Archive for August, 2009
Wall Street Journal Warning: Israel Will Attack Iran
Posted by Mark Hitchcock in Iran Ezekiel 38-39 on August 31st, 2009
The United States has consistently said that it will not allow Iran to cross the nuclear finish line. President Bush made this crystal clear as has Secretary Clinton and President Obama. However, the recent efforts of the Obama administration don’t appear to be even close to getting Iran to back down. Yet, all the world knows that if diplomatic efforts fail Israel will have no other choice but to strike Iran’s nuclear megaplex. The question is—will Israel wait? How long will they wait? And what will be the domino effects in the region from an Israeli attack?
The Wall Street Journal issued a strong warning on August 31, 2009 for the Obama administration and the world concerning Iran’s nuclear pursuits and Israel’s response. Here are a few excerpts from the Wall Street Journal article.
US and Israeli military officials we’ve spoken to are confident an Israeli strike could deal a significant blow to Iran’s programs, even if some elements would survive. The longer Israel waits, however, the more steps Iran can take to protect its installations.
They can also see that the West lacks the will to do anything, as the Obama Administration continues to plead for Tehran to negotiate even as Iran holds show trials of opposition leaders and journalists for saying the recent re-election of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was fraudulent. The irony is that the weaker the West and UN appear, the more probable an Israeli attack becomes.
The consequences of an Israeli attack are impossible to predict, but there is no doubt they would implicate US interests throughout the Middle East. Short of an Islamist revolution in Pakistan, an Israeli strike on Iran would be the most dangerous foreign policy issue President Obama could face.
In recent days, the Administration has begun taking a harder line against Tehran… but unless Obama gets serious, and soon, about stopping Iran from getting a bomb, he’ll be forced to deal with the consequences of Israel acting in its own defense.
While no one knows what will happen if Israel takes out Iran’s nuclear facilities, it would destabilize the entire region, create a firestorm and possibly lead to a regional war against Israel. Hezbollah, Iran’s surrogate, could launch an offensive against Israel from the north, and Hamas might begin an all-out rocket barrage from the west. Even Syria could be called upon to get involved. The U.S. and its allies have numerous strong incentives to keep Iran from getting the bomb, but an Israeli attack against Iran and the repercussions from such an attack, should rank high on any list.
Aside from the obvious geopolitical ramifications of an Israeli raid on Iran’s nuclear megaplex, an act of aggression of this magnitude could have a far reaching impact on the stage setting for the end times events predicted in Ezekiel 38. If Israel were to hit Iran, and widespread violence were to erupt in the region, it’s easy to see how the peace treaty of Daniel 9:27 could be the only viable solution. Also, any Israeli attack on Iran would intensify the already venomous hatred that the mullah regime in Iran harbors against Israel and fuel the desire for revenge. One could easily envision Iran, with the help of Russia, staging the kind of retaliatory attack against Israel that is predicted in Ezekiel 38.
District 9 and Revelation 9
Posted by Mark Hitchcock in Uncategorized on August 19th, 2009
“District 9” topped the movie charts this week, giving hope to sci-fi enthusiasts that this genre is making a comeback. Here’s a short synopsis of the movie:
The film is set in Johannesburg, South Africa where for twenty years a large alien spacecraft has been hovering, dormant, over the city. During the course of these two decades, the government has kept the ship’s growing population of nearly two million alien inhabitants, known as prawns, quarantined in a gated section of the city known as “District 9.” This district is basically a slum where a multitude of disturbing and illegal activities take place against the alien refugees.
As you could expect, from there the movie takes some interesting twists and turns. But what caught my attention was the portrayal of the aliens as locust-like or shrimp-like creatures. As I already noted, they are even called “prawns.” If you remember the movie “Independence Day,” the aliens in that movie were like locusts. Other alien invasion movies since that time have picked-up this description, so that now it’s almost standard sci-fi fare for the aliens to look like big, scary insects, especially locusts. What’s the big deal about the locust imagery? In Revelation 9:1-11, the Bible describes a future invasion of planet earth by beings from another sphere. They are graphically portrayed.
And the fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star from heaven which had fallen to the earth; and the key of the bottomless pit was given to him. And he opened the bottomless pit; and smoke went up out of the pit, like the smoke of a great furnace; and the sun and the air were darkened by the smoke of the pit. And out of the smoke came forth locusts upon the earth; and power was given them, as the scorpions of the earth have power. . . . And they were not permitted to kill anyone, but to torment for five months; and their torment was like the torment of a scorpion when it stings a man. And in those days men will seek death and will not find it; and they will long to die and death flees from them. And the appearance of the locusts was like horses prepared for battle; and on their heads, as it were, crowns like gold, and their faces were like the faces of men. And they had hair like the hair of women, and their teeth were like the teeth of lions. And they had breastplates like breastplates of iron; and the sound of their wings was like the sound of chariots, of many horses rushing to battle. And they have tails like scorpions, and stings; and in their tails is the power to hurt men for five months. They have a king over them, the angel of the abyss; his name in Hebrew is Abadddon, and in the Greek he has the name Apollyon.
These invading beings during the coming tribulation are clearly demons as they swarm out into the earth from the abyss. In this case, the truth really is stranger than fiction. This bizarre event described in Revelation 9 is well-presented in one of the books in the Left Behind series titled Apollyon. Could it be that all these movies and their portrayal of aliens is setting the world up for an actual invasion of locust-like creatures in the future that are really demons from the abyss? Most people today are totally unaware of what’s coming on this earth in the future. An alien invasion is coming, but not the kind they are expecting. Make sure you have accepted Jesus Christ as your Savior, so you will be delivered from this coming time of horror.
Ready to Rebuild
Posted by Mark Hitchcock in last days on August 5th, 2009
According to the Bible, a third Jewish temple, often known as the “tribulation temple,” must be built on the 35-acre Temple Mount in Jerusalem. The first Jewish temple was the stunning Solomonic Temple which was destroyed in 586 BC by the Babylonians. The second temple was built by Zerubbabel and greatly embellished by Herod the Great. It was reduced to rubble in AD 70 by the Romans.
The Bible indicates in at least four places that the Jewish people will rebuild a third temple structure on the temple mount in the end times.
Daniel 9:27 “And he [Antichrist] will make a firm covenant with the many for one week, but in the middle of the week he will put a stop to sacrifice and grain offering.”
Matthew 24:15 “Therefore, when you see the Abomination of Desolation which was spoken of through Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place.”
2 Thessalonians 2:4 “who opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, displaying himself as being God.”
Revelation 11:1-2 “And there was given to me a measuring rod like a staff; and someone said, ‘Rise and measure the temple of God, and the altar, and those who worship in it. And leave out the court which is outside the temple, and do not measure it, for it has been given to the nations; and they will tread under foot the holy city for forty-two months.”
How this temple can be rebuilt is one of the thorniest problems in all of Bible prophecy. How can the Jews rebuild their temple with the Dome of the Rock and the Al-Aqsa mosque sitting there? Many solutions to this problem have been proposed. But never forget that before 1948 people thought it was impossible for the Jewish people to ever be restored to their ancient homeland. Yet, today almost 40 percent of the Jews in the world now live in Israel, and incredibly almost two-thirds of them now want to see the Temple rebuilt.
Ynet news reported the startling findings of a new poll about the temple on July 30, 2009. The poll asked respondents whether they wanted to see the Temple rebuilt. “Sixty-four percent responded favorably, while 36% said no. An analysis of the answers showed that not only the ultra-Orthodox and the religious look forward to the rebuilding of the Temple (100% and 97% respectively), but also the traditional public (91%) and many seculars – 47%. . . . The Temple was destroyed 1,942 years ago, and almost two-thirds of the population want to see it rebuilt, including 47% of seculars.”
This ground swell of support for a third Jewish temple is a key sign of the times. For years groups like the Temple Mount Faithful and others have championed and even made preparations for the rebuilding of the temple but broad public support seemed woefully lacking. That appears to have drastically changed. The temple must be in place during the tribulation period for the Antichrist to take his seat in it and defile it and for sacrifices to be reinstituted. While no one know when it will be rebuilt or how it will be accomplished, the stage setting for its appearance continues to fall into place.
Aporkalypse Now
Posted by Mark Hitchcock in last days on August 5th, 2009
The Associated Press headline reads: “Confirmation of flu cases raises threat of outbreak.” The swine flu is the lead story on network and cable news. The world is gripped with fear of a global pandemic. The number of suspected swine flu cases in Mexico has quickly climbed to 1,614 and still rising, including 103 deaths. Cases of swine flu have been confirmed in the U.S. in California, Kansas, New York, Ohio and Texas. So far, in the U.S. none of the cases have been fatal.
Nations all over the globe are bracing for the worst, but no one knows at this point if it can be successfully contained. Nine students and a teacher from Rangito College in Auckland, Australia have tested positive for influenza A, and it’s believed that they contracted swine flu after a recent trip to Mexico. Samples have been sent to confirm that they have swine flu. Five others in Australia New South Wales are feared to have the disease. New Zealand has activated its pandemic response procedures— just in case. China’s Health Ministry is on high alert for a swine flu outbreak.
The nightmare pandemic, the Spanish flu in 1918, killed a staggering 500,000 Americans and 20 million people worldwide. One of the key factors that has worried health officials is that the world today is much different than it was in 1918. Globalism and rapid means of travel have added fuel to the influenza fire. The recent swine flu outbreak highlights this fear just like the SARS outbreak a few years ago. It’s a sobering illustration of how quickly a disease can spread around the globe. People from the U.S., Australia and probably other places have contracted the disease in Mexico and transported it back home with them. Disease can spread much more rapidly today than any time in history.
There are two key New Testament prophecies that warn of global pandemics in the end times. Jesus Himself predicted that in the end times there would be sweeping plagues that would wreak havoc all over the world (Luke 21:11). The Apostle John predicted, in the fourth seal judgment of Revelation 6, that end time plagues or pestilence, along with other disasters, would wipe out 25% of the world’s population. Describing the fourth horseman of the apocalypse, the rider on the pale horse, John said, “And authority was given to them over a fourth of the earth to kill with sword and with famine and with pestilence and by the wild beasts of the earth” (Revelation 6:8b). There are signs today that point toward these global plagues that will kill millions or even billions during the end times. The world stage is ripe for the kind of global scourge predicted in the Bible for the end times.
No one can say for sure that any plagues or pandemics we currently see on the horizon are the ones predicted by Jesus or John. But we can say that globalism, rapid means of travel, and dense urban populations have paved the way for this kind of sudden devastation. The world climate is just what Jesus predicted for the end times. His coming could be very soon.
President Blair?
Posted by Mark Hitchcock in last days on August 5th, 2009
According to the Bible, in the end times, the Roman Empire will be reunited (Daniel 2 and 7). This reunited or “revived” Roman Empire will go through several key stages just like the historical empire. First, there will be a stage where it is ruled over by ten leaders or what we might call the Group of Ten (G-10). After that one man will arise and take control of the G-10 subduing three of the leaders who oppose him. Finally, this one man will take complete control over the reunited Roman Empire and the entire global government for a period of three-and- a- half years. The push for a new office of President of the EU could be paving the way for such a leader to arise. Up to now the EU presidency has been a weak office that rotates among the member nations every six months. It’s more of a figurehead position than one with any real authority.
It appears that a new office of President of the EU is just around the corner and that Tony Blair’s name is already being thrown into the ring. According to the guardian.uk.co (7/15/09),
Tony Blair is a contender to become the first president of the EU with the full backing of the British government, the new Europe minister said today. Glenys Kinnock, in Strasbourg for the opening session of the new European parliament, said that although the former prime minister had not formally declared his candidacy, it was “certainly” the government position to support him. “I am sure they would not do it without asking him,” Lady Kinnock said. “The UK government is supporting Tony Blair’s candidature for president of the council.” The new post is to be created under the Lisbon treaty, which will streamline the way the EU is run if it is endorsed in an Irish referendum in early October. Blair would be the first sitting president of the EU, who will be appointed by European government chiefs for a minimum of 30 months and a maximum of five years. If the Irish back the treaty on 2 October, EU leaders are expected to decide on who will get the presidency at a summit at the end of that month.
This developing story points toward the end time scenario presented in the Bible. According to Daniel and Revelation, the coming Antichrist or man of sin, will rise from a reunited Roman Empire. He will appear first as a rather insignificant player but then will catapult to power over the Group of Ten who will be in power.
Let me make it absolutely clear that I am not saying in any way that I believe Tony Blair is the Antichrist. I don’t believe the Antichrist will be unveiled until after the rapture (2 Thessalonians 2:1-3). I’m strongly against those who claim they know the identity of the Antichrist. However, I am saying is that this new post of EU President, strikingly foreshadows what the Bible predict for the final world government. While no one knows for sure if the Antichrist is alive today, we can say that the scene is being set for his appearance. Make sure you have accepted Jesus Christ as your personal Savior before it’s too late.
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