The Temple of Doom

Though the recent turmoil in Egypt and Syria doesn't bode well for Israel, biblical prophecy reveals that the tiny Jewish nation is not only going to survive, she's going to play a key role in an upcoming global government.

Many folks--even some who claim to be biblical scholars--believe that Israel's days are numbered. But Israel isn't going anywhere. In fact, without Israel, the Antichrist would have no reason or purpose to even appear on earth.

The apostle Paul explained: "He (Antichrist) will oppose and exalt himself over everything that is called God or is worshiped, so that he sets himself up in God's temple, proclaiming himself to be God." (2Thessalonians 2:4)

What temple was Paul referring to? A new temple that will be constructed in Jerusalem. God's temple cannot be built anywhere else in the world. The Temple Mount was the location for the two previous temples that existed in Israel. And it will be the location for the third temple that the dreaded Antichrist will defile with his presence.

But how can we be sure that Jerusalem will be the site for this new temple? By studying the ancient biblical prophecies that reveal its location.

Nearly 2,600 years ago, the ancient Hebrew prophet Daniel revealed that during the final seven years on earth directly preceding the return of Jesus Christ, the Antichrist will "put an end" to the daily sacrifices and offerings in the temple that were mandated under the Mosaic Covenant. Then, "on a wing of the temple he will set up an abomination that causes desolation, until the end that is decreed is poured out on him." (Daniel 9:27)

Christ confirmed the temple's Jerusalem location with this prophecy: "So when you see standing in the holy place (temple) the abomination that causes desolation, spoken by the prophet Daniel--let the reader understand--then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains." (Matthew 24:15-16)

Judea or Judah is part of modern Israel and was known as the southern kingdom. In the ancient times, Jerusalem was located in Judah. So Christ not only qualified Daniel's prophecy, he confirmed the location of the new Jewish Temple. It will be located where the two previous temples were located.

Thus, if Israel is destroyed, then Daniel's prophecy can't be fulfilled. Both Daniel and Christ would be declared false prophets and the entire Bible would lose its credibility. God's integrity is tied to the survival of Israel.

And if Israel survives as a nation, then what becomes of Islam that has historically called for the annihilation of the Jews from the face of the earth? If Israel survives, then Islam can't survive unless it is changed because Islam teaches that its messiah--the Imam Mahdi--can't appear until all the Jews have been removed from the world. The Koran exhorts all Muslims to fight against the Jews to accomplish that.

Some folks who claim to be biblical scholars are erroneously teaching that the dreaded Antichrist is going to be Islamic. http://www.wnd.com/2013/08/118029/

 

But that's not only unbiblical, it's ludicrous. No Islamic Antichrist would ever allow Israel to exist or allow a new temple to be constructed in Jerusalem on the Temple Mount where the Dome of the Rock and the Al Aqsa Mosque currently exist.

In fact, if the Antichrist turns out to be Islamic, then Israel will certainly be destroyed. And if Israel is destroyed, then why would the Imam Mahdi allow a new Jewish Temple to be constructed on a site that is sacred to Islam? That makes no sense.

Rather, biblical prophecy clearly reveals that the coming Antichrist will be a counterfeit of Jesus Christ who will arise through the Roman Catholic Church. (Revelation 17) And he will come from Russia. (Daniel 11, Ezekiel 38-39)

Daniel and Ezekiel were ancient prophets who lived and recorded long before Christ appeared in the world. Daniel revealed that the Antichrist will be the ruler of a powerful nation he described as a northern kingdom. How does that relate to Russia? Keep in mind that Israel is always located at the center of the Bible's geographical map. And so, Russia is the nation furthermost to the north of Israel and is currently on the rise as a military superpower.

Furthermore, Ezekiel described this nation as Gog which was an ancient name for the tribe of Rosh that many modern Russians are descended from. Ezekiel revealed that at some point in the future, Gog, (Russia) along with a confederation of nations called Magog, will attack Israel in an event that the Bible identifies as Armageddon. That's when the Lord will march out and destroy Russia and its confederation.

But before this happens, Russia will eventually become the dominant political force in the Middle East leading up to the advent of a global government. That spells trouble for Islam because if Russia becomes a dominant global power again, she will begin to spread her religious values across the world.

What are those values? Russia is a predominantly Orthodox Christian nation that has little tolerance for Islam. And Russia's Orthodox Church once belonged to the Roman Catholic Church until it separated about 1,000 years ago because the Orthodox church wanted to serve the Bishop of Constantinople rather than the Pope.

 

However, both churches have been discussing a reunion in recent years. And when that reunion takes place, an important prophetic door will be opened that will link Moscow and Rome, making the Antichrist's appearance possible.

That reunion is important because the dreaded Antichrist will have the authority to order a new Jewish Temple built in Jerusalem. And he will have the power to destroy anyone who tries to oppose the temple's construction.

In order for the temple to be built, the Antichrist will likely coerce Israel into trading her sovereignty for the temple. And he will probably offer Israel military protection from her enemies as well. But that will be a treaty signed in hell.

In fact, when Israel signs that fateful deal, the final seven years on God's prophetic clock will begin ticking down to the return of Christ.

 

That clock began ticking in 445 B.C. when Persian ruler Antaxerxes signed the decree for the Jews to return to Israel from captivity that began in 586 B.C. with Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar's invasion of Jerusalem. That clock was stopped exactly 483 years later when Christ rode a donkey into Jerusalem, (Daniel 9:20-27) just days before His crucifixion.

The Bible calls this final seven year period the Tribulation period. It will culminate a 490 year period "decreed for your people and your holy city to finish transgression, to put an end to sin, to atone for wickedness, to bring everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy and to anoint the most holy." (Daniel 9:24)

In the meantime, before any of this happens, Israel won't be going anywhere, even though her hostile Islamic neighbors and many world nations will try to eliminate her. In fact, the ancient Hebrew prophet Zechariah prophesied that this would take place in the last days: "On that day, when all the nations of the earth are gathered against her, I will make Jerusalem an immovable rock for all the nations. All who try to move it will injure themselves." (Zechariah 12:3)  

So, don't fear for Israel. God is going to protect and preserve her until Christ returns to establish His millennial kingdom on earth.

Why God Allows Evil

The Twin Towers come down on 9/11/2001

The favorite question that atheists love to ask those who believe in God is this one: "If a loving God truly exists, then why does he allow the existence of evil?"

Indeed, why does God allow evil to exist? That sounds like a reasonable question, doesn't it? 

According to this logic, a loving God isn't supposed to allow bad things to happen. Therefore, if the world is contaminated with evil, then there is no God because he would never permit it if he existed.

For the sake of atheists and their argument, let's assume that no God exists. Then who gets blamed for all the misery and evil that plagues the world?

Human beings. Atheists are then faced with two problems: (1) Why are some human beings evil? And (2) where does evil come from?

Atheists attempt to answer the first question by relying on Darwinian evolution. They claim that some folks are evil because they are born that way. Evolution has programmed evil into their genes.

However, if that's true then the theory of evolution contradicts itself because Darwin's theory of Natural Selection (Survival of the Fittest) teaches that evolution (random, unintelligent forces) is supposed to eliminate the unfit. 

Those who are evil and commit destructive acts against others shouldn't exist if Darwin's theory is true. But evil people do exist as they've existed since the dawn of history. Evolution then--if it's true--provides no explanation for the presence of evil in the world.

Then where does evil come from? The Bible reveals that it comes from the free will that God has given to mankind. Evil comes from sin which entered the human race at the beginning of time when the first couple Adam and Eve defied God by eating fruit they were commanded not to. (Genesis 3)  

Since that time, the sinful nature has infected every human being that has ever lived. That sinful nature is firmly planted in every human heart (Jeremiah 17:9) and has been the cause of all the bloodshed, violence, murders and wars throughout history. In fact, in his epistle to the early Roman Church, the apostle Paul revealed what human beings are truly like in their sinful, fallen state. (Romans 1:18-32)

Still, the question that begs to be answered: Why does God allow evil to exist in the world? Because we are all sinners who "fall short of the glory of God." (Romans 3:23) As such, in our sinful state, we live on this earth under God's wrath and unprotected from evil and its consequences.

Nevertheless, God has offered us the ultimate path of escape and protection from evil through His Son Jesus Christ who came into this world in the form of a human being to take away our sins by His death on the cross: "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." (John 3:16)

Not only does Christ remove the eternal death penalty for sin when we truly confess Him as Lord and devote our lives to Him, but He also protects us from evil. (Psalm 91)

And so, evil isn't God's choice--it's man's choice. If human beings weren't given a free will by God, then atheists would have a legitimate beef against Him. But they don't. And they never will.

Fascism In America

Craig James

Barack Obama, who's normally right less often than a broken clock, did manage to get something right recently when he stated that America is no longer a Christian nation.

How true. Many Christians are discovering that through the increasing amount of hostility they've been encountering from secular fascists in America who despise their faith and want to eradicate it.

Who are these fascists? They are humanists who are employed in the media, entertainment industry, education and in various levels of government. They are also militant homosexuals who have become a paramilitary wing of secularists.

Does that sound alarmist? Then consider a Christian couple named Aaron and Melissa Klein who recently closed their popular bakery (Sweet Cakes by Melissa) in Gresham, Oregon after militant homosexuals swooped down on them like vultures.

What did the Kleins do to incur the wrath of gay militants? They refused an order from a lesbian couple for a wedding cake. The lesbian couple subsequently filed a complaint with the Oregon Bureau of Labor and Industries. 

When the complaint was publicized by the media, militant homosexuals organized a boycott of the bakery and threatened other establishments that did business with Sweet Cakes by Melissa. And the Kleins also reported that their children were threatened with physical harm.

Craig James has also become the victim of secular fascists. James was recently employed as a football analyst for Fox Sports Southwest until he was fired because of remarks he made in 2012 concerning same-sex marriage.

A born-again Christian, James made those remarks during an unsuccessful run for the Senate. Here's what James said: "People choose to be gay...I think' it's a choice. I do. Same-sex marriage, if someone chooses to do that, that's done. And God's going to judge each one of us for our actions. And in that case right there, they're going to have to answer to the Lord for their actions." 
http://www.breitbart.com/Breitbart-Sports/2013/09/26/Court-Filing-Fox-Sports-Godfather-Ordered-Firing-Craig-James-over-Mainstream-View-on-Marriage

James didn't make those remarks while he was on the air with Fox. Nor did he make those statements on the air with his previous employers ESPN and CBS where he earned accolades as one of the finest football analysts in the nation. He made those remarks on his own time.

As a U.S. citizen whose speech is protected by the First Amendment, James has a right to express his opinions on same-sex marriage. And as a Christian, James has a right to express his worldview that has been the prevailing view of marriage in America since her inception.

But evidently, Christians such as James aren't allowed to share that view publicly anymore. When executives at Fox Sports Southwest learned about James' opposition to gay marriage, they pulled the plug on him. Fox Sports Southwest defended its decision to terminate James with this statement: "We just asked ourselves how Craig's statements would play in our human resources department. He couldn't say those things here."

Ironically, he didn't say those things at Fox Sports Southwest. Yet, he was still fired. Why? Because the network feared the inevitable backlash from gay militants who would've done to Fox Sports Southwest what they've done to other businesses and organizations that have dared to oppose same-sex marriage and the LGBT lifestyle. They would've attacked the network by bullying sponsors who do business with Fox Sports Southwest.

James has retained the Liberty Institute whose attorneys sent a letter to Fox threatening legal action against the network for religious discrimination unless James is rehired.

Most likely, Fox will reach a financial settlement with James because that will cost the network far less money than it figures to lose when sponsors and viewers flee via political pressure exerted by gay militants.

Fox was dead wrong to terminate James. And the network knows that. Fox discriminated against James by violating his constitutional rights.

Why? Because Fox caved in to secular fascists who hate Christians. That's why. And tragically, the persecution of Christians in America is only going to get worse. Far worse.

The Case for Capital Punishment

Brian Dugan and his victims

Many years ago, I met a young man who confided to me that he'd lost his sister to a violent crime. In fact, I was familiar with the incident because it was a hideous crime that drew major media attention at the time.  

The man told me that his sister was returning home one day from her babysitting job when she was abducted by someone who then proceeded to rape and murder her before he dumped her lifeless body in a ditch near a major Chicago expressway.

When I expressed my outrage and stated that I hoped the perpetrator would receive the death penalty if he was caught and convicted of the crime, the young man surprised me with his response. He told me that as a Christian, he didn't believe in the death penalty. And he reasoned that if we executed the man, we'd be doing the same thing to him that he did to his sister.

Although I respect the man's opinion, I disagree. There's a distinct difference between an innocent person who's murdered and the execution of a person who takes away an innocent life. 

A person who destroys another person via murder has forfeited his or her right to live. That's not my opinion--it's biblical. Under the terms of the Mosaic Covenant, the ancient Israelites were commanded by God to administer the death penalty for infractions that we consider trivial today.

For example: "Anyone who curses his father or mother must be put to death." (Exodus 21:17) Here's another example: "Anyone who sacrifices to any god other than the Lord must be destroyed." (Exodus 22:20) And here's yet another example: "If a man commits adultery with another man's wife--with the wife of a neighbor--both the adulterer and the adulteress must be put to death." (Leviticus 20:10)

I don't like the death penalty and I wish we never had need of it. Unfortunately we do need it because we live in a fallen, evil world where there are those such as Brian Dugan--the man pictured above--who have no fear of God nor any respect for human life. 

Administered properly, the death penalty sends a powerful message--that those who destroy innocent lives will pay the ultimate price by forfeiting their own lives. And if that saves even one life by planting the fear of death in someone's heart by discouraging them from doing what Dugan did to two young girls and a nurse, then it's worth it.

And I'd like to see despicable monsters such as Dugan executed by hanging them in a public place. That's the way societies used to deal with scumbags such as Dugan. When you see someone die a horrible death by hanging, it has a profound effect on you.

Some folks are surprised that a Christian such as myself would support capital punishment. Aren't Christians supposed to be for life rather than death? Yes we are. 

And in fact, I hope people such as Brian Dugan come to realize the evil they've done and confess their sins to Jesus Christ while they're still here on this earth. 

Because if they die in their sins outside of Christ, they will suffer the eternal death penalty in a horrible place called hell. 

And that's a death penalty that I don't want anyone to experience. Ever.

Good and Bad Obsessions

Pope Francis

The leader of the world's largest church has excoriated Christendom for being obsessed with all the wrong issues.

According to Pope Francis, the Christian church spends too much time talking about abortion, gay marriage and contraception and not enough time talking about the things that really matter.

Such as? According to the Rev. Antonio Spadaro, the editor-in-chief of La Civiltà Cattolica, an Italian Jesuit Journal: "His (Pope Francis) vision is to see the church in the middle of persons who need to be healed. It is in the middle of the world.”

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/09/20/world/europe/pope-bluntly-faults-churchs-focus-on-gays-and-abortion.html?_r=0

And so, according to Spadaro, Francis believes the church's main mission in the world is to be a "healer."

While that sounds good, that isn't Christianity's main mission in the world. Christianity's main mission in this world is to fulfill the Great Commission of Jesus Christ. (Matthew 28:16-20)

That commission mandates that Christians preach the good news of the gospel throughout the entire world. What does the gospel say? It says this: If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved. As Scripture says, “Anyone who believes in him will never be put to shame.” For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile—the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him,  for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” (Romans 10:9-13)

Obviously, that isn't what the Roman Catholic Church teaches. The Catholic Church teaches that salvation is a lifelong process that begins at birth and doesn't end until after physical death in a place called Purgatory where a person's sins must be burned away by fire before he or she can be admitted into heaven.
http://prophecyreviewtoday.blogspot.com/2013/09/other-gospels.html

Francis and his church are obsessed with all the wrong things. In addition to preaching a false gospel, the Catholic Church majors in the minors. The Vatican's focus upon feeding the poor and being a peacemaker in a war torn world doesn't send anyone to heaven.

In fact, if the Catholic Church truly wants to bring peace and prosperity to a violent world, then she can start by preaching the genuine biblical gospel. There will never be true peace in this world until the Prince of Peace Jesus Christ lives in all human hearts.

That's what Christendom ought to be obsessed with. Preaching the genuine biblical gospel.

Because when that's done effectively, violence, war, strife and poverty go away. Every time.

Strong and Weak Leaders

Vladimir Putin and Barack Obama

Barack Obama is a made for Hollywood president. He's cool, tall, well-dressed, good looking and well-spoken.

Not surprisingly, some of his biggest supporters happen to be Hollywood executives, actors and actresses who poured big coin into both of his presidential campaigns. If it wasn't for his Hollywood acolytes, Obama may never have reached the White House.

Russian President Vladimir Putin is the exact opposite of Obama. He looks just like what a former KGB agent ought to look like--short, balding, stone-faced and menacing. 

He certainly looks like Hollywood's idea of a Russian special agent. But he's definitely not Hollywood's idea of a president who's in charge of a rising world superpower.

However, leadership isn't about looks or clothes or inspiring speeches. If it was then Barack Obama would go down in history as one of the world's greatest leaders.

But beyond the clothes, looks and charismatic speeches, Barack Obama is a proverbial empty suit. His incompetence was embarrassing and evident yet once again when he recently threatened to bomb Syria only to pull back on his threat and open the door for Putin to solve the crisis.

Obama threatened Syria after he claimed that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad used chemical gas against his people that resulted in an estimated 1,500 casualties. 

Though no one has yet been able to determine whether Assad or the rebel forces fighting him used the gas, Obama claims that he has irrefutable evidence that Assad used the gas. And so, Obama sent five warships to the Mediterranean Sea to threaten the Syrian dictator.

And the warships sat off of Syria's coast while Obama hemmed and hawed about launching cruise missiles against Assad. Meanwhile, both Assad and the Iranians threatened to attack Israel if Obama followed through with his threat to drop cruise missiles on Syria. 

Obama's actions were intended to save face for his infamous red-line threat he issued against Assad last year if the dictator used chemical weapons on his people. Obama warned Assad not to cross his hypothetical red-line by using chemical weapons. 

Chemical weapons were used recently and Obama claims that Assad used them. By threatening Assad and sending warships, Obama imperiled the Middle East with a major conflagration. Had Putin not stepped in and diffused Obama's mess, the Middle East could have become engulfed in a major war.

Vladimir Putin certainly isn't a nice guy. He's ruthless, coldblooded and he deals harshly with his enemies. Some of his enemies are either in jail or they aren't living anymore. But he understands the world and how it works while Obama doesn't.

Putin's dramatic solution that solved a serious problem Barack Obama created has prophetic implications. The Bible tells us that a powerful world ruler is coming who will be known as the Antichrist. He will come from Russia (Daniel 11, Ezekiel 38-39) and he will initially appear to the world as a peacemaker before he goes on his reign of terror.

Vladimir Putin isn't the Antichrist. I have corresponded with Russians who believe that he is because they loathe him. I understand that. Putin is reviled by many Russians in the same way that Obama is reviled by many Americans. 

But scripture reveals that the dreaded Antichrist will rise in conjunction with the Roman Catholic Church. (Revelation 17) In order for that to happen, the Catholic Church and the Russian Orthodox Church must reunite after 1,000 years of separation. And that's going to happen.

In the meantime, ruthless leaders such as Vladimir Putin are giving us a portent of what's ahead in the future. 

Watching Prophecy Unfold

Many Jews continue to view Christianity as a hostile faith that was launched 2,000 years ago by a man they consider a rebel and a traitor to their religion.

That would be Jesus Christ who was rejected by the rabbis as a fraud and a usurper of Judaism. They have historically claimed that when the real messiah appears, he will be a religious scholar who will conquer Israel's enemies and establish his kingdom on earth in Jerusalem.

The rabbis claim that Christ couldn't have been the messiah because he not only failed to establish God's kingdom on earth, he got himself crucified in the process.

Though the rabbis have taught that for 2,000 years, their teaching doesn't line up with scripture. Nor has it ever. Unfortunately, the rabbis don't consider the Bible to be the sole authority concerning the word of God. Rather, they believe that they possess the divine authority to fashion their own messiah in their imaginations.

If that sounds like idolatry, it is. The fallen human imagination is where all religious idols have been incubated throughout history before they were created into clay, wood, metal and stone images. Though the rabbis haven't created a physical image of their mythical messiah--in deference to the Second Commandment--they hold that image firmly in their minds and brand it in the minds of their followers.

Certainly, Jesus Christ is the Messiah. He fulfilled over 300 specific prophecies that are recorded in the Bible's Old Testament. Some of those prophecies include His virgin birth, (Isaiah 7:14) his life, ministry, crucifixion and resurrection, (Isaiah 52-53) His birthplace of Bethlehem, (Micah 5:2) and His triumphant ride through the streets of Jerusalem on a donkey just days before He was arrested by the rabbis and handed over to the Romans to be crucified. (Zechariah 9:9)

With all that evidence, you'd think that the Jews would embrace Christ as their Messiah. Tragically, the majority of them continue to deny Christ, mainly out of fear and ignorance. Many Jews secretly believe that Christ is indeed the Messiah, but they dare not confess Him publicly because they fear that they'll be humiliated by the rabbis and ostracized by the Jewish community.

Nevertheless, many Jews are now coming to Christ and publicly confessing Him as Lord. And that's prophetic.

The ancient Hebrew prophet Hosea, who lived during the 8th Century B.C., wrote this concerning the distant spiritual future of his people: "For the Israelites will live many days without king or prince, without sacrifice or sacred stones, without ephod or idol. Afterward, the Israelites will return to their Lord and David their king. They will come trembling to the Lord and to his blessings in the last days." (Hosea 3:4-5)

Hosea couldn't have been referring to King David in that prophecy, because David had been dead for two centuries. Rather, the prophet used David as an allegory for the Jewish Messiah.

And the apostle Paul revealed this in his epistle to the early Roman church: "I don't want you to be ignorant of this mystery, brothers, so that you may not be conceited: Israel has experienced a hardening in part until the full number of gentiles has come in. And so all Israel will be saved..." (Romans 11:25-26)

Paul clearly revealed that as the Church age drew near to an end, the Jews would begin a spiritual revival that would lead them to Christ.

Are we seeing these prophecies being fulfilled? Indeed, we are. Estimated Jewish believers in Christ now range from 350,000 to one million worldwide, which is up from about 200,000 in the 1990s. Though that number seems small, keep in mind that there are only 12 million Jews in the world.

And so, we are definitely seeing God's prophetic word concerning the Jews being fulfilled in our time.