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This is David Bay, Director of Old Paths Ministries.
And this is the Cutting Edge, a radio program dedicated to warning and informing God's people. We are committed to the study and exposition of the inerrant, inspired and authoritative Word of God. The views expressed belong to us, and are not necessarily shared by this station.
Our society is deteriorating, and Bible-believing Christians are ill-prepared to face that deterioration. This radio program is dedicated to preparing God's people to meet the challenges of the Day, and to encourage obedience to the Word of God in being separated from worldliness and false doctrine.
The moral bankruptcy of our society is well-documented.
Few people understand why we have become morally bankrupt. However, when we look at society through the eyes of God, through the Bible, we can easily see why we are facing the unprecedented troubles today. This study of America through the eyes of God is what we will always do try to here; stay with us for some eye-opening truths.
As we have compared the planned coming of the New World Order with Biblical prophecy, showing the meticulous way in which these plans would fulfill Biblical prophecy if they were to be fulfilled, many people have asked the profound question:
"How do we know that the signs which we see today really represent the signs of the end of the age? After all, many people in the past thought they saw the signs heralding the end of the age, but were obviously wrong." These are excellent questions, and we have attempted to answer them.
Today, we will demonstrate more instances which I show we are in the end of the age. First, if we are in the very end of the age, we must see Israel back in her land, reestablished as a nation, but reestablished in a state of un-belief. (Ezekiel 36 and 37 prophesy how God will bring Israel back to the land, and encourage you to read it in detail, comparing it to modern history, from 1917-1948. But, in 37:8, God states that He shall bring the dead bones of the nation Israel back together, but that the new national body will not have "breath" or "spirit". Biblical scholars have long maintained this means the newly-created Israel will be reborn initially with no faith in God or in Jesus Christ. History records this precisely, as Israel was initially reborn with leadership and populace who had no faith in God or in Jesus Christ.).
Secondly, if we are truly in the last of the age, we should be able to look at the modern history, since Israel was reborn in 1948, and see that the leaders of the world have been unusually preoccupied with Jerusalem and Israel. This preoccupation would be very unusual because it would be out of all proportion to Israel's size, military power, and economic influence. Indeed, we have seen just this type of preoccupation. Since 1948, Israel has fought four major wars with her Arab neighbors; America has armed and helped to finance Israel, and Russia has done the same with the Arabs. American, Russian, and European leaders have begun countless "peace" efforts, and have failed every time. Jerusalem has become the center of attention from leaders of three major faiths: Jewish, Christian, and Mohammedan.
Why has Jerusalem and Israel become so important to the world? Because God foretold, in Zechariah 12:2-3, that in "that day", which is the end of the age, He will "make Jerusalem a cup of reeling to all the peoples round about, and against Judah...and in that day, I will make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all peoples; all who burden themselves with it shall be sorely wounded. And all the nations of the earth shall come and gather against it."
Surely, since Israel was reestablished in 1948 as a nation, and certainly since Jerusalem again came under Jewish control in June, 1967, this prophecy has started its fulfillment. Modern, post-World War II history has been preoccupied with Jerusalem.
Thirdly, God has revealed that His timetable for the end of the age really gets started once Israel is back in the land. In Joel 3:1-14, God speaks clearly of the end of the age, most specifically the judgment of the Great Tribulation.
In verse 1, God says, "For, behold, in those days and at that time, when I shall reverse the captivity and restore the fortunes of Judah and Jerusalem," STOP!! We now know the exact date when the captivity of Judah and Jerusalem was reversed and their fortunes restored: May, 1948, when Israel officially became a nation.
Now, look at what God further prophesies will occur, verse 2: "I will gather all nations, and will bring them down into the Valley of Jehoshaphat..." The Dictionary of the Bible, edited by William Smith, 1904, states on p. 373, that there was never an actual spot with this name; rather, it seemed to be a generic name for the Middle East, the area around Israel. If this is true, God will then begin to draw the Gentile nations into the Middle East, after Israel became a nation again.
In verse 2b, God states, "...there will I deal with and execute judgment upon them for their treatment of My people and My heritage, Israel..." God then lists the sins of the nations for which He is going to bring judgment, and it is clear that He is talking primarily about the Arab nations, who have been so responsible for 5,000 years in consistently attacking and trying to destroy the Jews.
In verse 9, God declares this judgment to be war. In fact, in verse 10, God orders the nations to change their instruments of peace into instruments of war. In verses 12-14, God states that all the nations of the world will ultimately be drawn into the Middle East for judgment. We know this scenario is consistent with End Time prophecy in Daniel and Revelation; however, I believe this judgment of the Arabs will begin before the Anti-Christ arises to begin the Great Tribulation. I say this for several reasons:
A. In Ezekiel 38-39, God foretells of a "latter day" invasion of Israel by a confederation of forces led by Russia. God states that several Arab nations will be part of the invading force. He states that Persia (Iran), Cush (Ethiopia), Libya, and the House of Togarmah is Armenia. As you read this list, you must immediately ask yourself the question, "Why did God leave out the Arab nations closest to Israel, and, therefore, most in conflict with her? Where are Egypt, Syria, Iraq, and Jordan?" These nations would surely be most anxious to join the Russians in the great invasion which would overwhelmingly defeat the Jews once and forever.
The answer may be that they have been completely destroyed before this invasion, an event which may be so very close to occurring.
In Obadiah 16, God speaks to Edom as one who is representative of all the Arabs. In fact, Esau was first named Edom at his birth; God changed his name only after he sold his birthright to Jacob for a bowl of soup. In verse 16, God states, to the Arabs, "as you have drunk upon the mountains of My holiness, so shall all the nations drink continually, in turn, of My wrath; yes, they shall drink, talk foolishly, and swallow down the full measure of punishment, and they shall be destroyed as though they had not been..."
In verse 18, God further states that "The house of Jacob shall be a fire and the house of Joseph a flame, but the house of Esau shall be stubble; they shall kindle and burn them and consume them, and there shall be no survivor of the house of Esau..."
This incredible prophecy states that a fire will begin to burn in Israel that will suddenly explode out to destroy the entire house of Esau, so completely that it will be as though it had never existed.
Then, what will God cause Israel to do? In verse 17, God states, "But on Mount Zion (Jerusalem) there shall be deliverance...and the house of Jacob shall posses their own former possessions." Their own former possessions?! What does this mean? Do you know that Israel today does not include all the land which God originally gave to the Jews? Yet, God declares that Israel will possess their own former possessions" (Obadiah 17b). God states this further, in Ezekiel 36:10, that, when He restores Israel to nationhood, He will give Israel all her land back.
Israel's Promised land includes almost all Lebanon, most of Syria northward to just south of Damascus, some of Iraq, and most of Jordan. One more look at prophecy to complete our understanding: In Isaiah 17:1, God foretells that "Damascus will cease to be a city, and will become a heap of ruins". Damascus has never been a heap of ruins. This city is described on a National Geographic Map of the Holy Land, as the "world's oldest continuously inhabited city."
So what does all this prophecy mean?
God will cause Israel to expand outward to destroy the Arabs in these lands so completely that it will be as though they had never existed, and it will be by some fire which comes exploding out of Israel.
Consider recent events which might bring these prophecies to fruition.
Syrian President Hafez Assad has the greatest ambition to destroy Israel and establish himself as the greatest Arab leader of all time, and he now possesses a greater army than Hussein ever possessed. Further, Assad has now pushed his army into Lebanon, within easy missile striking distance from Israel.
If Syria possessed nuclear warheads, and advanced, fast, and accurate warheads, he would not hesitate one minute in attacking Israel. To preempt such an attack, Israel would attack first with her own nuclear weapons. She dare not wait so long that Syria has had the opportunity to arm her missiles with nuclear warheads.
And the nuclear fire would roar out of Israel to consume the House of Esau. It is also no accident that the Government of Israel is the Conservative, God-believing party of the Likud, which believes that God has promised them all their land back.
The stage may be fully set for a great prophesied war in the Middle East.
NEWS BRIEF: The Boston Herald, March 28, 1992, "Bush Policy Toward Israel Undermines U.S. Interests", Jeane Kirkpatrick. "The Bush administration's offensive against Israel has spread and escalated until today it threatens the entire U.S.-Israeli relationship."
Did you understand the full meaning of what Jeane Kirkpatrick just stated in this sentence. In her opinion, the Bush Administration is engaged in a hostile "offensive" against Israel. This offensive threatens the long-standing relationship between America and Israel. Since 1948, America has cultivated a special relationship with Israel, even though American leaders were, without exception, engaged in leading the world toward the Anti-Semitic New World Order. Why? Because American Christian leadership was very effective in mobilizing public support for Israel.
American Evangelical Christians have been very aware of several Biblical principles concerning the rebirth of Israel in 1948. First, Evangelical Christians were aware that the rebirth of Israel was the direct result of God's prophecies that, in the latter days, He would bring Israel back to the land. We see this throughout the Old Testament, but specifically in Jeremiah 12:15, where God says, "And after I have plucked them up, I will return and have compassion on them, and I will bring them again, every man to his heritage and every man to his land." God repeats this promise in the entire chapter 30. God promises that, after His mighty punishments of Israel have run their course, He would save her "out of the distant land of exile" (verse 10b); that I "will restore health to you and I will heal your wounds" (verse 17); that "the city (Jerusalem) shall be rebuilt on its own old mound-like site" (verse 18); that God will bring forth a "prince" from the midst of them, who will be able to approach God (verse 21, a reference to the second return of Messiah, Jesus Christ). At the very end of this chapter, God firmly sets the time when all this will happen, so that there will be no misunderstanding, "In the latter days, you shall understand this."
Evangelical Christians have secondly understood that, when God brought Israel back into the land, He would protect them, and prosper them, just as in the days of Israel's former glory. Further, God has promised that, once He had given Israel all her land back, He would never again allow them to "be torn up out of their land..." Amos 9:15b. No matter how the nations of the world huffed and puffed against Israel, trying to force her into unwise compromises with the Arabs, God would preserve Israel's life and would prosper her. We certainly have seen this happen since 1948.
Thirdly, American Evangelical Christians have understood God's original promise to Abram, In Genesis 12:3, "I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse him who curses you..." The Bible Commentary adds the further meaning when it says, "or uses insolent language toward you". In other words, God will punish anyone who not only threatens Israel, but who so much as uses insolent language against her. Christians have long correctly felt that America's best defensive weapon is a strong, positive protection of Israel. In the Arab-Israeli wars of 1967 and 1973, America went to the brink of nuclear war to protect Israel. Perhaps this is one of the reasons America has prospered since World War II.
But, under the leadership of President George Bush and Secretary of State James Baker, all this support is threatened. Jeane Kirkpatrick lists several recent American actions which threaten Israel:
This last point of Kirkpatrick's is incredible. For over 20 years, successive American Presidents have repeatedly pressured the Russian Communist Government to end their persecution of the Jews, and to allow as many as wanted to leave Russia and emigrate to Israel, to do so. When this pressure is finally successful, Bush and Baker then try to deny Israel the finances to settle these Russian Jewish immigrants.
Kirkpatrick continues her indictment against Bush and Baker:
Since this is true, we should not be surprised to see that Bush and Baker, the two greatest movers and shakers to the New World Order, are using the tremendous resources of their offices against Israel. Kirkpatrick makes it very plain that, if Israel were to give in to the pressures of Bush and Baker, she would find herself back in the geographical position of having indefensible borders. These pressures are, indeed, unreasonable and deadly in their consequences.
Now, remember the words of the God Who never changes, "I will bless those who bless you and curse those who curse you, and curse him who curses or uses insolent language toward you?" Secretary of State James Baker is also guilty of using insolent, abusive, profanity against Jewish leaders. I have been aware of this problem before, but it was brought to a head in this Sunday's Boston Globe, March 29, 1992. Baker was pressuring Israel to stop building in the West Bank, and he justified it by saying that "Jews don't vote for us anyway, accompanied with profanity. This is a serious matter, because it obviously places America in the place of receiving God's curse. At this point, we need to make one more point concerning Secretary of State James Baker. He and his wife have been active in some Christian circles and are seen as being born-again. As such, many Christians instinctively trust the Bush Administration. But, remember Jesus' warnings that the end of the age was going to be accompanied by such excellent deception that "even the elect" would be deceived, except by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Last week, on the morning Songtime program, I heard the announcement that Secretary Baker had led former Russian Prime Minister Sheverdanze to Jesus Christ. I find it very difficult to believe that James Baker, supposedly full of the Holy Spirit, could demonstrate such complete support for the New World Order on the one hand, and such hostility toward Israel on the other. At best, Baker is woefully ignorant of the many Scriptures which foretell of Israel's planned reinstatement at the end of the age. At worst, Baker is guilty of pressuring Israel to make concessions which could very well result in her demise. No one who is controlled by the Holy Spirit could carry out these actions.
I believe it is now the time for discernment. The New World Order Plan calls for key leaders of key religions throughout the world to stand up to urge their followers to follow Anti-Christ, when he appears. Certain key Christian leaders will be boldly and publicly announcing to their followers that Maitreya the Christ is, indeed, Jesus Christ returned, and urging them to support and obey him. We do not know who these key leaders are, but we do believe that all Christian leaders must today be measured against the precepts of the Holy Bible. In this time of the end of the age, we cannot blindly or emotionally follow a man; rather, we must only follow the leader whose words and actions are consistent with Scripture.
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