February 2, 2012
The
Bible says, "The Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout,
with the voice of the archangel and with the trump of God, and the dead
in Christ will rise first, then we which are alive and remain will be
caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air,
and so we will forever be with the Lord" 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17. All
prophecies leading up to the "catching up of the saints," or rapture if
you will (as translated in the Greek), have been fulfilled already and
we know that Jesus could return for His people at any time. There are
some other major prophecies that will be fulfilled during the last days,
but not necessarily before God's people are caught up to meet Jesus in
the clouds. The scriptures tell us that before the wrath of God is
poured out upon all the earth, God's people will be gone, "Wait for His
Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, even Jesus, who delivered us from the wrath to come" 1
Thessalonians 1:10. We know that in the last days, the Temple of God
will be rebuilt in Jerusalem sometime before Jesus returns, in that the
third temple (the first two were destroyed) is mentioned in Daniel
11:31, Matthew 24:15 and various other passages throughout the Bible,
with reference to the last days. The rebuilding of the temple is an
indicator that we are living in the last days, as foretold in Daniel
10:14 through Daniel 11:31. It is not widely known or publicized that a
devout Muslim by the name of Adnan Oktar (also known as Harun Yahya)
met with members of the Jewish Sanhedrin in 2009. In a "spirit of peace
and goodwill," Mr. Oktar has offered to rebuild the Jewish Temple on
the Temple Mount. Mr. Oktar is a renowned writer and publisher of
Muslim books in Turkey and he is said to be extremely wealthy. He said
he could have the Temple built within one year, according to the
specifications laid out by the Sanhedrin. His offer is to actually
rebuild a temple for Jews, Muslims and Christians to promote peace in
the Middle East, and allow everyone to worship there. The members of
the Jewish Sanhedrin, who met with Mr. Oktar, are very much in agreement
with him, so much so that they have posted a notice on the Sanhedrin
website stating their affirmation and agreement with Adnan Oktar
(TheSanhedrin.org). The article is a bit difficult to find on the
website, being buried within several links, although this URL will take
you directly to it:
http://www.thesanhedrin.org/en/images/4/41/Hachrazah 5769 Tamuz 9.pdf
Take special note of the introduction on page 1, then the article
entitled "Plan of Peace" on page 5. It is interesting also that the
Sanhedrin and Oktar believe the Temple will be a way to bring peace, not
only in the Middle East region, but throughout the world. Of course,
the Knesset (Jewish lawmakers in Israel) would have to approve it.
According to the Bible, their plan to rebuild the Tempe and bring
"peace" to the region will be successful. Several passages in the
Bible, 2 Thessalonians 2:4, Daniel 9:27, Matthew 24:15, Revelation 11:1,
reference a functioning Temple during the time of the end, and it will
be the place where the Antichrist eventually sets himself up to be
worshiped as God, but not before he "confirms" a pseudo-peace treaty (1
Thessalonians 5:3) with Israel. It appears that Adnan Oktar and the
Jewish Sanhedrin are on their way to fulfilling Bible prophecy before
our eyes, and this should send enormous excitement and spiritual
preparedness throughout the Christian community today! The Sanhedrin
announced in their article, Plan for Peace:
Out
of a sense of collective responsibility for world peace and for all
humanity, we have found it timely to call the world and exclaim that
there is a way out for all peoples. It is etched in a call to all
humanity: We are all the sons of one father, the descendents of Adam,
and all humanity is but a single family. Peace among nations will be achieved through building the House of G-d, where
all peoples will serve, as foreseen by King Solomon in his prayers at
the dedication of the First Holy Temple. Come let us love and respect
one another, and love and honor and hold our heavenly Father in awe.
Let us establish a House of Prayer in His name in order to worship and
serve Him together, for the sake of His great compassion. He surely
does not want the blood of His creations spilled, but prefers love and
peace among all mankind. We pray to the Almighty Creator that you
hearken to our call. Together - each according to his or her ability - we shall work towards the building of the House of Prayer for all nations on the Temple Mount in peace and mutual understanding.
Adnan Oktar's statement during his meeting with the Sanhedrin, "If we act in the knowledge that we are all brothers, then there will be no need for those walls in Israel,"
is actually held within a prophetic passage in Ezekiel 38:11, "I will
go up to the land of unwalled villages," as stated by Israel's enemies before their attack on Israel.
Posted by Leisa Amorosa. Posted In : Prophecy
March 29, 2011
Matthew 24 – Signs of Christ’s Return
The Disciples asked Jesus what would be the sign of His return to earth. Jesus told them, “Ye shall hear of wars and rumors of war…there shall be famines and pestilences (diseases) and earthquakes in divers (various) places…and this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations, and then shall the end come” Matthew 24:6-14. Let’s address “wars and rumors of wars:” At an anti-Zionism conference in Tehran, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, President of Iran stated, “Israel must be wiped off the map” (New York Times 6/11/06). He also said, “The uniform shout of the Iranian nation is forever ‘Death to Israel’” (Fars News Agency 10/10/09). Do you think that’s alarming? He considers Israel to be “little Satan,” but refers to the US as “big Satan.” Iran is creating nuclear missiles and Ahmadinejad has no qualms about tossing around threats of annihilation to Israel; so, if he wants to obliterate “little Satan,” where does that leave us (big Satan)? Regardless of rumors mixed with propaganda, Americans need to know one thing, terrorist Muslims in the Middle East are a huge threat to the US, although President Barack Obama doesn’t want you to know this. He walks in and out of Muslim nations feeling quite at home, while at the same time Christians are martyred in these same countries continuously. Have you asked yourself why? President Barack Obama says he is a Christian, but he received a Muslim upbringing in Indonesia and Hawaii, and his school registration form in Hawaii states he is a “Muslim.” He frequently attests to his racism (against whites) and his Muslim faith in the books he authored, “Dreams from My Father” and “Audacity of Hope,” wherein he is quoted as saying, “I will stand with the Muslims should the political winds shift in an ugly direction.” President Barack Obama has signed policy to strike references to Islamic radicalism from the National Security Strategy (Associated Press 7/12/10). Louis Farrakhan, leader of the Nation of Islam, has declared Barack Obama to be the “Messiah” (Associated Content News 10/10/08). Why would a Muslim leader laud our president as his “Messiah?” Muslim countries do not have to wage all out war against the US, because they are effectively bringing it down from within. According to the International Institute of Strategic Studies, thirty-two armed conflicts were underway in 2000; more than two-thirds involved Muslims (wars and rumors of wars sound familiar?). Let’s address “famines:” According to the World Health Organization (WHO), hunger is the single worst threat to the world’s public health and malnutrition is the biggest contributor to child mortality. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization, starvation affects more than one billion people (one in six on the planet). Currently, crops in Australia are threatened by a locust plague of Biblical proportions, and this is in a country that has suffered years of draught (Telegraph News 10/16/10). Twelve million Nigerian people face the country’s worst food crisis since the 80s (The Guardian News 8/3/10), not counting other peoples of Africa suffering starvation. Right now, bee colony collapses threaten US food supplies. Bees don’t just make honey; bee pollination is responsible for one-third of the US food supply (USDA News 12/19/06). Let’s address “pestilence:” There are 33.4 million people living in the world with the AIDS virus, a 20% increase since 2000 (UNAIDS 2008 Survey Results). “Earthquakes:” According to the United States Geological Survey (USGS), there were 14,805 earthquakes with an associated 1,787 deaths worldwide in 2009; and 15,710 earthquakes with an associated 226,215 deaths worldwide (so far) in 2010. USGS alleges we are not experiencing any more earthquakes than we ever have, but they state the reason it appears that there are more earthquakes is because the number of seismological centers to detect them have increased. Nevertheless, look at the differences in the death tolls from last year to date. It is obvious that there is a very recent increase in catastrophicearthquakes worldwide. Finally, Christ said that the end would come when the gospel is preached to all nations. In our generation, Christian television broadcasts the gospel to all nations by satellite! God is long-suffering, but the world is finallynearing judgment day (II Peter 3:11). Are you ready to meet our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ? Will He say, “Well done good and faithful servant” (Matthew 25:23); or will He say, “Depart from me ye worker of iniquity?” (Luke 13:27).
Posted by Leisa Amorosa. Posted In : Perilous Times
March 27, 2011
1 September 2010 Washington DC: As terror attacks against Jewish civilians in the Holy Land belie a spirit of peace, US President Barack Obama hosts the latest round of Middle East peace talks between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. Core issues include Israel’s demand that Palestinians finally recognize Israel’s right to exist as the sovereign nation of the Jewish People, to cease anti-Zionist indoctrination of children and public exaltation of terrorists, and assurance that a future Palestinian state will not possess missiles or warplanes. Along with border security and refugee issues, pressure to continue the present moratorium against building homes in areas of Jerusalem that should remain within Israel’s borders, are seemingly insurmountable points of contest brought to the table by the Palestinian President. With Gaza now in the control of Hamas as the result of a Land-for-Peace concession, Israel faces continual shelling and hostility on his southern border, now porous and infiltrated by terrorists and weapons.
See the article dated September 24, 2010, Middle East News, by Mark Ryabtsev, and one by Stephen Collinson – Thu Sep 23, 2010, 5:30 pm ET (these can be found by entering this information into your search engine)
We are living in a most extraordinary time since the time of Christ, about two thousand years ago. More prophecies have been fulfilled since 1948 (when Israel became a nation) than ever before. Since that time, the prophetic clock began ticking towards the Battle of Armageddon and the return of Christ to rule and reign on earth. The United Nations and Arab states continue to call for the elimination of Israel’s nuclear weapons. With Iran’s progress towards nuclear armament, relations between Israel and Islamic states, who are dedicated to Israel’s destruction, remain precarious and on the brink of terror. Prophecies reveal the revival of the Roman Empire (the last kingdom described in Daniel 2). The United Nations and The Club of Rome (advisors to the UN) are creating an economic and political superpower that is increasing its involvement in world government and the Middle East. The prophet Daniel wrote that the Antichrist will arise to control the revived Roman Empire and that “He shall confirm a covenant with many for one week (Biblical reference for seven years)…” Daniel 9:27. He further writes that the treaty will be broken by the Antichrist in the “middle of the week” (three and a-half years into the seven-year peace treaty); “…and in the midst of the week, he shall cause the sacrifice and oblation to cease…” Daniel 9:27. The signing of this future peace treaty will start the final countdown to Christ’s return to defeat the armies of this world and establish His kingdom on earth; “And I saw the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies gathered together to make war against Him (Christ) who sat on the horse and against His army (the resurrected saints of God).” Revelation 19:19. It isn’t just the impending peace treaty that points to Christ’s return, it is rather all of the prophetic events coming to fruition in our generation. In Matthew 24, Jesus told His disciples what the signs of His return would be: earthquakes, perplexity of nations, wars and rumors of war, pestilence (viruses), famines, false prophets; and “The gospel shall be preached to all nations; then shall the end come.” Matthew 24:14. As discussed in last month’s newsletter, this ultimate prophecy has been fulfilled in our day via Christian television and the internet by satellite to all nations!
The Books of Daniel and Revelation require in-depth study and prayer in order to gain understanding of these prophetic scriptures, because the prophecies given to Daniel and John by God were given through night visions and imagery. God does not reveal His secrets to the world, but only to those who seek after the truth with their whole heart. Men of God have understood these visions by the power of the Holy Spirit for generations. As the end of days draws near and prophecies are being fulfilled before our eyes, we are given even greater insight to interpretation of the scriptures, for the Lord told Daniel, “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.” Daniel 12:4. (He was referring to the knowledge of the scriptures; read Jeremiah 29:12-13).
Posted by Leisa Amorosa. Posted In : Prophecy
March 27, 2011
“As the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be” Matthew 24:37. The 24th chapter of the Book of Matthew is a good study regarding the return of Christ. The Book of Genesis, chapters 6-8 tells us about the days of Noah, how the wickedness of man was great, his thoughts were evil and the earth was corrupt and filled with violence. Wickedness was so great in Noah’s day that “The Lord repented that he made man” Genesis 6:6. I’m sure you’ve noticed that the world is very much like that today. Jesus spoke of many things in Matthew 24, that would come to pass before His return, but he said one thing in particular that would be a definite sign: “This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come” Matthew 24:14. There has never been a generation before us that could hear the gospel being preached to all nations via satellite television. Trinity Broadcasting Network is one Christian station that now broadcasts the gospel to every nation. As you read the end of Genesis 6, Noah had finished building the ark; at the start of the 7th chapter, the Lord tells Noah to bring in the animals; and He told Noah in chapter 7, verse 4, "For yet seven days and I will cause it to rain upon the earth...." The people had seven days to get ready before God would shut the door of the ark and it would be too late for anyone else to enter in to safety. When God gave Moses the law on Mount Sinai, He told Moses, “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy” Exodus 2:8. God told Moses that the people could work for six days, but they must rest on the seventh (Sabbath) day. After God created the earth, He rested on the seventh day. Man has governed and reigned on earth for approximately six thousand years since Adam, but the seven thousandth year (Sabbath) is indicative of Christ’s return and the Millennial Reign of Christ with His people on earth. The Word of God tells us that at the end of days, Christ will reign on earth for a thousand years (Revelation 20). The scripture also tells us in 2 Peter 3:8, "Beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day." Since God gave Moses the law, there has been a Sabbath every seven days; and after six thousand years of man’s reign on earth, the Lord begins His Sabbath of the seven thousandth year (Millennial Reign). He will set up His Kingdom on earth and a time of rest for the saints of God. The timetables below reveal that it has been approximately six thousand years since the creation of Adam and we have entered into the seven thousandth year (Sabbath) and the expected return of Christ!
Speaking in round figures, it has been about 2,000 years since Jesus Christ came to Earth (no one is certain of exact dates, but this is a good approximation). Secular history volunteers that information, since it is A.D. 2010 (A.D. stands for anno Domini, meaning “year of our Lord”). The Word of God and secular history books reveal it has been about 2,000 years between the time of Jesus Christ and Abraham, and the final number of years to uncover are those between Abraham and Adam. Chapter 3 of the Book of Luke lists 55 generations between Jesus and Abraham, a time that archaeology has determined was about 2,000 years. In that same chapter, Luke documents that there were only 20 generations between Abraham and Adam (men lived longer between Abraham and Adam). Genesis 5 provides the ages of the fathers at the time of the births of the sons during the period between Abraham and Adam, making it simple to calculate the number of years during that time span, a figure that turns out to be about 2,000 years. In chart form it looks like this:
Present to Jesus 2,000 years
Jesus to Abraham 2,000 years
Abraham to Adam 2,000 years
When the disciples asked Jesus what would be the sign of His return, He told them, “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, when ye shall see all these things (described in Matthew 24), know that it is near, even at the doors” Matthew 24:32-33.
Ecclesiastes 1:9
The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun. God always works in “circular time;” history always repeats itself. His coming is near, so are you ready?
Matthew 24:44
Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.
Matthew 26:41
Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.
Do you believe in the power of the split atom? Surely then, you believe in God and His infinite plan for His children.
Posted by Leisa Amorosa. Posted In : Prophecy
March 2, 2011
According to Dr. Hugh Ross, Astrophysicist (www.reasons.org/dr-hugh-ross.html), the powerful telescopes we have today, such as the Keck telescopes, allow us to look so far back into space that we can literally see very close to the point of creation, as the universe expands and travels outward. Through mathematical calculations, we have discovered that if the universe were to expand one tenth of the 56th power faster or slower, there would be no possibility for life on earth. It is also a fact that if the sun was altered in any way by one percent, it could not support life on earth. If you move the earth one-half percent closer to the sun, it would experience a runaway boiling off of its water. If you move the earth one-half percent farther away, you would experience a runaway freeze-up and all of the water on the planet would turn to snow and ice. It is not coincidence when 200 characteristics all have to be finely tuned and in place for life to exist on earth. The probability is less than ten to the 217th power, according to Dr. Ross. An astronomer and mathematician, Sir Fred Hoyle of Britain, estimated that the scientific probability of evolution is one chance in ten to the 40,000th power! The numbers involved in that probability are so ridiculously small that he said, “It is enough to bury Darwin and his entire theory.” He decided that there could be no other conclusion but that biomaterials with their amazing measure or order must be the outcome of “intelligent design.” There are no means to support life in one hundred other solar systems similar to ours that have been examined by astronomers and astrophysicists. It has been proven mathematically that it is impossible for our universe to have accidentally come into existence. This is how finely tuned the universe is in order to support life on earth. Dr. Ross quoted one astrophysicist who said, “If someone knocks on your door, you always assume someone is knocking. You never say to yourself, ‘Oh, that’s just the door knocking on itself.’” With all of this evidence that God created the universe, why would anyone want to deny that there is a divine creator and rather believe that we just exist by chance? Our entire universe ending up exactly in the right place as it expanded from an explosive beginning happened by accident? In answer to that question, I will ask you, “Does your door knock by itself, or is someone behind the knocking?” By the way, that reminds me of what Jesus said, “Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if any man hear my voice and open the door, I will come in to him…” (Revelation 3:20)! We need to consider the evidence, then go a step further and see what the Word of God has to say about those who “forget God.” I’ll let you look that one up for yourself in the Bible. The answer is found in the Book of Psalms, chapter 9. Romans 1:20-21 also says, “For the invisible things of Him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and godhead, so they are without excuse because when they knew God, they glorified Him not as God, neither were thankful, but became vain in their imaginations and their foolish hearts were darkened.” The more people deny God and go seeking after other definitions, reasons and purposes, the more their hearts are deceived and they fall further into unbelief. Why not get out of the deception and come into the truth? Check out Hugh Ross’s website for yourself and look at his credentials; see what he has to say about the evidence of God in space. There is much more to know than just this little excerpt. Even the renowned astrophysicist Stephen Hawking stated these findings have been the most significant in our time, if not throughout all time! For more information, check out the DVD, “Journey Toward Creation,” offered on the John Ankerberg website, www.johnankerberg.org, or type in: http://www.lightsource.com/ministry/ankerberg-show/player/20100704/ to your browser and enjoy this astonishing video!
Posted by Leisa Amorosa. Posted In : Creation
February 26, 2011
After the Romans conquered Israel and destroyed Jerusalem in 70 AD, the names of many of the cities were changed and the country was later called Palestine. Since Israel became a nation again in 1948, many of the cities' names have been restored to those that existed prior to 70 AD (compare 70 AD map against Palestinian map [prior to 1948] and current day map of Israel online). As noted in the previous issue of the Prophetic Newsletter, the restoration of Israel was the fulfillment of prophecy (Ezekiel 36:24, Isaiah 11:12) and a sign of the Lord's return (Psalms 102:16). Other prophecies have been fulfilled in our generation regarding Israel, along with the rebirth of the nation. Zephaniah 3:9 says, "For then I will return to the people a pure language, that they may call upon the name of the Lord, to serve Him with one consent." In 1881, Eliezer Ben-Yehuda left Paris to live in Jerusalem with a vision that Israel should be restored as a nation and that the Jews should again speak their native language, Hebrew. Ben-Yehuda inspired school officials to teach the younger generation Hebrew and he was successful in convincing government leaders to adopt Hebrew as their official language. When the Jews returned to Israel from all corners of the world, they spoke more than sixty-six different languages, having adopted the languages spoken in their former countries of residence. Israel's official language today is Hebrew, the language spoken by the Jewish patriarchs of the Bible. The Torah (Old Testament scriptures) was written in Hebrew and it is commonly accepted by Bible scholars that God gave Moses the Ten Commandments in the Hebrew language. It is no wonder that, as God promised He would restore Israel as a nation, He would also restore their cities and the Holy Language.
The Temple Institute (36 Misgav Ladach Street, Jerusalem, Israel 97500) was established in 1987 to restore all of the implements of the Holy Temple and rebuilt the Temple in Jerusalem. Paul spoke of the future Temple (Matthew 24:15) and God told Isaiah the Temple would be rebuilt (Isaiah 44:28). It is apparent that in order for Bible prophecy to be fulfilled, the Temple must be rebuilt in Jerusalem. The Temple Institute is setting about to do just that and they have already restored over 150 of the sacred vessels; the priests' garments have been made; there are three possible sites for the Temple; and there is a registry of 300,000 Levites available, of which many are currently in training to perform the priestly duties required at the Temple. They could commence building at any time! For more information, you can visit the Temple Institute online: http://www.templeinstitute.org/
The use of the shekel has also been restored to Israel, as in the days of old. Ezekiel 45:12 says, "And the shekel...shall be your maneh (currency)." In order for the Jews to bring sacrifices into the future Temple, as commanded by the Lord, it is also necessary that they return to using the shekel as currency (Leviticus 5:15). The Palestinian pound was used until 1952, at which time it was replaced by the Israeli Lira. In 1985, the Israelis began to mint and use shekels as their currency. More Bible prophecy fulfilled!
There are five gates in Jerusalem and to this day only one gate remains closed. There have been several attempts to open the Golden Gate, also known as the "eastern gate," but all efforts to open the gate have been foiled. God told Ezekiel that the eastern gate would remain closed until "The Prince" returns. Ezekiel 44:1-3: "Then He brought me back the way of the gate of the outward sanctuary, which looked toward the east, and it was shut. Then said the Lord unto me, 'This gate shall be shut; it shall not be opened and no man shall enter in by it, because the Lord, the God of Israel, hath entered in by it, therefore it shall be shut. It is for The Prince, The Prince, He shall sit in it to eat bread before the Lord; He shall enter by the way of the porch of that gate and shall go out by the way of the same.'" Therefore, it remains shut and will not be opened until the Lord returns.
Israel's Vice Prime Minister, Moshe Ya'Alon, sent this prayer to us (Christians in the USA) on June 27, 2010: “ה’ עוז לעמו ייתן ה’ יברך את עמו בשלום” (The Lord will bring strength to His people; the Lord will bless His people with peace. G-d bless you all!) This message for us is on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's website: http://en.netanyahu.org.il/
Posted by Leisa Amorosa. Posted In : Prophecy
February 25, 2011
Have you considered why every major nation in the world is involved with the political and social status of Israel? It all began when God blessed Abraham and told him to leave the land of his father and go to a land He would give him and his descendants, "The Lord appeared to Abraham and said, 'Unto thy seed will I give this land...'" Genesis 12:7. God led Abraham and and his descendants to the land of Canaan and gave it to them, which is the land of Israel today, also known as "Zion." They possessed this land, until they were held captive in Egypt for 400 years due to their sin and rebellion, Genesis 15:13. God graciously delivered them out of Egypt through the leadership of Moses. They were taken into captivity again by Babylon because of sin and rebellion (is God trying to tell us something?), Leviticus 26:18, but God graciously promised to deliver them again, "Then the Lord thy God will turn thy captivity and have compassion upon thee, and will return and gather thee from all the nations whither the Lord thy God hath scattered thee" Deuteronomy 30:3. After 70 years of captivity in Babylon, the Children of Israel remained scattered among many nations, until May 14, 1948, when the prophecy of Deuteronomy 30:3 was fulfilled. Isaiah the prophet also foretold that Israel would again become a nation in one day, "Who hath heard such a thing? Who hath seen such things? Shall the earth be made to bring forth in one day? Shall a nation be born at once? As soon as Zion (Israel) travailed, she brought forth her children" Isaiah 66:8; and bring forth her children she did! "Operation Magic Carpet" (1949-1950) returned 47,000 Yemeni Jews; plus 2,000 Aden, Djiboutian and Eritrean Jews were airlifted to Israel. "Operation Moses" (1984) returned 8,000 Ethiopian Jews to Israel. "Operation Joshua" (1985) brought an additional 800 Ethiopian Jews back to Israel. During "Operation Solomon" (1991), Israel transported 14,325 more Ethiopian Jews back to Israel during 36 hours of nonstop flights of 34 Israeli aircraft. Since the dissolution of the USSR, over one million Soviet Jews have returned to Israel!
Before Israel became a nation again, it was a virtual wasteland with hardly any vegetation or production. Since 1948, prophecies concerning Israel's growth and prosperity have also been fulfilled, as promised: "He shall cause them that come out of Jacob to take root: Israel shall blossom and bud and fill the face of the world with fruit" Isaiah 27:6. Today, Israel exports some of the finest and largest fruits in the world to many nations. God promised to restore Israel, for he is the Lord's firstborn, "Thus saith the Lord, Israel is my son, even my firstborn" Exodus 4:22. Do you have children? Do you have a firstborn? The Word of God says that "Many are called, but few are chosen" Matthew 22:14. God gave His only begotten Son to redeem the whole world and pay the price for our sins (John 3:16). God loves us all, but Israel is His chosen. The most exciting thing yet is that once these prophecies are fulfilled in Israel, the Word of God tells us that the end of the age and the return of Christ is near! Psalms 102:16 says, "When the Lord shall build up Zion, He shall appear in His glory." Wow, do you think this is quite a bit of Bible prophecy being fulfilled during our lifetime? There's a lot more to report in upcoming newsletters. I encourage you to keep your eyes on Israel and the Middle East, because a lot is happening there prophetically. We are truly living in the very last days, which points to the return of our Messiah, Jesus Christ, according to the scriptures! The Word of God also tells us, "Therefore, be ye also ready, for in such an hour as ye think not, the Son of Man cometh" Matthew 24:44.
Posted by Leisa Amorosa. Posted In : Prophecy
February 23, 2011
If you have read and studied the books of Daniel, Revelation and the Four Gospels in the Bible, you already know that the world is headed for catastrophic events, which only God's people will escape as things get worse. President Barack Obama's goal is to bring about a peace treaty between Jews and Palestinians, and when that happens, the Lord's return is near according to the scriptures (Daniel 8:25, Daniel 9:27, Revelation 7:9-14). Are you watching, praying and prepared spiritually for the Lord's return? Jesus told the disciples about the things that would come to pass before His return. Matthew 24:4-5 says, "And Jesus answered and said unto them, 'Take heed that no man deceive you, for many shall come in my name saying, 'I am Christ' and deceive many (David Koresh, Sun Myung Moon, Sergei of Russia, Jose Luis de Jesus Miranda of Puerto Rico, Maitreyia Nairobi, Marshall Applewhite, Jim Jones, to name a few in recent years)." Matthew 24:6-7 says, "Ye shall hear of wars and rumors of wars...nation shall rise against nation...there shall be famines, pestilences (which include viruses such as AIDS, SARS, bird flu, Ebola, etc.), and earthquakes." Of course, people say we have always had war, famine, pestilence and earthquakes. The key issue here is that we will see such an increase of things in the days before Christ's return that God's children will know we are living in the last days, because we have read the Bible and understand it through prayer and divine revelation. Others will be perplexed and they will not know what is coming upon them. We needn't worry, if we are prepared spiritually, because God has not appointed his children to wrath (I Thessalonians 5:9). Only those who do not serve the Lord need to worry. The Word of God tells us in I Thessalonians 4:16-18, "The Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trump of God, and the dead in Christ shall rise first, then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air and so shall we ever be with the Lord."
Radical Muslims admit that their religious beliefs include "killing the infidels." Israelis and Americans are among those considered to be infidels. According to radical Muslims, their mission is to convert the world to Islam and kill nonconverts. This is their faith and it is quoted in the Qu'ran!
According to the National Earthquake Information Center (NEIC), about 50 earthquakes occur each day, approximately 20,000 per year. Many are not major, so you don't hear about them, but some are, such as those hitting Haiti and Chile recently. They are going to get worse and they can hit anywhere at any time. The greatest risk is not knowing the Lord, thereby escaping the horrors soon to come upon the world, and especially escape eternity in hell without hope. In fact, sooner or later, we will all leave these bodies and stand before God to be judged for our actions in this life. Please be prepared to have Him say, "Well done good and faithful servant, enter in to the joy of the Lord" Matthew 25:23.
Posted by Leisa Amorosa. Posted In : Prophecy
February 23, 2011
In the Book of Matthew 25, Jesus compared His return to Earth with a description of ten virgins, five wise and five foolish, who were waiting for a bridegroom to arrive for his bride. Jesus said that while the bridegroom delayed, the virgins slept. Five of them were foolish and did not place oil in their lamps, and five were wise, having filled their lamps with oil in preparation for the wedding. It is difficult to grasp the full context of what Jesus said, unless you understand Jewish wedding traditions. When a Jewish man became engaged to a woman, they lived separately until the groom could prepare a home for the couple. Typically, the father of the groom would build a home for his son and future daughter and when the house was ready, he gave the son permission to fetch his bride. In the meantime, it was customary for the bride to select ten virgin friends to help her prepare for her wedding day until the groom arrived. No one knew when the groom would come for her and he could show up at any time. He often surprised the bride at night, so the virgins kept their lamps filled with oil in order to help escort the happy couple back to his father's house, where the wedding would take place. It is important to note that the marriage feast traditionally lasted seven days. The people of Jesus's day understood very well the engagement/marriage customs and what He was talking about when he told the parable of the ten virgins. Paul also spoke of a husband and wife relationship in his letter to the Church at Ephesus, when he said, "This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the Church" Ephesians 5:32. Throughout the Bible, the Church is often referred to as the "bride of Christ." It is interesting to note that Jewish wedding feasts generally last seven days, because the Bible also tells us that the great tribulation period in the latter days will last seven years (Daniel 9:27), which is also referred to in the Bible as "one week." There are a number of different views on just when the rapture (catching up of the Church) will take place, which is referred to in I Thessalonians 4:17. Some people believe this will happen at the beginning of the tribulation period, others believe it will happen during the middle of the tribulation, and then some believe it will happen at the end of the seven-year tribulation period described throughout the Book of Revelation. I believe the Lord could have alluded to the timeframe when He would rapture the Church, as He compared His return to a bridegroom's sudden appearance for his bride. The scriptures tell us also that there will be a "marriage supper" in heaven after the Church is taken to heaven (Revelation 19:9). Wouldn't it seem plausible that Christ would receive His bride (the Church), attend to the marriage supper in heaven during the seven-year tribulation period, which also seems to correspond to a wedding feast, which lasts one week? Bear in mind that God's wrath is poured out upon the Earth during the tribulation period (Revelation 6:16-17), yet the scriptures tell us that the children of God are not appointed unto His wrath (I Thessalonians 1:10, 5:9; Romans 5:9), which is reserved only for the wicked. If much of what I a referring to sounds foreign to you, I encourage you to study the Bible for yourself. The Word of God tells us all about eternal heavenly things, as well as those thingsnot so heavenly. Since we only live a short while on this earth and then we enter eternity, don't you believe that it is of utmost importance to learn about eternity and what we are about to face forever after this life? The Bible says, "Lay up treasures in heaven where moth and rust do not destroy" Matthew 6:20. The implication is that only what we invest in eternity will last; everything else we invest in here will be destroyed. Luke 12:37 says, "Blessed are those servants whom the Lord shall find watching when He comes: He will come forth and serve them." Of the ten virgins Jesus described, five were waiting and ready, but five became tragically distracted and were not allowed to enter in to the marriage supper. Are you ready and watching for the Lord's return; will He find you prepared to leave?
Posted by Leisa Amorosa. Posted In : Prophecy
