THE Story of History - Israel's Moeds Are God's Prophetic Time Keepers.

THE Story of History

Have you noticed that the best selling movies aren't always the action movies? The action movies do sell, but even then, the action movies rise or fall with story line. The better the story, the more intriguing the plot and interaction with other characters, the better the movie. Marvel Movies. Lord of the Rings. Hobbit. Harry Potter. Narnia. Divergent. Hunger Games. The better the story, the better the movie.

I went through years of boring history classes. I can't remember most of what they taught, or even the faces or names of the teachers. Until...

College of the Desert. I still can't remember her name, but I remember her face. She was older and wiser, full of life and vigor. She'd traveled the world and back again. She said that learning history in terms of memorizing dates was worthless. She was going to teach us history by showing us the people of history, and how they impacted the world.

From that day forward, I became intrigued by history. History is nothing more than a story, unfolding before our eyes. There are small stories (individuals) intersecting with larger stories (groups, cities, countries, cultures, etc).  Nations rise and fall. Kingdoms come and go. All the while, THE story is unfolding before us, with us, and after we're gone.

As we look to understand the prophetic, and where we are in God's calendar, we may benefit from understanding that story He is telling us. It's a story that runs through history like a silver line of thread through an otherwise ordinary tapestry.

Moed's - God Appointed Seasons/Times/Markers

Prophetic Clocks

Jewish Holidays are marked Moed's (Marked Time) for God's Calendar. Billye Brim writes about Moeds on this PDF. God has his own timetable and calendar. He established a civil calendar for the physical nation of Israel; and he established a spiritual calendar as highlighted by the seasons he established.

*At the bottom of the article (linked here) gives an interesting breakdown of the various Jewish Holidays in light of biblical prophecy.

The Hebrew Calendar is counted starting on Nisan. 

The names of the months are:

1. Nisan - Spring
1. Festival: Pesach (Passover - The Lamb Given)
2. Lyyar - Spring
3. Sivan - Spring
1. Festival: Shavu'ot (Weeks - The Word & Spirit Given )
4. Tammuz - Summer
5. Av - Summer
6. Elul - Summer
7. Tishri - Fall
1. Festival: Sukkot (Booths - Shedding temporary housing, for the eternal)
8. Cheshvan - Fall
9. Kislev - Fall
10. Tevet - Winter
11. Shevat - Winter
12. Adar - Winter

Major Jewish Holidays

Judaism 101 provides a list of the major Jewish traditional holidays. The site also provides exact American Calendar days for these holidays in the current and coming years.

As I've been reading over the Jewish Holidays, and the Hebrew Calendar, I find God telling a story. Through His annual calendar, He is telling a story that spans earths history (past, present, and future).

This story is divided into two major sections. The story of Deliverance, and the story of the Future. I've included the approximate Modern Calendar month that corresponds to each Hebrew Calendar event. The symbol ( ~ ) means approximate.

Three Major Festivals (Pesach, Shavu'ot, Sukkot) divide the year in the Hebrew Calendar. Each holiday has it's own meaning and purpose, but these three are exclamation points on the calendar. Most holidays tie into one of these three.

The Story of Judgment and Deliverance - The Law (Fulfilled in the 1st coming of Jesus, and the giving of the HolySpirit). 

• Tu B'Shevat (Tu=15. Lit. 15th of the month of Shevat. New Year for Trees - Lev. 19:23-25)
• ~ February
• One of four "new years" celebrations through out the year, not one as we have. This was meant as the new year for trees. It determines when we are allowed to eat fruit from the trees planted.
• Hm... This reminds me of two Trees mentioned in Genesis 2:9. 

• Purim (Vote/Lots) (Deliverance from Extermination - Book of Esther 9:22)
• ~March
• The word Purim is translated "Lots" - As in casting lots. Like when you vote. If I vote for President X, I am casting my lot for that president. This was a season in which Esther had to choose to cast her vote with her people, the enemy cast his vote against them, the King was faced with the decision of casting his lot. God used Esther to persuade the King to cast his lot for Israel. 
• Just as the Law casts its vote against mankind, Jesus's sacrifice persuades the Judge to cast his vote in our favor. 
• Anywhere the people of God are persecuted, they can look to this story to find hope of deliverance. 

• Pesach (The Passover Festival - Exodus 12:14-17)(Fulfilled in Jesus Death and Resurrection)
• ~April
• The BLOOD of the LAMB on the door caused Death to Passover the people of God. So today, the Blood of Jesus on my heart has passed me from Death to LIFE. 
• In Israel, this remembers the time God used the Passover to bring them out of Egypt. 
• In the Church, this remembers the time God use the Passover to bring us our of Sin (spiritual Egypt).

• Lag B'Omer ( Counting of Days from Pesach to Shavu'ot - Lev 23:15-16 & Deut 16:9-10)
• ~May
• There are 50 days between Pesach and Shavu'ot. This period of 49 days between, landing on the 50th day "Shavu'ot". 
• Intended to remind us of the link between Pesach (Exodus from Egypt) and Shavu'ot (the giving of the Torah). It reminds us that the redemption from slavery (getting Born Again) was not complete until we received the Word of God. 

• Shavu'ot (Festival of Weeks) (Giving of the Torah - Leviticus 21:15-16)(Fulfilled in the giving of The Spirit)
• ~May
• The Word and the Spirit
• 2nd of Three Major Festivals Pesach, Shavu'ot, Sukkot.
• This day remembers that God came to give his people his written Word. 
• This is the time of giving the Torah, not receiving. This is because we are constantly receiving the Word of God, but this remembers the day it was given. 
• The book of Ruth is read at this time, to remind us of our Kinsman Redeemer. 
• PENTECOST literally means 50th. The Christian day of Pentecost, was the first day of Shavu'ot. 
• In fact, if you count the time from Jesus' death (on Passover) to the day we the HolySpirit was given it was 50 days. The HolySpirit was given on the same day in history that the Word of God was given. Tying forever together our need for the Word and the Spirit. 
• For the math geeks:
• Jesus died on Passover
• Acts 1:3, after his suffering he showed himself to his disciples for a period of 40 days. Then they went to a room and prayed for 10 days. 
• When the 50th day from Passover came, the HolySpirit came. 

• Tisha B'Av (Day or Mourning - 9th of Av - Various Citings)
• ~July
• Five misfortunes befell our fathers ... on the ninth of Av. ...On the ninth of Av it was decreed that our fathers should not enter the [Promised] Land, the Temple was destroyed the first and second time, Bethar was captured and the city [Jerusalem] was ploughed up. -Mishnah Ta'anit 4:6
• This is a day of mourning to commemorate the many tragedies that have befallen the Jewish people, both ancient and modern. On this day in 1492 the Jews were expelled from Spain, and in 1290 they were expelled from England. 
• It reminds us that God's people will always be persecuted, as long as we live in this fallen world, awaiting our final redemption. It also reminds us that He is our constant deliverer. 

The Story of the Future: NEW & BETTER (Fulfilled in the Rapture of the Church, followed by the return of Jesus). 

• Rosh Hashanah (New Year - Leviticus 16:24) 
• ~ September
• This is meant to be a serious time of reflection. Not a party like the American new year. This is a time where life is reflected on, and vows are made.
• "Biblical: Yom Ha-Zikkaron (the day of remembrance). The Shofar is a ram's horn, which is blown like a trumpet. A total of 100 notes are sounded each day. There are four different types of shofar notes: tekiah, a 3 second sustained note; shevarim, three 1-second notes rising in tone, teruah, a series of short, staccato notes extending over a period of about 3 seconds; and tekiah gedolah (literally, "big tekiah"), the final blast in a set, which lasts (I think) 10 seconds minimum. Click the shofar above to hear an approximation of the sound of Tekiah Shevarim-Teruah Tekiah. The Bible gives no specific reason for this practice. One that has been suggested is that the shofar's sound is a call to repentance. The shofar is not blown if the holiday falls on Shabbat."
• Hm.... where have I heard something about the last trumpet? (1 Cor 15:52)

• Judaism has several different "new years," a concept which may seem strange at first, but think of it this way: the American "new year" starts in January, but the new "school year" starts in September, and many businesses have "fiscal years" that start at various times of the year. 
• In Judaism, 
• Nissan 1 is the new year for the purpose of counting the reign of kings and months on the calendar, 
• Elul 1 (in August) is the new year for the tithing of animals, 
• Shevat 15 (in February) is the new year for trees (determining when first fruits can be eaten, etc.), and 
• Tishri 1 (Rosh Hashanah) is the new year for years (when we increase the year number. Sabbatical and Jubilee years begin at this time).

• Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement - Leviticus 16:29-30)
• ~ October
• Considered the most important holiday of the Jewish Year. This is the last appeal, last chance, to change the judgment against you. It is customary to fast, and wear white to symbolize purity. 
• The last opportunity to evaluate your stance before God before you face the final Judgment.
• Hm.... What period of time does this sound like?

• Sukkot (Booths) (7 Day Festival of Booths - Leviticus 23:34)
• ~ October
• This takes place on the fifth day after Yom Kippur (the most solemn day of the year), and it in contrast the most unreservedly joyful days of the year. Commonly known as the season of rejoicing. This is meant to celebrate the time that Israel left a life wandering through the desert, and found their permanent home. 
• The Promise Home - No more temporary living. No more "some day", because "some day" has arrived. 
• Hm... What period of time does this sound like?

Also joined to, but separate from Sukkot:

• Shemini Atzeret ( Assembly of the 8th Day - Leviticus 23:34)
• ~ October
• The idea is that our host (God) enjoyed us being with him so much during Sukkot, he asked us to stay another day. It's like... the after party!
• New Heaven and New Earth?
• Simchat Torah (Rejoicing in the Torah {Word of God} - Leviticus 23:34)
• ~ October
• Marks the completion of the annual cycle. We read the last of the Word of God, and then the Beginning of the Word of God to remind us that His Word is like a circle, never ending cycle. 
• ALL things are restored to their rightful place, and original intent. 

Extra Biblical Holiday

• Chanukkah (Re-dedication of the Temple - Not Established in the bible)
• ~ December
• Re-dedication of the Temple - One days oil, lasted eight days. A remembrance of God's provision for his people. 
• But a good reminder that God is our provider! 

The AGES of the Prophetic 

As I read it, these various traditions are marked into an Old Testament, New Testament type structure. Maybe we could say that God's His-story  of earth is divided into four Acts. Because the nation of Israel was created in Act 2, only Acts 2-4 are represented in the Jewish Holidays.

• Act 1 - Age of Sin (OT)
• Pre-Israel/Pre-Moses: All that came before Israel is Act 1. 
• From Adam, to Noah, to Abraham, to Moses. 
• We see a similar type of break down in Matthew 1, Abraham-David-Babylon-Messiah. 

• Act 2 - Age of Law (OT)
• Ancient Israel
• From Moses to just before Jesus

Intermission

• Act 3 - Age of Grace (NT)
• Church Age
• From Jesus' 1st coming to Jesus' 2nd Coming

• Act 4 - Age of Redemption (NT)
• The NEW Age
• The 1,000 year Literal Physical Reign of Jesus as King of Planet Earth

• End of Story: 
• New Story Begins 
• New heaven and new earth.

Three Festivals - God's GAME Time - Think Football

There are three major week long festivals in Hebrew-Biblical Jewish tradition. Pesach, Shavu'ot, and Sukkot. Together, they tell a story of God's redemptive plan for a nation (physical Israel) and a people (spiritual Israel -which includes all His people).

In American Football, there are four quarters. The National Football League (NFL) (here) breaks down the timing of the game. The four quarters consist of 15 minutes each, with breaks between quarters, a half time, time outs, etc. In fact, there are many breaks built in. The GAME is 60 minutes, but to watch a game is (on average) 3 hours and 12 minutes (here).

In the same way, God's calendar (His-story), it broken up into specific clocks that start and stop as events occur. Do not think of God's prophetic clock as something that started with Adam and kept running; rather, as a game clock.

God's Plan is broken up into four quarters as well. The first quarter was Pre-Israel, so the remaining three quarters were built into his celebration events with Israel.

Act 1 - Age of Sin (OT) Festival Zero - Sin Came

• Adam to Abraham - Pre-Israel
• God covers mankind during this period through sacrifices and the shedding of blood. God shed an animals blood to cover Adam, and Abraham was already well versed in sacrifices. Abraham brought a sacrifice to Melchizedek, and later was willing to sacrifice Issac. 

Act 2 - Age of Law (OT) Festival One - Deals with the effect of Sin

• Pesach (Passover - The Lamb Given and Received) - Fully Fulfilled
• The Passover Lamb
• God establishes Israel, to deal with sin corporately, and provide a temporary solution to sin.  
• Jesus Came - Putting an end to the effects of Sin.

Act 3 - Age of Grace (NT) Festival Two - Deals with the causes of Sin

• Shavu'ot (Weeks - The Word & Spirit) - 2/3 Fulfilled
• Shavu'ot is the fulfillment of our redemption. We are delivered from Egypt (sin), but what are delivered to?
• The Word Given - Deals with the Mind, redeemed by the Word.
• The HolySpirit Given - Deals with the Heart, redeemed by the Spirit.
• The Resurrection - Deals with the Body; the last is yet to be redeemed. 

Act 4 - Age of Redemption (NT) Festival Three - Puts an end to Sin, once and for all. 

• Rosh Hashanah - Last Trumpet  - (Not Fulfilled)

• At the trumpet of God: the dead in Christ shall rise, we who remain will be caught up with them in the clouds. Just like Jesus left into the clouds, we will too. (1 Thess 4:16)
• The Last Trumpet, marks the start of a new time of seriousness and reflectivity. 
• A 7 year period of time?

• Yom Kipur - Last Chance - (Not Fulfilled)
• The last opportunity to evaluate your stance before God before you face the final Judgment.
• Daniel 9 speaks of 70-sevens to atone for wickedness, and put an end to sin. We know there is one seven left un-accounted for. Yom Kipur is the start of the last chance, the last Day of Atonement before the Messiah returns. Jesus is the Messiah. 
• Messiah and Christ mean Anointed. 

• Jesus Christ is Jesus THE Anointed One, who was cut off, ending a period of 69 "sevens", leaving one yet to come. 

• Daniel 9:24-27 "Seventy 'sevens' are decreed for your people and your holy city to finish transgression, to put an end to sin, to atone for wickedness, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy and to anoint the most holy. 25 "Know and understand this: From the issuing of the decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until the Anointed One, the ruler, comes, there will be seven 'sevens,' and sixty-two 'sevens.' It will be rebuilt with streets and a trench, but in times of trouble. 
• 7+62=69; leaving one 7
• 26 After the sixty-two 'sevens,' the Anointed One will be cut off and will have nothing. The people of the ruler who will come will destroy the city and the sanctuary. 
• The end will come like a flood: War will continue until the end, and desolations have been decreed. 27 He will confirm a covenant with many for one 'seven.' In the middle of the 'seven' he will put an end to sacrifice and offering. And on a wing [of the temple] he will set up an abomination that causes desolation, until the end that is decreed is poured out on him. "

• Sukkot (Booths - Shedding temporary housing, for the eternal) - New Beginning - (Not Fulfilled)
• The NEW: We are no longer wanderers, temporary residents in a foreign land. We are able to shed our tents and take up permanent residence. 
• No longer ambassadors of Jesus in a dark world, now we are co-heirs. We are reigning with Him. 
• This could refer to when we get our new bodies, but I think it refers to the end of Satan's rule, and the start of the Messiahs' 1,000 year reign on this earth. 

Post Movie Credits

Just as in the best Marvel movies, the end is followed by a hint of another movie yet to come. So God built a teaser into His Calendar, to remind us that this movie/story is only the first in a never ending series.

• Shemini Atzeret ( Assembly of the 8th Day - Leviticus 23:34)
• God's Afterparty! New Heaven and New Earth

• Simchat Torah (Rejoicing in the Torah {Word of God} - Leviticus 23:34
• NEW Cycle - All things come full circle to their intended purpose. The end is really the beginning He intended all along.

Thanks for studying with me.

By DarrellWolfe

DiscerningTheTime

http://discerningthetime.blogspot.com

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Define: Oil

There are over 200 search results in the NIV translation for "Oil". I think God is trying to tell us something.

http://www.biblestudytools.com/search/?q=oil&c=&t=niv&ps=100&s=Bibles

Other Resources:

Biblical Word of the Month - Oil
By: Jeff A. Benner
In today’s culture, oil symbolizes wealth. Nothing has changed over thousands of years.
In the ancient cutlures of the near and middle east, oil was a symbol of wealth. Oil was
used in lamps for making light. Different types of oils, such as the olive oil, were used for medicinal purposes. Oil was poured on one who was taking the office of king or priest. Oil was used in offerings to Elohiym. The Hebrew word for oil is שמן (shemen, Strong's #8081 and shamen, Strong's #8082). The verb form is שמן (shaman, Strong's #8080) and means “to be fat.” The parent root of this word is שם (shem, Strong's #8034), which is usually translated as “name” but more Hebraicly means “character.” Isn’t your character your wealth? Isn’t the character of YHWH his wealth?

Biblical Word of the Month - Messiah

By: Jeff A. Benner

The Hebrew word משיח (mashiach/mah-shee-ahch - where the "ch" is pronounced hard as in the name Bach - Strongs #4899) is usually transliterated as Messiah. Let us first examine how this word is transliterated and translated. In the Tenach/Old Testament this word is usually translated in the English as "Anointed One" and occasionally transliterated as "Messiah". In the Greek Septuagint (LXX) this Hebrew word is translated with the Greek word "christos" and is transliterated as "Christ".

The root word of meshiyach is the verb mashach (Strong's #4886) meaning "to anoint". In the ancient Hebrew culture is customary to pour oil on the head of one who is being given a position of authority. This practice is called "anointing". One of the most common misunderstandings about meshiyach is that there is only one, but the Tenach identifies several. The word is used 39 times and just a few of these are listed below.

Leviticus 4:3 If the anointed (mashiyach) priest (kohen) sins bringing guilt to the people....

1 Samuel 24:6 And he (David) said to his men, YHWH forbid me if I should do this thing to my lord (Saul) the anointed (mashiyach) of YHWH

1 Chronicles 16:22 Do not touch my anointed (mashiyach), my prophets do not harm.

I chose these three passages for one reason, it demonstrates, from an Hebraic perspective, who are mashiyach. The Priests, Kings and Prophets of Israel are the mashiyach of Israel, they are the ones who are anointed as men of authority.

While the original meaning of the word mashiyach is applied to one who is actually anointed with oil, it by extension can also refer to anyone who holds an office of authority whether they were anointed or not. The Tenach identifies Cyrus, the King of Persia as a mashiyach.

Isaiah 45:1 Thus says YHWH to his anointed (mashiyach) Cyrus (the King of Persia)...

Without going into the controversy about who the coming mashiyach (Messiah) was, is or will be, our purpose here is to understand the Hebraic concept of who and what a mashiyach is. This will give us a foundation within or our own studies about the mashiyach.

WIKI

The holy anointing oil (Hebrew: shemen "oil", ha-mishchah "of anointing" שמן המשחה) formed an integral part of the ordination of the priesthood and the high priest as well as in the consecration of the articles of the tabernacle (Exodus 30:26) and subsequent temples in Jerusalem. The primary purpose of anointing with the holy anointing oil was to cause the anointed persons or objects to become qodesh – most holy (Exodus 30:29).Originally the oil was used exclusively for the priests and the Tabernacle articles but was later extended to include prophets and kings (I Samuel 10:1). It was forbidden to be used on an outsider (Exodus 30:33) or to be used on the body of any common persons (Ex. 30:32a) and the Israelites were forbidden to duplicate any like it for themselves (Ex. 30:32b).

Anointing Jewish Encyclopedia

Two words are employed in the Old Testament for Anointing, and . The former designates the private use of unguents in making one's toilet, the latter their use as a religious rite.

Anoint The Preist:

Leviticus 8:30 NIV

Then Moses took some of the anointing oil and some of the blood from the altar and sprinkled them on Aaron and his garments and on his sons and their garments. So he consecrated Aaron and his garments and his sons and their garments.

Exodus 29:2-12

4 Then bring Aaron and his sons to the entrance to the Tent of Meeting and wash them with water. 5 Take the garments and dress Aaron with the tunic, the robe of the ephod, the ephod itself and the breastpiece. Fasten the ephod on him by its skillfully woven waistband. 6 Put the turban on his head and attach the sacred diadem to the turban. 7 Take the anointing oil and anoint him by pouring it on his head.

Making the Anointing Oil:

Exodus 30:19-29 Anointing Oil:

22 Then the LORD said to Moses, 23 "Take the following fine spices: 500 shekels of liquid myrrh, half as much (that is, 250 shekels) of fragrant cinnamon, 250 shekels of fragrant cane, 24 500 shekels of cassia--all according to the sanctuary shekel--and a hin of olive oil. 25 Make these into a sacred anointing oil, a fragrant blend, the work of a perfumer. It will be the sacred anointing oil. 26 Then use it to anoint the Tent of Meeting, the ark of the Testimony, 27 the table and all its articles, the lampstand and its accessories, the altar of incense, 28 the altar of burnt offering and all its utensils, and the basin with its stand. 29 You shall consecrate them so they will be most holy, and whatever touches them will be holy.

Anoint The King

1 Samuel 10:1 NIVThen Samuel took a flask of oil and poured it on Saul's head and kissed him, saying, "Has not the LORD anointed you leader over his inheritance?
1 Samuel 16:1 NIV
[Samuel Anoints David] The LORD said to Samuel, "How long will you mourn for Saul, since I have rejected him as king over Israel? Fill your horn with oil and be on your way; I am sending you to Jesse of Bethlehem. I have chosen one of his sons to be king."
Psalm 45:7 NIVYou love righteousness and hate wickedness; therefore God, your God, has set you above your companions by anointing you with the oil of joy.
Hebrews 1:9 NIVYou have loved righteousness and hated wickedness; therefore God, your God, has set you above your companions by anointing you with the oil of joy."

Joy. Blessing.

Isaiah 61:3 NIVand provide for those who grieve in Zion-- to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the LORD for the display of his splendor.

Psalm 23:5 NIVYou prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.

Healing.

James 5:14 NIVIs any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord.

Other.

Ezekiel 16:19 NIVAlso the food I provided for you--the fine flour, olive oil and honey I gave you to eat--you offered as fragrant incense before them. That is what happened, declares the Sovereign LORD.
Ezekiel 23:41 NIVYou sat on an elegant couch, with a table spread before it on which you had placed the incense and oil that belonged to me.
Matthew 25:3 NIVThe foolish ones took their lamps but did not take any oil with them.
Matthew 25:4 NIVThe wise, however, took oil in jars along with their lamps.
Matthew 25:9 NIV" 'No,' they replied, 'there may not be enough for both us and you. Instead, go to those who sell oil and buy some for yourselves.'
Matthew 25:10 NIV"But while they were on their way to buy the oil, the bridegroom arrived. The virgins who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet. And the door was shut.
Luke 10:34 NIVHe went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, took him to an inn and took care of him.

Thanks for studying with me.

By DarrellWolfe

DiscerningTheTime

http://discerningthetime.blogspot.com

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Genesis 1: Dr John Walton Explains Origin Stories And Accurate Genesis Interpretations

Origin Stories - Who's the audience, and what is being communicated?

I fist learned of Dr John Walton on the Phil Vischer podcast #80. Dr Walton is a Conservative Old Testament Professor at Wheaton Univ. Dr Walton wrote about his trip to explain alternate understandings in an article on BioLogos' website: "Reflections on Reading Genesis 1-3: John Walton’s World Tour, Part 1". He makes several interesting points in his talk with Phil and in his article.

• http://biologos.org/blog/john-waltons-world-tour-part-1
• http://biologos.org/blog/john-waltons-world-tour-part-2
• http://biologos.org/blog/john-waltons-world-tour-part-3

Genesis One is an origin story. But what kind?

House VS Home

"The material focus that is common today would yield a story about the origins of the (cosmic) house. The functional focus that I believe describes the biblical text would yield a story about the origins of the home (sacred space)." John Walton

The purpose of Genesis is to speak to an ancient audience about the home God created. It is the origin of people on earth, not the origin of (creation of) the planet earth. You can talk about origins in terms of someone building a house (electricity, plumbing, framing), or you can talk about origins in terms of a home (den, office, bedroom). The home story is the story Genesis is telling, not a house story. Genesis is not discussing material objects (atoms, chemical elements), it is discussing the creation of the order of mankind.

A house can stand there for 100's of years, but it becomes a home the moment a person moves in. The earth was ordered in Genesis for people to move in.

Audience Perspective - The bible is written for us, not to us. 

"He is trying to help the Israelites understand the gravity of what is about to happen. They are ready to establish sacred space defined by the indwelling presence of God for the first time since Eden. So he explains to them that God had planned for the cosmos to be sacred space with him dwelling in the midst of his people—he had set up the cosmos and ordered it for that very purpose." John Walton

Do not think of Genesis being communicated to Adam and Eve, but to an ancient Moses to Israel. The audience bring written to, is the key to understanding the author's intent. We cannot take modern questions, and imposing them onto a text that was never intended to answer them.

Very Good: Order Not Perfection

"Creating a room: In dinner table conversation one night, my wife and I were talking about the room in our house we call the “den,” and it led to an interesting observation: Naming a room and giving it a distinct function distinguishes (separates) it from other rooms and represents the “creation” of the room. In our house, a room had previously been used as a dining room by its former owners. We decided we didn’t want it to be a dining room so we called it a “den,” gave it a function as a den, put in it the furniture of a den and began to use it that way. By its name and function it was distinguished from other rooms in the house and thus the den was created. And it was good (functioned as it was intended to function). This serves as a good illustration of the role that naming, separating and determining a function have in the creation of a room and its existence as that room." John Walton

To order a thing, it to give it function. Things were "good" because they were in order, and they functioned in their intended order.

Podcast#80 (50:00)

When God says in Genesis 1, God says it was all "Very Good", what do you do with that? Skye

"Very Good" is not a term that pertains to righteousnesses, morality, or perfection. It is a term that applies to  things working the way that they were designed to work. When God says that it is "Very Good" it means that Order has been achieved in that area, in that issue, and therefore it's ready to function properly. I use the example; when I get on a plane I assume the pilot is in the cockpit going through a checklist 'check, check, check'; 'very good, very good, very good'. He's saying everything is ready to run. It doesn't mean he's making them at that moment, it doesn't mean it's perfect; although I hope it is very functional. Flaps Good. Engine Good." John Walton

The earth has three states: Order, Non Order, and Disorder. In the creation story, there is Non Order, God orders things enough for man to function on the planet. Not ALL things are ordered. There is still a sea, there won't be in the new creation (Revelations 21:1).

Why do we need a Tree of Life?

Adam was not immortal. The Tree of Life was Adam's key to continually restoring LIFE. During the fall Adam did not introduce death into the world, he failed to obtain LIFE for the world.

Death Expounded. What is death exactly and when did it come into being?

"Given the position that I have taken, Adam was created mortal (and with pain and suffering—after all, “good” does not mean “perfect”), but he was given the hope for life through the tree and (more importantly) through relationship with God in his presence. This means that Adam did not bring death, pain, and suffering to an immortal humanity—he simply failed to acquire life for them (forfeited access to the tree of life; the need for the tree of life indicated their mortality)." John Walton

By DarrellWolfe

DiscerningTheTime

http://discerningthetime.blogspot.com

Read more ...

Four Blood Moons and Rising Anti Semitism... The Wind Is Blowing Again!

The Count Down Of History

Approximately 1 AD to 33 AD Jesus (A Jew) lived, died, rose again. The Holy Spirit Came. The Church was Born. Many believe he his crucifixion took place around 33 AD. And thus out modern era was born. Which is why many scholars now use the term C.E.(Common Era) instead of A.D. (Anno Domini)

During Jesus ministry he prophesied some things that have directly affected the nation of Israel to this day.

We won't take the entire chapter apart here in this article. But let's take a look at some important parts.

Matthew 24
1 Then Jesus went out and departed from the temple, and His disciples came up to show Him the buildings of the temple. 2 And Jesus said to them, "Do you not see all these things? Assuredly, I say to you, not one stone shall be left here upon another, that shall not be thrown down." 3 Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, "Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?"

4 And Jesus answered and said to them: "Take heed that no one deceives you. 5 For many will come in My name, saying, 'I am the Christ,' and will deceive many. 6 And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. 7 For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places. 

8 All these are the beginning of sorrows. 9 Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name's sake. 10 And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another. 11 Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many. 12 And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold. 13 But he who endures to the end shall be saved. 

14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come.

So Jesus tells us that:

• The Temple will be destroyed. 
• Nations will rise in war against other nations (World Wars)
• Kingdoms will rise against Kingdoms. (Spiritual Wars) (Kingdom of Darkness against the Kingdom of God's Dear Son. Col 1:13)
• God's People will be hated, killed, and given up to trials and tribulations all for the name of God. (Both Christians and Jews bear the title Children of God) (Inquisitions, Holocaust(s), and more have been levied against all true followers of God by Religions and Governments seeking control and power). 
• The Gospel Will Be Preached, IN ALL THE WORLD, as a witness to ALL the nations, and THEN the end will come. 

A Brief Recap Of The History of Israel Since Jesus (1 AD)

Only 37 years after Jesus left the Church to grow, the Romans began their assault:

The Siege of Jerusalem in the year 70 AD was the decisive event of the First Jewish-Roman War. The Romanarmy, led by the future Emperor Titus, with Tiberius Julius Alexander as his second-in-command, besieged and conquered the city of Jerusalem, which had been occupied by its Jewish defenders in 66 AD.
The siege ended with the sacking of the city and the destruction of its famous Second Temple. The destruction of both the first and second temples is still mourned annually as the Jewish fast Tisha B'Av. The Arch of Titus, celebrating the Roman sack of Jerusalem and the Temple, still stands in Rome.

By AD 135 the Romans officially renamed "Judea" as "Palestine", believing the area to have been a word derived from "Philistine", the enemy God, through Israel, Conquered, to take over the land of Canaan. Although Jews still lived in the area, it no longer bear their name, the name of God's people.


By 313 Constantine had turned the official religion of The Roman Empire, to Christianity, or at least his twisted version of it. Holy Sites were being built in Israel and Jews were once again evicted by religious government.








Inquisition Info by Jewish Virtual Library

In 1288 the first mass burning of Jews at the stake took place in the France due to a move by organized religion to seek out and destroy those who would teach or preach any doctrine but the officially approved religious doctrine they had authorized. All brands of religious doctrine and expression, including Jewish teaching. By 1481 the Inquisition started in Spain.

Wiki on WW1

World War I (WWI or WW1), also known as the First World War, was a global war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918. 


Lobbying by Chaim Weizmann and fear that American Jews would encourage the USA to support Germany culminated in the British government's Balfour Declaration of 1917, endorsing creation of a Jewish homeland in Palestine.^[202] A total of more than 1,172,000 Jewish soldiers served in the Allied and Central Power forces in World War I, including 275,000 in Austria-Hungary and 450,000 in Czarist Russia.^[203]


TimeLine by Jafi

In February, Mark Sykes (1879-1919), adviser on Middle Eastern affairs to Britain's Prime Minister Lloyd George opens negotiations with the Zionist leaders that are to lead to the Balfour Declaration. The British want to protect their interests in the Suez Canal area by placing the whole Palestine under their control.

New Threats Loom

The Following is an excerpt from an article by YNetNews.Com:

The leaflet was written in Russian and had Russia's national symbol on it, as well as the Donetsk People's Republic insignia. "Dear Ukraine citizens of Jewish nationality," the flyer began, "due to the fact that the leaders of the Jewish community of Ukraine supported Bendery Junta," a reference to Stepan Bandera, the leader of the Ukrainian nationalist movement which fought for Ukrainian independence at the end of World War II, "and oppose the pro-Slavic People's Republic of Donetsk, (the interim government) has decided that all citizens of Jewish descent, over 16 years of age and residing within the republic's territory are required to report to the Commissioner for Nationalities in the Donetsk Regional Administration building and register." The leaflet detailed what type of documents the Jewish citizens would need to supply: "ID and passport are required to register your Jewish religion, religious documents of family members, as well as documents establishing the rights to all real estate property that belongs to you, including vehicles." If the message was not made clear enough, the leaflet further stipulated the consequences that would come to those who failed to abide by the new demands: "Evasion of registration will result in citizenship revoke and you will be forced outside the country with a confiscation of property." To add insult to injury, the leaflet demanded the Jews pay a registration fee of $50.

This turned out to be only half true as Snopes explains:

Exactly who distributed the leaflets, and why, is still unclear. The material purportedly bore the signature of Denis Pushilin, supposedly the self-proclaimed leader of the pro-Russian separatist group, but he has maintained that his group had nothing to do with the leaflets and that they were put out by someone else to discredit the separatists as being anti-Semitic...Read more at http://www.snopes.com/politics/religion/ukraine.asp#lCjU7SPUywMfGUCb.99

Also this week, a man shouting Anti Jewish slurs shot people at a Jewish Community Center on the eve of Passover.

(CNN) -- A man with a history of spouting anti-Semitic rhetoric is suspected of shooting to death a boy and his grandfather outside a Jewish community center near Kansas City, Kansas, and then a woman at a nearby Jewish assisted living facility.

People are making movies and sitcoms about prophecy, trying to figure out what Jesus meant. But without the Holy Spirit they come up with wildly imaginative, but completely inaccurate ideas. Like the sitcom Zero Hour, which was entertaining, but not even close to biblically/prophetically accurate




Article By John Hagee on the Four Blood Moons on the Christian Post:

1. Passover-April 15, 2014
2. Feast of Tabernacles-October 8, 2014
3. Passover-April 4, 2015
4. Feast of Tabernacles-September 28, 2015 

Four Blood Moons (Tetrads) that are significant to Israel and also occur during Jewish Feasts are extremely rare-they have happened only three times in more than five hundred years. 

To understand the significance of this coming series of Four Blood Moons, we need to consider the globally significant religious events connected with the previous three Tetrads. 

The Four Blood Moons of 1493–94 announced the Edict of Expulsion, which banished from Spain all Jewish people who, despite being tortured, refused to convert to Catholicism during the Spanish Inquisition. But their tears ended in triumph when Christopher Columbus found a haven for Jews around the world: America. 

The Four Blood Moons of 1949–50 followed the birth of the State of Israel, in which God gathered the Jewish exiles from the nations of the world and brought them home to the land of covenant as foretold by the Old Testament prophets. 

The Four Blood Moons of 1967–68 coincided with the Six-Day War, when the city of Jerusalem was finally reunited with the State of Israel. Today, Jerusalem is more than the country's "undivided capital"-it's where Christ was crucified for the sins of the world and where He will return to rule a global kingdom that will never end. 

Four Blood Moons: Something Is About to Change By John Hagee (Affiliate Link)

Hmmmm

To read it yourself:

Four Blood Moons: Something Is About to Change By John Hagee (Affiliate Link)



Thanks for studying with me.

By DarrellWolfe

DiscerningTheTime

http://discerningthetime.blogspot.com

Read more ...

Daniel 2: The Statue of Nations and 4, make that 5, Kingdoms Of World History

The Four Kingdoms Before Jesus' Coming

Daniel lays out in perfect high definition the ages of world history from his time to the end of time, as it pertains specifically to Israel.

Daniel is not giving us all of history from Creation forward. He is giving us history as it pertains to World Level affairs, or World Kingdoms. Even more specifically only those world powers which, at one point or another, will have possession of God's People and God's Holy City Jerusalem.

Although the USA and USSR both like to call themselves "World Superpowers", they are not World Kingdoms. They also do not, at this time, have possession of God's Holy City, so they would not be included in God's Recorded Calendar.

Let's look at the text of Daniel Chapter 2 and then break it down.

Attribution: "Emperor Trajan at Tower Hill" by [Duncan]

The statue of Daniel 2:

31 "You saw, O king, and behold, a great image. This image, mighty and of exceeding brightness, stood before you, and its appearance was frightening. 32 The head of this image was of fine gold, its chest and arms of silver, its middle and thighs of bronze, 33 its legs of iron, its feet partly of iron and partly of clay. 34 As you looked, a stone was cut out by no human hand, and it struck the image on its feet of iron and clay, and broke them in pieces. 35 Then the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver, and the gold, all together were broken in pieces, and became like the chaff of the summer threshing floors; and the wind carried them away, so that not a trace of them could be found. But the stone that struck the image became a great mountain and filled the whole earth.

Daniel's Interpretation:

36 "This was the dream. Now we will tell the king its interpretation. 37 You, O king, the king of kings, to whom the God of heaven has given the kingdom, the power, and the might, and the glory, 38 and into whose hand he has given, wherever they dwell, the children of man, the beasts of the field, and the birds of the heavens, making you rule over them all--you are the head of gold. 39 Another kingdom inferior to you shall arise after you, and yet a third kingdom of bronze, which shall rule over all the earth. 40 And there shall be a fourth kingdom, strong as iron, because iron breaks to pieces and shatters all things. And like iron that crushes, it shall break and crush all these. 41 And as you saw the feet and toes, partly of potter's clay and partly of iron, it shall be a divided kingdom, but some of the firmness of iron shall be in it, just as you saw iron mixed with the soft clay. 42 And as the toes of the feet were partly iron and partly clay, so the kingdom shall be partly strong and partly brittle. 43 As you saw the iron mixed with soft clay, so they will mix with one another in marriage, but they will not hold together, just as iron does not mix with clay. 44 And in the days of those kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that shall never be destroyed, nor shall the kingdom be left to another people. It shall break in pieces all these kingdoms and bring them to an end, and it shall stand forever, 45 just as you saw that a stone was cut from a mountain by no human hand, and that it broke in pieces the iron, the bronze, the clay, the silver, and the gold. A great God has made known to the king what shall be after this. The dream is certain, and its interpretation sure."

Babylon: Head Of Gold - Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon

37 You, O king, the king of kings, to whom the God of heaven has given the kingdom, the power, and the might, and the glory, 38 and into whose hand he has given, wherever they dwell, the children of man, the beasts of the field, and the birds of the heavens, making you rule over them all--you are the head of gold.

Babylon the Great! The finest richest, and most wide spread of all the kingdoms of earth at the time.

Ancient History Encyclopedia notes "Every ancient writer to make mention of the city of Babylon, outside of those responsible for the stories in the Bible, does so with a tone of awe and reverence."

Wiki: "Nabopolassar was followed by his son Nebuchadnezzar II (605 BC – 562 BC), whose reign of 43 years made Babylon once more the mistress of much of the civilized world..."

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/c1/Neo-Babylonian_Empire.png/300px-Neo-Babylonian_Empire.png

What is most interesting, according to wiki, is that all four kingdoms eventually held Babylon The City at one time during their perspective reigns:

Immediately after Darius seized Persia, Babylonia briefly recovered its independence under a native ruler, Nidinta-Bel, who took the name of Nebuchadnezzar III, and reigned from October 522 BC to August 520 BC, when Darius took the city by storm, during this period Assyria to the north also rebelled. A few years later, probably 514 BC, Babylon again revolted under the Armenian King Arakha; on this occasion, after its capture by the Persians, the walls were partly destroyed. E-Saggila, the great temple of Bel, however, still continued to be kept in repair and to be a center of Babylonian religious feelings.
Alexander the Great conquered Babylon in 333 BC for the Greeks, and died there in 323 BC. Babylonia and Assyria then became part of the Greek Seleucid Empire. It has long been maintained that the foundation of Seleucia diverted the population to the new capital of Babylonia, and that the ruins of the old city became a quarry for the builders of the new seat of government, but the recent publication of the Babylonian Chronicles of the Hellenistic Period has shown that urban life was still very much the same well into the Parthian age (150 BC to 226 AD). The Parthian king Mithridates conquered the region into the Arsacid Empire in 150 BC, and the region became something of a battleground between Greeks and Parthians.
There was a brief interlude of Roman conquest (Roman Assyria, Roman Mesopotamia; AD 116 to 118) under Trajan, after which the Parthians reasserted control.

Babylon gave rise to human pursuits void of God. Babylon was possibly the most culturally significant of the kingdoms because they significantly solidified the disciplines of Art, Architecture, Astronomy, Medicine (Medical Diagnosis), Literature, Mathematics, and Philosophy. (Wiki)

Persia: Chest and Arms of Silver

39 Another kingdom inferior to you shall arise after you

Also Known As: Achaemenid Empire or Medo-Persian Empire

After Babylon under Nebuchadnezzar was turned over to his son, the kingdom fell to Persia. This happened while Daniel was still living, so Daniel actually lived through the transition of the first leg of this prophecy. (It was actually under Persian King Darius that Daniel was thrown into the lions den and rescued by God.) This kingdom was much like Babylon, but inferior not in size but in quality, but only slightly less, as silver is only slightly less inferior to gold but still highly valuable.

Salina Bible Church Notes: 

The breast and arms of silver were a fitting rep­resentation of the Medo-Persian kingdom because, in ancient times, silver was used as money and was the standard of value and medium of exchange. Medo-Persia became noted for basing its power on money, which was collected through an extensive tax system (Ezra 4:13; Dan. 11:2)7 

Daniel stated that Medo-Persia would be inferior to Babylon (2:39). It was not inferi­or in military strength, for it conquered Babylon. Nor was it inferior in size, for Medo-Persia became a much larger kingdom than Babylon. But it was inferi­or in one respect: Because it was a partnership kingdom, it lacked tbe absolute unity that Babylon enjoyed.⁸

Ancient History Enc Notes:

 Under Cyrus the Great and Darius the Great, the Persian Empire eventually became the largest empire in human history up until that point, ruling and administrating over most of the then known world. (http://www.ancient.eu.com/Persia/)

http://www.ancient.eu.com/uploads/images/265.png

Another Note by Ancient History Enc:

Cyrus the Great created the Cyrus Cylinder, considered to be the first declaration of human rights and was the first king whose name has the suffix "Great". (http://www.ancient.eu.com/Persia/)

This new Persian Kingdom gave rise to more human centered pursuits. Human Rights. Money As Power. Taxes As Power, through control over monetary systems. 

Greece: Belly and Thighs of Bronze

39... and yet a third kingdom of bronze, which shall rule over all the earth.

Also known as: The Seleucid Empire (Or Hellenists)

The Seleucid Empire was a major center of Hellenistic culture that maintained the preeminence of Greek customs where a Greek-Macedonian political elite dominated, mostly in the urban areas

Greece takes Persia and Babylons lead and expands the kingdom further, both in size and culture.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b0/Diadochen1.png/300px-Diadochen1.png

The Cultural Shift of Greece was that this empire is now the largest of the three so far. But due to it's sheer size new changes to human pursuit had to be implemented.

The immense size of the empire, followed by its encompassing nature, made the Seleucid rulers have a governing interest in implementing a policy of racial unity initiated by Alexander. (Wiki)

Under Greece the shift is one of "Tolerance" and "Acceptance" of other ideas. It's simultaneously attempting to absorb all peoples into "One Culture" and yet through that process must also adapt and adopt parts of that culture.

As two pieces of paper, once glued, cannot be separated without taking pieces of each other with them, so would be any culture that had been adopted into Greece. They are the Borg, "We will assimilate you, resistance is futile."

This worked fine for them until they ran into cultures that refused to be changed, namely Israel.

Synthesizing Hellenic and indigenous cultural, religious, and philosophical ideas met with varying degrees of success — resulting in times of simultaneous peace and rebellion in various parts of the empire. Such was the case with the Jewish population of the Seleucid empire because the Jews posed a significant problem which eventually led to war. Contrary to the accepting nature of the Ptolemaic empire towards native religions and customs, the Seleucids gradually tried to force Hellenization upon the Jewish people in their territory by outlawing Judaism. This eventually led to the revolt of the Jews under Seleucid control, which would later lead to the Jews achieving independence. (Wiki)

So this then becomes a problem for the Greeks. They have found a culture that believes so strongly in their God, and his Law, that they cannot be easily assimilated.

Does this sound familiar? A subset of a larger culture that wants "all religions and philosophies to be equal" that refuses to conform?

*This is part of the reason that The Church of Jesus must be removed before Anti Christ can come on the scene. 

So then Greece, a much larger empire, as a result a much more fractured empire, must introduce the concepts of acceptance, tolerance, inclusion and resistance against anyone who refuses to do this, in order to run an effective one world government. 

Rome (Old, Middle, New): Legs and Feet of Iron (But Feet of Part Iron and Part Clay)

40 And there shall be a fourth kingdom, strong as iron, because iron breaks to pieces and shatters all things. And like iron that crushes, it shall break and crush all these. 41 And as you saw the feet and toes, partly of potter's clay and partly of iron, it shall be a divided kingdom, but some of the firmness of iron shall be in it, just as you saw iron mixed with the soft clay. 42 And as the toes of the feet were partly iron and partly clay, so the kingdom shall be partly strong and partly brittle. 43 As you saw the iron mixed with soft clay, so they will mix with one another in marriage, but they will not hold together, just as iron does not mix with clay.

Rome is, in many ways, an extension and continuation of Greece, yet a heavier handed version. Unlike the artistic, scientific, philosophical pursuits of previous incarnations this government now takes the role of heavy handed government rulers. They rule with an iron fist.

This is now the final and largest of all the World Kingdoms.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/00/Roman_Empire_Trajan_117AD.png/250px-Roman_Empire_Trajan_117AD.png

Roman Society is one of Class Segregation (Servants, Lower Class, Upper Class, etc). Family was structured, yet marriage was often a financial or political arrangement and not for love. Formal schools were developed for children. Most spoke Greek, but the educated would also learn Latin.

By the time the empire took over there was no real voting body, things were ruled by the emperor and his hand selected advisory board. Rule was passed down to sub-rulers to manage the kingdom. Roman Empire instituted many laws that governed the land and kept order.

The Roman Roads were a central part of how they expanded so heavily. By establishing a single language (Greek) and roads to carry on trade throughout it's vast land coverage, Rome was able to move the masses from barter to currency. This made it easier for people to trade for what they wanted in centralized market places. It also made it easier to control people through taxation.

The Roman military was the most feared of any military. These were no longer land owners fighting for home, these were paid professional military men. They were hired into the military as a profession. Much of the military of today is based on these advancements from Rome.

Roman Culture was that of a people who pursued the arts, music, and literature. The official language was Latin, but most spoke Greek as the "Street Language". They were a poly-theistic society, with fervent worship of many gods.

Wiki Expounds:
As contact with the Greeks increased, the old Roman gods became increasingly associated with Greek gods.^[209] Thus, Jupiter was perceived to be the same deity as Zeus, Marsbecame associated with Ares, and Neptune with Poseidon. The Roman gods also assumed the attributes and mythologies of these Greek gods. Under the Empire, the Romans absorbed the mythologies of their conquered subjects, often leading to situations in which the temples and priests of traditional Italian deities existed side by side with those of foreign gods.^[210]

Beginning with Emperor Nero in the 1st century AD, Roman official policy towards Christianity was negative, and at some points, simply being a Christian could be punishable by death. Under Emperor Diocletian, the persecution of Christians reached its peak. However, it became an officially supported religion in the Roman state under Diocletian's successor,Constantine I, with the signing of the Edict of Milan in 313, and quickly became dominant. All religions except Christianity were prohibited in 391 AD by an edict of Emperor Theodosius I.^[211]

Besides all these cultural advancements, the Roman Kingdom (Empire) was a brutal place. Killing people for fun in their games, or paying people to harm opponents. This culture of violence is what gave way to killing Christians as a sport in later years.

What we do know is that during the final kingdom of Iron the Stone without hands is to come.

Jesus The Rock King

 44 And in the days of those kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that shall never be destroyed, nor shall the kingdom be left to another people. It shall break in pieces all these kingdoms and bring them to an end, and it shall stand forever, 45 just as you saw that a stone was cut from a mountain by no human hand, and that it broke in pieces the iron, the bronze, the clay, the silver, and the gold. A great God has made known to the king what shall be after this. The dream is certain, and its interpretation sure."

So it is into this last Kingdom that Jesus is born. Jesus lived in Israel, under Roman Rule. Rome was known as a kingdom of Iron that ruled with an Iron fist.

In Matthew 21:42, 1 Peter 2:6, and Isaiah 28:16; we see Jesus is referred to, or typified, as the Corner Stone. So it's an obvious statement referring to Jesus. Jesus told us that the Kingdom of God was present even then as He walked the earth. It was His Kingdom, the Church, that eventually destroyed (or re-shaped for now) the Roman Empire.

Jesus came preaching and teaching what? What did He come preaching and teaching? We like to over simplify his teaching in modern-western-watered down Christianity by saying that Jesus came to save sinners so that they could go to heaven. And that is absolutely true! No debate there. But is that what He preached?

Jesus Preached the Kingdom of God, he sent his 12 disciples out to preach the Kingdom of God, he sent the 120 out to preach The Kingdom of God. A quick search for "Kingdom of God" produces 65 results, primarily in the Gospels. A search for "Kingdom of Heaven" which is just Matthews' way of saying the same thing produces an additional 31 results.

So we see that rock landed in that Roman world. We see Jesus, the Rock, through His Church, growing his kingdom as it continues to spread throughout the whole world. It's still growing. But although it has some aspects that most definitely affect real world kingdoms and governments, the ultimate physical reign of Jesus as King of a Physical Government is yet to come during Jesus Coming Part II.

For now Jesus has left a Spiritual Kingdom, which is more powerful than a natural one, and that Spiritual Kingdom is affecting all the natural kingdoms.

So where does that leave us? Isn't Rome dead and gone?

We see in early church history that the Church grew and grew until eventually the whole system was "Christianized" in 313 AD (CE).

But that was not the collapse of the Roman Empire. In fact, in some ways Rome lives on today in all "Western Civilization". 

The Age Of The Gentiles - The Church Age - Mixed Clay and Iron

35 But the stone that struck the image became a great mountain and filled the whole earth. 

41 And as you saw the feet and toes, partly of potter's clay and partly of iron, it shall be a divided kingdom, but some of the firmness of iron shall be in it, just as you saw iron mixed with the soft clay. 42 And as the toes of the feet were partly iron and partly clay, so the kingdom shall be partly strong and partly brittle. 43 As you saw the iron mixed with soft clay, so they will mix with one another in marriage, but they will not hold together, just as iron does not mix with clay.

I see two strikingly clear things out of this passage as a New Testament Believer.

1. "Became a great mountain and filled the earth" speaks directly back to the Great Commission. Mark 16 and Matthew 28. 
2. Potters Clay. We, All God's People, are as Clay in God's hands. He is the Potter and I am the Clay. Isaiah 64:8

So as Iron and Clay do not mix so there are TWO kingdoms struggling for the same space and time. The legs of Iron indicate that the Iron Kingdom started as predominate. But the mixed feet indicate a growing divide.

As time goes on, and this Rock Kingdom grows the clay (the Rocks People) and the Iron (the World) will not mix but grow ever more and more divided. So in the last days we will see a "line in the sand" drawn between the two kingdoms. Every day that goes by you will see both kingdoms become clear. Both kingdoms will co-exist until the Rock at last crushes and wipes away all memory of the Iron, Gold, Silver and Bronze Kingdoms.

We are now living in the last days of the Age of the Gentiles (Luke 21). That age started winding down on May 14th 1948 when Israel again took possession of her land. Then again the clay and iron started thrashing about.

There are two kids mixed kingdoms. Clay Israel fighting the Iron World. Clay Church fighting Iron Enemy (Satan).

It's this very mix that brings us to a modern USA that is more divided than ever, and it will remain that way.

The line has been drawn and people must choose a side.

Fall and Rise And Fall And Rise of Rome

This article from "The Right Scoop" makes a great point that technically Rome as we know it did not "crush and break all these" as it says it would in verse 40. Rome did not crush the firs three in that Rome never took control of ALL the land the first three had, including Babylon.

Walid Shoebat is a former Muslim Terrorist who is now a Christian Prophecy Teacher. He gives a wonderful explanation of how the words translated into numbers in English are actually Greek Symbols that are also used in Arabic. These symbols in Arabic actually mean "In the name of Allah".

There was a nation who did rise and crush the others, this was the Ottoman Empire. This empire rose out of the ashes of the "East Roman Empire" which it effectively absorbed. East Roman Empire was also called the Byzantine Empire. So one could effectively say that the Ottoman Empire (Islam) is just an extension of the Roman Empire (The World)

My contention is that we are to this day living in a society based on Roman Cultural Influence. The "Roman Catholic Church" still controls much of the world's religion. If you allow for the Ottoman Empire to be a continuation of that same Roman Empire it makes for interesting prophecy research.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ancient_Rome

Territories of the Roman civilization from 510 BC to 530 AD:

  Roman Republic

  Roman Empire

  Western Roman Empire

  Eastern Roman Empire

Babylonian Systems Of Government

Daniel Chapter 2 outlines four world kingdoms that would rule earth. Prior to to these there were no world wide kingdoms. There were many nations and kingdoms, even Israel was a well establish nation and kingdom before these nations rose to power. But there were not World Kingdoms.

When we use the term "World Kingdom" we are saying that they ruled the known inhabited world in their part of earth as documented in world history, not that they actually ruled the entirety of planet earth, that's important to keep in mind for study in end times prophecy. Even the Anti Christ won't have control over all of planet earth, as he ends up in a war with "the people of the east" (China) before the end.

Mankind (and Satan through mankind) has tried to create one-world systems of government for a long time. It was this first attempt by men that caused God to confuse their language in "Babel", which later became the first world kingdom of Babylon. And thus men trying to live without God has always culminated in the concept of a world government void of God or God's ways or laws.

It's this very "Babylonian System" (a system of government and world order without God) that has been trying to resurface over and over. It comes in many forms. Communism (USSR Communist Russia and also China) and Fascism (Hitler's Germany) and Islam (The Current Threat to World Peace) all have the same root.

It also rears it's head in any system, of any size, that results in a God-Void. Capitalism, without God, is a system that steals, kills, destroys. Socialism, without God, is a system that steals, kills, destroys. Etc.

This is why you will always find "birds of a feather flocking together". The people that support Atheism, must eventually support abortion, and other like causes. Systems without God will produce laws and thinking without the Love of God, which steal, kill, destroy. Kill Innocent Babies becomes "Mothers Right To Choose To Kill Innocent Babies". You have no right to tell her what she can or can't do.

Babylonian Systems are Anti God-Of-Abraham-Isaac-and Jacob, Anti Jesus, Anti Israel, Anti Christian, Anti Bible. The god of Communists and Fascists was Darwinian Atheism, the god of Islam is a god named Allah, which calls for a war of death on those who refuse to convert. This so called god, which ever form he comes in, is always a militant God of Death: Satan.

When the result (the fruit) is "Kill, Steal, Destroy, Death, Fear", you know Satan is at work. He's never changed his tactics, only his terminologies and decorations.

This is why all such "world governments", like the UN, will be dens of lies, deceit, trickery, "tolerance" of everything but God/Christian/Israel.

So There You Have It. 

There are the kingdoms of Daniel 2 as I see them today. I'll come back and edit and update as time, and new understanding, allows.

Thanks for studying with me.

By DarrellWolfe

DiscerningTheTime

http://discerningthetime.blogspot.com

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