Is Rabbi’s 2017 Prediction of Rise of Idolatry Coming True? – Breaking Israel News | Latest News. Biblical Perspective.

2017: The Year of IdolatryBy Adam Eliyahu Berkowitz March 14, 2018 , 3:00 pm

Go cry to the gods you have chosen; let them deliver you in your time of distress!” Judges 10:14 (The Israel Bible™)

Idolatry (Photo via Shutterstock)

One year ago, Rabbi Nir Ben Artzi made a startling prediction that witchcraft and black magic would make a comeback in the world. A look back at the headlines of 2017 reveals a disturbing trend: the rabbi was undoubtedly correct.

In a sermon in February 2017, Rabbi Nir Ben Artzi, a mystic with a strong following in Israel, warned that dark powers are re-emerging in the world, seeking to usurp God’s rule. He compared the spiritual condition in the world to Egypt just before the Exodus of the Jews.

Rabbi Nir Ben Artzi (Photo: Facebook Page of Rabbi Nir Ben Artzi)

“After every plague, Pharaoh, his warlocks, and all of the idol worshippers consulted with their false gods and asked them to remove the plague. This did not help them at all until they turned and cried out to Moses and he stopped the plague in one moment. Then they understood that there was one power above which is God, and it is Him that rules the world and not the power of impurity: serving false gods, idol worship, and fortune telling.”

Remarkably, his predictions seem to be coming true. Witchcraft and idolatry are appearing with increasing frequency, sometimes in insidious manners that present this ancient evil under a multitude of guises that make it appear benign, innocent, or even a positive cultural element.

Below are examples of idolatry appearing in the world in the past year.

Witches Cursing President Trump

(Shutterstock)

Just a few weeks after the rabbi’s prediction, a call went out on social media to use black magic to curse newly inaugurated President Trump. A small group gathered at midnight in front of several of the more prominent Trump-owned buildings around the country, but the organizers reported that tens of thousands participated from their homes, using arcane objects and burning candles while reciting a prearranged incantation to cast a “binding spell”. The call to action requested that the ritual be repeated every crescent moon until President Trump leaves office.

Burning Man Festival

Temple of Galaxia, Burning Man (Photo via architect’s Facebook page)

What began over 30 years ago as a small campfire gathering of California artists evolved into a massive annual festival bringing almost 70,000 people to the middle of the desert in Nevada. The upcoming festival in August will feature a structure described as a Temple of the Greek goddess Gaia, who also appears prominently in paganism.

Billed as a cultural gathering, the festival attracts artists and celebrities. Touted as a secular event, many of Burning Man’s major elements are rooted in idolatry. Regular Burning Man installments are a Temple to the Hindu goddess Shiva and a bus decorated in the form of a seven-headed dragon which, in the New Testament, represents Satan. The massive camp is set up to form a massive pentagram in the desert.

Named for a massive wood effigy burned at the end of the festival, the burning man is actually a Celtic custom based on the original pagan human sacrifices. This pagan reference came true last year when a man died after running into the flames.

Catharsis on the Mall Brings Paganism to Washington DC

A paper-mache sculpture of “Lord Shiva Natarja”, a Hindu god, featured during the Catharsis on the Mall festival. (Facebook)

A Burning Man-inspired event brought paganism to the heart of democracy: the Washington Mall. The three-day event was held in November. It featured all of the pagan trappings of its desert counterpart but the organizers also proposed a 45-foot tall, 16,000 pound, steel sculpture of a naked woman titled “R-evolution” that would stand in front of the Washington Monument, deliberately facing the White House. A permit was issued for the sculpture but, blessedly, later revoked.

The Re-Appearing Arch of Palmyra Connecting New World Order With Ba’al

A model of the arch from the Temple of Ba’al was erected in Dubai for the World Government Summit. (Screenshot)

After the Islamic State (ISIS) destroyed the famous archaeological site in Palmyra Syria, the Institute for Digital Archaeology (IDA), a Harvard-based organization for the preservation of archaeological structures, used 3-D printing technology to recreate the 15 meter tall stone arch that had stood at the site for over 1,800 years. The arch was built as a Roman Victory Arch in front of the temple of Ba’al, a pagan god mentioned frequently in the Bible.

The replica arch first appeared in April 2016 in London’s Trafalgar Square for UNESCO’s World Heritage week, which coincided with Beltane, the major festival for pagans who worship Ba’al. It reappeared in New York City in September of that year.

The arch was erected once again to inaugurate the World Government Summit in Dubai in February 2017. The summit brings together leaders in business, technology, and politics from around the world.

The arch was then erected in Italy in May for the G7 Summit, a meeting of the leaders of the seven largest economies in the world representing more than 64 percent of the net global wealth.

UNESCO: Spreading Paganism to the World

UNESCO headquarters in Paris, France. (Novikov Aleksey / Shutterstock.com)

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization was formed to promote peace and security through science and education. Nowhere in its charter does it say the organization should deal in idolatry but last year, pagan gods featured prominently in two of its exhibitions.

A statue of the Roman goddess Athena on display in Nashville, Tennessee. (Ron Cogswell/Flickr)

In November 2017, The United Arab Emirates, now a sponsor of the Palmyra Arch reproduction, inaugurated the Digital Archaeology Exhibition, “The Spirit in the Stone”, at the United Nations’ headquarters in New York City. The IDA, creators of the arch, used the same 3-D printing process to reproduce a statue of the Roman goddess Athena, which they described as symbolizing the UNESCO values of “reason, refuge and the rule of law”. Athena was, in fact, the Roman goddess of war, as shown by the statue holding a spear.

Lion of al-Lat (Photo via Wikimedia Commons)

In January, UNESCO-funded reconstruction of the Lion of al-Lāt, an ancient statue from the Palmyra site partially destroyed by ISIS, was completed with the help of the Institute of Digital Archaeology. The ancient statue, almost 11 feet tall and weighing 15 tons, also stood in the Palmyra Temple and now stands in the National Museum of Damascus.

Biblical scholars associate Al-Lat with the goddess of jealousy and fury despised by the Prophet Ezekiel.

And He said to me, “O mortal, turn your eyes northward.” I turned my eyes northward, and there, north of the gate of the mizbayach, was that infuriating image on the approach. Ezekiel 8:5

Satanic Fashion Show

In September, a Muslim fashion designer decorated a 1,000-year-old London church in a Satanic motif for her show featuring transvestite models dressed as the devil. The Turkish designer, Dilara Findikoglu, is an up-and-coming star in the fashion world with many celebrities wearing her creations.

New AI Religion

(Shutterstock)

A new form of idolatry was added this year, supplementing the myriad forms of sinful worship described in the Bible. Anthony Levandowski, a high-tech millionaire, filed “Way of the Future” with the Internal Revenue Service as an official religion. The new religion is dedicated to “develop and promote the realization of a Godhead based on Artificial Intelligence (AI) and through understanding and worship of the Godhead contribute to the betterment of society.”

Levandowski’s new religion should not be confused with Jediism, a religion based on the fictitious Jedi beliefs as portrayed in the Star Wars movie series. Jediism was established in 2001 and has hundreds of thousands of adherents worldwide.

Iceland’s Dedicates First Pagan Temple to Norse Gods in 1,000 Years

image: https://www.breakingisraelnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/thor.jpg

“Thor’s Fight With the Giants”, Mårten Eskil Winge, 1872. (Wikimedia Commons)

The year ended on an idolatrous note with the Asatru Society, the religious organization that worships the Norse gods in Iceland, announcing the imminent completion of construction of the first temple to the Norse gods in 1,000 years. The pagan Norse religion has been making a comeback in recent years, fueled at least in part by its acceptance of homosexuality. A minor tourist industry has cropped up for foreigners who come to Iceland to have Asatru priests perform their same-sex wedding.

The Norse religion, based on Germanic paganism, is now a part of mainstream American pop culture. in 1962 when Marvel Comics began publishing a comic book series featuring the god Thor and other characters from the Norse pantheon. In 2011, Marvel Studios and Paramount Pictures released the movie “Thor”, based on the comic book. That was followed by two more movies, the most recent, “Ragnarok”, based on Norse eschatology.

Source: Is Rabbi’s 2017 Prediction of Rise of Idolatry Coming True? – Breaking Israel News | Latest News. Biblical Perspective.

Turkey To Lead Islamic Army Of 57 Muslim Nations Against Israel?

On Dec. 12, 2017, ahead of the summit of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation in Istanbul,  the Turkish daily Yeni Şafak, which is close to President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and his ruling AKP party, published an article titled “A Call for Urgent Action,” which also appeared on the paper’s website under the title “What If an Army of Islam Was Formed Against Israel?”

The article called on the 57 member states of the OIC to form a joint “Army of Islam” to besiege and attack the state of Israel. It notes that such a joint army will greatly exceed the Israeli army in manpower, equipment and budget, and presents statistics to prove this.

It also advocates establishing joint bases for the army’s ground, air and naval forces that will arrive from all over the Muslim world to besiege Israel, while noting that Pakistan, as the only nuclear country, has “a special status” among the OIC countries.

An interactive map provides information on military forces stationed in various locations and the role they can play in the potential joint Muslim attack on Israel.

The main points of the article are taken from the website of the Turkish SADAT International Defense and Consulting Company, which provides consultancy on defense and warfare, both conventional and unconventional, and on military organization, training and gear.

The company has an agenda of promoting pan-Islamic military cooperation. According to its mission statement, it seeks “to establish defense collaboration and defense industry cooperation among Islamic countries, to help the Islamic world take its rightful place among the superpowers by providing… strategic consultancy and training services to the militaries and homeland security forces of Islamic countries.”

According to Israeli security sources, the SADAT company is involved in aiding Hamas, and seeks to assist – with funds and military gear – the creation of a “Palestine Army” to fight Israel.

SADAT Founder Adnan Tanrıverdi

The SADAT company was founded by Erdoğan’s senior advisor on military affairs, retired general Adnan Tanrıverdi, and is chaired by his son, Melih Tanrıverdi. Adnan Tanrıverdi (b. 1944) served in the Turkish army’s Artillery Corps and headed the Home Front Command in northern Cyprus.

He is an expert on assymetric warfare, and was dismissed from the Turkish military in 1996 for his Islamists leadnings. A former Turkish army officer, Ahmet Yavuz, described him as “an enemy of Atatürk” and stated that his dismissal from the army was not surprising.

The Yeni Şafak article is based on a PDF booklet featuring a number of articles by Tanrıverdi, as well as other materials, that appeared on the homepage of SADAT’s website and has since been removed. Some of the articles are virulently anti-Israel and promote the goal of arming the Palestinians and forming an Army of Islam to eliminate Israel.

Tanrıverdi Associate Arrested In Israel On Suspicion Of Aiding Hamas

Recently, Israel became aware of Tanrıverdi’s activities after it arrested a Turkish academic, Cemil Tekeli, on suspicion of aiding Hamas terrorists in Turkey. According to the Israeli paper Makor Rishon, Tekeli, who has since been deported to Turkey, is a close associate of Adnan Tanrıverdi.

image: http://www.prophecynewswatch.com/images/ads/TCC_banner1.jpg

The following are excerpts from the Yeni Şafak article:

“What If An Army Of Islam Was Formed Against Israel?

“If the OIC member states unite and form a joint military force, it will be the largest army in the world. These countries’ total population is 1,674,526,931. The number of soldiers in active service in these countries is at least 5,206,100. Their overall military defense budget, of $174,728,420, is also worthy of emphasis.

“Half Of Istanbul”

“As for Israel, it is significantly inferior. The population of this country, which attempted to occupy Jerusalem while surrounded by Muslim states, is 8,049,314. Note that the population of Istanbul alone exceeds 14 million. The number of soldiers in active service in the Israeli occupation forces is 160,000, and Israel’s defense budget is approximately $15,600,000,000.

“Islamic Countries Will Lay Siege To Israel

“Among the decisions that can be taken at the OIC summit is to form a ‘Jerusalem Task Group.’ In this framework, military steps are likely to be taken. The Muslim armies, ranging from Africa to Asia, surpass the Israeli army in might. So if an Islamic army is formed, Israel will be under a siege.

“At The First Stage: 250 Thousand Soldiers”

“In a possible military operation, the first step is expected to involve 250,000 soldiers, and the establishment of joint land, air and naval bases for use in the short term.

“500 tanks and armored vehicles, 100 war planes, 500 attack helicopters and 50 warships and submarines can be mobilized.

“Military Bases Close to Israel Available For Immediate Action

“The war planes that will be dispatched to the region from greater distances will be stationed in airbases closer to Israel. Israel will most likely to be besieged by the naval fleets that will be sent to the Mediterranean and the Red Sea.

Ads by Revcontent

Which Pot Stock Offers the Highest Upside?

Wall Street News

image: https://g.cwkuki.com/cs/D8f2l?u=YjlhNTA3ZTI2ZDQ3MmQ5Mjg4ZGQ1MGFjN2UwMTY3ZDE=

image: http://sync.adkernel.com/user-sync?zone=52499&t=image&r=https%3A%2F%2Fcm.revcontent.com%2Fpixel_sync%3Fbidder%3D139%26bidder_uid%3D%7BUID%7D%26exchange_uid%3DYjlhNTA3ZTI2ZDQ3MmQ5Mjg4ZGQ1MGFjN2UwMTY3ZDE=

image: http://sync.adkernel.com/user-sync?zone=52515&t=image&r=https%3A%2F%2Fcm.revcontent.com%2Fpixel_sync%3Fbidder%3D142%26bidder_uid%3D%7BUID%7D%26exchange_uid%3DYjlhNTA3ZTI2ZDQ3MmQ5Mjg4ZGQ1MGFjN2UwMTY3ZDE=

“The Necessary Equipment Exists”

“The military capability of the OIC member states is considerable. These armies have the necessary equipment to carry out a military operation on land, sea and air.

“Even Turkey Alone Is Superior To Israel”

“Turkey will serve as an important headquarters during the operation, due to its land, air and naval infrastructures. The Turkish army, which carried out ‘Operation Euphrates Shield’ in Syria in 2017 with great success, is now ranked the world’s seventh strongest army, and the second largest army among the NATO powers. Turkey has approximately 4,000 tanks and 1,000 war planes and other aircraft. Its navy made significant progress during the last years, with 194 vessels at its disposal.

“As the only country which possesses nuclear weapons, Pakistan has an important status among the 57 Muslim OIC countries…

“Those who believe that they are the owners of Jerusalem today will not find a single tree to hide behind tomorrow”

“Asia’s Military Defiance”

“In a statement, Malaysian Defense Minister [Hishammuddin] Hussein described Trump’s recognition [of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital] as a blow to Muslims, and added: ‘The Malaysian armed forces are ready to fulfill their duty regarding Jerusalem.’

“Turkey Is Forming Alliances”

“In recent years, Turkey has launched a series of collaborations with OIC member states. The joint military drill with our Iraqi neighbors conveyed a clear message to the terrorists, and Turkey is also engaging in new collaborations with Qatar, Somalia and other Gulf and African countries.

In this context it should be underlined that Turkey is taking steps to realize the model of the ‘Army of Islam,’ forging alliances with many Muslim countries to increase its military mobility.”

Originally published at JNS.org – reposted with permission.

Source: Turkey To Lead Islamic Army Of 57 Muslim Nations Against Israel?

New Sounds And Lights at Jerusalem’s Tower of David Celebrate Past, Present and Future of King David’s Capital City – Breaking Israel News | Latest News. Biblical Perspective.

By Eliana Rudee March 13, 2018 , 3:00 pm

“Your neck is like the Tower of David, Built to hold weapons, Hung with a thousand shields— All the quivers of warriors.” (Song of Songs 4:4)

Capture of King David in the Tower of David Museum’s “Night Spectacular” on the Biblical story of David (Credit: Naftali Hilger – Tower of David Museum)

The Bible will be in full color in Jerusalem, as the Tower of David Museum’s new “Night Spectacular” sound and light show is set to open to the public on April 1, 2018.

The show features the Biblical story of David, from shepherd-to-king, projected on the walls and archaeological excavations of the ancient citadel. The site of the Tower of David, although a misnomer, represents a historical connect that is relevant to the modern discussion of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital.

A Historical Disconnect

Calling the ancient citadel near the Old City of Jerusalem the “Tower of David,” is a misnomer dating back to the Crusaders, as the tower is not located in what we know today was the City of David. Renee Sivan, an archaeologist and the concept creator and curator of the Night Spectacular, told  Breaking Israel News, “there is no connection between the Tower [of David] and David, but there was a myth that it was connected.”

Nevertheless, she said the “multi-fascinated and fascinating character of King David who has inspired artists for hundreds of years was certainly a most fitting subject to explore at the Tower of David.”

Byzantine Christians believed the site to be the palace of King David and derived the name “Tower of David” from a Bible passage in Song of Songs, attributed to King Solomon, King David’s son:

“Your neck is like the Tower of David, Built to hold weapons, Hung with a thousand shields— All the quivers of warriors.” (Song of Songs 4:4)

The Tower of David, home to the Tower of David Museum, is the citadel at Jaffa Gate next to the entrance to the Old City. It is a structure from the time of King Herod with Ottoman additions. However, the true City of David is an archaeological site located just outside the Old City Walls, south of the Dung Gate.

Capture of the Tower of David Museum’s “Night Spectacular” on the Biblical story of David (Credit: Naftali Hilger – Tower of David Museum)

Eilat Lieber, director of the Tower of David Museum, commented on the archaeological disconnect, calling the connection “symbolic.”

“For 2000 years there has been a symbolic connection between the site where the citadel stands today and King David,” Lieber told Breaking Israel News. “It began with the writings of Joseph Ben Matityahu – Josephus Flavius – who described Herod’s palace and the impressive three-tower fortress built next to the palace as the Citadel of David because of its strength and magnificence.”



A Historical Connect: Past, Present and Future

Although the site of the Tower of David is not truly David’s tower, the modern relevance of story of David, illustrated upon the walls of the Tower of David, is undeniable.

“There is no historical person more connected to Jerusalem than the Biblical figure of King David,” Lieber said. She that today, a time when so many voices deny the Jewish peoples’ connection to Jerusalem, the story of King David illuminates the Jewish past, present, and future in Jerusalem.

image: https://www.breakingisraelnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/King-Saul-listens-to-David-play-his-harp.jpg

Capture of King Saul listening to King David play the harp in the Tower of David Museum’s “Night Spectacular” on the Biblical story of David (Credit: Naftali Hilger – Tower of David Museum)

King David’s story is the story of Jerusalem, and the story of its establishment as the capital of the Jewish homeland 3,000 years ago, when King David conquered the city from the Jebusites and established the capital of his kingdom there. It remained the capital of the Jewish kingdom for 400 years, until the destruction of the first Temple at the hands of the Babylonians, which is well documented in the Biblical books of Samuel, Kings and Chronicles, and in the books of various prophets.

The shared heritage between Jews and Christians began in Jerusalem during the time of King David.

“He was a universal king, and unifies the tribes,” Sivan said, explaining that in Judaism, David is the father of the Davidic dynasty, from which according to tradition, the Messiah will come. Christianity also bases its faith on the Davidic dynasty.

In addition, Sivan said, David has been the inspiration for artists for centuries and is one of the most well-known Biblical figures in the history of art. Part of the show features the great works of art by Chagall, Matisse, Michelangelo and others in an artistic tribute to the artists, painters and sculptors who immortalized the image of the celebrated King David.

In addition to the citadel telling relevant stories of Jerusalem’s past, the Tower of David is ensuring Jerusalem’s future.

According to Amir Halevy, Director-General for the Israeli Ministry of Tourism, the Tower of David Museum’s Night Spectacular show is “a very important product” for Jerusalem. Over 2 million people have already seen the first Night Spectacular, which highlighted the various powers and tumultuous history in Jerusalem’s 4,000 year history, and he maintained that it has greatly contributed to 2017’s record year for Israeli tourism.

“In February, we had 300,000 tourists, 28 percent more than last year,” Halevy told Breaking Israel News. We are always asking ourselves how we can create the new product that will give tourists a reason to stay another night in Jerusalem, and this is the product we need, and why the Night Spectacular is so important.”

image: https://www.breakingisraelnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Ein-Gedi-oasis-pre-show.jpg

Capture of the Ein Gedi Oasis pre-show of Tower of David Museum’s “Night Spectacular” on the Biblical story of David (Credit: Naftali Hilger – Tower of David Museum)

Likewise, Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat lauded the new night experience at the Tower of David as showcasing the cultural renaissance happening in Jerusalem.

“The Tower of David is an essential Jerusalem landmark that makes our city’s rich history accessible to visitors from Israel and around the globe,” the mayor said. “The new night experience at the Tower of David combines past, present, and future with advanced technology for an engaging display of Jerusalem’s unique role in the world.”

Source: New Sounds And Lights at Jerusalem’s Tower of David Celebrate Past, Present and Future of King David’s Capital City - Breaking Israel News | Latest News. Biblical Perspective.

BIBI IN AMERICA: NETANYAHU WOWS AT AIPAC, VOWS TO STOP IRAN FROM PRODUCING NUCLEAR WEAPONS

Pointing to a map where Iran’s inroads in the region were painted in black, Netanyahu said that the Islamic Republic was trying to establish a land bridge from Tehran to Tartus on the Mediterranean, and not only establish permanent military bases in Syria, but also manufacture precision-guided missiles in Syria and Lebanon.v

PRIME MINISTER BENJAMIN NETANYAHU WAS WELCOMED WITH A RESOUNDING OVATION TUESDAY MORNING AT AIPAC, WHERE HE GAVE A 30 MINUTE SPEECH ON THE “GOOD, BAD AND BEAUTIFUL” IN ISRAEL AND THE REGION. NETANYAHU STEERED COMPLETELY CLEAR OF HIS LEGAL WOES PILING UP AT HOME.

“Wherein the king granted the Jews which were in every city to gather themselves together, and to stand for their life, to destroy, to slay, and to cause to perish, all the power of the people and province that would assault them, both little ones and women, and to take the spoil of them for a prey, Upon one day in all the provinces of king Ahasuerus, namely, upon the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, which is the month Adar.” Esther 8:11,12 (KJV)

EDITOR’S NOTE: Like Donald Trump in America, Israeli PM Netanyahu is beset by endless attacks from the media all seeking to end his run as leader. And like President Trump, Bibi has survived all such attacks so far, and not just surviving but thriving as well. In America this week, Netanyahu was the keynote speaker at AIPAC, and reminded his audience of the very real and ongoing nuclear threat from Iran. He invoked the book of Esther, and the threat from the Persian people back in 425 BC, as well as from the Persian government of Iran in 2018 AD.

The prime minister, showing no outward signs of the impact of his domestic situation, strolled away from the podium and used slides broadcast on large screens to talk about Israel’s contributions in the spheres of agriculture, water preservation and security, as well as its growing diplomatic standing in the world.

Pointing to the slide which was painted in blue representing all the countries with whom Israel has diplomatic ties, Netanyahu said to a resounding ovation, “There are those who talk about boycotting Israel, we will boycott them.”

While the good news coming out of Israel – regarding its technology and security expertise – is very good and getting better, the bad news, he said, “is that bad things are getting worse and are very bad.”

THE OVERWHELMINGLY BAD THING, HE SAID, IS IRAN.

“We have to deal with this challenge,” he said. “If I have a message today it is simple: We must stop Iran.” Netanyahu, who last spoke at AIPAC in 2015 during the visit to Washington where he spoke out against the Iranian deal in Congress, said that what he warned then is transpiring.

He recalled that he said at the time that as a result of the nuclear deal Iran would not become more moderate and peaceful, but rather more extreme and “much more dangerous, and that is exactly what is happening.”

Pointing to a map where Iran’s inroads in the region were painted in black, he said that the Islamic Republic was trying to establish a land bridge from Tehran to Tartus on the Mediterranean, and not only establish permanent military bases in Syria, but also manufacture precision-guided missiles in Syria and Lebanon.

“I WILL NOT LET THAT HAPPEN, WE WILL NOT LET THAT HAPPEN,” HE SAID. “LAST WEEK WE READ IN THE BOOK OF ESTHER ABOUT AN EARLIER PERSIAN ATTEMPT TO DESTROY OUR PEOPLE,” HE SAID REFERRING TO PURIM. “THEY FAILED THEN, THEY WILL FAIL NOW.”

Netanyahu also spent a few minutes talking about the Palestinian Authority’s payment of $350 million a year to terrorists and their families, asking what message this sends to Palestinian children.

“I believe President Abbas should find better use for his money, “ he said. “Build roads, schools, hospitals and factories. Invest in life, invest in peace.”

The “beautiful,” in his “good, bad and beautiful” equation, was the Israeli-US relationship. source

WAR: ASSOCIATION OF MUSLIM CLERICS CALL FOR UPRISING TO PROTEST TRUMP’S DECISION TO MOVE EMBASSY TO JERUSALEM IN MAY

“We call for a Palestinian, Arab, Islamic, and popular uprising against this American aggression against the direction of the first prayer (the Al-Aqsa Mosque) and Muhammad’s place of worship,” said Qaradaghi in an official statement. He stressed that the issue of the city of Al-Quds (the Arabic name for Jerusalem -ed.) is an issue of concern to the entire Muslim nation, and renouncing it or harming it is a mark of Cain that Allah, history, and future generations will not be able to atone for.

ALI AL-QARADAGHI, SECRETARY-GENERAL OF THE ASSOCIATION OF MUSLIM SCHOLARS HEADED BY SHEIKH YUSUF AL-QARADAWI, IS CALLING FOR AN UPRISING OF PEOPLES AND GOVERNMENTS AGAINST THE AMERICAN ADMINISTRATION’S ANNOUNCEMENT OF ITS INTENTION TO MOVE THE U.S. EMBASSY FROM TEL AVIV TO JERUSALEM THIS MAY.

“And in that day will I make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all people: all that burden themselves with it shall be cut in pieces, though all the people of the earth be gathered together against it.” Zechariah 12:3 (KJV)

EDITOR’S NOTE: Many people think that because Muslims have not yet launched a military action against Israel over the US Embassy move to Jerusalem, that there is not going to be one. But nothing could be further from the truth, the uprising is certainly coming. Like everything else that is prophetically percolating now, the month of May is shaping up to be when all the action on multiple fronts should be taking place. As the prophet Jeremiah tells us…after 70 years…here it comes. 

“For thus saith the LORD, That after seventy years be accomplished at Babylon I will visit you, and perform my good word toward you, in causing you to return to this place.” Jeremiah 20:10 (KJV)

“We call for a Palestinian, Arab, Islamic, and popular uprising against this American aggression against the direction of the first prayer (the Al-Aqsa Mosque) and Muhammad’s place of worship,” said Qaradaghi in an official statement.

He stressed that the issue of the city of Al-Quds, the Arabic name for Jerusalem, is an issue of concern to the entire Muslim nation, and renouncing it or harming it is a mark of Cain that Allah, history, and future generations will not be able to atone for.

MOVING THE U.S. EMBASSY TO JERUSALEM, CONTINUED QARADAGHI, IS “A DECLARATION OF WAR AGAINST THE MUSLIMS AND A STEP THAT WILL ESTABLISH THE ILLEGAL OCCUPATION.”

The Association of Muslim Scholars brings together clerics from around the world and is considered an influential organization in the Sunni Muslim world.

Its leader, Qaradawi, is considered the supreme religious authority of the Sunni Muslim world and the spiritual leader of both the Muslim Brotherhood and Hamas. During the period of the Al-Aqsa Intifada, Qaradawi issued a fatwa permitting suicide attacks against Israel.

Last July, Qaradawi called for an “Islamic war” over Jerusalem. source

POPE FRANCIS IN CHILE PLACED CROWN ON STATUE OF THE ‘VIRGIN MARY’ AND DECLARED HER QUEEN OF THE UNIVERSE

“The virgin who wanted to be called Your handmaid was chosen mother of the Redeemer, and true mother of all the living, and now exalted above the choirs of the angels, reigns gloriously with Your Son interceding for all men as an advocate of grace and queen of mercy,” he prayed during mass, moments before crowning the statue.

THE CORONATION TOOK PLACE DURING MASS AT O’HIGGINS PARK IN SANTIAGO, WHERE THE TENS OF THOUSANDS IN ATTENDANCE WATCHED POPE FRANCIS PLACE A CROWN ON THE HEAD OF THE CHRIST CHILD, AND THEN ALSO ON THE HEAD OF MARY.

“The children gather wood, and the fathers kindle the fire, and the women knead their dough, to make cakes to the queen of heaven, and to pour out drink offerings unto other gods, that they may provoke me to anger.” Jeremiah 7:18 (KJV)

EDITOR’S NOTE: Section 966 of the official Catechism Of The Catholic Church states “the Blessed Virgin is invoked in the Church under the titles of Advocate, Helper, Benefactress, and Mediatrix”. But the Bible says that Jesus alone is our Advocate with the Father. It furthermore goes on to say that Mary is a co-redeemer in that the “union of the mother with the Son in the work of salvation is made manifest”. The Bible says that Jesus alone paid for our sins, with no earthly help from anyone. So when Pope Francis was in Chile earlier this year, placing a crown on a statue of Mary and declaring her to be queen, he was simply reaffirming that Catholics worship this fictional Mary who exists nowhere within the pages of the Bible. This is nothing more than pagan idol worship of another human being, making a statue and bowing down before it. This is not Christianity, and this is not biblical. No one in the Bible ever asked Mary for her advice, not one time is recorded of anyone asking for her prayers, and on the day of Pentecost she is a silent observer, saying and doing nothing at the birth of the Church. And yet somehow, the Catholic harlot has promoted her to the 4th part of the Trinity and a co-redeemer  with God in our salvation. Anything to get and keep your eyes off of Jesus, anything at all. 

In Chile, the statue is known as “Our Lady of Mount Carmel,” who is also known by Roman Catholics in the country as the patron saint and “queen” of Chile.

“The virgin who wanted to be called Your handmaid was chosen mother of the Redeemer, and true mother of all the living, and now exalted above the choirs of the angels, reigns gloriously with Your Son interceding for all men as an advocate of grace and queen of mercy,” he prayed during mass, moments before crowning the statue.

–

“Lord, look kindly upon these your servants, who by adorning with a visible crown the image of the mother of Your Son, recognize Your Son as King of the universe and invoke the virgin as queen,” Pope Francis said.

He “blessed” the crowns and was escorted to place them on the heads of the images. Francis then stood before the statue, swinging a smoking censer of incense.

“I pray that Our Lady of Mount Carmel, mother and queen of Chile, will continue to accompany and bring to birth the dreams of this blessed nation,” Bergoglio said in a speech to Chilean authorities on the same day.

The Roman Catholic leader also spoke to Chilean youth on Wednesday at the Basilica of Our Lady of Carmel in Maipú, where he told those gathered that the “Our Lady of Carmel waits for you and welcomes you with an open heart.”

INDONESIAN CHRISTIANS PUBLICLY FLOGGED AND MOCKED OUTSIDE OF MUSLIM MOSQUE FOR VIOLATING SHARIA LAW

The two Indonesian Christians – Dahlan Silitonga, 61, and Tjia Nyuk Hwa, 45 – were whipped six and seven times respectively by a masked man wearing a robe, as a crowd of 300 ridiculed and took pictures of them outside a mosque in the provincial capital, Banda Aceh. The strict Islamic law punishment against the Christian man and woman comes as the predominantly Muslim country shifts to a more radical, politicized version of Islam, Reuters reported.

INDONESIA PUBLICLY CANED TWO CHRISTIANS IN A RARE CASE OF NON-MUSLIMS PUNISHED UNDER SHARIA LAW.

EDITOR’S NOTE: In any country where Islam is in power, Sharia Law is enacted on not only Muslims but on non-Muslims as well. The Qu’ran commands muslims to make non-muslims submit to its laws. Isn’t it interesting when Sharia punishment is dished out, the  people doing the whipping are dressed all in black with a hood over their heads? Kinda reminds me of the KKK who dress all in white also with hoods over the heads to hide their identity. 

The two Indonesian Christians – Dahlan Silitonga, 61, and Tjia Nyuk Hwa, 45 – were whipped six and seven times respectively by a masked man wearing a robe, as a crowd of 300 ridiculed and took pictures of them outside a mosque in the provincial capital, Banda Aceh.

The strict Islamic law punishment against the Christian man and woman comes as the predominantly Muslim country shifts to a more radical, politicized version of Islam, Reuters reported.

The pair – among five people punished – was accused of gambling. Police said they were playing a game at a children’s entertainment complex that lets users exchange coins for prizes or vouchers, including cash. They were beaten with a rattan stick, while another man involved with them got 19 lashes.

ANOTHER COUPLE WAS WHIPPED TWO DOZEN TIMES FOR SHOWING AFFECTION IN PUBLIC.

Banda Aceh is the only province in Indonesia that imposes sharia law since it was adopted in 2001 as part of a deal with the central government to end a long-running insurgency. The province has flogged its non-Muslim citizens for a range of offenses – from gambling to selling alcohol to having gay or extramarital sex.

“This is to create a deterrent effect, in order for people not to repeat violations of Islamic sharia law,” Banda Aceh’s mayor Aminullah Usman said. “We purposely do it in front of the public … so it won’t happen again.”

INDONESIA IS THE COUNTRY WITH THE LARGEST MUSLIM POPULATION IN THE WORLD.

Around 98% of Banda Aceh’s population are Muslims subject to sharia law, but the other portion, Christians and other non-Muslims, when accused of violating both national and religious laws can choose to be prosecuted under either system, often opting for a flogging to avoid a lengthy, costly court process and jail time.

In January, a Christian man was whipped 36 times for selling alcohol and recently the country came under fire after police arrested and publicly humiliated transgender people.

Last year, Indonesia jailed Christian governor, Basuki “Ahok” Tjahaja Purnama, for blaspheming the Koran, prompting massive protests and pushback on the country’s stance as a bulwark of tolerance and pluralism in the Islamic world. source

Why Another Comforter?

• Posted byDR. ELI LIZORKIN-EYZENBERG
• DateMARCH 3, 2018
• Comments64 COMMENTS

The Book of Acts describes the first-century Jewish Christ-followers in a way unexpected to most modern believers. They are described in terms reminiscent of a Utopian society, where believers held all things in common and none had need (Acts 2:32-35).

But what was their basis for this communal lifestyle in Christ Jesus? The Torah, with all its care for the poor and needy (Lev.23:22), does not ever talk about shared property. In fact, private property rights are upheld (Ex. 20:17). The Hebrew prophets did not teach that all the faithful must abandon everything they ever owned. Jesus did challenge one young man to sell all of his possessions (Matthew 19), but that was to expose and challenge that man’s love of worldly possessions. There’s no indication Jesus meant this teaching to be normative for all of his followers.”

Our best available reconstruction links this group of Christ-followers with Essene communities that (according to Josephus Flavius) had already practiced just this kind of lifestyle for centuries. In describing them, the Jewish historian writes, “…one cannot find a person among them who has more in terms of possessions… those coming into the community must yield up their funds to the order …assets of each one have been mixed in together, as if they were brothers, to create one fund for all.” (Wars, II, 8, 3)

If the Acts community was made up of an Essene majority that allied itself with Jesus, then their continuation of this centuries-long communal practice would make sense.

Let’s take this intriguing proposition a step further. On one occasion, Jesus made a curious promise to his disciples. He said: “I will ask the Father, and he will give you ANOTHER Comforter” (John 14:16). This implies, of course, that he himself was the PRIOR Comforter. I am not denying that the Spirit of Holiness/Holy Spirit is the Comforter of whom Christ spoke, but why did he phrase it this way? Why say ANOTHER Comforter?

Based on hymns found among the Dead Sea Scrolls, Israel Knohl, a professor at the Hebrew University – and a guest lecturer with us here at Israel Bible Center – argued that one generation before Jesus, a messianic leader arose and became known as the Teacher of Righteousness. It is possible to identify this person with Menachem the Essene who held an advisory position in the court of King Herod.

Menachem led a very dangerous life, secretly preparing for what eventually proved to be an unsuccessful revolt. His followers believed that he was the Messiah, but he was disgraced and killed by Roman soldiers during the revolt in 4 B.C.E. (Later, his surviving followers believed him to be the fulfillment of the suffering servant texts in Isaiah).

The Hebrew word that lies behind the above-mentioned “Comforter” is, in fact, Menachem (מנחם) – the same as the name of the Essene leader mentioned by Josephus Flavius. (The Greek παράκλητος (Paraclete) is the Hebrew Menachem translated into Greek). 

It is possible that Jesus, by referring to the coming Holy Spirit as “another Comforter,” was identifying himself as the true/ultimate Menachem (מנחם); and that he was calling the Essene community to put its trust in Him instead. Unlike Menachem the Essene, the Ultimate Comforter (Jesus) led a successful rebellion against all the enemies of Israel and by his resurrection overcame even sin and death.

The Bible Foretold History (Hosea Prophecy Revealed It All)

(Hos 6:1)  Come, and let us return unto the LORD: for he hath torn, and he will heal us; he hath smitten, and he will bind us up.

(Hos 6:2)  After two days will he revive us: in the third day he will raise us up, and we shall live in his sight.

 

(Zec 13:7)  Awake, O sword, against my shepherd, and against the man that is my fellow, saith the LORD of hosts: smite the shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered: and I will turn mine hand upon the little ones.

(Joh 10:11)  I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.

(Mat 26:31)  Then saith Jesus unto them, All ye shall be offended because of me this night: for it is written, I will smite the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock shall be scattered abroad.

(Luk 21:24)  And they shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led away captive into all nations: and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled.

 

(2Pe 3:8)  But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.

(Psa 90:4)  For a thousand years in thy sight are but as yesterday when it is past, and as a watch in the night.

 

 

To Combat Islamism: Think Global, Act Local

Home > Political Islam > In the US > National Security >

To Combat Islamism: Think Global, Act Local

Illustrative picture. (Photo: Creative Commons/Travis Wise)

At Clarion, we always stress that Islamism is an international problem. It is a toxic political ideology (separate from the religion of Islam as a whole) that seeks to dominate the world and impose its vision of theocratic rule first onto Muslims and then everyone else on earth.

At the same time, far-right ideology has a codependent and destructive relationship with Islamism. It paints a picture of a global clash of civilizations between Christendom and Islam and makes every Muslim into a possible threat.

These two global movements each provide their own recruiting propaganda. They similarly establish networks between key activists in different countries, communicate effectively to each other using modern technology, and coordinate messages and propaganda strategies across continents and oceans with ease.

Therefore any real attempt to stop them has to be able to organize internationally. The counter-Islamist movement has to build effective transnational partnerships, coordinate strategy across multiple time zones and be clear and concise in its message to the world: no to theocracy — not in its Islamic form and not in any form.

Maintaining that global consciousness is vital to success. But individuals don’t operate on a global level. We operate in our own countries and in our own communities.

That means considering one’s local context and community when assessing the most urgent needs in the battle to combat Islamism. In a place like Iraq, for example, the biggest problem may be jihadi groups running rampant murdering people. These Islamists need to be stopped militarily. Afterwards, the causal factors need to be taken into account and action taken to halt the runaway corruption which is undermining public faith in the legitimacy of the state and giving power to the Islamists.

In the United Kingdom and France, the problem has more to do with integration. Urban ghettos have developed. They are full of disenfranchised young men with a chip on their shoulder who are preyed on by recruiters. Figuring out how to improve integration efforts and equip disaffected young Muslims with a sense of purpose would be a good first step in the fight against Islamism in these countries.

In the United States, jihadism is less of a threat (although still a possibility that must be guarded against). Here the problem is more soft Islamism, which seeks to divide communities with a narrative that Islam is threatened by America and promote Islamist ideas. The other problem in America is the deep partisan divide between Republicans and Democrats, which prevents a nuanced and accurate conversation on the issue.

Any effort to combat Islamism, if it wants to be successful, should therefore consider the local context before acting.

Once we are having an impact locally, then we can turn our attention to the international arena and forge global partnerships with other activists, organizations and leaders who are building change on the ground in their own countries and communities.

RELATED STORIES

Why Terrorism?

Where’s My Day of Rage?

Why a Small Minority Can Ruin it For the Rest of Us

IN GAZA HAMAS SAYS THAT US EMBASSY MOVE IN MAY ‘IS A DECLARATION OF WAR AGAINST THE ENTIRE MUSLIM WORLD’

In Gaza, a Hamas official, Sami Abu Zuhri, said: “Moving the US Embassy to Jerusalem is a declaration of war against the Arab and Muslim nation, and the US administration must reconsider its move.” Palestinian health officials said at least 20 Palestinians, most of them in Gaza, have been killed in protests against Trump’s decision since the Dec. 6 announcement.

IN GAZA, A HAMAS OFFICIAL, SAMI ABU ZUHRI, SAID: “MOVING THE US EMBASSY TO JERUSALEM IS A DECLARATION OF WAR AGAINST THE ARAB AND MUSLIM NATION, AND THE US ADMINISTRATION MUST RECONSIDER ITS MOVE.”

“Behold, I will make Jerusalem a cup of trembling unto all the people round about, when they shall be in the siege both against Judah and against Jerusalem. And in that day will I make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all people: all that burden themselves with it shall be cut in pieces, though all the people of the earth be gathered together against it.”Zechariah 12:2,3 (KJV)

EDITOR’S NOTE: As of this writing, the Middle East is an absolute powder keg just waiting for final spark that will set the entire region ablaze. We said over a year ago that Donald Trump was “God’s man” for the presidency because it would bring about the ‘global shaking‘ of end times prophetic fulfillment, and guess what? Here it comes.

Palestinian health officials said at least 20 Palestinians, most of them in Gaza, have been killed in protests against Trump’s decision since the Dec. 6 announcement. Palestinians reacted on Friday with anger to reports that the United States will move its embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem within months, saying this could destroy the prospect of a two-state solution to the Israel-Palestinian conflict.Clashes erupted in Gaza and the West Bank earlier on Friday in a weekly protest against US President Donald Trump’s stance on Jerusalem, which has also angered Arab political and religious leaders across the region and dismayed European allies. Palestinians claim east Jerusalem — seized by Israel in 1967 and later annexed — as the capital of a future state.Saeb Erekat, senior Palestinian negotiator, said the US move showed a “determination to violate international law, destroy the two-state solution and provoke the feelings of the Palestinian people as well as of all Arabs, Muslims and Christians around the globe.”

Erekat, who is also secretary-general of the Palestine Liberation Organization, said: “Trump and his team have disqualified the US from being part of the solution between Israelis and Palestinians; rather, the world now sees that they are part of the problem.”

TRUMP ANNOUNCED IN DECEMBER THAT THE UNITED STATES WOULD RECOGNIZE JERUSALEM AS ISRAEL’S CAPITAL, SETTING IN MOTION THE EMBASSY MOVE AND CONTRAVENING DECADES OF POLICY BY THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY.

A US official told Reuters on Friday that the United States was expected to open its embassy to Israel in Jerusalem in May. This would be shortly after Israel’s 70th anniversary.

“This is an unacceptable step. Any unilateral move will not give legitimacy to anyone and will be an obstacle to any effort to create peace in the region,” said Nabil Abu Rdainah, a spokesman for the Palestinian Authority president, Mahmoud Abbas.

Abbas has rejected US-led Middle East peace efforts as “impossible” since Washington’s decision.

Abu Rdainah said the only way to achieve peace, security and stability was Abbas’s proposal — outlined in an address to the United Nations Security Council in New York on Tuesday — that an international conference should be held to kick-start the peace process, including a “multilateral mechanism” to oversee it. source

Suspected Al Shabaab Militants Kill Three Christians in Northeast Kenya, Sources Say

Morning Star News East Africa Correspondent | Morning Star News | Tuesday, February 20, 2018

---

Suspected members of Islamic extremist group Al Shabaab shot three Christians to death in northeastern Kenya at 1 a.m. on Friday (Feb. 16), sources said.

Targeting Kenyans who came from other areas to work in predominantly Somali Wajir, some 100 miles from the Somali border, the suspected terrorists from the Somali rebel group entered the sleeping quarters of personnel at Qarsa Primary School and killed two Christian teachers and the wife of one of them, sources told Morning Star News.

After killing Seth Oluoch Odada, his wife Caroline and teacher Kevin Shari, one of the assailants said in the Somali language, “These infidels [non-Muslims] should be wiped out,” a teacher who survived the attack told a worker at Wajir Referral Hospital, the worker told Morning Star News.

The pastor of an area church, undisclosed for security reasons, told Morning Star News that Odada and his wife attended his church.

“We are very concerned about this selective kind of attack on non-locals who are also Christians in this region,” the pastor said. “Our other church members are not safe. Many of the church members, including teachers, have started fleeing the area to their home villages, and some did not attend the church for the Sunday service.”

It was not known if Shari belonged to a church. The bodies of those killed have been transferred to Chiromo Mortuary in Nairobi.

The hospital worker said that after shooting the couple, one of the assailants entered the house Shari shared with the surviving teacher. The gunman shot at Shari, and the same bullet struck the hand of the survivor, who fell down and pretended to be dead, the hospital source said, adding that the injured man said the shooter wore a mask typical of Al Shabaab militants.

The area pastor said local people believe area residents have joined Al Shabaab.

“I think these are the people who killed the three Christians,” he said.

Wajir is becoming increasingly dangerous for Christians since Al Shabaab militants appear to have shifted from Mandera, where they have carried out attacks in the past few years before the government recently erected a 10-kilometer wall on the border there, the pastor said.

Fear has shaken Christians in Wajir, he said. In Garissa, about 200 miles south of Wajir also near the Somali border, Al Shabaab has also been active. The pastors fellowship in Garissa reported several members did not appear for Sunday services.

“We as the pastors fellowship do register our concern to the government to protect Christians living in this volatile northeastern country,” the chairman of the pastor’s fellowship said.

The Wajir branch of the Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers called for the withdrawal of all non-local teachers in Wajir County if the government fails to increase security.

“We cannot close our eyes as non-local teachers are being butchered,” a union official told Morning Star News.

Education along Kenya’s border with Somalia has been hobbled after non-Muslim teachers inn 2014 began refusing to work in the region following frequent attacks by Al Shabaab and its sympathizers on non-Muslims.

A Wajir police official reportedly said Al Shabaab also set an Improvised Explosive Device on the route to the school, which detonated and hit a security vehicle responding to the attack. No one was injured.

Rebels from Al Shabaab, which is allied with Al Qaeda, have launched several attacks in northeast Kenya since Kenyan forces led an African coalition into Somalia against the rebels in October 2011 in response to terrorist attacks on tourists and others on Kenya’s coast.

The Islamic extremist militants have also recently attacked in Kenya’s coastal area, killing four Christians on Sept. 6, 2017.

Kenya ranked 32^nd on Christian support organization Open Doors’ 2018 World Watch List of the 50 countries where it is most difficult to be a Christian.

THE IMPORTANCE OF KNOWING WHY GOD RAPTURED OUT ENOCH BEFORE THE FLOOD OF NOAH DESTROYED THE WHOLE WORLD

Jesus shows us a rapture of the tribulation saints in Matthew 24, there is the rapture of the Two Witnesses, Elijah is caught up and away, Paul was caught up the Third Heaven, John was caught up to Heaven in a type of the rapture of the church, and the list goes on. And when we look just one page before the Flood of Noah in Genesis 6, what do we see there? We see good old Enoch who gets raptured away to be with God in Heaven without ever dying. Want to take a wild, end times guess what that is a ‘type” of?

SO WE SEE THE GENTILE ENOCH, PREACHING UP A STORM AND WARNING THE LOST OF COMING JUDGEMENT, HAVE AN AMAZING ENCOUNTER WITH THE GOD HE WAS TELLING EVERYONE ABOUT. THE BIBLE TELLS US THAT, ONE DAY WHILE WITNESSING, GOD SIMPLE CAUGHT HIM UP OFF THE FACE OF THE EARTH AND TRANSLATED HIM TO THE THRONE ROOM OF HEAVEN. WHAT DID ENOCH MISS WHEN THAT HAPPENED?

“But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.” Matthew 24:37-39 (KJV)

God is His amazing word, places types in the Bible from cover to cover to illustrate some deeper meaning or to shed light on prophecy. For example, David was an actual king who ruled over Israel from Jerusalem, and he is also a type of Jesus Christ who will rule from Jerusalem at the Second Coming. Ruth was an actual woman, but she is also a type of the gospel going to the gentiles at a time yet future of the writing of the book of Ruth. Joseph was one of the 12 sons of Jacob, and he is also a type of Jesus Christ in over 150 different respects. So we see that God places types in the Bible to show us things that He wishes us to pay attention to.

In Matthew 24 and Luke 21, we have Jesus prophesying to his disciples of what would be coming far into the future, a period of time the Bible calls the time of Jacob’s trouble. Jesus says that this time will be unique in human history as it will be the time of the greatest and most intense tribulation that will ever befall this sin-cursed old world. The greatest period of tribulation ever seen in the Old Testament was, you guessed it, the Flood of Noah.

SO LET’S LOOK AT SOME QUICK BULLET POINTS TO CONNECT MATTHEW 24, LUKE 17, LUKE 21, JUDE, THE TIME OF JACOB’S TROUBLE, AND OF COURSE, GOOD OLD ENOCH:

• IT WILL BE A GLOBAL JUDGEMENT: The Flood of Noah was not isolated to any particular region, it was global and affected the entire world. So too the time of Jacob’s trouble, while its primary focus will be the judgment of the Jews and Israel, will affect every human being who will be alive at the time it starts after the Rapture of the Church. “For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.”Matthew 24:21 (KJV)
• THE DAYS OF NOAH: Jesus is Matthew 24 draws a parallel to the ‘times of Noah’ (spelled as ‘noe’ because the New Testament is written in Greek) because the time of Jacob’s trouble is both global, and has a particular enemy in mind, namely Antichrist. The Flood of Noah was sent as a judgment of the wickedness of hybrid humans created when fallen angels mated with human women, with the Nephilim being the particular enemy. A lot of people, Christians, balk at the idea of fallen angels having sex with earthly women that created hybrid monsters, but guess what? It’s in there. “And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day.” Jude 1:6 (KJV)
• THE DAYS OF LOT: Jesus compares it to Noah to show that it’s global, and that a particular enemy is in mind, and then He compares it to Lot for a variety of reason. First, the fiery judgment that falls on Sodom and Gomorrah is an ensample of the the fiery judgments that blanket the earth in the last half of the time of Jacob’s trouble. Second, Lot himself, fleeing to the mountains for safety, is a picture of the Jews that Jesus tells to also flee to the mountains in Matthew 24. Lastly, Lot who cozies up with the lost sinners of Sodom is a picture of the Jews in the time of Jacob’s trouble who cozy up to Antichrist. “Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded; But the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all. Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed.” Luke 17:28-30 (KJV)

NOW THAT WE HAVE ESTABLISHED A PROPHECY ‘BASELINE’, LET’S TAKE A LOOK AT THE MAIN CHARACTER OF THIS ARTICLE, ENOCH.

Whenever you hear me talking about the Rapture, I am always very careful to qualify it as the pretribulation rapture of the church. Why do I do this? Because as spectacular as the pretribulation rapture of the church is going to be, it is not the only rapture in the Bible.

C. 1600, “ACT OF CARRYING OFF,” FROM MIDDLE FRENCH RAPTURE, FROM MEDIEVAL LATIN RAPTURA “SEIZURE, RAPE, KIDNAPPING,” FROM LATIN RAPTUS “A CARRYING OFF, ABDUCTION, SNATCHING AWAY; RAPE” (SEE RAPT). EARLIEST ATTESTED USE IN ENGLISH IS OF WOMEN AND IN 17C. IT SOMETIMES MEANT RAPE (V.), WHICH WORD IS A COGNATE OF THIS. SENSE OF “SPIRITUAL ECSTASY, STATE OF MENTAL TRANSPORT” FIRST RECORDED C. 1600 (RAPTURES).

Jesus shows us a rapture of the tribulation saints in Matthew 24, there is the rapture of the Two Witnesses, Elijah is caught up and away, Paul was caught up the Third Heaven, John was caught up to Heaven in a type of the rapture of the church, and the list goes on. And when we look just one page before the Flood of Noah in Genesis 6, what do we see there? We see good old Enoch who gets raptured away to be with God in Heaven without ever dying. Want to take a wild, end times guess what that is a ‘type” of? Let’s go the bullet points and take a look.

• ENOCH WAS A GENTILE: There are many reasons why God uses Enoch as a type to reveal to us light on end times prophecy. First, Enoch was not a Jew he was a gentile. So Enoch is a type of the gentile believer in the Church Age. Yes, the Church is made up of ‘Jews and gentiles’ but the vast majority of born again believers in the Church Age are in fact gentiles. “And in that day there shall be a root of Jesse, which shall stand for an ensign of the people; to it shall the Gentiles seek: and his rest shall be glorious.” Isaiah 11:11 (KJV)
• ENOCH WAS A PREACHER: The gentile enoch had a testimony before the LORD, and like Christians are commanded to do, he preached the word. SO Enoch is a great type of the obedient Christian in the days right up before the time of Jacob’s trouble because Enoch preached right up before the Flood of Noah. Everytime you go preaching and handing out tracts on the street, you are as gentile believers actually following the example of Enoch. I always say that NTEB is an end times witness for Jesus Christ to a lost and dying world in the last days before the Rapture of the Church. See the similarities? “And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints, To execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him.” Jude 1:14,15 (KJV)
• ENOCH NEVER SAW DEATH BECAUSE GOD TOOK HIM: So we see the gentile Enoch, preaching up a storm and warning the lost of coming judgement, have an amazing encounter with the God he was telling everyone about. The Bible tells us that, one day while witnessing, God simple caught him up off the face of the earth and translated him to the throne room of Heaven. What did Enoch miss when that happened? Why Enoch just happened to miss…wait for it…every single second of the global tribulation of the Flood of Noah! At this point, those of you who still struggle with the idea of a pretribulation rapture, now have all the evidence you need to know that the Church doesn’t spend one, single second in the time of Jacob’s trouble. Why? Because like Enoch, the Church of born again believers will be caught up and out of here before the great tribulation begins. Just like Enoch was. “For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words.” 1 Thessalonians 4:15-18 (KJV)
• BONUS POINT: Right now the world uses a gentile calendar that has 365 days of the year in it. In the time of Jacob’s trouble, the 360 day year used in the Hebrew calendar will be used once again to gauge the unfolding of prophecy by. So…how long did the gentile Enoch live for before God took him? You guessed it. “And all the days of Enoch were three hundred sixty and five years: And Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him.” Genesis 5:23,24 (KJV)

Now you know why it makes me laugh when the mockers comment to say that the pretribulation rapture wasn’t taught before John Darby made it up in the early 1800’s. Who needs John Darby or anyone else when God has already frontloaded His word with a dozen different ‘proofs’ for the pretrib rapture of the Church, the one we’re discussing today being the gentile Enoch as a type of the Church Age believer who witnesses to a lost and dying world right before the flood.

You can hang your eternal destiny securely on the fact that the Church will not live under Antichrist or even spend one, single minute in the time of Jacob’s trouble. Just like Enoch, we who are “alive and remain” will be caught up and out in the greatest troop movement in human history.

Count on it.

“My beloved spake, and said unto me, Rise up, my love, my fair one, and come away.” Song Of Solomon 2:10 (KJV)

Donald Trump Hints at #ReleaseTheMemo Success: ‘We Caught ‘Em … It’s So Much Fun’ – Breitbart

 

Donald Trump alluded to the effort to release the House Intelligence memo that exposed new details of FBI officials colluding against him.

Source: Donald Trump Hints at #ReleaseTheMemo Success: ‘We Caught ‘Em … It’s So Much Fun’ – Breitbart

Pope Francis Caught Lying About Catholic Church Sexual Abuse By Priests In Chile, Covered It Up

The Barros affair first caused shockwaves in January 2015 when Pope Francis appointed him bishop of Osorno, Chile, over the objections of the leadership of Chile’s bishops’ conference and many local priests and laity. They accepted as credible the testimony against Karadima, a prominent Chilean cleric who was sanctioned by the Vatican in 2011 for abusing minors. Barros was a Karadima protege, and according to Cruz and other victims, he witnessed the abuse and did nothing.

Pope Francis received a victim’s letter in 2015 that graphically detailed how a priest sexually abused him and how other Chilean clergy ignored it, contradicting the pope’s recent insistence that no victims had come forward to denounce the cover-up, the letter’s author and members of Francis’ own sex- abuse commission have told The Associated Press.

“And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH. And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus: and when I saw her, I wondered with great admiration.” Revelation 17:5,6 (KJV)

EDITOR’S NOTE: Pope Francis came in to “clean up” the Catholic Church, promising “zero tolerance” for priests who sexually abused thier followers. But sadly, this has not been the case. In the most explosive revelations to date, Pope Francis has been caught lying about widespread sexual abuse by Catholic priests in Chile, and about the letter hand-delivered to him written by Juan Carlos Cruz exposing it all. 

The fact that Pope Francis received the eight-page letter, obtained by the AP, challenges his insistence that he has “zero tolerance” for sex abuse and cover-ups. It also calls into question his stated empathy with abuse survivors, compounding the most serious crisis of his five-year papacy.

The scandal exploded last month when Francis’ trip to South America was marred by protests over his vigorous defense of Bishop Juan Barros, who is accused by victims of covering up the abuse by the Rev. Fernando Karadima. During the trip, Francis callously dismissed accusations against Barros as “slander,” seemingly unaware that victims had placed him at the scene of Karadima’s crimes.

On the plane home, confronted by an AP reporter, the pope said: “You, in all good will, tell me that there are victims, but I haven’t seen any, because they haven’t come forward.”

But members of the pope’s Commission for the Protection of Minors say that in April 2015, they sent a delegation to Rome specifically to hand-deliver a letter to the pope about Barros. The letter from Juan Carlos Cruz detailed the abuse, kissing and fondling he says he suffered at Karadima’s hands, which he said Barros and others witnessed and ignored.

Four members of the commission met with Francis’ top abuse adviser, Cardinal Sean O’Malley, explained their objections to Francis’ recent appointment of Barros as a bishop in southern Chile, and gave him the letter to deliver to Francis.

“When we gave him (O’Malley) the letter for the pope, he assured us he would give it to the pope and speak of the concerns,” then-commission member Marie Collins told the AP. “And at a later date, he assured us that that had been done.”

Cruz, who now lives and works in Philadelphia, heard the same later that year.

“Cardinal O’Malley called me after the pope’s visit here in Philadelphia and he told me, among other things, that he had given the letter to the pope — in his hands,” he said in an interview at his home Sunday.

Neither the Vatican nor O’Malley responded to multiple requests for comment.

While the 2015 summit of Francis’ commission was known and publicized at the time, the contents of Cruz’s letter — and a photograph of Collins handing it to O’Malley — were not disclosed by members. Cruz provided the letter, and Collins provided the photo, after reading an AP story that reported Francis had claimed to have never heard from any Karadima victims about Barros’ behavior.

The Barros affair first caused shockwaves in January 2015 when Francis appointed him bishop of Osorno, Chile, over the objections of the leadership of Chile’s bishops’ conference and many local priests and laity. They accepted as credible the testimony against Karadima, a prominent Chilean cleric who was sanctioned by the Vatican in 2011 for abusing minors. Barros was a Karadima protege, and according to Cruz and other victims, he witnessed the abuse and did nothing.

“Holy Father, I write you this letter because I’m tired of fighting, of crying and suffering,” Cruz wrote in Francis’ native Spanish. “Our story is well known and there’s no need to repeat it, except to tell you of the horror of having lived this abuse and how I wanted to kill myself.”

Cruz and other survivors had for years denounced the cover-up of Karadima’s crimes, but were dismissed as liars by the Chilean church hierarchy and the Vatican’s own ambassador in Santiago, who refused their repeated requests to meet before and after Barros was appointed.

After Francis’ comments backing the Chilean hierarchy caused such an outcry in Chile, he was forced last week to do an about-face: The Vatican announced it was sending in its most respected sex-crimes investigator to take testimony from Cruz and others about Barros.

In the letter to the pope, Cruz begs for Francis to listen to him and make good on his pledge of “zero tolerance.”

“Holy Father, it’s bad enough that we suffered such tremendous pain and anguish from the sexual and psychological abuse, but the terrible mistreatment we received from our pastors is almost worse,” he wrote.

Cruz goes on to detail in explicit terms the homo-eroticized nature of the circle of priests and young boys around Karadima, the charismatic preacher whose El Bosque community in the well-to-do Santiago neighborhood of Providencia produced dozens of priestly vocations and five bishops, including Barros.

He described how Karadima would kiss Barros and fondle his genitals, and do the same with younger priests and teens, and how young priests and seminarians would fight to sit next to Karadima at the table to receive his affections.

“More difficult and tough was when we were in Karadima’s room and Juan Barros — if he wasn’t kissing Karadima — would watch when Karadima would touch us — the minors — and make us kiss him, saying: ‘Put your mouth near mine and stick out your tongue.’ He would stick his out and kiss us with his tongue,” Cruz told the pope. “Juan Barros was a witness to all this innumerable times, not just with me but with others as well.”

“Juan Barros covered up everything that I have told you,” he added.

Barros has repeatedly denied witnessing any abuse or covering it up. “I never knew anything about, nor ever imagined, the serious abuses which that priest committed against the victims,” he told the AP recently. “I have never approved of nor participated in such serious, dishonest acts, and I have never been convicted by any tribunal of such things.”

For the Osorno faithful who have opposed Barros as their bishop, the issue isn’t so much a legal matter requiring proof or evidence, as Barros was a young priest at the time and not in a position of authority over Karadima. It’s more that if Barros didn’t “see” what was happening around him and doesn’t find it problematic for a priest to kiss and fondle young boys, he shouldn’t be in charge of a diocese where he is responsible for detecting inappropriate sexual behavior, reporting it to police and protecting children from pedophiles like his mentor.

Cruz had arrived at Karadima’s community in 1980 as a vulnerable teenager, distraught after the recent death of his father. He has said Karadima told him he would be like a spiritual father to him, but instead sexually abused him.

Based on testimony from Cruz and other former members of the parish, the Vatican in 2011 removed Karadima from ministry and sentenced him to a lifetime of “penance and prayer” for his crimes. Now 87, he lives in a home for elderly priests in Santiago; he hasn’t commented on the scandal and the home has declined to accept calls or visits from the news media.

The victims also testified to Chilean prosecutors, who opened an investigation into Karadima after they went public with their accusations in 2010. Chilean prosecutors had to drop charges because too much time had passed, but the judge running the case stressed that it wasn’t for lack of proof.

While the victims’ testimony was deemed credible by both Vatican and Chilean prosecutors, the local church hierarchy clearly didn’t believe them, which might have influenced Francis’ view. Cardinal Francisco Javier Errazuriz has acknowledged he didn’t believe the victims initially and shelved an investigation. He was forced to reopen it after the victims went public.

He is now one of the Argentine pope’s key cardinal advisers.

By the time he finally got his letter into the pope’s hands in 2015, Cruz had already sent versions to many other people, and had tried for months to get an appointment with the Vatican ambassador. The embassy’s Dec. 15, 2014, email to Cruz — a month before Barros was appointed — was short and to the point:

“The apostolic nunciature has received the message you emailed Dec. 7 to the apostolic nuncio,” it read, “and at the same time communicates that your request has been met with an unfavorable response.”

One could argue that Francis didn’t pay attention to Cruz’s letter, since he receives thousands of letters every day from faithful around the world. He can’t possibly read them all, much less remember the contents years later. He might have been tired and confused after a weeklong trip to South America when he told an airborne press conference that victims never came forward to accuse Barros of cover-up.

But this was not an ordinary letter, nor were the circumstances under which it arrived in the Vatican.

Francis had named O’Malley, the archbishop of Boston, to head his Commission for the Protection of Minors based on his credibility in having helped clean up the mess in Boston after the U.S. sex abuse scandal exploded there in 2002. The commission gathered outside experts to advise the church on protecting children from pedophiles and educating church personnel about preventing abuse and cover-ups.

The four commission members who were on a special subcommittee dedicated to survivors had flown to Rome specifically to speak with O’Malley about the Barros appointment and to deliver Cruz’s letter. A press release issued after the April 12, 2015, meeting read: “Cardinal O’Malley agreed to present the concerns of the subcommittee to the Holy Father.”

Commission member Catherine Bonnet, a French child psychiatrist who took the photo of Collins handing the letter to O’Malley, said the commission members had decided to descend on Rome specifically when O’Malley and other members of the pope’s group of nine cardinal advisers were meeting, so that O’Malley could put it directly into the pope’s hands.

“Cardinal O’Malley promised us when Marie gave to him the letter of Juan Carlos that he will give to Pope Francis,” she said.

O’Malley’s spokesman in Boston referred requests for comment to the Vatican. Neither the Vatican press office, nor officials at the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors, responded to calls and emails seeking comment.

But O’Malley’s remarkable response to Francis’ defense of Barros and to his dismissal of the victims while he was in Chile, is perhaps now better understood.

In a rare rebuke of a pope by a cardinal, O’Malley issued a statement Jan. 20 in which he said the pope’s words were “a source of great pain for survivors of sexual abuse,” and that such expressions had the effect of abandoning victims and relegating them to “discredited exile.”

A day later, Francis apologized for having demanded “proof” of wrongdoing by Barros, saying he meant merely that he wanted to see “evidence.” But he continued to describe the accusations against Barros as “calumny” and insisted he had never heard from any victims.

Even when told in his airborne press conference Jan. 21 that Karadima’s victims had indeed placed Barros at the scene of Karadima’s abuse, Francis said: “No one has come forward. They haven’t provided any evidence for a judgment. This is all a bit vague. It’s something that can’t be accepted.”

He stood by Barros, saying: “I’m certain he’s innocent,” even while saying that he considered the testimony of victims to be “evidence” in a cover-up investigation.

“If anyone can give me evidence, I’ll be the first to listen,” he said.

Cruz said he felt like he had been slapped when he heard those words. “I was upset,” he said, “and at the same time I couldn’t believe that someone so high up like the pope himself could lie about this.” source