Whale's not the hero in Jonah

Paul begins Romans 10: [1] Brethren, my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved.

[2] For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge.

[3] For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God.

"That's what that evil and adulterous generation was doing. Go back to Jonah 4 and watch Jonah do it. He's a picture of that. Jonah's mad at God because God is going to let them (Nineveh) off.

Jonah 4: [5] So Jonah went out of the city, and sat on the east side of the city, and there made him a booth, and sat under it in the shadow, till he might see what would become of the city.

[6] And the LORD God prepared a gourd, and made it to come up over Jonah, that it might be a shadow over his head, to deliver him from his grief. So Jonah was exceeding glad of the gourd.
[7] But God prepared a worm when the morning rose the next day, and it smote the gourd that it withered.
[8] And it came to pass, when the sun did arise, that God prepared a vehement east wind; and the sun beat upon the head of Jonah, that he fainted, and wished in himself to die, and said, It is better for me to die than to live.

"He's going to go out and look over the city and just see what happens to them: 'God's going to destroy them; I'm going to watch them burn!' But he's mad because God isn't destroying them.

"There's another person later on who comes down off a hill, looking at the city, and He says in Matthew 23: [37] O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!

"Absolute contrast in the attitude here and the attitude of the Lord Jesus Christ. But notice Jonah made himself a booth. He's interested in his own personal material comfort. Hot day so he makes himself a little tent to dwell in. And goes and sits there and watches the fate of the city.

" 'And the Lord prepared a gourd.' Now there are four times in the book that God prepares things. He prepared the fish in chapter 1. He prepares the gourd here. We see He prepares a worm and an east wind.

"I heard J. Vernon McGee teach Jonah years ago and he said, 'You know, the fish isn't the hero of the story in Jonah.' Everybody talks about Jonah and the whale. The whale is not the hero. He's an incidental prop.

"Jonah and the Lord are the heroes. Well, the gourd and the east wind aren't the heroes either. But they are things prepared by God as props to teach Jonah.

"Uh-oh, God done killed the gourd. What did he kill it with?  A worm. Jonah went about to establish his own righteousness so God sends a worm and destroys the covering. Now, when you read about a worm in the Bible, does it remind you of something?"

Lurid-dressed sisters doting on little 'gs'

"God literally sets Jehoshaphat up and makes him a prosperous king in Judah. In fact, so much so that verse 6 in II Chronicles 17 says, [6] And his heart was lifted up in the ways of the LORD: moreover he took away the high places and groves out of Judah.

"He goes out and gets rid of all the Baal worship in Judah. Verse 9: [9] And they taught in Judah, and had the book of the law of the LORD with them, and went about throughout all the cities of Judah, and taught the people.

"There's a great revival that takes place. He reestablishes the Levites. They take God's Word and go out and teach the Word of God to the nation Israel again," explains Richard Jordan.

Verse 10: [10] And the fear of the LORD fell upon all the kingdoms of the lands that were round about Judah, so that they made no war against Jehoshaphat.

"That's the point. God had blessed Israel so much because Jehoshaphat was a godly king who reestablished God's Word in the land and the blessings of God filled the land of Judah to the place where no nation around there wanted to mess with them because every time they did they just got whipped.

"If every time you mess with someone they just clean your plow, what do you do? You start leaving them alone. So no nation wanted to make war against Jehoshaphat.

*****

"Now, notice the comparison in II Chronicles 20:1: [1] It came to pass after this also, that the children of Moab, and the children of Ammon, and with them other beside the Ammonites, came against Jehoshaphat to battle.

"Now people want to fight him. Something's changed and what changed is chapter 18:1: [1] Now Jehoshaphat had riches and honour in abundance, and joined affinity with Ahab.

"King Ahab was up in the north and he and Jezebel made Baal worship the official state religion of the northern kingdom. Here's Jehoshaphat down south, a Bible-believing, Bible-preaching king in Judah--what's he doing joining affinity with Ahab?!

"That's a bad move. The result of that, if you read through chapter 18, is that some bad things happened because bad things always happen when you forsake God's truth. That ecumenical movement and joining hands with false doctrine always produces bad results.

"The result was Judah lost its glory. The nations of the earth around them didn't fear them anymore. There's a national lesson in that.

"What God does with Israel is demonstrate how when you have God as a God of a nation, here's how it works. In any nation, righteousness (right doing) exalts a nation and sin is a reproach to any people. Just because you have a powerful situation in your nation that comes about because of righteousness, you can lose it. It's true of any nation, not just Israel.

"So here come the Moabites and the Ammonites and all the other little 'ites' that want to join with them. And you remember what he said in chapter 18?

"I mean, they see an opportunity to go up and steal the riches. Verse 20:3: [3] And Jehoshaphat feared, and set himself to seek the LORD, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah.

[4] And Judah gathered themselves together, to ask help of the LORD: even out of all the cities of Judah they came to seek the LORD.
[5] And Jehoshaphat stood in the congregation of Judah and Jerusalem, in the house of the LORD, before the new court,
[6] And said, O LORD God of our fathers, art not thou God in heaven? and rulest not thou over all the kingdoms of the heathen? and in thine hand is there not power and might, so that none is able to withstand thee?
[7] Art not thou our God, who didst drive out the inhabitants of this land before thy people Israel, and gavest it to the seed of Abraham thy friend for ever?

"In essence, what Jehoshaphat does is he says, 'Lord, you're God, we're your people, you gave us this land and we can't beat these dudes out there; you got to do it and you have to win the battle.'

Verses 11-12: [11] Behold, I say, how they reward us, to come to cast us out of thy possession, which thou hast given us to inherit.

[12] O our God, wilt thou not judge them? for we have no might against this great company that cometh against us; neither know we what to do: but our eyes are upon thee.

"See how he knows who owns the land? Jehoshaphat says, 'Lord, we've screwed up, we belong to you, this is your land. These Gentiles want to come and destroy us; they want to cast us out and take the land from us. Lord, if you don't win the battle we're sunk.'

"The nations want to do just exactly what you read about in Joel. It's what Psalm 83 says:  [3] They have taken crafty counsel against thy people, and consulted against thy hidden ones.

[4] They have said, Come, and let us cut them off from being a nation; that the name of Israel may be no more in remembrance.
[5] For they have consulted together with one consent: they are confederate against thee:

"So a prophet comes to them in verse 14 and says to them in verse 15: [15] And he said, Hearken ye, all Judah, and ye inhabitants of Jerusalem, and thou king Jehoshaphat, Thus saith the LORD unto you, Be not afraid nor dismayed by reason of this great multitude; for the battle is not yours, but God's.

Verse 17: [17] Ye shall not need to fight in this battle: set yourselves, stand ye still, and see the salvation of the LORD with you, O Judah and Jerusalem: fear not, nor be dismayed; to morrow go out against them: for the LORD will be with you.

"God says, 'Okay, guys, that's all you needed was to trust me. I'm coming.' 

Verse 20: [20] And they rose early in the morning, and went forth into the wilderness of Tekoa: and as they went forth, Jehoshaphat stood and said, Hear me, O Judah, and ye inhabitants of Jerusalem; Believe in the LORD your God, so shall ye be established; believe his prophets, so shall ye prosper.

[21] And when he had consulted with the people, he appointed singers unto the LORD, and that should praise the beauty of holiness, as they went out before the army, and to say, Praise the LORD; for his mercy endureth for ever.
[22] And when they began to sing and to praise, the LORD set ambushments against the children of Ammon, Moab, and mount Seir, which were come against Judah; and they were smitten.
[23] For the children of Ammon and Moab stood up against the inhabitants of mount Seir, utterly to slay and destroy them: and when they had made an end of the inhabitants of Seir, every one helped to destroy another.
[24] And when Judah came toward the watch tower in the wilderness, they looked unto the multitude, and, behold, they were dead bodies fallen to the earth, and none escaped.
[25] And when Jehoshaphat and his people came to take away the spoil of them, they found among them in abundance both riches with the dead bodies, and precious jewels, which they stripped off for themselves, more than they could carry away: and they were three days in gathering of the spoil, it was so much.

*****

Genesis 36: [2] Esau took his wives of the daughters of Canaan; Adah the daughter of Elon the Hittite, and Aholibamah the daughter of Anah the daughter of Zibeon the Hivite;

"He's going to go out and take Gentile wives to aggravate his daddy. Notice the names of them; you see one of them is Aholibamah.

Ezekiel 20: [29] Then I said unto them, What is the high place whereunto ye go? And the name thereof is called Bamah unto this day.

[30] Wherefore say unto the house of Israel, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Are ye polluted after the manner of your fathers? and commit ye whoredom after their abominations?
[31] For when ye offer your gifts, when ye make your sons to pass through the fire, ye pollute yourselves with all your idols, even unto this day: and shall I be inquired of by you, O house of Israel? As I live, saith the Lord GOD, I will not be inquired of by you.

"That name 'Bamah' there is the idea of a high place; a place where Baal worship is practiced. So he takes this name, 'The tent of the high place,' this pagan name and uses it in Ezekiel 23 to identify Israel in those two divisions.

"These names attached to Samaria and Jerusalem tell you there's deep-seated problems in the identity of these girls from the very beginning. They brought this stuff with them out of Egypt.

Ezekiel 23: [4] And the names of them were Aholah the elder, and Aholibah her sister: and they were mine, and they bare sons and daughters. Thus were their names; Samaria is Aholah, and Jerusalem Aholibah.

[5] And Aholah played the harlot when she was mine; and she doted on her lovers, on the Assyrians her neighbours,
[6] Which were clothed with blue, captains and rulers, all of them desirable young men, horsemen riding upon horses.
[7] Thus she committed her whoredoms with them, with all them that were the chosen men of Assyria, and with all on whom she doted: with all their idols she defiled herself.
[8] Neither left she her whoredoms brought from Egypt: for in her youth they lay with her, and they bruised the breasts of her virginity, and poured their whoredom upon her.
[9] Wherefore I have delivered her into the hand of her lovers, into the hand of the Assyrians, upon whom she doted.
[10] These discovered her nakedness: they took her sons and her daughters, and slew her with the sword: and she became famous among women; for they had executed judgment upon her.

"When it says elder, that's not saying Aholah's the older kingdom. It's talking about how she's the one who precedes the other girl into apostasy. The northern kingdom goes into apostasy and captivity first as an example to the younger sister who eventually follows her path.

"Notice what He says about them: 'They were mine.' They belonged to Jehovah but they depart from Him. When she was still His she goes after other gods. From verse 5 down to 10 it focuses on Samaria. In verse 9 it says she doted on her lovers.

"When you dote on something you pay all kind of attention to it and you can't get enough of it. So she's going to give her attention, not to Jehovah, but to these other gods. And she's going to be infatuated with them.

"The point is she's not forced, deceived, cajoled; no one's going to hold a gun to her and say, 'You've got to go after all these other gods.' She's going to willingly choose to depart from Jehovah and follow these other gods.

"It's fascinating how it works out. Verse 6: [6] Which were clothed with blue, captains and rulers, all of them desirable young men, horsemen riding upon horses.

"She's drawn by their wealth, by their glamor, by their strong self-confidence and ability. By their attire.

"It's the same thing that happens with her sister in verse 12: [12] She doted upon the Assyrians her neighbours, captains and rulers clothed most gorgeously, horsemen riding upon horses, all of them desirable young men.

[13] Then I saw that she was defiled, that they took both one way,
[14] And that she increased her whoredoms: for when she saw men pourtrayed upon the wall, the images of the Chaldeans pourtrayed with vermilion,
[15] Girded with girdles upon their loins, exceeding in dyed attire upon their heads, all of them princes to look to, after the manner of the Babylonians of Chaldea, the land of their nativity:
[16] And as soon as she saw them with her eyes, she doted upon them, and sent messengers unto them into Chaldea.

"Vermilion is a red dye. These people are decked out; they're glamorous. They got all this fancy attire. They look at it and say, 'Man, we're going to go for that.' They're seduced, willingly, into this.

Verse 7: [7] Thus she committed her whoredoms with them, with all them that were the chosen men of Assyria, and with all on whom she doted: with all their idols she defiled herself.

"Instead of having Jehovah to protect them, they went to the gods of Assyria for protection. But it wasn't just the political-economic; it's the idols. They go after the little 'gs'. God had given up all the nations of the earth to the little 'g' gods: 'If they want to go after the satanic program, have at it.'

Verse 8: [8] Neither left she her whoredoms brought from Egypt: for in her youth they lay with her, and they bruised the breasts of her virginity, and poured their whoredom upon her.

"Samaria became famous because the Assyrians just went in and wiped them out. Instead of having fame for worshipping the Lord, they had fame because He said, 'You want them, watch what happens when they run you.' He turned them over to them and they wiped them out.

*****

Verse 11: [11] And when her sister Aholibah saw this, she was more corrupt in her inordinate love than she, and in her whoredoms more than her sister in her whoredoms.

"Hagel once said, 'The only thing men learn from history is that men never learn from history.' Instead of getting a lesson from what happens when you forsake the Lord and go after other gods, they became MORE corrupt.

"What Jerusalem does is exactly what Samaria did. They go the same way. But then he says in verse 14 that 'she increased her whoredoms.' She's got to outdo her sister. 

Verse 14: [14] And that she increased her whoredoms: for when she saw men pourtrayed upon the wall, the images of the Chaldeans pourtrayed with vermilion,

"If I tell it to you this way to give you an idea what it is--right now there's a big discussion about drag queen shows. Have you ever seen it portrayed the acts they do? Have you seen how they're dressed? That's what's being described here.

"Now, the Hebrew text is much more blunt than your English Bible. Your Bible translators were much more gentlemanly than Ezekiel was when he originally talked to the Jews. He's using some real down and earthy, pornographic kind of terminology in these discussions.

"Again, vermilion is a bright red dye and they got all these garish colors. 

Verse 16: [16] And as soon as she saw them with her eyes, she doted upon them, and sent messengers unto them into Chaldea.

"Again, when you dote upon somebody you're giving attention to them: 'I want to know more about that!'

[17] And the Babylonians came to her into the bed of love, and they defiled her with their whoredom, and she was polluted with them, and her mind was alienated from them.
[18] So she discovered her whoredoms, and discovered her nakedness: then my mind was alienated from her, like as my mind was alienated from her sister.

[19] Yet she multiplied her whoredoms, in calling to remembrance the days of her youth, wherein she had played the harlot in the land of Egypt.

"It was from the Babylonians that Israel learned the pollution, the false doctrines, the worshipping of other gods. It was through the contact with the gods of the nations that Israel's mind was corrupted. She didn't learn this stuff from Jehovah; she learned this stuff from the false teaching of the false gods and it brought corruption into them."

(new article tomorrow)

'Wisest' one they worship is foolish dolt

(sorry for delay--new article tomorrow for certain)

Isaiah 14 is a chapter about the Second Coming of Christ and Him delivering the nation Israel. Verse 4 says, 'That thou shalt take up this proverb against the king of Babylon, and say, How hath the oppressor ceased! the golden city ceased!'

"The king of Babylon here is going to be the Antichrist in the context," explains Richard Jordan. "Israel is going to be given the privilege, as the Antichrist is taken off and thrown into the lake of fire, to mock him. Now, any smart guy doesn't like to be mocked. Have you ever noticed that? They don't want you to argue with them or laugh at them. That's Proverbs 26: [4] Answer not a fool according to his folly, lest thou also be like unto him.
[5] Answer a fool according to his folly, lest he be wise in his own conceit.

"Israel's going to be given the privilege of humiliating him. They say, 'There you go being cast down to hell. You had all these big ideas; look at you now, dude!'

"What they do in Isaiah 14: 12-15 is they repeat back to him his original plan. Here's how he goes from being this bright shining representation, experienced in the authority of God being exercised, understanding how the heavenly host works, right there with God at the command center, into being this dolt. His foolish heart was darkened.

"Satan's goal is leadership. The biggest theme in the Bible and the plot running behind the scenes everywhere is the authority of a throne over this universe. Satan said, 'I want to be the one who runs everything. I want to sit on the majesty on high. I want to sit in the position God has ordained for His Son.'

"How is he going to accomplish that plan? He says, 'I will exalt my throne.' Notice he has a throne; a position of governmental authority in the top rulership. 'I'm going to take my throne and have dominion. I'm going to fix it where everybody out there serves me.' He wants people to submit to his authority and make him the king.

*****

"The reason God's throne is surrounded by clouds is found in II Samuel 22:11 (talking about the Second Advent): [11] And he rode upon a cherub, and did fly: and he was seen upon the wings of the wind.
[12] And he made darkness pavilions round about him, dark waters, and thick clouds of the skies.
[13] Through the brightness before him were coals of fire kindled.
[14] The LORD thundered from heaven, and the most High uttered his voice.

"There's this atmospheric disturbance when He comes. He's talking about how He holds back the glory, because if the glory of His presence shown through without any filter, it would burn you up. That's why Satan says, 'I want to ascend above the throne where God sits and is worshipped.'

"Psalm 18:7-9 (about the Second Coming): [7] Then the earth shook and trembled; the foundations also of the hills moved and were shaken, because he was wroth.
[8] There went up a smoke out of his nostrils, and fire out of his mouth devoured: coals were kindled by it.
[9] He bowed the heavens also, and came down: and darkness was under his feet.

"You got this idea He has these clouds under Him so that when He comes, the brightness doesn't destroy creation. My point is the glory of God is what's above the clouds.

"Isaiah 6 says, [1] In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple.
[2] Above it stood the seraphims: each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly.
[3] And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory.

"Satan says, 'I want to be the prophet. I want people to answer to my word. I want to be the priest. I want to sit on the throne and have them all worship me.' By the way, there's the Antichrist, the false prophet and the dragon. That's the scheme by which he's going to ascend and take possession.

"He says, 'I will be like the most high. I'm not going to be Him, but I'm going to be like Him. I'm going to be a perfect counterfeit to accomplish my goal.'

"This is where Satan wants to be and the first time it occurs in the Bible is in Genesis 14 when Abraham has gone out and rescued Lot, comes back and Melchizedek meets him.

"Genesis 14:18: [18] And Melchizedek king of Salem brought forth bread and wine: and he was the priest of the most high God.
[19] And he blessed him, and said, Blessed be Abram of the most high God, possessor of heaven and earth:

"That's the meaning of the name 'the most high.' Satan is saying, 'I want to possess heaven and earth.' That's his goal. He wants to be acclaimed as the rightful ruler of all authority and he's claiming that because he thinks, 'I am the wisest one to operate. I'm the one you ought to worship and give account to because of my wisdom.'

Understand, the issue with Satan has always been wisdom: 'I'm smarter.' it's not power. I Corinthians 2: [6] Howbeit we speak wisdom among them that are perfect: yet not the wisdom of this world, nor of the princes of this world, that come to nought:
[7] But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory:
[8] Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.

"That's saying that Satan, who said, 'There's no secret you can keep from me; I can even outthink God,' got buffaloed. He fooled himself. He deceived himself. Professing himself to be wise he became a fool. Christ said, 'O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that Scripture says.'

"Satan thought he could do it his way. All God had to do to defeat all of Satan's wise scheming strategy, all the plans and policy to achieve his goal--all God had to do to defeat all that merchandising, was just keep a secret and take the crafty in his own craftiness.

"Can you understand why Satan doesn't like what we're reading in Ephesians to be put on display? It's not a demonstration that Satan is not as powerful as God, everybody knows that. It's that he's not as wise; that the wisdom of God is greater, even when it doesn't look like it."

Perverse generation = simple fools

(here is second part to yesterday's post)

"If you want to get the big picture of how Satan gets a place to work in your life or the life of a nation, the Book of Proverbs lays it out using three types of people: the simple, the scorner and the fool," explains Richard Jordan. "By the way, those three people match Job’s three friends. They match the leaven of the Pharisees, Sadducees and Herodians that Jesus fought against.

“Here’s what Proverbs prophesies for the future of Israel. Proverbs 30 says, [11] There is a generation that curseth their father, and doth not bless their mother.

[12] There is a generation that are pure in their own eyes, and yet is not washed from their filthiness.
[13] There is a generation, O how lofty are their eyes! and their eyelids are lifted up.
[14] There is a generation, whose teeth are as swords, and their jaw teeth as knives, to devour the poor from off the earth, and the needy from among men.

“He writes, ‘There is a generation.’ Think about that. He’s not talking about an individual. You hear people talk about the Greatest Generation, the Baby Boomer generation, Generation X, the Millennials. Historians William Strauss and Neil Howe are the people who wrote the books that popularized that terminology.

“I read their book, The Fourth Turning, in the ’90s and thought, ‘Wow, these guys don’t know anything about the Bible but, boy, they’re sure teaching about what the Bible tells is going to happen to the nation.’

“They’re not Believers; they’re just historians, but they knew history and how to interpret it based on what they were seeing, and when you interpret history based upon what’s really there, you wind up interpreting the way the Bible says it’s going to happen because that’s how it’s happened.

“But that idea goes way back; they didn’t invent it, they just, in modern times, discovered it. Isaac Newton discovered the Law of Gravity but he didn’t invent it and he’s not the only person who ever knew about it.

“There’s a generation coming in Israel’s future. Look at who they are that curseth their father and do not bless their mother.

“The father and mother are people God places in life to guide and guard their children and teach them about the evil in the world. They are to teach them the path of righteousness so they can grow up and be normal human beings.

*****

“There’s a standard for normality among human beings and God set the standard. He established four institutions: volition, marriage, family and nationalism (government). They were placed in your life by God.

“This generation is going to curse the very people God put in their life to do them good. ‘There is a generation that are pure in their own eyes, and yet is not washed from their filthiness.’

"They think that what they’re doing is right and all the strictures that mom and dad gave them from the past are to be done away with.

"They’ll look at immorality and say it’s okay; it’s the right way to go. ‘There is a generation, O how lofty are their eyes! and their eyelids are lifted up.’

“They say, ‘Why, we’re the greatest that ever lived!’ ‘There is a generation, whose teeth are as swords, and their jaw teeth as knives, to devour the poor from off the earth, and the needy from among men.’

“They’re hateful, stubborn, self-willed, totally deceived, self-promoting, narcissistic, brain-washed, they’re always right.

“You say, ‘Well, where did they come from?! How did Israel get that way?!’ By the way, that’s the crowd that’s going to welcome the Antichrist. How do you get a nation that had the truth of God to embrace the Antichrist? The antithesis of everything God’s Word says? You create this generation.

“When Jesus said, ‘This generation shall not pass until all be fulfilled,’ He’s talking about this generation. That wicked, perverse generation that nailed Him to the Cross who will be that ‘perverse generation’ that accepts the Antichrist.

“That generation got that way by these three people. First, they start out with the simple. How did the devil get room to work in Israel’s life, where he took them from being God’s nation with God’s truth to the place where they are that generation that accepts the Antichrist? He convinced them not to be prudent but simple.

“Proverbs 7:7 says, [7] And beheld among the simple ones, I discerned among the youths, a young man void of understanding.

“The simple are people who don’t have any understanding. They never investigate anything, they believe anything that comes along, they’re careless, ignorant, they have no understanding. Now you notice he talks about them being youths?”

(new article tomorrow)

Generation that accepts the Antichrist:

(new article tomorrow)

Proverbs 7:7 says, [7] And beheld among the simple ones, I discerned among the youths, a young man void of understanding.

"They’ve literally been stripped of any ability to understand all the important issues that make up the foundation of a normal life.

"Honesty, integrity, respect for your father and mother and family--those four foundations God laid (volition being personal responsibility and choices).

"Ephesians 6 says, [1] Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right.

[2] Honour thy father and mother; (which is the first commandment with promise;)

[3] That it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth.

"The simple have no understanding of that; they’re void of knowing," explains Richard Jordan. "God put mom and dad in charge of training; to impart some truth into a child. For the simple, all that generational memory is gone and the inner strength necessary--that needs to be passed on to each new generation--hasn’t been put in them.

"Do you see the progression? Void of understanding, they don't have a grasp of anything that's foundational. There's no wisdom in their soul to give their volition any instruction. They don't have a conscience filled with God's Word; it's a conscience filled with self, self-interest, with the Lie.

"Go back to Psalm 78 and see what Asaph, one of the prophets in Israel, says: [1] Give ear, O my people, to my law: incline your ears to the words of my mouth.

[2] I will open my mouth in a parable: I will utter dark sayings of old:
[3] Which we have heard and known, and our fathers have told us.
[4] We will not hide them from their children, shewing to the generation to come the praises of the LORD, and his strength, and his wonderful works that he hath done.
[5] For he established a testimony in Jacob, and appointed a law in Israel, which he commanded our fathers, that they should make them known to their children:
[6] That the generation to come might know them, even the children which should be born; who should arise and declare them to their children:
[7] That they might set their hope in God, and not forget the works of God, but keep his commandments:

"Notice where he gets this information--it's been passed down. Parents are put into your life to impart some generational memory and you know what's true of the simple? They’re void of any understanding of the purpose.

"Proverbs 14 says, [15] The simple believeth every word: but the prudent man looketh well to his going.

[16] A wise man feareth, and departeth from evil: but the fool rageth, and is confident.
[17] He that is soon angry dealeth foolishly: and a man of wicked devices is hated.

[18] The simple inherit folly: but the prudent are crowned with knowledge.

"They 'believeth every word'; that’s their problem! They don’t test anything! They don’t evaluate anything; they’ve got no framework to do that.

"Proverbs 22: [3] A prudent man foreseeth the evil, and hideth himself: but the simple pass on, and are punished.

"The simple guy says, ‘I just want to have what I want!’ and doesn’t consider the danger. He just wants his own interests, and when you’re simple and you believe anything that comes down the pike, you don’t investigate anything, you don’t have any frame of reference, you become careless because of your ignorance.

"Somebody comes along and tries to show you proof otherwise, but you've already become so set in your ignorance. You are your own interest. That’s what sin does: ‘I want to have my gratification, my interests.' You don’t have the 'check' of a conscience fortified by God’s Word.

"Proverbs 9:8: [8] Reprove not a scorner, lest he hate thee: rebuke a wise man, and he will love thee.

"The simple, the ignorant become the ones who despise instruction because now they've gotten their way and can’t listen to any counsel. 

Proverbs 15:12: [12] A scorner loveth not one that reproveth him: neither will he go unto the wise.

"The scorner just can't take advice; they're never wrong. They don't want to know the truth. They're going to turn away from it.

"Here's the problem. Proverbs 21:24: [24] Proud and haughty scorner is his name, who dealeth in proud wrath.

"He says, 'I'm not going to do that! That's not my way!' Or, 'I'm not listening to that; I know better than you do!' That proud wrath carries them into being fools. That's the ultimate end. That progression leads to the generation that accepts the Antichrist."

Behind the scenes mighty men

"Transhumanism is mind control to shift perception to a hybrid society. As perception shifts, the individual is homogenized into an amorphous 'public persona.' The term 'Public Health' is, itself a public relations term, created in 1913 when the Rockefeller Institute of Medical Research (RIMR) tried to convince individuals to give up their power to an outside, unseen authority."--Roseanne Lindsay

“It’s not as fringe as many people think. Everyone from Klaus Schwab to Elon Musk to Mark Zuckerberg, these are incredibly powerful, incredibly influential people," said Joe Allen, a transhumanist agenda researcher. "These are not papers from obscure academics . . . These come from the UK Ministry of Defense, from Rand Corporation… one from NATO, and another comes from Samsung, so we’re talking about some of the top players, thinkers and influencers in not only the power structure of the government but particularly the military and also the corporate world . . . The common element is the drive toward Humanity 2.0 by using brain-computer interfaces to merge the human mind to artificial intelligences.”

*****

"In Genesis 6, when the 'sons of god' came in and took these women for wives, they had progeny," says Richard Jordan. "Until recently, you just took that by faith. Now there's a transhumanist agenda. There's a group of scientists promoting the idea of taking non-human entities, implanting them into humans and making them what that verse says: 'the same became mighty men.'

Joel 3: [11] Assemble yourselves, and come, all ye heathen, and gather yourselves together round about: thither cause thy mighty ones to come down, O LORD.

"What did he call them in Joel? 'Thy mighty ones.' Satan had counterfeited that; they were mighty and they had a superior intellect.

"Satan has always sought to take humanity from God. The great illustration of that is Judas Iscariot. In John 13, Satan influenced the heart; he PUT into the heart of Judas to betray Christ, John 13:2 says. He influenced his thinking, his desires.

"But you go down to verse 27 in John 13 and it says that Satan ENTERED. He didn't just put it into his heart; he literally incarnated himself IN Judas because that's what Satan's desire is and that's why Judas is called the 'son of perdition' and the Antichrist is called the 'son of perdition.'

"They're both called the 'son of perdition' because the Antichrist, at the second half of the tribulation (in the first half he's called 'the man of sin'), is the beast that ascends up out of the bottomless pit.

"Satan has always sought to incarnate himself; take over, implant himself in God's creation.

Daniel 2: [43] And whereas thou sawest iron mixed with miry clay, they shall mingle themselves with the seed of men: but they shall not cleave one to another, even as iron is not mixed with clay.

"That's exactly what you read about in Genesis 6. That's why Jesus says, 'As in the days of Noah so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man.'

"When you see that mixing of their seed, clay in the Bible is a description of man. In fact, in Isaiah 64 it's specifically the description of the nation Israel, who is the personification of man.

"Iron in the Bible is connected with the fallen angels over and over and over again. What you have is a bunch of demonic supermen mingle with the seeds of men that produce supermen that will ruin with the Antichrist.

"My point is that what these armies are going to fight is a real genuine enemy and what God's assuring Israel is that He has the troops that can take care of that crowd.

"All this stuff that comes about in connection with the Antichrist, God said, 'I've got my mighty guys, too, and my mighty guys are stronger than your guys.'

"When the time comes, they're going to come out of heaven, they're going to chase Satan and all of his host out of the heaven and throw them down to the earth, and then come down here and deal with them.

"That's why this army in Joel 2, this supernatural army, is to fight a supernatural conflict--that's an invisible conflict behind the scenes that only the eye of faith is going to see.

"In the Book of Job, Job didn't see what you see in Job 1 and 2 until after the fact. He didn't know a thing about Satan appearing before God and God saying, 'Have you considered my servant Job?'

"When all that calamity happened to Job, he didn't know anything about that conflict going on, but there it was, and God knew Job's heart.

"We're at the end of the story now; we've got the whole book and we know what the behind-the-scenes issue is and in Joel 2, he's demonstrating to Israel, educating the Believing Remnant about how Armageddon is going to come and deal with the REAL enemy behind the scenes, and it's going to take the armies of heaven to accomplish that."

Atmospheric catastrophe

 Amos 5: [18] Woe unto you that desire the day of the LORD! to what end is it for you? the day of the LORD is darkness, and not light.

[19] As if a man did flee from a lion, and a bear met him; or went into the house, and leaned his hand on the wall, and a serpent bit him.
[20] Shall not the day of the LORD be darkness, and not light? even very dark, and no brightness in it?

"There's no hope in this day. People are going to face a lion, a bear and a serpent. In Revelation, those are interpreted for you; this is not just metaphor in the sense of just an illustration. The Antichrist has a mouth like a lion, feet like a bear. Who gives him his power? Satan, the serpent.

"They're literally going to meet the personification of Satan's program; what Satan's been waiting to do all along is put his man in control. That's what's going to bring the judgment of the day of the Lord.

Zephaniah 1: [14] The great day of the LORD is near, it is near, and hasteth greatly, even the voice of the day of the LORD: the mighty man shall cry there bitterly.

[15] That day is a day of wrath, a day of trouble and distress, a day of wasteness and desolation, a day of darkness and gloominess, a day of clouds and thick darkness,
[16] A day of the trumpet and alarm against the fenced cities, and against the high towers.
[17] And I will bring distress upon men, that they shall walk like blind men, because they have sinned against the LORD: and their blood shall be poured out as dust, and their flesh as the dung.
[18] Neither their silver nor their gold shall be able to deliver them in the day of the LORD's wrath; but the whole land shall be devoured by the fire of his jealousy: for he shall make even a speedy riddance of all them that dwell in the land.

"Now, that sounds serious and the Lord is serious. He's going to come and mop up and finish it and it's going to be over with. The description of the mechanics of that and the people involved is what we're reading about back in Joel.

Isaiah 13: [6] Howl ye; for the day of the LORD is at hand; it shall come as a destruction from the Almighty.

[7] Therefore shall all hands be faint, and every man's heart shall melt:
[8] And they shall be afraid: pangs and sorrows shall take hold of them; they shall be in pain as a woman that travaileth: they shall be amazed one at another; their faces shall be as flames.

"In Joel, you see people's faces turn black. If you know anything about people who burn up, that's how they look. They look like charcoal.

[9] Behold, the day of the LORD cometh, cruel both with wrath and fierce anger, to lay the land desolate: and he shall destroy the sinners thereof out of it.

[10] For the stars of heaven and the constellations thereof shall not give their light: the sun shall be darkened in his going forth, and the moon shall not cause her light to shine.

"You read that and you say, 'Whoah.' In other words, He's going to deal with Satan and those who are part of his program and He's going to punish the world for their evil. This is the place where He avenges Himself and His cause of righteousness against all sin and evil.

[12] I will make a man more precious than fine gold; even a man than the golden wedge of Ophir.
[13] Therefore I will shake the heavens, and the earth shall remove out of her place, in the wrath of the LORD of hosts, and in the day of his fierce anger.

Malachi 4: [1] For, behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven; and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the LORD of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch.

[2] But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings; and ye shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall.
[3] And ye shall tread down the wicked; for they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet in the day that I shall do this, saith the LORD of hosts.

"The coming of Christ is described as morning after a real bad darkness. In fact, in Hosea 6, His actual coming is described as the morning after a big rainstorm.

"In connection with the Second Advent is all this atmospheric turmoil that He's going to cause. That's why it says darkness and gloominess and clouds and thick darkness. The sun quit shining because it got so thick black dark.

"When it says the sun turns to blood, the coloration of these things is going to be so obviously the result of atmospheric disturbances. There's going to be such destruction, such repercussion from God's wrath being poured out, that all kind of things like that are going to be happening.

Talking about the Second Coming prophetically, Ezekiel 32:

[7] And when I shall put thee out, I will cover the heaven, and make the stars thereof dark; I will cover the sun with a cloud, and the moon shall not give her light.
[8] All the bright lights of heaven will I make dark over thee, and set darkness upon thy land, saith the Lord GOD.

"In other words, it's going to be like the stars of heaven, the sun, the moon and all went out because of that cloud of judgment. Darkness that, in the terms of Exodus, could be felt. It's going to be the direct result of the physical catastrophes that happen because of the armies of God coming to fight and devour and destroy man's rebellion.

Joel 2: [2] A day of darkness and of gloominess, a day of clouds and of thick darkness, as the morning spread upon the mountains: a great people and a strong; there hath not been ever the like, neither shall be any more after it, even to the years of many generations.

[3] A fire devoureth before them; and behind them a flame burneth: the land is as the garden of Eden before them, and behind them a desolate wilderness; yea, and nothing shall escape them.
[4] The appearance of them is as the appearance of horses; and as horsemen, so shall they run.
[5] Like the noise of chariots on the tops of mountains shall they leap, like the noise of a flame of fire that devoureth the stubble, as a strong people set in battle array.
[6] Before their face the people shall be much pained: all faces shall gather blackness.

"That's why Jesus, in Matthew 24, told them that except those days be shortened, no flesh shall be saved. It's going to be a time like never was before and this is the culmination of it.

"II Thessalonians talks about Him consuming with the breath of His mouth. Isaiah 30 talks about the breath of His mouth going out in flaming fire.

"When He comes through that land, it's like a blow torch coming. Back in the prophets is passage after passage about this kind of thing. One of the major ones is Isaiah 30.

Isaiah 30:27: [27] Behold, the name of the LORD cometh from far, burning with his anger, and the burden thereof is heavy: his lips are full of indignation, and his tongue as a devouring fire:

That's the reason over in Revelation 19:14-15: [14] And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean.

[15] And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.

"That thing that comes out of His mouth is that fire, that indignation. He pronounces judgment and His breath . . . 

Isaiah 30: [28] And his breath, as an overflowing stream, shall reach to the midst of the neck, to sift the nations with the sieve of vanity: and there shall be a bridle in the jaws of the people, causing them to err.

[29] Ye shall have a song, as in the night when a holy solemnity is kept; and gladness of heart, as when one goeth with a pipe to come into the mountain of the LORD, to the mighty One of Israel.
[30] And the LORD shall cause his glorious voice to be heard, and shall shew the lighting down of his arm, with the indignation of his anger, and with the flame of a devouring fire, with scattering, and tempest, and hailstones.
[31] For through the voice of the LORD shall the Assyrian be beaten down, which smote with a rod.

"That's the Antichrist and all this judgment is designed to take out the ultimate manifestation of the satanic program personified in the Antichrist and all those with him."

Sold to the Sabeans, to a people far off

Matthew 25:41: [41] Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:

"The way the Gentiles in the tribulation treat the nation Israel determines whether they get into the kingdom or not," explains Richard Jordan.

Joel 3:2: [2] I will also gather all nations, and will bring them down into the valley of Jehoshaphat, and will plead with them there for my people and for my heritage Israel, whom they have scattered among the nations, and parted my land.

"Those two specific things--scattering them among the nations and parting the land. The things that are going to happen in the tribulation against the Gentiles, one of the causes is that they scattered Israel among the nations. Then they parted their land.

"The 20th Century is the first time in history that the Gentiles have gone in and partitioned up the land of Palestine and parceled it out. That's in absolute defiance of what God said about how that land was not to be divided. Never before had they done that. U.N. resolution #181 did it.

"There are some things in our day that aren't necessarily the fulfillment of prophecy but they demonstrate to me how easy it would be for prophecy to be fulfilled. When you look at it you can say, 'Boy, it wouldn't take a lot to do what these verses say.'

Verse 3: [3] And they have cast lots for my people; and have given a boy for an harlot, and sold a girl for wine, that they might drink.

"In other words, they have sold Israel into slavery and they sold them cheap. That's the thing there. They want a harlot so they just say, 'Here, just take the kid.' They want a bottle of wine so it's, 'Here, just take the kid.' They're willing to sell them for next to nothing.

"That's exactly the attitude that prevails about Israel in the tribulation. In Revelation 18, look at when he talks about Babylon the great city and he talks about the kind of activity going on in that city. Here's the reaction of the nations.

[9] And the kings of the earth, who have committed fornication and lived deliciously with her, shall bewail her, and lament for her, when they shall see the smoke of her burning,
[10] Standing afar off for the fear of her torment, saying, Alas, alas, that great city Babylon, that mighty city! for in one hour is thy judgment come.
[11] And the merchants of the earth shall weep and mourn over her; for no man buyeth their merchandise any more:
[12] The merchandise of gold, and silver, and precious stones, and of pearls, and fine linen, and purple, and silk, and scarlet, and all thyine wood, and all manner vessels of ivory, and all manner vessels of most precious wood, and of brass, and iron, and marble,
[13] And cinnamon, and odours, and ointments, and frankincense, and wine, and oil, and fine flour, and wheat, and beasts, and sheep, and horses, and chariots, and slaves, and souls of men.

"You see where they put the souls of men? Everything else and then--people. I mean, that's how cheap human life is to the commerce of Babylon and those who worship in it; the world out there.

*****

Isaiah 14:2: [2] And the people shall take them, and bring them to their place: and the house of Israel shall possess them in the land of the LORD for servants and handmaids: and they shall take them captives, whose captives they were; and they shall rule over their oppressors.

"That expression, 'Taking captivity captive,' is the idea of ruling over those who once held you captive. Israel is going to rule over their oppressors. They're going to become the head of the nations; no longer the tail. That's what's going on in Joel.

Joel 3: [7] Behold, I will raise them out of the place whither ye have sold them, and will return your recompence upon your own head:

"God's saying, 'I'm going to do to you what you did to them; you oppressed them and now they're going to rule over you.'

Verse 8: [8] And I will sell your sons and your daughters into the hand of the children of Judah, and they shall sell them to the Sabeans, to a people far off: for the LORD hath spoken it.

"There's all kind of different ideas about who the Sabeans are and what they're doing and so forth. Some people say they're Arabs, some say they're Saudi Arabia but there was no Saudi Arabia back then. Sometimes they're identified as people of Sheba of the queen of Sheba. Here's who they are in the Bible.

"When it says, 'to a people far off,' you're talking about people who are way away and the idea is you're going to sell them to people that take you WAAAY off. The Sabeans were people who were far off.

Ezekiel 23 is a whole chapter about the apostasy of Israel. 

[40] And furthermore, that ye have sent for men to come from far, unto whom a messenger was sent; and, lo, they came: for whom thou didst wash thyself, paintedst thy eyes, and deckedst thyself with ornaments,

[41] And satest upon a stately bed, and a table prepared before it, whereupon thou hast set mine incense and mine oil.

"If you go back through the passage the symbolism here is he's talking about how you got yourself all painted and gussied up to look good and you're going to go play the harlot. Israel plays the harlot with other gods.

" 'You sit way off over yonder in the middle of nowhere and got some to come and now you're going to sit down and have communion; you're going to commit spiritual adultery with this idolatrous pagan satanic system.'

[42] And a voice of a multitude being at ease was with her: and with the men of the common sort were brought Sabeans from the wilderness, which put bracelets upon their hands, and beautiful crowns upon their heads.
[43] Then said I unto her that was old in adulteries, Will they now commit whoredoms with her, and she with them?

"What I want you to see is the Sabeans are a people from afar who are bringing all this satanic religious system in and what God's saying over here, in essence, when He talks about selling those to the Sabeans is, 'I'm going to sell you to the devil. You're going to wind up in the clutches and the chains of satanic captivity. You tried to sell my people to the devil and what I'm going to do . . .'

"The way Paul says it is kind of frightening. I Timothy 1:20: [20] Of whom is Hymenaeus and Alexander; whom I have delivered unto Satan, that they may learn not to blaspheme.

"He puts these people under that son of perdition and satanic control and judgment. Then you come to Joel 3:9-10: [9] Proclaim ye this among the Gentiles; Prepare war, wake up the mighty men, let all the men of war draw near; let them come up:

[10] Beat your plowshares into swords, and your pruninghooks into spears: let the weak say, I am strong.

"After God tells the Gentiles what He's going to do to them, He says, 'Go out there and tell the Gentiles, put it on CNN--prepare war!' He's challenging the Gentiles, 'Okay, c'mon, let's fight!' "

It's all Greek

"The major prophets give you the broad-brush outlines and then the minor prophets go back and pick up specific little details and so you'll see how Joel will alert you to some things that, when you get to the next book, Amos picks up on them. They're linking their way through these things, filling in the skeleton, as it were, with information.

"In chapter three of Joel are a couple of really fascinating things that are going to happen to these Gentiles. When it says God's going to plead with the nations, it's Him saying, 'I'm going to take you out here and I'm going to teach you a lesson about what you did,' " explains Richard Jordan.

[1] For, behold, in those days, and in that time, when I shall bring again the captivity of Judah and Jerusalem,
[2] I will also gather all nations, and will bring them down into the valley of Jehoshaphat, and will plead with them there for my people and for my heritage Israel, whom they have scattered among the nations, and parted my land.

"The Gentiles have scattered God's people among the nations and 'parted my land.' That's something God specifically told Israel was not to be done.

[3] And they have cast lots for my people; and have given a boy for an harlot, and sold a girl for wine, that they might drink. 

"They just sold Israel into slavery. God says, 'You took my people and sold them cheap.'

[4] Yea, and what have ye to do with me, O Tyre, and Zidon, and all the coasts of Palestine? will ye render me a recompence? and if ye recompence me, swiftly and speedily will I return your recompence upon your own head;
[5] Because ye have taken my silver and my gold, and have carried into your temples my goodly pleasant things:

"Notice He's saying, 'This land is mine and you took this stuff out that belonged to me. I'm the Lord; I own this stuff and you guys act like you do.' I love that when He says, 'And what have you to do with me?'

"He's saying, 'Who do you think you are anyway, dude?' It's like when kids say, 'You talking to me?' They're not asking a question; that's a challenge.

"It's fascinating He uses the word 'Palestine' in verse 4, because Palestine was not called that at this time in history when Joel was written in 800 B.C.

"It got that name in 135 AD when the Romans, who hated the Jews so badly that when they finally rid them from the land, they named the land after the Jews' enemies, the Philistines. Palestine was really a name for the Philistines, Israel's vaunted enemy.

"This is a prophecy about the future and it's one of those places where your Bible looks into the future with the right terminology, but you need to remember that the original people called Palestinians were Jews.

Verse 6: [6] The children also of Judah and the children of Jerusalem have ye sold unto the Grecians, that ye might remove them far from their border.

"Grecians is another term that's kind of strange. Eight hundred years before Christ Greece was not a world power. In fact, there were no world powers like this. The Babylonian empire doesn't come on the scene until 606 BC.

"Joel was writing somewhere along about 750-800 BC, so 150 years at least before Babylon, Joel is talking about the Greeks. Greeks existed then but they weren't a world power like this to carry people all over the planet.

"The reason for that is this passage is not talking about the historical past; it's a prophecy about what's going to happen to Israel in the last days.

"When verse 6 says they've sold Israel to the Grecians that they might be removed far from their borders, it's a fascinating thing about how the Greeks play into the issues in the last times. Really, the Grecians here in Joel is a prophetic reference to the last days.

"Obviously, involved in the scattering of Israel in the 70th Week of Daniel and the persecution of Israel under the Antichrist, Greece is involved.

"In Daniel's image, those two legs are identified in Daniel 10 and 11 as the king of the north and the king of the south. The most helpful passage in this is Daniel 8; it tells you about where the Antichrist comes from. 

*****

"The culture of the western world is founded on the Greeks. All the great philosophers that have driven western thinking all come out of Greece and when the Romans took over, all they did was just adopt--Rome has always simply assimilated the good stuff (and some of the bad stuff) that was already there.

"In the day that Paul lived, Greek was still the predominant language; that's why the New Testament was written in Greek. It was still the language of the world.

"That will help you to understand Romans 1:16: [16] For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.

"Paul knew the difference if you look back at verse 14: [14] I am debtor both to the Greeks, and to the Barbarians; both to the wise, and to the unwise.

"Look at the last part of verse 13--'even as among other Gentiles.'

"Paul understands that he's talking to Gentiles, but when he says what he says, he talks about Greeks. You begin to say, 'Well, why did he do it that way?'

Galatians 3:28: [28] There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.

"You know when he says that he's talking about Gentiles, but it says 'Greek.' What these verses are telling you is that when God looks at the Gentiles, who are they? They're still that third kingdom that's still going. It's going to be the power behind the world until the Antichrist.

"In the mind of Paul, who is in control of the Gentile world is the point. It's not every little podunk nation down here; it's the force, the prince that was behind Grecia.

*****

"Notice there's a relationship between the angelic creation and the power structure on the earth. Just like there's a government on the earth, there's a government in the heavens. What you learn is there is a corresponding connection between who's running things up there and who's running things down here.

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.

[21] But I will shew thee that which is noted in the scripture of truth: and there is none that holdeth with me in these things, but Michael your prince.

"Persia's going to fall and then the prince of Greece is going to come up and Michael says, 'I'm going to go up and fight that battle and then that's going to be reflected down on the earth.'

"In God's mind, He says Greece is going to be divided into four sections. Out of one of those sections is where the Antichrist is going to come and the Greek empire will last until over there. So, in essence, who's running the world from here to there? Greece.

"It doesn't matter what you call it, what's going on BEHIND the scenes that actually runs what's going on IN the scenes is what matters.

"Paul recognized that what's really going on among the Gentiles today is not just all these Gentile nations willy-nilly running the world. It's that that thing which God said was happening and going to be there is STILL there.

"That's why the Antichrist, his country of origin is Greece, not Rome. That's why you don't have to worry about Germany and Russia and all that kind of stuff. Where he comes from is the Middle East and he's going to come from one of the divisions of the Greek empire. He's identified as part of the king of the north.

Daniel 8:9: [9] And out of one of them came forth a little horn, which waxed exceeding great, toward the south, and toward the east, and toward the pleasant land.

"That 'little horn' turns out to be, in the passage, the Antichrist. In verses 8-9 you skip from the history before Christ all the way to the last day.

Verse 23: [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.

"That's the Antichrist. He comes from one of the four divisions of the Greek empire. Interesting enough, it says 'in the latter time of their kingdom.' What kingdom are you told in Daniel is going to last all the way to the Antichrist?

"It's interesting in Revelation 2, he tells that church, 'Satan's seat is where you are.' All seven of those churches are in Turkey. So, where the Antichrist's going to originate his power, his structure--he's the king of the north. It's still Greece, that's the point." 

Is that woman really a man?

If you’re the Adversary, knowing God's made a promise of a coming Redeemer, the aim is to try and stop Him.

“If you know the way He’s going to come is through ‘the seed of a woman,’ then who would you attack?" asks Richard Jordan. "The ‘sons of God’ (angels who aligned themselves with Satan) sought to rebel and destroy what God was doing by going after the ‘daughters of men,’ making them their wives, and their offspring were super-intellect giants; superheroes.

*****
Androgyne is a term "used to refer to the fused woman and man in a single body," informs a blog site defining symbolism.  

"As a symbol, the androgyne is for me both romantic and otherworldly," reports the blogger. "Romantic because this half-woman/half man is symbolic of twin souls who parted and reunited. We fall in love and instinctively seek out that one perfect mate to be with for life. And otherworldly because our search for that mate is really an echo of a bigger, cosmic goal of uniting with the universe, God, the Tao, or whatever you call that great something from whence we came and to which we will return someday.

"The idea of oneness, completeness, the unity of the physical and spiritual, of totally opposite worlds, is the main message of androgyny as an alchemical symbol."

*****

There’s a supernatural angelic invasion to attempt to corrupt the human race. Jude 6 says, [6] And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day.

[7] Even as Sodom and Gomorrha, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.
[8] Likewise also these filthy dreamers defile the flesh, despise dominion, and speak evil of dignities.

“Did you ever wonder where all the mythology (Greek, Roman, Phoenician, Norse, etc.) about 'superman' (gods with a little 'g') came from? You ever wonder where the ideas for all these big strong guys came from? Somebody wasn’t just sitting around with a hallucination in their head on their bed.

*****

Matthew 24:37-39 warns, [37] But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.

[38] For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark,
[39] And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.

“That means that the things taking place in the days of Noah are going to be like the things taking place in the days before Christ comes back. Well, some of things taking place in the days of Noah are kind of weird, having to do with angels that sinned.

“So II Peter says, ‘Hey guys, the angels that sinned back there, you see them out here doing it now . . . God didn’t spare them then and He isn’t going to spare them over there.’ "

Wicked counselor's party platform, policy book

Revelation 7:9: [9] After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands;

"Here are the people who get through that 'great day of His wrath' and go into the kingdom. It's talking about the Believing Remnant in Israel and they come from every part of the nations out there and God gathers them all back together.

"That's who you see in Nahum 1:7: [7] The LORD is good, a strong hold in the day of trouble; and he knoweth them that trust in him.

"That's what you read about in Revelation 7 and Nahum is picking up on what Micah told you--what Revelation ultimately explains.

"There are only three verses in all of Nahum that have any brightness in them and verse 7 is the first one. You've got 6 verses of helter-skelter, wrath, indignation and vengeance and now you got a verse-- 'Oh, there are going to be some Believers.'

"Talking about the kingdom, Verse 15: [15] Behold upon the mountains the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace! O Judah, keep thy solemn feasts, perform thy vows: for the wicked shall no more pass through thee; he is utterly cut off.

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"He's talking to Nineveh in Nahum 2:13: [13] Behold, I am against thee, saith the LORD of hosts, and I will burn her chariots in the smoke, and the sword shall devour thy young lions: and I will cut off thy prey from the earth, and the voice of thy messengers shall no more be heard.

"God's intention is to bring a complete end to the idolatrous system that gives birth to the rebellious nations against His people. In Nahum, you see the Antichrist show up and be a part of that system that comes out of Assyria.

"Just like Obadiah talked about Edom, and the ancient hatred that the tents of the Edomites have against Israel, now He's going to talk about Assyria, and not just that ancient hatred that they had, but the source of it. It goes all the way back to Nimrod.

Nahum 1: [8] But with an overrunning flood he will make an utter end of the place thereof, and darkness shall pursue his enemies.

"Now you're back in Genesis 1:2. That's God's judgment on rebellion. 

"Talking about Nineveh, Nahum 1:11: [11] There is one come out of thee, that imagineth evil against the LORD, a wicked counseller.

In II Thessalonians 2, Paul says about the son of perdition: [8] And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:

"Wicked is that proper name given to the Antichrist. He counsels against the Lord. Daniel 11 says he takes the kingdom by flatteries. In other words, he's got a philosophy that he's putting out.

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.

[25] And through his policy also he shall cause craft to prosper in his hand; and he shall magnify himself in his heart, and by peace shall destroy many: he shall also stand up against the Prince of princes; but he shall be broken without hand.

"What you have there is the future of Greece and the Greek empire takes over the Media-Persia empire and then the Greek empire is destroyed. Notice that description of the Antichrist as the king of the north:

"He understands dark sayings. He has some wisdom. He knows some things. He's going to attempt to counterfeit God's ability to reveal secrets.

Verse 24: [24] And his power shall be mighty, but not by his own power: and he shall destroy wonderfully, and shall prosper, and practise, and shall destroy the mighty and the holy people.

"From Revelation 13 we know he's going to be standing in the power of Satan.

"Notice this guy comes in with a peace policy. He's going to do what Nahum's talking about. He's going to imagine evil against the Lord as a Wicked counselor. He's going to counsel the world about how to bring in peace.

Daniel 11: [21] And in his estate shall stand up a vile person, to whom they shall not give the honour of the kingdom: but he shall come in peaceably, and obtain the kingdom by flatteries.

[22] And with the arms of a flood shall they be overflown from before him, and shall be broken; yea, also the prince of the covenant.
[23] And after the league made with him he shall work deceitfully: for he shall come up, and shall become strong with a small people.

"The guy knows how to talk. With good words and fair speeches he deceives people. When it says it's a 'small people,' it's talking about how the Antichrist is that 'little horn'; he isn't going to need thousands of people to take over.

"By the way, you don't need millions of people to take over a nation. Just take over the government. When you have a coup, you just need to have people in strategic points and places.

[24] He shall enter peaceably even upon the fattest places of the province; and he shall do that which his fathers have not done, nor his fathers' fathers; he shall scatter among them the prey, and spoil, and riches: yea, and he shall forecast his devices against the strong holds, even for a time.
[25] And he shall stir up his power and his courage against the king of the south with a great army; and the king of the south shall be stirred up to battle with a very great and mighty army; but he shall not stand: for they shall forecast devices against him.
[26] Yea, they that feed of the portion of his meat shall destroy him, and his army shall overflow: and many shall fall down slain.
[27] And both these kings' hearts shall be to do mischief, and they shall speak lies at one table; but it shall not prosper: for yet the end shall be at the time appointed.

"I love that thing about how 'they shall speak lies at one table.' They're having a counsel; they're having a negotiation and they're lying through their teeth to one another. The way the Antichrist takes over is with a policy book.

"It's funny, the Democrat and Republican parties, during a presidential election, spend millions in their conventions and they draft a party platform. Now nobody that ever gets elected pays any attention to the party platform.

"They don't follow those things, but this guy has a party platform that he's going to put forth and when he gets it across, he's going to do it! And it's a plan of wickedness."

Keep your eyes on the stars

"From celestial navigation to foretelling our destinies, we've long looked to the stars for guidance. Astrology itself dates back to the 2nd millennium BC – with Babylonian astrology being the first organized system – and until the 17th century, astrology was considered a scholarly tradition . . .  

"While it's difficult to know exactly how many of us actually believe in astrology, evidence shows that over 90% of adults know their zodiac sign, and ultimately, as we try to counterbalance the outside world's uncertainty with a greater understanding of our own inner world, astrology seems like as healthy a place as any to begin to place our awareness and reflect on who we are and what we need."--Pan MacMillan website

*****

The Lord asks Job in Job 38: [12] Hast thou commanded the morning since thy days; and caused the dayspring to know his place;

[13] That it might take hold of the ends of the earth, that the wicked might be shaken out of it?

"God's telling Job, 'I've got the playing field already set up to do it.' That's the genius of God," explains Richard Jordan.

"Notice, He's fixed the orbit of the sun and He's fixed things in the planetary heavens in such a way that He can use them to shake the earth and shake the wicked out of it. That's the end; that's the Second Advent.

Isaiah 24: [19] The earth is utterly broken down, the earth is clean dissolved, the earth is moved exceedingly.

[20] The earth shall reel to and fro like a drunkard, and shall be removed like a cottage; and the transgression thereof shall be heavy upon it; and it shall fall, and not rise again.

Job 38: [16] Hast thou entered into the springs of the sea? or hast thou walked in the search of the depth?

[17] Have the gates of death been opened unto thee? or hast thou seen the doors of the shadow of death?
[18] Hast thou perceived the breadth of the earth? declare if thou knowest it all.

"He's got a place where He's going to put death and lock it up. He's got doors for the shadow of death. In other words, He's already got a plan and a place to put the usurper. He made hell for the devil and his angels so He's got this stuff prearranged.

[19] Where is the way where light dwelleth? and as for darkness, where is the place thereof,
[20] That thou shouldest take it to the bound thereof, and that thou shouldest know the paths to the house thereof?

"You read that and you say, 'I didn't think light had a place to live?' There's a path, a road, where light dwells. Darkness has a place but light never has a place because it's always moving.

"There's stuff in Job that scientifically accurate that you don't know about until the 20th Century because people didn't even know what light was until the late 1800s.

"It takes eight minutes for a light ray to get from the sun 93 million miles away, traveling at 186,000 miles per second. It takes eight minutes for it to get here. That's moving. When it gets here and hits you, it bounces off. It doesn't reside in you. That's why we can see color. But there's a place He's going to put darkness. 

"God, when He restored the universe, He laid the battle plan already. He's got the battlefield already done. People go to Civil War battlefields. God said, 'I'm showing you the place ahead of time where it's going to be fought and I've got everything pre-positioned, ready to go. And I did that back in Genesis 1 in those six days. I've had this planned all along.'

"So Amos says, 'You know what you need to do? You need to understand when you meet God, you're meeting the one who's going to fix everything, clean your clock to a fair-thee-well, and He's been planning that judgment day ever since the beginning. Now, you think you're going to turn Him away?'

"See, Israel needed to understand the seriousness of what they had gotten themselves into. They joined the ranks of the people for whom God set the whole thing up to destroy.

Amos 5:8: [8] Seek him that maketh the seven stars and Orion, and turneth the shadow of death into the morning, and maketh the day dark with night: that calleth for the waters of the sea, and poureth them out upon the face of the earth: The LORD is his name:

"So over here in Job, in connection with the way God structured the heavens and the angelic world . . .  

Job 38: [31] Canst thou bind the sweet influences of Pleiades, or loose the bands of Orion?

[32] Canst thou bring forth Mazzaroth in his season? or canst thou guide Arcturus with his sons?
[33] Knowest thou the ordinances of heaven? canst thou set the dominion thereof in the earth?

"Notice these constellations in the heaven have DOMINION in the earth. They have an influence on the earth.

Amos 5:26: [26] But ye have borne the tabernacle of your Moloch and Chiun your images, the star of your god, which ye made to yourselves.

"Notice they're involved in the worship of heavenly bodies. Part of Baal worship was worshipping the demonic host in the heavens.

Jeremiah 10: [1] Hear ye the word which the LORD speaketh unto you, O house of Israel:

[2] Thus saith the LORD, Learn not the way of the heathen, and be not dismayed at the signs of heaven; for the heathen are dismayed at them.

"The heathen are trying to read the signs; they're worshipping the things in the heavens. The SIGNS of heaven.

Isaiah 47: [1] Come down, and sit in the dust, O virgin daughter of Babylon, sit on the ground: there is no throne, O daughter of the Chaldeans: for thou shalt no more be called tender and delicate.

"This is a description of God's judgment on Babylon. Notice He calls her the 'virgin daughter of Babylon.' We read the passage about the virgin daughter of Israel. Babylon's virgin is counterfeiting; she's going to take Israel's place.

Verses 5-6: [5] Sit thou silent, and get thee into darkness, O daughter of the Chaldeans: for thou shalt no more be called, The lady of kingdoms.

[6] I was wroth with my people, I have polluted mine inheritance, and given them into thine hand: thou didst shew them no mercy; upon the ancient hast thou very heavily laid thy yoke.

"She's called the queen of heaven and the queen of heaven's called Our Lady. 

Verses 7-8: [7] And thou saidst, I shall be a lady for ever: so that thou didst not lay these things to thy heart, neither didst remember the latter end of it.

[8] Therefore hear now this, thou that art given to pleasures, that dwellest carelessly, that sayest in thine heart, I am, and none else beside me; I shall not sit as a widow, neither shall I know the loss of children:

"He says, 'No, you won't. I'm going to take the kids away from you. I'm going to destroy you.'

[10] For thou hast trusted in thy wickedness: thou hast said, None seeth me. Thy wisdom and thy knowledge, it hath perverted thee; and thou hast said in thine heart, I am, and none else beside me.
[11] Therefore shall evil come upon thee; thou shalt not know from whence it riseth: and mischief shall fall upon thee; thou shalt not be able to put it off: and desolation shall come upon thee suddenly, which thou shalt not know.
[12] Stand now with thine enchantments, and with the multitude of thy sorceries, wherein thou hast laboured from thy youth; if so be thou shalt be able to profit, if so be thou mayest prevail.
[13] Thou art wearied in the multitude of thy counsels. Let now the astrologers, the stargazers, the monthly prognosticators, stand up, and save thee from these things that shall come upon thee.

"You see all this religious stuff? Religious chants, enchantments, curses, all the sorceries. This is all the Baal worship and Israel is part of this; they've joined in. Babylon started with Nimrod in Genesis 10 and Babylon is the source, historically, of this stuff in the earth. From the earliest days of the kingdom of Babylon this kind of stuff is what it's been about."