By Julie Whedbee Wednesday, March 21, 2018 WAR IS UPON YOU AS THE MAN OF PERDITION AWAITS HIS ROLE – MY BRIDE, LOOK UP! I’m sure that like all of you who are seeking Father with all you have, the weariness and challenges of this life can be quite overwhelming at times. We all know […]
World at War. Scenes from Damascus Syria. This is only the beginning.
http://www.escapeallthesethings.com/damascus-israel-isaiah-nuke.htm
Isaiah prophesied the destruction and abandonment of Damascus, Syria over 2700 years ago. Yet the city continues today, despite so many Middle East wars and predictions that “this year” it will finally come to pass. So what is missing that is holding this prophecy back? Israel’s strike on Iran? Or perhaps the overlooked prophecy in the Psalms about a future Arab war alliance targeted at wiping out Israel. Find out why the Arabs are sure to one day acquire weapons of mass destruction that leads them to finally attack Israel…and how their defeat opens up for the “beginning of sorrows” and Great Tribulation to finally happen.
If you are into Bible prophecy, you have probably heard about the controversial nuclear program of Iran—and Israel’s plan to attack Iran over it. In 2002, it was revealed that Iran had secretly been enriching uranium. This is troubling because enriched uranium is the key component of a nuclear bomb, something nobody wants apocalyptic religious state like Iran to have. Even worse, Iran resumed enrichment once President Ahmadinejad took office in 2005 and he has refused to stop it ever since, despite severe sanctions against Iran.
It’s no mystery who is most endangered by the prospect of Iran possessing nuclear weapons. Israel has threatened to make a preemptive strike on Iran’s nuclear sites if sanctions continue to fail. This is no empty threat as Israel has bombed the nuclear sites of hostile nations in the past. Back in 1981, Israel bombed Iraq’s nuclear reactor, receiving worldwide condemnation for it at the time. Then in 2007, Israel sent planes to bomb an alleged North Korean made nuclear reactor in Syria.
Given these precedents, prophecy students wonder if an Israeli strike on Iran is not coming and will not inevitably lead to a wider Middle East war. Especially in light of a very familiar unfulfilled prophecy concerning Iran’s close ally, Syria, who is also a known sponsor of terror against Israel. The prophecy in question is the burden of Damascus in Isaiah 17:
Isaiah 17:1 (ESV) — An oracle concerning Damascus. Behold, Damascus will cease to be a city and will become a heap of ruins.
Of course, the Damascus of the Bible is still recognizable today as the well-known capital city of Syria. Appropriately enough, it even has the famous distinction of being considered the world’s oldest continuously inhabited city, inhabited from prehistoric times.
Given that, you would think there is little debate that this prophecy is plainly unfulfilled. Yet, you will find Bible commentaries that mention how Isaiah 17 was fulfilled in other events of the Bible, such as in 732 BC when Assyria defeated the Arameans and their capital Damascus (2 Kings 16:9). The problem is that while although the prophecy has been partially fulfilled in the past, this does not mean it does not have dual fulfillments, as is often the case with Bible prophecies. Usually parts of the prophecy are not fulfilled until a later, final fulfillment. In this case, the part about Damascus ceasing to be a city and become a heap of ruins is plainly unaccomplished. That’s a b bleak picture that stands in contrast to Damascus’ status as the oldest city. (In fact, Bible skeptics use Isaiah 17 as proof that the Bible is not true!)
If this is correct, then the dire prophecy of Isaiah 17 is that this capital city of 2.5 million people is one day going to end and a heap of ruins will be left in its place.
If you consider history, this prediction is without precedent in modern times. To be sure, there have been several modern cities that have been merely abandoned. A famous example of this is Pripyat, Ukraine. Probably that name does not ring a bell, but this is the city where the famous Chernobyl nuclear reactor leak happened. Due to the radioactive fallout, it was deserted as a ghost town. Decades later it is safe to visit for short periods—as witnessed by the visitor’s pictures you can find posted on the Internet, including such sites as the city amusement park.
However, for a modern city to end its run and become an uninhabited pile of ruins is something unprecedented. For example, Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the targets of the first atomic bombs, continue as cities to this day, despite having been partially leveled from the atomic blast. The reasons for this are twofold. The first two atomic bombs (Fat Man and Little Boy) used on Japan were on the small side by today’s standards. Secondly, the bombs were detonated high above the cities, in what is called an “air burst.” Air bursts produce greatly reduced fallout levels compared to ground strikes. This makes it feasible to rebuild and reinhabit the area, just as Japan did.
Damascus’ predicted fate is different than either of these cities or perhaps any other. Its buildings and streets will not just be deserted, but they will be left as a “heap of ruins.” I am not aware of a case in modern times of that happening to a city. There are cities that have been wiped out by tsunamis or even volcanic explosions, but they have been rebuilt and not left as heaps of ruins.
Hiroshima and Nagasaki may provide the best case for how Damascus’ complete destruction and abandonment is likely to happen. A nuclear bomb with a larger yield or a series of bombs with smaller yields could turn an entire city to a heap of ruins. This is quite feasible in Damascus’ case since it is small, only approximately 40 square miles in area. If a ground burst attack is used instead of air bursts, the lingering radioactive fallout would keep people from coming back to rebuild and reinhabit it.
Israel has long had an arsenal of nuclear bombs and is also a frequent target of attacks from Syria (and the terrorist organization Hezbollah in Lebanon). In fact, Israel has already been in several major wars with Syria between 1948 to 1973.
Importantly, Israel also has the will to use these weapons. Because Israel’s enemies are so numerous and able to overrun the tiny nation so easily, Israel has adopted a nuclear policy called “The Samson Option.” The name comes from the famously strong judge of Israel who took his own life by knocking out the support pillars of the temple he was in to avenge himself on his enemies around him. According to this policy, Israel would nuke the cities of her enemies if she was overrun or about to be defeated. Hitting the leadership of Syria at Damascus would be part of this retaliatory attack.
The idea of Damascus’ doom coming from a war with Israel is confirmed by several verses. Isaiah 17 continues by describing what happens along with Damascus’ destruction:
Isaiah 17:3 (HCSB) The fortress disappears from Ephraim, and a kingdom from Damascus. The remnant of Aram will be like the splendor of the Israelites… 4 On that day the splendor of Jacob will fade, and his healthy body will become emaciated…. 6 Only gleanings will be left in Israel, as if an olive tree had been beaten—two or three berries at the very top of the tree, four or five on its fruitful branches.
In this prophesied event, northern and central Israel are named as taking damage and casualties, although comparatively less than Damascus (Damascus loses the kingdom, but Israel only the fortress). War is never completely one-sided. If Israel is prompted to attack Damascus, they will certainly suffer casualties in the process. Going further in the prophecy we can see that, as has usually been the case, Syria will not be acting alone against Israel:
Isaiah 17:12-14 (HCSB) 12 Ah! The roar of many peoples—they roar like the roaring of the seas. The raging of the nations—they rage like the raging of mighty waters. 14 In the evening—sudden terror! Before morning—it is gone! This is the fate of those who plunder us [Judah] and the lot of those who ravage us.
A multitude of nations attack “us” or the nation that Isaiah addressed in his prophecies: the southern kingdom of Judah (as opposed to the northern nation of Israel). The Jewish people make up the modern State of Israel (which is why they almost called it the State of Judah). Therefore the description fits yet another Middle East war where Israel is attacked by her mainly Arab and Islamic neighbors such as Syria, Lebanon, Egypt, Jordan and probably also Iran (who is not Arab). Yet, like before, Israel will be victorious—and probably even quicker than in the Six Day War of 1967. Notice in verse 14 that it takes only from one evening until the next morning to achieve decisive victory.
It sounds just like the Samson Option is exercised after Israel is left with no choice but to use her nuclear weapons against multiple enemy nations and cities. Their armies will literally be gone, not to mention a large segment of their civilian populations. The nuclear war casualties could easily surpass ten’s of million people. No wonder Isaiah says that the situation shifts overnight from terror for Israel to tragedy for her enemies.
With regular eruptions of conflict in the Middle East, prophecy teachers have naturally been expecting and predicting Isaiah 17’s fulfillment practically every year. Yet, even after all the wars and the constant tensions, the war that seals Damascus’s fate has still not come. What are we missing?
Some think that Iran’s nuclear enrichment program is the missing key because of Israel’s threat to strike Iran over it and Iran’s promises to retaliate strongly in response. It is possible that a wider Middle East war including Syria could be triggered by this conflict. Yet, as covered earlier, preemptive strikes by Israel are nothing new. They have yet to lead to wider war, let alone a military response.
Between 1948 and 1973, Israel fought four wars with her allied Arab neighbors. That’s an average of one war every eight years. However, it has now been four decades since that last major war, the Yom Kippur War in 1973. There must be a reason for this record span of time without more major conflicts. It is obvious from the news that the Arabs did not change; they are still hostile and object to the existence of Israel in their midst. Yet they have stopped trying to launch massive attacks on Israel as before. Why?
I think the answer is obvious. Israel’s growing nuclear arsenal and increasing capability to deliver it. It is reported that in that last war (The Yom Kippur War), Israel had nuclear weapons loaded on the fighters planes ready to go if things continued to worsen for her. True or not, the Arabs know Israel has these weapons and is willing to use them if necessary just as they are willing to do unpopular preemptive strikes when necessary. This nuclear deterrent would explain the relative quiet since 1973. It has changed the balance of power. Israel’s enemies risk inviting asymmetrical force if they try to overrun and take over Israel as they did when the State of Israel formed in 1948. For this reason, I believe the Arabs have not joined in war against Israel again.
Of course, the more radical states, like Iran and Syria still talk and act belligerently. However, most of the Arab states are moderate and have had peace treaties with Israel for years now. Although they may not like Israel, they must realize how much they have to lose cmopared to what little they have to gain by trying to invade Israel now. The prophesied war of Isaiah 17 will simply not happen as long as Israel has a strong nuclear deterrent no matter how much tension with Iran or Syria we see or how many times prophecy teachers predict it.
What has to happen first is revealed in another prophecy. In Psalm 83 by Asaph the prophet (2Ch 29:30) we are given another view of this same war that brings Damascus down:
Psalm 83:1-5, 12 (HCSB) — 1 God, do not keep silent. Do not be deaf, God; do not be idle. 2 See how Your enemies make an uproar; those who hate You have acted arrogantly. 3 They devise clever schemes against Your people; they conspire against Your treasured ones. 4 They say, “COME, let us wipe them out as a nation so that Israel’s name will no longer be remembered.” 5 For they have conspired with one mind; they form an alliance against You 6 the tents of Edom and the Ishmaelites, Moab and the Hagrites, 7 Gebal, Ammon, and Amalek, Philistia with the inhabitants of Tyre. 8 Even Assyria has joined them; they lend support to the sons of Lot. Selah …12 who said, “Let us seize God’s pastures for ourselves.”
This describes a massive Arab attack on Israel by a confederacy of nations that has never happened in history (Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Lebanon, Palestine, Iraq and probably Syria). Like Isaiah 17 it predicts a devastating defeat for Israel’s attackers:
Psalm 83:13-17 (HCSB) 13 Make them like tumbleweed, my God, like straw before the wind. 14 As fire burns a forest, as a flame blazes through mountains, 15 so pursue them with Your tempest and terrify them with Your storm. …17 Let them be put to shame and terrified forever; let them perish in disgrace.
The analogies used by Asaph bring to mind the fiery, storm-like blast of a nuclear bomb, just as Isaiah 17 seems to demand for Damascus. Like Isaiah 17, Psalm 83 also points to multiple nations’ being involved and being obliterated in response.
Most interestingly, it mentions a war covenant, alliance or confederacy among these nations with the “one consent” purpose of wiping out the nation of Israel, even erasing her name from history and taking the land for themselves. With the peace treaties and moderate states among the Arabs, this pact does not seem to exist today. There is no way to win against vastly superior weaponry; such a pact would amount to a suicide pact today. In other words, what is holding back this confederacy from forming is the Arabs having an answer to Israel’s nuclear weapons.
Therefore, if Israel’s enemies develop nuclear weapons or other weapons of mass destruction (WMD), this confederacy would finally make sense. This could still take several years especially if Israel goes ahead and strikes Iran. In fact, rather than expecting the wider war to happen from a strike, we should look for the lack of a strike that keeps the inevitable acquisition of WMDs by the Arabs on schedule, rather than delay it.
Many prophecy pundits who expect this prophesied Middle East war often think that it will lead next to the Ezekiel 38-39 Gog Magog war. The reason for this is Ezekiel also talks about an attack on Israel. The attacker named as Gog of Magog is popularly thought of to be Russia, or lately, even Arab or Islamic hoards. But if you put the Magog identity question aside and focus on the timing of this war through linking it up with two parallel prophecies, you’ll see that it has nothing to do with any pretrib war. I’ve written another article explaining this called: The Two Gog Magog Wars.
Instead of the Gog Magog war, the effects of this war sets up for something much worse. The Great Tribulation cannot commence until the Arabs are taken out of the picture. This is because right before the Great Tribulation, the 144,000 Israelites must assemble on the Temple Mount so they can be sealed by angels that appear then (Rev 14) before going out to preach their witness to the world during the Great Tribulation. Also, several passages talk about Israel rebuilding the Third Temple (Mt 24:15; Mk 13:14; Rev 11:1-4; Dan 11:45; 2Th 2:4). Neither of these events are going to happen as long as the Arabs have political control over the site. Once their power is diminished from Israel’s devastating Samson Option, it is easy to imagine the Temple Mount will at that time go back to Israeli control.
The other reason this war must come next is that this Middle War prophecy spoken of in so many OT passages cannot fit any other time. In the Millennium and post-mil periods, there will be no wars at all due to God’s Kingdom. During the Great Tribulation, the Beast will have power over all nations and bring his own form of peace through dominion—once he defeats Israel himself at the start (Lk 21:20). The only place to fit a war between Israel and the Arabs is in our current pretrib period.
To be sure, Isaiah 17 is a frightening prophecy since it means we will witness the shocking end of a famous capital city along with the millions of people living there (and in other targeted cities). But after full consideration, perhaps the scariest part about it is what it means for the rest of the world. When it’s over one of the last major prerequisites in Bible prophecy for the start of the Great Tribulation will be met and the “beginning of sorrows” Jesus spoke of can commence next.
To continue learning on that topic see my article Earthquakes in Prophecy.
Because of the Gaza rockets fired against Tel Aviv and the insurgent group known as ISIS seizing nuclear material at a university in Iraq, many have asked me to comment. They want to know whether Middle East Bible prophecy is ready to fulfill. To answer that, let’s review the points of the preceding sections of this article:
When you understand the above, the latest rockets from Gaza and ISIS having nuclear material will not lead directly to Damascus’ destruction. The rocket attacks have been going on for years. Israel simply does retaliitory strikes in response. The nuclear material seized is low grade Uranium, not weapons-grade, the kind you need for making a bomb. Even a dirty bomb made with it would not be effective.
The Psalm 83 war alliance still must appear first and none of the above is able to set the stage for that. When more and more Arab nations sound like Syria and Iran, then Damascus’ end is nigh. But they will not do that until they have a way to answer Israel’s nuclear Samson option. No nukes vs. nukes = suicide. That’s why they are actively pursuing enriching uranium.
Nevertheless, at the rate things have been going, it could take a while. I have seen projections of 2-3 years for Iran to have a bomb since the early 2000’s. Yet apparently Israel’s sabotage and international sanctions have delayed that. I can easily see it taking until the 2020s before the Muslims have a adequate nuclear arsenal (not just a single bomb) and are ready to agree to take on the formidable enemy that is Israel. Until then, I think it’s safe to say that the latest incarnation of trouble in the Middle East should be filed under what Jesus warned us to not be troubled by:
Matthew 24:6 (HCSB) — You are going to hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not alarmed, because these things must take place, but the end is not yet.
Update: Here are some common objections to the premise of this article along with my responses:
It’s a fair question. To be clear, I’m not expecting a publicly announced alliance. It won’t have to be public or announced. We will know by Arab troop movements, arms shipments and change in rhetoric. Again, knowing history helps, especially the wars of 1948, 1967 or 1973.
For example, in 1946-47 Israel saw the writing on the wall. Ben Gurion ordered that they began collecting arms. Because he could see what the Arabs were planning, he was ready for their attack in 1948.
How much more so today. We live in a ultra-connected world. It’s hard for anyone to do anything without someone recording it on their phone and posting it to their blog or social media. Big changes in the mentality and plans of the Muslims and Arabs won’t escape notice for long anymore.
Also, when the Muslims have nukes, we’ll all know soon enough. Israel’s intelligence will find out and cry about the coming nuclear holocaust to get the US to take action. Also the rhetoric of the Muslims is sure to change. Today the extremism comes mainly from Syria and Iran. When they unite behind nuclear weapons per Psalm 83, you can trust that things will be different than today and the signs will be there.
If it was as easy as getting a nuke from another country, one must wonder why Iran or others have not already bought one instead of bothering to pursue their own nuclear programs with all the sanctions this brings upon them. I’m no expert, but I imagine several reasons for this:
I think the above reasons can explain why you’re seeing nations like Iran going to such drastic, unpopular, boycott-inducing lengths as to have nuclear programs instead of just shopping around for a secret “suitcase nuke,” etc.
Speaking of which, it’s a myth “you only need one bomb to take out Israel.” Israel is no easy target. Bombs can be detected, stopped, or simply even fail. Israel has a world renown intelligence service, the Iron Dome missile defense system and spies adept at assassination and sabotage. Thus, to ensure a successful nuclear strike on Israel, you need an arsenal of nukes, just as Israel has developed (hmm…). No nation is likely to invite a devastating nuclear reprisal from a nuclear power like Israel by attacking them with one stinking bomb.
The Muslims may hate Israel, but they love existence, too. =)
A common objection is basically that the Arabs are not rational people. This means that they are not afraid of a nuclear response like normal people, nor will they wait to acquire nuclear weapons before attacking Israel. Often cited to explain this is a radical Islamic slant. Supposedly, Iran has stated that it would sacrifice most of its country to usher in the 12th Imam.
The problem with this thinking is the history. If the Muslims are so irrational, so bold, or want the Mahdi so badly, then why did they stop launching joint attacks on Israel after 1973’s failed Yom Kippur War? Forty years is a long time to keep one’s wild, reckless zeal from leading you to launch a massive invasion of Israel.
We may not understand the Arab mentality or their Islamic religion, but I think it’s a mistake to write them off as irrational or reckless. I think their reluctance to make war on the regional nuclear power that emerged in the early ’70s shows they are more reasonable and calculating then some want to give them credit for. They are waiting for a reason…and pursuing nuclear weapons for a reason.
Syria claims to have hundreds of scud missiles in pointed at Israel. Iran has warned that thousands of missiles will rain down on Israel if the US moves on Syria. Given these claims of conventional power, are nuclear weapons really necessary?
Again, history is our friend to meet the objection. Scud missiles have rained down on Israel before. The result? Almost no casualties each time. I’m always amazed at how ineffective these missiles are. They seem to be more of a nuisance than a game-changer like nuclear bombs are. They’re certainly not going to defeat Israel through them. There is no substitute for nuclear weapons to match nuclear weapons.
Video song by Jason Bellard: REPENT
(For your discernment. As for me, I feel these coming judgments prophesied by Steven Crowder, (below), are in the making, due to the organized churches complacency, worldliness, and selfish disregard for God, combined with the sinfulness, unbelief and ungodliness of America.
America and the lukewarm mainstream apostate church have become like unto Sodom and Gomora. The sins of Sodom and Gomora were pride, idleness, fullness of bread, and they didn’t take care of the needy.)
-Scarlett
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Prophecy:
Brother Steven Crowder
Seeing Through The Eyes Of A Child
“On the 26th day of February in the year 2001, the Lord spoke to me and said, “Write down what I speak to you!The first of three judgments is soon to be upon this country.”
“For weeks I have been stirring your spirit and showing you things that you must tell My people.I’ve shown you My anger and my anguish over their deeds and their lives, and I’ve caused you to feel these very things in your own heart, have I not?”
And I said, “Yes, Lord.With all of my heart I know this.”
And the Lord said to me, “You must record what I’ve shown you and what I will show you, and you must share it amongst the people, even if it brings forth unbelief and dissention, and even persecution from those who call themselves your brethren”
And I said, “Lord, help me to bear this burden, for the weight of it is enormous.How great and how terrible this message is, and how will it be received?”
And the Lord said to me, “Do not concern yourself how it is received by those hearing it—only be faithful and deliver all of the words that I speak to you, and do not hold back anything I tell you—this is very important, and this you must do.”
“The first of three judgments is soon to be upon this country.With each judgment I will reveal people’s hearts and their motives, and although many will cry out to Me, few will actually repent and turn to me with all of their heart.Those who do repent will know in their hearts that it took judgment in order to bring them to repentance, this being due to the stubbornness of their hearts.”
“A strong blow will occur in the economic sector in this country, and it will cause a deterioration that will progress slowly but steadily, causing the abandonment of grandiose plans and ideas.Economic woes will pave the way to great sorrow and suffering, and as things escalate and grow worse, there will be those who will say, ‘Behold, the Great Depression has returned!What has become of our prosperity?’ Depression and sorrow are one and the same—behold, the time of sorrows that has come upon your nation.”
“I prospered the people of this country with great abundance, but what did they do with their wealth?They built monuments unto themselves, they grew fat and slothful, and they forgot the poor, and their trust increasingly grew upon their wealth, and they forgot about Me, says the Lord!They deceived themselves into thinking that it was their own righteousness that brought forth this wealth, not knowing that the seeds of their prosperity had long before been planted by their forefathers.Is it not true that first comes the planting of the seed, followed many years later by an abundance of fruit?In this people’s pride and arrogance, they have deceived themselves, and in a short time I shall strike them and take away their sustenance and all they have come to trust in, for I am the Lord, and vengeance is Mine!And when the infrastructure of this country begins to crumble, violence and turmoil will become the norm, and after a time the people will become used to it and will accept the latest strategies that will be implemented in order to try to heal this incurable affliction.”
“There are those who built great ministries and flaunted their wealth before the eyes of many, misrepresenting Christ, while at the same time claiming to be His ministers.A grand hypocrisy this is, living in such luxury as rivals the greatest kings who have ever lived, says the Lord.And O how My people love to have it so!When the economic abundance that the people have become so accustomed to begins to fade, and the propagators of such “prosperity faith” continue their efforts to milk the flock of their dwindling riches, see then how successful their “faith” messages will be.Will the people send in their money on that day to extend the life of luxury that these deceitful hirelings require?I say to you that there will be a small percentage of those whose eyes will have been opened concerning these tricks, and they will say, ‘How foolish we were to believe these tales told by those who say they represent the Lord!Forgive us for our mistakes and heal our deception O God!’And the Lord will hear their cries in that day, and He will heal them.But, the majority; the many, will continue to put their trust in these heresies, believing that God will pay them back many fold for all that they “donate” to His cause.I say to you that such giving does not emanate from a pure heart, but is done due to selfish motives.When one gives out of love, nothing is expected in return, but see how these people charge Me to return their money many times over?If your riches are your security instead of the Lord, then they have become a snare and an idol to you.Woe be unto you!Woe be unto you!”
“Your elected officials shall scramble to fix the problems in that day, yet they will only be so many fingers in a dam which is breaking, and no amount of programs will be able to mend what’s happening.The nation whose currency says, ‘In God We Trust’ has forgotten the Lord, and the majority of its officials have become corrupted!Many of your leaders use the name of the Lord as a tool, while they secretly engage in sinful, demonic behavior, thinking that the Lord does not see.But, the Lord does see, and He does not honor those who do not honor Him, nor will He honor their programs that they will attempt to implement to no avail.No government can stand when it is divided against itself, and no one can renew the blessings of God when they’re standing arm-in-arm with the devil.”
I said, “Lord, how can we as a people be so blind, and what has become of us?How can we be spared from eternal judgment?”
And the Lord said, “People do not get corrupted in a day, but through subtle deception their eyes become clouded so that they can not see and discern between good and evil.If they are not shown the error of their ways so that they can repent of this evil, then they will die in it and then have to give account for their actions on the day of accountability when they stand before Me.”
And I said, “Lord, how did this happen?”
And the Lord said, “Much of the damage has occurred through the idol you call television.At first it was innocent, with shows that promoted morals and family values, but like everything else that man can touch, it became corrupted by man’s desires, and in time it became the holding place of every foul spirit.What used to be entertainment withcowboys and horses paved the way for policemen and violence, and with each passing season the savagery grew worse, until the people became shock-proofed and addicted to this sort of blood and violence.And then it became the norm for people to see men; who were created in the image of God, cursing and killing other men—all in the name of ‘entertainment.’And as people grew more accustomed to this type of perversion, they merely passed it off as being normal—the average, routine entertainment of the day—not realizing at all what it was doing to them.This is to be compared to a rebellious child who pushes the limit of what he can get away with, until at last the outrageous becomes the acceptable—this is how the people of this country became so corrupted, until at last they call evil good and they have lost the ability to discern good from evil.It was mainly through the entertainment industry that this door was opened, allowing all of this demonic intrusion into the lives and hearts of the people.Music and television both became so corrupted that they destroyed the moral fiber of the youth, and in time those children grew up and became the adults of the next generation—a generation empty of understanding and void of moral direction—a preoccupied generation that had lost the ability to know right from wrong.And if this wasn’t enough, then came the computer, where everything can be found, although none of it is real.As if this country wasn’t already shock-proofed, easy access to computers paved the way to even greater perversions—all in the name of man’s progress.From cursing to murder to lewd acts and perversions, televisions and computers opened the door to the demonic and caused people to adulterate themselves through what they saw—all in the form of ‘entertainment.’Children need to be entertained, and it was through the door of their ‘entertainment’ that the people of this nation were adulterated with the iniquities of the world.Children—perpetual children—children who refuse to grow up and take responsibility—this is what has become of the people of this country.”
“When My judgments come, says the Lord, who will shake themselves loose from the great deception that has covered this country like a death shroud—who is it that will repent?
As I pondered this, the Lord spoke to me again, speaking of a second judgment.He said to me, “After their riches become as dust, I shall bring forth a famine so as to make their food scarce and their delicacies no more.”
And I said, “Lord, how will this affect the country, and who will be spared this judgment?”
The Lord said, “Many have lived their lives never knowing what it is to be hungry.Many have forgotten the poor and the destitute and the hungry, choosing to turn their heads away from such ones as these, and to shut out that part of the world from their eyes.In their pride, they considered themselves better than the others because of their prosperity and their lack of want.You will see how depraved these people will become when they will consider it a blessing to receive a mere one meal a day!Where will their pride be then?”
“As the economic woes worsen, great turmoil will occur overseas, and your country will be pulled into a frightening war.Because it is a fact that ‘war’ helps to revive the economy, there will be many who will rejoice because of this, saying, ‘Behold, our prosperity is soon to return!—it is worth the sacrifice of these young men and women.’But this war will be a great trap, and many men and women will leave the homeland, never to return, as the jaws of this trap will clamp down upon them without mercy.Your country has become very proud of its great technologies, and the people of your country entertained themselves by watching their televisions, viewing the wholesale slaughter meted out in your last war.Unbeknownst to you, these ‘smart weapons’ will not be so effective this time around, and when your troops walk confidently into battle they will not be prepared for what they will encounter.The tactics of the last war have deceived your people into a false sense of security, and it will be to your horror when a seemingly weaker enemy unleashes the terror that they are holding in store for your young men and women when they enter into the prepared battle grounds.”
“Although everyone will be affected by the lack of abundant food, there will be those who will have an adequate supply, those who have been wise and who have heard the voice of the Lord and who have actually done something with what He has spoken to them.These people will be blessed in that day, and their wise planning they will become a lifeline for many people to avoid starvation.These pockets of people will be few, and they will be scattered in many places, says the Lord.It will be by My assistance that these people will be blessed, and they will take no credit unto themselves for their blessings.”
“The government will attempt to remedy the problem of feeding the masses of hungry people, and their food distribution programs will at times become violent, plagued by people who know of no other way than to break in and steal that which they desire.This will pave the way for very strict regulations and the marking of people within a godless system.Although this country has always had an abundance of food and grain to send to other countries, it will be hard-pressed to feed its own people in that soon-coming day, and the famine will only grow worse and worse, with natural disasters leading to the destruction of much-hoped-for food.A once-proud nation will be brought to its knees, and people’s health will decline to proportions unheard of for this country.Many will lose hope, and few will repent and return to Me, says the Lord.”
“There will still be ministries that will attempt to pilfer the people in that day, offering promises to them and misleading many with false signs and wonders.And there will be so many in that day who will cry long and loud to be raptured out of the world and into the Paradise of God, but to no avail.It will be said to their leaders in that day, ‘How long must we suffer this affliction?’ and ‘Children of the King shouldn’t suffer like this, should they?’And many will fall away from the faith in that day, abandoning all hope and the possibility of being removed from their suffering.And I will have mercy on My people in that day, says the Lord, upon those who will face reality and who will come to Me with their broken hearts.And they shall know in that day that I am the Lord who loves them, and that they’ve been tricked and deceived by those who fashion themselves in religious garb, yet who are not truly the Lord’s shepherds.This is the second judgment that I shall pour out upon this country”
And as I sat and pondered this, the Lord brought my attention to a group of people who were standing around and talking amongst themselves.The Lord said to me, “Behold how they talk and how this sort of speech does not sit right within your spirit.”
And I said, “Lord, why is this so, and what does it mean?”
And the Lord said, “They speak as though they were babes and little children, not knowing that from the abundance of their hearts their mouths speak.They speak as babes and children because within their hearts this is who and what they really are—a generation that has refused to grow up, a generation that has deceived themselves and in turn I have deceived them.Education and wealth have no affect on peoples’ maturity, and yet they have been deceived into thinking that this is the case.People think that because a person has this much education or because they own great possessions, or because they have great charm or a golden tongue that they are somehow above others.Men see the outside and judge accordingly, but the Lord looks upon the heart.”
At these words my heart sank within me, and I wanted to turn and weep for these people.I could not speak, nor could I eat, for my heart was so heavy within me.I began to melt like wax and my strength left me.For hours I walked around in a daze, and I felt as though I had just seen all of those around me slain in an unknown way.And as I pondered this, the Lord began to speak to me again.
“Children—perpetual children, this is how I refer to this generation.They see through the eyes of a child, for this is what they wanted, and this is what I gave them over to.A child’s reality is seeing things the way they want to see them.They pretend into reality the things they wish to see, like a Christian walk without the cross and the suffering that is necessary for spiritual growth.They refuse to see the truth, for they’ve blinded themselves through their rebellion, says the Lord.Although they see reality and have heard the truth of the gospel, they choose rather; like little children, to believe something else—purposely deceiving themselves rather than having to face reality.Seeing, followed by believing, which means putting into action what they’ve seen, would prove that they are at least attempting to mature, and it is this type of religion that is pleasing to your heavenly Father.[James 1:21ff, Matthew 7:24-27]Have I not said in My Word that to those who choose to love a lie over the truth that I will give them over to believing these lies?That I will even send a deluding influence upon them so that they will believe that which is false and be judged accordingly?[2 Thessalonians 2:10,11]Do they not take the Lord at His word and believe it?”
When I heard this, I was deeply disturbed and troubled at the thought of this.“Lord, this is your wrath, and it is an awful thing to see!I always thought that the wrath of God was fire and brimstone and cataclysmic judgment, but now I see Your wrath in a much different way!I see your judgment upon people happening right now, and we don’t even see it!How do I warn them of this?”
And the Lord said to me, “You must show them all that I’ve spoken to you here, and despite whether they pay heed to you or not, you must tell them, for your Lord is merciful and full of compassion and I desire to heal their iniquity and their backsliding.I am a just and true God, and I will render unto each person accordingly.Judgment is coming upon your nation, and it is not My will that any man should perish, therefore I send My watchmen to those who call themselves My people.I send My watchmen forth with a message from the throne of the Most High God in hopes that there will be those who will listen and take to heed concerning the blindness that they’ve been given over to.It is My desire to heal them and forgive them so that I can save them.Do you not know that the Lord loves these people and that He grieves over them with great anguish?”
And I shook my head and said, “I do not understand that kind of love, Lord—it is too great for me.Forgive my shallowness and lack of understanding, please.Forgive my hardness of heart toward those who are perishing O God, and give me Your compassion, that I may speak to them from my heart and not just out of obedience”
And the Lord said, “My ways are not man’s ways.My ways are higher than man’s ways, therefore you must tell the people all that I have spoken to you, because it is for their benefit.Tell them that I love them and do not desire to lose them when I bring My judgment down upon your country.Tell them that I desire to show them the error of their ways so that they might repent and I would in turn heal them of their sins and their backsliding.Tell them that I desire to save them and to be with them in the Paradise of God, for they are My creation, made in My own image, and I My desire is that none of them would be lost.Tell them all that I have spoken to you, for this is the word of the Lord!”
“When the first two judgments come upon your country, they will drive many to their knees.There will be those who will indeed repent, but the vast majority will harden their hearts toward Me and many will curse Me in that day.And in their weakened state I shall bring forth terrors upon them such as they have never known before!This shall be the third judgment upon your country.”
“And what will this judgment be, Lord?” I asked.
“I have shown pieces of this judgment to many people over the years, the signs of terror that will come upon America at the time of her end.Mists, vapors, powders and stars falling from the heavens upon her cities, pestilence and foreign troops and terror of every conceivable fashion shall come upon her when the third wave of judgment passes over her.Imprisonment andmartyrdom shall be the norm in that day, and many will flee for their lives in order to escape the terrors that await the living.The great cataclysmic judgments that men have seen and written about shall all descend upon her during her final days, and the government will be powerless to do anything to stop them, says the Lord.The economy will no longer be an issue in that day, as there will be nothing left to buy and sell, and America as a nation will be in ruins, never to rise up again.Her soldiers will have been spread out in every direction upon the globe, tending to the various duties abroad, and they will never see their homeland again.So sobering will things be at that time that no one will be preaching the gospel for money, and those who would attempt to do so will be captured and killed.And for this reason, many will abandon Me in that day, denying Me before men in their attempt to merely live one more day.And the word ‘Rapture’ will be forgotten in that day, and the people will know that they’ve been taught wrongly concerning this doctrine.”
“But, I will have a people, says the Lord—a people who will walk through this coming fire, a people who will miraculously survive, despite all of the odds which will be stacked up against them.This will be due to My divine protection upon them, the sealing of these servants by My angels as is written in My Word.”[Revelation 7, Ezekiel 9]
“Have I not shown Myself to be faithful in protecting My people in days past? says the Lord.Have you not read in My Word how I spared Daniel in the lion’s den, how I kept the three young men in the furnace of fire, how I kept My people when I struck their oppressors?And do you still not believe that I will spare My people even when judgments are falling all around them?”
“Ten times did I strike the oppressors of My people, declares the Lord, and each time that judgment fell upon them, My people were kept safe from harm.Ten times did I strike them—with boils and with blood and darkness, with hail and locusts and frogs and swarms of insects, and I struck their cattle and their firstborn.And did I not spare My own in that day?When the judgments fell upon the Egyptians, were not My own people exempt? says the Lord.And when I parted the Red Sea and made safe passage for My people, what did the oppressors of My people do?They sought to destroy My people, using the same miraculous passage that I had provided for them.And did I not destroy them all because of this? says the Lord.And so shall it be now, as you will see many who are soon to be plagued, and few who will be spared.And let it be known beforehand that there will be a definite distinction between those whom the Lord spares and those who He does not spare, for the Lord knows those who are truly His and He will make it well-known before men in that day.Many are called, and yet few are chosen, and is it not written that at the time of the end that the love of the many shall grow cold? [Matthew 24:12]Therefore, know beforehand that he Lord will make a definite distinction, which will be visible to all in that day concerning those who are truly His people and those who are not.It is when the many seek to pillage and destroy those whom I have protected so that they might live—when they seek to devour that which I have spared, then you shall see Mine hand strike without mercy, and many shall be the slain in that day.”
“And just who are the oppressors of My people? you would ask.Are they not children[Isaiah 3:12]—those who refuse to grow up and face the responsibility of maturing and growing up? says the Lord.
“Tell the people of this coming terror” the Lord said to me.“Tell them that I love them and I am heartbroken over the things I see being committed in My name.Tell them that if they desire to remain as children and to deceive themselves into believing only what they want to believe, then I have no other option but to give them over to these lies, and that it will cost them everything! says the Lord.Tell them that if they continue to see as through the eyes of a child that they will never mature into that which I would desire of them, and that in the end I will indeed label them as children—children of disobedience, whom I take no pleasure in.”
“The United States of America has become a nation of children, a nation that thrives upon watching boys grow up to play boys’ games—giving great honor, prestige and riches to those who refuse to grow up, to those who choose youth over wisdom and maturity.And so much time and money and effort is put into the vanity of looking young and not having to face the reality of growing old!It is time to put away your vanity, My people—it is time to humble yourselves and to be done with it. It is time to grow up My people!Do you think that I will warn you of this many more times before it’s too late to escape the coming terror upon your country?This is the word of the Lord!”
There are those who have asked me, “When do you think that this economic crisis is going to begin?”All I can tell them what the Lord told me concerning this.In June of 2000 the Lord spoke to me and said, “On the sixth day of the sixth month of the new millennium, the evil powers in charge have an evil plan devised.”The Lord did not tell me what this evil plan was, nor what it pertained to, but it seemed to point to a judgment upon the American economy.
He also told me that we’re to watch the country’s reaction to the execution of Timothy McVeigh—especially the reaction in Oklahoma City where the bombing took place.He is scheduled to die in May of 2001, and if the people rejoice over his death I feel that this will be a sign that our nation is about to fall under the judgment of God.I cannot with surety say “thus saith the Lord” concerning that, but I have a very strong feeling about it.I was led to move to Oklahoma three weeks before the bombing occurred, and below you will read what the Lord showed me concerning the bombing and the court’s verdict upon Mr. McVeigh.I felt that the Lord was telling me recently that because people in this country have refused His meat and chose instead to live on milk, that He will one day not far hence bring a plague upon our livestock, taking away the abundance of meat and milk that we’ve become so used to—and this will have a devastating affect upon our economy.
I know that there have been many “date setters” that have come up short on their “predictions,” and it’s not my desire to be one of them.Predictions come from men, whereas prophecy comes from the Lord.If these words are truly of the Lord, then they will come to pass, and if they are only vain imaginings from my carnal mind, then they will not come to pass.I ask each of you be the judge of this.Please read about what the Lord says concerning the Oklahoma City bombing and how it affects us as a nation.
The bombing of the Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City on April 19, 1995 made national headlines for weeks.Anyone who turned on the TV during that time saw the continual news reports on the bombing.Across the screen would flash the central theme, “Terror in the Heartland.”The Lord told me to watch what happened after this was all over, for a sign would be shown that would expose the heart of something concerning the whole nation.After a period of time, the bombing became old news, and then there was the trial which was held in Denver.When the verdict was about to be read, the Lord reminded me again to pay attention, for it would be a sign that would show the heart of something concerning the whole country.I asked the Lord, “What do I do?”and He replied that I needed to buy a newspaper and that I would find the answer in it.As you well know, the jury found Mr. McVeigh guilty, and sentenced him to die by lethal injection.The day after the death penalty was handed down, the answer came.In Oklahoma City, the people rejoiced over the sentence, and the newspaper stated that “The churches were ringing their bells every half hour, rejoicing.”The churches in the heartland were rejoicing when they saw their enemy judged, and in doing so they set themselves up to receive their own judgment at the hand of the Lord.”
The Word of God says:
“Rejoice not when your enemy falls, and let not your heart be glad when he stumbles or is overthrown; lest the Lord see it, and it be evil in His eyes and displease Him, and He turn away His wrath from him [to expend it upon you, the worse offender].” PROVERBS 24:17,18 Amplified Version
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