The media is approaching our world from a political viewpoint but here are a few points from a Biblical point of view.

Could this be the calm before the storm? (Revelation)

1. Israel has had 8 wars since becoming a nation (on May 14, 1948) after 2000 years of exile. Isaiah 66:8

Israel has won all 8 wars… against all odds. WestPoint Military Academy will not teach the strategies of these 8 victories but the strategy is GOD.

2. You may ask WHY? Because God chose Israel and made a covenant with Abraham and God does not break HIS covenant – Genesis 12:1-3; Ps.

132:13-18.

3. There are 2 things that are the “apple of God’s eye”: Israel – Deut. 32:10 and God’s Word – Proverbs 7:2

‘Apple’ means ‘pupil’. When you look into someone’s pupil, you’ll see it acts as a mirror, reflecting your image back to you. In the Biblical context,

the Jewish people are metaphorically reflected in God’s eye. They are so precious to Him that He protects them as He would the pupil of His own eye.

4. God then tells us how to consider and treat Israel today:

a. Bless Israel – Genesis 12:1-3

b. Pray for the peace of Israel – Psalm 122:5-9; ‘peace’ – shalom means prosperity, favor, friend, good, health, rest, be well

5. God chose the Jewish people to write the entire Bible with the exception of Luke and Acts, written by the Gentile, Dr. Luke). Jesus Christ was Jewish

and all 12 disciples plus the apostle Paul, who wrote almost 50% of the New Testament.

6. “The Last Warning”- Revelation 11:1-19.

The act of measuring a certain area is clearly a symbolic action. In the prophecies of Ezekiel and Zechariah, and even later on in Revelation, there

are instances of measuring that occur. It is, of course, a sign of God’s ownership. He is claiming the measured object as his to use, either for

blessing or for judgment. That is the way we use measurement today. If you have a dispute with your neighbor over a property line, what do you

do? You hire a surveyor who measure the property and establish the boundaries. So here God has given the prophet a measuring rod with

which he measures the temple and the altar, and even the worshipers who come there. But he is told to exclude the outer court of the temple."

~~ Ray C. Stedman

7. In Revelation chapter 11, the context is with two prophets of God, probably Elijah and Moses, possibly Enoch who are instructed to measure the temple and the altar. When will the 3rd temple be rebuilt?

• Dr. David Jeremiah says that it is possible it could begin before The Rapture
• Two things that are ready for the rebuilding of the temple are:
• A red heifer – for the first time in 2000 years – there are 4 red heifers in Jerusalem (CBN)
• All utensils necessary for temple worship are ready today (Jerusalem Post)\

8. How does it all end? The Battle of Armageddon – Revelation 16:16-21

At the end of the Tribulation, the Battle of Armageddon will be the final showdown between good and evil on earth. Jesus will return as a mighty

King with Heaven’s armies to destroy all those who have rejected Him as Savior. As the forces of evil rally against Him, every man and woman on

earth will stand with Jesus or oppose Him. There will be no bystanders – the entire world will be involved. Scripture tells us the battle will end in an

instant, but it provides several details of the event.

The Location: Jesus will return to earth from the same place He ascended.

“His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, which faces Jerusalem on the east.

And the Mount of Olives will be split in two, from east to west, making a very

large valley; half of the mountain shall move toward the north and half of it

toward the south”. Zechariah 14:4

The Lord’s return will fulfill a prophecy the angels gave when He first ascended to heaven from the Monty of Olives. “This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into

heaven.” Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet.

Acts 1:11,12

The world will come to an end as we know it today, with this battle.

• The earthquake will destroy all mountains and islands; Rev. 16:18
• Hailstones around 100 pounds or more - Rev. 16:21

9. The importance of the Eastern Gate. Jerusalem has 8 gates but only one on the Eastern Wall. The East Gate faces the Mount of Olives where the

feet of Jesus will touch down when He comes back with His Bride (the Church) to set up the 1000 year reign; Zechariah 14:4; Ezekiel 10:18,10;

43:1-5

The Eastern Gate has been shut since 541 A.D. On June 5, 1967 King Hussein of Jordan, who controlled the Eastern Gate

and East Jerusalem, announced he would open the gate so that Muslims could walk through it. God said “no” – the 6 Day War started on June 6th!

Noah’s ark had 3 floors but only one gate. Some scholars say that there was only one gate on the ark and that it was on the east side.

10. There will never be a two-state solution because God, not the United Nations, named the borders of Israel and it includes Gaza, which Israel gave

up in 2005 and Lebanon; Numbers 34

11. Israel will never be defeated; Jeremiah 31:35-37

12. When you attack the Jewish people, you touch “the apple of God’s eye”. ‘Touch’ (Hebrew) means to be violent – to strike – to smite. Zechariah 2:8

13. The prayer in Psalm 83 is that God will defeat Israel’s enemies and judge the nations. Why? Verse18 ‘ that men may know that Your name alone is

Jehovah, the Most High over all the earth.'

14. Imbedded into the Hamas charter is that once land falls into the Hamas or Muslim hands, the land is reclaimed for Allah.

15. “The Hamas/Israel war could be the beginning of the Gog/Magog war”

~~ Joel Rosenberg Ezekiel chapters 36 - 39

16. This war is a spiritual war with the powers of darkness and will eventually lead to the end of our world as we know it today. Revelation 16:16-21

(see point 8)

17. Consider this: the Hebrew language is the only dead language (2000 years) to be restored. Why? So the Jewish people can serve the Lord with one voice. Zephaniah 3:9

18. After creation, God was sorry that He had created mankind, but in His mercy gave them 120 years to repent; Genesis 6:1-8. Noah and his

family found grace in the eyes of the Lord; Genesis 6:8. We are given grace as a gift along with faith; Romans 12:3. Do not ask for a gift that

God has already given you, rather praise and thank Him daily.

19. Jesus said He would return when the days were like the days of Noah. Matthew 24:36,37.

What were the days of Noah like?

a. Anti-God

b. Sexual immorality

c. Violence – (Hebrew word – ‘hamas’)

20. The Lord does not tell us the time of His coming but He does give us signs:

• Take heed – be aware
• False prophets
• Wars and rumors of wars
• Famines
• Earthquakes
• Pestilence (pandemics)
• Apostasy
• Persecution

Jesus gives us this advice in Matthew 4-14; particularly verse 6 and 8 where He says “do not be troubled” and “this is the beginning of sorrows”;

(def. birth pains in the Greek. All of these are in effect today.)

21. In II Timothy 3:1-5, in the last times, perilous or stressful times will come. Paul then give us 18 signs of the End times which are all in effect

today – big time and around the world! The reason for this – verse 5 – we are denying the power of the Holy Spirit – (def. denying – to reject, to

contradict). 58% of Christians do not believe that the Holy Spirit is God.

(Barna)

22. Modern day Syria? Damascus is mentioned 57 times in the Bible and is the oldest known city in the world. Isaiah 17:1-3 foretells the destruction

of Damascus in the last days, prior to the Day of the Lord. Also described in Jeremiah 49:23-27.

23. Egypt in the Bible (Isaiah 19:1) represents the world and the world system, the New World Order. Egypt is mentioned almost 700 times in the

Old Testament and 25 in the New Testament.

Egypt has a tremendous symbolic significance in the Bible. Israel’s redemption from Egypt is a picture of our deliverance form sin and death

through faith in Jesus Christ. (Gal. 3:13; 4:5; Titus 2:14). While initially seen as a place of refuge in famine or threat, Egypt becomes a place of

oppression and slavery. For New Testament believers, Egypt represent sour old life of slavery to sin. All people are, by nature, slaves of sin, and

Satan is a much harsher taskmaster than the Egyptian overseers. The natural man labors powerlessly under the weight of sin (Romans 7:22-25).

God redeemed His people from slavery in Egypt by the blood of the lamb on the first Passover (Ex. 12) and He redeems us from sin by the blood of

the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world (John 1:29; I Peter 1:18,19). Just as God called His people, the Israelites, out of bondage I

Egypt, He calls us, His children, to “come out and be separate” and live holy lives in His kingdom (II Cor. 6:17).

The New World Order is being promoted by the World Economic Forum.

“The new world is shifting alliances”. ~~ The Economist

I have a 50 page Biblical study on the Coming New world Order.

Is there hope? YES. Praise the Lord. II Chronicles 7:13-15. God will heal (divine intervention) our land IF …. Our choice.

“The word of God was not given to us for information but for

transformation”. ~~ D. L. Moody

“The [secular] humanist system of values has now become the

predominant way of thinking in most of the power centers of society”.

~~ James Dobson

“A Biblical worldview has a radical effect on a person and inspires faith for everyday life”. Barna

The Bible is a roadmap for renewal and revival. Question: are we willing to commit to the roadmap? The Vital importance of a Biblical Worldview

especially in our world today – for End Times. Revival will not come without repentance. I John 1:5-10. Only 10% are preaching about

repentance or sin (Barna).

“A Gospel that does not deal with the issues of the day is not a

gospel at all”. ~~ Martin Luther

Jesus said, “Occupy (do business or trade) until I come”. ‘Occupy’ is an imperative, meaning ‘a command for doing something in the future that is

a simple action.

Revelation chapter 9 indicates that an army of 200 million – probably China – will kill 1/3 of all mankind in this battle. The times will be so bad that people will want to die to escape God’s judgment. But God still wants them to come to

repentance.

“Out of the smoke locusts came upon the earth; these are obviously not

natural locusts. They avoid plants and attack men like scorpions attack.

They are “a visual representation of the hordes of demons loosed upon the

earth”. ~~ Walvoord

CONCLUSION:

The time to surrender to Jesus Christ is today, before the Return of Jesus Christ;

I Corinthians 15:51-58; I Thessalonians 4:12-15

If a person does not accept Christ as Saviour before He returns, he or she will enter the 7 year Tribulation period. During the last 3 1/2 years will be ‘hell on earth’. During this time, according to Dr. David Jeremiah, many will accept Christ but most who do, will probably be martyred. Unless they have the mark of Satan, which is ‘666’ on their forehead of hand, they will not be able to buy or

sell.

Claim your salvation today! John 3:15-20

Shalom

Barry Borthistle

bborthistle@shaw.ca

www.solomonsporchteaching.com