Sunday, March 20, 2011
Lunar Tetrad in 2014-2015
Mark Biltz of El Shaddai Ministries has done a fascinating study into future heavenly events as compared to Bible Prophecy. Most Christians know the "Day of the Lord" (the Trib) is preceded by "the sun will be as sackcloth and the moon will be as blood before the great and terrible day of the Lord." ~Joel 2:31
While gazing at a photograph of a blood moon (a total lunar eclipse where the moon passes through the penumbra of the earth's shadow, giving it a red glow), Pastor Biltz realized the "moon to blood" was probably a blood moon eclipse. He wanted to find out when these blood moons appear on a future calendar date, and the above video is what he found.
We cannot be certain of what will happen during these years, obviously. Some people believe it's a sign of the Tribulation's beginning. Others believe it will mark the Abomination of Desolation spoken of in Daniel 9 and Matthew 24. However, since the "AoD" takes place mid-Trib according to Daniel, that would mean the actual Trib would have to begin in the fall of 2011. I guess time will tell.
What isn't touched on in this video is there is a total SOLAR eclipse in the middle of this 2014-2015 lunar tetrad as well. It falls on March 20th, 2015. And guess what day that is on the Jewish calendar? The first day of their new year, 5775. Not a feast day, true, but the fact that it falls on the first day of the Jewish new year also seems significant to me.
Genesis 1:14:
14And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years.
~~Becka
Saturday, March 19, 2011
The Olivet Discourse
Some of you may or may not know that Jesus' end-time prophecies in Matthew 24, Mark 13, and Luke 21 is called the "Olivet Discourse". It's called this because the disciples came to Jesus privately on the Mount of Olives after He'd taught in the Temple all day. They asked Him what would be the signs of the end of the age -- the signs of His Second Coming.
A lot of people are more familiar with Matt. 24, but I like to quote Luke 21. I like it because just like in real life, two witnesses give different versions of a story. Here is what Luke 21 says about the signs to look for right before Jesus comes.
Luke 21: 10-11 & 25-28
10 Then he said to them: “Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. 11 There will be great earthquakes, famines and pestilences in various places, and fearful events and great signs from heaven.
25 “There will be signs in the sun, moon and stars. On the earth, nations will be in anguish and perplexity at the roaring and tossing of the sea. 26 People will faint from terror, apprehensive of what is coming on the world, for the heavenly bodies will be shaken. 27 At that time they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. 28 When these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.”
Many scoffers say things like:
"Earthquakes happen all the time, even bad ones."
"There's always a war somewhere."
"The sun goes through a normal 11 year cycle of activity."
"Famines are nothing new."
"What about the Black Plague? That was a pretty wicked pestilence and Christ never came."
What you have to keep in mind when Jesus gave his disciples these words is the fact that taken by themselves, these events are not signs of the Second Coming. I will be the first to readily agree that earthquakes are quite normal and the sun goes through cycles and sometimes eclipses happen and crazy weather happens.
What Christ was alluding to is that these signs would be happening all at once. Together. One right after another, hence the "birth pangs" getting stronger.
The reason why I personally believe we are living in the days right before the Rapture and Tribulation is not JUST because we've had scores of mass animal deaths. Not JUST because we've had earthquakes. Not JUST because there have been flooding and record snows. Not even JUST because of the enormous solar storms or the Supermoon. And not JUST because of the wars, uprisings and riots. Each of these taken by themselves is not a sign of the Second Coming.
But because these are happening all at once, right now.
Did you know Japan has had about 600 aftershocks since the 9.0 earthquake struck a week ago? And ALL of these aftershocks are in the 5/6 range on the Richter Scale. WHAT?! That's decidedly NOT normal. Did you know Japan was having earthquake swarms like this right before the big one as well? I don't believe the earthquakes are finished with Japan. In fact, it wouldn't shock me if they were hit by another huge one. I've read a few reports that wonder if the shelf Japan is sitting on might be crumbling. The entire island DID move eight feet to the east, after all.
That's a scary, sobering thought.
Aside from Japan, the flooding and landslides and crazy weather elsewhere in the world have ruined crops all over the globe. The price of food will soon soar and is beginning to increase even now. We might not notice it for a few months as there's a delay from farm to shelf. But it's coming. And the 3rd Horseman of the Apocalypse is Famine and the enormous inflation of food prices, after all. I do not believe the Black Horse has ridden yet, but he's chomping at the bit.
And with many countries of the UN agreeing to the no-fly zone over Lybia, could we soon "see" the White Horse (conqueror) or the Red Horse (war) ride soon? If we succeed in taking out Gadhafi, what the heck are we going to do in Yemen? Bahrain? They're firing on their protesters too. And Saudi Arabia's troops are firing on Bahrain's protesters as well.
Is THIS the conflict Jesus spoke of, "Nation against nation, kingdom against kingdom"?
And while all of this is going on, we have huge earthquakes. A massive tsunami. Nuclear meltdown. Are these the earthquakes, the waves roaring, and the fearful sights Christ spoke of?
I'm of the opinion...how could they NOT be?
I asked a few days ago on this blog--before Japan's quake, "How much worse does it have to get before we understand we are living in the end times?" Last week it got worse. In a BAD way. And I believe God has shown us a glimpse in Japan of the world-wide Tribulation that is to come.
But we have a Blessed Hope, the Hope of every Christian who has come before us:
Luke 21:34-36:
34 “Be careful, or your hearts will be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness and the anxieties of life, and that day will close on you suddenly like a trap. 35 For it will come on all those who live on the face of the whole earth. 36 Be always on the watch, and pray that you may be able to escape all that is about to happen, and that you may be able to stand before the Son of Man.”
When Jesus said, "I am coming quickly", He didn't mean, "I am coming soon." He meant that when these signs begin to take place, then "I will come quickly" -- sooner than you expect, before you know it, and it will shock most people, who thought the Rapture or the end times were years or decades away.
There is no Bible prophecy that must be fulfilled before the Rapture comes. It is imminent. The time is NOW to get right with God.
~~Becka
A lot of people are more familiar with Matt. 24, but I like to quote Luke 21. I like it because just like in real life, two witnesses give different versions of a story. Here is what Luke 21 says about the signs to look for right before Jesus comes.
Luke 21: 10-11 & 25-28
10 Then he said to them: “Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. 11 There will be great earthquakes, famines and pestilences in various places, and fearful events and great signs from heaven.
25 “There will be signs in the sun, moon and stars. On the earth, nations will be in anguish and perplexity at the roaring and tossing of the sea. 26 People will faint from terror, apprehensive of what is coming on the world, for the heavenly bodies will be shaken. 27 At that time they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. 28 When these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.”
Many scoffers say things like:
"Earthquakes happen all the time, even bad ones."
"There's always a war somewhere."
"The sun goes through a normal 11 year cycle of activity."
"Famines are nothing new."
"What about the Black Plague? That was a pretty wicked pestilence and Christ never came."
What you have to keep in mind when Jesus gave his disciples these words is the fact that taken by themselves, these events are not signs of the Second Coming. I will be the first to readily agree that earthquakes are quite normal and the sun goes through cycles and sometimes eclipses happen and crazy weather happens.
What Christ was alluding to is that these signs would be happening all at once. Together. One right after another, hence the "birth pangs" getting stronger.
The reason why I personally believe we are living in the days right before the Rapture and Tribulation is not JUST because we've had scores of mass animal deaths. Not JUST because we've had earthquakes. Not JUST because there have been flooding and record snows. Not even JUST because of the enormous solar storms or the Supermoon. And not JUST because of the wars, uprisings and riots. Each of these taken by themselves is not a sign of the Second Coming.
But because these are happening all at once, right now.
Did you know Japan has had about 600 aftershocks since the 9.0 earthquake struck a week ago? And ALL of these aftershocks are in the 5/6 range on the Richter Scale. WHAT?! That's decidedly NOT normal. Did you know Japan was having earthquake swarms like this right before the big one as well? I don't believe the earthquakes are finished with Japan. In fact, it wouldn't shock me if they were hit by another huge one. I've read a few reports that wonder if the shelf Japan is sitting on might be crumbling. The entire island DID move eight feet to the east, after all.
That's a scary, sobering thought.
Aside from Japan, the flooding and landslides and crazy weather elsewhere in the world have ruined crops all over the globe. The price of food will soon soar and is beginning to increase even now. We might not notice it for a few months as there's a delay from farm to shelf. But it's coming. And the 3rd Horseman of the Apocalypse is Famine and the enormous inflation of food prices, after all. I do not believe the Black Horse has ridden yet, but he's chomping at the bit.
And with many countries of the UN agreeing to the no-fly zone over Lybia, could we soon "see" the White Horse (conqueror) or the Red Horse (war) ride soon? If we succeed in taking out Gadhafi, what the heck are we going to do in Yemen? Bahrain? They're firing on their protesters too. And Saudi Arabia's troops are firing on Bahrain's protesters as well.
Is THIS the conflict Jesus spoke of, "Nation against nation, kingdom against kingdom"?
And while all of this is going on, we have huge earthquakes. A massive tsunami. Nuclear meltdown. Are these the earthquakes, the waves roaring, and the fearful sights Christ spoke of?
I'm of the opinion...how could they NOT be?
I asked a few days ago on this blog--before Japan's quake, "How much worse does it have to get before we understand we are living in the end times?" Last week it got worse. In a BAD way. And I believe God has shown us a glimpse in Japan of the world-wide Tribulation that is to come.
But we have a Blessed Hope, the Hope of every Christian who has come before us:
Luke 21:34-36:
34 “Be careful, or your hearts will be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness and the anxieties of life, and that day will close on you suddenly like a trap. 35 For it will come on all those who live on the face of the whole earth. 36 Be always on the watch, and pray that you may be able to escape all that is about to happen, and that you may be able to stand before the Son of Man.”
When Jesus said, "I am coming quickly", He didn't mean, "I am coming soon." He meant that when these signs begin to take place, then "I will come quickly" -- sooner than you expect, before you know it, and it will shock most people, who thought the Rapture or the end times were years or decades away.
There is no Bible prophecy that must be fulfilled before the Rapture comes. It is imminent. The time is NOW to get right with God.
~~Becka
Thursday, March 17, 2011
John MacArthur: The Rapture Of The Church
My sister and I both love John MacArthur. He's written many books on Christ, Christianity, and the Church. The reason why I love him is because he's obviously a very learned man, however he explains things in a way anyone can understand. This is only an audio clip with a pic of John, but it is still excellent.
~~Becka
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
The Rapture of the Church and a Jewish Wedding
I've been talking lately about how the Rapture parallels the ancient Jewish wedding tradition. Here is a great video I found showing those parallels.
Love in Christ,
~~Becka
Acts 2:17
17 “‘In the last days, God says,
I will pour out my Spirit on all people.
Your sons and daughters will prophesy,
your young men will see visions,
your old men will dream dreams.
I've never told anyone this, in part, because it's a personal thing, but also, because I didn't believe my friends and family would understand or take my experience to heart. It could be explained away. But to me, it was one of those REAL things, more real than anything I'd ever experienced. I suppose you don't fully understand until it happens to you.
You see, I had a dream a couple of months ago. A dream I believe came from God. It is one of the major reasons I've started this blog and begun to talk to my friends about the end times.
I remember the dream was longer than what I can recall. I wish I could grasp now what I'd fully dreamt. Perhaps I will remember the full dream in time. But I knew immediately I was dreaming. I knew I *had* to remember what I was being told. It was important. And somehow, I knew it was God talking to me.
I had this dream right after the riots first began in Egypt. Like maybe a day or two after, around the end of January. I was flying over a huge map of the Middle East. Each country was a different color, but I could see the geography. I flew out of Egypt to the northeast, toward Israel. I flew over Jordan and looked toward Syria and Lebanon. I heard a masculine say voice say to me, "The spirit of antichrist lives in the heart of every family."
Then I flew across the eastern border of Israel and the voice said, "The chastening has begun."
Immediately, I woke up. Like not groggily, but my eyes snapped open, and I stared at my ceiling.
I was confused. "Chastening" isn't exactly a word people use in everyday language these days. I knew what it meant, but that morning, I had to look up how it would properly be used in a sentence. "Chasten" means to punish, chastise, a rebuke or a correction.
"Catching the child red-handed, Ms.Smith felt justified in chastening the little girl."
In context of the Trib and end-of-days, "chastening" seems like a good word to describe what God is about to do. The wrath of God is His punishment upon those who do not heed His commands.
This was not what convinced me the dream was from God.
What convinced me the dream was from God was the phrase "spirit of antichrist." The voice did not say "spirit of THE Antichrist." It was not specific, alluding to a single man. After I looked up chastening, I looked through the Bible for the phrase "spirit of antichrist." What I found, I had no foreknowledge of.
Here's the verse. The specific wording in my dream is found in the King James Version.
1 John 4:3:
3And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world.
This verse in context is talking about testing spirits. If you see and/or talk to an "angel" or a spirit, the test to see if they're actually from God is to full on ask them if they acknowledge Christ is the Son of God and came in the flesh. Here's the entire context in the NIV translation (to make it easier to understand)
1 John 4:1-3:
1 Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. 2 This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, 3 but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world.
Now, in my defense, I DID know of this spirit "test". However, I never memorized this verse, nor did I know the specific wording of "spirit of antichrist".
I thought a long time about what God might have been telling me. At the time, I thought God was telling me the spirit of antichrist was alive in the heart of every Middle Eastern family. However, as time went on, and as more horrible things continued to escalate in the world, I realized God could have been and probably was quite literal.
Every single family on Earth, even the families of Christians (because not family member is a believer), has this "spirit of antichrist", this rebellious, anti-God, anti-Christ spirit within them. Obviously not to be confused with THE Antichrist, a specific person, but an opposition, an aversion, a hatred for Jesus.
I have never (to my knowledge) been given a dream by God before. I've never heard His voice when I pray and I've never claimed to have any heavenly visions. But I DID have this dream. Could have been coincidence, I suppose. But coupling the word "chastening" with the phrase "spirit of antichrist" convinced me it wasn't my own subconscious showing me something I knew already.
Along with the knowledge that I was dreaming and watching something important, and the otherworldly feeling I had that I needed to LISTEN and REMEMBER what I was being told convinced me as well. And it wasn't just a "feeling". Somehow, I knew it was God speaking in my dream. I just knew. It was obvious.
Believe what you like. Perhaps the Good Lord will give you a dream as well. In the book of Joel as well as the book of Acts, it clearly says in the last days, your sons and daughters will prophesy and your young men will see visions and your old men will dream dreams. Is a dream from the Almighty possible? Absolutely.
Did my God talk to me in a dream? I believe it. And I will cherish that dream for the rest of my life, because I heard His voice.
~~Becka
I will pour out my Spirit on all people.
Your sons and daughters will prophesy,
your young men will see visions,
your old men will dream dreams.
I've never told anyone this, in part, because it's a personal thing, but also, because I didn't believe my friends and family would understand or take my experience to heart. It could be explained away. But to me, it was one of those REAL things, more real than anything I'd ever experienced. I suppose you don't fully understand until it happens to you.
You see, I had a dream a couple of months ago. A dream I believe came from God. It is one of the major reasons I've started this blog and begun to talk to my friends about the end times.
I remember the dream was longer than what I can recall. I wish I could grasp now what I'd fully dreamt. Perhaps I will remember the full dream in time. But I knew immediately I was dreaming. I knew I *had* to remember what I was being told. It was important. And somehow, I knew it was God talking to me.
I had this dream right after the riots first began in Egypt. Like maybe a day or two after, around the end of January. I was flying over a huge map of the Middle East. Each country was a different color, but I could see the geography. I flew out of Egypt to the northeast, toward Israel. I flew over Jordan and looked toward Syria and Lebanon. I heard a masculine say voice say to me, "The spirit of antichrist lives in the heart of every family."
Then I flew across the eastern border of Israel and the voice said, "The chastening has begun."
Immediately, I woke up. Like not groggily, but my eyes snapped open, and I stared at my ceiling.
I was confused. "Chastening" isn't exactly a word people use in everyday language these days. I knew what it meant, but that morning, I had to look up how it would properly be used in a sentence. "Chasten" means to punish, chastise, a rebuke or a correction.
"Catching the child red-handed, Ms.Smith felt justified in chastening the little girl."
In context of the Trib and end-of-days, "chastening" seems like a good word to describe what God is about to do. The wrath of God is His punishment upon those who do not heed His commands.
This was not what convinced me the dream was from God.
What convinced me the dream was from God was the phrase "spirit of antichrist." The voice did not say "spirit of THE Antichrist." It was not specific, alluding to a single man. After I looked up chastening, I looked through the Bible for the phrase "spirit of antichrist." What I found, I had no foreknowledge of.
Here's the verse. The specific wording in my dream is found in the King James Version.
1 John 4:3:
3And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world.
This verse in context is talking about testing spirits. If you see and/or talk to an "angel" or a spirit, the test to see if they're actually from God is to full on ask them if they acknowledge Christ is the Son of God and came in the flesh. Here's the entire context in the NIV translation (to make it easier to understand)
1 John 4:1-3:
1 Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. 2 This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, 3 but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world.
Now, in my defense, I DID know of this spirit "test". However, I never memorized this verse, nor did I know the specific wording of "spirit of antichrist".
I thought a long time about what God might have been telling me. At the time, I thought God was telling me the spirit of antichrist was alive in the heart of every Middle Eastern family. However, as time went on, and as more horrible things continued to escalate in the world, I realized God could have been and probably was quite literal.
Every single family on Earth, even the families of Christians (because not family member is a believer), has this "spirit of antichrist", this rebellious, anti-God, anti-Christ spirit within them. Obviously not to be confused with THE Antichrist, a specific person, but an opposition, an aversion, a hatred for Jesus.
I have never (to my knowledge) been given a dream by God before. I've never heard His voice when I pray and I've never claimed to have any heavenly visions. But I DID have this dream. Could have been coincidence, I suppose. But coupling the word "chastening" with the phrase "spirit of antichrist" convinced me it wasn't my own subconscious showing me something I knew already.
Along with the knowledge that I was dreaming and watching something important, and the otherworldly feeling I had that I needed to LISTEN and REMEMBER what I was being told convinced me as well. And it wasn't just a "feeling". Somehow, I knew it was God speaking in my dream. I just knew. It was obvious.
Believe what you like. Perhaps the Good Lord will give you a dream as well. In the book of Joel as well as the book of Acts, it clearly says in the last days, your sons and daughters will prophesy and your young men will see visions and your old men will dream dreams. Is a dream from the Almighty possible? Absolutely.
Did my God talk to me in a dream? I believe it. And I will cherish that dream for the rest of my life, because I heard His voice.
~~Becka
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