.
Note: Scott Brown INDEED won the Massachusetts Senate seat!
The post below this one, Post #87, is dated December 7th, 2009 -- but it is not "so last decade".
Everything I said in it applies today (if not more so), and I'm going to contact the same Senators again, just to make sure they get the message. However, it is not now the Senate version of the bill we are hoping to defeat, but the combined House/Senate bill which will be voted on first by the House, and then by the Senate.
Let's not depend on the possibility (or even the actuality) of Scott Brown winning the Massachusetts Senate seat formerly occupied by Ted Kennedy. Let's not try for 41 votes against Obamacare, but 43 or 44 votes against it. Note that 41 votes against it would imply 59 for it, which would not be the supermajority the Dem's need for a filibuster-proof bill -- and therefore would open the door for endless filibustering by the Republicans (a good thing! in this case...) and would for all practical purposes, be the death of this deeply flawed healthcare bill.
Those of us not living in Massachusetts need to pray first, that Scott Brown would win; second, that if he wins, that the powers that be will seat him promptly; and third, that no nut-case person will assassinate him on the way to the Senate.
Larry
Friday, January 15, 2010
Monday, December 7, 2009
87. About the Senate Health Care Bill
An Action Plan!
This blogpost has around 1200 words. In comparison, the Senate version Health Care Bill has around 500,000 words, and if it passes into law, will eventually cost the American taxpayers more than $3,000,000 per word.
Now do I have your attention?
Dear Friends and Family,
This may take you some time. It took George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Thomas Paine, Benjamin Franklin, and John Hancock some time to do their part also. This will take you less time (and blood, and sweat, and tears) than it took them.
Please consider these things about the Senate version of the Health Care Bill:
After the introduction to the bill, the index of the bill and the bill's title, finally on page 15, we find the first 63 words of the bill itself:
"Part A of title XXVII of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 300gg et seq.) is amended (1) by striking the part heading and inserting the following: ‘‘PART A—INDIVIDUAL AND GROUP MARKET REFORMS’’; (2) by redesignating sections 2704 through 2707 as sections 2725 through 2728, respectively (3) by redesignating sections 2711 through 2713 as sections 2731 through 2733, respectively . . . "
The rest of the bill is not much better, although it does lapse into readable (but not understandable) English for large sections before relapsing into gobbledygook. But here's the thing: It is no more understandable to the Senators than to you, since very few (if any) of them have read all of it, and many of them have read none of it. And furthermore, it will be equally incomprehensible to the government bureaucrats who will have eventual control over our health costs and medical procedures, especially if and when you become a senior (and you all are heading in that direction!).
Link to the Bill text: The Senate version Health Care Bill
(Read a page or two at random and see if you can understand it)
You may have heard that the Senate version of the Health Care Bill is being rushed through the Senate by the Democratic Party leadership and may be voted on before Christmas. You may also wonder why no Republican Senator is planning on voting for the bill. It is not because they do not want to help the needy, it is because they do not want to harm the already-hurting American taxpayer further, and because this Health Care Bill is the largest appropriation of governmental power in the history of the United States.
Here is why the taxpayer should be concerned: The stated cost is $847,000,000,000 (in case you’ve lost track of all those zeros, that is $847 billion dollars). But the true cost over the next 10 years will actually approach $2,500,000,000,000 ($2.5 trillion dollars). The true cost is more than $1 billion dollars per PAGE (the bill contains 2074 pages of legal gobbledygook), and more than $3,000,000 per WORD! !
Many people think this will be funded with “government money”, or, sadly, as some uninformed people have seriously suggested, “with Obama money”. But I have news for you: the U.S. government and the President have no money. And I mean that two different ways:
First, if it could be shown that the U.S. government has money, it is actually our money which has been transferred to the government through a variety of taxation devices. So the government has no money that is not actually our money.
Second, the U.S. government has no money because it is basically bankrupt. If the government were a person, or a corporation, or a state like California, it would have to eventually file for bankruptcy. It owes MUCH MORE than it has the ability to pay.
So the cost of the Government Health Care Bill will be paid by … taxpayers. That is, you and me, our children, and our grandchildren.
Whether you consider yourself a conservative or not, I ask you to thoughtfully consider sending your U.S. Senators, and certain other selected U.S. Senators, an email requesting them to vote NO to this giant bloated takeover of our nation’s health care system.
Here is the email that I sent to 19 special situation U.S. Senators:
Below is a list of these 19 U.S. Senators who fall into three special target catagories:
1. Democrats who sometimes vote for conservative issues like fiscal responsibility and against overspending,
2. Democrats who seem to be in tight races and might possibly lose their current Senate seat if they vote for this bill,
and 3. A few Republicans who every once in a while vote with the liberal tax-and-spend position (we want to discourage these defectors).
The other 81 Senators to which I sent no email are either (a) Republicans who will definitely vote AGAINST the bill, or (b) Democrats who will definitely vote FOR the bill. It’s these 19 in-between Senators that we want to contact and hopefully convince to vote "NO".
All the following senators can be easily contacted via this website:
http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm
Click on [Choose a Senator] to bring up each Senator and their email address ("web form"), and then click that to bring up each Senator’s respective email form. Then fill it all out and send it to each one of these 19 Senators.
(D): Democrat (R): Republican (I): Independent
Michael Bennet – D – Colorado
Evan Bayh – D – Indiana
Blanche Lincoln – D – Arkansas
Tim Johnson – D – South Dakota
Diane Feinstein – D – California
Joseph Lieberman – I – Connecticut
Ben Nelson – D – Nebraska
Mary Landrieu – D – Louisiana
Bill Nelson – D – Florida
Olympia Snowe – R – Maine
Susan Collins – R – Maine
Arlen Specter – D – Pennsylvania
Mark Begich – D – Alaska
Lisa Murkowski – R – Alaska
The above 14 are “MUST” contacts.
The following 5 are less likely to vote against the bill,
but yours might be the email that turns the tide!
(currently incoming emails are running 60 to 80% against the bill)
Mark Pryor – D – Arkansas
Kent Conrad – D – North Dakota
Claire McCaskill – D – Missouri
Thomas Carper – D – Delaware
Byron Dorgan – D – North Dakota
Most people do not act because they don't know how to act. Now you have no excuse.
Should you just copy and send my email? Probably not, although you have my okay to reword it. Better that you should touch on the same issues in your own words. Notice I have not explicitly threatened the senators, but have tried to show tough love, because these are senators that sometimes vote conservatively (or else, are dangerously close to losing their seats in 2010). And, note that I have indicated my willingness to be reasonable in insuring certain citizens who at present have no health insurance (note the word "citizens").
Also notice that my Senator email is less than 140 words. Most of the Senator’s email sites allow about 1000 words. But I’m hoping to get mine read. Even mine looks pretty long. If you can reduce the issues down to 75-100 words, GO FOR IT!
Feel free to contact me via our email, or my blog, or by phone 214-823-5688.
May God bless you, and may God bless America!
Larry
This blogpost has around 1200 words. In comparison, the Senate version Health Care Bill has around 500,000 words, and if it passes into law, will eventually cost the American taxpayers more than $3,000,000 per word.
Now do I have your attention?
Dear Friends and Family,
This may take you some time. It took George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Thomas Paine, Benjamin Franklin, and John Hancock some time to do their part also. This will take you less time (and blood, and sweat, and tears) than it took them.
Please consider these things about the Senate version of the Health Care Bill:
After the introduction to the bill, the index of the bill and the bill's title, finally on page 15, we find the first 63 words of the bill itself:
"Part A of title XXVII of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 300gg et seq.) is amended (1) by striking the part heading and inserting the following: ‘‘PART A—INDIVIDUAL AND GROUP MARKET REFORMS’’; (2) by redesignating sections 2704 through 2707 as sections 2725 through 2728, respectively (3) by redesignating sections 2711 through 2713 as sections 2731 through 2733, respectively . . . "
The rest of the bill is not much better, although it does lapse into readable (but not understandable) English for large sections before relapsing into gobbledygook. But here's the thing: It is no more understandable to the Senators than to you, since very few (if any) of them have read all of it, and many of them have read none of it. And furthermore, it will be equally incomprehensible to the government bureaucrats who will have eventual control over our health costs and medical procedures, especially if and when you become a senior (and you all are heading in that direction!).
Link to the Bill text: The Senate version Health Care Bill
(Read a page or two at random and see if you can understand it)
You may have heard that the Senate version of the Health Care Bill is being rushed through the Senate by the Democratic Party leadership and may be voted on before Christmas. You may also wonder why no Republican Senator is planning on voting for the bill. It is not because they do not want to help the needy, it is because they do not want to harm the already-hurting American taxpayer further, and because this Health Care Bill is the largest appropriation of governmental power in the history of the United States.
Here is why the taxpayer should be concerned: The stated cost is $847,000,000,000 (in case you’ve lost track of all those zeros, that is $847 billion dollars). But the true cost over the next 10 years will actually approach $2,500,000,000,000 ($2.5 trillion dollars). The true cost is more than $1 billion dollars per PAGE (the bill contains 2074 pages of legal gobbledygook), and more than $3,000,000 per WORD! !
Many people think this will be funded with “government money”, or, sadly, as some uninformed people have seriously suggested, “with Obama money”. But I have news for you: the U.S. government and the President have no money. And I mean that two different ways:
First, if it could be shown that the U.S. government has money, it is actually our money which has been transferred to the government through a variety of taxation devices. So the government has no money that is not actually our money.
Second, the U.S. government has no money because it is basically bankrupt. If the government were a person, or a corporation, or a state like California, it would have to eventually file for bankruptcy. It owes MUCH MORE than it has the ability to pay.
So the cost of the Government Health Care Bill will be paid by … taxpayers. That is, you and me, our children, and our grandchildren.
Whether you consider yourself a conservative or not, I ask you to thoughtfully consider sending your U.S. Senators, and certain other selected U.S. Senators, an email requesting them to vote NO to this giant bloated takeover of our nation’s health care system.
NOTE: The news on Weds 12/09 is saying:
"Senate Democrats reach agreement on health plan." This is not so! The vote has not yet happened, and many Senators are still undecided. Please proceed on and act, but the time is getting short!
Here is the email that I sent to 19 special situation U.S. Senators:
Dear Senator (fill in last name)
Please vote NO for the Senate Health Care Bill. This is not the change that 70% of American taxpayers want. It's way too expensive, and causes too much harm to Seniors.
Try again for 250 pages, and $250 billion dollars. This will keep about 90% of things the same (the way we like it now) and will permit health care for the 15-20 million uninsured citizens who both need it and want it.
Millions of us are waiting to see who will stand with us and VOTE NO to this bill, bloated both with words and dollars. You have often voted with those of us who want less spending and less government intervention. Thank you, and we ask that you vote with us again!
Below is a list of these 19 U.S. Senators who fall into three special target catagories:
1. Democrats who sometimes vote for conservative issues like fiscal responsibility and against overspending,
2. Democrats who seem to be in tight races and might possibly lose their current Senate seat if they vote for this bill,
and 3. A few Republicans who every once in a while vote with the liberal tax-and-spend position (we want to discourage these defectors).
The other 81 Senators to which I sent no email are either (a) Republicans who will definitely vote AGAINST the bill, or (b) Democrats who will definitely vote FOR the bill. It’s these 19 in-between Senators that we want to contact and hopefully convince to vote "NO".
All the following senators can be easily contacted via this website:
http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm
Click on [Choose a Senator] to bring up each Senator and their email address ("web form"), and then click that to bring up each Senator’s respective email form. Then fill it all out and send it to each one of these 19 Senators.
(D): Democrat (R): Republican (I): Independent
Michael Bennet – D – Colorado
Evan Bayh – D – Indiana
Blanche Lincoln – D – Arkansas
Tim Johnson – D – South Dakota
Diane Feinstein – D – California
Joseph Lieberman – I – Connecticut
Ben Nelson – D – Nebraska
Mary Landrieu – D – Louisiana
Bill Nelson – D – Florida
Olympia Snowe – R – Maine
Susan Collins – R – Maine
Arlen Specter – D – Pennsylvania
Mark Begich – D – Alaska
Lisa Murkowski – R – Alaska
The above 14 are “MUST” contacts.
The following 5 are less likely to vote against the bill,
but yours might be the email that turns the tide!
(currently incoming emails are running 60 to 80% against the bill)
Mark Pryor – D – Arkansas
Kent Conrad – D – North Dakota
Claire McCaskill – D – Missouri
Thomas Carper – D – Delaware
Byron Dorgan – D – North Dakota
Most people do not act because they don't know how to act. Now you have no excuse.
Should you just copy and send my email? Probably not, although you have my okay to reword it. Better that you should touch on the same issues in your own words. Notice I have not explicitly threatened the senators, but have tried to show tough love, because these are senators that sometimes vote conservatively (or else, are dangerously close to losing their seats in 2010). And, note that I have indicated my willingness to be reasonable in insuring certain citizens who at present have no health insurance (note the word "citizens").
Also notice that my Senator email is less than 140 words. Most of the Senator’s email sites allow about 1000 words. But I’m hoping to get mine read. Even mine looks pretty long. If you can reduce the issues down to 75-100 words, GO FOR IT!
Feel free to contact me via our email, or my blog, or by phone 214-823-5688.
May God bless you, and may God bless America!
Larry
Saturday, November 7, 2009
86. Recommended book: "One Second After"
.
Rewritten and expanded on Monday, November 9, 2009.
.
Three nuclear blasts high above America bring life, first, to a standstill; and afterwards to a great decline due to the EMP (ElectroMagnetic Pulse) "frying" effect on computers and electronic products.
Fiction? Yes, William Forstchen’s “One Second After” is a novel, but it is grounded in an all-too-real possibility of an EMP nuclear attack on the USA launched from a cargo container ship in the Atlantic.
I’m listening to the CD audiobook, but I've just bought the hardback as a source of information and ideas about what we as family and individuals need to do to survive such a situation in our country. I'll be making notes as I read the hardback, the notes I wish I had taken during the CD.
The members of Congress have only agreed on one issue during this decade: that All Americans should read this book. The Wall Street Journal warned that this is the weapon that could bring America down to the level of a banana republic.
How will your life need to change? Forstchen has many practical answers (although often with R-rated language). Newt Gingrich writes the Forward.
Do Christians need to be prepared for such things? Yes! Christians, of all people, should be fully prepared in every area of their lives. Read the book, and see if you don't agree -- and then please comment here, and we'll discuss!
Here is the link to Amazon:
http://j.mp/4eoG2h
.
Rewritten and expanded on Monday, November 9, 2009.
.
Three nuclear blasts high above America bring life, first, to a standstill; and afterwards to a great decline due to the EMP (ElectroMagnetic Pulse) "frying" effect on computers and electronic products.
Fiction? Yes, William Forstchen’s “One Second After” is a novel, but it is grounded in an all-too-real possibility of an EMP nuclear attack on the USA launched from a cargo container ship in the Atlantic.
I’m listening to the CD audiobook, but I've just bought the hardback as a source of information and ideas about what we as family and individuals need to do to survive such a situation in our country. I'll be making notes as I read the hardback, the notes I wish I had taken during the CD.
The members of Congress have only agreed on one issue during this decade: that All Americans should read this book. The Wall Street Journal warned that this is the weapon that could bring America down to the level of a banana republic.
How will your life need to change? Forstchen has many practical answers (although often with R-rated language). Newt Gingrich writes the Forward.
Do Christians need to be prepared for such things? Yes! Christians, of all people, should be fully prepared in every area of their lives. Read the book, and see if you don't agree -- and then please comment here, and we'll discuss!
Here is the link to Amazon:
http://j.mp/4eoG2h
.
Monday, October 26, 2009
85. The blogmeister is taking a sabbatical.
'
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
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
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.
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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).
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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.
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Sunday, October 4, 2009
79. David & Jonathan: Homosexual Lovers?
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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.
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Saturday, October 3, 2009
78. Revelation 13 - Bible Study - Part 4B
Rev 13:5-7 : The Antichrist exercises his power
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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
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Thursday, October 1, 2009
77. New Trailer on "2012" Movie
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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.
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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.
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Sunday, September 27, 2009
74. Why I don't capitalize 'antichrist'.
.
Actually, in the early weeks of the blog, I did capitalize it for a while, inconsistently though. But I eventually grew to feel that I did not want to give the antichrist any idea that his name (or better, 'title') was worthy of being capitalized.
God is worthy of being capitalized, Jesus Christ the Son is worthy, and the Holy Spirit is worthy. The holy angels such as Michael and Gabriel are worthy, and the saints that have gone before us like Peter, John, and Paul are worthy of being capitalized.
But the antichrist is not worthy. My refusal to use the capital A is one small way of demeaning him, making him in print as worthless as he actually is, or perhaps, will be.
But now I admit myself to be inconsistant, in that I still tend to capitalize Satan, the devil. I'm going to have to watch out for that. I'll probably never have the time to go back and redo months of blogposts, so I probably won't, but watch for me to be more consistent here regarding the Unholy Trinity (I mean unholy trinity), that devil satan, the antichrist, and the false prophet.
Ha! I reduce you satan. I marginalize you, antichrist. I consider you as nothing, false prophet. And if you are not on the scene now, you can read this once you appear.
But even then I wonder about typing so many words, about such a little person...
.
Actually, in the early weeks of the blog, I did capitalize it for a while, inconsistently though. But I eventually grew to feel that I did not want to give the antichrist any idea that his name (or better, 'title') was worthy of being capitalized.
God is worthy of being capitalized, Jesus Christ the Son is worthy, and the Holy Spirit is worthy. The holy angels such as Michael and Gabriel are worthy, and the saints that have gone before us like Peter, John, and Paul are worthy of being capitalized.
But the antichrist is not worthy. My refusal to use the capital A is one small way of demeaning him, making him in print as worthless as he actually is, or perhaps, will be.
But now I admit myself to be inconsistant, in that I still tend to capitalize Satan, the devil. I'm going to have to watch out for that. I'll probably never have the time to go back and redo months of blogposts, so I probably won't, but watch for me to be more consistent here regarding the Unholy Trinity (I mean unholy trinity), that devil satan, the antichrist, and the false prophet.
Ha! I reduce you satan. I marginalize you, antichrist. I consider you as nothing, false prophet. And if you are not on the scene now, you can read this once you appear.
But even then I wonder about typing so many words, about such a little person...
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Saturday, September 26, 2009
73. Antichrist NOT from Europe? From Mideast instead?
Q - Have we been wrong all along?
A - Not necessarily...
For centuries, it has been speculated by premill-oriented writers and teachers that the antichrist will rise out of the 'Revived Roman Empire', which currently occupies most of what we know as Europe. This belief was particularly prevalent when the Pope of the Roman Catholic Church was considered the most likely prospect for being the antichrist (particularly in the 1500's and 1600's), but has been in the ascendancy again since the time of Darby's volume of work in the early and mid 1800's.
Those who hold the premill/pretrib position (such as myself), can thank almost every popular prophecy writer and speaker, such as Hal Lindsay, Tim Lahaye, John Walvoord, and Dwight Pentecost for bringing the 'Revived Roman Empire' viewpoint to the person in the church pew. Indeed, no other viewpoint has been given any credence among premill/pretribbers in the last 50 years or so.
But recently, due to to the research of Joel Richardson and others, a body of documentation is building up that aims to show that the antichrist may instead arise out of the middle east -- meaning out of such countries as Syria, Jordan, Iraq, Iran, Saudi Arabia and the other Arabian peninsula countries. (I would mention that all these countries are Arab countries, except for Iran, which is Persian).
Two books written by Joel Richardson particularly explain and promote the 'antichrist from middle east' view:
"AntiChrist : Islam's Awaited Messiah" from Pleasant Word, a division of Winepress Publishing, 2006, and
"The Islamic AntiChrist, The Shocking Truth about the Real Nature of the Beast" from WND Books, A WorldNetDaily company, 2009
I say "two books", but the small print on the later 2009 book, shows that it is a reworking of the earlier 2006 book, with five new chapters, more documentation, and many more recommendations listed on the opening pages (but not from Hal Lindsay or Tim Lahaye). So don't buy both, just buy the later one.
It is clear that Richardson has done his homework, and his major thesis is this: that the supposed words of Muhammad in the Koran (Qur'an) and in later compiled works such at the Hadith literature, coincide amazingly with what the Bible says about the end times; and that they may do so in order that there will be no excuse in the Islamic countries for not knowing what God has said and shown in the Bible about the last days. In other words, based on their scriptures, muslims are expecting end time events very much like what the Bible says, but they interpret the events and persons incorrectly, believing that their glorious and victorious Mahdi (their coming 'messiah', a.k.a. the 12th Imam) will bring Jesus the prophet back with him when the Mahdi comes to rule the world. It will eventually be known that their Mahdi was not 'their messiah', and that their prophet was not Jesus nor remotely like him.
I am only writing this to call to your attention that this viewpoint is arising, and you deserve to know that this theory is out there, but that it is generally not accepted by most premill/pretribbers. My guess is they are still investigating and analyzing the material. I expect that there will be some anti-Richardson books soon, written to show why they think that this new viewpoint is neither credible or plausible.
I cannot speak to the issue of credibility yet, because I am only about 1/5th through the book. I will say that it looks like there is a lot of documentation, which includes 60 pages of separate appendices and source material, besides what is in the 220 pages (and 23 chapters) of the main body of the book itself. It appears that the first part of the book presents the Islamic position, and that the last half presents how this corresponds with what is in the Bible.
That's all I have to say for now -- obviously, I'll be blogging on this issue as I study more about it.
(NOTE: Do not confuse Joel Richardson with Joel Rosenberg, the author of "Epicenter", "The Last Jihad",
and other books.)
.
A - Not necessarily...
For centuries, it has been speculated by premill-oriented writers and teachers that the antichrist will rise out of the 'Revived Roman Empire', which currently occupies most of what we know as Europe. This belief was particularly prevalent when the Pope of the Roman Catholic Church was considered the most likely prospect for being the antichrist (particularly in the 1500's and 1600's), but has been in the ascendancy again since the time of Darby's volume of work in the early and mid 1800's.
Those who hold the premill/pretrib position (such as myself), can thank almost every popular prophecy writer and speaker, such as Hal Lindsay, Tim Lahaye, John Walvoord, and Dwight Pentecost for bringing the 'Revived Roman Empire' viewpoint to the person in the church pew. Indeed, no other viewpoint has been given any credence among premill/pretribbers in the last 50 years or so.
But recently, due to to the research of Joel Richardson and others, a body of documentation is building up that aims to show that the antichrist may instead arise out of the middle east -- meaning out of such countries as Syria, Jordan, Iraq, Iran, Saudi Arabia and the other Arabian peninsula countries. (I would mention that all these countries are Arab countries, except for Iran, which is Persian).
Two books written by Joel Richardson particularly explain and promote the 'antichrist from middle east' view:
"AntiChrist : Islam's Awaited Messiah" from Pleasant Word, a division of Winepress Publishing, 2006, and
"The Islamic AntiChrist, The Shocking Truth about the Real Nature of the Beast" from WND Books, A WorldNetDaily company, 2009
I say "two books", but the small print on the later 2009 book, shows that it is a reworking of the earlier 2006 book, with five new chapters, more documentation, and many more recommendations listed on the opening pages (but not from Hal Lindsay or Tim Lahaye). So don't buy both, just buy the later one.
It is clear that Richardson has done his homework, and his major thesis is this: that the supposed words of Muhammad in the Koran (Qur'an) and in later compiled works such at the Hadith literature, coincide amazingly with what the Bible says about the end times; and that they may do so in order that there will be no excuse in the Islamic countries for not knowing what God has said and shown in the Bible about the last days. In other words, based on their scriptures, muslims are expecting end time events very much like what the Bible says, but they interpret the events and persons incorrectly, believing that their glorious and victorious Mahdi (their coming 'messiah', a.k.a. the 12th Imam) will bring Jesus the prophet back with him when the Mahdi comes to rule the world. It will eventually be known that their Mahdi was not 'their messiah', and that their prophet was not Jesus nor remotely like him.
I am only writing this to call to your attention that this viewpoint is arising, and you deserve to know that this theory is out there, but that it is generally not accepted by most premill/pretribbers. My guess is they are still investigating and analyzing the material. I expect that there will be some anti-Richardson books soon, written to show why they think that this new viewpoint is neither credible or plausible.
I cannot speak to the issue of credibility yet, because I am only about 1/5th through the book. I will say that it looks like there is a lot of documentation, which includes 60 pages of separate appendices and source material, besides what is in the 220 pages (and 23 chapters) of the main body of the book itself. It appears that the first part of the book presents the Islamic position, and that the last half presents how this corresponds with what is in the Bible.
That's all I have to say for now -- obviously, I'll be blogging on this issue as I study more about it.
(NOTE: Do not confuse Joel Richardson with Joel Rosenberg, the author of "Epicenter", "The Last Jihad",
and other books.)
.
Friday, September 25, 2009
72. Where have I been? Wife's surgery.
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As you've likely noticed, I haven't posted much here in the last ten days, because we were preparing for my wife Jeannine's surgery on Monday 9/21, having it, and then dealing with post-surgery issues.
The good news is that her surgery was semi-elective, not at all related to either (1) her two cancer incidents in the 80's & 90's from which she is completely recovered, or (2) her accidental doctor-caused esophagus puncture almost two years ago that put her in the hospital for 45 days.
Here's the story. Picture Jeannine walking due south. Then observe that although her right foot is pointing south she has (now had) three toes that were pointing due southwest, and a big toe whose toenail was not attached to her toe like normal, but rather attached to a bone inside her toe. They broke her three toes, moved them into alignment, and screwed them in place with a pin. Then they lasered off her big toenail. Ooo-ouch!
So it took us a few days before the surgery to prepare for a non-operational Jeannine and a double-operational Larry, who, fortunately, knows how to cook, clean, and feed the cat. Then we spent 1/2 day at the surgery center, and now we are in the 5th day since the surgery.
Here are a couple of issues you can pray for us: (1) Jeannine's right foot (driving foot) needs to be pain-free by the time that I (Larry) am going to also have semi-elective surgery, on Oct 15th. At her current rate of pain reduction, we won't make it, and we'll have to go with plan B. And (2) I was able to take a few days off work, but I'll have to be back full time next week. Pray that Jeannine will be able to do the things she needs to do around the house. She does a little bit more every day, but is still operating on fairly high doses of pain killers.
I do have a couple of issues for the blog that I should be able to post fairly quickly, not like the Revelation lessons that take hours of study. Those two issues should be posted over the weekend. And MAYBE, the next Revelation 13 lesson.
.
As you've likely noticed, I haven't posted much here in the last ten days, because we were preparing for my wife Jeannine's surgery on Monday 9/21, having it, and then dealing with post-surgery issues.
The good news is that her surgery was semi-elective, not at all related to either (1) her two cancer incidents in the 80's & 90's from which she is completely recovered, or (2) her accidental doctor-caused esophagus puncture almost two years ago that put her in the hospital for 45 days.
Here's the story. Picture Jeannine walking due south. Then observe that although her right foot is pointing south she has (now had) three toes that were pointing due southwest, and a big toe whose toenail was not attached to her toe like normal, but rather attached to a bone inside her toe. They broke her three toes, moved them into alignment, and screwed them in place with a pin. Then they lasered off her big toenail. Ooo-ouch!
So it took us a few days before the surgery to prepare for a non-operational Jeannine and a double-operational Larry, who, fortunately, knows how to cook, clean, and feed the cat. Then we spent 1/2 day at the surgery center, and now we are in the 5th day since the surgery.
Here are a couple of issues you can pray for us: (1) Jeannine's right foot (driving foot) needs to be pain-free by the time that I (Larry) am going to also have semi-elective surgery, on Oct 15th. At her current rate of pain reduction, we won't make it, and we'll have to go with plan B. And (2) I was able to take a few days off work, but I'll have to be back full time next week. Pray that Jeannine will be able to do the things she needs to do around the house. She does a little bit more every day, but is still operating on fairly high doses of pain killers.
I do have a couple of issues for the blog that I should be able to post fairly quickly, not like the Revelation lessons that take hours of study. Those two issues should be posted over the weekend. And MAYBE, the next Revelation 13 lesson.
.
Sunday, September 20, 2009
71. Revelation 13 - Bible Study - Part 4A
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
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 4A:
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: 4 So they worshiped the dragon, for he had given authority to the beast, and they worshipped the beast, saying, “Who is like the beast? Who is able to make war against him?”
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: 4 So they worshiped the dragon (Satan), for he had given authority to the beast (a.k.a. the antichrist), and they (also) worshipped the beast, saying, “Who is like the beast? Who is able to make war against him?”
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.
*in referring to the beast, some versions say "it" instead of "he".
3. The Explanation
At the end of the previous lesson (part 3), we saw that the last verse, verse Rev 13:4, told us from whom the antichrist (the beast) receives his power and authority: from Satan himself:
4 So they worshiped the dragon, for he had given authority to the beast, and they worshipped the beast, saying, “Who is like the beast? Who is able to make war against him?”
In our second lesson, we saw that in verse Rev 13:2, it says that the antichrist had a mouth like a lion. That means many things, but one thing is for certain: that the Satanically empowered antichrist does not have to ask anyone for permission to speak, nor to receive counsel on what to say. The antichrist will clearly say what he wants to, and most of what he says falls into the categories of:
(1) insolent, arrogant, proud, haughty, pompous, flattering and destructive words, and
(2) words against God (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit), words against the very name of God, against the place where God dwells (in the highest heaven), and even against those who dwell with God in heaven, and
(3) lying and deceiving words, about who he (the antichrist) is, and what he (the antichrist) will do. If the antichrist is not lying about himself, he will be lying about God.
It may be that he will start out his rise to power primarily with words, but will move to actions as the first 3 ½ years of the tribulation unfold. This was the way it was with Adolf Hitler. He gave lots of economic and political speeches at the start, and also did much “motivational speaking" (from the pit of hell), but Hitler’s first action failed and he was thrown into prison (more like protective custody in an apartment). And soon thereafter, the works of darkness came gushing forth. This is not an unusual pattern. After a small failure, great victory.
So, it may be also, that in the first 3 ½ years of the tribulation, we may see some failures in the actions of the antichrist – but scripture says in 13:4b :
and [he was allowed] to exercise his authority for forty-two months.
I have written elsewhere that there are seven passages in scripture where it mentions the 42 months, (which is the same as) 3 ½ years, (which is the same as) 1260 days. My position is that in ALL seven passages, the events mentioned refer to the second 3 ½ years, the second half of the tribulation, also known as the Great Tribulation. This is when the antichrist will be permitted to exercise this power and authority that he has received from Satan himself.
When will the antichrist actually come upon the scene? Will it be at the midpoint of the tribulation? Or will it be at the start of the tribulation? Or will it be at the rapture of the church, when the church is snatched away from the earth to meet the Lord Jesus in the air (see 1 Thess 4:13-18)? Or will it be even earlier, possibly even in our present time?
The world will definitely be aware of the antichrist before the midpoint of the tribulation. And here is why: Chapter 6 of the book of Revelation is considered by almost all students and teachers of the word to be at the very start of the tribulation. There the event that opens Chapter 6 is when the Lamb (the Lord Jesus) opens the first of the seven seals (the first of many judgments occurring in the book of Revelation).
When that first seal is opened, scripture says:
“Then I heard one of the four living creatures say in a voice like thunder “COME!” And I looked, and behold, a white horse! Its rider held a bow, and he was given a crown, and he came out conquering, and to conquer.”
Now who is this rider, and how is he conquering?
In a future post, I will discuss all the reasons why this rider on a white horse is not the rider on the white horse in Rev 19:11, where it says “Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! And he who sat on him was called faithful and true. And in righteousness he judges and makes war”. It is clear from the context that this rider is Jesus, coming back in great splendor and glory to put all enemies under his feet, and to prepare the world for the start of his 1000 year reign.
The main reason above all reasons that the rider in Rev chapter 6 is not Jesus, but rather the antichrist, is because of those three other riders who immediately follows him in his wake: three more horses bringing death and destruction, and the rider of the second horse is specifically given power to “take peace from the earth, and to make men slay each other. And he was given a great sword.”
It is generally believed that the tribulation in chapters 6 through 19 is mostly chronological, with periodic parenthetical sections (see my outline of Revelation at post #23)
So, this second rider who will take peace from the earth, will come soon after the first rider, maybe only months, or weeks, or days, after the first rider. So how did the first rider “conquer”? He must have conquered with peace! Nations and peoples must have been convinced to join some sort of world alliance promoted by the antichrist in bringing peace to the earth.
There is another event that is also generally considered to be at the opening of the tribulation, brought about by the antichrist (which is a second reason why the first rider is most likely the antichrist) – and that event is the signing of a 7-year peace treaty between Israel and her enemies, OR, between Israel and the antichrist, acting as Israel’s protector.
The event that marks the mid-point, the 3 ½ year point, is when antichrist breaks that peace treaty, and sells Israel out to its enemies. But if you’ve been reading here all along, you know that Israel is miraculously rescued, and whisked away to a place of protection in a wilderness location for 1260 days (3 ½ years).
The verses in bold at the start of this lesson, speak primarily of the last 3 ½ years, where he 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? By way of reminder, according to the premillennial, pre-trib position, all the church was taken up 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 occured, 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 convinced. And so, shortly after the rapture a new set of believers emerge, the saints of the tribulation.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
I am cutting off the lesson here (as Part 4A.), so we can consider what I have said to this point, and will complete the lesson (Part 4B.) soon. We'll learn more about these tribulation "saints", and more about the condition of all the other people in the world, those who are convinced to follow the antichrist.
Please post your comments and questions about the studies.
Next lesson:
Part 4B. Rev 13:5-7 The Antichrist exercises his power (Post #78 Link)
.
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
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 4A:
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: 4 So they worshiped the dragon, for he had given authority to the beast, and they worshipped the beast, saying, “Who is like the beast? Who is able to make war against him?”
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: 4 So they worshiped the dragon (Satan), for he had given authority to the beast (a.k.a. the antichrist), and they (also) worshipped the beast, saying, “Who is like the beast? Who is able to make war against him?”
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.
*in referring to the beast, some versions say "it" instead of "he".
3. The Explanation
At the end of the previous lesson (part 3), we saw that the last verse, verse Rev 13:4, told us from whom the antichrist (the beast) receives his power and authority: from Satan himself:
4 So they worshiped the dragon, for he had given authority to the beast, and they worshipped the beast, saying, “Who is like the beast? Who is able to make war against him?”
In our second lesson, we saw that in verse Rev 13:2, it says that the antichrist had a mouth like a lion. That means many things, but one thing is for certain: that the Satanically empowered antichrist does not have to ask anyone for permission to speak, nor to receive counsel on what to say. The antichrist will clearly say what he wants to, and most of what he says falls into the categories of:
(1) insolent, arrogant, proud, haughty, pompous, flattering and destructive words, and
(2) words against God (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit), words against the very name of God, against the place where God dwells (in the highest heaven), and even against those who dwell with God in heaven, and
(3) lying and deceiving words, about who he (the antichrist) is, and what he (the antichrist) will do. If the antichrist is not lying about himself, he will be lying about God.
It may be that he will start out his rise to power primarily with words, but will move to actions as the first 3 ½ years of the tribulation unfold. This was the way it was with Adolf Hitler. He gave lots of economic and political speeches at the start, and also did much “motivational speaking" (from the pit of hell), but Hitler’s first action failed and he was thrown into prison (more like protective custody in an apartment). And soon thereafter, the works of darkness came gushing forth. This is not an unusual pattern. After a small failure, great victory.
So, it may be also, that in the first 3 ½ years of the tribulation, we may see some failures in the actions of the antichrist – but scripture says in 13:4b :
and [he was allowed] to exercise his authority for forty-two months.
I have written elsewhere that there are seven passages in scripture where it mentions the 42 months, (which is the same as) 3 ½ years, (which is the same as) 1260 days. My position is that in ALL seven passages, the events mentioned refer to the second 3 ½ years, the second half of the tribulation, also known as the Great Tribulation. This is when the antichrist will be permitted to exercise this power and authority that he has received from Satan himself.
When will the antichrist actually come upon the scene? Will it be at the midpoint of the tribulation? Or will it be at the start of the tribulation? Or will it be at the rapture of the church, when the church is snatched away from the earth to meet the Lord Jesus in the air (see 1 Thess 4:13-18)? Or will it be even earlier, possibly even in our present time?
The world will definitely be aware of the antichrist before the midpoint of the tribulation. And here is why: Chapter 6 of the book of Revelation is considered by almost all students and teachers of the word to be at the very start of the tribulation. There the event that opens Chapter 6 is when the Lamb (the Lord Jesus) opens the first of the seven seals (the first of many judgments occurring in the book of Revelation).
When that first seal is opened, scripture says:
“Then I heard one of the four living creatures say in a voice like thunder “COME!” And I looked, and behold, a white horse! Its rider held a bow, and he was given a crown, and he came out conquering, and to conquer.”
Now who is this rider, and how is he conquering?
In a future post, I will discuss all the reasons why this rider on a white horse is not the rider on the white horse in Rev 19:11, where it says “Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! And he who sat on him was called faithful and true. And in righteousness he judges and makes war”. It is clear from the context that this rider is Jesus, coming back in great splendor and glory to put all enemies under his feet, and to prepare the world for the start of his 1000 year reign.
The main reason above all reasons that the rider in Rev chapter 6 is not Jesus, but rather the antichrist, is because of those three other riders who immediately follows him in his wake: three more horses bringing death and destruction, and the rider of the second horse is specifically given power to “take peace from the earth, and to make men slay each other. And he was given a great sword.”
It is generally believed that the tribulation in chapters 6 through 19 is mostly chronological, with periodic parenthetical sections (see my outline of Revelation at post #23)
So, this second rider who will take peace from the earth, will come soon after the first rider, maybe only months, or weeks, or days, after the first rider. So how did the first rider “conquer”? He must have conquered with peace! Nations and peoples must have been convinced to join some sort of world alliance promoted by the antichrist in bringing peace to the earth.
There is another event that is also generally considered to be at the opening of the tribulation, brought about by the antichrist (which is a second reason why the first rider is most likely the antichrist) – and that event is the signing of a 7-year peace treaty between Israel and her enemies, OR, between Israel and the antichrist, acting as Israel’s protector.
The event that marks the mid-point, the 3 ½ year point, is when antichrist breaks that peace treaty, and sells Israel out to its enemies. But if you’ve been reading here all along, you know that Israel is miraculously rescued, and whisked away to a place of protection in a wilderness location for 1260 days (3 ½ years).
The verses in bold at the start of this lesson, speak primarily of the last 3 ½ years, where he 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? By way of reminder, according to the premillennial, pre-trib position, all the church was taken up 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 occured, 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 convinced. And so, shortly after the rapture a new set of believers emerge, the saints of the tribulation.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
I am cutting off the lesson here (as Part 4A.), so we can consider what I have said to this point, and will complete the lesson (Part 4B.) soon. We'll learn more about these tribulation "saints", and more about the condition of all the other people in the world, those who are convinced to follow the antichrist.
Please post your comments and questions about the studies.
Next lesson:
Part 4B. Rev 13:5-7 The Antichrist exercises his power (Post #78 Link)
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Tuesday, September 15, 2009
70. Rainbows, Balloons, Cherubs, and Scenery
and Bouquets, Smiley Faces, and Leprechauns.
Yes, these things do seem to be lacking from my blog, along with photos, videos, and other magical tech stuff. Part of the reason is that I'm not very good yet with digital photos and videos (although I did finally manage to get my own photo here). However, I am going to eventually change the current photo for one that doesn't make me look like I'm 10 years older than I really am, says my wife. (Photo finally changed in March '10)
But there's a second reason, and that is that so many sites do photos and videos and rainbows so well. I've listed some as my favorite other blogsites in the left hand column. The "Bible Prophecy Today" site is the one that does all these things well, and is an excellent original source of prophecy articles on the web -- although articles come so fast I don't have time to read them all. "Last Trumpet Living" is an excellent secondary source for all that is going on that is related to the prophetic, plus original posts about how to live (and improve) your life in Christ. "Visualcy" is a cultural analysis plus the lighter side of life (and the important things of life) from a long time friend.
But the main reason that none of the listed items in the title appear in The Future History blog, is that I am committed to concentrating on the Bible and what it teaches about the end-times, with a minimum of posts about current events. The other blogs are doing that so well, that they don't need duplication.
It is my goal to have Bible, Bible, Bible here until Christ comes again!
I know you all are reading the blog, because I see the visitor count go up. But I would like to have some more incoming comments so I could comment back. Hint, hint.
Maranatha!
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Yes, these things do seem to be lacking from my blog, along with photos, videos, and other magical tech stuff. Part of the reason is that I'm not very good yet with digital photos and videos (although I did finally manage to get my own photo here). However, I am going to eventually change the current photo for one that doesn't make me look like I'm 10 years older than I really am, says my wife. (Photo finally changed in March '10)
But there's a second reason, and that is that so many sites do photos and videos and rainbows so well. I've listed some as my favorite other blogsites in the left hand column. The "Bible Prophecy Today" site is the one that does all these things well, and is an excellent original source of prophecy articles on the web -- although articles come so fast I don't have time to read them all. "Last Trumpet Living" is an excellent secondary source for all that is going on that is related to the prophetic, plus original posts about how to live (and improve) your life in Christ. "Visualcy" is a cultural analysis plus the lighter side of life (and the important things of life) from a long time friend.
But the main reason that none of the listed items in the title appear in The Future History blog, is that I am committed to concentrating on the Bible and what it teaches about the end-times, with a minimum of posts about current events. The other blogs are doing that so well, that they don't need duplication.
It is my goal to have Bible, Bible, Bible here until Christ comes again!
I know you all are reading the blog, because I see the visitor count go up. But I would like to have some more incoming comments so I could comment back. Hint, hint.
Maranatha!
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Monday, September 14, 2009
69. Jesus' Second Coming (& Third Coming?!?)
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The view held by the writer of this blog is best called premillenial, meaning that Jesus is going to return before the millenium (1000 year reign of Christ), AND, pretribulational meaning that Jesus is also going to come back for his church before the 7-year tribulation.
So, lets see. We have Jesus coming for his church before the tribulation period, and we have Jesus coming after the tribulation, before the millennium. So, since he came the first time 2000 plus years ago, don't we have three comings?
First, 2000 plus years ago,
Second, before the 7-year tribulation, and
Third, after the tribulation, during the battle of Armageddon, right before the millennium.
It might seem like there are three 'comings', but every premillenialist that I know of, counts these as two comings:
First, 2000 plus years ago, and
Second, at the end of the age, and all that it encompasses.
Here is a list of some writers, pastors, and scholars who believe this in Post #56. See the question "Who holds this view?"
The coming of Jesus for his church (popularly called the rapture), the tribulation period, the battle of Armageddon, and his glorious appearing to bring this age to an end, are all part of his second coming (covering 7+ years); just as his birth, life, death, resurrection, and ascension (which covered approximately 33 years) were all part of his first coming.
Is there anything holding him back from coming today? Not that I can find, except (and it's my personal opinion) I do not consider that things in the world are bad enough yet. I find that the church will probably be under attack much more from the forces of darkness than it is now.
I would refer you to my post #2 "Future Events cast their shadows backwards", where I suggest that some of the major events that are going to happen 2 years, 5 years, or even 10 years in the future are beginning to sprout up even now -- although the seedlings may seem very insignificant at this moment. Hardly enough to be concerned about, or so it would seem -- but these seedlings need to be watched for unnaturally swift growth.
Even though it MAY be years before these events happen, we should try to live our lives with this standard (among others):
PERHAPS he could come TODAY!
Look up, for our redemption may be drawing near.
.
The view held by the writer of this blog is best called premillenial, meaning that Jesus is going to return before the millenium (1000 year reign of Christ), AND, pretribulational meaning that Jesus is also going to come back for his church before the 7-year tribulation.
So, lets see. We have Jesus coming for his church before the tribulation period, and we have Jesus coming after the tribulation, before the millennium. So, since he came the first time 2000 plus years ago, don't we have three comings?
First, 2000 plus years ago,
Second, before the 7-year tribulation, and
Third, after the tribulation, during the battle of Armageddon, right before the millennium.
It might seem like there are three 'comings', but every premillenialist that I know of, counts these as two comings:
First, 2000 plus years ago, and
Second, at the end of the age, and all that it encompasses.
Here is a list of some writers, pastors, and scholars who believe this in Post #56. See the question "Who holds this view?"
The coming of Jesus for his church (popularly called the rapture), the tribulation period, the battle of Armageddon, and his glorious appearing to bring this age to an end, are all part of his second coming (covering 7+ years); just as his birth, life, death, resurrection, and ascension (which covered approximately 33 years) were all part of his first coming.
Is there anything holding him back from coming today? Not that I can find, except (and it's my personal opinion) I do not consider that things in the world are bad enough yet. I find that the church will probably be under attack much more from the forces of darkness than it is now.
I would refer you to my post #2 "Future Events cast their shadows backwards", where I suggest that some of the major events that are going to happen 2 years, 5 years, or even 10 years in the future are beginning to sprout up even now -- although the seedlings may seem very insignificant at this moment. Hardly enough to be concerned about, or so it would seem -- but these seedlings need to be watched for unnaturally swift growth.
Even though it MAY be years before these events happen, we should try to live our lives with this standard (among others):
PERHAPS he could come TODAY!
Look up, for our redemption may be drawing near.
.
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