 9:27)? Hadn't heard him out? Didn't take the time to see what he was doing? They would've NEVER been able to recognize him as family and embrace Christ in him (Ga. 2:9)! In Paul's case, a leading minister (Barnabas) did accept his conversion as real - a topic of controversy at the time - and presented his case before the Church. The leaders examined the new evidence surrounding Paul and verified his innocence before the doubting Church. It becomes common knowledge, after awhile, what the basic beliefs are of different groups. We don't need "headquarters" to tell us who's right and who's wrong, when they're the only ones who've examined any "dissident literature." During Paul's "trial" the whole Church knew his history and conversion; the good, the bad, and the ugly! It wasn't hearsay: he was on public record. Christ Unwelcome? If something's suspect, ask questions. Don't stay in the dark! Expect Biblically sound answers. If you get a run-around instead, or weak excuses, you'd better determine if God's glory has left your Church. Don't accept general accusations against others, or go along sheepishly for a pat on the head! Beware personality cults that can easily disfellowship true Christians (3 Jn. 9-10)! It happened before, why couldn't it happen again? Only follow ministers who go by the Bible and do as Jesus did. Where's it written that Church leaders must repent? Where's Christ promised to force their conversion? NOWHERE! Jesus tells them to get with it or He'll leave (Rev. 2:5)! He doesn't stick around where He's not welcome. He'll simply raise up another organization. God's Holy Spirit isn't bound by any membership list! Too often Christ is on the outside looking in (Rev. 3:20)! Jesus evens threatens to turn against those within the Church who've turned against Him, betraying the truth (Rev. 2:16). He'll kill those who still won't repent (Rev. 2:23)! Christ's surprise inspection will catch some Christians off guard (Rev. 3:3), and others will have to be purged from His Body of believers (Rev. 3:16). It makes you wonder: if God's people just barely make it, where does that leave the rest (1 Pet. 4:18)? The Church isn't immune from false doctrines, and its leaders aren't infallible. God can prove us to see whether we'll follow Him or blindly follow men! We need to follow Christ wherever He might go. If He removes His Light of understanding, His candlestick and Holy Spirit, from one organization to another -we must be willing to pick up and go. Israel had to change locations many times before they reached the Promised Land. Too many are comfortably deceived and disobeying God to remain faithful to their organization and loyal to a man! What about you? If we don't want to stand up for the Truth, God will let us fall for Satan's lies. It's our option. It's your choice. However, Christ begs us to COME OUT OF TRADITIONAL CHRISTIANITY - or suffer the consequences (Rev. 18:4). VICTIMS OF TRADITION True to His Word, God settled Israel in the Promised Land of good and plenty, offering golden opportunities and every given advantage. But unlike Abraham, Issac, and Jacob, their descendants took everything for granted, began to lose contact with God's reality, and actually forgot who rescued them from Egypt! God warned Israel for years about the dangerous road they were taking. He patiently tried every possible approach to reach them, and exhausted various methods to get through to them before it was too late. But He had nothing to show for it. All His efforts to work with these "repeat offenders" hadn't produced any positive results. God's people failed to respond to His message and only grew more bullheaded. There was only one option left for disciplining Israel's deviants: NATIONAL CAPTIVITY! Israel was imprisoned in exile! Jacob discovered how dreadful wardens can be. Even Israel's hardened criminals (Ps. 95:8) were soft compared to their callous conquerors (Deut. 28:50)! Subjected to sadists, terrorized by torture, Israel begged and cried for God to save them (Ps. 107:13). In their hell-holes, their "brain-cells" and think tanks, they had plenty of time to reflect upon their wayward lives (Isa. 24:22). When the heat's on, it can result in some serious soul-searching (Isa. 48:10). Usually it's easier to listen and learn when you're down and out, because you have nothing to lose and everything to gain: "And if they are bound in fetters, held in the cords of affliction, then he tells them their (crime) and (what their problem is) - that they have acted defiantly. He also opens their ear to instruction, and commands that they turn from (their wrong ways and life of crime)" (Job 36:8-10). It's typical to turn to God - when you're in trouble (Hos. 5:15). Israel had sued, in effect, for divorce when they broke their vows and committed adultery (idolatry). Prophets substantiated these charges, Israel was convicted and led away, separated from their God-given country. Humbled by circumstances, Israel became more ready and willing to try and do what's right. Captivity gave them sufficient time to think things over and realize their relationship with God hadn't been the greatest. They remembered God's attempts to patch things up and their stubborn refusal to accept "marriage counseling." Jacob had gone downhill fast and degenerated into a party animal (deforming his God-given appearance). He let himself go and indulged in degradation until his deportation. But finally sick of sowing his wild oats and only heaping up more trouble for himself, deprived of his "homelife" (that he had taken for granted) and missing his homeland - Israel repented. Nothing could compare to God (Hos.13:9-11). Incentive to Improve Whenever our behavior gets out of control, GOD LETS US LOSE CONTROL! When we're held hostage to bad habits, and refuse to let them go, WE GO INTO CAPTIVITY! A national lack of discipline results in God sending CORRECTIVE PUNISHMENT! Then we wake up and get with it, and beg God to save us. The whole purpose is to bring us to our knees and senses. That's the main reason behind God letting us fall to Europe: to rise again in Christ! God doesn't demand perfection, but He does expect progress. His message of love and forgiveness ought to encourage everybody to make something of themselves. We're to improve our lives. He even offers us a loan (His Holy Spirit) to better ourselves, and He promises to always stay by our side and see us through: "Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand" (Isa. 41:10). God doesn't kick you when you're down, but helps you to get back up and going: "For You, Lord, are good, and ready to forgive, and abundant in mercy to all those who call upon You" (Ps. 86:5). God isn't interested in our downfall or damnation, but in our forgiveness and salvation! "For God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved" (Jn. 3:17). God loves you! National Heroes Whenever Israel would change their ways - having second thoughts during their distress, reconsidering their options in times of trouble - God would send relief. A charismatic individual (or group of individuals) would stand out from the rest, inspired with an urgent sense of mission, and empowered to rescue Israel. They'd liberate their land, beat back their foes, and restore Israel to their God (Judges 2:18). These folk heroes were known as "judges." God had chosen them from all walks of life and from all areas of Israel. Many are familiar with Samson, Deborah, or Gideon - just to name a few. The Biblical book of Judges is devoted to recounting their daring expeditions. But their duties went far beyond the military - that was only a means to an end. They were more interested in waging war against those causes for Israel's relapse. These guerrillas for God and commandos for Christ would save Israel from their enemies, and then attempt to save them from themselves! Israel was their own worst enemy. The army chaplains had their work cut out for them to exorcise Israel of their demonic practices (Ps. 106:37). They never truly eradicated the evil influences of paganism, but they managed to keep the problem under control. As guidance counsellors and parole officers, the judges prescribed national therapy. They explored the reasons why Israel would fall off-the-wagon and go on a backsliding binge. They urged the nation to recognize their habitual pattern and exercise greater self-restraint. How? By avoiding the Babylonian bars, the Canaanite clubs, and the Egyptian dens of iniquity! Israel was cautioned against spiritual promiscuity, and encouraged to stay sober and celibate. They were to remain separate, act different, and be distinct from all the others, by strengthening their ties with the GOD of the Hebrews. Never Forget! The judges were to champion Israel's cause and remind them of their humble origins. How we were a nobody, as good as dead, enslaved to Egypt - but by God's grace we were made over, in His own image, at Mt. Sinai (Ezek. 16). We were to remember our roots: because God was committed to the covenant that He'd with our fathers, He chose us as His people. We were to NEVER FORGET how unique our experience was: "For ask now concerning the days that are past... whether any great thing like this has happened, or anything like it has been heard... did God ever try to go and take for Himself a nation from the midst of another nation... according to all that the LORD your God did for you in Egypt... because He loved your fathers, therefore He chose their descendants after them; and He brought you out of Egypt with His Presence, with His mighty power" (Deut. 4:32-37). But we haven't been grateful; we've forgotten WE OWE OUR EXISTENCE TO GOD! We need to live mindful of that fact and live accordingly. If there's a God, why live like there isn't one? If Jesus is the Messiah, then why ignore Him? We've gone off into our own little worlds. Consequently, we're on the verge of a breakdown! Our nation's about to collapse! We're going into captivity! We've trampled precious values for worthless flings, and now permit perverts to redefine what's "normal." Submerged in a moral morass, we suffer from gang violence, abortion and AIDS, and yet the movie and music industries continue to create more monstrosities. We need to stop those pyromaniacs from throwing fuel on society's fire. The coming holocaust is going to burn us all! We've been living a lie and have loved to indulge in deception. "Don't confuse me with the facts" has been our shameful attitude, and truth has been treated like some social outcast. Therefore, God threatens to use Europe to wake us up! Crumbling Foundations The judges were to warn us that we've forgotten the foundation for our family's stability and national security. We've downplayed the roots of true religion and proper government: the Mosaic law. We've cut ourselves off from God's covenant, undermined our future, and divorced ourselves from reality. In short, we've been acting like A BASTARD NATION! We're to return to the faith of our fathers, and end our strained relationship with them (Malachi 4:4-6). We haven't been "like father, like son." And we haven't seen eye to eye, because we've been distracted. We're torn between two lovers: God and mammon (worldly riches). The American dream of religious freedom has been abandoned in pursuit of mindless materialism! God says to seek first the Kingdom of God and all these things will be added to you. But we've got our priorities backwards! We've turned our blessing into a CURSE! Joseph's birthright, with all of its health and wealth, has been idolized and abused! We've gone out of our way to corrupt the divine image into self-made men and women (Deut. 8:17). We insist on playing by our own rules and reject any thought of possible consequences! Can justice be delayed forever? Twisted Priorities Since we're A NATION LIVING IN SIN - Jacob disowns us, Abraham doesn't recognize us, and Issac mourns our mixed marriages! Israel's birthmark was obedience to God (Gen. 18:19). We're to return to the God, faith and works of our fathers. We're to honor and respect them by following our Father God! "Doubtless You are our Father, though Abraham was ignorant of us, and Israel does not acknowledge us. You, O LORD, are our Father (not the pope!); our Redeemer from Everlasting is Your name" (Isa. 63:16). Each time God rescued us from others to serve Him again, we promised to straighten up and get our act together and keep our part of the bargain: God would be our GOD and we would be His people. However, characteristic of our unfaithfulness, we continually broke our promise and betrayed our faith (Hos. 6:7). We've neglected God's Word and have taken His truth lightly. How many people do you know who read the Bible? And try to live by it? Today it's acceptable to know all sorts of sports figures, music trivia, and entertainment facts, but remain totally ignorant about what the Bible says! People are prejudiced against it who haven't even read it. Others have attempted to read it and couldn't understand the old English - so get a modern version! Don't give up! We "can't afford" to tithe and yet somehow always manage to find the money for other things: cigarettes and beer, new clothes, another car or cruise, etc. (Malachi 3:8-10). God says we've stolen from Him! He's put the whole nation's under a curse! We keep piling up our sins worse than the national debt! No wonder our money doesn't seem to stretch too far and it's becoming more difficult to make ends meet. We're throwing away good money after bad each time we withhold tribute to God (Hag. 1:3-11). There are spiritual factors behind our economic crisis! It's in our national interest to obey God and invest some time in personal Bible study. Illegitimate Children But instead of developing our relationship with God and staying sober and celibate, we've whored around and given birth to pagans (Hos. 5:7). That's why God can't accept us as His national priest - our lifestyle choice misrepresents Him! God doesn't want any part in our perversion. Since we've denied His natural order of things, He won't recognize our illegitimate children! He hasn't fathered them (Hos. 4:6)! God says we haven't been humble and obedient like Abraham - the father of the faithful - but are "...a rebellious people, lying children, children who will not hear the law of the LORD..." and don't want anything to do with the truth! We don't want to be shown where we're wrong, and we don't want to hear about it (Isa. 30:9-11)! "So you shall say to them, 'This is a nation that does not obey the voice of the LORD their God nor receive correction" (Jer. 7:28). We've orphaned ourselves and act like bastards! Drunks and Whores Instead of becoming a model-nation we've become a STRIPPER! We've taken all the fine things that God's given us and laid them out before foreigners (Hos. 2:1-13)! We've squandered our time and energy in pagan ways and heathen practices! Therefore, God's going to STRIP AWAY OUR PEACE AND PROSPERITY! We're going to be left exposed to the elements and stripped bare before NAKED AGGRESSION! Since we refuse to return to God, we'll be sent back into SLAVERY! We're a nation of DRUNKS AND WHORES - so God's going to let us hit bottom so hard it'll appear we'll never bounce back! God's no longer going to enable us to carry on in our ways, drinking ourselves to death and dying for sex! We've gone from bad to worse: "You have stricken them, but they have not grieved; You have consumed them, but they have refused to receive correction. They have made their faces harder than rock; they have refused to return" (Jer. 5:3). We've become so hard-hearted, so cold and cruel, nothing seems to phase us anymore, but God's taking away His protective shield (Isa. 5:5). We're going to be ravaged by the weather and our enemies! But we don't attribute the dramatic increase in "natural disasters" and crazy weather to a spiritual upheaval. We fail to see any connection between our land and our lives, even though Solomon was wise enough to know there's a link (1 Kgs. 8:35-40). We should realize that nature doesn't have a mind of its own, but can be used by our Creator to get us thinking (Jer. 5:20-25). Eviction Notices We've left God's ways, throughout history, to follow men's ideas. We'd lose our love for the truth and become enamored with error. Due to this spiritual insult and breach of contract, God would send a number of eviction notices. He'd cite us for breaking our lease and inform us we'd worn out our welcome. But we'd rip us those notices and abuse those who delivered them: "And the LORD has sent to you all His servants the prophets, rising early and sending them (far in advance), but you have not listened nor inclined your ear to hear. They said, 'Repent now everyone of his evil way and his evil doings, and dwell in the land that the LORD has given to you and your fathers forever and ever" (Jer. 25:4-5). We didn't want to be reminded that God had set us free from men to serve Him. We could only call the Holy Land home as long as we remained holy! There were clauses that if we failed to make repairs and keep the place clean, we could forfeit our Biblical right to the land and be DISINHERITED (Jer. 17:4). When Egypt denied us religious freedom and imposed their beliefs on our forefathers, God prepared the Promised Land to accommodate His people. This Homeland was to serve as God's Sanctuary and Israel's haven. It offered us rest from politico-religious persecution. We were now free to obey God and throw off the shackles of human traditions. That was God's Purpose for bringing us out from under the illusions of men: "For He remembered His holy promise, and Abraham his servant. He brought out His people with joy, His chosen ones with gladness. He gave them the lands of the Gentiles, and they inherited the labor of the nations, that they might observe His statutes and keep His laws" (Ps. 105:42-45). God promised Abraham, His servant, that He would choose his descendants as His Servant-Nation - that's why Israel is called the "Chosen People." Our deliverance from Egypt was only a type of our future deliverance from Europe! What we've seen, on a regular basis, is that we must be saved from our sins - not just from men. Moses represented Christ who'll truly set Israel free from this vicious cycle of sin and slavery. Because as long as Israel's spiritual giants lived, the people followed their example; but Israel's resolve died as soon as they did! Israel was only faithful in being fickle! "Therefore You delivered them into the hand of their enemies, who oppressed them; and in the time of their trouble, when they cried to You, You heard from heaven; and according to Your abundant mercies You gave them deliverers who saved them from the hand of their enemies... and testified against them, that You might bring them back to Your law... And they shrugged their shoulders, stiffened their necks, and would not hear... Nevertheless in Your great mercy You did not utterly (destroy) them nor forsake them; for You are God, gracious and merciful" (Neh. 9:26-31). Chaos and Confusion In between judges, SPIRITUAL ANARCHY reigned! Everyone was on his own. It was "let your conscience be your guide," and there were as many unlicensed guides as there were Israelites! They had rejected their common consensus: God's law. Without the compass of God's commandments they quickly became lost in chaos and confusion! From beginning to end, Israel insisted on doing their own thing: "In those days there was no king (moral leadership) in Israel; everyone did what was right is his own eyes" (Judges 21:25). Doesn't it sound like today? It's been said, "Civilizations do not give out, they give in. In a society where anything goes, eventually, everything will" (John Underwood/The Boston Globe). Israel's liberty enslaved them! Without exercising the necessary self-restraint, Israel drowned in self-indulgence! They had forgotten - and refused to remember - GOD had set us free to obey Him. They forgot that self-denial's crucial for self-fulfillment. They rejected the character of God's commandments to cater to self-interests. Therefore, resisting the Spirit, God gave them over to the flesh. Playing "God" was Israel's mortal wound. Demanding their rights, they determined for themselves what's right and what's wrong, rejecting God's standard of good and evil. God had commanded the complete destruction of the Canaanites. As the Life-Giver and Creator-Sustainer of all the universe, God has the prerogative of deciding who should live or die and if and when. Not just for men, but for entire nations and/or peoples too. The Bible records God's verdicts on everything from individuals to families, cities to nations - even the whole surface of the earth once! Yes, the Hebrew God commanded Israel to commit genocide in His Name. God authorized Canaan's destruction and sealed their fate. Israel was simply instrumental in carrying out the Divine injunction. But they had "a better idea." They wanted to be more humane and understanding than God. Instead of obeying God's clear-cut commands, they decided to compromise. They only killed some and spared others, defying the Executive Order. God sanctioned Canaan's death and Israel pardoned them instead! And God does command capital punishment: "...for (the minister of state) does not bear the sword in vain; for he is God's minister, an avenger to execute wrath on him who practices evil" (Rom. 13:4). There isn't any contradiction: "thou shalt not kill" is more properly translated "murder." Mercy of Fools Israel paid dearly for their mercy of fools. It eventually cost them their land and lives! We can't afford to compromise with sin - it only leads to catastrophe. Sin must be uprooted or we'll defeat our purpose. Israel's promotion of "peace and understanding" robbed them of what sense they did possess. Such a ridiculous "peace" only served the interests of Israel's enemies. It enabled the pagans to prosper and grow until they could turn around and declare a CULTURAL WAR against them (Deut. 7:1-16)! Israel's liberal policy of "separate but equal" gave way to the more dangerous "peaceful coexistence" (Judges 1:28). Did God try and live with Satan? Did He just dismiss the attempted coup as an "understandable" outburst of anger and frustration? Or did God throw Satan and his insurgents out? It wasn't an issue of whether "there's enough room for both" - it was an act of justice! Yet Israel's State of confusion attempts to live side by side with sworn enemies! They're actually dying to try anything but what God says. The realist rabbi, Meir Kahane, was absolutely right. He cited Israel's reluctance to "sink to the level" of the Arabs as the reason they continued to be sunk six feet beneath them! Self-defense isn't about what you want to do, but what you've got to do to survive! While the "Canaanite" minorities plot their takeover, waiting for their first opportunity to revolt, Israel blindly engages in "peace talks" and flirts with the false notion of "limited autonomy!" God commands Canaan's death, or at least EXPULSION! Two peoples living on the same land, both claiming it by divine right, will never know a "just and lasting peace" (Judges 11:24). Common sense should tell us that much, regardless of "Mideast experts." Until decisive action is taken, and the Biblical solution enforced, we'll only witness an escalation in this WAR OF ATTRITION! Everything's Upside Down Part of the punishment to come upon our people was that: "The alien who is among you shall rise higher and higher above you, and you shall come down lower and lower. He shall lend to you, but you shall not lend to him; he shall be the head, and you shall be the tail" (Deut. 28:43-44). Today that's happening! It's going on right before our eyes! Mass voter registration, "social mobility," and "economic empowerment" are running us right out of our own neighborhoods, public office and the work place! The minorities in our midst have turned the tables and reversed the roles - with our help! Reverse discrimination is the law of the land. Quotas condemn and exclude our own people. The WASPs are being chased by the "Canaanites!" Minorities Out of Control The Gentile animals stalk our land, rob us of our children, and steal us blind (Lev. 26:22)! We're afraid to leave our homes, our streets are unsafe to stroll, and our inner-cities are a wasteland! Our prisons are overflowing, welfare is overtaxed, and the white man's overburdened. Everywhere we look, the terror and devastation testify we're being CURSED FOR DISOBEDIENCE (Deut. 28:15)! Our national energy's sapped, our strength's drained, and our resources spent! JOSEPH'S BIRTHRIGHT has been exploited by foreigners! Our inheritance is almost gone! We've forgotten "charity begins at home." America's too young to die, Britain's growing old and bald before his time, but we still refuse to go to our Doctor: "Ephraim (the British Commonwealth) has mixed himself among the peoples; Ephraim is (half-baked). Aliens have devoured his strength, but he does not know it; Yes, gray hairs are here and there on him, yet (we still don't get it!). And the pride of Israel (America/Britain) testifies to his face (we're confronted with the facts and figures - they're right before us!), but they do not return to the LORD their God, nor seek Him for all this" (Hos. 7:8-10). Drowning in Debt As we go further into NATIONAL DEBT AND DISGRACE, instead of turning to God for divine assistance, we turn to foreigners for loans! But it'll be our downfall! Will Europe offer to bail us out? Japan keep us afloat? Or will they forcibly put us into receivership? Throw us into debtor's jail? Require FORCED LABOR? Who hasn't heard of loan-sharks (Hos. 7:11-12)? Or how they fly into a frenzy over blood-money? They won't just break our bones, they'll BOMB OUR CITIES (Ezek. 6:6)! If Israel (the American, British, and Jewish peoples) insists on sacrificing national security (out of fear of world opinion, instead of exercising faith in God), or sells themselves short because of U.N. politics, they'll have signed their own death warrant! To submit to this needless blackmail, or shamefully follow others orders, is tantamount to treason! GOD is Israel's One and Only! He's our Husband and King! We're not supposed to allow other heads-of-state to push us around or dare bully us with threats! Doesn't a descendant of David (Queen Elizabeth II), rule from God's earthly Throne (1 Chron. 29:23)? Aren't we God's earthly Kingdom (1 Chron. 28:5)? Didn't we tell the world to take notice when we defied pharaoh to obey God? Wasn't that Message loud and clear? Are we afraid to take a stand now? Isn't Israel's KING able to back up His claims (Amos 5:6)? Can't He protect and reward those who risk it all to follow His lead? Isn't our GOD above and over all, and in control of everything? Failing Foreign Affairs Nevertheless, Israel - starved for this world's affection and seeking their approval (Jer. 4:30) - bent over backwards to oblige every evil and support every cause (Ezek. 16:33). Since "two's company, but three's a crowd," Israel's worship of the "Lord" (Baal) and his mistress, the "queen of heaven," left little room for the Hebrew God (Judges 2:11-13). But just as well, because the BIBLICAL GOD refuses to associate with such bad company (Ex. 34:14)! Israel fell for the foreigners, foolishly believed their lies, and blindly loved their ways: "They did not destroy the peoples, concerning whom the LORD had commanded them, but they mingled with the Gentiles and learned their works..." (Ps. 106:34-35). In doing so, Jacob scrapped God's righteousness for human ethics (Ps. 119:172), substituted pagan holidays for God's holy days, and forgot God's blueprint to construct their own "new world order" (1 Thes. 5:3). In their mad rush to assimilate, Israel accepted Canaan's chic ways and downplayed their differences. This "progressive" stance caused many to fall, and Jacob's tolerance destroyed his own immunity! Ancient Israel fell prey to every con-artist (painting pretty pictures of peace), passing phase or new fad - drunk on the ecumenical spirits: "...they have erred through wine, and through intoxicating drink are out of the way; the priest and the prophet have erred through intoxicating drink, they are swallowed up by wine, they are out of (their wits and gone astray) through intoxicating drink; they (can't see straight), they stumble in judgment (they can't even walk a straight line!). For all tables are full of vomit and filth; no place is clean" (Isa. 28:7-8). The party's over, the place is trashed, and everybody's going to wake up with a horrible hangover! It's interesting to note, that during my days as a lowly kibbutz-volunteer, the British were notorious for being drunks! They had earned such a bad reputation that some kibbutzim and moshavim wouldn't accept any English volunteers! God condemns the Sceptred Isle for being SPIRITUAL DRUNKS! He castigates "...the crown of pride, the drunkards of Ephraim" (Isa. 28:1-3). Of course, we've all been a bunch of drunks and whores, in love with Babylonian babes and brew: "Harlotry, wine, and new wine enslave the heart... For the spirit of (promiscuity) has caused them to stray (from the truth), and they have (whored around) against their God" (Hos. 4:11-12). What nation hasn't had one too many Catholic concoctions (Rev. 17:2)? It's time to GET SOBER! An Identity Crisis Israel's compromise tested cancerous, Jacob's new "understanding" proved contagious; their "enlightened" attempts to appease others diseased themselves! It ate away at the very fabric of their Biblical society. In pushing the "peace process" forward, Israel fell backwards, sacrificed their divine culture, and became confused about their own identity! Jacob's experiment with civil rights backfired, as their "equals" became emboldened at Israel's expense! Today, by the same token, MILITANT MINORITIES have a dream: supremacy. They only clamor for "equality" as a stepping-stone for their real goal: replacing those in the positions of power with their own kind. (Notice I stress militant minorities. There are many minority members who aren't out to harm or undermine Israelite culture). Multiculturalism is mad and destroys national unity! Likewise, the early Church faithfully kept the SEVENTH-DAY SABBATH (sunset Friday to sunset Saturday) for several hundred years. Later, under political pressure and religious opposition, they backed down. They allowed the observance of "the venerable day of the sun" back-to-back with God's Sabbath. What a tragic mistake! We're still suffering the consequences. By sanctioning Sunday services, the Church gave SUNday the necessary clout to claim "equality." That peaceful coexistence was short-lived, however. Soon the Gentile "converts" managed to make it illegal for Christians to keep the "Jewish Sabbath!" In 365, during the Council of Laodicea, they had cleverly substituted Sunday for the seventh-day Sabbath! Earlier, to promote "unity" - NOT the truth! - the Council of Nicea (in 325) ruled the Christian PASSOVER (commemorating Jesus' death) had to go! Whoever disagreed faced the death penalty! Their religious fabrication emphasized Jesus' resurrection - in direct violation of Christ's command! Eventually they stopped their charade of keeping Passover, and called their celebration "Easter." But they forgot to give it a Christian-sounding name! Easter's the Babylonian spring goddess - Baal's playboy bunny! They had given up the kosher Lamb of God for a rabbit trick! In time, anything even remotely "Jewish" about the Church came under attack! The Gentile minority-turned-majority demanded changes to reflect their "universal" appeal. They wanted to appear more inclusive - at the expense of the Church's Jewish (read Biblical!) heritage. They were intent on destroying the doctrines they once held dear! Changes... for the Worse! Misguided ministers GUTTED THE BODY OF CHRIST and were now picking at the bones! In their racist zeal, they were throwing out the original truths and replacing them with popular error. The early Church, with its now-derided leaders, should've NEVER attempted to power-share! It only led to disaster. They foolishly enabled their "equals" to oust them ( 3 Jn. 9, 10)! Not everyone was thrilled about all the changes taking place. The flood of "new truths" had come so fast and furious, many were caught off guard (Rev.12:15). They were simply unprepared for this "scholarly" onslaught (Malachi 2:12). Some expressed concern, others questioned what was going on, but everyone sensed something just wasn't right. It seemed almost overnight everything they'd been taught was somehow wrong. Now there were DIFFERENT MEANINGS given to Biblical words, and supposedly the Church now had a "deeper understanding" of various scriptures. What was troublesome to longtime members, though, was that these DOCTRINAL DIFFERENCES didn't enhance or add to whatever they already understood - it took away, undermined, or totally denied what they'd PROVEN to be true! They felt that they shouldn't give these new "Christians" the time of day ( Ga. 2:5) and agreed with the words of the apostle Paul: "Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness? And what accord has Christ with Belial? Or what part has a believer with an unbeliever? And what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For you are the temple of the living God" (2 Cor. 6:14-16)? Therefore, they refused to surrender God's truth, accept a pagan truce, or enter into a marriage of convenience. They knew better! And they weren't going to deny God's truth or ignore it - despite charges of "refusing to grow" and "worshipping a man" (Paul)! They knew the true source of such slander (Rev.12:10). The Faithful Few Those Church members who remained faithful to the original Christian beliefs and authentic practices, were forced to flee for their lives. They became part of the "underground," and got involved in "the resistance movement." They had to hide out in the mountains and valleys of Europe and Asia Minor to escape persecution and death (Rev.12:6). Beyond the pale of the pope, these "wandering Jews" carried their "Sanctuary" with them, and its attendant truths (Heb.11:38). During their wilderness trek, God's true Church would retain its unique identity (Jn.17:11). Though banished upon penalty of death, these freedom-fighters kept the FAITH alive (Jn. 8:32). They knew that God would end their exile, and waited patiently for TRUTH to triumph over tradition! Voices of Dissent Israel's attempts to be evenhanded only allowed the Canaanites to encroach upon their cultural territory. Slowly but surely, Israel's Biblical blueprint became blurred, their distinct identity smudged, and their Manifest Destiny faded. They'd forgotten their purpose for living and lost their national zeal. Therefore, God sent them patriotic messengers to remind them. They warned their country was going down in defeat if they didn't rise to the occasion. Israel rejected such lone individuals - crying out in the midst of their spiritual wilderness - as uninspired and backwards (Isa. 40:3). They despised their Message as too narrow-minded, racist and behind-the-times. Strangely, every time Israel backslid further, they proudly presented it as "progress!" They resisted any change for the better, and fought against proposals to restore their national faith and confidence. Israel opposed every effort to "turn the clock back" and laughed at the idea that they were going to lose the next big war!(Habbakuk 1:5-6). They wouldn't hear of it (Acts 7:51)! Not content to just leave well enough alone, the PRIESTS AND POLITICIANS resorted to character assassination. The authorities abused their positions of power and influence to stir up the people against God's "rabble-rousers." They'd hatefully engage in defamation and attack God's truth with murderous lies. They often put out a hit and signed contracts - to silence the critics of their corrupt system - with their own blood. God blows their cover and exposes their conspiracy with a vengeance (Mat. 23:27-39)! God blasts our BLOODY LEADERS who've overstepped their bounds (Ex. 19:20-25)! He condemns those OLD GOATS who've bucked His system to keep their own ( Ezek. 34:17)! Their slaughter's near! After vivid warnings and cries for change went ignored, God spoke to our people in the only language we seem to understand: FORCE! Following border attacks and terrorist incursions - and we still didn't get it - God let the Israelites lose. They wouldn't serve God and give tribute to His goodness, so they were left to pay tribute to tyrants and serve men! History Lessons Whenever Israel made up their minds to follow God, they'd also long for their Homeland and beg to be taken back (Jer. 31:21). So a man with a mission would appear "out of nowhere," and rescue our endangered people (who had been brought back to their senses), and restore their God-given liberties. He'd then proceed to rehearse the history of our ancient nation; how God had set us free from Egypt (and every other oppressor) to obey Him, and then warn us to NEVER FORGET! Because "A nation that has forgotten its past can have no future" and "He must indeed have a blind soul who cannot see that some great purpose and design is being worked out here below" (Churchill). Our national saviors were to jog our memories and remind us of our responsibilities. Because "The United States are under peculiar obligations to become a holy people unto the Lord our God" (Ezra Stiles, then president of Yale, in 1783, in a major address to the Assembly of Connecticut). We were to know, beyond any shadow of a doubt, that God had called us to be His People, representing His Government, to every nation on earth. He had raised our level of consciousness, given us a heavenly outlook, and wanted that reflected in our living standards. We were to be free of men's religious ideas and human reasonings (all the other nations were flawed with them), and enjoy our new lease on life. Once liberated from lies and delivered from deception, we were supposed to always remember the reason we were saved from treason was to SERVE GOD! After all, "God who gave us life gave us liberty. Can the liberties of a nation be secure when we have removed a conviction that these liberties are the gift of God? Indeed I tremble for my country when I reflect that God is just, that his justice cannot sleep forever" ( Thomas Jefferson). If and whenever Israel began to slip back into their old habits, and took their freedom for granted, and forgot that God had given them their life and liberties, and didn't want to hear about it, but developed the dangerous attitude of "I don't care" and "I don't want to know" - IGNORANT AND INDIFFERENT! - God said, "Fine, if you're not happy serving Me, feel free to return to slavery!" What You Want, Is What You'll Get! God gives us what we want, but we usually don't take Him seriously, UNTIL it's too late! When the heat's on and we feel the pressure, but still maintain our "innocence" and wonder what's going on, God calls our bluff and lays it on the line: "Just as you have forsaken Me and served foreign gods in your land, so you shall serve aliens in a land that is not yours" (Jer. 5:18). If Israel's so captivated with TINSEL TRADITIONS, God lets them get blinded by their lies: "But My people would not heed My voice, and Israel would have (nothing to do with Me). So I gave them over to their own stubborn heart, to walk in their own counsels" - to follow their own advice and get a taste of their own medicine (Ps. 81:11-12). Are we any different? Haven't we also insisted on doing our own thing? Don't we take virtual pride in the "I did it my way" approach? Didn't Adam and Eve curse us with that character defect? Isn't it highly offensive, in fact ATROCIOUS, in God's eyes, for His people to begin to demand rights that He never offered? Rights that would, with time, undermine the GREAT SOCIETY He's building? Rights to engage in activities that are contrary to His very Purpose and hope for mankind: that we should be created in His Divine Image? Rights that fly in the face of common decency and aren't sanctioned by the scriptures? Rights that are out of line and harmony with the holiness we've been called to? Only the serpent presents that which is TABOO as desirable! He's the god of rebels and leads them to self-destruct! You'll either serve God or Satan. It's up to you to choose who your master will be. But if we listen to the serpent, fall for his old line, and assert our "independence" by eating the passion fruit, having had our minds poisoned against God's Reason, then God lets us get addicted to the strong drug of delusion: "Just as they have chosen their own way, and their soul delights in their abominations, so will I choose their delusions, and bring their fears on them; because when I called, no one answered, when I spoke they did not hear; but they did evil before My eyes, and chose that in which I do not delight" (Isa. 66:3-4). We're going to be left alone! Just like we thought we wanted! But we're going to find out how scary isolation can be! Questionable Standards Who isn't an "a la carte" Christian? Or Jew? What church or synagogue wants God to order that they can only pick and choose from a "kosher menu?" What Christian today feels any shame for celebrating Christmas (Saturnalia), or expresses heartfelt remorse over observing an Easter-sunrise service (Ezek. 8:16)? Who says we can now eat pork? Peter's vision of the "unclean animals" was about GENTILES whom God had cleansed! Read his interpretation of it - after all, it was given to him to understand (Acts 10:28)! God's people must accept GOD'S STANDARDS of good and evil, right and wrong, clean and unclean - but we've thrown everything in together and can't seem to get things sorted out, having taken a liberty with God's word and law that He hasn't given us! "Were they ashamed when they had committed abomination? No! They were not at all ashamed; nor did they know how to blush. Therefore they shall fall among those who fall (the slain); at the time I punish them, they shall be cast down, says the LORD" (Jer. 6:15). God's going to put us back in our place! We're acting presumptuous when we follow man-made rules and regulations! We're to follow GOD - if we want to live! Abominable Christians Professing Christianity - steeped in unscriptural ways -enjoys participating in every pagan abomination. They certainly don't feel any guilt or see anything wrong with it - because they're reprobate and blind! They don't even realize their gall before God, who says He can't stomach their ways! "So then, because you are lukewarm (lackadaisical), and neither cold nor hot (zealous for God's way), I WILL VOMIT YOU OUT OF MY MOUTH" (Rev. 3:16). God says He's sick of our religious sins! He's disgusted that those who should know better, who say that they're in shape, are spiritually soft and flabby. They're going to get a work-out real soon to show them their pitiful condition! They can shape-up, or get shipped out - with all the other prisoners of war! Instead of appreciating those honest enough to blow the whistle (on baptized paganism and a growing apostasy), corrupt Church officials rail against them - upset that not everybody's so willing to toe-the-party line ( 1 Kgs. 22:8)! They foolishly flounder to excuse themselves and deny that they're involved in any wrongdoing! But no matter how hard they try to whitewash their ways, or camouflage their pagan practices with Christian-labels, they're not fooling anybody but themselves: "For though you wash yourself with lye, and use much soap, yet your iniquity is marked before Me, says the Lord GOD. How can you say I am not polluted, I have not gone after the Baals?" (Jer. 2:22-23). Jesus ISN'T Lord! But we've followed false Christs! That's why Christ asked: "But why do you call Me 'Lord, Lord,' and not do the things which I say?" (Lk. 6:46). Whether we realize it or not, we've given our hearts to "another Jesus;" we've received "another spirit;" and we've believed "another gospel" (2 Cor. 11:4)! How can we say we're following Jesus when He kept the seventh-day Sabbath, and yet all these "Christians" are keeping SUNday? Keep pagan holidays, when Jesus only celebrated God's holy days? Believe you go to heaven or hell, when Christ taught Heaven will be established on earth and the wicked will be destroyed?(Rev. 21:2,8). Eat pork and shrimp and lobster, when Christ would throw up at the thought?! Jesus Vs. His Message But Jesus prophesied of this very thing, when He said many ministers would come with a message about Christ - but not about HIS MESSAGE! That's how they'd mislead the masses and deceive the world! They'd distract attention from Christ's Message, by focusing in on Him! Jesus was a Messenger, sent from Heaven, to deliver the Father's GOOD NEWS: that GOD'S A KINGDOM that'll rule all earth, as well as a ROYAL FAMILY (into which we can be born)! Jesus warned about the narrow "gospel" about Himself, but assured us He'd restore the true gospel - the awesome Message He brought special-delivery, with tender loving care - as a SIGN that we're finally at the end of this age (Mat. 24:5, 14)! You've been given THAT sign! Will you recognize its significance and wake up to what's going on?! God help you to answer His call and respond to His message! The Babylonian Whore We can't get away with the excuse that "everybody's doing it." We're to get as far away as we can from those traditions that have led us astray! God says to run for your life (Jer. 51:9)! But some are still falling for Rome's father-figure! The CATHOLIC WHORES have sold-out and bought the Babylonian lies - as promoted by that pimp, Simon Magus (Acts 8:9)! Not to be outdone, the PROTESTANT PROSTITUTES strut their stuff, sacrificing purity for paganism, violating God's laws for their lewd ways! Most Protestants know who the Babylonian whore of Revelation 17:5 is and loudly say so. What they don't realize is that they're condemning themselves also, because "LIKE MOTHER, LIKE DAUGHTER!" (Ezek. 16:44). God's not tricked by traditions, and isn't sold on religious ideas! Jesus' true followers aren't defiled with deceit (Rev. 14:4-5). They've learned to be honest. God doesn't prostitute the truth to make it more palatable (Deut. 23:17-18). He's not so "easy!" But traditional Christianity, like an adulterous woman, "...eats and wipes her mouth, and says, 'I have done no wickedness' (Prov. 30:20)." Too many Christians are in denial! They sit down at Baal's corner bar and grill and make a pig of themselves - eating unclean things! But God's NOT a slob! He doesn't lower His standards or forget His values (Rev. 3:20). Would Christ feel comfortable at your dinner table? Jesus' virgins resist peer pressure. They don't give in for a SUNday dinner! But "Christianity" has cheapened itself! When God got wind of their ways, He blasted their rank religion and rejected it (Isa. 65:5) . Their holier-than-thou attitude STINKS! It gets God burning mad, and irritates Him to no end, that ministers keep screwing their members and twisting the truth! Shamefully, people prefer PERVERTED PREACHERS! Consenting Christians love their lies! They delight in deception! But God condemns their SPIRITUAL PREFERENCE as inexcusable! Jesus even exposed certain cities of His day as worse than Sodom and Gomorrha, and indicated that they would've repented given half a chance. He did state that their "day in court" would be better than those who had seen the Light and yet chose to remain in darkness (Mat. 11:20-24). Christ didn't sanction their choice, He denounced their "alternative lifestyle!" Idolatry and Immorality God condemns our countries for IDOLATRY - not just for immorality! We've got to come to see, know and realize that God doesn't go for us following traditions all starry-eyed. We're supposed to be in love with God's way and follow His commandments! We've got to get our priorities straight and stop putting our ways before God's (Ezek. 20:18-21). If we stubbornly insist on observing pagan holidays, we're nothing more than idol-worshippers! When we rebelliously reject God's holy days, we're worse than witches: "For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry" (1 Sam. 15:23). Since we've rejected God's word, He's rejected us! Europe's about to forcibly remove us from office! We've jeopardized our position as leader of the free world, and are already staggering, having lost our Biblical balance - it's only a matter of time before we fall! It's strange, but true! It's actually the religious, the Christians and Jews, who are immoral! Because we've polluted our land with pluralism, flirted with foreigners and whored around with pagans, God's going to let them have their way with us! We're going to be RAPED AND BEATEN! Our enemies are going to strip us bare and show us no mercy! They're going to treat us like white trash! We haven't kept ourselves for God, so we'll be given to others! We're going to be sent away (as slaves) in SHAME AND CONFUSION! And, believe it or not, it's our "trusted allies", our "faithful friends", who are going to commit this date-rape! It's our INTERNATIONAL LOVERS who'll betray us (Ezek. 23)! Stubborn Religious Leaders Jerusalem, symbolic of the Church (Heb. 12:22), is supposed to be the City of truth and Godly character based upon God's liberating law - instead we discover a dreadful description of it as "Sodom" and "Egypt" (Rev. 11:8)! Who was PROUD as Sodom, and as STUBBORN as Egypt? God speaks to our religious leaders, and addresses our national laity, in a less-than-flattering way: "Hear the word of the LORD, you rulers of Sodom; give ear to the law of our God, you people of Gomorrha..." (Isa. 1:10). Our leaders are told to listen, and our people are supposed to pay attention, to God's word and law! The ministers have been GUILTY of substituting their words for God's! We're not used to God's tough talk and rough language. Taken to Task God continues then, in Isaiah 1:11-15, with a series of questions and comments. He wants to know what's the purpose of our organized religion, and starts tearing down its carelessly-structured beliefs. He says we've fallen into a rut and that routine's our ruin! God says He can't stand our religious observances and hates our spiritual pretense. It's got to stop! Regardless of our prayers or posture, God isn't going to take notice or waste His time. Why? Because we're only going through the motions! We've only got the shell, because we've thrown out the substance! True religion's all about interpersonal relationships. It's to guide and assist us in our walk with God and our interactions with each other. That's why Jesus said, "'You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.' This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets " (Mat. 22:37-40). They're the basis of the Bible and everything else is commentary. They show the way and encourage a more meaningful and fulfilling life that's outgoing and not self-centered. That's why James wrote: "Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself (untainted) from the world" (Jas. 1:27). Obviously, our ancestors weren't properly concerned for the good and welfare of others. Charity only extended so far. Mercy was in short supply and their love limited. It's easier to talk the talk, than walk the walk! Especially when it demands sacrifice or requires sharing. We're too selfish and withdrawn, and don't want to concern ourselves with "foreign affairs." God says we have blood on our hands! We've been charitable, but not to the point of hurting. We haven't felt any pain. We've given chump change. But the underprivileged, the economically deprived, those truly down and out - NOT welfare frauds or bums! - desperately need our compassion and loving action! We must insure assistance is available for those who truly need it -to help them stand on their own two feet and not sit on their butt! This means greater screening for applicants, and tougher penalties for those who would rob the poor! Silence = Death We must plead on behalf of the innocent, and be the voice of those without adequate representation. The greatest crime against humanity is going on NOW! Yet millions of professing Christians look the other way in shameful silence: ABORTION! It used to be a country's worst enemies who ripped up their pregnant women - now we've turned on ourselves! DON'T ABORT OUR FUTURE! Defend life: present the case of the preborn before the public, and rescue them from the abortionist's kangaroo court! We've sacrificed our CHILDREN on the altars of convenience, baptized our BABIES in blood, and trashed their grisly remains - if they haven't been sold for Nazi experiments! Where has the MORAL OUTRAGE been? Why haven't we demanded that our government intervene? STOP THE SLAUGHTER! Defend life: present the case of the preborn before the public, and rescue them from the abortionist's kangaroo court! God sees the blood-bath we're permitting. He knows the hard hearts, calloused consciences, and dishonest individuals who are involved and will bring them to trial: "Shall I not punish them for these things? says the LORD. And shall I not avenge Myself on such a nation as this?" (Jer. 5:9). No wonder God's going to allow our enemies to be so cruel! HITLER Will Judge Us! Hitler's Nazi Germany will rise up in judgment against our hypocritical nations! We condemned them and now we're acting worse than they did! We didn't buy their lame excuses of ignorance or blind obedience, and yet today we try to hide our horrors behind "it's the law of the land!" We allow DEATH CLINICS in major cities, and support those mad doctors who ought to be tried for murder! We condemned those German businesses who became rich at others expense, and yet our land is filled with the abortionist's BLOOD-MONEY! It's NOT a God-given right to take the life of your child! That some would argue it's not a baby, and others attempt to justify this carnage.... It's obvious we're under a CURSE if we can't even think straight! Our Puritan ancestors discerned, "Whom God would destroy, He first sends mad!" (Deut. 28:28). God save us from ourselves! WE'VE LOST OUR MIND! We'd better think twice, and change our minds and national direction, before it's too late. God wants us to clean up our act and LEARN to start caring again. He tries to reason with us (if we're not too far gone!) and offers ready forgiveness. God admits how low-down and undeserving we've become, but expresses confidence in His mercy and Christ's sacrifice, and says He's got us covered - if we'll only return to God and our senses! If not, God will allow a GERMAN-LED EUROPE to defeat us! The SWORD OF NUCLEAR WAR is on its way (Isa. 1:16-20)! Spiritual Sodomites It's not only the sinners who won't take God's advice - too often the "saints" think they're good enough already. The religious authorities have always resisted change (Acts 7:51). They've refused to repent and arrange the crucifixion of those who expose their error! It's the church councils and synagogue boards that get indignant when told they're wrong (Mat. 21:32). How dare the spiritual sodomites, and religious sorcerers, question the credentials of God's spokesmen, wondering what theological seminary they've attended, or if they hold any doctorate in divinity (Mat. 21:23, Acts 4:13)! What becomes clear is that the "unorthodox" have spent time with God's Word, and have prayerfully studied the scriptures - not the works of misguided men! Sly foxes try and trip them up by clever questions, attempting to ambush their ability and sabotage their efforts (Mat. 22:15, 35). Spiritual crooks rob the unsuspecting of the facts, and then engage in every perverse act of defamation possible (Mat. 26:59). They can't refute what some are saying, so they twist their words and misrepresent their message (Acts 6:11)! Such insecure "leaders" (afraid they're losing their grip on Church positions, and painfully aware that their ignorance is showing), accuse those outside of their "inner circle" as being false prophets! When God's true servants set the record straight, they're reviled for turning things upside down (Acts 17:6). When they disagree with doctrinal error, they're damned as dissidents (Acts 24:5). Those who stand up for what's right, exposing what's wrong, uncovering spiritual graft and corruption, are branded as heretics, murderously maligned, and dismissed as cults! The apostle Paul spent time defending himself against dogs nipping at his heels, trying to obstruct his missionary work and slow down his progress. He'd prove their charges were groundless and then defeat their purpose by testifying to God's truth: "But this I confess to you, that according to the Way which they call a sect, so I worship the God of my fathers, believing all things which are written in the Law and in the Prophets" (Acts 24:14). Despite numerous allegations, he maintained his innocence and declared his allegiance to God's Word - unlike those who were following men's ideas with a BLIND OBEDIENCE! Religious Opposition As far as religion goes, God knows who's who, and what's what, and will promote some to honor and demote others in disgrace: "Indeed I will make those of the synagogue of Satan, who say they are Jews and are not, but lie - indeed I will make them come and worship before your feet, and to know that I have loved you" (Rev. 3:9). Of course, this refers to the early Jewish religious opposition against Christianity, as well as top-ranking "Christian" leaders today! God exposes them as "Christian Satanists!" God's Church, throughout history, has been besieged from without and attacked from within! Don't think it couldn't happen again. We shouldn't be afraid to speak up if our preachers are a pack of wolves, or our leaders are a bunch of liars (Rev. 2:2)! God expects us to prove whether or not our ministers are a God-send, and see if they can pass the test. We're not to let our guard down, or base anything on dangerous assumptions, but cross-examine everything in light of the Biblical evidence (Acts 17:11). God holds us responsible for what goes on behind closed doors, and wants us to make sure our home and local congregation is in order, as well as being concerned for our extended Church family. After all, it's our salvation that's at stake! When you think about the hardships and difficulties we'll have to face and endure, as a result of RELIGIOUS PERSECUTION, ask yourself why we should be treated any better than Jesus - the Truth Incarnate - was (John 15:20). Remember: Jesus' main opposition wasn't from the gangs, crack-dealers, or hookers. His worst enemies came from the religious community - people who felt self-sufficient. They didn't want a spiritual Savior, just a national hero! For a religious experience, try to help save God's people from paganism, or speak out against "Christian" lies, and you'll know how Jesus felt! God's saviors have often had to be delivered out of dangerous situations and threatening environments (Gen. 5:24). In Mortal Danger GOD HAS WARNED THIS NATION through his late servant, Herbert W. Armstrong. But our people have shown the typical indifference. The SHOCKING TRUTH hasn't really phased them or sunk in! We're carrying on in our own ways, business as usual, just like in the days of Noah and the time of Lot. We're not convinced, we're not convicted, we're complacent! We don't feel in any mortal danger, or sense an urgent need for national reforms. We rest secure in our religion, sleep in our pews, and dream repentance isn't for us, it's for the other guy. We're hard-working, decent people - at least in public. What some parade in the streets, others practice in private. "God wouldn't condemn us, Europe couldn't conquer us, you're just being alarmist, crying wolf like all the others." But what if this time it's for real? What if God's really warning us: "BEWARE THE BEAST OF EUROPE!?" Maybe our religious practices aren't so acceptable to God, but does that mean He'd let us lose a war over it? Get taken captive and sent away as slaves? Yes, believe it or not! But this time Jesus Christ will save Israel! He's our Supreme Judge (Isa. 25:9)! It's been said that history repeats itself because nobody listened the first time. Who's listening today? Does anybody care? THE MESSAGE IS LOUD AND CLEAR! It's going to become a NATIONAL DEBATE and AN INTERNATIONAL CONTROVERSY! God's going to make sure that everybody - from the least to the greatest - has had a chance to HEAR AND HEED (Jer. 5:4-5)! "Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall" (Prov. 16:18). The historical precedent's been set. We're not an exception or invincible (Lk. 13:3). Europe's already making preparations while we're on our deathbed: victims of tradition. THE UNITED STATES IS GOING TO FOLD; THE BRITISH COMMONWEALTH'S GOING INTO CAPTIVITY; AND ISRAEL'S GOING TO BE OCCUPIED!!! EUROPE'S FATE What's going to happen to Europe? We know what's going to happen to the American and British peoples, as well as to our Jewish brethren. The coming WORLD CRISIS is prophesied to fall especially hard on them. Why? Because they're the descendants of Jacob-Israel. We've known God like no other people have. Therefore, we're more responsible for our actions than others. We're without excuse, because we've had the witness of the Bible all our lives. We've ignored it. We've denied its authority over us and have rejected its relevance - but we're going to go through the hell described within its pages! Christ referred to WORLD WAR III as THE GREAT TRIBULATION (Mt. 24:21-22). He'd given an outline of prophetic events to occur just prior to His Second Coming. Although we can't know the exact time or date, we CAN know when it's very near! Jesus offered various signs that would leave no doubt that we're living in the end times. Certain prophecies, primarily in Daniel and the Book of Revelation, were to remain SEALED AND CLOSED to understanding - until NOW! God had given Daniel a series of breathtaking revelations. One of the most frightening was about the "time of trouble" we're about to enter! It's to become so intense, God has to send Michael, the archangel, to stand up for us on the world scene! It's the time just before the RESURRECTION and Christ's coming! When Daniel wanted an explanation and interpretation, hungry to know more, he was told: "Go your way, Daniel, for the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end" (Dan.12:9). It wasn't his business. It's ours! The prophet Jeremiah saw our HOLOCAUST! He, like Jesus, described it as the worst thing that'll ever happen to mankind. He called it "the time of Jacob's trouble." God said we would consider his warning! As you read these words, you're helping to fulfill that prophecy (Jer. 30:7, 24)! The apostle John was responsible for recording God's message for us: "...to show His servants things which must shortly take place... Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written in it; for the time is near" (Rev. 1:1-3). The Bible's been compared to a CODED-BOOK. That analogy is true. It's also like a jig-saw puzzle, with scattered pieces that must be put together properly (Isa. 28:10). When you take all the scriptures on a particular subject, and get an overview, the picture becomes clearer and easier to understand. Contrary to popular misconception, Christ spoke in parables to hide the meaning (Mk. 4:11-12). Only in private did Jesus explain what He actually meant to His disciples. Christ pronounces a blessing upon His servants to know and understand the terrifying events about to be unleashed on earth. Unlike the vast majority who hear or read these things, Jesus true followers take His message to heart. They keep it. Others just brush it to the side, ignore or forget it. Why not enjoy Christ's blessing and be prepared? The Anglo-Saxons in Prophecy In order to understand these end-time prophecies, it's most necessary to know where the American and British peoples are mentioned in the Bible. We've got to be in there somewhere, because if God can clearly mention modern Israel, Egypt, Libya and Russia - how could He ignore us? He couldn't! As Benjamin Franklin met with others in Philadelphia, in the summer of 1787, to write the Constitution, he observed: "I have lived, Sir, a long time, and the longer I live, the more convincing proofs I see of this truth: that God governs in the affairs of man. And if a sparrow cannot fall to the ground without His notice, is it probable that an empire can rise without His aid? We have been assured, Sir, in the Sacred Writings that except the Lord build the house, they labor in vain that build it. I firmly believe this..." - he proceeded to strongly recommend that prayers be offered every morning before the assembly. The British Empire did rise with God's direct intervention. The United States of America did begin with God's blessing. Because it was prophesied that between the two of us, we'd become the most POWERFUL AND PROSPEROUS peoples on earth! We're revealed as the sons of JOSEPH; Jacob's favorite son! Ephraim, the British, were destined to become a COMMONWEALTH OF NATIONS; Manasseh, the Americans, were assured of becoming a single GREAT NATION (Gen. 48:19). We were foretold as a colonizing people, branching out all over the world, with our power and influence known everywhere! Together, we've inherited the BIRTHRIGHT BLESSING (1 Chron. 5:2) and name of "Israel." How appropriate King David's dynasty continues today, ruling over our British brethren, and that their Royal emblem includes the LION (the symbol of the tribe of Judah) and the UNICORN (the symbol of the tribe of Joseph). As predicted, we've had the greatest natural resources, bountiful harvests, and blessings known to mankind (Deut. 33:13-17). We've been the BREADBASKET of the world! We've also controlled the strategic sea-gates - Gibraltar, Suez, Singapore, the Panama canal - promised to God's chosen people (Gen. 24:60). Herbert W. Armstrong's book, THE UNITED STATES AND BRITAIN IN PROPHECY, explored and expounded upon these wonderful truths. Forced to Fast! But we haven't been grateful. We've taken it all for granted. We've squandered it on pagan holidays and have spread it out before foreign allies! Thomas Jefferson was moved to remark: "My God! how little do my countrymen know what precious blessings they are in possession of, and which no other people on earth enjoy!" NOT until drought, famine, and supernatural disasters strip our cupboards bare, and EMPTY our grocery shelves, will we know how good we've had it! Only when America goes hungry, will she remember how full she was! President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed April 30, 1863, as a NATIONAL DAY OF FASTING, HUMILIATION AND PRAYER, and spoke these words: "We have been the recipients of the choicest bounties of heaven. We have been preserved, these many years, in peace and prosperity. We have grown in numbers, wealth and power, as no other nation has ever grown. But we have forgotten God. We have forgotten the gracious hand which preserved us in peace, and multiplied and enriched and strengthened us; and we have vainly imagined, in the deceitfulness of our hearts, that all these blessings were produced by some superior wisdom and virtue of our own. Intoxicated with unbroken success, we have become too self-sufficient to feel the necessity of redeeming and preserving grace, too proud to pray to the God that made us! It behooves us, then to humble ourselves before the offended Power, to confess our national sins, and to pray for clemency and forgiveness." God heard and answered those prayers! Judgment was forestalled. But where's a leader today with the moral courage and spiritual vision, to strongly recommend that "We, the People" humble ourselves and pray, let alone fast?! We've got to have our three meals a day, with plenty of snacks in between! But DROUGHT is going to force us to fast! God's going to suddenly withhold the rain, in various parts of our countries, destroying our crops. Floods will rot the rest (Amos 4:7-8)! We're supposed to enjoy a reciprocal relationship with God, but we haven't. Since we've failed to offer up prayers, God's not going to send down rain! Both our parched land and lives NEED God's Holy Spirit! We've got to learn the spiritual relationship between the heavens and the earth - they're interdependent! We need to fast and pray, now, to be spared from further misery: "if My people who are called by my Name (Christian countries) will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land" (2 Chron. 7:14). Israel's True Identity It's VITAL to know who the "lost 10 tribes of Israel" are! God has restored the knowledge of ISRAEL'S IDENTITY! Predominantly, it's the white ANGLO-SAXON PEOPLES. To a lesser degree, it includes the democracies of Northwestern Europe. This most important information, in addition to being a national treasure, is the KEY that unlocks the doors of prophecy! It opens them up to our understanding. Approximately 1/3 of the Bible is prophecy, and most of it pertains to now! The American and British peoples are mentioned more times in scripture than any other nation, but by our ancient names! This truth's now public knowledge, available at any main library. It was necessary to know who we are before God could WARN us! As surely as the positive prophecies - about our ascent to greatness - have come true, we're warned, thereby, that the negative ones will too! They're already coming true! The United States is the greatest DEBTOR NATION! We're morally BANKRUPT and financially strapped! The sun's set on the British Empire! The Gentiles now buy up our land and companies and make loans to us! We no longer control the strategic sea-gates of our enemies, and we've overextended ourselves around the globe. We're slipping further into darkness and decay, while Europe prepares for their day! They're going to be the new kid on the block, and we'll soon find out that Europe's a BULLY! Jesus' Return Our Only Hope Jesus prophesied about "the great tribulation" and how it's going to scorch our American, British and Jewish peoples. We're living in the last days, because we've been told we're "Israel" and warned. It's to be a time when it's possible to ANNIHILATE earth's entire population! Jesus said unless God intervenes, nobody would survive (Mt. 24:22)! That wasn't feasible until the weapons of MASS NUCLEAR DESTRUCTION made their deadly debut! And in the midst of mankind's madness, edging closer to the brink, the GOOD NEWS of GOD'S KINGDOM was to be restored! It's our only HOPE for survival! Because it'll reign in the European powers that'll ignite "Armageddon!" All of these interacting signs testify the troubled times we're in! The return of JESUS CHRIST, in all POWER and GREAT GLORY is near! Christ warned that things are going to get so out of hand, appear so topsy-turvy, and become so BIZARRE - both in the weather and in the world - that people are going to be dying from heart-failure (Lk. 21:25-26)! We have a long night to go through, before the Dawn arrives.... Temporary Insanity In response to our lack of response, God's going to turn our people over to EUROPE'S MADNESS! We've rejected God's reason, so we're going to suffer Europe's treason! We've been warned for years about this threat, but we haven't taken it seriously (Prov. 1:23-33). Now we're going to become delirious: God says we're going to be such a basket-case, that we'll run when no one's chasing us, that we'll jump at the slightest sound, and that we'll trip and fall over each other, in a stampede, to get away from our frightened imaginations (Lev. 26:36-37)! TRAUMATIZED by WAR and devastated by DISEASE, we'll be sick with grief, knowing our own ways have brought about this INTERNATIONAL DISASTER! "Those who survive will escape (to the mountains) like doves of the valleys, all of them mourning, each for his iniquity. Every hand will be feeble, and every knee will be as weak as water. They will also be girded with sackcloth; horror will cover them; shame will be on every face, baldness on all their heads" (Ezek. 7:16-18). We'll be like mourning doves, crying and weeping, over all the horrible things that'll happen. We'll go from numbing shock to paralyzing depression - unable to think straight or concentrate, lifeless and listless, zombies: THE LIVING DEAD! Nowhere to Run Those with a survivalist mentality, will have a rude awakening: they're NOT going to be safe in their hide-outs or mountain retreats! Diseased animals will stalk them, insane with hunger, and the fall-out from NUCLEAR WAR will follow them! They're going to be dying of disease and suffering from radiation sickness! Their hair's going to be falling out and their lives to pieces: "For behold, the LORD gives a command: He will break the great house into bits, and the little house into pieces" (Amos 6:11)! The Hebrew word for "bits" in Amos' prophecy is "droplets," and the word for "pieces" is "fissures." The harsh reality is ACID RAIN - nuclear radiation - is going to cause SKIN LESIONS! Only God can provide adequate protection: "A thousand may fall at your side, and ten thousand at your right hand; but it shall not come near you. Only with your eyes shall you look, and see the reward of the wicked. Because you have made the LORD, who is my refuge, even the Most High, your dwelling place, no evil shall befall you, nor shall any plague come near your dwelling; for He shall give His angels charge over you, to keep you in all your ways" (Psalms 91:7-11). By divine intervention, some will actually witness a nuclear attack and survive! Only by supernatural protection will some be immune to disease (Ezek. 12:16). Those who trust in self-reliance are going to be DISASTER VICTIMS! God's going to keep certain Christians alive for a specific purpose. It's all part of His plan! Jesus prophesied of horrifying events, and then cautioned us: "Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man" (Lk.1 21:36). Jesus meant we're to watch the world scene for prophetic fulfillment, aware of the specific signs He told us were to occur, and more importantly, to watch ourselves! We're to be on guard against our personal weaknesses and sins, and keep them under control! We're to subdue human nature by partaking of the divine nature. And that's only possible by a spiritual self-awareness, inspired by God's (soul-searching) Holy Spirit. We're to remain in prayerful contact with our Creator. When we're so involved with God and His Word, living and moving and breathing in Him (like a child in its mother's womb), then we're safe from harm. We can rest assured of God's support and know we'll be taken care of (Rev. 3:10). God offers Protection We're promised a spiritual haven, a predetermined safe location, under God's personal protection and body guard (Rev. 12:14). We'll be prepared for the worse and ready for war, because we'll have taken shelter. That's what the lull before the Storm is for. We don't have to go through HURRICANE EUROPE, but we've got to hang on through current events rapidly leading up to it (Isa.33:16,19). Later we'll be evacuated to "the secret place of the Most High" (Ps. 91:1). Jesus told His disciples to "head for the hills" when they saw Jerusalem surrounded by armies (Mt.24:16). He didn't promise them protection in their homes. Church history records that the brethren fled northeast to Pella (in Jordan), when the Roman armies came to level Jerusalem. This does seem to strongly indicate that Jordan will again be host to God's people. What happened before was a type of what's yet to occur: the armies of Europe's revived Roman empire are going to besiege Jerusalem! "Take counsel, execute judgment, make your shadow like the night in the middle of the day; hide the outcasts, do not betray him who escapes. Let my outcasts dwell with you, O Moab; be a shelter to them from the face of the spoiler" (Isa. 16:3-4). Moab's territory is within modern Jordan. The city of Petra (Selah) is even mentioned in Isaiah 16:1. Is this the place? Will the Jordanians extend mercy? Provide shelter for Christian outcasts? It definitely appears God commands them to! One thing's for sure: "Behold, I send an Angel before you to keep you in the way and to bring you into the place which I have prepared" (Ex. 23:20). God will send us the right man, at the right time. At just the right moment, God's messenger will arrive (with all the pertinent facts and necessary details). He'll help us stay on the right path AND enter into our "promised land." God stresses, "I send an angel," and "I have prepared a place." This is God's work. It's God's responsibility, and He'll fulfill it. We're His People and He's our GOD! Let's trust in that! Skeptics left Behind Some aren't going to believe God's taken care of all our earthly arrangements. Therefore, they won't go! But they're still going to have to rely on God to supply their needs (Rev. 3:18). Not everyone will have stood guard in their life, and will have chosen to sleep rather than pray - THEY WON'T BE ACCOUNTED WORTHY TO ESCAPE! They'll be caught off guard and taken by surprise. At that critical juncture, they'll feel betrayed by those who taught there's no "place of safety!" Others, falling for the counterfeit "rapture," are in for a rude awakening! They won't feel too uplifted when they fall flat on their faces! THEY'RE GOING NOWHERE - EXCEPT INTO CAPTIVITY! Even though God's ordered "Moab" to keep quiet about our position, someone's going to sell-out and betray our location. And it won't necessarily be an angry mullah or an irate Arab. They might even be called "Christian!" They'll inform Europe's religious authorities of our whereabouts. How do we know this? Because Revelation 12:15-17 tracks the movement of armies that'll come after us! They'll deploy such an overwhelming force, but God will enlist an EARTHQUAKE to come to our rescue! It'll ambush their U.N. troops! Their own plot will bury them, and their plans will go down the drain (Isa. 17:12)! That's when Satan redoubles his efforts on the front! A Divided Church There are TWO sets of true Christians: some will have been actively involved in getting out the good news/bad news (about European unification and Israel's ultimate restoration), and the others will have slacked off and shirked their responsibilities. Those who know what's coming, and understand what's prophesied to happen, and can see what's taking place, but refuse by neglect or default to warn our nations and give everybody a chance, GOD'S GOING TO REQUIRE THEIR LIVES (Ezek. 3:18)! It's an eye for an eye. But God gives them a chance to redeem themselves. They're going to get a chance to let their light shine, and show all the love they TALK about! During the war they can be useful to those around them. How? By supplying vital information. They're to share what they know. THAT'S why God will save some when the bombs drop and disease runs rampant! He'll sprinkle them like stars among the captives, and plant them like the moon in the midst of many people! But they'll lose their lives for telling the truth! Most, if not all, will suffer martyrdom.... Europe's Sin GOD SPEAKS TO EUROPE: "Sit in silence, and go into darkness, O daughter of the Chaldeans; for you shall no longer be called The Lady of Kingdoms. I was angry with My people; I have profaned My inheritance, and given them into your hand. You showed them no mercy; on the elderly you laid your yoke very heavily. And you said, 'I shall be a lady forever,' so that you did not take these things to heart, nor remember the latter end of them" (Isa. 47:5-7). You've forgotten you're only a means to an end! You've gone overboard! God agreed to let you give corrective punishment to His people (Jer. 30:11), but you've tasted their blood and have gone BERSERK! You're drunk on your bloody success, and have gotten high on your Catholic drugs! Perverted by POWER, you now enjoy Israel's bondage! God's not going to let you get off treating others cruelly! You're a SADISTIC BITCH! You're NOT a lady, you're a slut! You toy with your Roman icons, fulfilling your Babylonian fantasies, and play games with peoples minds (Isa. 47:8-10) - but you'll lose! God warns Europe to remember that HE let them conquer America, defeat the British, and occupy Israel! It's not because Europe's so great and wonderful, but because we've sinned! Europe's told to not let it go to their head, but use their minds! O Israelites! Who could beat Great Britain in battle, or whip the U.S. in war, when God shed His grace on thee? Europe could NEVER knock us down and kick us around - until now! Because GOD'S REFINING OUR GOLD IN THE FURNACE OF AFFLICTION, AND PURIFYING OUR SILVER THROUGH GREAT TRIBULATION (Isa. 48:10)! Europe's Babylon Incarnate Europe's not without sin: God's going to deal with them shortly (Deut. 32:27-43). Europe's simply the last vestige of Babylon, the scarlet daughter of the Gentile system, destined to crash at Christ's coming (Dan. 2:34)! They're simply building up God's case against them: their leaders will be brought to trial and found guilty! God's going to close down their occult operations, and BURN their WHOREHOUSE to the ground! Interestingly, it'll be the Europeans themselves who TORCH THE PLACE (Rev. 17:16)! Europe's going to be burning mad, and their citizens express fiery indignation, when they realize the full extent of ROME'S MANIPULATION! For awhile, it'll seem that it served their selfish interests to support the Catholic Church. Both big business and the political community will endorse this new global enterprise (Rev. 18:9-11) . Royalty Restored Europe's Roman Catholic roots will have appeared to be a stabilizing force, giving different nations some common ground. But the "Catholic services" haven't come cheap: they've escorted select politicians to power, delivering them the people's vote, in exchange for strict enforcement of Church policy! Within the framework of the "Holy Roman Empire," they've laid the groundwork for Europe's future! The Vatican will work out a deal with 10 European kings, with seductive offers of restoring them to political life, upon their now dormant thrones, in return for the favor of acknowledging the supremacy of the POPE! The ratification of this imminent Church-State union will be swept through by the MALIGNANT MIRACLES the pope will perform in the presence of Europe's new EMPEROR! The pope will mislead the people to presume his miracles are proof that Providence has chosen such an individual to rule Europe and save the world (Rev. 13:14)! Europe's body politic awaits this infusion of soul to truly come alive. What crisis will occur to coerce Europe to hastily accept the pope's proposal to recreate the continent in his image? A hungry Russian bear? Nevertheless, Germany stands ready to defend the Catholic faith and Western "Christian" Civilization against destruction. Pride and Punishment As America's on the way down and out, Europe's on the rise and circles overhead like an eager vulture! But their callous treatment of God's chosen will result in their PUNISHMENT! As they hold us in contempt, refusing to let us go, they'll influence God's decision to hold them hostage: in DESTRUCTION! God doesn't condemn Europe for bombing our cities or attacking our countries, but God damns them for their pride and excessive punishment! They'll engage in an orgy of overkill! And they'll attribute their military success to their politico-religious system! EUROPE'S ARROGANT ATTITUDE will be their downfall (Dan. 5:20)! Once they start thinking that they're so high and mighty, so eternal and invincible, God's going to overthrow their ignorance! He'll forcibly bring them back down to earth and make them face reality! "Therefore her plagues will come in one day - death and mourning and famine. And she will be utterly burned with fire, for strong is the Lord God who judges her" (Rev. 18:8). The Vatican Exposed! The Vatican hides behind a veil of secrecy, but it'll soon wear a widow's veil! Once God shatters their illusions about being impregnable, and spreads their archives out before the world, what they considered a private affair will be made public: "Therefore hear this now, you who are given to pleasures, who dwell securely, who say in your heart, 'I am, and there is no one else besides me (professing to be divine!); I shall not sit as a widow, nor shall I know the loss of children'; but these two things shall come to you in a moment, in one day; the loss of children and widowhood. They shall come upon you in their fullness because of the multitude of your sorceries, for the great abundance of your enchantments. For you have trusted in your wickedness; you have said, 'No one sees me'... (Isa. 47:8-10). This outrageous disclosure of the Vatican's dark and secret sins will cost them their kingdom! They're going to lose their power and popularity overnight! The masses of Europe, and their politicians, will desert Rome in droves! The annals of history record the Catholic Church's sinful past. Prophecy exposes its immediate future as a repeat performance: a dame of delusion, matron of murder, and matriarch of mischief! This Mother of all battles, directed against Israel, doesn't feel any shame or show remorse! The Vatican lacks truth, compassion and mercy! Justice demands a redress of grievances. Their bill's overdue and they'll have to account for themselves. God's two witnesses will've taken inventory and found them off-balance! Rome's wasted the world and spent themselves silly, drunk on the BLOOD OF THE MARTYRS! If Europe wants to worship this "BLOODY MARY," their water supply will be turned into rivers of blood (Rev. 15:6)! If the world wants to live under the spell of this WITCH, they'll have to suffer from God's curse! If Europe insists on complying with her wretched ways, they'll share in her ruin (Rev. 14:8-10)! The Pope's Indecent Proposal Whether you realize it or not, the present pope feels he's been given a mission from God to unite Europe! In his "Declaration to Europe," in Santiago, Spain, in 1982, the pope proclaimed: "I, Bishop of Rome and Shepherd of the Universal Church, from Santiago, utter to you, Europe of the ages, a cry full of love: Find yourself. Discover your origins, revive your roots." Sounds harmless enough, but is it? Pope John Paul II is agreeing with Dr. Otto von Hapsburg, a key figure in the European unification movement, who regards "the cross" as Europe's compass into the final frontier: "The cross doesn't need Europe, but Europe needs the cross." Will his son, Karl, soon claim his "divine right" to the Austro-Hungarian throne? He is the heir to the "Holy Roman Empire." Will he be called upon to serve as a figurehead, an emperor of sorts, over the United Kingdoms of Europe? (Remember the pope will have given life to these dormant thrones by delivering the masses in exchange for their allegiance). Every European ought to dig deeper to find out what's really going on. Don't be fooled by surface appearances. God holds you responsible for whom your Parliament elects or allows into power! Beware of wolves in sheep's clothing! Look before you leap! We'd do well to remember that the "Holy Roman Empire" was long known as the "Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation." GERMANY is clearly the HEAD of this emerging EUROSTATE (Isa. 10:5-6). The German Church has already left its mark on the Maastricht treaty with the Vatican's seal of approval. As reported in The Economist, "Never on a Sunday," an ominous blue law was forcibly inserted in Europe's grand design. Could this be the cornerstone for their reconstructed Europe? This greater Church-State collaboration ought to be of grave concern to every individual and country that cherishes religious liberty and national independence. Don't fall so quickly in love with the pope's proposals. His model of the "Holy Roman Empire" would forge every European in its image. Once the die is cast, you won't be free to form your own thoughts! Your every move will be monitored within its boundaries. Anything that runs counter to this pattern would be cut out! Those who don't go with the flow, will be ostracized from the European community and excommunicated from the Catholic Church! Anyone without their European ministers' mark of approval, will be left out in the cold, unable to earn a living (Rev. 13:17)! You'll be forced to comply! Is THIS what you want? It's what you'll get if you surrender your sovereignty (Rev. 17:13)! If the "Holy Roman Empire" were truly Christian, it would be ideal to resurrect and follow. But it's a false Christianity and a COUNTERFEIT KINGDOM! It'll go the route of all the other religious revivals of Rome - into the ash-heap of history! Some of us will be more than happy to fiddle when Rome burns -for the final time! God encourages our celebration: "Go forth from Babylon! Flee from the Chaldeans! With a voice of singing, declare, proclaim this, utter it to the end of the earth; say, 'The LORD has redeemed His servant Jacob!'"(Isa. 48:20). Europe's fall will be Israel's restoration! Europe's Bitter Roots As prophesied, there were four Gentile superpowers: Babylon, the Medes and Persians, Greco-Macedonian, and Rome (Dan. 2:31-45). THESE are the roots Europe would do well to research! Nebuchadnezzar, the first leader in this series of human governments, had a most impressive and perplexing dream. This was no normal dream or fanciful flight of imagination - it was a prophetic message from GOD! But none of the king's priests or pagan magicians could tell him what was going on! They didn't have a clue or represent God! Since "Neb" saw they were on the payroll for nothing, just wasting his time and taking up space, he sentenced them to death! They stood exposed as worthless charlatans, left shaking in their boots! But God saved the day and spared them all. GOD intervened for Daniel, a prisoner in the palace, and used him to clarify what the nightmare meant. This Jewish ambassador disclaimed any extraordinary credentials, but attributed His God-given understanding to Israel's God. He testified before the king and court, that the Most High God far transcends the pagan superstitions! He then proceeded to offer the inspired explanation. The king had seen this monstrous statue of a man, with different body parts composed of different materials. Daniel interpreted the "members" as representative of successive governments. Each kingdom would have its own characteristics and reflect the disposition of their ruler. Different men are made of different mettle! Each emperor would leave his imprint on history. Just as the huge statue had two legs, coming down in time sequence to mankind's last throes of misrule, the original Roman empire was broken in two - between east and west. Power was split between Rome and Constantinople. After Rome fell (in 476), it's spirit was determined to transform itself ten times, seven under the Catholic Church's influence. The three former entities of the Germanic tribes (the Ostrogoths, Vandals, and Heruli) embodied the Roman form of government, but they were Arian kings - not Catholic or Italian (Dan. 8:24). Justinian's "Imperial Restoration," in A.D. 554, healed Rome's "deadly wound" inflicted by these barbarian invaders (Rev. 13:3), and exorcised Italy of her foreign occupation. It lasted, as foretold, for 1260 years. In A.D. 800, Charlemagne was crowned as imperator Romanorum, an "heir" to the Western Roman Empire. He was truly considered the "King Father of Europe." It was this Christian Caesar who firmly established, in Europe's hearts and minds, the "ideal" of a unified Christian Empire. In 962, Otto the Great's "Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation" conjured up images of Charlemagne's Empire. Germany became the new power center, the heart and core, of the Roman empire. After all, it was their kings, throughout the Middle Ages, who held a steel grip on the imperial title. They were the "protector of Europe." In the early 1500's, Charles V, dedicated himself to reconstruct the Gothic style of Church-State union. He wanted to bring back (from the dead) a coalition of nations that would keep their own identity, but share a common faith. Although his project didn't get off the ground, nor his dream house materialize, its grand design stirred the imaginations of others. Dr. Hapsburg, his descendant, has predicted: "Our generation will find its historical inspiration in the concepts last embodied in the person, mind and political views of Charles V.... Inasmuch as he represents an eternal ideal, the Emperor (Charles V)... is still living among us - not only as our European ancestor, but as a guide towards the centuries to come." Can't you feel his "presence" in the pope's plea? Napoleon considered himself Caesar's heir apparent. Early on, during a pilgrimage to Charlemagne's tomb, he intoned: "There will be no peace in Europe until the whole Continent is under one suzerain, an Emperor whose chief officers are kings, whose generals have become monarches." This vision for European unity and peace is being seen again. Did Napoleon have a sneak preview? Later, unable to achieve his grand design, he bemoaned: "I wanted to found a European system, a European code of laws, a European judiciary. There would have been but one people throughout Europe." Mussolini fantasied about a modern version of the Roman Empire. To fulfill it, he began his venture by reenlisting the Vatican. After he restored Italy's honor by defeating Ethiopia, he declared it a "Roman triumph" and proclaimed "the reappearance of the empire on the fated hills of Rome." His almost non-existent empire was Rome's sixth prophesied resurrection.(Rev. 17:11). In October 1936, the "Berlin-Rome Axis" sealed Italy's fate with that of Germany's Third Reich. Hitler (also in possession of a concordat with the Vatican) saw himself as destined to lead a great Germanic Empire. His mountain fortress in Obersalzberg afforded him a magnificent view of the Untersberg. Within that mountain, legend whispered, Charlemagne still slept - waiting for his day to rise again and restore Germany's glory! The Fuehrer would point out to visitors, "It is no accident that I have my residence opposite it." The restless Roman spirit refuses to die! The Final Conflict We've come to the end of the road: EUROPE'S FINAL ARRANGEMENT IS TAKING PLACE NOW! And all prompted by the pope and eager politicians! The ten toes of Nebuchadnezzar's image, referring to 10 kings, corresponds to this carbon-copy of the "holy Roman empire." It'll include rich and poor countries, and be made up of both strong and weak elements, but they won't stay together for long (Dan. 2:43). They don't share the right chemistry! Rome's dream will become our nightmare! This seventh resurrection will be responsible for the nuclear fires prophesied to sear the earth (Isa. 24:6)! It's campaign promises of peace and security, will quickly be broken! EUROPE'S PREPARING FOR WAR! Europe's last trump is near! They'll attempt to fight Christ at His coming, but they're fighting for a lost cause (Rev. 17:12-14)! Jesus will lead a brilliant campaign (Hab. 3:11) to break up the Gentile monopoly on world government! Christ's lightning strike will be a smashing success! He'll take over the reigns of human governments and rule supreme (Rev. 11:13)! ISRAEL will be RESTORED as a superpower! The Gentile authorities will pay tribute to our God and King, and acknowledge Israel as God's Instrument. At that time, THEY'LL REALIZE AN EVIL SPIRIT HAD LED THEM and that Rome was his capital of confusion. It'll be destroyed, never to rise again! BABYLON IS FALLEN! BABYLON IS FALLEN(Rev. 18:2)! Israel Lost and Found God will have allowed a German-led Europe to defeat and scatter us, like their Assyrian ancestors did (Isa. 10:24-27). But this time, instead of resulting in our loss of memory, it'll help restore our identity! All the prophecies reveal the tribes of ISRAEL in captivity at Christ's coming! He's coming to save us from our enemies, pouring out plagues, like Moses delivered Israel from Egypt (Rev. 15:1)! The GREATEST EXODUS is yet to occur - following the release of our hostages worldwide! We'll be regathered to our ancient Homeland where we'll start anew. God's the God of our fathers, and having been faithful to them, He's our God too! And may we be His people! Christ prophesies an end-time configuration of nation-states, under the overall leadership of an emperor of sorts, and a towering religious figure! They're to be a Church-State union, wealthy beyond imagination, engaged in world trade and committed to international commerce (Rev. 18). Europe's shown to exploit their military conquests for economic advantage: FORCED LABOR! And they don't hesitate to throw political dissidents and religious heretics into DEATH CAMPS! Too many atrocities show up on the scriptural satellite! God's going to avenge the blood of His servants, both past and present! He'll remember the damage done to His Temple and charge it to Rome (Jer. 50:28)! They're going to pay! GOD WILL PASS SENTENCE AND EXECUTE JUDGMENT! Leave God's People Alone When Europe's encouraged (or pressured) to rediscover their roots - let them review Babylon's history lesson! Daniel's recorded it for every person to read and heed: that priests and politicians, true or false, had better not interfere with the WORSHIP of God's people! Those who won't learn from Nebuchadnezzar's downfall and humiliation - will be thrown down themselves (Dan. 5:18-22)! He was a pagan, yet he recognized there was something unusual about ISRAEL'S GOD! He saw that what other religions couldn't do - foretell the future or properly explain the present - the servants of the God of Heaven could and did (Amos 3:7)! Respect those who refuse to bow down before icons, tolerate them who won't engage in emperor-worship (or idolize a hero), and excuse those who don't participate in national religious services (Dan. 3:28-30)! They've got their reasons. Read them for yourself: in your Bible! Europe, as well as all the world, needs to follow Jesus - NOT a man! We need what's contained in the Person, Mind and Political Views of CHRIST! We should conform to the Heavenly Kingdom given to Israel and exalt those Church-State standards recorded at MOUNT SINAI! Yes, "Remember the Law of Moses..." (Malachi 4:4). The altar of the true God is in disrepair! Remember Elijah's example! Let's build it up again and restore the knowledge and worship of our common CREATOR! The fundamentals of Biblical understanding begin with a proper appreciation and understanding of Israel's identity. God help us to experience the necessary change of heart, as encouraged by God's prophets throughout the ages, and receive forgiveness of sins through the sacrifice of God's Lamb. Stretch out your arms, reach towards heaven, and receive the refreshing rain of God's Holy Spirit! Remember your true roots are Abraham, Issac, and Jacob (I Kings 18:30-39)! Various Warnings EUROPE: DON'T SELL YOUR BROTHER JOSEPH OUT! DON'T BURN JUDAH TWICE! Though God will allow Europe to beat us, He doesn't mean to death! Go ahead and deport us, but don't exclude us for life! We've been bad, but don't bar us forever! Make us your menial servants, but don't degrade us further! We've only served ourselves, but God's called us to be His servants. We stand naked in our sins, but don't keep us destitute! We're covered in blood, but don't blame us for everything. We should be ashamed, but don't embarrass us to no end. We've been proud, but don't humiliate us more. Our wounds are self-inflicted, but don't add insult to injury. We've risked our lives, but don't endanger our existence...(2 Chron. 28:9-15). In spite of our sins, Europe MUST remember we're on God's Mind. Europe should beware: don't think for a second or imagine for a moment that God's forgotten or forsaken His people (Isa. 49:15)! Don't be misled by God's apparent ignorance or indifference to your atrocities (Ps. 50:21). He sees and knows all. He'll take everything into account! Don't assume God sanctions your evil just because He doesn't stop it immediately (Ecc. 8:11). God gives you time to repent! Don't fool yourselves that you can get away with anything because Israel's sinned (Jer. 50:7). That doesn't justify your sins. Don't read into the situation something that isn't there. Be careful how you treat God's people because they are His son. What you do will come back to you. Your life's at stake! Europe's at risk! You're supposed to perform God's Will, not engage in Satan's overkill! GOD WARNS YOU to remember you're only instrumental in bringing about repentance - it doesn't mean you don't need it too! God hasn't given Europe a blank check to empty Israel's account (Zech. 1:15)! Those who think otherwise are sorely mistaken (Rev. 16:11)! IF Europe fails to heed God's warning, and refuses to pay attention to what's happened in the past (that those who bless Israel are blessed, and those who curse Israel are cursed), their great economic system will also FAIL and their cities get bombed to rubble! Europe and Asia are to have a falling out... a 200 million man army will imperil Rome (Rev. 9:16)! God can hasten or delay their JUDGMENT DAY! Powerful Witnesses God's two prophets in Jerusalem, representing God's Administration of Church-State affairs, as opposed to the Catholic counterfeit, will testify before the world that God's ways are just and His prophecies sure! They serve as WITNESSES against Europe's crimes against humanity, and decry Babylon's bull, saying: "LET MY PEOPLE GO!" God authorizes them to back their MESSAGE up with all the power and strength necessary! They'll be able to SEND PLAGUES on Europe, or anywhere in the world, for added impact and evidence of God's support. Those SPECIAL EFFECTS will illustrate the point they're trying to make (Rev. 11:6)! After all's said and done, Israel's repented and Europe's come to her senses, God will have dealt with all mankind and prepared us for leading a new life. A NEW DAY WILL DAWN! The dark storm will have passed into history, and God's brilliant RAINBOW will shine! It'll be a time to leap and cry for JOY! Christ will heal ALL our hurts (Malachi 4:2)! Together we'll experience the greatest international cooperation for good! Former foes will become fast friends. Connected by a common purpose, attached by a mutual love and respect, great strides will be taken towards international reconciliation, with tremendous inroads being made in securing a global understanding (Isa. 19:22-25). Ground-breaking ceremonies will be celebrated worldwide, as nations join hands in a concerted effort to build a NEW AGE and construct a NEW WORLD - BASED UPON THE BIBLE and holy scriptures (Isa. 65:17)! Out of the ashes and rubble of repentance, a wonderful new era will emerge! Jesus' GOOD NEWS will come true! You can bet your life on it! JESUS AND THE JEWS "Why don't the Jews accept Jesus?" I've been asked so many times. My usual reply? "Why haven't the Christians?!" At least the Jews are waiting for the proper imperial restoration! The Messiah's coming to sit on DAVID'S THRONE - not Caesar's or "St. Peter's!" The Anointed One's going to rule from JERUSALEM - not Rome! Israel's descendants composed God's Kingdom on earth, not the Assyrian Germans or Chaldean Catholics! God's Word will become the LAW of the land (earth's constitution) from Zion! Heavenly truths will flow from God's Temple in Israel, not from the Vatican in Europe (Ezek. 47:1)! Israel's GOD is eager to share His information, distribute wisdom, and disseminate knowledge from the "CITY OF TRUTH" (Zech. 8:3). Mankind's about to enter the mikveh of God's Holy Spirit (that will wash the world), and come out new men and women! The Bible covers everything, and its plans include everyone - no one will be left out (Isa. 11:9). We'll be saved from our sins, no longer swept away by them! But renegade Jews, who became avowed atheists or professing Christians, projected their PERVERSION on others, and captivated whole countries with wrong ideas! Those false Messiahs have held men hostage to their thoughts, and imprisoned others with poisonous ideologies! Thanks to Torah-Jews, those who follow and believe the Bible (as they understand it), God has preserved for us the knowledge and identity of the seventh-day Sabbath and holy days. It's been said, and it's true, "More than the Jew have kept the Sabbath, the Sabbath has kept the Jew." It's an identifying national sign that the "lost 10 tribes" didn't keep (Ex. 31:17). Sabbath observance brings recognition. God knew most of our Israelite ancestors, because of debilitating sins, would lose their minds and forget His ways, considering themselves Gentile (Deut. 28:64). We would be sifted through many nations, but finally come into our own (Amos 9:9). God promised to ultimately restore our identity, and offer us repentance, before and during our final captivity! He's makes possible renewal amid decay! Is the modern-day nation of Israel a fulfilled prophecy? How can it be when most Jews haven't returned home? Not to mention the other tribes. David hasn't been resurrected king and the Messiah hasn't come. Israel is a type of what will happen after the next HOLOCAUST. The True Israel The tragedy about to strike this time will target the English-speaking peoples. Technically, we're the only ones who can claim the name "Israel." God's blessing was passed down from Abraham , Issac, and Jacob to JOSEPH. Jacob laid his hands upon Joseph's two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, and said, "Let my name (Israel) be named upon them" (Gen. 48:16). Only Joseph's sons were collectively called "Israel." "Rachel" is about to mourn for her children. The Jews were NEVER her children! They're descendants of Judah, Leah's son. Rachel bore Jacob two sons: Joseph and Benjamin (Gen. 35:24). The prophet Jeremiah foresaw "Rachel" besides herself with grief. She was overwhelmed by her sorrow: "Thus says the LORD: 'A voice was heard in Ramah, lamentation and bitter weeping, Rachel weeping for her children, because they are no more" (Jer. 31:15). Jacob's Trouble The worst time in earth's history is ahead! Dreadful days are fast approaching, and suffocating darkness is just around the bend! It's primarily the time of "Jacob's trouble." We've seen how it's the Anglo-Saxons (the sons of Joseph) who bear Jacob/Israel's name. We'll also bear the brunt of Europe's wrath. "Rachel" SCREAMS in agony over our slaughter! It'll appear as if we've met our end.... But God comforts the afflicted women, and offers hope to men gone mad with misery, that we haven't passed the point of no return. Against every indication that we're finished, God will restore our people to our Homeland (Jer. 31:16-20). He says we'll soon see how good we've had it, and how pampered and privileged we've been. We're not used to having our freedoms curtailed! We're unaccustomed to hunger, pain and deprivation! We're rich and spoiled! Such terrifying prophecies should "scare us to death!" We ought to bury those ways that are bringing us to an early grave. A normal nation would suffer an anxiety attack and feel mental anguish over these horrors, but we stretch out and take it easy, preoccupied with trivial pursuits! We feed our faces and powder our noses, awash in luxury - but God sees our dirty laundry and warns us of a coming scourge! We don't want to hear it or believe it, so we crank up the music and drown out God's words with liquor (Amos 6:3-7)! Jerusalem's Fall America's going to be on the run, Britain left high and dry! Europe won't give up until they've occupied our countries and rubbed our faces in the dirt! God says we've acted like a tramp, so Europe will trample us. We've lost our salt and have become good for nothing, so they'll walk all over us! Jerusalem's going to fall for "peace!" Zion will be taken! The Lion caged! The U.N.'s going to violate Israel's agreement and break Europe's promise! In breach of lying guarantees, Jewish homes will be broken into and their daughters raped! Personal belongings will be stolen and heirlooms looted! Half the city will be emptied out in broad daylight (Zech. 14:1-2)! Europe's New Crusade ROME will again ravage the Holy Land! Abominable armies will quickly pollute "Palestine!" The prophet Daniel warned of treacherous Jews who'd invite this disaster: those secular politicians (who profane the public's trust) and informers (lacking intelligence) who eagerly conspire to sell out Israel (Dan. 11:30-32)! EUROPE'S NEW CRUSADE WILL BETRAY BOTH ARAB AND JEW! It'll be launched under the guise of "peace." Egypt's going to be sacked, Libya looted, and Ethiopia enslaved (Dan.11: 42-45)! The dark prince and wizard of war will send his "peace-keeping" troops to the Middle East to recapture Jerusalem for the Catholic faith and prepare for his arrival! He'll bless their mission and consecrate their carnage from his haunted house (built upon the bones of sorcerers!). The pope's going to cast his "love spell" over the whole world! Nation's will fall under his influence, and empty Jews will find themselves enchanted by his ideas. Some Israelis, flattered by attention and filled with an inflated sense of self-importance, will get seduced and swallow risky potions for "peace." They'll wake up too late! Israel's fatal attraction will kill us, and Judah's deadly liaison will curse them! After World War II, the scraggly remnant of European Jewry scrambled for "Palestine." Others were sprinkled around the globe. The nation of Israel was born! God had prepared the way for that momentous day (May 15, 1948) by sending the British (Ephraim) to liberate the land from the Edomite Turks. In November 1917, the Balfour Declaration recognized the right of Jews to a Homeland, and during Hanukkah in December, the Royal squadron flew over Jerusalem as General Allenby delivered Zion - without firing a shot! The British ended the Gentile occupation! Presently, the Jews hold the Land in trust for all Israel. It's Israel - NOT Ishmael - who are the Defenders of the Holy Land. A number of Jews have returned, and undoubtedly a representative amount of the other tribes, but they only foreshadow the greatest Zionist Movement yet to occur! Another EXODUS draws near (Jer. 23:7-8)! Judah and Israel enslaved In the coming captivity, both the Jews (Judah) and the Anglo-Saxons (Israel) will suffer national defeat simultaneously! That NEVER happened before! The Northern ten-tribed Kingdom of Israel fell 130 years before the ancient Kingdom of Judah! This time EUROPE will conquer us together (Jer. 50:33)! They'll refuse to let us go! A great Gentile Empire was prophesied to emerge just prior to Messiah (Dan. 7). DANIEL IDENTIFIES ROME'S REVIVAL AS THAT BEAST-POWER! An Unholy Emperor and Scheming Pope After God's plan has been fulfilled and the European Federation of States have accomplished His purpose, God will direct His attention to their dictator (Isa.10:12-19). God's going to have to put him back in his place and remind him he's only human. He's NOT a divine emperor! His striking military success and unusual ability's only because God's predetermined which nations will fall. They're doomed from the start! If the Anglo-Saxon and Jewish peoples continue living in sin, instead of turning from our wicked ways, it's inevitable that we'll DIE in sin! "'Cast away all the transgressions by which you have offended, and get yourselves a new heart and a new spirit, that you may not die, O House of Israel. For it is not My desire that anyone shall die - declares the Lord GOD. Repent, therefore, and live!" (Ezek. 18:31-32 JPS). God's still waiting for our change of heart. Time's running out quickly! We don't have a day to waste. Satan's inspiring Europe's future military leader right now! Visions of grandeur - the restoration of Rome's glory - are whetting his appetite, preparing him for compulsive behavior! Europe's beast will devour anything that gets in his way! We'll admit we've deserved punishment, but we're going to beg God to save us from Europe's madmen: "Pour out Your wrath on the nations who have not heeded You, Upon the clans that have not invoked Your name. For they have devoured Jacob, have devoured and consumed him, And have laid desolate his homesteads" (Jer. 10:25 JPS). God says since we've hated His ways, and didn't want to hear His words, He'll give us over to those who hate and despise us (Lev. 26:17). We'll hear them shouting orders and spitting curses at us! We're talking about a BLOODTHIRSTY ANIMAL! Europe's going to be foaming at the mouth! Like a shepherd tries to rescue what he can, two legs or a piece of an ear, God will have to save what's left of us! Regardless of how wealthy of a home or how rich of a neighborhood we live in, God warns we're going to be taken out and rounded up (Amos 3:12, 15). The Predator's going to sniff us out and empty our homes, leaving only a skeletal frame! But Messiah will go through the ruins and salvage Israel! Joining the military madman in Europe (actually an evil genius), will be a sovereign religious figure who overshadows earth's affairs. This father of lies and murderer of truth will have his evil eyes set on Jerusalem! He'll harness dark powers and bridle political energies, directing them to do his bidding, in an attempt to repossess the Holy Land and occupy the Temple (Ezek. 28:2-3)! Where's the Temple? Something's missing. Rome is synonymous with the Vatican, Mecca with the Kaaba, and Jerusalem's known for its Western Wall. But why should we stand before the wall, letting it obstruct our vision, when we could be praying in a rebuilt Temple? That basically, is the gist of the message our demonstrations seek to send. The Temple Mount and Land of Israel Faithful Movement doesn't only protest the ongoing Muslim occupation of our Temple Mount, but proclaims that this unnatural set of circumstances will come to an end, just as surely as the Berlin Wall fell and eastern Europe came out from under the Russian heel. The restoration of Jews from all over the world to their ancient homeland is only the first step towards the redemption of our land and lives. Israel is an empty, secular state. THE FACT THAT THE TEMPLE MOUNT IS STILL WITHOUT A TEMPLE STANDS AS AN INDICTMENT AGAINST ISRAEL! Jerusalem's known as the heart of Israel, the crown of the "Jewish" State. The Temple Mount is the crown jewel. This historic Jewish treasure is a "diamond in the rough." It awaits our craftsmen's tender loving care to bring it to the brilliant perfection it deserves. We protest that this responsibility hasn't been fulfilled yet, but we proclaim that these things could change overnight. The world was caught off guard by the rapid succession of events that shook Europe and the former USSR. The "experts" exposed how ignorant they really are. Nobody needs to be surprised when inevitable events rock Jerusalem, and they feel its aftershocks worldwide. They've been foretold. What's presently missing in Israel will be found when we're filled with our historic mission and accomplish our intended purpose. Shamefully, today's leaders reflect a GHETTO-MENTALITY and expose the sorry state of Israel and Jewish affairs! They're starved for this world's affection, afraid to be different, and too willing to sacrifice our unique identity! God condemns those KAPOS OF COMPROMISE who would rather sell-out than take an unpopular stand! Whereas it's not politically correct, and goes against our democratic grain, and could result in a backlash - Hanukkah represents those who are willing, if and when necessary, to risk the wrath of others to insure the triumph of good over evil, of light over darkness, and right over wrong. In this particular case, the Light of what's good and right was the brilliant example of those faithful few Jews who held their head high - sick and tired of being beaten down - and publicly chose to reject alien ideas and destroy imposed idols. The Maccabees weren't overly concerned with a suicidal fear of world opinion, but mightily expressed their faith in GOD. They didn't flirt with "foreign affairs," or engage in self-destructive interfaith orgies. They kept the faith and cleansed the Temple Mount of its spiritual filth. World Jewry continues to celebrate Hanukkah to this day, but in the spirit of hypocrisy! We're more like the COWERING HELLENISTS who assimilated, rather than the courageous Maccabees who fought to remain true to themselves! Thank Heavens, there are a growing number in Israel who want to see Jerusalem restored as our spiritual center, and our lives rededicated to Biblical ideals, not humanist ideas. Pray for Jerusalem's peace and the rekindling of Israel's light! King David's Aliyah King David designated the Temple Mount as the site Solomon was to build God's Temple. "David said, 'Here will be the House of the LORD and here the altar of burnt offerings for Israel'" (I Chron. 22:1, JPS). He had taken a military census, earlier, against strong opposition, which implied he was trusting in Israel's might instead of God's strength. Consequently, God plagued the land and diminished Israel's numbers! People were falling like flies and getting wiped out by disease. Then God ordered the angel to change course and zero in on Jerusalem. But when God heard David's prayers and saw the humility of Israel's elders, He called off the siege. God's angel told the prophet Gad that David was to GO UP TO MOUNT MORIAH AND SET UP AN ALTAR TO GOD. David made aliyah: he ascended God's holy mountain and encountered the righteous Gentiles who were then in charge. They agreed to renounce their claims and sell their land, recognizing it was God's Will for David to transform their threshing floor into the sacred site where God would judge the nations and sift all men's hearts. Divine Fire and Forgiveness David paid for his mistake and sacrificed for his sin: God responded by sending fire down from heaven to receive David's offering and accept his person (I Chron. 21)! The plague was stayed! David had delivered Jerusalem from Gentile occupation (2 Sam. 5:7). That redemption prepared the way for David's sacrifice and prophecy that Mount Moriah would house the altar and Temple of God. He personally ordered the Tabernacle's construction, and saw to it that the Ark was transferred to Jerusalem amid great celebrations and joy (I Chron. 15). Afterwards, David felt a Temple would be more appropriate for God's Ark (especially since he lived in better quarters himself), but was prophetically informed it wasn't in God's plans for him. His responsibility was to settle Israel's differences with their enemies and pave the way for Solomon. Temple Plans David served as God's instrument to make preparations for the Temple by amassing great wealth, materials, and manpower. King Solomon would be able to enjoy the peaceful conditions necessary to construct God's Temple without distractions (I Chron. 21, 22). Whereas Solomon was honored to build God's Temple, David was given the precise construction details for it, like Moses was shown the Tabernacle's blueprint (1 Kings 5:2-5, I Chron. 28:19). Solomon began to fulfill what Melchizedek foreshadowed: the prophetic merging of PRIEST and KING into ONE - ruling from Jerusalem! Significantly, Batsheba (Solomon's mother) was from Levi, the priestly tribe, and David was from Judah, the sceptre tribe. King David addressed the nation and consolidated Solomon's position, showing how God had purposely chosen Solomon to build an "Embassy for the Eternal," a Temple to our God (I Chron. 28, 29). The golden years Israel experienced under Solomon was representative of the future Messiah's universal reign of peace and prosperity (I Kings 4:20, 25). Solomon secured the promise of a Davidic dynasty; a perpetual covenant that's to culminate in Messiah. The Messiah has a double claim to that throne: it's the Throne of the LORD (I Chron. 29:23) and the property of David's descendants (Jer. 33:17)! Solomon built the Temple following David's design, enacted King David's decrees concerning the proper establishment of the priesthood, and executed judgments upon various individuals (I Chron. 28:13). Both Solomon's dedication prayer and sacrifice were accepted by the God of Heaven, who answered him by sending fire to earth and filling the Temple with His glory (2 Chron. 7:1). The Royal House of David God established David's family in Jerusalem, and David's house constructed God's Temple. Later a descendant of David, assisted by a priest, would rebuild God's Temple (Ezra 3:8). Throughout history, David's faithful descendants would repeatedly "build up" God's House. How? By their proper care and concern that not only enabled but encouraged Levi to fulfill their sacred responsibilities. This reciprocal relationship's soon to be restored (Jer. 33:22). The Royal House of David is Jerusalem's ETERNAL FLAME (Ner Tameed/Lev. 24:4). Jerusalem is Israel's. God is Israel's Eternal Flame and Israel is God's (I Kings 11:36). David's House is destined to soon play an important part on the world stage. A DAVIDIC MESSENGER WILL DEFEND JERUSALEM and God's truth, lighting the Way and illuminating our Path (Zech. 12:8). Unfortunately, Solomon fell for foreign women who took advantage of his weakness: they led him astray to erect temples to their lies! As a direct result of Solomon's adulterous idolatry, God decreed that Israel's United Kingdom would become split in two (1 Kings 11:1-13)! The consequential two kingdoms of Judah and Israel aren't to be restored until Messiah - then we'll truly be reunited as "One Nation Under God" and become a "Light to all nations" (Ezek. 37:22). Divided, we became conquered, and got carried off into no-man's land; most never to return or remember their roots. But now our mourning period's almost over! Our EXILE is about to end! After Judah's return from Babylon, they rebuilt God's Temple under Zerubbabel's guidance. But before the Temple's foundation was laid they rebuilt God's ALTAR. They offered sacrifices (following Moses' instructions) because they were afraid (Ezra 3:3,6)! They weren't too proud to ask God for protection. Today Judah's AFRAID! They reason it's better to let the Muslims profane the Temple Mount than to start another war! The Chief Rabbinate would rather let foxes run loose on the Temple Mount than permit the Children of Israel free access! Israelis are COWARDS! They're not willing to do whatever's necessary to clear that area of its "beautiful abomination" and make room for improvement! We're not the sons and daughters of the Maccabees! Major Upheaval in Israel? Will an earthquake shake Israel to its foundations and rock the world? Would the destruction of the Western ("Wailing") Wall and the demolition of the "Dome of the Rock" and El-Aksa mosques - by an Act of God - serve notice that it's time to rebuild the Temple? The Western Wall will have served its purpose. And an earthquake could clear the way for major changes.... Let's move on and UP to where we should be praying: in the TEMPLE! The Temple's to serve as a national reminder that God's central to our existence and should be our focal point. However, the mere presence of a Temple doesn't necessarily mean that God's Presence is with us. Twice God's glory left the Temple and Judah was scattered. Will the sacrifices start soon? The cornerstone get put in place? The Temple be rebuilt? And will a new Antiochus Epiphanes force his way into the Temple and proclaim himself "God?" Supposedly the pope wants Jerusalem to become an "international city" - in reality he plans on making it his Catholic headquarters! Who would stand up and oppose this intrusion? Who would denounce this gross violation of Israel's sovereignty? Who would speak out against this folly? Elijah.... Living in Israel You could say I have a God-given love for the Jews and the nation of Israel (Isa. 62:6-7). I've been blessed to have lived in over seven regions of Israel, getting to know its land and people quite well: Ramat Yohanan (where my kibbutz mother, Miriam Weiss lives); Sdot Yam on the Mediterranean, next to Caesarea, the site of my first ulpan, and where Israel's heroine, Hannah Senesh, was from; Regavim, near Zichron Yaakov, where I continued my Hebrew lessons amid its rolling green hills; Reshafim, near Bet She'an, with Mt. Gilboa practically in our backyard, and Jordan's mountains in lovely view out front; Adamit, on Lebanon's border, high up on a mountain, from where on clear days you can see all the way to Haifa's Mt. Carmel; Shoval, a rose in the Negev desert, just north of Beer Sheva; Dan, way up in the northernmost part of Israel, in between Syria and Lebanon, next to the majestic snow-covered Mt. Hermon, where I was living when "Operation Desert Storm" blew in; and Ha'On, with its campground and ostrich farm on the eastern shores of the Sea of Galilee, across from Tiberias. Now that I've fulfilled my goals of living around Israel, I hope to live in Shiloach (the Biblical City of David), in Jerusalem, until the Messiah comes - and forever after! I want to live as close as possible to my favorite spot on earth: the Temple Mount. True Freedom Why didn't the Jews accept Jesus? Frankly, because He didn't live up to their expectations. Why? He disappointed them! The Jews were looking for a NATIONAL DELIVERER, not a spiritual savior! They wanted Messiah to overthrow Rome, not subdue sin! They were hoping He would end the Gentile occupation of their land, not defeat Satan's purpose in their lives. Judaism is replete with references to our Saviour-King; the Messiah who will conquer our enemies and restore our independence, ushering in the glory days of old. The Jews in Jesus' day didn't want to hear that they were their own worst enemy! They didn't appreciate being called slaves to sin, and that Christ was the only Master Key to freedom. Jesus began preaching in the synagogues around the Sea of Galilee, slowly but surely working His way down towards Jerusalem. Yeshua (Jesus) didn't begin His Mission until He was thirty: the coming of age for a rabbi. He was preceded by His cousin Yohanan (John), a cohen. The whole region was eager to hear His Message: God's Kingdom is fast-approaching! Jesus' Report was circulated everywhere. Everyone who knew and understood the Messiah was due, according to the time-setting of Daniel's prophecies, had been anticipating this GOOD NEWS! Roman Rule Before Messiah I remember wondering once, during a bus trip from Jerusalem back to Ramat Yohanan (near Haifa), why Messiah came when He did. Why not 3,000 years ago? Why not 500 years ago? Then Daniel's prophecy flashed into my mind: there were to be four Gentile kingdoms, and then God's Kingdom would come! Messiah couldn't come until the fourth beast - the Roman empire - was a reality. Jesus then showed up, promptly on time, and foretold its ruin! The Passover LAMB of God, Israel's Suffering Servant, came to be offered up and take away the sins of the world (Isa. 53). Yet He was prophesied to be resurrected, as our High Priest, and intercede for many. How else could He see the positive results of His sacrifice? Rome signed their own death warrant when they murdered God's Son. Those Jews who witnessed Jesus' mock trial and crucifixion, crying out, 'His blood be upon us,' when Pilate wavered, assuming blood-guilt, will eventually cry out for the Lamb's blood to cover their sins and beg God to forgive them! That blood-guilt was paid for (in part) when Jerusalem was sacked by the Romans, as Jesus prophesied. A Transcendant Kingdom Jesus' Message went over the heads of most who heard Him. The Kingdom He proclaimed wasn't limited to a specific location. His Truth transcends national borders and rises above barriers of race. Most couldn't grasp what He was saying! Jesus not only announced Israel's restoration, but their transformation! He promised to usher in a GLORY that's greater than David and Solomon's combined (Haggai 2:9)! The House of Israel must become the TEMPLE of God! Jesus - a son of David -made preparations for this IMMORTAL NATION! Jesus' good news far surpassed anything the Jews had hoped for! It seemed too good to be true! They were astounded by His Teaching: God's Kingdom is God's Royal Family! THEY administer God's Government! We're not guaranteed membership by race - now by God's grace, anyone who's righteous is welcome. Whereas Israel's Kingdom consisted of Israel's family, those flesh and blood descendants of Jacob, the Kingdom of God would be the Spirit-composed Children of God! Jesus made it clear: we've got to be born again! But traditional Christianity can't stand the BRIGHT FUTURE Christ's described! They've veiled its true meaning, toned down its truth, and robbed it of its honor! Jesus wasn't referring to a spiritual experience, but an actual occurrence: our RESURRECTION! This new development is what amazed the religious leaders. They'd never heard such a thing! The Anointed One elaborated: if your parents are flesh and blood humans, it's only natural that you're also human. You're nothing more or less. Kind after kind. If you're born again by a Spirit-composed God, it's only supernatural that you'll become a Spirit-composed God! GOD is a GOVERNING-FAMILY! Messiah to Crush One World Government The Jews - unlike too many Christians - were well aware that Daniel prophesied of GOVERNMENTS. They understood four Gentile kingdoms were to make their mark on mankind. They''d follow one another in general succession: Babylon, the Medes & Persians, the Greco-Macedonian, and the Roman Empire. Daniel's end-time prophecy warned of Rome's final revival. It would threaten Jacob's descendants, and persecute the holy ones of Israel, until MESSIAH crushes their opposition once and for all! This configuration of 10 European States will wreak such havoc, God has to send the archangel Michael to stand up for Israel (Dan. 2:44)! It's going to be the worst time in history! And it's revealed as just prior to Messiah's coming and the resurrection of the dead (Dan. 12:1-2). He'll be our only Hope for survival! We'll witness these events! Daniel's message was impossible to understand until now! We're living in the prophesied days of rapid transit, instant communication, and a knowledge explosion (Dan. 12:4)! Europe's actually going to attempt to fight Messiah at His Coming! But His invincible army originates in Heaven! He's flying direct from the Father's Throne! We can expect Him to land upon the Mount of Olives, and lauded as Israel's Anointed, liberate Zion and Jerusalem - securing David's throne! The Coronation of Israel's King Daniel testifies: "One like a human being came with the clouds of Heaven; He reached the Ancient of Days and was presented to Him. Dominion, glory and kingship were given to him; All peoples of every nation and language must serve him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that shall not pass away, and his kingship one that shall not be destroyed" (Dan. 7:13-14 JPS). Who but Jesus ascended into Heaven with clouds? He was like a man, but more than a human-being! His coronation ceremony is about to commence! Then He'll return to earth and rule all nations! Unlike the Gentile powers, MESSIAH and His KINGDOM are ETERNAL! Zechariah gets even more specific: he says it's the LORD who will fight against our enemies and touch down on the Mount of Olives. "And the LORD shall be King over all the earth..." (Zech. 14:9 JPS). Truly, Israel's Messiah is "GOD WITH US" (Isa. 7:14)! He'll vanquish our foes and disperse our enemies: "The LORD has annulled the judgment against you, He has swept away your foes (like chaff from the Temple Mount!). Israel's Sovereign the LORD is within you; you need fear misfortune no more" (Zeph. 3:15 JPS). Rest for Wandering Jews The wandering Jews will finally find rest. Our trials and tribulations will be a thing of the past! Israel and Judah will be forgiven their sins. At that time Judah will perceive that YESHUA IS MASHIACH! Jesus is the Christ: "And I will pour on the House of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem the spirit of grace and supplications; then they will look on Me whom they pierced. Yes, they will mourn for Him as one mourns for his only son, and grieve for Him as one grieves for a firstborn" (Zech. 12:10). Shema Yisrael, Hear O Israel: Moses prophesied that God would send us a Messenger (Deut. 18:18). Jesus is God's Lion and Lamb: He came to deliver us from sin and will return to set us free from men! Messiah is our Priest-King, our Lord and Saviour, our One and only! He'll save us from Europe and ourselves! "Surely in the LORD I have righteousness and strength. To Him men shall come, and all shall be ashamed who are incensed against Him. In the LORD all the descendants of Israel shall be justified, and shall glory" (Isa. 54:24-25). ELIJAH'S KEY ROLE "And may our eyes behold Thy return to Zion in mercy" (Jewish daily prayer). A great drama is about to be played out! The stage is Jerusalem. The setting is Israel. God's spotlight will be shining upon His two star witnesses. All eyes will be riveted upon the events about to occur: GOD'S GOING TO RECLAIM JERUSALEM AS HIS OWN! Israel's about to host the greatest showdown on earth! A spiritual conflict of interests will create such a scene in Jerusalem that the whole world will watch! Zion will be an arena of prophets and sorcerers, warriors and kings! The forces of good and evil are set to duel: the sons of light will battle the sons of darkness, and truth will confront error head-on! Satan knows his days are numbered and Europe's his last stand. This will be it for Rome. The final conflict is going to suck every nation into its black hole! The twisted fate of the Vatican and Europe will unravel before all; their counterfeit kingdom will come apart at the seams! Prior to Europe's invasion and occupation of the State of Israel, God will have stationed two men, especially trained for this mission, in Jerusalem. They're to serve notice that Jerusalem and Israel belong to GOD! These two men are witnesses that God will again choose Jerusalem. They won't rest until Zion fulfills her calling (Isa. 62:6-7). They can foresee the future so clearly, it's as good as done for them (Rom. 4:17). Since they know for sure what's going to happen, they can give an accurate forecast! Priest and King: Israel's Twin Pillars Why are there two of them? For several reasons: God's Law requires two or three witnesses to testify before the judge can pass sentence; they're Israel's eyes, to enlighten and help them see what's going on; and THEY REPRESENT GOD'S CHURCH AND STATE. The prophet Zechariah first mentions these two. He saw them portrayed as two olive trees, standing next to a golden Menorah, one on each side. When he questioned God's angel as to what this all meant, he was told: "These are the two anointed ones, who stand beside the Lord of the whole earth" (Zech. 4:14). It's understood that the Menorah represents Israel - who's yet to become a "light to all nations." Today Israel's national symbol is this very candlestick with its two olive branches! Ancient Israel only had two anointed positions: Priest and King! They were anointed with olive oil, symbolic of God's Holy Spirit, before taking office (Ex.30:30). It was a simple gesture asking for God's merciful guidance, and a humble request for Heaven's inspiration (I Sam. 16:13). God reveals that His men are going to be on active duty for three and a half years. Their mission coincides with Jerusalem's Gentile occupation. They'll witness the atrocities committed against our people, and fast and pray. Therefore, the formal dinners and black-tie days are gone. God's prophets will be in mourning and wearing black: burlap! Revelation 11:4 declares: "These are the two olive trees and the two lampstands standing before the God of the earth." They stand at attention before God, ready and willing to carry out His every command. They're filled with the Holy Spirit and share their LIGHT of understanding with captive Israel (Zech. 4:12). They'll give it all they've got, emptying themselves, to try and impart God's VISION and spiritual insight. Obviously, they're testifying against Europe's crimes against humanity, because the Beast wants them dead! They warn Europe their Day of reckoning is near and thereby encourage Israel to never fear! Elijah's Coming! The prophet Malachi assures us: "Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and dreadful day of the LORD. And he will turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers, lest I come and strike the earth with a curse" (Malachi 4:5-6). Who in the Bible is most prominent before the return of Jesus Christ? In the Old Testament we find "Elijah." In the New Testament we're introduced to the "two witnesses." They're both just before the awesome DAY OF THE LORD - the time when God directly intervenes with the SEVEN LAST PLAGUES! Elijah (whose name means "my God is God") lived when Israel was wrapped up in Baal worship. He blasted their "Lord" as worthless, and exposed Israel's most popular ministers as pagan! He went all out to reconcile the nation with Abraham, Issac, and Jacob, and encouraged Israel to return to the Covenant God of our fathers. Elijah's famous for his contest on Mount Carmel. He challenged the vast majority of Israel's ministers, representing Baal, to take him on. Elijah represented "My God Yah" - the true God of Israel. He allowed them to go first in this attempt to see which God would answer by sending FIRE to devour their sacrifice. Baal's ministers got all hot and bothered, worked themselves up into a bloody frenzy and made a lot of stupid noise to attract their god's attention - to no avail. Meanwhile, acting "rude and intolerant," Elijah mocked their ignorance and questioned their faith! Finally these "holy rollers" wore themselves out and gave up. The silence of their god's response was deafening. The very first kibbutz I was a volunteer on was Kibbutz Ramat Yohanan. It's situated in such a place that you're able to enjoy a commanding view of Mount Carmel (when the smoke from Haifa's refineries aren't blocking it!). It was an excellent prop, a perfect backdrop, to illustrate the point I made regularly: God's true ministers are rare individuals - usually they're only one against many - but they're not afraid to tackle the errors of traditional Christianity and Judaism. A Patriotic Prophet Appropriately, when Elijah's turn came to call upon Israel's God, it was the time for the evening sacrifice. He refused to use Baal's altar since he didn't believe all religions were created equal, but instead took the time to repair the broken down altar of the LORD. They probably didn't understand, saying, "Why do you have to make things more difficult?" Elijah built God's altar with twelve stones, signifying the twelve tribes of Israel, and had a big trench dug around it. Then he put the wood in place and cut up the steaks, arranging them on the altar. Then he had four huge barrels of water dumped on everything; and then again, and again, and again! Twelve barrels in all, of precious water (remember they were experiencing a horrible drought!), drenching the meat and the wood, and running down into the trench. "And it came to pass, at the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, that Elijah the prophet came near and said, 'LORD God of Abraham, Issac, and Israel, let it be known this day that You are God in Israel and I am Your servant, and that I have done all these things at Your word. Hear me, O LORD, hear me, that this people may know that You are the LORD God, and that You have turned their hearts back to You again.' Then the fire of the LORD fell and consumed the burnt sacrifice, and the wood and the stones and the dust, and it licked up the water that was in the trench. Now when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces; and they said, 'The LORD, He is God! The LORD, He is God (I Kings 18:20-39)!" Elijah ended the circus careers of sweaty preachers! He put a stop to their ridiculous antics and closed down their religious tents! Israel's quick conversion resulted in the arrest and "baptism" of their former ministers: Elijah, "down by the riverside," finished off the whole pack of liars! Notice: Elijah's prayer made mention of Israel's roots, and acknowledged our faithful forefathers. It declared that the whole purpose behind God's dramatic display was to prove He's serious about taking us back. God made the first move, now Israel's change of heart was necessary to truly restore their relationship. Repentance results in reconciliation. God sent the fire, forgave Israel, and further demonstrated His love by sending rain upon their thirsty earth - something their nature gods hadn't been able to do! Israel cleaned up their act and got rid of their error - for awhile. Elijah had temporarily checked the growth of Baal's cult, and worked hard to keep Israel weaned from their addiction to deception. After fulfilling his purpose, air transportation was provided to a private location. God removed him from public office and transferred his authority to Elisha, a man out in the "field" - NOT from headquarters! Elijah: Past, Present and Future Jesus acknowledged John the Baptist as a forerunner of Elijah, preparing the way for Christ's first coming. That fact reveals Malachi's prophecy about "Elijah" wasn't about his literal person. Elijah's been long dead and buried and awaits his resurrection. He lived out his life in the place that God had prepared for him; though he even sent a letter to King Jehoram to explain the spiritual significance of Judah's deteriorating situation (2 Chron. 21:12). And that was after he went to "heaven!" Jehoram's father, Jehoshaphat, had been king during Elijah's ministry. What's to occur right before Christ's coming? A modern version of pharaoh and his magicians against Moses and Aaron! It's to take place in a world court! Egypt held Israel hostage and the GOD of the Hebrews demanded their immediate release. Both set of individuals claimed to represent God and His truth; they met face to face - but they didn't see eye to eye! Israel's two representatives will present their case from Jerusalem. They'll confront Europe's emperor and pope with the facts and hold them personally responsible for Europe's atrocities. God's two witnesses will take the stand and testify against Europe's cruel and unusual punishment inflicted upon our people. They'll charge the beast and false prophet with murder, treason, and extortion! Israel's two anointed positions were priest and king. The priest tribe was Levi and the sceptre tribe was Judah. Therefore, one of Israel's representatives will hail from the Royal House of David (Judah), and the other will join him from Aaron's line (Levi), and both will be deeply converted individuals from God's one and only true Church. They represent God's Church and State, like Moses and Aaron, against Satan's counterfeit Church and State! "Elijah" will vigorously oppose Europe's evil empire and speak out against it's corrupt system of GOVERNMENT! He'll denounce those Israelite nations in Europe who will have merged their markets with Babylon's daughter. Ahab (pagan Israelites) and Jezebel (the Catholic Church) will have to contend with ELIJAH again! Elijah's successor was promised a double portion of God's Holy Spirit: it'll be shared between the two witnesses! Restoring Truth Herbert W. Armstrong came and restored 18 glorious truths to God's Church (that had been lost throughout the centuries); he boldly stood against traditional Christianity's error and rebuilt the altar of the LORD (that had fallen into disrepair by shameful neglect); he restored our Israelite identity and responsibility (Isa. 49:6); he prophesied before world leaders about European unification and Christ's return to save us from its nuclear holocaust; he energetically brought God's Church back on track, making sure that it measured up to Biblical standards; and he died, full of faith and wisdom, leaving a lasting impression on those who continue the quest for God's Kingdom (Rev. 10:11; 11:1). Jesus said: "Indeed, Elijah is coming first and will restore all things" (Mat. 17:11). He spoke in the future tense. Then He explained that John the Baptist had already fulfilled Malachi's prophecy, as far as Christ's first coming was concerned! But Christ's second coming is near and "Elijah" must help prepare for it! Herbert W. Armstrong has fulfilled that restoration role of "Elijah." We're now about to witness it's final fulfillment! God's about to empower His two prophets (who are one in mind and spirit) with the greatest anointing mankind's ever seen! They're to help restore the nation - not just the Church - to Israel's God. They're going to be made invincible, so they can tell it like it is! They'll speak before Israel's captive audience and powerfully deliver God's Message to Europe: "LET MY PEOPLE GO!" After Elijah's workday was over, Elisha continued doing Elijah's unfinished job - he didn't start some new work. He followed through on various assignments God had given to Elijah (who wasn't able to complete them). The two witnesses will carry on in Mr. Armstrong's tradition and honor his legacy, like Mr. Gerald Flurry and the Philadelphia Church of God do today. Offering Encouragement Elijah's to appear just before the "coming of the great and dreadful Day of the LORD." Isaiah 60:1 encourages them to "RISE AND SHINE!" (That scripture always reminds me of my Grandpa Hoover. Whenever my sisters and I would stay at our grandparents' farm in Risingsun, Ohio, Grandpa would wake us up early with his "rise and shine" call!) Israel's bright young men are to help spread some COMFORT and CHEER; our captive American, British, and Jewish brethren will need all the encouragement they can get! They'll need someone to correct their tunnel-vision (that only sees the misery around them) and help them see the light of Day again. How? By proclaiming "the acceptable year of the LORD, and the day of vengeance of our God" (Isa. 61:1-2). Our HOPE lies in Europe's repentance or destruction! God wants us to have HOPE and not despair; FAITH and not fear! The roles will soon be reversed and the tables turned (Isa. 40:4-5). God's not a liar: CHRIST will come and save us! Showing the Way Out But what must we do to be saved? There are three requirements for NATIONAL DELIVERANCE: 1) Confess and forsake our traditional ways; 2) Admit we're only reaping what we've sown; that God's left us because we've left Him; and 3) Accept our responsibility and corrective punishment (Lev. 26:40-41). We only have ourselves to blame for our predicament (Jer. 4:18). We've played with fire and got burnt - what did we expect? We've broken God's laws and got caught; what are we complaining about (Lam. 3:39)? But now what are we going to do about it? It's "better to light a candle than curse the darkness." "Let us search out and examine our ways, and turn back to the LORD..." (Lam. 3:40). We've got to come to terms with ourselves and face reality. We didn't listen to God's representatives warning us what was about to happen - and now it's happened! Hopefully, we won't make the same mistake twice. God's men will be telling us how to get out of the mess we've gotten ourselves into! We'd better take their legal counsel. Religious Lies False prophets will say we've been conquered because we'd gotten away from traditional Christianity! They'll try to confuse the situation (Lam. 2:14). We need to stay away from their lies and condemn their delusion! We're going to lose the next war because of IDOLATRY and IMMORALITY! Counterfeit Christianity - with all its PAGAN HOLIDAYS AND OBSERVANCES - is immoral to God! When puny men try and put Sunday and Easter before God's seventh-day Sabbath and Passover, they're making an idol out of human traditions! The old line that "Christmas is for kids" is dead wrong! NOTHING justifies living a lie! It's pagan no matter how you try and disguise it, and God forbids His people to have anything to do with customs and holidays stolen from false religions (Deut. 12:30-32)! God's Holy Days God gave us seven Holy Days (the number of completion) for the whole family! We can celebrate and worship God together, keeping His commandments, and be happy knowing we're portraying His Purpose for mankind: PASSOVER represents Christ's sacrifice as the Lamb of God; the FESTIVAL OF UNLEAVENED BREAD celebrates Christ's resurrection and ascension to Heaven (where He's actively serving as our High Priest, putting sin out of our lives); PENTECOST celebrates the founding of God's Church, the internalization of God's Law by His Holy Spirit, and the fact that the "chosen few" are God's first pickings; the FEAST OF TRUMPETS heralds Israel's reunion at the coming of our King (during a time of war); YOM KIPPUR or the DAY OF ATONEMENT offers us the hope of national reconciliation with God and Satan's banishment; the FEAST OF TABERNACLES rejoices in God's offer of eternal life (for the first time since Adam) to all mankind, and celebrates, in advance, the abundance we'll enjoy under Messiah's Administration; the LAST GREAT DAY portrays mankind's mass resurrection and first chance for salvation (Lev. 23)! Why aren't you familiar with these days? Blame your minister! Pagan Holidays Pagan holidays that God hates aren't "for the children!" How can they be? When you go through the terrible HOLOCAUST that's coming (because of our idolatry and immorality), you'll understand we've SACRIFICED OUR CHILDREN in its flames! If we're going to be saved out of "Jacob's trouble," we've got to think like God does and see things His way (Isa. 59:7-9). Mankind had better stop arguing with God! It's going to get us deported and killed! We need to hate the lies of Easter, Sunday, Christmas, and all the other religious bull we've heard and fallen for! We need to stay out of those corner bars (with crosses and steeples!) that put us in a Biblical black-out! That hard liquor makes us forget what God says we're supposed to do, or gets us to the numb point where we don't even care! Delay Isn't Denial We will sober up! Prophecy reveals we'll quickly repent and expect to be saved overnight (Hos. 5:15). We'll admit that we've been wrong, that we've been a nation of drunks and whores, that we've loved religious lies and hated the truth - but we're still NOT going to get rescued as soon as we'd like! God says because He's called us on many different occasions, and we've refused to answer; He's extended the olive branch and we broke it; we've flatly rejected what He advised us to do, and didn't want to be told we weren't living right - laughing at God's people as old-fashioned, and making fun of them for believing the Bible, and thinking they're crazy for warning about Europe instead of taking them seriously: "I also will laugh at your calamity, I will mock when your terror comes... When distress and anguish come upon you. Then they will call upon me, but I will not answer; they will seek me diligently, but they will not find me" (Prov. 1:24-33). Who likes a fair-weather friend? Who's willing to play second fiddle to anyone or anything in a right relationship? Does God want us to only look Him up when we're short on cash or need to get out of jail? Is God impressed with our attention when all our distractions have been stripped away? When we can finally hear Him and listen to what He has to say because we no longer own a loud stereo or television set (because our homes have been blown up or looted)? CONCENTRATION CAMPS will help us to learn how to THINK again! Ignorance ISN'T bliss! It's hell! Instead of hating God's truth and despising its instruction, we should hate those wrong ways that only invite disaster! We should despise those deceitful "lifestyle choices" that'll leave you dead! Why self-destruct? The brain-dead need to get a life, and those stupid fools who are so laid back had better sit up and take notice! God's going to give us an opportunity to live (or die) with our decisions. Delay is not denial. ("I believe with perfect faith in the Messiah's coming. And even if He be delayed, I will await Him."). We'll be given plenty of time to think things over. That's why God isn't going to save us immediately. He's going to let us get sick of ourselves and tired of sin's bitter consequences (Ezek. 36:31). We've tasted the forbidden fruit - now we'll have to endure its horrible aftertaste! But God will hear and forgive us - He's just making a point by taking His time (since we didn't give Him the time of day!). When we held our historic congress at Mount Sinai, founding Israel as God's nation, laying the groundwork for our constitution by hearing out God's 10 commandments, we were only given two days advance notice to prepare for it (Ex. 19:10-11). We cleaned up our act, washed our clothes, and abstained from sex. We thought we were ready, but we weren't prepared for what happened next! On the third day, as previously scheduled, God made His grand entrance. Israel had front-row seats for the most spectacular LASER EXHIBITION! The shocking display of SOUND and VISION stunned the audience! Smoke, fireworks, an incredible overture.... It was too overwhelming! There was a near stampede for the exits (Ex. 20:18)! ALL Israel heard God's deep voice and could feel the vibrations from His words. Talk about shaking in your sandals! Never had any assembled nation heard GOD give the main address (Deut. 4:33)! God's going to speak to us again, after He's rescued us from Europe (Ezek.20:35). But we're given two years to prepare for Christ's coming (Amos 4:12). Within the third year of our three and a half year sentence, God will begin to dramatically intervene! That'll be the year of our jubilee! "Come, and let us return to the LORD; For He has torn, but He will heal us; He has stricken, but He will bind us up. After two days He will revive us; on the third day He will raise us up, that we may live in His sight" (Hos. 6:1-2). It appears we'll repent within the first six months of our captivity. After two years the "Day of the LORD" will begin. That's when God gets directly involved! The time we've been waiting for and told to expect will have arrived (Isa. 61:2)! Heavenly Signs As our CREATOR, God's going to dispatch the forces of nature to bring His Message home! "And there will be signs in the sun, in the moon, and in the stars; and on the earth distress of nations, with perplexity, the sea and the waves roaring; men's hearts failing them from fear and the expectation of those things which are coming on the earth, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken" (Lk. 21: 25-26). God's going to revive us after two years! The two witnesses will foretell these startling events, but when we see them with our own eyes, we'll know for sure God hasn't forgotten or forsaken us (Luke 21:28).! It'll be like a breath of fresh air for those who understand what's going on, but a nightmare for those who still don't get it! When earth's equilibrium's off, and nature appears to have gone off the deep end; terrifying tidal waves crash into cities, batter our coastlands, and sweep away towns; unbelievable earthquakes strike that make today's troubles seem like mere tremors; droughts occur that suck out every ounce of moisture from the air; and on, and on, and on with NO RELIEF in sight - people are going to break! Some will literally be scared to death! We need to WAKE-UP and realize this is all symptomatic of our sick condition! Earth reflects our relationship with Heaven. The reason we experience upset weather is because there's a SPIRITUAL UPHEAVAL in our lives! These bizarre acts of creation warn us we're out of sync with the scriptures! Christ will uplift our spirits during the day of the LORD, and He'll return within the third year of Israel's ordeal! Europe's prophesied to walk all over us for three and a half years, but then they'll fall to pieces: GOD's going to smash their toes, shatter their illusions, and blow them all away (Dan. 2:35)! Why Jerusalem's Special Why are the two witnesses stationed in Jerusalem? Because it's the historic site of David's throne and they deliver a message about GOVERNMENT (Isa. 9:7)! Israel's representatives will proclaim the coming of our KING - from His future capital! God's called Jerusalem to become the "City of the Great King." No other city bears that distinction. The false prophet is going to try and steal that honor before Christ comes! He'll attempt to preempt Jesus in His own City! Satan attempted to seize God's Throne, now he's after Jesus' seat! The Gentiles will temporarily occupy Jerusalem (Jer. 3:17), but Elijah will counter Ahab/Europe's claim to Zion, pushed forward by the Vatican/Jezebel! Europe will be encouraged to throw the wicked witch down (2 Kings 9:33-37)! Feed her to the dogs (Rev. 17:16)! The Catholic Church works behind the scenes (I Kings 21:25). She uses her evil influence to persuade politicians to do her bidding! The UN have already stationed troops in Hebron. (David ruled there for 7 1/2 years before going up to Jerusalem). By that act, Israel's sacrificed their sovereignty. Israel is fallen, fallen.... It's opened the floodgates for the UN to swamp the Holy Land! It's no coincidence that Jericho - the first city ancient Israel conquered - will be the first territory Judah surrenders! The UN passed a resolution in 1949 calling for the "internationalization" of 100 square miles around Jerusalem. As Israel's "peace process" deteriorates, as it must, are we about to see this resolution brought up again? The world will demand its enforcement - pushed by the pope! Jesus prophesied this very thing (Lk. 21:20)! Israel's Liberator Moses and Aaron reassured Israel that God was going to set them free. They explained it was all because of GOD'S PROMISE TO ABRAHAM. Jacob's deliverance was based upon God's agreement with our fathers. It was only a matter of time! Elijah's going to remind us that GOD - not Europe - is Master of the universe (Isa. 52:7)! Jesus will save His damsel from distress. Christ will land on the Mount of Olives, liberate Jerusalem, and secure Israel's release from Europe's prison, because He's faithful to His followers! God isn't going to let us rot in jail! Christ is coming on a RESCUE MISSION! The two witnesses foresee it as "mission accomplished!" They're on watch-duty and stand guard, ready to sing for joy, because they know we're as good as saved! They're on the look out for Christ's return, announce His approach, and tell us when its getting nearer (Isa. 52:8-10). God said He'd send an apostle to the Middle East (Isa. 41:27). He'll spread the GOOD NEWS of God's advancing army! We're about to be liberated! INDEPENDENCE DAY is on its way (Isa. 61:2)! We'll hear from actual eyewitness accounts! Elijah Introduces the Messiah The chief spokesman, between Israel's two key witnesses, will be an envoy from the House of David. This "Elijah" will herald Messiah to the Jews (Isa. 40:9)! He'll be like an angel, God's messenger, revealing Israel's true God and leading us to repentance (Zech. 12:8). ELIJAH MUST IDENTIFY THE MESSIAH TO JUDAH, AND INTRODUCE HIM TO ISRAEL! Jesus clearly stated He'd never come back to Jerusalem until we had a CHANGE OF HEART (Mat. 23:39). But God will soon return in all His glory! "Sing and rejoice, O daughter of Zion! For behold, I am coming and I will dwell in your midst, says the LORD" (Zech. 1:10). The Jewish Homeland has been restored. Jerusalem has been reunited. But the same group mentality that cried out for Christ's blood is still entrenched in Jerusalem. On Israel's parliament building every Hanukkah are the words: THOSE DAYS, THESE DAYS. It's in reference to God's powerful miracles in the past, and a prayer for more of the same today. Israel's in for a big surprise: we're going to see GREATER MIRACLES than our forefathers! After seeing Elijah's MIRACLES and hearing his MESSAGE about our conquering King, the Jew's long-awaited repentance will become reality! God's Spirit will convince them that the two witnesses are the Elijah to come! Israel's priests and politicians will fall to their knees and worship God's Son and Israel's firstborn! The Jewish establishment, for the first time, will publicly acknowledge Christ (Zech. 12:9-14)! What will serve as the catalyst for Israel's conversion? Elijah's death and resurrection! Jesus purposely allowed Lazarus to die so He could resurrect him as a SIGN. It served as an advance notice of Christ's death and resurrection. Elijah's Evidence God gives us four SIGNS (the four elements) to prove the two witnesses are "Elijah!" They'll serve for the same length of time as Elijah (three and a half years), and also represent the true CREATOR GOD of nature: they'll be able to control the weather (I Kings 17:1)! The whole earth will be affected when they forbid it water! It'll only rain at their word (Rev. 11:6). When Elijah's life was endangered by the military, He called down fire from the sky (2 Kings 1:14). God struck his enemies dead! If any armed forces threaten Israel's reporters, before they've completed their assignment, God authorizes them to use whatever firepower they deem necessary (Rev.11:5)! All they have to do is speak God's Word (Jer. 5:14), and their rivals will be reduced to nothing! Mind you, pharaoh's magicians were able to duplicate Moses' and Aaron's first few miracles. The pope's going to be given Satan's power to work lying signs and wonders. He'll counterfeit Elijah's fire from the sky for starters (Rev. 13:13). But he can only go so far. But how will you know who's who? Any miracles must agree with the Bible's message. It has to confirm - not contradict - scriptures. Elijah was finally taken away - by means of air transportation. He utilized the earth, wind, fire, and water to demonstrate his contact with our Creator. After Israel's two key witnesses finish giving their testimony, they'll get assassinated! Europe's going to see to their cold-blooded murder (Rev. 11:7). Then they'll add insult to injury by denying permission to bury them. Their dead bodies will be left in the streets, and shown around the world, while everyone celebrates the bloody occasion (Rev. 11:8-10)! But after three and a half days, the party's over: the people's cheers will turn to shrieks of fear! They won't be able to believe their eyes! God's two prophets (who plagued the pagans) will come back to LIFE! They'll stand up in front of everybody and get taken up in a cloud, vanishing into thin air! A gigantic earthquake will shake the people up even more. It'll bring seven thousand to their graves, and many others to their senses (Rev. 11:11-13). Why will the two witnesses be dead three and a half days? Because it correlates to their three and a half year ministry to prisoners of war. Unless GOD intervenes, Israel will be as good as dead! But CHRIST - who is our resurrection - will bring us back to life! He'll revive us! These special-agents' death and resurrection, will give the "living dead" (serving their three and a half year sentence) more confidence in an "afterlife." There is hope beyond Babylon! Europe will rise AND fall! Relying on God The GOOD NEWS of the KINGDOM OF GOD is going to become increasingly relevant to every Israelite! Appropriately, Israel's national anthem is Ha-Tikvah (the Hope). Christ's coming and His return to Jerusalem is our only HOPE! Our survival is in our Savior's hands! But we're GUARANTEED DELIVERANCE - because God's faithful to Abraham! The future seat of GOD'S GOVERNMENT is Jerusalem (Jer. 3:17). It's from Jerusalem that Messiah will save us from our enemies, send plagues on Europe, destroy Rome, oversee the ingathering of our exiles, and direct Israel's restoration. The Anointed One will glorify the "City of David" with His Presence, and make it famous worldwide (Ezek.48:35)! Moses sustained Israel's hope for freedom based on God's promise to Abraham; the two witnesses will encourage us to put our trust in Heaven's mercy! God stands by His Word. Once we've fulfilled God's conditions for deliverance, we can rest assured of national salvation. But we've got to change, accept responsibility, and do our jail time - then we can expect to get out! God's liable by His own law, and obligated by His deep and abiding love for our fathers (Abraham, Issac, and Jacob), to REMEMBER US in prison. In spite of ourselves, God won't leave us stranded in Europe's dungeon (Lev. 26:44). God's Name's at stake here, as well as mankind's survival (Ezek. 36:22). His Word of honor's on the line (Isa. 48:9). God encourages us to confess and forsake our sins, accept our responsibility, and endure our punishment (Lev. 26:40-41). In case we need any help in knowing what God expects of us, or how we're to repent, we have the prophet Daniel's prayer for an example. Examples to Follow Daniel was given an inspired understanding of Jeremiah's prophecies. His eyes were opened to the revelation that his nation was to suffer exile for 70 years (we've got to endure 3 1/2 years). Once he knew this, he went to God about it. It wasn't a sleepy-time prayer or a quick mumbling of some memorized mantra. Daniel fasted and poured out his heart in mourning for the plight of his people. Daniel praised GOD's greatness, and made mention of how good and wonderful, how faithful and true, God's been to all those who love Him - and how rotten and undeserving we've been of God's mercy! He didn't attempt to deny how Judah had gone from bad to worse, and that they'd ignored all the warning signs, and didn't pay attention to God's message taught by the prophets. He didn't leave anybody out - everybody was guilty! The preachers and politicians, the young and the old, the high and the low.... Daniel admitted "we the people" caused our own problems, and got ourselves into trouble; he realized our nation collapsed from within before it fell from without. We're a broken people because we've broken God's commandments! Everything God said would happen, did! We were warned by Moses, history, and the Bible! But we've refused to listen or feel ashamed, and we've refused to return to God; consequently, our polluted lives were scattered (like so much litter) throughout enemy territory. We'll be considered the scum of the earth, the refuse of the nations (Jer. 6:30)! We've brought this disaster down upon ourselves.... But GOD, you're the POWERFUL GOD who saved us from Egypt! Save us from our sins! Forgive us and let us go home again! We're the butt of jokes and the object of our enemies scorn, so at least for Your Name's sake (which we're associated with), step in and save us (Dan. 9:2-19)! Hosanna in the Highest! We've made a mess out of our lives, ruined our health, and have wrecked our homeland, leaving it in shambles.... Ezra, the priest, prayed: "O my God, I am too ashamed and humiliated to lift up my face to You, my God; for our iniquities have risen higher than our heads, and our guilt has grown up to the heavens...". They weren't only up to their necks in deep trouble, they were in over their heads! And despite everything that's happened to us, because we've lived a life of crime and are guilty on so many accounts, refusing to learn our lesson, God's still punished us far less than we deserve! He could of given us the maximum penalty - but we wouldn't be around to tell about it (Ezra 9:6, 13). God's Patience God's been more than patient. He's put up with us for years! We've lost the reason for our freedom, forgetting obedience to GOD is liberty. Our endless pursuit of pleasure defeats the purpose for our national existence. We need to seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness! We're a nation adrift. We've let go of our Biblical anchor and are about to run into Europe's rocks and sink! "However, You are just in all that has befallen us; For You have dealt faithfully, but we have done wickedly. Neither our kings nor our princes, our priests nor our fathers, have kept your law, nor heeded your commandments and Your testimonies, with which You testified against them. For they have not served You in their kingdom, or in the many good things that You gave them, or in the large and rich land which You set before them; nor did they turn from their wicked works" (Nehemiah 9:33-35). What ever happened to gratitude? Haven't we enjoyed the good things in life that other nations only dream about? Hasn't our soil been rich and our lives productive? Who stops complaining long enough to count their blessings? What about THANKSGIVING DAY? (Two of my ancestors, John and Priscilla Alden, were on the Mayflower). Instead of using our natural resources to glorify God, we've spent them on ourselves. We've put "special interests" before national security. God's been faithful to give us promised lands, but we haven't responded in kind (living appreciative lives), but have taken everything for granted! We're indebted to Europe and Japan, rather than devoted to God! WAR is God's last resort. We usually don't listen when there's sunshine and peace! Since God is patient, He warns us and begins to turn up the volume. If we still play deaf, God increases the intensity to get our attention (Lev. 26:23-24)). THUNDER WARNS OF THE GATHERING STORM (Rev. 10:3)! Spiritual Masochists When SUPERNATURAL DISASTERS strike, God's representatives assist us in understanding what's going on. They offer advice in how we can take proper precautions to AVOID FURTHER INCIDENTS. They let God's message sink in and hit home, they don't give money to patch things up! What will it take for us to WAKE UP? More suffering and misery? Why demand war and deprivation? Why require the loss of our land, liberties, and loved ones? What do we have to go through before we'll change? Why be so hard-headed? We're about to have our skulls cracked! "Why should you be stricken again? (It's revolting! We're insane!). The whole head (government) is sick, and the whole heart (national morale) faints. From the sole of the foot even to the head, there is no soundness in it, but wounds and bruises and putrefying sores; they have not been closed or bound up, or soothed with ointment. Your country is desolate, your cities are burned with fire (L.A. riots); strangers (militant minorities) devour your land in your presence; and it is desolate, as overthrown by strangers" (Isa. 1:5-7). We're going to die from our idolatry and immorality! We've lost our national code of conduct, the ten commandments, and have forgotten our Israelite identity. We're the descendants of Abraham, Issac, and Jacob, but we've been acting like Gentile bastards! We're wallowing in the mire of immorality and drowning in our babies' blood! Our government's corrupt, our preachers are impure, and our land's filthy! We lack a national purpose and energy! We're spiritually bankrupt and our national health care's a mess! The ministers haven't explained the cause for our national crisis; they've failed to reveal our identity or restore our health (Ezek. 34:4)! The Coming Crash Traditional Christianity's left God's light to wander in their darkness. They've driven people away from our Biblical God! They've left our children hungry and searching for truth in eastern religions. We've disobeyed God to rely on men, and we've put our trust in financial securities (Isa. 2:5-9). Neither will save us! OUR BANKS ARE GOING TO COLLAPSE, AND OUR ARMY WON'T BE ABLE TO MUSTER ANY STRENGTH! This national demoralization (we've only just begun to experience) will result in DEMOBILIZATION! We're going down in FLAMING DEFEAT (Ezek. 7:14)! The prophet Isaiah had two sons with symbolic names (Isa. 8:18). They serve their purpose by notifying us of two major events about to take place! They testify that 1) OUR DESTRUCTION'S IMMINENT; THE BLITZKRIEG'S ABOUT TO BEGIN! (Maher-shalal-hash-baz). And 2) OUR HOLOCAUST-SURVIVORS WILL BE BROUGHT HOME AGAIN (Shear-yashuv). Throughout our ordeal, God will be with us (Immanuel). We can repent now, or later - after we've gone through indescribable hell! These things are going to happen; these prophesied events will occur! WHY don't we believe God? Why not CHOOSE LIFE? Why insist on learning the hard way? WE DON'T HAVE TO DIE! Our Ultimate Restoration Regardless, God will finally get through to us: the American, British, and Jewish peoples will be set free! We'll be saved from our sins and delivered from men! Christ's our Lord and Saviour, our High Priest and Conquering King! The beast and false prophet will be grabbed by the scruff of their necks and thrown into the lake of fire (Rev. 19:20)! Europe will fall to pieces, Rome will be left in ruins, and we'll head for home with mixed emotions: crying for joy, as well as upset with ourselves over former sins (Jer. 50:4)! When all Israel repents, it'll save the whole world (Malachi 4:6)! If God couldn't redeem His firstborn, with our excellent heritage and environment, He'd be justified in destroying us (Deut. 21:18-21). But Elijah will help reconcile us to Abraham, Issac, and Jacob, and secure our relationship with Israel's God. All the earth will finally recognize GOD MOST HIGH! When Christ demolishes Europe's Tower of Babel, the pinnacle of human success, it'll reveal Him as the greatest (Dan. 4:34)! With the demise of Europe's superpope and dictator, the true KING OF KINGS and His servants will stand out (Dan. 2:47). Europe's tyranny will come to an end! It'll seem like an eternity, but it'll only last for three and a half years. Although humanly it'll be next to impossible, we've got to try and put everything in perspective and keep our faith in focus: "Do not rejoice over me, my enemy; when I fall, I will arise; when I sit in darkness, the LORD will be a light to me (hope and confidence). I will bear the indignation of the LORD (accept His punishment), because I have sinned against Him (confession), until He pleads my case and executes justice for me (faith and patience). He will bring me forth to the light; I will see His righteousness" (Micah 7:8-9). Our National Duty Our entire nation needs to kneel before God! We need to FAST AND PRAY like we've never prayed before! Hopefully, it's not too late! Forget everything else: it's all going to end anyway! Spend quality time with the only One who can save us; read and believe the Bible, grieve and cry over the catastrophe that's coming! Let the young and old, the preachers and rabbis, the laymembers and ordinary citizens, our presidents and prime ministers beg: "SPARE YOUR PEOPLE, O LORD, and do not give Your heritage to reproach, that the nations should rule over them. Why should they say among the peoples, 'Where is their God?' (Joel 2:17)." God will have compassion on us again! He's DEDICATED to our cause (Jer. 50:34). He holds us close to His heart and says we're always on His mind (Isa. 49:16). He knows we can only take so much (Isa. 57:16). Jacob's GOD will subdue our sins and defeat our enemies, once and for all (Micah 7:18-20)! However, we need to exercise the FAITH AND PATIENCE of Abraham, and know beyond a shadow of a doubt, that GOD wants to see us happy and free, enjoying His mercy and truth. We should be totally convinced God has our best interest at heart, and is more than capable of bringing everything together in Himself (Rom. 4:21). One Nation Under God Zechariah (John the Baptist's father) knew Mary was pregnant with Israel's Messiah. He declared God's plan and praised His faithfulness, putting God's purpose in a nutshell: "As He spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets, who have been since the world began , (what?) that we should be saved from our enemies, and from the hand of all who hate us, (why?) to perform the mercy promised to our fathers and to remember His holy covenant, the oath which He swore to our father Abraham: to grant us that we, being delivered from the hand of our enemies, might serve Him without fear, in holiness and righteousness before Him all the days of our life" (Luke 1:70-75). ABRAHAM'S GOD WILL BE OUR GOD AND WE'LL BE HIS PEOPLE! The American, British, and Jewish peoples will be free at last! God will grant amnesty, and pour out His Holy Spirit (Ezek. 39:29). David's dynasty and the Levitical priesthood will be restored as the twin pillars of our United Kingdom - One Nation Under God (Ezek. 37:22). Believe it or not, these bittersweet prophecies will come true (Isa. 46:10). With blood, sweat, and tears, I've finished this labor of love. I've presented my case before the nations (Micah 6:1). I've reported the bad news with the good news (Rev. 10:10). THE LONG NIGHT WILL END! Christ is going to return to Jerusalem! He's coming with His entourage of glorified saints (come, Lord Jesus!) and will rule with them forever (Dan. 7:27). At long last, THE GODS WILL DWELL AMONG MEN (Jn. 10:34)!