Translation: Bible Cover in Portuguese

Postagem em português.

I translated Lisa Hamblin's pattern (with permission) into portuguese. Photo shows my finished project from her pattern.

Link above takes you to the Portuguese post for this pattern or click
Download the free pattern in Portuguese. The original version is located on Lisa's site at Crochet n More

On Ravelry you can find it in Portuguese or English.

The Sequence of Pretribulation Events

The Sequence of Pretribulation Events (Biblical and Sound)...based on teach of Dr. Arnold Fruchtenbaum (Ariel Ministries):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wZAhNvA3QlY&feature=player_detailpage

How To Interpret The Bible

Posted in: Selah, The Bible's Authority

A Bible Study by Jack Kelley

The Bible isn’t such a complex document that it requires years of formal education before you can begin to comprehend it. I’ve always believed the Bible was meant to be understood by any believer who can read and has a serious interest in knowing what it says. I say this because I believe the Bible is best approached by relying on the power of the Holy Spirit rather than one’s own intellect.James 1:5 says that any of us who lacks wisdom need only ask God who gives generously to all without finding fault.

Conversely the man without the Spirit can not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God regardless of his mental prowess. (1 Cor. 2:14) This is why we hear of people who tried to read the Bible as non-believers and found they couldn’t figure it out, but as soon as they were born again it began to make sense. They didn’t suddenly become more intelligent, they simply gained the supernatural insight of the Holy Spirit who teaches us all things. (John 14:26)

Over the 25 years or so I’ve been studying the Bible I’ve picked up a handful of principles that have also given me a better understanding of what it says. They help keep me honest so I know it’s the Holy Spirit teaching me, and not just my sin infested intellect coming to its own conclusion. From time to time I get asked about these principles, having mentioned them in answers to various questions, so here they are.

The Golden Rule of Interpretation

“When the plain sense of scripture makes common sense, seek no other sense; therefore, take every word at its primary, ordinary, usual, literal meaning unless the facts of the immediate context, studied in the light of related passages and axiomatic and fundamental truths, indicate clearly otherwise.” Dr. D.L. Cooper

This hasn’t become known as the Golden Rule of Interpretation for nothing. If you ignore all the others and only follow this one rule you will avoid almost all the mistakes people make in reading the Bible. And the next one is like it, sort of an expanded version of the first.

Literal, Historical, Grammatical, Contextual

These could be called the most important words in Biblical Hermeneutics, which is the science of properly interpreting the Bible.

Literal means that each word is given the same exact basic meaning it would have in normal, ordinary, customary usage, whether employed in writing, speaking or thinking. Unless it’s clearly indicated otherwise, we’re to assume the Bible means exactly what it says. Examples of passages that are not intended to be taken literally are parables, dreams, and visions. These are all identified as such, alerting us to the fact that they’re meant to be understood symbolically.

Historical means that each passage is put into its proper historical setting and surrounded with the thoughts, attitudes, and feelings prevalent at the time of its writing. In Biblical times the Jewish view of the Messiah was one of a charismatic leader like King David. In other words, a man, not God in human form. Knowing that helps us understand how they failed to recognize Him, and why they accused Him of blasphemy when He claimed to be God.

Grammatical means that words are given meanings consistent with their common understanding in the original language at the time of writing. Grammatical interpretation also includes following recognized rules of grammar and in its more advanced form, applying the nuances of the Hebrew and Greek languages to the understanding of a passage.

A good example showing the importance of following the rules of grammar can found in Daniel 9:27 where the subject of the first sentence in the verse is a personal pronoun. “He will confirm a covenant with (the) many.” The rule of grammar regarding personal pronouns is that they refer to the closest preceding personal noun. In this case it’s “the ruler who will come” in verse 26 indicating that the person who will confirm the covenant with Israel is the anti-Christ, not the Lord as some commentators assert.

Contextual interpretation involves always taking the surrounding context of a verse/passage into consideration when trying to determine its meaning. The Holy Spirit has usually prompted the Bible’s writers to place indicators in the text surrounding a passage to guide you in interpreting it. In1 Cor. 9:24-27 Paul compares our life to that of an athlete, training and competing for crowns. The mention of crowns tells us the passage is not about salvation, which is a free gift, but rewards believers can win after being saved. (In this case it’s the crown of victory, awarded to those who overcome the ways of the flesh by getting rid of selfish desires, bad habits and attitudes, etc.)

When you stop to think about it, reading the Bible this way actually makes perfect sense. If you received a letter from a friend you wouldn’t have to be reminded to apply these principles. You would naturally assume that your friend was using words that meant the same thing to both of you. You would understand them within the parameters of your shared history, you would assume that the rules of grammar you had both been taught applied, and you would interpret what was written within the context of your relationship. You would expect your friend to alert you if any of these assumptions were not going to apply, and explain the reason for it.

The only difference with the Bible is that it was written over a long period of time, during which the meanings of some words changed, and society is generally different now than it was when the Bible was written. This makes books on Bible history and a good concordance valuable additions to your library.

Expositional Constancy

This is a fancy term to remind us that symbolism in scripture tends to be consistent. For example, through out the Bible leaven, or yeast, is used symbolically to stand for sin. Therefore there’s no justification for claiming that in the Parable of the Yeast (Matt. 13:33) and there alone, it stands for the Gospel. Expositional Constancy only applies to words that are used symbolically, so be careful. Peter’s statement in 2 Peter 3:9 that with the Lord a day is like 1000 years and 1000 years is like a day does not justify substituting 1000 years for a day every time it comes up. Peter was simply explaining that the Lord’s concept of time is way different from ours.

Internal Consistency

The Bible, being the word of God, cannot contradict itself. The Lord is just and righteous so He can’t say something in one place and something different in another. He knows the end from the beginning so He can’t change His mind or take back something He’s given. Everything He says has to agree with everything else He says. For example, if the Bible says it’s God who makes us stand firm in Christ, that He anointed us, set His seal of ownership on us and put His Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee of what’s to come (2 Cor. 1:21-22), then it can’t say that we can walk away from our salvation or have it taken away from us someplace else.

Principle Of First Mention

Often when an important concept is mentioned for the first time there is elevated significance in the context of the passage in which it appears. The first mention of the Church is in Matt.16:18 where Peter declared that Jesus is the Messiah, son of the living God. Jesus said that this truth would be the foundation upon which He would build His Church. Notice who’s going to be doing the building and whose Church it is. Studying the passage where an important concept first appears can be very helpful in interpreting subsequent passages on the same subject.

Use Clear Passages To Interpret Obscure Ones

Some passages of Scripture are more difficult to interpret correctly than others. When confronting one of these, it’s best to locate the clearest verses on the subject and use them to help interpret the difficult one. A classic example is Hebrews 6:4-6 which, when taken alone, seems to say that we can fall away and lose our salvation, and if that should happen we can never get it back. But the clearest verses on salvation are Ephesians 1:13-14 and 2 Cor. 1:21-22, and they plainly state the opposite. The Ephesians passage says we were included in Christ when we first heard and believed the gospel. Having believed we were sealed with the Holy Spirit, a deposit that guarantees our inheritance. In 2 Corinthians Paul went even further saying that God himself has accepted responsibility for making us stand firm in Christ and has set His seal of ownership on us, like a rancher brands his cattle.

Applying the principles above we must conclude that the writer to Hebrews had to be talking about something else. When we look at the context of the letter, we find that it was written to Jewish believers who were being lured back into the Levitical system, which used the sacrifice of a lamb to atone for sins. For the Church, the Lord’s death fulfilled what the sacrifice only symbolized, so going back to this was tantamount to sacrificing Him all over again and subjecting him to public disgrace, because by their actions they were saying that His death was not sufficient to atone for their sins.

And as if that wasn’t bad enough, going back to the sacrifice was no longer acceptable to God because the Law was only a shadow of the good things that are coming, not the realities themselves. For that reason it could never make perfect those who draw near to worship no matter how many times they repeated it. (Hebr. 10:1) But when the Lord offered His sacrifice once for all time, He made perfect forever those who are being made holy (Hebr. 10:12-14) During the Church Age all we have to do after sinning is confess our sins to receive forgiveness, be brought back to repentance, and be purified from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9) Now Hebrews 6:4-6makes sense because it conforms to the internal consistency of God’s Word.

There are lots of other rules and principles man has developed for application to God’s word, but in my opinion if we just apply the ones I’ve listed above we’ll stand a good chance of avoiding the errors and misinterpretations that seem to be so common these days.

The Bible is quite simply the most incredible book ever written. Some parts of it were written at least 4000 years ago, and by 95AD its most recent chapters were finished. But according to Paul it was written to teach us, upon whom the end of the age has come. (Romans 15:4, 1 Cor. 10:11) If we’ll just read it the way we would any other document, as if it means what it says, the Holy Spirit will reveal wondrous truths from within its pages. Truths that will give us an anchor against the storms of deceit and controversy that have become so common in our time. Maybe that’s why it was written primarily to us. Selah 11-14-09

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Return to: How To Interpret The Bible

Israeli Experts Believe There May Be A Major Oil Source In The Dead Sea Area

Prophecy continues to become history and more so in this, the end times. The news story below shows the stage is being set for the great battle of Ezekiel and the invasion of Israel from the North.

Prophecy tells us: 1) a large oil reserve WILL be found 2) the Arabs, Russians and Chinese WILL ally themselves against Israel to get that oil 3) Israel WILL win that battle by the hand of God.

These things will happen before the revealing of the AntiChrist and the rapture, so any Christian reading this should know the times!

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Israeli Experts Believe There May Be A Major Oil Source In The Dead Sea Area
By Jimmy DeYoung

The Israeli National Parks Council has granted three major petroleum companies in Israel permission to do exploratory drilling for oil in the Judean Desert Nature Reserve in the Dead Sea region to see if there is a major source of oil in the lowest location on the Earth.

Led by Ginko Oil Company, the three companies believe that this is the best chance for Israel to find oil, a much needed commodity in the Jewish state of Israel which relies on the Arab world to supply Israeli oil needs.

The geological department at Hebrew University says that the fact that oil has been found previously in this area near the Dead Sea could mean that there is more in the region.

Jimmy's Prophetic Perspective on the News

The potential for a major source of oil in the Dead Sea area in Israel is setting the stage for Bible prophecy to be fulfilled.

Over the years, there have been a number of petroleum wildcatters, speculators, that have suggested various locations in Israel where oil could be found. Many of these speculators even used the Bible to help convince investors to get on board searching for this oil.

Now, three very legitimate companies in Israel have received permission to do exploratory drilling in a nature reserve near the Dead Sea that could be a major source of oil, a natural resource much needed in Israel. Should these companies and this exploratory drilling prove to be successful and they find a major source of oil in Israel, it will be that which prepares the way for Bible prophecy to be fulfilled. Ezekiel 38 mentions several times that the invading armies that come to destroy Israel in the last days will be coming, in fact, be lured into Israel to take a spoil and maybe that spoil is oil. These prophetic passages in Ezekiel 38 are verses 4, 12, 13, and 16.

The potential for a major oil source in the Dead Sea region of Israel does indeed help set the stage for Bible prophecy to be fulfilled.

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Eze 39:9 "Then those who inhabit the cities of Israel will go out and make fires with the weapons and burn them, both shields and bucklers, bows and arrows, war clubs and spears, and for seven years they will make fires of them.
Eze 39:10 "They will not take wood from the field or gather firewood from the forests, for they will make fires with the weapons; and they will take the spoil of those who despoiled them and seize the plunder of those who plundered them," declares the Lord GOD.
Eze 39:11 "On that day I will give Gog a burial ground there in Israel, the valley of those who pass by east of the sea, and it will block off those who would pass by. So they will bury Gog there with all his horde, and they will call it the valley of Hamon-gog.
Eze 39:12 "For seven months the house of Israel will be burying them in order to cleanse the land.

The Debate Over Antichrist (by Walid Shoebat)

From Prophezine.com

THE DEBATE OVER ANTICHRIST
By Walid Shoebat

THE THREE CHALLENGES

Does the beast of Revelation involve Middle Eastern Muslim nations, is it exclusively European, or is it both? Some say the notion that Islam could play a prominent role in the coming revival of the Roman Empire is impossible, unorthodox, untraditional, the work of ‘Lone Ranger’ type interpretation, and even revisionist.. 1

The majority of American evangelicals believe that the Antichrist system must be exclusively European, yet this view is changing after the last few years with the rise of Islam.

So, could Islam play a role in this end-times scenario? You might think to yourself—so what? Why should we care? Well, why then did the Almighty give us Daniel and Revelations? Even better still — why did God give us all the Messianic prophesies regarding Jesus’ first coming? Careless followers that missed these ended up without salvation, regardless of whether they sacrificed lambs in the Temple or obeyed the law—when it comes to the issue of Messiah, they missed the most crucial event in history. All for not paying close attention to Bible Prophecy. And what about the second coming? Are we to be careless with respect to the evidence presented in the Bible? I am not saying that you could lose your salvation, but if you end up on the side of Antichrist, you never had salvation in the first place.

Yet today, the debate is brewing—what about the threat of Islam? Did the Bible warn us about it? Are we supposed to keep our focus exclusively on Europe ?

To shed light on the implications of such detailed evidence (which spawned countless challenges and questions) I decided to write God’s War on Terror regarding Islam’s involvement in end-times. Consequently, I get challenges daily, not only by Muslims that want me dead but also from Christians who are dogmatic about their views. Ironically, we have no record of any Christian minister killed for exposing the E.U. as the work of Satan, yet we have millions who gave their lives for standing up to Islam. So please allow me to alleviate some pressure and present you with only three challenges:

CHALLENGE 1: Did traditional Prophecy scholars teach that Europe is exclusively the Antichrist kingdom?

You might be shocked to know that the highest caliber commentators of old did not believe that Europe was the exclusive player in the End-Times. A revival of a Roman Empire never meant a revival of a European Empire.

Many of our best western scholars on Bible prophecy believed that Islam would be a major player and will revive in the end of days as part of this end-time beast.

John Wesley interpreted the Iron in Daniel 2 as Islam (Works, 1841).

Hilaire Belloc foresaw Islam‘s rise.2

Gregory Palamus of Thessalonica interpreted the martyrdom of Christians during the Great Tribulation to come from Islam.

Josiah Litch interpreted Revelation as the ushering in of Islam.3 He even described the magnitude of Islam’s role being Antichrist to the extent of calling it the “general agreement among Christians, especially protestant commentators.”

Cyril of Jerusalem (315-368 A.D) in his Divine Institutes believed that Antichrist proceeds forth from the region of ancient Syria 4, which today extends from Syria well into portions of Asia Minor ( Turkey ).

Sophronius, Patriarch of Jerusalem (560-638) and Maximus the Confessor (580-662) identified Islam with Antichrist and lived through Islam’s invasion of Jerusalem .. Maximus was also an important theologian and scholar of the early Church who helped defeat the Monothelite heresy referred to the Muslim invasions as “announcing the advent of the Antichrist.”

John of Damascus (676-749) was another very important figure in the early church. In his famous book, Against Heresies, he identified Islam as the forerunner to the Antichrist.

Eulogius, Paul Alvarus and the Martyrs of Cordova (9th century) believed Muhammad to be a false prophet and the precursor to the Antichrist. 5

Many are not aware that while Martin Luther, father of the Protestant Reformation, believed that the Papacy played the role of the spiritual harlot, he also believed that the Muslims were the Kingdom of Antichrist . 6

John Calvin interpreted Daniel 2 eastern leg as the Eastern-Roman Islamic Empire and that Daniel 11:37 applied to the Muslims. 7

Even Jonathan Edwards the great American congregational preacher, revivalist, and president of Princeton University , like Luther and Calvin, saw Islam as one of the premiere elements of the Antichrist Kingdom . 8 Calvin even interpreted Islam’s fall at the sound of the great trumpet 9 Islam falling at the sound of the great trumpet even carries Islam into the Great Tribulation and not as many of our contemporary prophecy analysts who allege that Islam must be removed prior to Christ coming.

Even Sir Robert Anderson, perhaps one of the best prophecy experts who unlocked the seventy weeks of Daniel, in his remarkable book The Coming Prince, insists to focus on the Levant (Eastern) parts rather than the Adriatic (West). 10

Countless other Bible commentators warned about Islam being the kingdom of Antichrist—Selnecker, Nigrinus, Chytraeus, Bullinger, Foxe, Napier, Pareus, John Cotton, Thomas Parker, Increase Mather, Cotton Mather, and George Stanley Faber. 11

Also added to the list is Rev. Professor Dr. Francis Nigel Lee who sums up the traditional view in his excellent work Islam in the Bible: “from the seventh century onward – [the two legs] would degenerate respectively into the Papacy (which progressively took over the West) and Islam (which progressively took over the East.” (p. 5)

Making Europe the exclusive body of Antichrist kingdom is not the orthodox or even the traditional view. Some insist that Antichrist is Italian since he comes from the Roman Empire, but Roman does not strictly mean Italian, just as Alexander the Great was Grecian, this does not mean Athenian—he was from Macedonia . Antiochus Epiphanies, another biblical prediction was Syrian not Athenian or Cypriot. Why then, when it comes to Antichrist, insist on an Italian ignoring the whole empire. Even Jesus insisted that Pergamum in Revelation 2:12-13, was the seat of Satan and not the gymnastically altered interpretation for an archeological relic that sits in Berlin .

While contemporary prophesy analysts trumpet the idea that the fourth composite of Daniel 2 iron metal as strictly European, traditionalist views differ. Dr. Matthew Henry comments: "Who is this enemy—whose rise, reign and ruin are here foretold? Interpreters are not in agreement. Some will have the Fourth Kingdom to be that of the Seleucidae and the ‘little horn’ to be Antiochus.... Others will have the Fourth Kingdom to be that of the Romans, and the ‘little horn’ to be Julius Caesar and the succeeding emperors, as Calvin says. The Antichrist, the Papal Kingdom , says Mr. Joseph Mede.

Others make the ‘little horn’ to be the Turkish Empire [Muslim]; so Luther, Vatablus, and others. Now I cannot prove either side to be in the wrong. Therefore, since prophecies sometimes have many fulfillments, we ought to give Scripture its full latitude (in this as in many other controversies)—I am willing to allow that they are both in the right.” 12

NORTH AFRICA

Most students of prophecy that ascribe to a revival of the Roman Empire ignore that North Africa (Phut) encompasses five Muslim nations historically part of the western wing of the Roman Empire, and already mentioned literally in several end-times references. In order for the exclusively European model to fit, the whole of this Muslim region must be irrelevant. So what part of the Roman pie do we slice off and what parts do we include?

CONTEMPORARY VS TRADITIONAL

So what happened? Why do we have such a variation between contemporary versus traditional? The problem began in 1981 when Greece joined as the tenth nation in the European Union and many sounded a false alarm that announced they unlocked the mystery and have the fulfillment of Revelation 17, all with its ten horns, to later be embarrassed when the European Union mushroomed into twenty some nations.

Instead of pulling back their books, these analysts ran back to the drawing board, not to confess their error, but to insist that the E.U. model must shrink to only ten.. They still chose to finagle with the theory. Some, like Arnold Fruchtenbaum, realized that this was wrong: “It has become common today to refer to the ten kingdoms as being in Europe only, especially the Former Common Market, now the European Union. But the text does not allow for this kind of interpretation. At the very best, the European Union might become one of the ten, but it could hardly become all of the ten.'' 13

According to Fruchtenbaum, the European model comprises only one tenth, a mere slice of the whole pie. Jamieson Fausset & Brown insist that, “the ten toes are not upon the one foot (the west), as these interpretations require, but on the two (east and west) together, so that any theory which makes the ten kingdoms belong to the west alone must err..”

CHALLENGE 2: Besides the argument on whether Magog is Russia , can anyone cite any literal reference to a nation that God destroys in the End-Times that is not Muslim?

Only if you ponder this question can you grasp its magnitude. On one occasion during a lecture to a group of prominent Bible prophecy teachers in the Pre-Trib Prophecy Conference in Dallas, I asked this question and no one raised a hand to answer.

In frustration, I pointed to Dr. Randall Price, a known Prophecy teacher and asked him to respond, in which he pointed that when it comes to literal references there are none. Grant Jeffrey, another known author, once attempted to respond with Cush, not realizing that biblical Cush (a reference sometimes translated as Ethiopia) is defined in the Unger Bible Dictionary as a landmass south of Egypt . Today this will be Sudan and Somalia .

Grant Jeffrey chose one of the most fundamentalist Muslim nations as a response to find non-Muslim nations in end-times. David Reagan of the Lion and Lamb Ministries with frustration pointed to Mystery Babylon 14 ignoring that the crucial word in that question is “literal”. If Babylon is a response to cite any literal reference for a non-Muslim nation that God destroys, this would still support my view— Mystery Babylon is an allegoric reference.

CHALLENGE 3: In every portrayal of Christ’s return to the earth, is He not fighting a nation that today is Muslim?

The significance of this question is as follows —scholars are unanimous, that Christ’s second coming must happen after Antichrist appears on the scene. Christ’s mission will be to destroy Antichrist and establish His Millennium kingdom. The European Union model has the Muslim hordes destroyed before the Tribulation period. Yet the text shows that Messiah Himself deals with Muslim nations.

The next prophecy conference you attend ask, “Is Jesus on earth on the Day of the Lord?” Ezekiel tells us of that day, “For the day is near, even the Day of the Lord is near” (Ezekiel 30:3). Yet this is when “ Cush and Phut , Lydia [ Turkey ] and all Arabia, Libya and the people of the covenant land will fall by the sword along with Egypt ” (Ezekiel 30:5). Other prophesies show these nations are cast into Hell, including Asshur – “ Iraq – Syria ”, (Ezekiel 32:22-23) Elam – “ Iran ” (Ezekiel 32:24-25) Meshech & Tubal “Asia minor— Turkey ” (Ezekiel 32:26) – Edom – “ Arabia ” (Ezekiel 32:29). These nations are punished for striking terror against Israel and the believers (Ezekiel 32:22-24 & 27).

Perhaps sharing a few from the volume of hundreds of prophecies of Jesus’ wars during the Great Tribulation can shed more light on the matter: “See Jehovah rides on a swift cloud and is coming to Egypt . The idols of Egypt tremble before him, and the hearts of the Egyptians melt within them” (Isaiah 19). Does this remind you of the song “behold He comes riding on the clouds”? Yet rarely are we told that Jesus here is fighting Egypt —a Muslim nation.

Even in Christ’s judgment of the nations (Joel 3) He is fighting Muslim entities. “Now what have you against me, O Tyre and Sidon [Lebanon] and all you regions of Philistia [Gaza]” (Joel 3:4) It couldn’t be more clear! It was as if Jesus Himself was speaking directly to Hezbollah ( Tyre and Sidon ) and Hamas ( Philistia ), challenging them regarding their bloodlust against the Jewish people. Their fight against Israel is in reality a declaration of war on the King Himself.

In Isaiah 25:9-10 at the time of the Lord’s return, we have Christ fighting Moab “And it shall be said in that day, Lo, this is our God; we have waited for Him, and He will save us: this is the LORD; we have waited for Him, we will be glad and rejoice in His salvation. For in this mountain shall the hand of the LORD rest, and Moab shall be trodden down under Him, even as straw is trodden down for the dunghill.” (Isaiah 25:9-10).

Even in Isaiah 63, scholars unanimously agree that He fights Edom ( Arabia )..

Are the Muslim nations in prophecy destroyed prior to the Christ’s coming? Will the Antichrist then establish his European rule? Can anyone find a verse in the Bible in which Christ fights and nations are literally mentioned which are not Muslim?

This is why many who exclusively see Europe as Antichrist insist on removing Islam from the scene prior to the coming of Christ. Since the Muslims still exist on earth upon the Lord’s return fighting against Him, their whole premise of an exclusively European Antichrist falls apart.

Walid Shoebat, God’s War on Terror www.Shoebat.com (720)935-2826

REFERENCES

1 Lamplighter Newsletter, David Reagan, January 2009 edition.

2 The Great Heresies, chapter 4 March, 1936, page 127-128

3 Hosiah Litch, The Three Woe Trumpets, Fall of The Ottoman Empire , August 11, 1840

4 Divine Institutes, 7:17

5 Paul Alvarus, Memoriale sanctorum 2.4

6 Martin Luther, Tischreden, Weimer ed., 1, No. 330

7 Calvin On Islam Revelation Prof. Dr. Francis Nigel Lee, Lamp Trimmers El Paso , 2000

8 Jonathan Edwards, The Fall of Antichrist, Part VII, page 395, New York, Published by S. Converse 1829

9 Jonathan Edwards, The Fall of Antichrist, Part VII, page 399, New York, Published by S. Converse 1829

10 The Coming Prince, Page 273

11 Froom: op. cit., II pp. 323f, 325f, 331, 340f, 412f, 458 & 518f and also III pp. 40f, 74f, 125-31, 149, 183, 240f, &352f.

12 M. Henry: A Commentary on the Holy Bible, with Practical Remarks andObservations, London : Marshall Bros. Ltd., n.d., IV:1270f.

13 Fruchtenbaum, Footsteps of the Messiah, page 36

14 Lamplighter Newsletter, David Reagan, January 2009 edition.

FoxNews Science: Mystery Roar Detected From Faraway Space

This interesting story was on Fox News recently: Mystery Roar Detected From Faraway Space.

Radio waves are not sound waves, but they are still electromagnetic waves, situated on the low-frequency end of the light spectrum.

Many objects in the universe, including stars and quasars, emit radio waves. Even our home galaxy, the Milky Way, emits a static hiss (first detected in 1931 by physicist Karl Jansky). Other galaxies also send out a background radio hiss.

But the newly detected signal, described here today at the 213th meeting of the American Astronomical Society, is far louder than astronomers expected.

There is "something new and interesting going on in the universe," said Alan Kogut of NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md.A team led by Kogut detected the signal with a balloon-borne instrument named ARCADE (Absolute Radiometer for Cosmology, Astrophysics, and Diffuse Emission).

In July 2006, the instrument was launched from NASA's Columbia Scientific Balloon Facility in Palestine, Texas, and reached an altitude of about 120,000 feet (36,500 meters), where the atmosphere thins into the vacuum of space.

ARCADE's mission was to search the sky for faint signs of heat from the first generation of stars, but instead they heard a roar from the distant reaches of the universe."The universe really threw us a curve," Kogut said. "Instead of the faint signal we hoped to find, here was this booming noise six times louder than anyone had predicted."

Detailed analysis of the signal ruled out primordial stars or any known radio sources, including gas in the outermost halo of our own galaxy.

Other radio galaxies also can't account for the noise — there just aren't enough of them.

Source: FoxNews: http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,477880,00.html

2 Corinthians 12:2-4
"I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago--whether in the body I do not know, or out of the body I do not know, God knows--such a man was caught up to the third heaven. And I know how such a man--whether in the body or apart from the body I do not know, God knows-- was caught up into Paradise and heard inexpressible words, which a man is not permitted to speak."

Whether Paul was physically taken to heaven or it was shown him, even he could not say for sure; however, it's clear from this passage that he went to the place where the Lord resides, the third heaven. The first heaven is regarded by theologians as our earthly atmosphere, the second heaven: outerspace, and the third heaven as God's habitation. A paradise! I pray to see you there!

Stand Silently, Praise Loudly

One of the greatest comforts of our Christian life is knowing that the battle is not ours. There are SO many passages which point to this, one of my favorites is 2 Chronicles 20: 15-19:

"thus says the LORD to you, 'Do not fear or be dismayed because of this great multitude, for the battle is not yours but God's......'You need not fight in this battle; station yourselves, stand and see the salvation of the LORD on your behalf, O Judah and Jerusalem.' Do not fear or be dismayed; tomorrow go out to face them, for the LORD is with you.....The Levites, from the sons of the Kohathites and of the sons of the Korahites, stood up to praise the LORD God of Israel, with a very loud voice. "

There are many passages which say the same thing or illustrate it with Israel and in the New Testament with Christians. Too many to number, but here are some:

• Exodus 14:14 "The LORD will fight for you while you keep silent."
• Deuteronomy 1:30 "The LORD your God who goes before you will Himself fight on your behalf, just as He did for you in Egypt before your eyes, "
• Haggai 2:5 "As for the promise which I made you when you came out of Egypt, My Spirit is abiding in your midst; do not fear!' "
• Proverbs 21:31 "The horse is prepared for the day of battle, But victory belongs to the LORD. "

These are not mere sayings, there are numerous examples of the few of God through an angel or His people, defeating the multitude of the enemy. Such as the angel of the Lord killing 185,000 in one night (2 Kings 19:35 / Isaiah 37:36)......100,000 killed by 7,232 in (1 Kings 20:29).......etc.

The fact that there is Spiritual warfare which is unseen to us is well documented in the Bible. What is amazing is that many people who don't want to believe the Bible, DO believe in the supernatural....as long as it doesn't ask them to obey and believe!

The Old Testament story of Balaam and his donkey is very interesting, starting at Numbers 22:22 the donkey sees an angel which the man does not and refuses to pass. Balaam gets mad at his animal and starts to strike him, at which point the angel appears to Balaam and explains that the donkey's actions saved Balaam's life!

No matter what, we must always remember to wait silently for God to act on our behalf, and when it's all over, praise LOUDLY, no matter what the outcome! I praise Him for everything! He is awesome!

Christian, Learn From Israel!

The more I study God's word, the Bible, the more I am convicted and relate to Israel! My own reading of the entire Bible, took me (reluctantly) into the Old Testament, and brought me from an initial position of criticizing the people of God for their unbelief to completely identifying with them! This completely took me by surprise.It became clear to me that it would be pure hypocrisy of me to be critical of them, when I myself did the same thing either by not being thankful for His blessings and leadings - or by a lack of faith over what He was working out in my life!

I often say I wish I had a "hot line" a red telephone straight to God so He could tell me what He wanted or expected of me. Eventually I realized I do have that, it's the Holy Spirit within me and everything He wants to say to me is in His Holy Scriptures. It was up to me to stay connected to Him!

As I read the Old Testament I felt Israel HAD that very intimate and tangible line to God. The more I read of their failures, the more I wondered at HOW a people who actually SAW and felt His presence in ways too numeous to name here are just a few:

• the pillar of fire by night and cloud by day
• the direct speaking to his chosen leaders and prophets
• the proof though fulfilled prophecy
• the battles only He could have won for Israel

These and SO many more were all signs that He alone was the one and only God and that He was protecting and blessing them. So how could Israel be so blind?!? Ignorant?!? Deceived!!!!!!!!!!! That was a constant question on my heart as I read through the Old Testament.

Yet, isn't that what we Christians do when we allow the enemy to deceive us into thinking that God isn't listening to our prayer? Do we not often believe that He doesn't care or is too busy to attend to our supplications? It's that same liw that Satan used in the garden of Eden when in his first recorded spoken words to man he planted seeds of doubt in her mind by saying "Indeed, has God said.....?" (Genesis 3:1).

In Galatians 3:6-7 we read "Abraham BELIEVED GOD, AND IT WAS RECKONED TO HIM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS. Therefore, be sure that it is those who are of faith who are sons of Abraham." I love that verse. Abraham's faith saved him, in the same way our faith makes us descendants of Abraham in God's eyes. By faith Abraham was saved, by faith in Jesus Christ we are saved and grafted on to the family of Abraham. Romans 11 is rich on this subject. It speaks to my heart, I hope it will equally to yours. I wouldn't even dare try to comment on one of God's mysteries!

Romans 11:17 But if some of the branches were broken off, and you, being a wild olive, were grafted in among them and became partaker with them of the rich root of the olive tree,
Romans 11:18  do not be arrogant toward the branches; but if you are arrogant, remember that it is not you who supports the root, but the root supports you.
Romans 11:19  You will say then, "Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in."
Romans 11:20  Quite right, they were broken off for their unbelief, but you stand by your faith. Do not be conceited, but fear;
Romans 11:21  for if God did not spare the natural branches, He will not spare you, either.
Romans 11:22  Behold then the kindness and severity of God; to those who fell, severity, but to you, God's kindness, if you continue in His kindness; otherwise you also will be cut off.
Romans 11:23  And they also, if they do not continue in their unbelief, will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again.
Romans 11:24  For if you were cut off from what is by nature a wild olive tree, and were grafted contrary to nature into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these who are the natural branches be grafted into their own olive tree?
Romans 11:25  For I do not want you, brethren, to be uninformed of this mystery--so that you will not be wise in your own estimation--that a partial hardening has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in;
Romans 11:26  and so all Israel will be saved; just as it is written, "THE DELIVERER WILL COME FROM ZION, HE WILL REMOVE UNGODLINESS FROM JACOB."
Romans 11:27  "THIS IS MY COVENANT WITH THEM, WHEN I TAKE AWAY THEIR SINS."
Romans 11:28  From the standpoint of the gospel they are enemies [Gk: hostile] for your sake, but from the standpoint of God's choice they are beloved for the sake of the fathers;
Romans 11:29  for the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.
Romans 11:30  For just as you once were disobedient to God, but now have been shown mercy because of their disobedience,
Romans 11:31  so these also now have been disobedient, that because of the mercy shown to you they also may now be shown mercy.
Romans 11:32  For God has shut up all in disobedience so that He may show mercy to all.

I once heard someone distinguish the difference between mercy and grace. He said "Grace is getting what you don't deserve, mercy is NOT getting what you DO deserve". No one ever deserved the Salvation which was freely (by grace) to anyone who will receive it, by the suffering of Jesus Christ for our sins. It is only by the grace of Yahweh, the God of Israel, that we ARE saved!

As I have shared before on this blog, it was only when I came to the realization that I was NO DIFFERENT than the people (Israel) that my own Christian walk changed! Primarily the shallow teachings of most (even so-called "evangelical") churches of today no longer satisfied me. I suppose this is when I moved from milk to meat! There is a time for milk in our Christian lives, as in a child's life........but a child quickly graduates to meat as must we..........by CHOOSING to know God through His Scripture. Only then can we be of use to the Kingdom of God.

Hebrews 5:12  For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you have need again for someone to teach you the elementary principles of the oracles of God, and you have come to need milk and not solid food.
Hebrews 5:13  For everyone who partakes only of milk is not accustomed to the word of righteousness, for he is an infant.
Hebrews 5:14  But solid food is for the mature, who because of practice have their senses trained to discern good and evil.

Memory Verse: Isaiah 35:4

Isa. 35:4
Say to those with anxious heart, "Take courage, fear not Behold, your God will come with vengeance; The recompense of God will come, But He will save you."

In context this passage speaks of the Millennium, but it reminds us not to worry, a Christian has access to all the power of the host of angels in heaven. So when I find myself in a worrisome situation I concentrate on the power that is within me and I say "bring it on!" ;o)

Where Is the U.S. in The Bible's End-Time Prophecies?

Many prophecy/Bible students look for clues to the U.S. in Bible End-Time prophecies. Man had not discovered the continent and hemisphere back 4000, 2000 or even 1000 years ago; however, God knew of its existance, and He may have left us clues.

There can only be 3 possibilities for the U.S. in the End-Times when Israel is invaded from the North:

1. It is an ally of Israel
2. It is unwilling to help Israel
3. It is unable to help Israel (due to destruction or crippling by Israel's and the U.S.'s enemies)

No one commentary I've read or heard can say for sure. One commentary speculated that perhaps Tarshish refers to England and as the U.S. is a "descendant of sorts" of the English, having been initially discovered and inhabitted by them, an extention of Tarshish. However, there is no definitive proof that Tarshish IS indeed England in the Bible. Should you wish to study up on that, the Biblical passages mentioning Tarshish are: Gen_10:4; 1Ki_10:22; 1Ki_22:48; 1Ch_1:7; 1Ch_7:10; 2Ch_9:21; 2Ch_20:36; 2Ch_20:37; Est_1:14; Psa_48:7; Psa_72:10; Isa_2:16; Isa_23:1; Isa_23:6; Isa_23:10; Isa_23:14; Isa_60:9; Isa_66:19; Jer_10:9; Eze_10:9; Eze_27:12; Eze_27:25; Eze_38:13; Jon_1:3; Jon_4:2;

In Isaiah 29:8 we get what may be a glimpse that the U.S. will be in the 2nd category (unwilling to help Israel) as it says: It will be as when a hungry man dreams-- And behold, he is eating; But when he awakens, his hunger is not satisfied, Or as when a thirsty man dreams-- And behold, he is drinking, But when he awakens, behold, he is faint And his thirst is not quenched. Thus the multitude of all the nations will be Who wage war against Mount Zion. [emphasis mine].

Additionally The Scriptures tell us:

Isa 34:2 For the anger of Jehovah is on all nations, and His fury on all their armies. He has completely destroyed them, He has delivered them to the slaughter.

Joel 3:2 I will also gather all nations and will bring them down into the valley of Jehoshaphat. And I will fight with them there for My people and for My inheritance Israel, whom they have scattered among the nations, and divided My land.

Zec 12:3 And in that day I will make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all peoples. All who lift it shall be slashed, and all the nations of the earth will be gathered against it.

Zec 14:2 For I will gather all nations to battle against Jerusalem; and the city shall be taken, and the houses plundered, and the women raped. And half of the city shall go into exile, and the rest of the people shall not be cut off from the city.

Rev 14:8 And another angel followed, saying, The great city, Babylon, has fallen, has fallen; because of the wine of the anger of her fornication; she has made all nations to drink.

Rev 16:14 For they are spirits of demons, working miracles, which go forth to the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that day, the great day of God Almighty.

I don't assume this is THE final answer to the question of U.S. in End-Times prophecy in the Bible. Though in this passage Isaiah IS speaking of the attack by the Assyrians, this can be seen as a "type" of future things to come, as often we see in Scripture.

From Matthew Henry's commentary: "This woe to Ariel [Jerusalem], which we have in this chapter, is the same with the “burden of the valley of vision” (Isa_22:1), and (it is very probable) points at the same event - the besieging of Jerusalem by the Assyrian army, which was cut off there by an angel; yet it is applicable to the destruction of Jerusalem by the Chaldeans, and its last desolations by the Romans. Here is, I. The event itself foretold, that Jerusalem should be greatly distressed (Isa_29:1-4, Isa_29:6), but that their enemies, who distressed them, should be baffled and defeated (Isa_29:5, Isa_29:7, Isa_29:8).


God is not ambiguous, when He says "all", He means "all"! I think for Israel to stand alone at that time would also follow the pattern we see all throughout the Scriptures - namely that God wants Israel and the entire world to come to reliance on Him rather than nations and peace treaties.

Psalm 73: 21-26

I've been remiss in my blogging since my mother had surgery. Life just gets crazy during the summer for me. I can't ever put my finger on the WHY of it........except much of my time seems to be spent pulling weeds ;o). But I actually love it, it helps me get all the tension out of my system. I consider it the equivalent of a punching bag workout. It works for me!

I’ve been stressed, and thus going through a rough patch, but praise God and His awesome Providence, I was led to start re-reading through my Bible in a year program and lo and behold it took me to the Book of Ecclesiastes……Solomon TRULY was the wisest man who ever lived! I wish I could memorize the entire book.

Another passage which seems to have Providentially been on my day’s reading just when I needed it most was Ps. 73:21-26. I memorized it in minutes! Mind you, I have trouble memorizing even ONE verse in days, much less 7 verses in mere minutes! I’d like to share it here (below in NASB):

21 When my heart was embittered
And I was pierced within,

22 Then I was senseless and ignorant;
I was like a beast before You.

23 Nevertheless I am continually with You;
You have taken hold of my right hand.

24 With Your counsel You will guide me,
And afterward receive me to glory.

25 Whom have I in heaven but You?
And besides You, I desire nothing on earth.

26 My flesh and my heart may fail,
But God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.

This said SO much to me! I could scarcely put it into words! I would do it little justice if I even attempted! May it bless you as much as it did me1

Tiny tablet provides proof for Old Testament

Tiny tablet provides proof for Old Testament

The sound of unbridled joy seldom breaks the quiet of the British Museum's great Arched Room, which holds its collection of 130,000 Assyrian cuneiform tablets, dating back 5,000 years.

But Michael Jursa, a visiting professor from Vienna, let out such a cry last Thursday. He had made what has been called the most important find in Biblical archaeology for 100 years, a discovery that supports the view that the historical books of the Old Testament are based on fact.

Searching for Babylonian financial accounts among the tablets, Prof Jursa suddenly came across a name he half remembered - Nabu-sharrussu-ukin, described there in a hand 2,500 years old, as "the chief eunuch" of Nebuchadnezzar II, king of Babylon.

Prof Jursa, an Assyriologist, checked the Old Testament and there in chapter 39 of the Book of Jeremiah, he found, spelled differently, the same name - Nebo-Sarsekim.

Nebo-Sarsekim, according to Jeremiah, was Nebuchadnezzar II's "chief officer" and was with him at the siege of Jerusalem in 587 BC, when the Babylonians overran the city.

according to Irving Finkel, a British Museum expert, is a bill of receipt acknowledging Nabu-sharrussu-ukin's payment of 0.75 kg of gold to a temple in Babylon.

The tablet is dated to the 10th year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar II, 595BC, 12 years before the siege of Jerusalem.

Evidence from non-Biblical sources of people named in the Bible is not unknown, but Nabu-sharrussu-ukin would have been a relatively insignificant figure.

"This is a fantastic discovery, a world-class find," Dr Finkel said yesterday. "If Nebo-Sarsekim existed, which other lesser figures in the Old Testament existed? A throwaway detail in the Old Testament turns out to be accurate and true. I think that it means that the whole of the narrative [of Jeremiah] takes on a new kind of power."

Cuneiform is the oldest known form of writing and was commonly used in the Middle East between 3,200 BC and the second century AD. It was created by pressing a wedge-shaped instrument, usually a cut reed, into moist clay.

The full translation of the tablet reads: (Regarding) 1.5 minas (0.75 kg) of gold, the property of Nabu-sharrussu-ukin, the chief eunuch, which he sent via Arad-Banitu the eunuch to [the temple] Esangila: Arad-Banitu has delivered [it] to Esangila. In the presence of Bel-usat, son of Alpaya, the royal bodyguard, [and of] Nadin, son of Marduk-zer-ibni. Month XI, day 18, year 10 [of] Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon.

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Sodom (& Gomorrah's) Sexual Sin Merely a Symptom of Greater Problem

As always, Dr. Chuck Missler (Khouse.org) brings to the surface facts which both enlighten, teach and edifies us!!!!!!!! In session 3 of the downloaded version, his study on the book of Romans [listen online free: radio show Romans 1-2 pt. 4] he shows that in actuality Sodom's (and by implication also Gomorrah's [my statement, not his]) amoral sexual practices were NOT in reality their downfall, but rather a symptom of a greater problem..........one which we, in the opulence of our comfortable lifestyles - are living in right now.

This is explained when God speaks in Ezekiel 16:49-50 (NASB version):
49"Behold, this was the guilt of your sister Sodom: she and her daughters had ^(B)arrogance, ^(C)abundant food and ^(D)careless ease, but she did not help the ^(E)poor and needy.

50"Thus they were haughty and committed ^(F)abominations before Me Therefore I ^(G)removed them when I saw it.

The KJV declares it even more clearly: "pride, fulness of bread, and abundance of idleness"

So by this example we are to live with a heavenly perspective, not an earthly one.........beware of being too comfortable, which leads to pride and arrogance. Be not slothful or idle AND do not forget those less fortunate. James 1:27 ties in well stating what, in God's sight, religion REALLY is: "Pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world."

It reminds me of one of my favorite Proverbs (30:7-9)
7Two things I asked of You, Do not refuse me before I die:
8Keep deception and lies far from me, Give me neither poverty nor riches; Feed me with the ^(A)food that is my portion,
9That I not be ^(B)full and deny ^(C)You and say, "Who is the LORD?" Or that I not be ^(D)in want and steal, And ^(E)profane the name of my God.

Note: Perhaps the other cities followed the example of Sodom, and were not quite to the extent as Sodom. Destroyed were 4 cities: Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, and Zeboim (see Deuteronomy 29:23). Undestroyed were neaby Zoar & Lasha. Zoar (also named Bela in Gen. 14:2 & 8 ) - would seem to have been in the crosshairs as well, if not for the fact that God granted Lot to flee there, thus sparing it (Gen. 19:21-22). Lasha described as nearby in Gen. 10:12 (is not said to be destroyed. [both Zoar & Lasha's exact locations are unknown to us at this time but were both probably located East of the Jordan River].

As Billy Graham said many years ago "If God doesn't judge America soon, He will have to apologize to Sodom and Gomorrah"...History repeats itself. It is important to study what led to such a downfall. Who is it that said "Those ignorant of history are doomed to repeat it"??????

1st Prophecy in the Bible

What IS the first prophecy in the Bible????? You may be surprised to find out the first and second prophecies in the Bible are BOTH about the 1st & 2nd coming of Jesus Christ - respectively. Though, technically, the first one is NOT a prophecy, since it was spoken by God...a prophecy is something revealed to a man BY God, the prophet then relays God's word to the people.

#1 (First coming):
Gen 3:15 And I will put enmity Between you and the woman, And between your seed and her seed; He shall bruise you on the head, And you shall bruise him on the heel." At the time God punished Adam, Eve, and the serpent (v.14), He predicted that the Savior of the world would be human.

#2 (Second coming - Armageddon):
According to Jude 1:14-15, the next prophecy in the Bible would have been by Enoch (7th generation from Adam - Gen. 5:21-24) and was regarding Jesus' 2nd coming!!!!!!!!

Jude 1:14-15 It was also about these men that Enoch, in the seventh generation from Adam, prophesied, saying, "Behold, the Lord came with many thousands of His holy ones, to execute judgment upon all, and to convict all the ungodly of all their ungodly deeds which they have done in an ungodly way, and of all the harsh things which ungodly sinners have spoken against Him."

Bible Fact: Enoch was one of two men taken to heaven without dying (Gen. 5:24). The other was Elijah (2 Kings 2:11).

Bible Fact: Jude was son of Mary & Joseph......i.e. Jesus' half-brother. He identifies himself as the brother of James (v. 1), the leader of the Jerusalem church (Acts 15). Jude is also listed among Christ's half brothers in Matthew 13:55 and Mark 6:3.

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This and MUCH more I am learning now in Dr. Chuck Missler's Learn the Bible in 24 Hours. It's an amazing study. One can buy the CD or MP3 download. For FREE you can also read or listen to it. I highly recommend all of Dr. Missler's information packets. He brings Jewish insight and information to Bible teaching which REALLY opens up the ENTIRE Bible to you! Listen to just one of his teachings online for free and you will agree.

Science Facts Confirm the Bible

This is a great link: Science Facts Confirm the Bible
Everything from genetics, to the stars, to the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

On the subject of false prophets it says, in part:

"God also demands "proof" from so-called "prophets" (and writings) which pretend to be from God, in which God challenges them to accurately predict events of human history. God provides such proof for the Bible, and such accurate prediction is what God reveals in the Bible many times over, demonstrating his power, and validating true prophets who give actual words from God, which thus bear his "fingerprints."
---Please read: Prophetic Predictions Prove the Bible's Authority"

Deuteronomy 18:21-22: ""You may say in your heart, 'How will we know the word which the LORD has not spoken?' "When a prophet speaks in the name of the LORD, if the thing does not come about or come true, that is the thing which the LORD has not spoken. The prophet has spoken it presumptuously; you shall not be afraid of him."

(Rev 16:13)
And I saw coming out of the mouth of the dragon and out of the mouth of the beast and out of the mouth of the false prophet, three unclean spirits like frogs;

(Rev 19:20)
And the beast was seized, and with him the false prophet who performed the signs in his presence, by which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image; these two were thrown alive into the lake of fire which burns with brimstone.

(Rev 20:10)
And the devil who deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are also; and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.

I was reading the latest Zola Levitt newsletter (www.levitt.com) and on pg.2 (there was an article about Easter). If you don't know about the pagan roots of what we call Easter (Passover), this is an enlightening short article, a good place to start. Then I recommend listening to Dr. Chuck Missler's in-depth study on The Easter Story (available in many formats). You can also hear or read it free online. Dr. Missler is a most thorough teacher, having taught the Bible for 50 or so years AND meeting with Jewish (non-Messianic) Rabbis for insights into the Jewish understanding of God's word, the Bible (The Torah to them).

The Levitt article mentioned the "Thirteen Articles of The Jewish Faith". I thought you might find this interesting, I did not know it existed or how it is applied. It was written (according to Dr. Jeffrey Seif) by the "medieval Jewish sage Rabbi Mosh Ben Maimon (also known as Maimonides). It serves as one of t the principal tenets of Orthodox Judaism."

I post this as it may be of interest to those who, like me, are edified both by learning the ways and customs in which our Lord Jesus Christ was raised, as well as having a love for God's people, the Jews.

Maimonides’ 13 Principles of Faith

1. I believe with perfect faith that the Creator, blessed be His Name, is the Creator and Guide of everything that has been created; He alone has made, does make, and will make all things.”
2. I believe with perfect faith that the Creator, blessed be His Name, is One, and that there is no unity in any manner like His, and that He alone is our God, who was, and is, and will be.
3. I believe with perfect faith that the Creator, blessed be His Name, is not a body, and that He is free from all the properties of matter, and that there can be no (physical) comparison to Him whatsoever.
4. I believe with perfect faith that the Creator, blessed be His Name, is the first and the last.
5. I believe with perfect faith that to the Creator, blessed be His Name, and to Him alone, it is right to pray, and that it is not right to pray to any being besides Him.
6. I believe with perfect faith that all the words of the prophets are true.
7. I believe with perfect faith that the prophecy of Moses, our teacher, peace be upon him, was true, and that he was the chief of the prophets, both of those who preceded him and of those who followed him.
8. I believe with perfect faith that the entire Torah that is now in our possession is the same that was given to Moses, our teacher, peace be upon him.
9. I believe with perfect faith that this Torah will not be exchanged, and that there will never be any other Torah from the Creator, blessed be His name.
10. I believe with perfect faith that the Creator, blessed be His name, knows all the deeds of human beings, and all their thoughts, as it says: "Who fashioned the hearts of them all, Who comprehends all their actions." (Psalm 33:15)
11. I believe with perfect faith that the Creator, blessed be His Name, rewards those that keep His commandments and punishes those that transgress them.
12. I believe with perfect faith in the coming of the Messiah; and even though he may tarry, nonetheless I wait every day for his coming.
13. I believe with perfect faith that there will be a revival of the dead at the time when it shall please the Creator, blessed be His name, and His mention shall be exalted for ever and ever.

Holy Spirit Puns

As one of our favorite Bible Teachers (Dr. Chuck Missler) is so fond of pointing out (and I love this observation) the Holy Spirit often deals in puns. Being fond of puns myself it's interesting and thrilling to find them in personal Bible study.

I found one today while reading the book of Exodus and decided it was time to keep on the lookout for them. Though many we might miss if we do not know the meaning of a Hebrew name, etc.

Exo 2:10 And the child grew, and she brought him unto Pharaoh's daughter, and he became her son. And she called his name Moses: and she said, Because I drew him out of the water.

That is the meaning of the name "Moses", but it also refers to him being the one to draw the Hebrews out of Egypt.

Dead Men Walking!

This is pretty amazing!:

Mat 27:50-53 And Jesus [on the cross] cried out again with a loud voice, and yielded up His spirit. And behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom; and the earth shook and the rocks were split. The tombs were opened, and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised; and coming out of the tombs after His resurrection they entered the holy city and appeared to many.

Can you IMAGINE being the family members of those previously dead people seeing them come back to life?!? Why would God do that? Why bring a bunch of people back from the dead? V. 53 explains it: "they appeared to many". I imagine those families were INSTANT converts when they saw their dearly departed walking back through the front door of their house.

Regarding the torn veil, I found this amazing Bible footnote on Exo 26:31:
The inner veil separated the Holy Place (which contained the Altar of Incense, the lampstand, and the table for the bread) from the Most Holy Place, or Holy of Holies (which contained the ark of the Covenant and the mercy seat). The Jewish historian Josephus reported that the veil was four inches thick, was renewed every year, and that horses tied to each side could not pull it apart. It barred all but the high priest from the presence of God, but when it was torn in two at the death of Jesus, access to God was made available to all who come through Him.

Hebrews 10: 19-22:
Therefore, brethren, since we have confidence to enter the holy place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which He inaugurated for us through the veil, that is, His flesh, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.

Amen!
Maranatha!