'
Sabbatical: any extended period of leave from one's customary work, esp. for rest, to acquire new skills or training, etc.
--------------
Yes, I could say Amen! to all of the above definition -- esp the "etc."
The "etc." includes (1) my wife having a much slower recovery from
4-toe surgery and from a recent bronchoscopy procedure than we would have hoped. And then, there are other impending issues, like (2) the holidaze, (3) preparing tax information which I need to file in early January, (4) preparing the house for new construction (adding a couple of rooms), and I'm ready for a sabbatical!
A personal observation: As I saw the things above rushing toward our family, it became less of a joy and more of a chore to study and prepare the posts, and where previously the posts came almost daily (more ideas than time to post them), now it is fewer ideas and almost no time to post them.
It may be that I will post things from time to time during my sabbatical. I cannot tell that from this point. So, if you have this blog as a favorite, please keep it on your list, and check in from time to time. AND, I will definitely answer all comments (since my email notifies me when you do so) during the interim.
And then there is this:
While we are waiting, most of the blog content here does not become less meaningful with age, but rather, more meaningful! If you start again at #1, you'll see new things that have now become more important (and perhaps more understandable) due to the speed of world happenings.
Thanks for your active interest, and continue those comments!
I hope to see you again here early in the new year.
May God grant to you grace, mercy and peace, until we meet here again.
Larry
Monday, October 26, 2009
Sunday, October 18, 2009
84. "Where there is no vision, the people perish."
This is Proverbs 29:18a from the KJV.
This passage is usually taken by the general public to mean that a people or a land must have a visionary person among them, or at least someone with a little imagination -- a person with "vision".
But this is a misapplication, which can be seen when we look at other Bible translations or versions (notice that I am listing these generally from the most word-for-word literal translation to the most free-style):
NASB: Where there is no vision, the people are unrestrained.
NKJV: Where there is no revelation, the people cast off restraint;
ESV: Where there is no prophetic vision the people cast off restraint,
NIV: Where there is no revelation, the people cast off restraint;
NLT: When people do not accept divine guidance, they run wild;
NCV: Where there is no word from God, people are uncontrolled.
But the second half of the verse adds more to the meaning:
NASB: But happy is he who keeps the law.
NKJV: But happy is he who keeps the law.
ESV: but blessed is he who keeps the law.
NIV: but blessed is he who keeps the law.
NLT: But whoever obeys the law is joyful.
NCV: but those who obey what they have been taught are happy.
In other words, the word "vision" refers to a prophetic vision, a prophetic revelation. If there is no prophet in the land, there is no prophetic vision. And if there is no prophetic vision, the people "run wild" as the NLT says. But opposed to this attitude of unrestraint are those who are happy, joyful, and blessed, because they keep the law (of God).
Now not only is this true in the biblical sense of this verse, it is also true in the traditional sense of the verse, with which I started out this blog.
Here's what I mean:
What is imagination? Try this definition for imagine: the ability to see or create in the mind that which is not actually there.
So how is this different from vision? When we look at the basic meaning of vision, it is the ability to see that which is actually there. Someone who has 20/20 vision has perfect ability to see what is there -- to see things as they really are.
I would suggest that a person, a leader, a people, or a nation must first have this kind of vision -- to see what is there, before they can exercise imagination properly -- to see in the mind what is not there.
And therefore, we can say, "when the leader or leaders of a people or a nation do not have the ability to see what is actually before their eyes, it may lead to the downfall of that people or nation into anarchy (where total restraint is cast off)."
.
This passage is usually taken by the general public to mean that a people or a land must have a visionary person among them, or at least someone with a little imagination -- a person with "vision".
But this is a misapplication, which can be seen when we look at other Bible translations or versions (notice that I am listing these generally from the most word-for-word literal translation to the most free-style):
NASB: Where there is no vision, the people are unrestrained.
NKJV: Where there is no revelation, the people cast off restraint;
ESV: Where there is no prophetic vision the people cast off restraint,
NIV: Where there is no revelation, the people cast off restraint;
NLT: When people do not accept divine guidance, they run wild;
NCV: Where there is no word from God, people are uncontrolled.
But the second half of the verse adds more to the meaning:
NASB: But happy is he who keeps the law.
NKJV: But happy is he who keeps the law.
ESV: but blessed is he who keeps the law.
NIV: but blessed is he who keeps the law.
NLT: But whoever obeys the law is joyful.
NCV: but those who obey what they have been taught are happy.
In other words, the word "vision" refers to a prophetic vision, a prophetic revelation. If there is no prophet in the land, there is no prophetic vision. And if there is no prophetic vision, the people "run wild" as the NLT says. But opposed to this attitude of unrestraint are those who are happy, joyful, and blessed, because they keep the law (of God).
Now not only is this true in the biblical sense of this verse, it is also true in the traditional sense of the verse, with which I started out this blog.
Here's what I mean:
What is imagination? Try this definition for imagine: the ability to see or create in the mind that which is not actually there.
So how is this different from vision? When we look at the basic meaning of vision, it is the ability to see that which is actually there. Someone who has 20/20 vision has perfect ability to see what is there -- to see things as they really are.
I would suggest that a person, a leader, a people, or a nation must first have this kind of vision -- to see what is there, before they can exercise imagination properly -- to see in the mind what is not there.
And therefore, we can say, "when the leader or leaders of a people or a nation do not have the ability to see what is actually before their eyes, it may lead to the downfall of that people or nation into anarchy (where total restraint is cast off)."
.
83. US GOVT AGREES TO AL QUEDA TERMS
Headline of the possible future? .
Doubtful? Questionable? Incredible? Even Unthinkable?
No, not unthinkable, because I think about the possibilities often.
Beyond belief? Perhaps. Beyond possibility? No, not at all.
If that headline in the title were to ever appear in America's newspapers, I suspect it would be followed shortly by the following headline: "US Militia attacks national and overseas targets"
How could this scenario ever take place? And what are the possibilities?
Answering the second question first, I consider the possibility of the scenario I am going to outline to be in the 50-80% range. Perhaps I am too naive not to put it in the 99% range.
Now the first question: How could this scenario ever take place?
When I search Google for "Suitcase Nukes", I get 1,430,000 hits. The information behind the hits ranges from the opposing positions of "Two-hundred suitcase nukes in existence" to "Not a chance that any of them will work" to "None in existence". All three are too extreme, and the reality lies somewhere in the middle (included in this scenario is the existence and use of similar "backpack nukes").
Here are three "reasonable" posts regarding suitcase nukes, the first, a non-sensational "just the facts", from The National Terror Alert website (America's leading source for Homeland Security News): National Terror Alert website
and the second from a myth-busting website that considers the entire spectrum of views, The War of Illusions site (much more down-to-earth, level-headed, than it sounds): War of Illusions website
and a third more "sensational", yet fact-filled article by Jerome Corsi in World News Daily: Jerome Corsi website
As I read these three articles and many more, I have come to the conservative conclusion that there are somewhere between two and twenty suitcase or backpack nukes in various stages of decay, repair, or mobilization in the world today.
And from that conclusion, comes my possible/likely/probable scenario of a twin nuclear attack on New York City in downtown Manhattan, and in Washington DC in the Capital-White House-Supreme Court area, between 10am and 2pm on an undeterminable day. If they were to go off at different times, the Washington DC event would have to be first. With these twin nuclear blasts, the center of business and the seat of our government would be wiped out in a single blow.
Can I take credit for this idea? Not hardly. This scenario has been proposed many times, one of the latest being Joel Rosenberg in his recent best selling novel "Dead Heat". The Amazon website tells a lot about it: Amazon Dead Heat
"Dead Heat" starts out not with two nuclear blasts, but five. And my initial reaction to the book remains the same, that the problems facing America were too easily fixed, and too soon solved. Rather, think Post-WWII Germany in 1945: 15 years to bring to a reasonable state by 1960.
If twin nuclear blasts take out Washington DC and Manhattan, things will be far worse than "Dead Heat" suggests. If the timing of the blasts were particularly 'right' for Al Queda (and I presume they would be), of the 600 top governmental leaders in the USA, there might be only 15-40 of the national leaders left alive -- those away from the city. There would be no central control, and perhaps no communication due to such devices and controls being rendered inoperative by a single or multiple Electromagnetic Pulses (EMP). (See Amazon for "EMP", non-fiction and fiction)
And then the second blow would hit: A warning from Al Queda, that five more nuclear blasts were prepared to go off in five other major cities within 24 hours unless America agrees to Al Queda's terms. These five cities would never be mentioned, but could only be speculated. Surely Houston and Los Angeles would be two of them... but the other three? Perhaps Atlanta, perhaps DFW.
Thus, depending upon who was left running the country, the next day's headline might be: "US GOVT AGREES TO AL QUEDA TERMS". Or the alternative: "HELL NO, WE WON'T AGREE!"
Surely with the latter attitude, and maybe even with the attitude of capitulation, within 24 hours the other five devices would explode (or worse, maybe larger devices would be launched from offshore container ships), and America as we know it today would be no more -- with five to thirty million people dead or dying. Travel, eating, working, and known comforts would be barely possible. Within weeks, possibly 100,000,000 dead.
Is this view even Biblical? I think so, and I'll address that eventually in another post. But as for now, do what Homeland Security suggests: be watchful, be wary, be careful, and be sure to report all suspicious activity. And while you watch and wait, read Revelation 18.
I'll be watching for your comments!
(I would add (a day after the above post) that there has never been a weapon fashioned that has not eventually been used -LG 10/19/09 14:43cdt)
.
Doubtful? Questionable? Incredible? Even Unthinkable?
No, not unthinkable, because I think about the possibilities often.
Beyond belief? Perhaps. Beyond possibility? No, not at all.
If that headline in the title were to ever appear in America's newspapers, I suspect it would be followed shortly by the following headline: "US Militia attacks national and overseas targets"
How could this scenario ever take place? And what are the possibilities?
Answering the second question first, I consider the possibility of the scenario I am going to outline to be in the 50-80% range. Perhaps I am too naive not to put it in the 99% range.
Now the first question: How could this scenario ever take place?
When I search Google for "Suitcase Nukes", I get 1,430,000 hits. The information behind the hits ranges from the opposing positions of "Two-hundred suitcase nukes in existence" to "Not a chance that any of them will work" to "None in existence". All three are too extreme, and the reality lies somewhere in the middle (included in this scenario is the existence and use of similar "backpack nukes").
Here are three "reasonable" posts regarding suitcase nukes, the first, a non-sensational "just the facts", from The National Terror Alert website (America's leading source for Homeland Security News): National Terror Alert website
and the second from a myth-busting website that considers the entire spectrum of views, The War of Illusions site (much more down-to-earth, level-headed, than it sounds): War of Illusions website
A quote from the above post: A former CIA director, George Tenet, is convinced that al-Qaida wants to change history with the mushroom cloud of a nuclear attack. In 1998, Osama bin Laden issued a statement called “The Nuclear Bomb of Islam.”
“It is the duty of Muslims to prepare as much force as possible to terrorize the enemies of God,” he said.
and a third more "sensational", yet fact-filled article by Jerome Corsi in World News Daily: Jerome Corsi website
As I read these three articles and many more, I have come to the conservative conclusion that there are somewhere between two and twenty suitcase or backpack nukes in various stages of decay, repair, or mobilization in the world today.
And from that conclusion, comes my possible/likely/probable scenario of a twin nuclear attack on New York City in downtown Manhattan, and in Washington DC in the Capital-White House-Supreme Court area, between 10am and 2pm on an undeterminable day. If they were to go off at different times, the Washington DC event would have to be first. With these twin nuclear blasts, the center of business and the seat of our government would be wiped out in a single blow.
Can I take credit for this idea? Not hardly. This scenario has been proposed many times, one of the latest being Joel Rosenberg in his recent best selling novel "Dead Heat". The Amazon website tells a lot about it: Amazon Dead Heat
"Dead Heat" starts out not with two nuclear blasts, but five. And my initial reaction to the book remains the same, that the problems facing America were too easily fixed, and too soon solved. Rather, think Post-WWII Germany in 1945: 15 years to bring to a reasonable state by 1960.
If twin nuclear blasts take out Washington DC and Manhattan, things will be far worse than "Dead Heat" suggests. If the timing of the blasts were particularly 'right' for Al Queda (and I presume they would be), of the 600 top governmental leaders in the USA, there might be only 15-40 of the national leaders left alive -- those away from the city. There would be no central control, and perhaps no communication due to such devices and controls being rendered inoperative by a single or multiple Electromagnetic Pulses (EMP). (See Amazon for "EMP", non-fiction and fiction)
And then the second blow would hit: A warning from Al Queda, that five more nuclear blasts were prepared to go off in five other major cities within 24 hours unless America agrees to Al Queda's terms. These five cities would never be mentioned, but could only be speculated. Surely Houston and Los Angeles would be two of them... but the other three? Perhaps Atlanta, perhaps DFW.
Thus, depending upon who was left running the country, the next day's headline might be: "US GOVT AGREES TO AL QUEDA TERMS". Or the alternative: "HELL NO, WE WON'T AGREE!"
Surely with the latter attitude, and maybe even with the attitude of capitulation, within 24 hours the other five devices would explode (or worse, maybe larger devices would be launched from offshore container ships), and America as we know it today would be no more -- with five to thirty million people dead or dying. Travel, eating, working, and known comforts would be barely possible. Within weeks, possibly 100,000,000 dead.
Is this view even Biblical? I think so, and I'll address that eventually in another post. But as for now, do what Homeland Security suggests: be watchful, be wary, be careful, and be sure to report all suspicious activity. And while you watch and wait, read Revelation 18.
I'll be watching for your comments!
(I would add (a day after the above post) that there has never been a weapon fashioned that has not eventually been used -LG 10/19/09 14:43cdt)
And I would also ask you to check out post 86 above here, about a book recommendation "One Second After" -LG 11/13/09 4:00cst.
.
Friday, October 16, 2009
82. A known problem with Blogspot blogs...
...like this "The Future History" blog of mine:
When you (as a visitor/reader) post a comment, sadly, it does not tell me (the writer) WHICH blogpost you are commenting on. It's a known problem which Google has never fixed.
SO, when you comment, please start out with the post number (#31, for example), and I'll be able to find your comment right away -- and you'll get a quicker answer.
(If you have a Google blog that does not have this problem, or you have discovered a different solution, please let me know by commenting below on this post #82.)
God bless you,
and thanks for being a part of The Future History blog.
Larry
P.S. I like comments very much! It adds life to the blog. So do not take this as any negativity toward comments. Just trying to fix an annoying Google problem.
.
When you (as a visitor/reader) post a comment, sadly, it does not tell me (the writer) WHICH blogpost you are commenting on. It's a known problem which Google has never fixed.
SO, when you comment, please start out with the post number (#31, for example), and I'll be able to find your comment right away -- and you'll get a quicker answer.
(If you have a Google blog that does not have this problem, or you have discovered a different solution, please let me know by commenting below on this post #82.)
God bless you,
and thanks for being a part of The Future History blog.
Larry
P.S. I like comments very much! It adds life to the blog. So do not take this as any negativity toward comments. Just trying to fix an annoying Google problem.
.
Friday, October 9, 2009
81. Ahmadinejad stresses Doom to Israel...
...if Israel or USA attacks Iran.
Article:
"Iran to 'Blow Up the Heart of Israel' if Attacked"
Click to link to article
Sounds like Israel is between the devil (Ahmadinejad) and the deep blue sea (the Mediterannean).
.
Article:
"Iran to 'Blow Up the Heart of Israel' if Attacked"
Click to link to article
Sounds like Israel is between the devil (Ahmadinejad) and the deep blue sea (the Mediterannean).
.
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
80. Headline from the Near Future
"How Israel Was Disarmed"
(Note: the link to the article was not working, I fixed it 10/9, and now it seems to be working okay)
Thanks to @speli on twitter for posting this article from the near future (Jan 10, 2010) from the Wall Street Journal
Click here for article
Since the prophetic center of the Bible is Israel, and since the prophetic center of Israel is Jerusalem, and since the prophetic center of Jerusalem is the temple mount, I thought that this article was worthy of thoughtful study.
.
(Note: the link to the article was not working, I fixed it 10/9, and now it seems to be working okay)
Thanks to @speli on twitter for posting this article from the near future (Jan 10, 2010) from the Wall Street Journal
Click here for article
Since the prophetic center of the Bible is Israel, and since the prophetic center of Israel is Jerusalem, and since the prophetic center of Jerusalem is the temple mount, I thought that this article was worthy of thoughtful study.
.
Sunday, October 4, 2009
79. David & Jonathan: Homosexual Lovers?
.
If you think so, or at least wonder if it is so, please read Gary Yates' thoughtful post on that subject. This is extremely well written, and carefully reasoned. Gary is Associate Professor of Old Testament at Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary in Lynchburg, VA.
The Title is : David & Jonathan: Best Friends Forever or Something More?
Link: Click here
What would this have to do with the endtimes? When homosexuality becomes accepted in a nation, usually the judgment of God is not far behind. And judgment upon America might be a precursor to the final judgment upon the world. Just a thought.
.
If you think so, or at least wonder if it is so, please read Gary Yates' thoughtful post on that subject. This is extremely well written, and carefully reasoned. Gary is Associate Professor of Old Testament at Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary in Lynchburg, VA.
The Title is : David & Jonathan: Best Friends Forever or Something More?
Link: Click here
What would this have to do with the endtimes? When homosexuality becomes accepted in a nation, usually the judgment of God is not far behind. And judgment upon America might be a precursor to the final judgment upon the world. Just a thought.
.
Saturday, October 3, 2009
78. Revelation 13 - Bible Study - Part 4B
Rev 13:5-7 : The Antichrist exercises his power
.
A GUIDED BIBLE STUDY OF REVELATION 13
Part 1. Literal vs. Symbolic in Revelation 12 Post #64 Link
Part 2. Rev 13:1-2 : Introduction to the Antichrist Post #66 Link
Part 3. Rev:13:3-4 Satan empowers the Antichrist Post #67 Link
Part 4A. Rev 13:5-7 The Antichrist exercises his power Post #71 Link
==>Part 4B. Rev 13:5-7 The Antichrist exercises his power
Part 5. Rev 13: 8-10 The Reign of the Antichrist
Part 6. Rev 13:11-13 Another beast: The False Prophet
Part 7. Rev 13:14-15 The Image of the beast
Part 8. Rev 13:16-18 The Mark of the Beast
Overview of Part 4B:
1. The Biblical Text of the Passage
2. An Expanded Version of the Text
3. The Explanation
1. The Biblical Text of the Passage (this lesson in bold)
2. An Expanded Version of the Text (this lesson in bold)
3. The Explanation
At the end of the previous lesson (part 4A), we saw that the last verse (13:7) speaks primarily of the last 3 ½ years of the tribulation, where the antichrist will speak against God and the things of God horribly, and, as it says in verse 13:7, “It was granted to him to make war with the saints and to conquer them.”
Saints? Who are these saints? Will I, will you be included among those “saints” that are persecuted and “conquered”? Maybe. Maybe not.
By way of reminder, according to the premillennial, pre-trib position, all the church was taken up (raptured) to be with God sometime before the start of the seven-year tribulation. So, as this viewpoint goes, there are no Christian believers left on the earth immediately after the rapture. But when the rapture occurred, there were likely many who were weeks, and days, and hours (and minutes?!) away from making a decision to believe in Jesus; and now these people are easily and quickly convinced. And so, shortly after the rapture a new set of believers emerge, a growing number, the saints of the tribulation.
Will there be many people that become believers/saints during the tribulation? Will there be any that believe in Jesus Christ during the Great Tribulation?
In Revelation 7:9, when John is standing before the throne of God, he writes of that scene: “After this I looked, and there was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, peoples, and tongues, standing before the throne and before the lamb…”
After a time of worship and praise before God and before the Lamb, an elder tells John who these people are: “These are the ones who came out of the Great Tribulation, and washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. (Rev 7:14)”
So there you are. The saints that were saved before the tribulation aren't numbered anywhere, but surely must number in the billions since they include every believer throughout history. But the saints saved after the rapture, during the tribulation, cannot be numbered.
This would be the situation according to the premill, pre-trib position, that there would be no purpose for God to take the saints that have already been saved through the tribulation.
(Future posts coming up: Why won’t the saints go through the tribulation, and Just what IS the purpose of the tribulation?)
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Now, lets look at our single verse yet to be considered in this lesson section:
A. The antichrist will be allowed to make war against the saints and to conquer them, and
B. The antichrist will have authority over the whole earth: every tribe, people, language, and nation.
And to them, let’s add a third subject,
C. Eventually the saints will receive the kingdom, and will possess it forever!
Are there any other verses in the Bible that tell us that the antichrist will wage war and conquer the saints besides Rev 13:7? (Note: we do not need any verse other than one. The strength of one verse in the Bible is sufficient to make God’s point!) However, God was pleased to incorporate these points and issues into many verses!
Yes, consider the following verses:
A1. Daniel 7:21 : I was watching (says Daniel); and the same pompous horn (horn: person of power) was making war against
the saints, and prevailing over them.
A2. Daniel 7:25 : [A king will arise], shall speak pompous words against the Most High, and will wear out the saints. […] and the saints will be given into his hand for a time, times, and half a time
(3 ½ years).
A3. Daniel 8:22* : [A king shall arise … his power will be great, but not by his own power] … he shall destroy the mighty men and the people who are the saints.
*Note: Some students and teachers think that the Daniel 8:22 scripture refers to an earlier king around 175BC, before Christ came. But within the context of the verse, it says “the vision is for the time of the end”, “this will happen in the latter time of the indignation”, “for it refers to the time of the end”, “And in the latter time of their kingdom”, and finally “…seal up the vision, for it concerns the distant future”
A4. Daniel 12:7b …this shall be for a time, times, and half a time (3 ½ years), and when the power of the holy people has been completely shattered, then all these things will be finished.
A5. Matthew 24:21-22 For then there shall be [a] great tribulation, such has never been until this time, nor shall every be afterwards. And unless those days were shortened, no human life would be saved; but for the sake of the elect (the saints, the believers) those days will be shortened.
Do we find any other verses in the Bible that tell us that the antichrist will have power and authority over the whole earth?
Yes, consider these verses:
B1. Daniel 7:23 : The fourth beast (dreadful and terrible, and exceedingly strong) will be a fourth kingdom on earth, which shall be different from all the [other] kingdoms, and will devour the whole earth, trampling it down, and breaking it into pieces.
B2. Daniel 11:36 : Then the king shall do as he pleases. He shall exalt himself and magnify himself above every god, and shall speak astonishing things against the God of gods.
B3. Revelation 13:8 : All who dwell on the earth will worship him, those whose names have not been written in the book of life of the Lamb that was slain.
Can we find verses in the Bible that tell us that the saints ultimately end up being rewarded the kingdom?
Yes, consider these verses:
C1. Daniel 7:18 : But the saints of the most High shall receive the kingdom, and will possess the kingdom forever, for ever and ever.
C2. Daniel 7:22 : [and] the Ancient of Days came, and a judgment was made in favor of the saints, and the time came for the saints to possess the kingdom.
C3. Daniel 7:26-27 [But the court will take away his (antichrist’s) dominion] then the kingdom and the dominion and their greatness will be given to the people, the saints of the most high God.
C4. Daniel 12:13 : But go your way until the end. And you shall rest, and shall arise to receive your allotted inheritance at the end of the days.
C5. Revelation 11:18 : [The time has come] for the dead to be judged, and for rewarding your servants, the prophets and saints, and for destroying the destroyers of the earth.
Look all these verses up in your Bible. In some of them the context will be more obvious than in others. In some passages, it takes a lot of reading to understand the context. But in the case of Daniel, the questionable passages are sometimes explained within the context.
But the only goals I have for this single verse (Rev 13:7) is understanding that:
A. The antichrist will be allowed to make war against the saints and to conquer them, and
B. The antichrist will have authority over the whole earth: every tribe, people, language, and nation, but
C. Eventually the saints will receive the kingdom, and will possess it forever!
Next lesson: Part 5. Rev 13:8-10 The Reign of the Antichrist
.
.
A GUIDED BIBLE STUDY OF REVELATION 13
Part 1. Literal vs. Symbolic in Revelation 12 Post #64 Link
Part 2. Rev 13:1-2 : Introduction to the Antichrist Post #66 Link
Part 3. Rev:13:3-4 Satan empowers the Antichrist Post #67 Link
Part 4A. Rev 13:5-7 The Antichrist exercises his power Post #71 Link
==>Part 4B. Rev 13:5-7 The Antichrist exercises his power
Part 5. Rev 13: 8-10 The Reign of the Antichrist
Part 6. Rev 13:11-13 Another beast: The False Prophet
Part 7. Rev 13:14-15 The Image of the beast
Part 8. Rev 13:16-18 The Mark of the Beast
Overview of Part 4B:
1. The Biblical Text of the Passage
2. An Expanded Version of the Text
3. The Explanation
1. The Biblical Text of the Passage (this lesson in bold)
13: 5 And the beast was given a mouth speaking insolent words and blasphemies, and to exercise his authority for forty-two months. 6 He opened his mouth to blaspheme God, and to slander his name, and his dwelling place, and those who dwell in heaven. 7. It was granted to him to make war against the saints and to conquer them. And he was given authority over every tribe, people, language, and nation.
2. An Expanded Version of the Text (this lesson in bold)
13: 5 And the beast was given a mouth speaking insolent (proud, haughty) words and blasphemies (words against God), and [he was allowed] to exercise his authority for forty-two months. 6 He (or, it {where appropriate}) opened his mouth to blaspheme God, and to slander (blaspheme) his name, and his dwelling place (his tabernacle), and those who dwell in heaven. 7. [Also,]
he was given power (was allowed) to make war against the saints and to conquer (overcome) them. And he was given authority over every tribe, people, language, and nation.
3. The Explanation
At the end of the previous lesson (part 4A), we saw that the last verse (13:7) speaks primarily of the last 3 ½ years of the tribulation, where the antichrist will speak against God and the things of God horribly, and, as it says in verse 13:7, “It was granted to him to make war with the saints and to conquer them.”
Saints? Who are these saints? Will I, will you be included among those “saints” that are persecuted and “conquered”? Maybe. Maybe not.
By way of reminder, according to the premillennial, pre-trib position, all the church was taken up (raptured) to be with God sometime before the start of the seven-year tribulation. So, as this viewpoint goes, there are no Christian believers left on the earth immediately after the rapture. But when the rapture occurred, there were likely many who were weeks, and days, and hours (and minutes?!) away from making a decision to believe in Jesus; and now these people are easily and quickly convinced. And so, shortly after the rapture a new set of believers emerge, a growing number, the saints of the tribulation.
Will there be many people that become believers/saints during the tribulation? Will there be any that believe in Jesus Christ during the Great Tribulation?
In Revelation 7:9, when John is standing before the throne of God, he writes of that scene: “After this I looked, and there was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, peoples, and tongues, standing before the throne and before the lamb…”
After a time of worship and praise before God and before the Lamb, an elder tells John who these people are: “These are the ones who came out of the Great Tribulation, and washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. (Rev 7:14)”
So there you are. The saints that were saved before the tribulation aren't numbered anywhere, but surely must number in the billions since they include every believer throughout history. But the saints saved after the rapture, during the tribulation, cannot be numbered.
This would be the situation according to the premill, pre-trib position, that there would be no purpose for God to take the saints that have already been saved through the tribulation.
(Future posts coming up: Why won’t the saints go through the tribulation, and Just what IS the purpose of the tribulation?)
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Now, lets look at our single verse yet to be considered in this lesson section:
7. [Also,] he was given power (was allowed) to make war against the saints and to conquer (overcome) them. And he was given authority over every tribe, people, language, and nation.There are two main subjects here, as follows:
A. The antichrist will be allowed to make war against the saints and to conquer them, and
B. The antichrist will have authority over the whole earth: every tribe, people, language, and nation.
And to them, let’s add a third subject,
C. Eventually the saints will receive the kingdom, and will possess it forever!
Are there any other verses in the Bible that tell us that the antichrist will wage war and conquer the saints besides Rev 13:7? (Note: we do not need any verse other than one. The strength of one verse in the Bible is sufficient to make God’s point!) However, God was pleased to incorporate these points and issues into many verses!
Yes, consider the following verses:
A1. Daniel 7:21 : I was watching (says Daniel); and the same pompous horn (horn: person of power) was making war against
the saints, and prevailing over them.
A2. Daniel 7:25 : [A king will arise], shall speak pompous words against the Most High, and will wear out the saints. […] and the saints will be given into his hand for a time, times, and half a time
(3 ½ years).
A3. Daniel 8:22* : [A king shall arise … his power will be great, but not by his own power] … he shall destroy the mighty men and the people who are the saints.
*Note: Some students and teachers think that the Daniel 8:22 scripture refers to an earlier king around 175BC, before Christ came. But within the context of the verse, it says “the vision is for the time of the end”, “this will happen in the latter time of the indignation”, “for it refers to the time of the end”, “And in the latter time of their kingdom”, and finally “…seal up the vision, for it concerns the distant future”
A4. Daniel 12:7b …this shall be for a time, times, and half a time (3 ½ years), and when the power of the holy people has been completely shattered, then all these things will be finished.
A5. Matthew 24:21-22 For then there shall be [a] great tribulation, such has never been until this time, nor shall every be afterwards. And unless those days were shortened, no human life would be saved; but for the sake of the elect (the saints, the believers) those days will be shortened.
Do we find any other verses in the Bible that tell us that the antichrist will have power and authority over the whole earth?
Yes, consider these verses:
B1. Daniel 7:23 : The fourth beast (dreadful and terrible, and exceedingly strong) will be a fourth kingdom on earth, which shall be different from all the [other] kingdoms, and will devour the whole earth, trampling it down, and breaking it into pieces.
B2. Daniel 11:36 : Then the king shall do as he pleases. He shall exalt himself and magnify himself above every god, and shall speak astonishing things against the God of gods.
B3. Revelation 13:8 : All who dwell on the earth will worship him, those whose names have not been written in the book of life of the Lamb that was slain.
Can we find verses in the Bible that tell us that the saints ultimately end up being rewarded the kingdom?
Yes, consider these verses:
C1. Daniel 7:18 : But the saints of the most High shall receive the kingdom, and will possess the kingdom forever, for ever and ever.
C2. Daniel 7:22 : [and] the Ancient of Days came, and a judgment was made in favor of the saints, and the time came for the saints to possess the kingdom.
C3. Daniel 7:26-27 [But the court will take away his (antichrist’s) dominion] then the kingdom and the dominion and their greatness will be given to the people, the saints of the most high God.
C4. Daniel 12:13 : But go your way until the end. And you shall rest, and shall arise to receive your allotted inheritance at the end of the days.
C5. Revelation 11:18 : [The time has come] for the dead to be judged, and for rewarding your servants, the prophets and saints, and for destroying the destroyers of the earth.
Look all these verses up in your Bible. In some of them the context will be more obvious than in others. In some passages, it takes a lot of reading to understand the context. But in the case of Daniel, the questionable passages are sometimes explained within the context.
But the only goals I have for this single verse (Rev 13:7) is understanding that:
A. The antichrist will be allowed to make war against the saints and to conquer them, and
B. The antichrist will have authority over the whole earth: every tribe, people, language, and nation, but
C. Eventually the saints will receive the kingdom, and will possess it forever!
Next lesson: Part 5. Rev 13:8-10 The Reign of the Antichrist
.
Thursday, October 1, 2009
77. New Trailer on "2012" Movie
.
Summary: the surface of the earth is destroyed, messily, bloodily,
but yet man retains his hope in himself and his computer generated graphic effects (graphic would have double meaning):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hz86TsGx3fc
Can you come up with a better summary in one sentence? Post it in comments.
And a question: Will the Great Tribulation as described in many Bible passages but mostly in Revelation, be much different than this until Christ returns in his glorious, victorious, appearing?
.
Summary: the surface of the earth is destroyed, messily, bloodily,
but yet man retains his hope in himself and his computer generated graphic effects (graphic would have double meaning):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hz86TsGx3fc
Can you come up with a better summary in one sentence? Post it in comments.
And a question: Will the Great Tribulation as described in many Bible passages but mostly in Revelation, be much different than this until Christ returns in his glorious, victorious, appearing?
.
76. Earthquakes. Are they getting your attention?
.
Incredibly, some will say that "there are not more earthquakes, it's just that global news makes them seen so frequent". While there may be an element of truth in this, in reality, the earthquakes are much more frequent than they were 10 years ago, and 10 years ago they were more frequent than 25 years before that. Many universities have seismic departments that confirm this finding.
Or this one: "We are better able to detect them now, so we are catching more of them." Again, there is a bit of truth here. But we've been able to detect earthquakes for 80 years or so, and particularly in the last 20 years. And the number of earthquakes of measurable size have often doubled per given area, and in some areas, they are also getting worse.
I've addressed the subject of earthquakes before, in post #31, and there I posted all seven of the Bible passages that mention earthquakes in the end times, and discussed them. Break out your Bibles and check them out. Here's the link: Link to post #31.
Any comments? Your opinion about earthquakes and the Bible? Feel free to post them here, I usually get back with you within 12 hours.
.
Incredibly, some will say that "there are not more earthquakes, it's just that global news makes them seen so frequent". While there may be an element of truth in this, in reality, the earthquakes are much more frequent than they were 10 years ago, and 10 years ago they were more frequent than 25 years before that. Many universities have seismic departments that confirm this finding.
Or this one: "We are better able to detect them now, so we are catching more of them." Again, there is a bit of truth here. But we've been able to detect earthquakes for 80 years or so, and particularly in the last 20 years. And the number of earthquakes of measurable size have often doubled per given area, and in some areas, they are also getting worse.
I've addressed the subject of earthquakes before, in post #31, and there I posted all seven of the Bible passages that mention earthquakes in the end times, and discussed them. Break out your Bibles and check them out. Here's the link: Link to post #31.
Any comments? Your opinion about earthquakes and the Bible? Feel free to post them here, I usually get back with you within 12 hours.
.
75. 2012 is Coming! In more ways than one.
The year, the movie, and the book.
Here is my first book recommendation on The Future History blogsite:
"2012, The Bible, and the End of the World"
by Mark Hitchcock, Harvest House Publishers, 2009
This book is hot off the press within the last two weeks, and the main subject is the proposed date of December 21st, 2012 for the end of the world (or at least the end of society as we know it) ((or a massive change for the better, a new kind of world consciousness, a new golden age, or other ?wonderful? things.))
This date was also the topic of my post #8, "Dec 21, 2012 (or Dec 12, 2012)" . See that post (click on link) for preliminary information about understanding what we are discussing here.
The big budget film "2012" is supposed to hit the theaters in November 13, 2009 or thereabouts. The film takes the position that the Dec 21, 2012 date will mark the time of Armageddon and the end of the world as we know it. (Followup: And the film did debut on Nov 13 '09, and was mildly popular) (See my reviews at Post #96 & Post #97))
Here is what the back cover of the book says:
The ancient Mayans were expert astronomers, and their advanced calendar cycles end on December 21, 2012. This has spurred worldwide speculation that this date will be a catastophic day of apocalypse for the entire globe. The doomsday scenarios include destructive solar storms, massive earthquakes, a polar shift of the earth's magnetic fields, and total annihilation.
Missing from all the furor is a biblical perspective. Bestselling author and prophecy expert Mark Hitchcock -- whose books have sold over 500,000 copies -- examines the following questions:
** Why December 21, 2012?
** Can we trust the Mayan alarm clock?
** Does the Bible say anything about 2012?
** What signs will tell us that Armageddon is near?
This book provides a fascinating survey of both the historical past and the prophetic future.
Here's the Amazon link: click here for a look at the book. There are two reader reviews there that give it a poor rating for its reading level. I would say that it is written for the person who knows hardly anything about the issues revolving around 2012, both secular and biblical. I may eventually post an review on Amazon -- preliminarily a four-star out of five.
I would add as a personal observation, having read a number of Mark Hitchcock's books, that Mark doesn't go for the sensational, unless called for by the Biblical text (which sometimes is quite sensational by itself). Instead, he tries to de-sensationalize what is floating out there among the people. For that reason, I also recommend his recent book "The Late Great United States: What Bible Prophecy Reveals about America's Last Days" which also can be found on the same Amazon link above.
.
Here is my first book recommendation on The Future History blogsite:
"2012, The Bible, and the End of the World"
by Mark Hitchcock, Harvest House Publishers, 2009
This book is hot off the press within the last two weeks, and the main subject is the proposed date of December 21st, 2012 for the end of the world (or at least the end of society as we know it) ((or a massive change for the better, a new kind of world consciousness, a new golden age, or other ?wonderful? things.))
This date was also the topic of my post #8, "Dec 21, 2012 (or Dec 12, 2012)" . See that post (click on link) for preliminary information about understanding what we are discussing here.
The big budget film "2012" is supposed to hit the theaters in November 13, 2009 or thereabouts. The film takes the position that the Dec 21, 2012 date will mark the time of Armageddon and the end of the world as we know it. (Followup: And the film did debut on Nov 13 '09, and was mildly popular) (See my reviews at Post #96 & Post #97))
Here is what the back cover of the book says:
The ancient Mayans were expert astronomers, and their advanced calendar cycles end on December 21, 2012. This has spurred worldwide speculation that this date will be a catastophic day of apocalypse for the entire globe. The doomsday scenarios include destructive solar storms, massive earthquakes, a polar shift of the earth's magnetic fields, and total annihilation.
Missing from all the furor is a biblical perspective. Bestselling author and prophecy expert Mark Hitchcock -- whose books have sold over 500,000 copies -- examines the following questions:
** Why December 21, 2012?
** Can we trust the Mayan alarm clock?
** Does the Bible say anything about 2012?
** What signs will tell us that Armageddon is near?
This book provides a fascinating survey of both the historical past and the prophetic future.
Here's the Amazon link: click here for a look at the book. There are two reader reviews there that give it a poor rating for its reading level. I would say that it is written for the person who knows hardly anything about the issues revolving around 2012, both secular and biblical. I may eventually post an review on Amazon -- preliminarily a four-star out of five.
I would add as a personal observation, having read a number of Mark Hitchcock's books, that Mark doesn't go for the sensational, unless called for by the Biblical text (which sometimes is quite sensational by itself). Instead, he tries to de-sensationalize what is floating out there among the people. For that reason, I also recommend his recent book "The Late Great United States: What Bible Prophecy Reveals about America's Last Days" which also can be found on the same Amazon link above.
.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)