Daniel 10:5-13 Then I lifted up mine
eyes, and looked, and behold a certain man clothed in linen, whose loins
were girded with fine gold of Uphaz: His body also was like the beryl, and
his face as the appearance of lightning, and his eyes as lamps of fire,
and his arms and his feet like in colour to polished brass, and the voice
of his words like the voice of a multitude. And I Daniel alone saw the vision:
for the men that were with me saw not the vision; but a great quaking fell
upon them, so that they fled to hide themselves. Therefore I was left alone,
and saw this great vision, and there remained no strength in me: for my
comeliness was turned in me into corruption, and I retained no strength.
Yet heard I the voice of his words: and when I heard the voice of his words,
then was I in a deep sleep on my face, and my face toward the ground. And,
behold, an hand touched me, which set me upon my knees and upon the palms
of my hands. And he said unto me, O Daniel, a man greatly beloved, understand
the words that I speak unto thee, and stand upright: for unto thee am I
now sent. And when he had spoken this word unto me, I stood trembling. Then
said he unto me, Fear not, Daniel: for from the first day that thou didst
set thine heart to understand, and to chasten thyself before thy God, thy
words were heard, and I am come for thy words. But the prince of the kingdom
of Persia withstood me one and twenty days: but, lo, Michael, one of the
chief princes, came to help me; and I remained there with the kings of Persia.
An angel came and revealed things to Daniel. Daniel 8:16 And
I heard a man's voice between the banks of Ulai, which called, and said,
Gabriel, make this man to understand the vision. Daniel 9:21
Yea, whiles I was speaking in prayer, even
the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision at the beginning, being caused
to fly swiftly, touched me about the time of the evening oblation.
Gabriel revealed things to Daniel. Michael is mentioned in Daniel 12:1and
there are two satanic princes called the prince of Gretia and the prince
of Persia Daniel 10:13, 20 who were part of a spiritual conflict in the
heavenlies to stop Daniel from receiving the answer to a prophecy. When
the angel finally got there and revealed what was given him in Daniel chapters
11 and 12, things from the past into the future that have still not been
fulfilled. Daniel 12:1 And at that
time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children
of thy people... Daniel 10:13 But
the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me one and twenty days: but,
lo, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me; and I remained there
with the kings of Persia. Daniel 10:20 Then
said he, Knowest thou wherefore I come unto thee? and now will I return
to fight with the prince of Persia: and when I am gone forth, lo, the prince
of Grecia shall come.
Isaiah 44:7 And who, as I, shall call,
and shall declare it, and set it in order for me, since I appointed the
ancient people? and the things that are coming, and shall come, let them
shew unto them. Isaiah 45:21 Tell
ye, and bring them near; yea, let them take counsel together: who hath declared
this from ancient time? who hath told it from that time? have not I the
Lord? and there is no God else beside me; a just God and a Saviour; there
is none beside me. Isaiah 46:10 Declaring
the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not
yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure.
Isaiah 48:3 I have declared the former
things from the beginning; and they went forth out of my mouth, and I shewed
them; I did them suddenly, and they came to pass.
Suddenly. The purpose of prophecy is given in Isaiah 48:5 I
have even from the beginning declared it to thee; before it came to pass
I shewed it thee: lest thou shouldest say, Mine idol hath done them, and
my graven image, and my molten image, hath commanded them.
God was telling them that they have been serving
false idols and gods but they cannot accurately predict to them the things
that would happen in the future. So God reveals those things that are going
to take place so that when they come to pass we know that he alone is the
one who can tell the future from the past. We are told in the NT that Jesus
is the spirit of prophecy. Revelation 19:10 The proofs that Jesus is alive
and that He is coming again are found in the prophecies.
Christ was here
on earth for his 42 months of ministry, after which he was crucified and
buried and then risen from the dead. Then he was taken up from the Mount
of Olives on top of which currently is a church. Acts 1:3-12 To whom also he shewed himself alive after his passion by
many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days, and speaking of the
things pertaining to the kingdom of God: And, being assembled together with
them, commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait
for the promise of the Father, which, saith he, ye have heard of me. For
John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost
not many days hence. When they therefore were come together, they asked
of him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to
Israel? And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the
seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power. But ye shall receive
power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses
unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the
uttermost part of the earth. And when he had spoken these things, while
they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight.
And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two
men stood by them in white apparel; Which also said, Ye men of Galilee,
why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from
you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into
heaven. Then returned they unto Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet,
which is from Jerusalem a sabbath day's journey. Meaning if he ascended
from the Mount of Olives He would one day return to the Mount of Olives.
Zechariah 14:4 And his feet shall stand
in that day upon the mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east,
and the mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof toward the east
and toward the west, and there shall be a very great valley; and half of
the mountain shall remove toward the north, and half of it toward the south.
There is a major earthquake fault line that runs through that mountain and
so even today there is no building along that fault line.
Acts 3:20-21 And he shall send Jesus
Christ, which before was preached unto you: Whom the heaven must receive
until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the
mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began. Peters message
has a revelation the restitution of all things. The heavens would receive
Him and He would remain in Heaven until the time of this restitution. This
same Greek word is used by other men in history as Josephus who used it
to describe the people of Israel when they came out of Egyptian bondage
back to Israel and when they came out of Babylonian captivity to Jerusalem.
The Hebrew people were dispersed several times the most notable being in
the time of the Babylonians when Nebuchadnezar came and destroyed the temple
and the city and took them away to Babylon after which they returned under
Ezra and Nehemiah to rebuild the city. Then in 70 AD the Romans destroyed
the temple and they were again scattered. Now the people are returning to
the land in fulfillment of what peter spoke in Acts 3.
The timing of the
events of the prophets can be seen best in the land of Israel or Palestine.
The city of Jerusalem is divided into quarters and is holy to three monotheistic
religions, Judaism, Christianity and Islam. The Bible indicates that major
things will happen in this city in the future. Luke 21:24 And
they shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led away captive
into all nations: and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until
the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled. The gentiles will be control
of the city of Jerusalem until the end time when the Messiah would return.
During the past 1900 years since the dispersion in 70 AD, the Romans, the
Byzantines, the Muslims, the Turks, the British and more that controlled
Jerusalem were all Gentiles. In 1948 the nation of Israel was formed but
it was in the 1967 war, that for the first time since 70AD the city became
fully united under the Jews. This was the beginning of prophecies concerning
Israel that must take place before the Messiah could return. James 5:7-8
Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming
of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the
earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter
rain. Be ye also patient; stablish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord
draweth nigh. This predicts that about the time of the return of
Jesus there would be many souls brought into the kingdom and it mention
the early and latter rain. In ancient times there was the early rain of
the fall into the winter and then the latter rain of harvest. In Joel 2:28
and Acts 2:17 these terms are used concerning the outpouring of the Holy
Spirit. John 14:16 And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter,
that he may abide with you for ever. John 16:7 Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you
that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you;
but if I depart, I will send him unto you. Praying and speaking
in tongues or a language that you never learned but that others can understand,
as Peter and others on the day of Pentecost, it is a proof that Jesus was
raised from the dead and return to heaven from which he came and is alive.
This outpouring of the Spirit according to James is an evidence that Jesus
is alive and in Heaven.
These are things
necessary before Jesus can return. First these things must come to
pass: 1) Jerusalem must be the capitol of Israel and 2) the Gentiles must
lose control of the city. 3) There must be a great outpouring of the Holy
Spirit. 4) Matthew 24:14 And this gospel
of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all
nations; and then shall the end come. The Gospel must be preached
unto all the world. Romans 11:25 For I
would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye
should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened
to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in. Gentiles
will preach the gospel around the world not meaning that all individual
will hear or receive it, will be a sign of the end times. That is now taking
place.
Second, there must also take place what is called the fullness of iniquity
2Thessalonians 2:7. For the mystery
of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he
be taken out of the way. Daniel 8:23 And in the latter time of their kingdom, when the transgressors
are come to the full, a king of fierce countenance, and understanding dark
sentences, shall stand up. In the end days when the transgressors
are come to full the end will come. The sin comes to the place where it
comes up before God as a stench in his nostrils and He then sends judgment
upon the wicked. That is what happened in the days of Noah. Another example
was given in Genesis 15:14. And also that
nation, whom they shall serve, will I judge: and afterward shall they come
out with great substance. The descendants of Abraham were to be
in Egypt until the fullness of the iniquity of the Amorites, until their
iniquity was come to the full after which God would judge them and give
the land to the Israelites. Revelation 19:15 speaks of the winepress of
the wrath of God. When the winepress becomes full, then comes the judgment.
That is another sign that this is the last days.
Then finally Psalm 102:16 is a sign of the final days. Psalm 102:16
When the Lord shall build up Zion, he shall appear
in his glory. Just outside Jerusalem there are new settlements and
building going up everywhere. Zion is an older name for Jerusalem and it
is surely being built up.
Prophecies concerning Israel and the end times. There are prophecies that
Mr. Dake wrote about in his Dakes annonitated Bible back in the 1920 and
1930s indicating that scholars at that time believed that certain prophecies
in Isaiah and Ezekiel would not be fulfilled until after Jesus returned
and set up his millennium kingdom. Yet these prophecies are already being
fulfilled today. One of the ancient teaching was that when the Jews returned
to the land and it began to blossom as a rose that it was a sign of the
soon coming of the Messiah.
In Qumran Israel are the caves where the Dead Sea scrolls were discovered.
Behind Qumran is the Judean desert where the caves were. The main water
in the area is the Dead Sea in which there is no life because it is 30%
salt and chemicals. Yet Ezekiel saw a river coming out of Jerusalem that
began shallow and got deeper and deeper. Ezekiel 47:8-12 Then said he unto me, These waters issue out toward the east
country, and go down into the desert, and go into the sea: which being brought
forth into the sea, the waters shall be healed. And it shall come to pass,
that every thing that liveth, which moveth, whithersoever the rivers shall
come, shall live: and there shall be a very great multitude of fish, because
these waters shall come thither: for they shall be healed; and every thing
shall live whither the river cometh. Many believe that this is referring
to the Dead Sea that is going to be healed and bring forth life. Today that
still seams an impossibility. Yet there is something interesting about this.
A part shall be given to salt and part healed. The Dead Sea has always been
one body of water but recently it began to dry up in the middle, actually
towards the south and it now forms two seas. In is in the area of Masada
is where it is drying up and the smaller southern portion is full of salt
and salt crystals in clusters. Now one of the things that will happen as
the sea is about to be healed is that fish will begin to live there. There
is a town called Talia along the Dead Sea and its name means The Dead Sea
Shall Be Resurrected. They received a grant from the Israeli government
to test shrimp in the Dead Sea. In the southern part of the Dead Sea there
are fish farms growing fish from water coming out of the ground near the
sea in Engedi. Ezekiel 47:10-11 And it shall come to pass, that the fishers shall stand upon
it from En-gedi even unto En-eglaim; they shall be a place to spread forth
nets; their fish shall be according to their kinds, as the fish of the great
sea, exceeding many. But the miry places thereof and the marishes thereof
shall not be healed; they shall be given to salt. So these two areas
where the people live will be the first to fish in the Dead Sea. Just a
few years ago Israeli engineers found massive amount of water underground
in the area. There is a 3-mile long lake underground there. When the underground
fault line splits or opens up the water that currently flows to Jerusalem
from the underground aquifer will flow through the Judean wilderness into
the Dead Sea. Currently the Dead Sea has formed two seas, and it is drying
up at the rate of 3 feet per year around the edges and the northern part
is still salty but the southern part is full of salt and salt crystals and
will not be healed and fourth by the river shall grow trees. 10 years ago
there were no trees around the Dead Sea and today all around it there are
trees and fruit being grown where the Dead Sea used to be but has receded.
There are date trees on the northern edge of the sea in fulfillment of Ezekiel
47:12. Ezekiel 47:12 And by the river upon the bank thereof, on this side and on
that side, shall grow all trees for meat, whose leaf shall not fade, neither
shall the fruit thereof be consumed: it shall bring forth new fruit according
to his months, because their waters they issued out of the sanctuary: and
the fruit thereof shall be for meat, and the leaf thereof for medicine.
This tells us that the land is being prepared for Jesus return.
Isaiah 35:1-2 The wilderness and the
solitary place shall be glad for them; and the desert shall rejoice,
and blossom as the rose. It shall blossom abundantly, and rejoice even with
joy and singing: the glory of Lebanon shall be given unto it, the excellency
of Carmel and Sharon, they shall see the glory of the Lord, and the excellency
of our God. Isaiah 35:7-8 And the parched ground shall become a pool, and the thirsty
land springs of water: in the habitation of dragons, where each lay, shall
be grass with reeds and rushes. And an highway shall be there, and a way,
and it shall be called The way of holiness; the unclean shall not pass over
it; but it shall be for those: the wayfaring men, though fools, shall not
err therein.
Now in the Hebrew there are 8 different words for wilderness or desert.
(Isaiah 35:1, 1Samuel 20, Joel 3:19) The word for desert in Isaiah 35:1
is arabah. That desert was a rift along the Jordan Valley along the northern
part of the Dead Sea. In Isaiahs day it would have been from the southern
part of the Dead Sea where it is very salty all the way to Gulf of Aquaba
120 miles long and 8 to 10 miles wide a place where historically nothing
has ever grown. Several years ago in the 1960s they began to drill in the
area of that desert. Then in the 1970s looking at satellite pictures they
discovered something and drilled a hole and it brought up a large pool of
water now called Sapphire and it now provides water to the entire area of
the desert. There in the area of that desert mentioned in Isaiah is growing
grass, reeds and rushes. Beside it is a highway that goes from the southern
tip of the Dead Sea all the way down to the Gulf of Aquaba, the area where
Jordan, Egypt and Israel come together. There would be the road where the
redeemed would return to Jerusalem to worship the Lord. Isaiah 27:6
Fruit means produce. Isaiah 35:2 It shall
blossom abundantly, and rejoice even with joy and singing: the glory of
Lebanon shall be given unto it, the excellency of Carmel and Sharon, they
shall see the glory of the Lord, and the excellency of our God.
One of the largest packing companies that sends fruit to Europe in the winter
is called the Carmel Packing Company. Scripture says the glory of Carmel
would be given to the desert. These things are a sign of the fulfillment
of prophecy preceding and showing the soon coming of Christ. Besides the
fruit they are also exporting flowers. The desert area is full of greenhouses
producing flowers to export. They produce 100 to 120 Kilotons of tomatoes
per acre. Even the cows there give more milk than those in America and one
cow produces 11000 liters of milk per year. It is again a land flowing with
milk and honey.
Isaiah 35:7 And the parched ground shall
become a pool, and the thirsty land springs of water: in the habitation
of dragons, where each lay, shall be grass with reeds and rushes.
Isaiah 41:18 I will open rivers in high
places, and fountains in the midst of the valleys: I will make the wilderness
a pool of water, and the dry land springs of water. These things
are happening. Those prophets writing 2500 and 2900 years ago didnt know
that there in that desert were large underground pools of water all along
the geological rift. There are places in the desert where the rocks are
opening up and small springs are bringing forth water because of all the
pressure of the water underground. They have estimated that there is 50
times more fresh water underground, under the desert there than in the entire
country of Israel. That water is now bringing forth life and fruit and flowers
that is going out too much of the world.
Isaiah 55:10 For as the rain cometh down,
and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth,
and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and
bread to the eater. Hosea 2:15 And I will give her her vineyards from thence, and the valley
of Achor for a door of hope: and she shall sing there, as in the days of
her youth, and as in the day when she came up out of the land of Egypt.
This valley is located between Qumran the area of Jericho. For centuries
there were no vineyard because of a lack of water, but now there are many
vineyards there producing grapes. Think of it. There is the Dead Sea miracle
and the prophecy being fulfilled concerning it. The process of the desert
blossoming like a rose is being fulfilled. The valley of Achor producing
fruit where it was never produced before. All these are signs that Jesus
is soon to return.
More Things to Come
Isaiah 43:5-6 Fear not: for I am with thee: I will bring thy seed from the
east, and gather thee from the west; I will say to the north, Give up; and
to the south, Keep not back: bring my sons from far, and my daughters from
the ends of the earth. Form the West... are the Jews from America
going to start returning to Jerusalem?
We know that before the return
of Christ 1) Israel had to become a nation, which happened on May 15th,
1948. 2) Jerusalem would become the capitol of Israel, which it did in 1967.
Psalm 102:16 When the Lord shall build
up Zion, he shall appear in his glory. 3) There has to be a massive
return of the Jews to this are. There has already been a return from the
East, Iran, Iraq, and Pakistan. Many of these nations were once friendly
to the Jewish people until the fanatical Muslims started taking over and
then the Jews from those areas returned to Israel and went to other countries.
They have also returned from the South, from Ethiopia and Egypt. From 1988
they became returning from the North, from the former USSR, a greater exodus
than the others so far. The West as far as Israel is concerned would be
the Islands of the sea in Old Testament times and The Western Hemisphere
would be Canada, America and Latin America. There hasnt yet been an exodus
or return of Jews to Israel from the West, but it is prophesied.
September 11th in
the Natural was an attack against the US and an effort to get the USA to
withdraw its support for Israel because they know that they cant attack
and destroy Israel as long as America is backing them. So the terrorism
against America is to get us to back out of supporting Israel.
Revelation 12:12 Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them.
Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come
down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a
short time. Matthew 24:24 For
there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great
signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive
the very elect. But in the Spiritual realm its about the preaching
of the Gospel. About 90% of all the missionaries and gospel going out into
the world has gone forth from America. Also supporting orphanages, helping
those in need, etc. The attacks are to attack the finances of the USA so
that people will stop giving money for the Gospel and stop sending out missionaries
and evangelists to hold crusades around the world. But the Word of God will
be fulfilled regardless. So the plans of the enemy cannot and will not stop
the fulfillment of the Word of God in this area.
In 1997 Perry Stone had a dream
that he was in a home and in it was a digital clock that said 11:40, 20
minutes to 12 pm and at midnight the call came out to the bridegroom. He
saw military leaders planning for a war, then he saw an American jet fly
overhead and afterward a war broke out. Then they talked of the ground troops
going in. America was winning this war, but he had no clue where it
was. Then he saw the silhouette of a major city in America, then he saw
a mushroom cloud hit one of the skyscrapers that would devastate several
buildings. He wondered if it was nuclear or just a major explosion. But
it wasnt coming like the trade centers attack, but from the ground. When
the building collapsed it had a great impact and all our allies backed away
from us. They said, we will not stand with America because if they can
hit America they can hit us and we were standing all alone. Our military
were in complete confusion. It was a major war in an area of America with
mountains. He said only time will tell what it means. But God can give warnings
for prayer to help deter or stop such things.
IN 1988 Rabbi Zvi revealed these
things. First all the Jews would come out of Russia back to Israel. 2) He
gave the day in December that the dictator of 40 years in Rumania would
die. It happened when Romania fell as a communist dictatorship. 3) He said
the Jews in America are far to comfortable, they are the same in spiritual
condition before the Holocaust began. They wouldnt go back to the land
of Israel in the 1910s 1920s and 1920s. They were diamond traders, fur
traders, silver and mineral traders and they were blessed and wealthy. But
they after the Holocaust began, and they wanted to return to Israel. He
said there would be a major attack in New York. There will be a series of
attacks, but one will be so great that God will put it on the hear of the
Jews to begin returning to Israel. The Jews in the West still are comfortable
and not returning to Israel but have to too fulfill prophecy. Many times
when it looks like there is no way for a prophecy to be fulfilled, God shows
up on the scene and does something that causes that prophecy to then be
fulfilled.
There is a battle of Jerusalem
and there is a battle over Israel. There are three religions that consider
Jerusalem holy Christianity because Christ died there and was raised and
ascended there, to the Jews because there Abraham offered Isaac, and the
Muslims who have their Dome of the Rock Mosque there and the Temple Mount
is completely under their control. Now the Muslims have 10 to 15 children
per family. As time goes on the Jews will become over populated by the Muslims
in the area unless there is something to increase the population of the
Jews in the area, which will happen by a return of millions of Jews returning
before the return of Jesus. The only reason they will leave America is because
of great chaos and economic problems that they felt they couldnt make it
here anymore or there was great persecution that caused them to want to
leave or God just puts in into their hearts. That could happen to the Jews
in New York in particular.
America will continue to go
through attacks just like Israel has to go through attacks. We will have
to go through things we have never gone through before and we can be thankful
we have a president with patience to deal with terrorism. We are by nature
impatient but Luke 18 told of a woman who kept going to an unjust judge
until she received the answer. Luke 18:8 I
tell you that he will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless when the Son of
man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth? People will in the
last days become tired and weary because of the battles of the last days.
Hebrews 6:12 That ye be not slothful, but followers of them who through
faith and patience inherit the promises. Romans 5:3-4 And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing
that tribulation worketh patience; And patience, experience; and experience,
hope.
The trials that come are designed
to cause us to learn to wait upon the Lord. Luke 21:19 In your patience
possess ye your souls. Your discipled as a believer to come through the
trials you have that though the trials may be long, you learn to have
patience. Revelation 1:9, 2:2-3, 3:10 speak of the believers keeping the
word of His patience. The key to us making it to the end as changes are
made in our culture, our security system, changes in government dealings,
we are facing major changes, but for believers we must understand that our
patience is where we must develop. A lot of scripture concerning the end
times deal with patience. Philippians 4:6-7 Be
careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with
thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of
God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through
Christ Jesus. We must develop faith and patience in the Lord and
in His Word. We are in the last days and the focus will more and more be
upon Israel and Jerusalem in particular. God will bring more of the seed
of Abraham back to Israel before the return of Christ.
1Chronicles 12:32 And
of the children of Issachar, which were men that had understanding of the
times, to know what Israel ought to do; the heads of them were two hundred;
and all their brethren were at their commandment. We must understand the
times we are in and what will happen in the near future.
Submitted by Pastor Art of His Sheep.
