04/30 Update:

• Mass military maneuvers foresee Syrian attack
• Countdown has begun

• IDF prepares for Syrian attack on Golan
• Iran may be closer to nukes than thought - CBS News
• Israel delivers warning after 2 more rockets fired
• USS John C. Stennis (CVN 74) completes month-long operations with the French nuclear powered aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle
• Washington Prepares as Iran Warns the Gulf
• Witness to the battle for Jerusalem

Joel 3 [emphasis mine]

The Nations Judged

1 "In those days and at that time,
when I restore the fortunes of Judah and Jerusalem,

2 I will gather all nations
and bring them down to the Valley of Jehoshaphat. ^[a]
There I will enter into judgment against them
concerning my inheritance, my people Israel,
for they scattered my people among the nations
and divided up my land.

3 They cast lots for my people
and traded boys for prostitutes;
they sold girls for wine
that they might drink.

4 "Now what have you against me, O Tyre and Sidon and all you regions of Philistia? Are you repaying me for something I have done? If you are paying me back, I will swiftly and speedily return on your own heads what you have done. 5 For you took my silver and my gold and carried off my finest treasures to your temples. 6 You sold the people of Judah and Jerusalem to the Greeks, that you might send them far from their homeland.

7 "See, I am going to rouse them out of the places to which you sold them, and I will return on your own heads what you have done. 8 I will sell your sons and daughters to the people of Judah, and they will sell them to the Sabeans, a nation far away." The LORD has spoken.

9 Proclaim this among the nations:
Prepare for war!
Rouse the warriors!
Let all the fighting men draw near and attack.

10 Beat your plowshares into swords
and your pruning hooks into spears.
Let the weakling say,
"I am strong!"

11 Come quickly, all you nations from every side, and assemble there. Bring down your warriors, O LORD!

12 "Let the nations be roused;
let them advance into the Valley of Jehoshaphat,
for there I will sit
to judge all the nations on every side.

13 Swing the sickle,
for the harvest is ripe.
Come, trample the grapes,
for the winepress is full
and the vats overflow—
so great is their wickedness!"

14 Multitudes, multitudes
in the valley of decision!
For the day of the LORD is near
in the valley of decision.

15 The sun and moon will be darkened,
and the stars no longer shine.

16 The LORD will roar from Zion
and thunder from Jerusalem;
the earth and the sky will tremble.
But the LORD will be a refuge for his people,
a stronghold for the people of Israel.

DEBKAfile Exclusive: Frontrunner as next Revolutionary Guards chief threatens US world interests and Israel if Iran is attacked
"Mohammad Baqer Solghadr, deputy interior minister, has been tagged for this top post by Iranian leaders engrossed in war preparations, according to DEBKAfile’s Iranian sources. He told the official Iranian news agency IRNA Thursday: “Nowhere would be safe for America with (Iran’s) long-range missiles… we can fire tens of thousands of missiles every day.” He added: “With long-range missiles Iran can also threaten Israel as America’s ally” and US Middle East bases. DEBKAfile’s military sources report that Solghadr was not overstating Iran’s missile capabilities..."


Hillary C: "US might have to confront Iran militarily"
"Democratic presidential candidate and New York Senator Hillary Clinton said Tuesday that it might be necessary for America to confront Iran militarily, addressing that possibility more directly than any of the other presidential candidates who spoke this week to the National Jewish Democratic Council..."

Ya, I'd say the U.S. and Israel are headed for a major war with Iran (plus we may have to throw Iran's major trading partners (and defenders on the UN Security Council) - Russia and China - into the mix too). Iran is the "bear" in the "lion-bear-leopard" combined beast of Revelation 13, and a separate beast in Daniel 7. The lion is Babylon/Iraq (and we all know what a mess that place is in - see Isaiah 13); next up is Iran the Medo-Persian bear.

You might have guessed that I understand the book of Revelations to be mostly historic. I also therefore believe that the "LBL Islamic beast" is calling the world to the 6th bowl:

Revelation 16 (my comments in parenthesis):
12The sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river Euphrates (goes right through the middle of Iraq), and its water was dried up to prepare the way for the kings from the East (probably China). 13Then I saw three evil^[a] spirits that looked like frogs; they came out of the mouth of the dragon (Satan), out of the mouth of the beast (refers to the Revelations 13, LBL Islamic beast) and out of the mouth of the false prophet (what false prophet has 1.3 billion, ~ 25% of the world's population, convinced that Allah is God?). 14They are spirits of demons performing miraculous signs, and they go out to the kings of the whole world, to gather them for the battle on the great day of God Almighty.

15"Behold, I come like a thief! Blessed is he who stays awake and keeps his clothes with him, so that he may not go naked and be shamefully exposed." (Praise the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob/Israel - Jesus the only messiah is coming for his children!!!)

16Then they gathered the kings together to the place that in Hebrew is called Armageddon.

I pray for all Muslims; I pray for all Catholics; I pray for all tepid Laodiceans in today's evangelical Christian church (Rev 3) - may they all come unreservedly to Jesus Christ while there is still time. amen.

"Be always on the watch, and pray that you may be able to escape all that is about to happen, and that you may be able to stand before the Son of Man." Luke 21:36

04/24 Update: Israelis, Palestinians discuss final peace accord – report

Israeli and Palestinian officials discussed a number of thorny issues at an undisclosed European location in preparation for final-status peace talks, the al-Quds newspaper reported Tuesday.

DEBKAfile Exclusive: A large, high-ranking Syrian delegation of 40 generals on secret mission to Tehran

"Led by Maj. Gen. Yahya L. Solayman, War Planning chief at the Syrian armed forces General Staff, the delegation represents all branches of the Syrian armed forces. On their arrival on April 18, the Syrian officers went straight into conference with Iranian defense minister Brig. Gen. Mostafa Mohammad-Najjar, Revolutionary Commanders chief Maj. Gen. Yahya Rahim-Safavi and dep. chief of staff Maj. Gen. Hassani Sa’di, who is Iran’s chief of military war preparations.In Washington and Jerusalem, there is little doubt that the two allies timed the Syrian delegation’s mission to Tehran as a rejoinder to US defense secretary Robert Gates’ Middle East tour last week."

Israel: Syria readying for war

"The Syrians have deployed Iranian naval missiles (originally Chinese), the C. 802. The destructive power and range of Syria's rockets and missiles has clearly grown in recent years. Israel does not rule out a possible Syrian grab for the Golan, assuming that if Israel counter-attacks the Syrian lines it will incur heavy losses. Thus, the IDF's power has also increased, especially that of the Israel Air Force. "

Isaiah 66:

"15 See, the LORD is coming with fire,
and his chariots are like a whirlwind;
he will bring down his anger with fury,
and his rebuke with flames of fire.

16 For with fire and with his sword
the LORD will execute judgment upon all men,
and many will be those slain by the LORD.

17 "Those who consecrate and purify themselves to go into the gardens, following the one in the midst of those who eat the flesh of pigs and rats and other abominable things—they will meet their end together," declares the LORD.

18 "And I, because of their actions and their imaginations, am about to come and gather all nations and tongues, and they will come and see my glory.

Arab Foreign Ministers plot next step in Israel carve-up.
"The foreign ministers of 12 Arab states met in Cairo on Wednesday to discuss how most effectively to push for the realization of their vision for an Israel-free Middle East."

Russia to Israel: Beware of conflict with Syria
"Russia has warned Israel to take care not to miscalculate either its or Syria's strength lest tensions between the enemy states explode."

DEBKAfile Exclusive: Hamas threatens to start abducting Israelis and Jews overseas
"The threat, issued Sat. April 21, is in response to Israel’s refusal to bow to the terms for releasing the Israeli soldier Gilead Shalit and BBC correspondent Alan Johnston."

Hamas calls for offensive against Israel
"Hamas militants called Sunday for a fresh wave of attacks against Israel after troops killed nine Palestinians in weekend fighting, straining a five-month-old cease-fire."

Zechariah 9:

1 The word of the LORD is against the land of Hadrach
and will rest upon Damascus—
for the eyes of men and all the tribes of Israel
are on the LORD—

2 and upon Hamath too, which borders on it,
and upon Tyre and Sidon, though they are very skillful.

3 Tyre has built herself a stronghold;
she has heaped up silver like dust,
and gold like the dirt of the streets.

4 But the Lord will take away her possessions
and destroy her power on the sea,
and she will be consumed by fire.

5 Ashkelon will see it and fear;
Gaza will writhe in agony,
and Ekron too, for her hope will wither.
Gaza will lose her king
and Ashkelon will be deserted.

6 Foreigners will occupy Ashdod,
and I will cut off the pride of the Philistines.

7 I will take the blood from their mouths,
the forbidden food from between their teeth.
Those who are left will belong to our God
and become leaders in Judah,
and Ekron will be like the Jebusites.

8 But I will defend my house
against marauding forces.
Never again will an oppressor overrun my people,
for now I am keeping watch.

Only I can tell you the future before it even happens. Everything I plan will come to pass, for I do whatever I wish. [Isaiah 46:10 NLT]

04/22 Update: The False Prophet - Video (click to download)

04/20 Update: For those who think the Bible "clearly" says that final persecution of Christians and Jews will come from an anti-Christ out of a "Revived Roman Empire" - pay attention and consider this: (WATCH VIDEO). I might agree that this future persecution threat comes from the eastern half of the former Roman empire - today's Islamic countries that were included in the territory of the Byzantine empire, the eastern half of the Roman empire. I don't agree that a future anti-Christ will come on the scene in the form of an actual man out of the EU, UN, or New World Order. Read Ellis Skolfield's free book The False Prophet if you want to understand more.

• Naim Qassem, Deputy Secretary General of Hezb'allah ("party of God"?) - speaking of the wisdom of blowing up infidels (preferably Jews) via homicide bombers (WATCH VIDEO)
• Parallels Between Virginia Tech mass-murderer Cho and the prophet Mohammed - You won't hear this within politically correct (totally blind) media.

Revelation 16 [my comments in brackets]:
13Then I saw three evil spirits that looked like frogs; they came out of the mouth of the dragon [Satan], out of the mouth of the beast [refers to Lion-Bear-Leopard Islamic beast of Rev 13 and Daniel 7] and out of the mouth of the false prophet [Mohammad-prophet to 1.3 billion people today]. 14They are spirits of demons performing miraculous signs, and they go out to the kings of the whole world, to gather them for the battle on the great day of God Almighty [How many countries are gathered around Israel today?].15"Behold, I come like a thief! Blessed is he who stays awake and keeps his clothes with him, so that he may not go naked and be shamefully exposed." [How many are awake today?]16Then they gathered the kings together to the place that in Hebrew is called Armageddon. [Armageddon begins].


Cho Seung-Hui mimicked scenes from film
Garbage in, garbage out. I have no doubt the ACLU will rush to Hollywood's defense.

Catholics don't like their WWII past
"A prominent evangelical Christian leader in Israel on Monday called on the Vatican to open its archives if they have any evidence that Pope Pius XII did not remain silent during the mass murder of six million Jews during the Holocaust."

The City on Seven Hills
"A woman rides the beast, and that woman is a city built on seven hills that reigns over the kings of the earth! Was ever in all of history such a statement made? John immediately equates the readers' acceptance of this revelation with "wisdom." We dare not pass over such a disclosure casually. It merits our careful and prayerful attention."

Syria says Golan Heights or else!
After saying that "Syria wishes to revive the peace process with Israel with the help of US and Russian mediators," Bilal immediately added a threat, saying that "if Israel [rejects] the Arab peace initiative, the only way to get the Golan Heights back would be the way of resistance."

Olmert says ready for talks based on Saudi plan
"I'm ready to sit with them on the basis of the Saudi plan. And I'm ready to listen very carefully to their proposal on the basis of this plan and to see how we can work together to ultimately find common ground," Prime Minister Ehud Olmert told the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation in an interview.

Today's news is filled with more idle talk of "peace" in the Holy Land. In my opinion, this talk of "peace or else" threatening Israel reminds me of 1 Thessalonians 5:2-4. The 2002 peace initiative being proposed by the Saudi's includes the return of all territories captured by Israel during the 1967, 6-Day War, including East Jerusalem as a capital of Palestine, and the Palestinian "right of return". The Bible tells me that the time of the Gentiles controlling Jerusalem is done and was finished after the 6-Day War in 1967 (Luke 21:24). So all this talk of peace and talk of returning East Jerusalem (all of Jerusalem?) to the Palestinians will not happen. And if Syria and Saudi Arabia continue to make threats that it is this "2002 Saudi Plan or else", then I'd say we all better get ready to see God move in ways this crumbling earth hasn't seen since Noah.

1 Thessalonians 5:
3 While people are saying, "Peace and safety," destruction will come on them suddenly, as labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape. 4 But you, brothers, are not in darkness so that this day should surprise you like a thief.

Matthew 24:
26"So if anyone tells you, 'There he is, out in the desert,' do not go out; or, 'Here he is, in the inner rooms,' do not believe it. 27For as lightning that comes from the east is visible even in the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. 28Wherever there is a carcass, there the vultures will gather.

29"Immediately after the distress of those days
" 'the sun will be darkened,
and the moon will not give its light;
the stars will fall from the sky,
and the heavenly bodies will be shaken.'

30"At that time the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and all the nations of the earth will mourn. They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky, with power and great glory. 31And he will send his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other.

32"Now learn this lesson from the fig tree: As soon as its twigs get tender and its leaves come out, you know that summer is near. 33Even so, when you see all these things, you know that it is near, right at the door. 34I tell you the truth, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened.

The fig tree is Israel since May 14, 1948. Jesus is standing "at the door."

Luke 21:36
Be always on the watch, and pray that you may be able to escape all that is about to happen, and that you may be able to stand before the Son of Man."

Pray that you are able to escape the day of God's wrath: The Day of the Lord.

Accepting Everything at Face Value

1 John 4:1 "Test the spirits. By this you know the spirit of God; every spirit that declares Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God. Every spirit that does not confess Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God but is the spirit of the antichrist."

But do we obey that command? It doesn’t seem so. I have been in hundreds of churches and heard a zillion spiritual phenomena. In not one, and I mean zero, did I hear of a spirit being tested. That oversight has allowed demons to deceive believers into believing their spiritual phenomena to be of the Holy Spirit of God. Though I could cite other examples, Mari Beth of Naples, Florida was counseling a young Baptist lady who was in spiritual turmoil. Here is what Mari Meth told me about her experience with Rachael . . .

"Rachel loves the Lord, reads her Bible, and could speak in tongues. I asked Rachel if she had ever had her "tongue" spirit tested as commanded by 1John 4:1-3:

"Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God . . . Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God: And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world."

"Rachel conceded that she had not had her spirit tested in that way, that she would like to have it done, so we met a couple of days later in a prayer room at the 1st Baptist Church. After a short time of prayer, I asked Rachel to start speaking in tongues.

"While Rachel was doing so, I said in a quiet voice, ‘Spirit, in the name of the Lord Jesus, declare that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh.’ The spirit did not respond directly, but Rachel started speaking louder in tongues.

"Again I said, ‘Spirit, in the name of the Lord Jesus, declare that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh.’

Again, the spirit did not acknowledge Jesus. Now does it not strike you as strange, that a spirit (supposedly of God) would not confess Jesus? It did me, so I said, "Don't you see, Rachel, this spirit cannot be of the Lord? It refuses to confess Jesus."

"To which Rachel replied, ‘But in my mind this spirit is saying, `I am lord.'’ "

"I was almost deceived by that declaration, but just last night an elder brother warned me demons were cunning and could say something like that. So I pressed that spirit with, ‘Spirit, are you the Lord who died on the Cross, was buried, rose again on the third day, and now sits at the right hand of Authority on high?’

"The spirit within Rachel shrieked out, ‘Nooooooooo!’

"Rachel's face contorted. Hissing and snarling, she fell off her chair. Her hands twisted into unnatural claw-like shapes. She curled into a fetal position and whimpered, ‘Please help me get rid of this thing.’ I phoned some elder brethren and asked them to come help me and within an hour Rachel was freed of that demon."

I could give other examples, but that one should suffice. Brethren with a ministry in deliverance will uniformly attest to one truth: Interact with an evil spirit long enough, and you will end up with one in residence! You say it couldn't happen to you? If you are exercising a spiritual "gift" and don’t have that spirit properly tested, it certainly could.

Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord's will is. - Ephesians 5:15-17

04/16 Update: Hamas preacher sites Koran in calling for mass-murder of all Jews. "The Hour (Resurrection) will not take place until the Muslims fight the Jews and the Muslims kill them"

Israel and Syria at Peace (?)

1 Thessalonians 5:2-4

2for you know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. 3While people are saying, "Peace and safety," destruction will come on them suddenly, as labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape. 4But you, brothers, are not in darkness so that this day should surprise you like a thief.

I had to laugh yesterday, when I heard Ibrahim Suleiman, a Syrian national with connections to Abbas, say that peace was possible between Syria and Israel within the next 6 months. He reported before the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee that all the major pieces of a peace agreement were in place. "Peace is achievable in the next 6 months". That statement from Suleiman, and the facts on the ground on the Syria/Israel border makes me think of 1 Thessalonians 5.

I recommend reading the following article to get an idea of "all the peace" we're going to see in Israel in the next while. I pray these officials in Syria and Israel would just wake up and pick up a Bible to read Zechariah 12, Joel 3, and Ezekiel 38-39 for starters, instead of filling people's heads with false expectations of peace.

The truth is things will get extremely chaotic in the Holy Land, before they get better for some of us.

Analysis: Don't Underestimate Syria's Military

04/15 Update: Olmert and Rice - Acts of Futility

For anyone looking for Nate Lewis' comments and my replies, they are at the end of this article.

Wow, am I ever surprised...NOT!

Jesus tomb film scholars backtrack

"Several prominent scholars who were interviewed in a bitterly contested documentary that suggests that Jesus and his family members were buried in a nondescript ancient Jerusalem burial cave have now revised their conclusions, including the statistician who claimed that the odds were 600:1 in favor of the tomb being the family burial cave of Jesus of Nazareth, a new study on the fallout from the popular documentary shows..."

Some scoffers just love to play with fire. Lest they repent, they'll soon have plenty of time to play.

Extremely sad!

Armageddon in Slow-mo

• 04/09 update: Iran nuclear 'landmark' angers US BBC News
  
• 04/09 update: The Tinderbox that is Pakistan (Let's not forget Pakistan already has nukes, and pro-western Musharaff is barely clinging to power)
  
• 04/09 update: Iran to start "semi-industrial atomic work Iranian state radio
  
• Russian general says U.S. continues preparations for military action against Iran Interfax
• Tehran set to announce nuclear ‘good news’; US offered to buzz Iran Arab Times Kuwait
• Americans offered 'aggressive patrols' in Iranian airspace The Guardian
• Shiite cleric urges fight against U.S. Associated Press
  

The only way to be saved from this, is to come to Jesus Christ while there is still time. It sounds alarmist and urgent...because it is.

I know I like to post a lot of stuff from Debkafile, but...

this headline-I just couldn't ignore:

DEBKAfile Exclusive: A secret British military delegation arrives in Tehran, as Ahmadinejad pushes for an immediate military confrontation with the UK and US

I like to post from Debkafile because they seem to be at least a week ahead of the, so-called, "mainstream media".

It's interesting how the politically correct are calling the Iraq war: a battle against insurgents. I will be so bold and just call it: the start of Armageddon. I'm not trying to be sensationalist (this blog doesn't sell advertising), but as I've stated on this blog many times before, this war is against the Leopard-Bear-Lion (LBL) beast of Islam. The Leopard-Bear-Lion beast is found in Daniel 7 (described as separate, now historic, empires in the Middle East). This beast rears its head again in Revelation 13, as a combined LBL beast, and in Revelation 16 as the instigator of Armageddon. The United States is fighting this LBL beast today, and I am convinced that the US will not be able to leave Iraq without, at least, giving Iran a bloody nose. But the US will likely not leave Iraq because once they give Iran a proverbial bloody nose - hell will break loose in the Middle East. A hell that (I believe) will kill 1/3 of mankind (Revelation 9:14-15), and is described as "the 6th Seal; the 6th Trumpet; and the 6th Bowl of Revelation.

12The sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river Euphrates, and its water was dried up to prepare the way for the kings from the East. 13Then I saw three evil spirits that looked like frogs; they came out of the mouth of the dragon (aka satan), out of the mouth of the beast (the Rev 13 LBL beast) and out of the mouth of the false prophet (Mohammed). 14They are spirits of demons performing miraculous signs, and they go out to the kings of the whole world, to gather them for the battle on the great day of God Almighty. (this is starting to happen. Only question (in my opinion) - when does this battle really get going?)

15"Behold, I come like a thief! Blessed is he who stays awake and keeps his clothes with him, so that he may not go naked and be shamefully exposed."

16Then they gathered the kings together to the place that in Hebrew is called Armageddon. (Revelation chapter 16. My comments in parenthesis)

I know the standard Christian eschatological view is that the beast will be a "revived Roman Empire", but this Christian just doesn't see that in the LBL beast. I've posted the following article on my blog before. But this is so important, I need to post it again. "He who has ears to hear, let him hear":

This page is only a short explanation of the verses in the Bible that predict the fall of Islam during this generation. It is only intended as an overview. For a complete analysis of the subject, please go to www.ellisskolfield.com. Read our e-book, "The False Prophet" and the other letters and essays on that site. All are free downloads.

First of all, we need to learn what some of the figurative words in Revelation, like "beast," actually mean. The definition for "beast" can be found in an Old Testament book of the prophet Daniel. In Daniel 7, the figurative word "beast" was defined as world empires that existed during and after Daniel's time.
1. The first beast in Daniel 7 was a Lion. History shows this Lion beast to be a figurative picture of the Babylonian empire. (Babylon controlled the Holy Land from 606 to 536 B.C.)
2. The next beast in his vision was a Bear. History shows this Bear to be a figurative picture of the Medo-Persian empire. (Medo-Persia controlled the Holy Land from 536 B.C. to 332 B.C.)
3. The third beast was a Leopard. History shows this Leopard to be a figurative picture of the Greek empire (Grecian rulers controlled the Holy Land from 332 B.C. to 65 B.C. when Rome took control).
So unless God changes the definition of "beast" later in Scripture, visionary beasts should always be understood as empires. Babylon the Lion, Medo-Persia the Bear and Greece the Leopard. Each of these empires controlled the whole known world, from India to Greece, the Holy Land, and even into North Africa. In other words, the whole Middle East.
Now lets pan forward to 95 A.D., when John, a New Testament prophet, foretells the future of the Middle East during the Christian Era. In his visions, guess what John sees? Three more beasts: the Leopard-Bear-Lion "beast," a Two Horned "beast" and a Scarlet "beast". These three "beasts" are not real beasts because we now know that "beast" means something other than a wild animal:

Revelation 13:2 "And the beast which I saw was like unto a Leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a Bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a Lion: and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority."
Beasts = Empires, but this beastly empire in Revelation is a composite Leopard-Bear-Lion so it isn't just one of Daniel's three empires. It's all three empires rolled into one. In other words, this new empire is composed of the descendants of those earlier empires, in the same geographic location. Looking back at the history of the Middle East, we can now identify this new empire as the various Islamic powers that have controlled the Holy Land, and particularly Jerusalem since the 1st Jihad (which began in 639 A.D.)
Some might claim that the Islamic states in the Middle East do not constitute a real "empire" because they are not united under one central government, but the God of the Bible is far more concerned with the spiritual realities in a land than He is with how many earthly governments it may have. The reality is this: All Middle Eastern states are united under one religion, Islam, and all Moslems have one central goal: world conquest for their religion. So how should Revelation 13 be understood? Quoted below is part of the chapter, with a few of my words inserted (in parenthesis) to explain the figures . . .

Revelation 13:1-5 "And I stood upon the sand of the sea and saw a beast (an empire) rise up out of the sea (of people Rev 17:15), having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns (various Islamic rulers in the Middle East who controlled the Holy Land), and upon his heads the name of blasphemy (this empire stands against the God of the Bible). And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion (Leopard-Bear-Lion gives the reader a positive ID; it's the Middle East): and the dragon (Satan) gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority. And I saw one of his heads (governments) as it were wounded to death (the first Jihad
was defeated at the battle of Tours and the battle of Vienna); and his deadly wound was healed (the rise
of Islam today and the new Jihad): and all the world wondered after the beast (this Islamic empire). And they (the people of the Middle East) worshipped the dragon (Satan) which gave power unto the beast: and they worshipped the beast (the Islamic empire), saying, Who is like unto the beast, who is able to make war with him? And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue (controlling Jerusalem) forty and two months."

Those 42 months is how the above interpretation can be proven. 42 months is 1278.34 days. Construction of the Islamic Dome of the Rock began in Jerusalem in 688 A.D.. Jerusalem was freed of Islamic control in 1967 A.D.. Applying the prophetic days of Ezekiel 4:5-6 . . .

1967A.D. - 1278.34 years = 688.66 A. D. An exact historic fit; so the interpretation is correct. But to continue on . . .

Revelation 13:6-9 "And he (the Leopard-Bear-Lion) opened his mouth in blasphemy against God (by
saying "God forbid that He should have a Son"), to blaspheme his name (by trying to change the name of the true God from I AM, to that of a local Arab deity), and his tabernacle (God's temple mount in Jerusalem), and them that dwell in heaven (Believers are presently seated in heaven with Christ, Eph 2:6). And it was given unto him (the Islamic empire) to make war with the saints (the Christians and Jews),
and to overcome them (during the 1st Jihad): and power was given him over all kindreds,
and tongues, and nations (of the Middle East). And all that dwell upon the earth (the known world at the time of John) shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb (Jesus, the Son of God) slain from the foundation of the world. If any man have an ear, let him hear."

Not many can hear, but it is now apparent that 1.3 billion people are being terribly deceived by Satan.
The God of the Bible and the god of Islam are not the same being because the God of the Bible said, "they worship the dragon" (Satan). What's more, the God of the Bible and the god of Islam are totally different
in nature; they have different values and teach people to behave differently . . .
The Quran states: "O ye who believe! fight the unbelievers ... " (Sura 9:123).
The God of the Bible says: "Love your enemies."
The Quran states: "But when the forbidden months are past, then fight and slay the pagans wherever ye find them, and seize them, beleaguer them and lie in wait (ambush) for them in every stratagem (of war)" (Sura 9:5).
The God of the Bible says: "Bless them that curse you."
The Quran states: "Fight those who believe not in God [Allah] and his apostle [Muhammad], nor acknowledge the religion of truth [even if they are] of the people of the book [i.e. Jews and Christians], until they pay jizya [humiliating tax] with willing submission, and feel themselves subdued [enslaved]" (Sura 9:29).
The God of the Bible says: "Do good to them that hate you."
The Quran states: "Therefore when ye meet the unbelievers [in fight] smite at their necks; at length,
when ye have thoroughly subdued them, bind a bond firmly [on them]" (Sura 47:4).
The God of the Bible says: "Pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you."
So you see, the Bible and the Quran teach different thoughts and a different morality. In 1984, Ayatollah Khomeini declared to the entire world: "In order to achieve the victory of Islam in the world, we need to provoke repeated crises, restored value to the idea of death and martyrdom. The important thing is to engulf the world in crises."
The God of the Bible goes on to say:
Be ye kind to one another, tender hearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you."

The point being, the God of the Bible and Allah are not the same being because One teaches man to do good and the other teaches man to do evil. One teaches love and peace, the other teaches war and
hatred. One is really the Creator of the Universe and one is not.
So which is a god worthy of worship? The One who teaches man to do good or the one who teaches man
to do evil?
The Quran states: "God forbid that he should have a son." Jesus declared He is the Son of God and in saying, "Before Abraham was, I AM" declared Himself to be God.
Jesus also said: "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever
believeth in Him, should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved."

We should pray for Moslems, not hate them. If they do not turn to Jesus, their eventual fate could be the greatest tragedy in all human history.

Revelation 13:16 "And he (the Leopard-Bear-Lion) causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads: And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the (Islamic) beast, or the number of his name."

Like the rest of the church, I used to teach that above verse was a worldwide prophecy, but that doesn't
fit context. The Leopard-Bear-Lion prophecy is about the Middle East and the Islamic control of the Holy Land and nowhere else. Contextually, the mark of the beast is given by the Leopard-Bear-Lion, the Islamic empire. There are 1.3 billion Muslims in the world now, but do you see that mark on a forehead of any of the servants of the Leopard-Bear-Lion? No? Then that mark must be an invisible Satanic mark, on the forehead of Moslems, seen only in the spiritual world. That "no man might buy or sell" is not about China, Europe or the Americas, it's about conditions that have existed for Christians and Jews in Islamic
countries ever since the 1st Jihad. One only needs to watch the nightly news or read about the latest beheading to see how accurate that prophecy is.
Revelation 14:9-11 ". . . If any man worship the (Islamic) beast and his image (some eschatologists believe that image to be the Kaaba stone in Mecca), and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand (man thinks evil thoughts in his mind and with his hands he does them), the same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb (Jesus): And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the (Leopard-Bear-Lion) beast and his image (the Kaaba stone?), and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name."
So will Islam fall? The God of the Bible says so. As written earlier, it will be a spiritual tragedy of unimaginable proportions, and it will happen because the followers of the Leopard-Bear-Lion have been deceived into rejecting the Son of God who sacrificed Himself for all mankind on the Cross of Calvary. Scripture goes on to say:

Revelation 13:18 "Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the (Leopard-Bear-Lion) beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six," i.e., 666.

Many books have been written about that number, all speculative, but about 20 years ago a former Muslim who could read Arabic told me that 666 was the number of the Koran. I believed him, sort of, and promptly forgot about it. Then about three months ago, another friend told me there were many Islamic sites on
the Internet claiming 666 to be the number of the Koran, though Moslems keep changing the addresses which makes those sites harder for us infidels to find. But that did it; by knowing the true identity of 666, the last piece of the Leopard-Bear-Lion puzzle fell into place. We can now see the verse in a new light:

666 The number of a man! So what man has led a billion and a half people away from the Savior of the world? What man said, "God forbid that he should have a son." Is that not Muhammad, the prophet of the Leopard-Bear-Lion? Of course, and according to the Bible, the end for him and his followers will be grim indeed:

Revelation 19:20 "And the (Leopard-Bear-Lion) beast was taken, and with him the false prophet (Muhammad) that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image (the Kaaba stone?). These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone."

May our beloved God, who sacrificed His only begotten Son for all mankind, take the blindness from their eyes while there is still time.

Debkafile is forecasting a HOT summer in the Holy Land

Today's news:

• Israeli intelligence chief predicts Iran-Hizballah-Syria attack on Israel in summer
• Damascus airport has become a hub for thousands of Hizballah, Hamas, Jihad Islami fighters heading out to Iranian training camps
• Iran Mends Fences with Arabs – Starting with Saudis

Ezekiel 38
10 " 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: On that day thoughts will come into your mind and you will devise an evil scheme. 11 You will say, "I will invade a land of unwalled villages; I will attack a peaceful and unsuspecting people—all of them living without walls and without gates and bars. 12 I will plunder and loot and turn my hand against the resettled ruins and the people gathered from the nations, rich in livestock and goods, living at the center of the land."

Tomorrow's news:

Isaiah 8
9 Raise the war cry, you nations, and be shattered!
Listen, all you distant lands.
Prepare for battle, and be shattered!
Prepare for battle, and be shattered!

10 Devise your strategy, but it will be thwarted;
propose your plan, but it will not stand,
for God is with us.

We may not be headed into the above-described battle right away, but when it does happen (and it will) this will be a battle between Allah and Jehovah God. I pray that more Muslims will see the error of their ways before it is too late. The War of Independence, The 6-day War and Yom Kippur War should have told them which god is the true God. This Christian is praying for Muslim souls before it is too late.