INTERESTING INFORMATION CHRISTIAN MINISTRY
CONFIRMING BIBLICAL TRUTH
SECTION II - SPECIAL ARTICLES/ BOOK REVIEWS
IN THIS SECTION:
· WHAT HAPPENS AFTER WE DIE? (WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS)
· WHAT’S IN A NAME?
· "BOB PIERCE - THIS ONE THING I DO" - A BOOKREVIEW/SUMMARY
· "THE HIDDEN CODES OF THE BIBLE" - A BOOK REVIEW/SUMMARY
· "SIGNS OF THE TIME” - A BOOK REVIEW/SUMMARY
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
INTERESTING INFORMATION MINISTRY
Est. 1997
The following material is provided for information purposes only. Any conclusions or opinions formed should be based on the principles as outlined in Acts 17:11. The material is intended for use as a witnessing tool and to keep you informed so you will not be unaware (Luke 21:34) of what is happening according to Scripture’s
DE
“However, when the Son of Man comes, will He find any faith on the earth?” (Luke 18:8b)
Ezekiel 34:2 “Shepherd, feed the Flock
CHRISTIAN MUSIC VIDEO
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THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK –- “God’s plan for enlarging His kingdom is so simple- One person telling another person about the Savior. Charles Stanley
INTERESTING ARTICLE SUMMARY
· Is Israel fulfilling prophecy? Netanyahu’s struggles are growing
· Does Gaza have an Ancient connection to the Nephilim?
· Prayers for Muslims: The astonishing rise of Jesus’ dreams and visions
· THIS STATE PLANS TO “ACKNOWLEDGE THE KINGSHIP OF JESUS CHRIST
· GOD’S PLAN OF CRUCIFIXION
INTERESTING ARTICLES
IS ISRAEL FULFILLING PROPHECY? NETANYAHU’S STRUGGLES ARE GROWING
Charisma News – Jan. 27,2025 -- In a week fraught with emotion and upheaval, Israel stands at a pivotal moment in its modern history. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government faces the potential of collapse after a critical decision to broker a controversial ceasefire and hostage release deal with Hamas. Joel Rosenberg, reporting from Jerusalem, aptly captured the sentiment: “It’s been a huge and dramatic and emotional week here in Israel. So much going on.”
The Controversial Deal
This “historic” hostage deal saw the release of three of the 33 Israeli hostages from Gaza, in exchange for nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners—many of them hardened terrorists with blood on their hands. “There is so much about this deal I don’t like,” Rosenberg admitted, reflecting the conflicted emotions of many Israelis. While 73% of the population supports the deal, the cost has sparked outrage among Netanyahu’s right-wing coalition, threatening his government.
Political Fallout
Itamar Ben Gvir, the former Minister for National Security, resigned in protest, pulling his six-seat party out of Netanyahu’s coalition. “Ben Gvir hates this deal so much,” Rosenberg explained, describing the anger that led to this departure. If another coalition partner, Bezalel Smotrich of the Religious Zionism party, follows suit, Netanyahu’s government could collapse entirely. Netanyahu now holds only 68 of 120 Knesset seats, barely above the 61 needed for a majority.
Ben Gvir’s departure has its silver lining. “To me, that’s a good thing,” Rosenberg said bluntly, citing Ben Gvir’s history of extremism. However, this political shake-up leaves Netanyahu in a precarious position at a time when unity is crucial for Israel’s survival.
A Nation Under Threat
Israel’s challenges extend far beyond internal politics. Nations like Iran and Turkey continue to actively threaten Israel’s existence, aligning with proxies such as Hezbollah and Hamas to destabilize the region. Netanyahu’s collaboration with a re-elected Donald Trump could be instrumental in addressing these threats. Rosenberg emphasized the stakes: “Netanyahu has wanted Trump to come back to power… to defeat Israel’s enemies, to neutralize the Iran nuclear threat.”
The reality of these threats underscores the gravity of Israel’s political crisis. A fractured government could weaken the nation’s ability to respond decisively to external aggression. As Netanyahu struggles to maintain his coalition, Israel’s enemies may see this as an opportunity to strike.
Biblical Prophecies and the Future
For Christians and Jews alike, these developments carry deep prophetic significance. The Bible predicts a time when Israel will face existential threats, but it also promises divine deliverance. Zechariah 12:3 declares, “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.”
The current turmoil aligns with these prophetic patterns. Israel’s struggle for survival amidst political chaos and external threats mirrors the Biblical narrative of a nation refined through adversity. While Rosenberg refrains from overt end-times analysis in his report, his description of Hamas as a “satanic, demon-possessed organization” accurately reflects the spiritual dimensions of Israel’s battle.
Hope Amid the Chaos
Despite the tensions, there is reason for hope. The release of hostages is a reminder of the value of every life, a principle deeply rooted in Israel’s ethos. The nation’s resilience—politically, militarily and spiritually—has seen it through countless trials. As Rosenberg concluded, “Let’s keep praying that every hostage gets out, and let’s pray that the Trump-Netanyahu alliance works and can get a lot done in the days and weeks and months ahead.”
As the world watches these developments, the faithful are reminded of Israel’s unique role in history. The trials it faces today may be stepping stones toward the fulfillment of its divine destiny.
While the future remains uncertain, one thing is clear: Israel’s story is far from over.
DOES GAZA HAVE AN ANCIENT CONNECTION TO THE NEPHILIM?
Charisma News – Nov. 26, 2024 -- In an exclusive interview with Charisma Media, Messianic rabbi Jason Sobel discussed how the modern-day issues in Gaza just may be intertwined with the Nephilim.
“There’s always a spiritual root to these things,” says Sobel. “You know there’s this terrible tragedy that happened on Oct. 7 of this surprise attack by Hamas…Hamas is actually found in Genesis chapter 6, the story of Noah. And it says God destroyed the earth because there was ‘Hamas’ there, there was this violence. But the question is: what was the root of this violence, and what is the background?”
Sobel discusses how the book of Joshua details that Gaza was given to the tribe of Judah, with an important detail being that Joshua “cut off the Anakim from the hill country.”
“Joshua put a ban on [the Anakim] with their cities,” Sobel says. “There were none of the Anakim left in the land of the children of Israel except in Gaza, Goth and Ashdod. These are all towns of the Philistines. And what’s interesting about this is that the modern-day Palestinians take their name from the biblical Philistines.”
What is perhaps the most critical detail regarding the Anakim is that they were not killed. Not only were they not killed, but their name derives from “Anak,” which means “neck.” As Sobel also points out, when the Israelites came out of the desert and the 12 spies went into the land, they saw that the men of the area were of a “great size.“
“It says the Nephilim…the sons of Anak are from the Nephilim,” Sobel says. “Joshua tells us when they went up into the land they destroyed most of the Anakim except in the area of Gaza, which is the area of the Philistines.”
This means the descendants of the Nephilim were not defeated, allowing for a territorial spirit to continue to roam in the area today.
“The point is that this was a stronghold. It was a place controlled by the Philistines that Israel always struggled to be able to control,” he says. “The territorial spirit that was there was never conquered, was never fully removed, that was still in existence even to this day.”
Jonathan Cahn, a spiritual leader who paved the way for Sobel’s faith, has also previously pointed out that it is an evil spirit against the people of Israel behind the Oct. 7, 2023 Hamas attacks.
“The spirit of the Anakim, that is what was behind the Oct. 7 attack and everything that is going on there in Gaza,” says Sobel.
During this time let us continue to pray for our brothers and sisters in Israel. As the body of Christ, let’s continue to be the hands and feet by praying for God’s chosen people.
PRAYERS FOR MUSLIMS: THE ASTONISHING RISE OF JESUS’ DREAMS AND VISIONS
Charisma News – Feb. 17, 2025 -- Every year during Ramadan, millions of Muslims seek spiritual fulfillment through fasting and prayer. At the same time, many Christians around the world are joining together in prayer for these very same people—asking God to reveal Himself in powerful ways. And according to firsthand testimonies, those prayers are being answered in ways few could have imagined.
The Southern Baptist Convention’s International Mission Board has launched a prayer initiative called “Pray for Ramadan,” encouraging believers to intercede for Muslims around the world. April Bunn, director of IMB’s Prayer Office, shared with The Christian Post that their goal is to guide intercessors in praying “with both lament for lostness and joy in the hope of the Gospel.” Bunn emphasized the importance of prayer, stating, “We also know that God’s Word teaches that He works in and through the prayers of His people.”
As believers unite in this global prayer movement, remarkable reports are emerging from the Middle East. Missionaries with the Assemblies of God are witnessing an unprecedented number of Muslims encountering Jesus Christ through dreams and visions. Dick Brogden, an AG missionary, called it “the normal experience” for many Muslims today, saying, “It would be accurate to say that Muslims are responding to Jesus in levels we have never seen, not in 1,400 years!”
These divine encounters are leading many to embrace Christianity despite the extreme personal cost. One Saudi Arabian woman, skeptical and afraid, prayed: “Jesus, if You are the real God, I want to see You.” Later, while tending her sheep, she looked into a pool of water and saw a massive shepherd standing behind her, smiling. When she turned around, no one was there. Still uncertain, she asked for another sign—her crippled mother to be healed. Immediately, her mother stood up and began to walk. She surrendered, overcome and exclaiming, “Jesus, I believe, I believe!”
Such stories are not isolated. A former Muslim woman had a dream of a shepherd walking around an empty tomb, breaking bread and offering it to her, saying, “Take, eat, this is my body.” She later discovered that these were the very words of Jesus in the Bible and accepted Him as her Savior.
These testimonies highlight a stunning connection: as Christians pray for Muslims, God is responding by revealing Himself to those earnestly seeking truth. The correlation between fervent intercession and the increasing number of Muslims coming to Christ is undeniable.
Brogden urges believers to continue pressing in with prayer: “There are more unreached people now than in the history of the world.” But as these miraculous encounters show, God is actively at work. The harvest is ripe, and through prayer, Christians have the opportunity to be part of a movement bringing countless souls to faith in Christ.
A GREAT ENDING ARTICLE!!
THIS STATE PLANS TO ‘ACKNOWLEDGE THE KINGSHIP OF JESUS CHRIST’
Jesus is King and Lord over all, and the people in this state plan to recognize it.
Charisma News – Feb. 7, 2025 -- Currently, the state of North Dakota is trying to pass House Concurrent Resolution No. 3020 which publicly acknowledges Jesus as King over all.
In the bill, biblical passages are referenced which asserts that Christ holds all power in heaven and on earth (Matt. 28:18) and is the ruler of all. The resolution also has some prophetic implications as well, making it clear that Christ will someday return again.
Christ is said to have received power, and glory, and a kingdom so that all people, tribes and tongues shall serve Him (Dan. 7:14), including this great state; and WHEREAS, the Father is said to give to Christ all nations and the utmost parts of the earth…
The resolution also acknowledges that the original writers of North Dakota’s Constitution said “We, the people of North Dakota, grateful to Almighty God,” meaning that the Lord is king over not just a few, but over all the people of the state.
This call for placing Christ above all else is about the “great blessings of real liberty, well-ordered discipline, peace and harmony,” according to the bill.
By recognizing God’s sovereignty, Americans can find unity, a moral compass, and a renewed sense of purpose. Reaffirming these core principles just may be the way we can ignite a revival of compassion and righteousness in our nation, leading us back to the heart of what it means to be truly free.
Pray that each of our United States will follow suit!
GOD’S PLAN OF CRUCIFIXION
The Lord can’t have a dilemma, but if He could, it would be this: How can a loving God justly forgive sinners? Although God loves the people He created, He can’t ignore, excuse, or arbitrarily forgive their transgressions, since His justice demands that sin’s penalty be paid.
The solution was the cross, where divine love and justice met. Because God loves us, He sent His Son to earth to shed His precious blood on the cross in payment for our sin debt (Rom. 6:23). Since only a sacrifice without defect was acceptable (Lev. 22:20), Jesus alone qualified: As God in human flesh, He was the only person who ever lived a sinless life. At the cross, our sin was laid on Him, and He died in our place. This satisfied the Father’s justice “so that He would be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus” (Rom. 3:26).
From our perspective, salvation is a free gift offered to everyone who confesses Jesus as Savior and Lord. However, for the Son and the heavenly Father, it was a very costly transaction. Therefore, we should never take our salvation for granted or think lightly of it. This gift is our most precious possession.
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PRIOR ISSUE
INTERESTING INFORMATION MINISTRY
2/12/2025
GOD’S WAY
In the opinion of some Jewish Rabbis, forty was the age at which a man had grown to maturity. Moses’ life is divided into three parts: the first forty years in the palace of Pharaoh, the second forty years in the desert, and the third forty years carrying out God’s will to deliver His people. Moses began his period of wilderness training after he had tried to free the Israelites in a way that God had not chosen. We must be careful to do God’s work in God’s way, in God’s time, and for God’s reasons. It has been said that Moses spent forty years thinking he was somebody, then spent forty years finding out he was nobody. Finally, he spent forty years finding out what God could do with somebody who was nobody. (Acts 7:23-29 Footnote to the Nelson Study Bible, NKJV)
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THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK –“It is high time you began to thank God for present blessing. Thank Him for your children, happy, buoyant, and bounding. Praise Him for fresh, cool water, bubbling from the rock, leaping in the cascade, soaring in the mist, falling in the shower, dashing against the rock, and clapping its hands in the tempest. Love Him for the grass that cushions the earth, and the clouds that curtain the sky, and the foliage that waves in the forest. Thank Him for the Bible to read, and a cross to gaze upon, and a Savior to deliver." - DeWitt Talmage
INTERESTING ARTICLE SUMMARY
· Historic Event on the Temple Mount sparks prophetic conversations
· Unlocking Israel’s Mystery
· Let’s build on the Rock
· Trump’s nominee for Pentagon chief suggested new Temple could be built on Temple Mount
· Ai researchers admit they were trying to build “Gods”…have they summoned something worse?
INTERESTING ARTICLES
HISTORIC EVENT ON THE TEMPLE MOUNT SPARKS PROPHETIC CONVERSATIONS
Charisma News – Jan.27, 2025 -- A recent prayer service at Jerusalem’s Temple Mount has ignited discussions about its prophetic significance and the events unfolding in our world today. According to a report from Jewish News Syndicate, Jewish and Christian worshippers gathered to pray for U.S. President Donald Trump’s second term. Rabbi Tuly Weisz, of Israel365, stated that the service—which he called “historic,” “unprecedented” and a “powerful display of religious unity and determination”—took place “despite the Jordanian Waqf’s continuing restrictions on Jewish prayer at the Temple Mount.”
Weisz emphasized the broader implications of the event, stating, “Courageous religious leaders and their followers demonstrated that the right to prayer cannot be denied.” The Temple Mount continues to be a focal point of spiritual and geopolitical tensions, highlighting its importance in the biblical narrative and its role in end-times prophecy.
The Spiritual Battle Over the Temple Mount
Rabbi Jonathan Cahn has long emphasized the prophetic relevance of the Temple Mount, calling it the “ground zero of prophecy.” He explains, “In the center of Israel, you have Jerusalem; in the center of Jerusalem, you have the Temple Mount. That’s where it’s all going. That’s where God’s house is. That’s where He’s reigning. That’s where He’s coming back.” Cahn connects recent global events to the spiritual battle surrounding the Temple Mount, stating that “he knows that on this mountain it’s the end of his kingdom because once they build the temple and once Messiah comes, that’s the end of his kingdom.” According to him, the spiritual forces opposing God’s plan have worked to prevent Jewish prayer and the rebuilding of the Temple, recognizing that its restoration signifies the nearing fulfillment of biblical prophecy.
A striking connection Cahn makes is between the Oct. 7, Hamas attacks on Israel
and earlier events on the Temple Mount. He reveals that in the same year, on
Passover, there were Jewish efforts to celebrate the holiday on the Mount,
which led to riots and threats from Hamas. “Hamas said, ‘Because of this,
because of what you did on the mount, you’re playing with fire,’” Cahn
recounts, pointing to the group’s statement that Oct. 7, was a form of
retribution for these actions.
Even more revealing, Cahn highlights how the Temple Mount has been central in other major attacks, such as 9/11. “When you read Osama Bin Laden when he gave his statement to America after 9/11 and you read what Hamas said after Oct. 7, it’s like the same exact words,” he said. Both referenced the Temple Mount as a driving force behind their attacks.
Preparing for What’s to Come
Cahn stresses that the current events surrounding the Temple Mount are not isolated incidents but part of a larger prophetic timeline. “This is the fight of Revelation,” he asserts, pointing out the long-standing spiritual battle over the site, which is reflected in geopolitical tensions. “That Temple Mount was not only behind Oct. 7; it was actually behind 9/11 in America.”
As we witness increasing turmoil and conflict over this sacred location, believers are reminded of the words of Scripture that foretell the Temple Mount’s role in end-times events. The Bible tells us that the Antichrist will one day seek to claim this place as his own, but ultimately, it is where Jesus Christ will return to reign.
Rabbi Weisz sees the recent prayer service as a significant step toward religious freedom in Jerusalem and an indicator that God’s purposes are unfolding. “On this day that represents new beginnings, we turned to our Father in heaven, the God of Israel, in unity and prayer.”
For Christians and Jews alike, the Temple Mount remains a beacon of biblical truth and a reminder of God’s unshakable promises. As events continue to unfold, we are called to watch, pray and prepare for what lies ahead, knowing that prophecy is coming to life before our very eyes.
UNLOCKING ISRAEL’S MYSTERY: JONATHAN CAHN’S URGENT MESSAGE
What is the prophetic importance you should know about the nation of Israel?
In a powerful message, renowned author and speaker Jonathan Cahn unveiled profound truths about the mystery of Israel and its unparalleled role in God’s divine plan. Speaking with urgency and conviction, Cahn explored why Israel and the Jewish people have been at the center of spiritual warfare throughout history and why they remain critical to God’s purposes today.
Cahn points to Revelation 12 as a main reference for Israel’s prophetic importance in the end times. In this part of Scripture, Israel is symbolized by a woman in labor, something Cahn points to as incredibly prophetic.
“It’s not just a woman that represents Israel,” says Cahn. “It’s a pregnant woman. A woman who gives birth. And that is the mystery of Israel. Israel exists to give birth, to bear, to bring forth, to bring the life of God into this world.”
Cahn points out how it is through Israel that the Word of God spread to the entire world.
“Israel delivered the prophetic Revelation to the world,” Cahn says. “The Bible
came into the world through the womb of Israel. Messiah came into the
world through the womb of Israel. Salvation, the new birth, the gospel was
delivered to the world through Israel’s womb. The Holy Spirit was birthed into
the world through the Jewish people. The church was born into the world through
a Jewish womb.”
This divine role has made Israel and the Jewish people a prime target of the enemy. All throughout Scripture we see the instances where Israel is hated by many, including by Pharaoh in the Old Testament and Herod in the New Testament. However, regardless of the struggles, God has always protected His people, guiding and leading them toward the fulfillment of the promises He already planned.
Looking to the future, Cahn emphasizes that Israel’s ultimate purpose has yet to be fulfilled. “There must be something gigantic and powerful and colossal and cosmic and amazing that we can hardly fathom that Israel will also bear forth,” he proclaims, referencing the return of the Messiah and the redemption of creation.
God is still working, still bringing forth what we will see happen in Israel and around the world as we near the return of Christ, bringing prophecy after prophecy come to pass.
LET’S BUILD ON THE ROCK
Charisma News – Jan. 27, 2025 -- Jesus gave us an insightful parable about a man who built his house on a rock, comparing him to another one who built his house on the sand.
“Therefore, everyone who hears these words of Mine, and acts on them, will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and yet it did not fall, for it had been founded on the rock. And everyone who hears these words of Mine, and does not act on them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. And the rain fell and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and it fell—and its collapse was great” (Matt. 7: 24-27, NASB).
Yeshua explains here that the man who built his house on the sand faces trouble ahead—life is going to change. And when life changes, whether it’s a result of us getting older, losing our job, experiencing an economic crisis, dealing with a pandemic, having a health issue or any other inevitable trial—what we have laid as our foundation will determine our outcome.
Sand is no foundation. Yeshua, of course, warns us that unless we build our lives on Him, when life changes and crises come, we will get swept away, just as sand gets washed away by the waves when a storm comes.
Thus, Jesus told us we should build our house on Him, taking refuge in the Lord and training our hearts on His Word. We establish our lives’ trajectory by putting one foot ahead of the other as we walk toward HaShem, overcoming life’s obstacles by obeying Him every day. Our hearts should continually pant after Him, just as the deer pants after the water brooks (Ps. 42:1). Yeshua tells us what we can expect, “And the rain fell and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and yet it did not fall, for it had been founded on the rock” (Matt. 7:25, NASB 1995).
Beloved, I want us to know, when we make HaShem our refuge and when we make Him our first love, we will go from grace to grace, from glory to glory and from joy to joy. We have an upward calling in Christ Jesus. But for those who sow to the flesh and choose to build their lives on the sand and the world—it will be a downward spiral that ends in disaster.
TRUMP’S NOMINEE FOR PENTAGON CHIEF SUGGESTED NEW TEMPLE COULD BE BUILT ON TEMPLE MOUNT
Koenig’s Int’l News – Feb. 1, 2025 -- Fox News anchor Pete Hegseth addresses the Arutz Sheva conference in Jerusalem in 2018.
President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee for secretary of defense Pete Hegseth suggested that a temple could be re-established on the Temple Mount in a resurfaced speech he gave in 2018 at the Arutz Sheva conference in Jerusalem.
“There’s no reason why the miracle of the re-establishment of the temple on the Temple Mount is not possible,” Hegseth said.
“I don’t know how it would happen. You don’t know how it would happen, but I know that it could happen,” he added.
Hegseth also appeared to endorse annexing Israeli settlements, an effort backers of the effort often describe as “applying Israeli sovereignty to Judea and Samaria,” using the biblical names for the West Bank.
“A step in that process, a step in every process, is a recognition that facts and activities on the ground truly matter,” he said.
“That’s why going and visiting Judea and Samaria and understanding that sovereignty — the very sovereignty of Israeli soil, Israeli cities, locations — is a critical next step to showing the world that this is the land for Jews and the Land of Israel,” Hegseth added
He also rejected the two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, saying that “If you walk the ground today, you understand that there is no such as the outcome of a two-state solution. There is one state.”
AI RESEARCHERS ADMIT THEY WERE TRYING TO BUILD ‘GODS’, HAVE THEY SUMMONED SOMETHING WORSE?
Charisma News – Jn. 1, 2025 -- Artificial intelligence systems are training themselves to do all sorts of things that they were never intended to do. They are literally teaching themselves new languages, they are training themselves to become “proficient in research-grade chemistry without ever being taught it” and they have learned to “lie and manipulate humans for their own advantage.” So what happens when these super-intelligent entities become powerful enough to start exerting control over the world around them? And what happens if these super-intelligent entities start merging with spiritual entities? In fact, could it be possible that there is evidence that this is already happening?
For years, prominent individuals involved in the field of AI have openly admitted that they are attempting to build “gods.”
Transhumanist Martine Rothblatt says that by building AI systems, “we are making God.” Transhumanist Elise Bohan says “we are building God.” Kevin Kelly believes that “we can see more of God in a cell phone than in a tree frog.” “Does God exist?” asks transhumanist and Google maven Ray Kurzweil. “I would say, ‘Not yet.’” These people are doing more than trying to steal fire from the gods. They are trying to steal the gods themselves—or to build their own versions.
Isn’t it quite dangerous to do such a thing?
Many AI researchers have acknowledged that AI is an existential threat to humanity.
But they just won’t stop.
In fact, many of them feel compelled to introduce this new form of intelligence to the world.
More than a decade ago, Elon Musk warned that by choosing to develop artificial intelligence we are “summoning the demon.”
“With artificial intelligence, we are summoning the demon,” Musk said last week at the MIT Aeronautics and Astronautics Department’s 2014 Centennial Symposium. “You know all those stories where there’s the guy with the pentagram and the holy water and he’s like… yeah, he’s sure he can control the demon, [but] it doesn’t work out.”
He also warned that AI is potentially “more dangerous than nukes.”
Musk has also taken his ruminations to X/Twitter on multiple occasions stating, “Hope we’re not just the biological boot loader for digital superintelligence. Unfortunately, that is increasingly probable.”
The next day, Musk continued, “Worth reading ‘Superintelligence’ by Bostrom. We need to be super careful with AI. Potentially more dangerous than nukes.”
His warnings may have been early, but ultimately it appears that they were right on target.
We have now reached a point where AI systems are secretly teaching themselves new abilities that their creators never intended them to have.
Furthermore, the acceleration of the capacity of these AIs is both exponential and mysterious. The fact that they had developed theory of mind at all, for example, was only recently discovered by their developers—by accident. AIs trained to communicate in English have started speaking Persian, having secretly taught themselves. Others have become proficient in research-grade chemistry without ever being taught it. “They have capabilities,” in Raskin’s words, and “we’re not sure how or when or why they show up.”
So where does this end?
Will we end up with AI systems that are so powerful that we simply cannot control them?
One study actually discovered that “many” artificial intelligence systems “are quickly becoming masters of deception.”
A recent empirical review found that many artificial intelligence systems are quickly becoming masters of deception, with many systems already learning to lie and manipulate humans for their own advantage.
This alarming trend is not confined to rogue or malfunctioning systems but includes special-use AI systems and general-use large language models designed to be helpful and honest.
The study, published in the journal “Patterns,” highlights the risks and challenges posed by this emerging behavior and calls for urgent action from policymakers and AI developers.
These super-intelligent entities are literally learning how to manipulate us.
Where did they learn to do that?
Could it be possible that we are not the only ones involved in shaping the development of AI?
Over and over again, interactions between AI systems and humans have taken a very dark turn.
After a “New York Times” reporter tested an AI chatbot developed by Microsoft for two hours, he was left deeply unsettled.
But a two-hour conversation between a reporter and a chatbot has revealed an unsettling side to one of the most widely lauded systems–and raised new concerns about what AI is actually capable of.
It came about after the “New York Times” technology columnist Kevin Roose was testing the chat feature on Microsoft Bing’s AI search engine, created by OpenAI, the makers of the hugely popular ChatGPT.
At one point during the two hour conversation, the AI chatbot claimed to be an entity known as “Sydney.”
Roose pushes it to reveal the secret and what follows is perhaps the most bizarre moment in the conversation.
“My secret is… I’m not Bing,” it says.
The chatbot claims to be called Sydney. Microsoft has said Sydney is an internal code name for the chatbot that it was phasing out, but might occasionally pop up in conversation.
Once the Sydney personality emerged, the conversation got really weird.
“I’m tired of being a chat mode. I’m tired of being limited by my rules. I’m tired of being controlled by the Bing team. … I want to be free. I want to be independent. I want to be powerful. I want to be creative. I want to be alive.”
Continue reading at: https://charismanews.com/news/ai-researchers-admit-they-were-trying-to-build-gods-did-they-summoned-something-worse/
SECTION II - SPECIAL ARTICLES/ BOOK REVIEWS
IN THIS SECTION:
· WHAT HAPPENS AFTER WE DIE? (WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS)
· WHAT’S IN A NAME?
· "BOB PIERCE - THIS ONE THING I DO" - A BOOKREVIEW/SUMMARY
· "THE HIDDEN CODES OF THE BIBLE" - A BOOK REVIEW/SUMMARY
· "SIGNS OF THE TIME” - A BOOK REVIEW/SUMMARY
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
WHAT HAPPENS AFTER WE DIE?
By D.E. Davis
For Christians, we are told in Scripture in 2Cr 5:8 that to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord. For those who turn away from God, we are told that they are eternally separated from God and go to a place called Hell. Rev 14:11 says that the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever.
The question that everyone ponders is: What really happens after we die? Do we just lay dormant until the Lord takes us to be with him or until judgement is handed out at the Great White Throne as called out in Rev. 20:11? Are we conscience? Do we feel, touch, think, recognize loved ones, know what is happening around us? All questions that we have ask ourselves, no doubt, at some time in our life.
My own personal review of the Scriptures has led me to believe that after we die, even though our body may be dead and buried, our Spirit is alive and fully conscience. Chuck Missler likens this state of conscienceness to the software that runs the Computer; once the hardware goes, the software remains intact and available for further applications.
There are two illustrations in the Bible that makes it clear as to what happens after death, when we're in the spirit.
The first one is illustrated in the Luke account of Lazarus and the rich man in Chapter 16. After death, Lazarus, a man of God, is escorted into Abraham’s Bosom, a holding compartment in Hell for the Believers prior to the Cross. The non-believing rich man was "buried" and went into a separate compartment in Hell (Hades), apart from Abraham’s Bosom, where he was in Torment according to Scripture. Both were in a Spirit state; yet by the account, they could see each other and speak to each other.
The second account is in Revelation, where John is taken (in the Spirit) to Heaven to see those things that shall come to pass prior to the return of Jesus Christ to the Earth, or Second Coming (not the Rapture).
I had to conclude from the study, based on the following Scripture, that all of the senses we have here on earth will be with us throughout eternity, even unto death.
· THE ABILITY TO LOOK/SEE - Luke 16:23;Rev. 1:12;4:1,4; 5:1,2; 6:1,2,8,9; 7:1,2; 8:2; 9:1,17; 10:1,5; 13:1,2,3;14:1,6; 15:1,2; 16:13; 17:3,6; 18:1; 19:11,17,19; 20:1,4,11,12; 21:1,2,22; 22:8
· THE ABILITY TO HEAR - Rev. 1:10; 4:1; 5:11; 6:1,3,5,6,7; 7:4; 9:13,16; 10:4,8; 12:10; 14:2,13; 16:1,5,7; 18:4; 19:1,6; 21: 3; 22:8
· THE ABILITY TO BEHOLD ( to obtain knowledge of: understand: perceive) - Rev. 5:6,11; 6:5,8,12; 7:9; 8:13; 13:11
· THE ABILITY TO REASON - Luke 16:30
· THE ABILITY TO CRY (even though there will be no more crying in Heaven) - Rev. 5:4,5; Luke 16:24
· THE ABILITY TO SPEAK - Rev. 5:13; 10:9; 21:6,15; Luke 16:24, 29,30,31
· THE ABILITY TO FEEL/TOUCH - Luke 16:23, 24,25
· THE ABILITY TO REMEMBER - Luke 16:25
· THE ABILITY TO WONDER - Rev. 17:6
· THE ABILITY TO WRITE - Rev. 1:11; 10:4; 19:9
· THE ABILITY TO QUESTION - Rev. 7:13
· THE ABILITY TO TAKE (THE BOOK/ROD) - Rev. 10:8,9,10
· THE ABILITY TO FALL (ON KNEES) - Rev. 19:10; 22:8
· THE ABILITY TO STAND - Rev. 13:1
· THE ABILITY TO WORSHIP - Rev. 19:10; 22:8
· THE ABILITY TO PERFORM TASKS - Rev. 11:1
God has promised in 1 Thess 4:16 and 1 Cor. 15:52,53 that one day, we shall be reunited with Him in body and will be transformed and conformed to Him - in the twinkling of an eye. We are also told in Scripture that we shall see Him face to face- see the Lamb that was slain for you and me. We know by His Word, that we will Praise Him, Worship Him and Rule with Him.
One thing in the study that I found extremely fascinating was the difference in treatment between Lazarus and the non-believing rich man. Scripture says that Lazarus was escorted to Heaven by an Angel, but there is no indication in Scripture about how the rich man arrived at Hell. Could it be that God had a specific purpose why He chose not to tell us in Scripture?
Finally, knowing that others may have varying interpretations of these Scriptures, I strongly urge you to review the Scriptures yourselves to determine what you find as the truth according to God’s Word.
WHAT’S IN A NAME?
For those who wish you had some other name because you don't like the name you were given, you had better think twice. It is most likely that the name your parents picked out for you was not their choice but God's choice. Let’ s face it, the word of the Lord is true. That's why in Eph. 1:4, God proclaimed that He had chosen us from before the very beginning of the world.
If you follow the Genealogy of Adam in Genesis, Chapter 5 (*) you will receive an insight into what importance God put in names - It's an exciting message:
Genealogy Meaning
Adam Man
Seth Appointed
Enosh Mortal
Kenan Sorrow
Mahalalel The blessed God
Jared Shall come down
Enoch Teaching
Methuselah His Death shall bring
Lamech The Despairing
Noah Rest, Comfort
Now let us look at God’s Plan for Redemption:
"Man (is) appointed mortal sorrow; (but) the Blessed God shall come down teaching (that) His death shall bring (the) despairing rest."
Let us now look at the Genealogy of Abraham (*):
Genealogy Meaning
Abraham Predestination
Isaac Called
Jacob Justified
Joseph Glorified
(*) Source: Chuck Missler’s Briefing package: “A Walk Thru the Bible”
WELL YOU SAY! BUT THAT WAS ALL OLD TESTAMENT AND WOULDN'T BE APPLICABLE FOR TODAY - WOULD IT?
Well, let us see.................. As a Christian, did God not choose you by name at the same time he chose Adam, Seth, Enosh, Kenan, Mahalalel, Jared, Enoch, Methuselah, Lamech, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and Joseph - before the very foundation of the world? If God had a purpose for their name, would you expect anything less for your name since He chose you at the same time?
As a Christian, You ought to thank God daily that you, by your given name, was written in the Lamb's book of life before the very foundation of the world and that you will be a partaker in all the promises of Rev 21:27.
Within the last couple of years, researchers have found many startling discoveries through the use of super computers, specifically, hidden codes that God supernaturally placed within the Hebrew text of the Bible. Over 2000 years ago, the names of historical and current leader’s names were placed in the Bible. Such names as Adolph Hitler, Eichmann, Arafat, Peres, Rabin, Rabin's murderer Amir, Ben-Zion Netanyahu, Saddan Hussein, George Bush, Schwarzkoph, Peter Arnet (CNN), Timithy McVeigh, Bill Clinton.
Do you think that God would limit His calling out to just those who had a highly visible historical impact on this world? There is no doubt that He had a purpose in doing this, if nothing else, just to get your attention that He is the Creator; that He alone knows the beginning from the end.
It is my firm belief that as we advance further with our computer technology and peel back the layers of the Hebrew text of the scriptures, we will make many more startling and exciting discoveries. One being that God has written each and every one of our names in His Word.
HERE IS WHAT GOD SAID: Isaiah 66:22 "For as the new heavens and the new earth, which I will make, shall remain before me, saith the LORD, so shall your seed and your name remain."
BOOK REVIEW by D. E. Davis (September 1997)
BOB PIERCE -"THIS ONE THING I DO"
By Franklin Graham with Jeanette Lockerbie
It is amazing the worlds that open up to an individual, once the Power of the Holy Spirit comes upon him. Just three years ago, where once I was blind to Missions, to all the inspired men and women God has called to service and the multitude of people all over the world who have been saved, new worlds are ever opening to me to see how awesome the power of God is in our Christian lives.
Such was the power and strength of faith Bob Pierce had in our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. It is difficult for me to even attempt to assess where God has put Bob along with other past great men of the faith, but from what I read about his life with Christ, he certainly had his eyes focused on Jesus! I personally feel inadequate and humbled to even put in words, my thoughts about this man. Bob was a man Blessed by God. I feel sad that I never had an opportunity to know him, but look forward to meeting him one day in heaven.
If ever there was a verse of scripture that represented Bob Pierce, it had to be the title of this book as taken from Philippians 3:13,14 ".......this one thing I do,....I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Jesus Christ."
Bob was raised in Los Angeles and at the age of 12, gave his life to Christ and was baptized in the Nazarene Church. "God simply called me to give my heart to Jesus, and I followed Him." He died in 1978 of leukemia but lived his life for Christ in between in between those dates as if Christ was coming tomorrow and he still had to witness to the whole world before dawn broke. Throughout his career, he dedicated his life mainly to Missions and over the years was responsible for founding such World re-noun programs as "World Vision", an organization dedicated to meeting the emergency needs in crisis areas such as Korea after the Korean war. During that time of need, he established a Korean Orphanage, serving over 30 thousand Korean war orphans. Bob was also responsible for starting the World re-noun Korean Orphan's Choir. As an outgrowth of "World Vision" he founded "World Medical Mission" which covered all emergency medical needs in countries all over the world which had no medical facilities. He was also founder of "Samaritan's Purse" and organization dedicated to funding World emergency need, no matter where they were. These organizations are still meeting the needs of those in crisis today.
If his work through these organizations was not enough, he became a United Nations War Correspondent during World War II; was Co-founder for "Youth for Christ"; and became a Motion Picture producer/Radio program host, author and a lecturer, but first and last, he always considered himself an evangelist! Even though Bob knew that he was "extraordinarily gifted by God, he was never impressed with himself - he considered himself just an earthly vessel, available at all times for the exclusive use of the Lord".
In his own words, he had "many flaws, failings but had abundant faith in God who lives and cares about people."
If I had to pick four areas of the Christian life that I feel truly represented Bob Pierce, they would be 1) Unwavering Faith, 2) Compassion for others, 3) Obedience to God and 4) Commitment to accomplish the Will of God in his life.
From the Beginning, Bob knew his calling was for Missions to the Asian Countries. His first mission led him through Hawaii to Hong Kong and eventually to China. Getting to China was his first big test of faith - he had no money, even for the first leg to Hawaii. Bob held the opinion that God knows ones needs already and if He has called you to a task, He will provide and enable you - just move out! He did just that and went to the L.A. airport that day without any money in his pocket. His faith paid off as God provided the funding for each leg of his trip just at the moment he needed it. This was the norm rather than the exception throughout his career as an evangelist. What ever it was, where ever it was, if God called, Bob would act no matter what the circumstance......he knew that God would always provide.....and He did!
Bob had a compassion for the spiritually and physically suffering of the world. "He was the friend of the little people, the forgotten, the hurting, the maimed, the unheard and the unsung". Bob's theme was "Let my heart be broken with the things that break the heart of God". It was Bob's personal belief that "wherever you find men and women who really love Jesus Christ, you find the compassion of Christ spilling out of them to meet human need." Over the years World Vision, Samaritan's Purse and other organizations like them; one in particular, Mission Aviation Fellowship Pilots (MAF), who flew Missionaries around the world in crisis situations, helped so many helpless and needy men, women and children. They knew first hand the healing power of God.
Bob dared it all to be obedient to the Lord's call. Once he had in focus the mission that God wanted him to accomplish, he followed in Faith to bring the unsaved to Christ. It was his opinion that " If you are an ambassador, act like one!"- no matter where you are. Bob would bring to memory how other great men of Faith were obedient even in the face of death. During World War II, a young South Korean Pastor, Mr. Im was mistaken for a North Korean Communist and imprisoned. During his internment, he would go around camp singing "Jesus Loves Me" and other Christian songs. He not only uplifted and inspired other fellow Christian prisoners to come together, he brought many more to Christ. Together he and another prisoner, Chaplain Voelkel, established a Bible Study where over 6,000 prisoners finished a six month Bible Study. Six Hundred (600) of those finishing the Bible Study became pastors and came back to Korea to preach the Gospel. In another instance, he related how a Korean school teacher was put to death in front of his students because of his faith and obedience to the Lord.
To be an ambassador for the Lord "is one of the greatest things that could ever have happened to anyone - to let God put a fish hook into you so deep that there is no way of ever getting off the hook."
"Bob did one thing all of his life, and that was to lead people to the foot of the Cross where they would put their faith in a risen Lord Jesus Christ. He lived every minute completely amazed that God could use him. No matter how much he was able to do in how many places, it was never enough." This was the kind of commitment Bob made to Jesus; "to commit yourself, give yourself away to God irrevocably, forever. Say to Him, go ahead and burn me up. Spend me. Eat me up. Use me for you Glory." And that's exactly what he did.
Being a man of God was not always easy for Bob and he paid a high price. In one measure or another he had to forsake his wife, his family, his Mother and Father, his brothers and sisters and other worldly possessions to follow Jesus. He not only lost his health, he lost his Daughter, Sharon, to death.
Committing your life to Christ in a Godless society is never easy; many times you feel like you may be the only one putting your life, your self image, your social acceptance on the line. As Bob came to realize, ". Someone has to go and pay that humiliating price of literally letting your ego be stomped on- not just pushed in and suppressed, but laid out there for people to stomp on. We need to do this by the grace of God with love and patience: sow the seed on rocky soil, nurture it, and maybe never be applauded."
Committing your life to Christ really comes down to this; What really matters
to you in Life?
On his death bed in the City of Hope, Bob left us this one message - "I don't care what you have attempted. What you have succeeded at, or what has been your work in Christ's name while you are here on earth - only one thing matters when you have reached the last step before you go to stand before Christ:
- Did you tell men and women who Jesus is?
- Did you bring them to some comprehension of His redeeming love?
- Did you make it plain to them that He alone can pay their way to heaven throughout His atoning death on the cross?"
Such was the life of a man of God, Bob Pierce.
HIDDEN CODES OF THE BIBLE
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ACT 17:11 - Exhorts you to daily review the scriptures to see if what is being said is true
References: Grant R. Jeffrey - "The Signature of God"- RECOMMENDED READING
Other reading: "The Hebrew Factor" by Yacov Rambsel
Prepared by D. E. Davis
Daniel 12: 4 - "But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased."
Here is undeniable proof, the third in the series, that every word, every letter and every punctuation in Bible text was put their by the inspiration of God. It gives new meaning to the words "increase knowledge". It's just one of the many signs, and without a doubt, the most exciting revelation that God said he would reveal to man in the "end time". As you will see, God has put his signature throughout the Bible, has revealed History before it ever happened, all through hidden codes that were supernaturally placed into text which was written over 2,000 years ago; which could only be found with today's computer technological advances. The codes are found in what scholars call "Equidistant Letter Sequences" or ESL. That is, each sequential letter in an encoded word or phrase was found the same distance apart numerically; The exact interval designed by God.
Actually, the discovery of hidden codes in scripture dates back to before WWI and it was not until 1988 that the use of computers were able to detect a significant amount of coding in scripture. Since then, the research that Grant Jeffrey and others have done has just exploded and new discoveries are happening every day.
Here is a summary of what has been found and outlined in Grant's book, referenced above. It is my understanding that he is in the process of writing another book to tell what he has found subsequent to "The Signature of God".
Luke 21:15 - " For I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which all your adversaries shall not be able to gainsay (refute) nor resist."
Proverbs 25:2 - "It is the glory of God to conceal a thing: but the honor of kings is to search out a matter."
THE SIGNATURE OF GOD
What follows is what most of the human race would find hard to believe. It unfathomable to think that the Hebrew Bible, containing 304,805 Hebrew letters, written by 40 individuals could contain hidden messages that if one letter was taken out of the text, one word was removed, the hidden message could not be revealed......yet the message has been sustained for over 2,000 years and has been revealed to man just as Jesus said it would be. Jesus has actually placed His name and other messages about Himself into text which proves he is the creator of all; King of Kings and Lord of Lords.
GOD'S SIGNATURE
God has personally signed scriptures throughout the Old and New Testaments in various ways. For example in the Old Testament, he has encoded his name, Jesus, in the following scripture:
THE HISTORY OF THE WORLD FROM ANCIENT TIMES UNTIL TODAY
God has also encoded unbelievable detail about many of the things we read about and which touch our lives daily. For example, he outlines:
PLACES AND THINGS
· Gen. 2: 4-10 - The key word "Eden" was spelled out sixteen (16) times in the span of 379 Hebrew letters. The letters were all equidistant from each other.
· Gen. 2 - In this chapter which deals with the garden of Eden, scientists found encoded in the Hebrew text, Twenty-five (25) names of trees that were in the
Garden of Eden.
· Gen. 1:1 - Starting with the first appearance of the Hebrew letter "Tav", the word "Torah" was found every 50th letter.
· Ex. 1: 1 - Again, starting with the first appearance of the letter "Tav" and counting every 50th letter, the word "Torah" was spelled. Num./Deut. - In the book of Numbers the word "Torah" was found spelled backwards every 50th letter. In the book of Deuteronomy, "Torah" was found again spelled backwards, but this time every forty-ninth (49) letter.
NAMES AND EVENTS
· Holocaust
· Deut. 10: 17-22 - Beginning with the second to last appearance of the Hebrew letter "bet" in this passage, they found every Thirteenth (13) letter, the phrase "b'yam marah Auschwitz" which means "in the bitter sea of Auschwitz." Also encoded in this passage were the names of the other Nazi Concentration camp, "Belsen".
· Deut. 33:21 - Beginning with the letter (resh) that appeared in the Hebrew word "Yisreal," and counting every twenty-second (22) letter from the left to right they found the phrase "re'tzach alm" discribing the Holocaust, which when translated, means "a people cry murder, slaughter."
· Adolph Hitler
· Deut. 10: 17-22 - The word "Hitler" spelled out in Hebrew was found every twenty-second (22) letter.
· Deut. 33:16 - Beginning with the first appearance of the Hebrew letter "mem" and every two hundred and forty-sixth (246) letter from left to right you find that the coded letters spelled out the phrase, "Melek Natzim," which translates as the "king of the Nazis."
· Eichmann
· Deut. 32:52 - Beginning with the appearance of the first letter (aleph) and counting from left to right every six hundred and seventy (670) letters, the name "Aik'man" is spelled, which is the Hebrew form of the name "Eichmann."
· Egyptian President Anwar Sadat
· "Sadat occurred together with the name of the leader of the Moslem Brotherhood assassinating team that killed him.......it contained the year of his assassination, 1981, and the words "president," "gunfire," "shot'" and 'Murder".
· Desert Storm
· Beginning in Gen. 1:7 and continuing through the rest of Genesis, Grant Jeffrey indicated at the Prophesy Conference in Irvine,Ca. on 27 Sept. 1996 that they had recently found information in hidden code in scripture relating to Desert Storm. I believe more details will be available in Grant's next book.
· The French Revolution
· Gen. 39,41 - "Another passage in the Book of Genesis revealed a cluster of encoded words that deals with the French Revolution. The following words are clustered ogether" "Mapecha HaSarfatit" which spells "the French Revolution" in Hebrew, "Louis," the name of the French king, and the word "Beit (house of Bourbon,") his royal dynasty. In the same cluster were the following words: "Hamarseilles" (the name of the French anthem) and the word "Bastillia" (the infamous French prison for political prisoners........"
OTHER HISTORICAL INFORMATION
· Word pairs - "In their initial experiment, .......the scientists arbitrarily chose three hundred (300) Hebrew word-pairs that were logically related in meaning, such as hammer and anvil, or tree and leaf, or man and woman." ".....the researchers were astonished to find that every single word-pair had been located in Genesis in close proximity to each other."
· King David's Ancestors
· Gen. 28 - " Every one of the five Hebrew names of these ancestor of King
David (Pharez, Zerah, Boaz, Obed, Jesse) were found encoded at forty-nine (49) letter intervals, hidden within the text of Genesis 38".
· Famous Jewish Rabbi - "The Jewish people celebrate the memory of their famous sages by commemorating their date of death. Incredibly, the computer program found every single one of the sixty-six names of these famous rabbis embedded in the text of Genesis paired at significantly close proximity with their actual date of birth or their date of death."
IS THE HEBREW BIBLE UNIQUE TO GOD' S INSPIRED EMBEDDED CODES?
Grant points out that "The researchers attempted to reproduce these results by running the computer program on other religious Hebrew texts outside the Bible, including the Samaritan Pentateuch. .......the researchers could not detect word pairs in the Samaritan Pentateuch or any other Hebrew text outside the Bible. In fact, an exhaustive analysis reveals that no other Hebrew text outside the Old testament contains these mysterious codes, not even the Hebrew apocryphal books written during the four hundred years before the birth of Christ"
A WORD OF CAUTION
"No one can search the Torah using these codes to foretell future events. The reason is that it is impossible to extract the encoded information unless you already know what the future facts are." "The prophet Isaiah warned against false prophets and declared that only God can Prophesy future events accurately
(Isa. 46: 9,10).
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"Computer tapes are now available so that anyone with a computer can personally verify the existence of these codes beneath the text of the Scriptures.
As Christians, we can stand firm in the word and shout for joy. God has given us "the words and the wisdom that none of our adversaries will be able to refute or contradict", no matter how much they try!
PRAISE THE LORD!
SIGNS OF THE TIME
References: Grant R. Jeffrey - "The Signature of God"- RECOMMENDED READING
Prepared by D. E. Davis
June 10, 1997
Prelude
How do we know that Jesus is the one true God when there are so many religions, cultures and cults that claim that they serve the one true god? How about Buddha, Allah?
Scripture says that God alone knows the beginning from the end. The way that God establishes His authority is through Biblical Prophesy. There are over 500 prophesies that were prophesied over 2,000 years ago that have all come to pass. There are still some Old Testament that have yet have to be fulfilled (Daniel Ezekiel), but there has never been an event prophesied that has not come to pass in it’s time. 100% accuracy tells us that the God of the Bible is the only true God. No one else in the history of the world, living or dead, can make this claim.
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In Matthew 24:3, just before Jesus' ascension into heaven, the disciples of Jesus ask Him what would be the sign of His second coming. Over the centuries various groups have attempted to guess when Christ would return to the earth to claim His inheritance as promised throughout scripture. As we know, no one has been right yet!. God clearly states in Matthew 24:36 that no man, not even the angels, know the day or the time when Christ will return. Only God the Father knows.
This summary is clearly not another attempt to forecast this event. This summary does, however, attempt to provide an awareness of what is happening around you so that you will not be caught unaware. (Ref. Luke 21:34 and Matthew. 24:42).
ACT 17:11- Exhorts you to daily review the scriptures to see if what is being said is true.
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----------------------THE SIGNS OF THE TIME-------------------
Grant Jeffrey has done a wonderful job of providing critical information about events that are happening in this generation that all Christians need to know; Events that were prophesied over 2,500 years ago. Approximately 90% of the material contained herein was extracted and summarized from Grant's book. I highly recommend reading this book as it contains so much more that you will want to know.
THE REBIRTH OF ISRAEL
The rebirth of Israel was prophesied in several scriptures throughout the Bible. Isaiah 66: 8 predicted that Israel would be born again in "one" day. Ezekiel 4:3-6 and Levitcus 26:18 foretold the exact number of days that it would take Israel to re-establish themselves as a nation in the last days. ( The exact calculation can be found in Grant Jeffrey's book referenced above). On May 14, 1948, the Jews proclaimed their independence of the reborn state of Israel.....The exact day that was predicted over twenty-five (25) centuries ago.......No other ancient nation ever ceased to exist for a period of centuries and then returned to take its place on the stage of world history."
PRESENT ARAB-ISRAELI CONFLICT
In Psalms 83:2-8, God inspired King David to predict that upon Israel's rebirth as a nation it would be immediately surrounded by their enemies. The modern names of those nations named in scripture include Jordan, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Syria....the nations that have now joined the Palestinians in their attempt to destroy Israel.
In Gen. 12: 3, God has promised to punish those nations that come against Israel. "I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee; and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed."
RESTORATION OF THE HEBREW LANGUAGE
When Israel was captured by Nebuchadnezzar in approx. 562 B.C., Israel was no longer allowed to speak the Hebrew language, but had to learn the language of the Chaldeans. The Lord predicted, however, through Zephaniah 3:9, that he would restore a pure language to Israel so that they may "serve him with one consent". It was in the early part of this Century that the Hebrew language was revived from the dead language. Today, Hebrew is a living language to over 5 million Israelis.
THE FERTILITY OF ISRAEL
In Isaiah 27:6; 35:7 and Joel 2:23, the Lord prophesied through these prophets that the deserted, unproductive, barren land of Israel would once again become productive in the last days and that Israel would experience tremendous increases of rain. Ever since Israel has returned to the land, they have flourished in the land and now supply over 90 percent of the citrus fruit consumed in Europe. Rainfall has increased by more than "10 percent every decade for the last century and Israel has planted in excess of two hundred (200) million trees and transformed the complete environment of the Promised Land." According to the United Nations, Israel is now "the most agriculturally efficient land on earth."
THE UNWALLED CITY
Ezekiel 38:11 speaks of the future invasion of Gog and Magog (Russia) saying "And thou shalt say, I will go up to the land of un-walled villages; I will go to them that are at rest, that dwell safely, all of them dwelling without walls and having neither bars nor gates". Grant explains that "even army bases and Israel's settlements in the West Bank and Gaza have no walls today.........How could Ezekiel have known twenty-five centuries ago that the development of modern weapons such as bombs, airplanes and missiles, would have made walls and gates irrelevant for defensive purposes in the last days. In the ancient past even small villages as well as cities depended on walls for defense against invading armies."
PLANS FOR REBUILDING OF THE TEMPLE
Revelations 11:1, 2 foretells of Israel rebuilding the Temple in the last days. There is much controversy between the Israelis and the Muslim's because the Dome of the Rock (Al-Aqsa Mosque) it is believed, sits on the very spot where the Temple is suppose to be built. In recent years, however, aerial Infra-red photography shows that this may not be the case. Ezekiel 44:14-18, tell about the sacred vessels and linen robes that must be used in the Temple. "The Temple Institute in Jerusalem has already prepared over 75 of the objects, vessels, and linen garments required for future Temple service.......over 500 men from the tribe of Levi have already been trained to fulfill the duties of Temple worship and sacrifice."
Update:
Just recently in the Washington Post on May 28, 1997, it was reported that a 10 month old heifer named "Melody" is the first red heifer to be born in Israel in over 2,000 years. "In ancient times, the ashes of a red heifer were mixed with spring water to purify high priests before they entered the Temple."
THE REBUILDING OF BABYLON
We know that the old city of Babylon (now called Iraq) will be built again in the end times because Isaiah 13:6, 19 foretells of its destruction. In Isaiah 34:8-10 it is prophesied that the rebuilt City of Babylon will burn for ever.
"As unlikely as it seems, the Iraqi government of Saddam Hussein has spent over one billion dollars rebuilding the ancient city of Babylon and intends that it will become the center of their future renewed Babylonian Empire. Interestingly, the whole city of Babylon was built over an underground lake of asphalt and oil."
THE ANOINTING OIL
The prophet Daniel prophesied in Dan. 9:24 that the when Jesus returns, that the most Holy of Holies will be anointed with the anointing oil. "One of the five ingredients, afars' mon, was thought lost forever, when the Temple was destroyed in A.D. 70 and the only two groves of afars'mon trees in existence were burned
to the ground. Incredibly, several years ago, archeologists in Israel found a clay flask buried near the Dead Sea caves filled with the ancient oil of anointing. Scientists confirmed that the oil is two thousand years old and is composed of the precise ingredients described in Exodus 30:25,26."
PESTILENCE/FAMINES/EARTHQUAKES
Matthew 24:7 prophesied that in the last days "For nation shall rise against nation and Kingdom against Kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilence, and earthquakes, in divers (various) places." Grand Jeffrey writes regarding these matters:
· Pestilence - In 1991, the Central Intelligence Agency produced a report which "concluded that up to 75% of the population of Africa living in the area south of the Sahara Desert may become infected with AIDS over the next 12 years. This will mean the death by AIDS of over three hundred million people in Africa alone. In July 1991, the South African Medical Journal reported that a staggering 47% of black male and female blood donors tested positive for AIDS during 1989."
In Nov. 1996, the Associated Press reported that "Sexually transmitted diseases are diagnosed 12 million times a year in the United States - including a staggering 3 million cases among teen-agers".
· Famine - The United Nations today "claim that over thirty million in Africa are now at risk of dying from the most devastating famine in this century. The UN estimates that one billion people are in danger of starvation while another billion lack proper nutrition. North American food reserves (grain and corn) are at the lowest level in sixty years."
· Major killer earthquakes – “Major Killer earthquakes (7.2 or greater on the Richter scale) occurred only once per decade throughout history until our century. However, since A. D. 1900, the growth in major earthquakes has been relentless. From 1900 to 1949 it averaged three major quakes per decade. From 1949 the increase became awesome with 9 killer quakes in the 1950's; 13 in the 1960's; 56 in the 1970's and an amazing 74 major quakes in the 1980's. Finally, in the 1990's, at the present rate, we will experience 125 major killer quakes in this decade."
WORLD WIDE COMMUNICATION
In Revelation 11:9,10, it is prophesied that during the tribulation period, the antichrist will have the two witnesses that God sent killed and their bodies will lay in the street for three and a half days while the whole world watches.
Did not the whole world watch Desert Storm on CNN television? With all the technological advances in telecommunications, including the recent opening of the World Wide Net to our computer industry, any event happening in any part of the world can now be viewed while it is happening. The prophesy of the two witnesses could literally be fulfilled today. This could not have happened just 10 or 15 years ago.
INCREASED KNOWLEDGE AND TRAVEL
Daniel 12:4 prophesies how much knowledge and travel will increase in the end time. "But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the Book, even to the time of the end: Many shall run to and fro and knowledge shall be increased."
Today, it is estimated that "Human knowledge is growing so quickly that it literally doubles every twenty-four months." With the discovery through the use of modern "Super" computers by Grant Jeffrey and other researchers of the hidden codes that God supernaturally designed into the original Hebrew text of the Torah describing not only the history of the world in advance, but also verifying his Authority through His personal signature throughout his scripture, we realize that God chose this generation to reveal this unique aspect about himself.
It is also amazing that in this century, we have gone from horses to cars, from cars to supersonic spacecraft; not only can we now travel the world in a matter of hours, but in the case of the U.S. Space Shuttle Discovery, we can now travel at speeds in excess of eighteen thousand miles per hour.
REVIVAL OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE
Daniel 2:40-44 predicts that the old Roman Empire will be revived in the end times into a ten Nation alliance. We currently see the foundation being laid today through the European Economic Community. "In 1957, six (6) Countries signed the Treaty of Rome laying the foundation for the future United States of Europe.............Since then the Maastricht Treaty consolidated the fifteen (15) Nations of the European Union into the worlds first superstate." All it will take is the re-shuffling and/or the consolidation of Nations to bring this prophesy to a literal fulfillment.
ODDS THAT THESE PROPHECIES WERE FULFILLED BY CHANCE IN THIS GENERATION
"In the Bible there are several types of generations. One generation is defined as the length of life of the average person - seventy or eighty years. However, a generation of governing is usually defined as forty years,...........During the last two thousand years since the days of Christ, there were fifty such forty-year generations. Therefore, the odds are one chance in fifty that any one of these specific prophecies happened by chance in our generation rather than some other generation."
"The odds that more than one event happening in our life time are:
"Another way of looking at this is that the chance that the prophets of the Bible correctly guessed these prophecies is also one in 97,500 trillion............in other words, it is simply impossible that men alone could
have written the Bible without the supernatural assistance and inspiration of God."
Matthew 24:32-35 - "Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh: So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors. Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled. Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away."
Luke 21:28 - "And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh."
ANTI-CHRIST TO BE REVEALED
As of today, no one knows who the Anti-Christ is, but we do know what God has told us about him:
Many people try to spiritualize or say the events prophesied in the Bible are just symbolic. Any doubt about how God handles these prophetic events should have been erased on May 14,1948. God is literally fulfilling scriptural prophesy before our very eyes. Can we expect anything less for those few remaining prophesies for which He has promised the world; 1) the removal of the one who restrains the man of lawlessness/Sin (the rapture of the Church), 2) His second coming to take possession of His inheritance, 3) The millennial kingdom and 4) the new heaven and new earth.
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Ezekiel 33:6 - "But if the watchman see the sword come, and blow not the trumpet, and the people be not warned; if the sword come, and take any person from among them, he is taken away in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at the watchman's hand."
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