The WeekEnder
for Bible Prophecy Today
January 4-9 2010
C
Iraq Is Becoming the New Destination for Adventurous Tourists ~ Bible Prophecy Today
Iraq's rich history, its unique culture, amazing archaeology, and the intrigue of Saddam Hussein, has made Iraq the ideal location for a vacation destination for a growing number of daring tourists. Official figures on the exact number of visitors is lacking but the evidence is that interest in Iraq's historical and Biblical sites is continually increasing and discussions on the internet seem to confirm this report.
Biblical sites like Nineveh, Ur of the Chaldees, Babylon, and as some suggest, even the Garden of Eden can be visited in this war torn nation that believes an increase in tourism will help their recovery.
The possibility that the war torn nation of Iraq could be the tourism center of the Middle East does not fit with the prophetic scenario for this region in the last days according to Bible prophecy.
There indeed is great interest by adventurous tourists to visit the Biblical sites found in modern-day Iraq, sites like Ur of the Chaldees, Nineveh, Babylon, and as some suggest, even the site of the Garden of Eden. The Iraqi tourism board is working on a plan to attract tourists from around the world to their nation that is rebuilding and hoping that the financial gain from tourism will enhance the rebuilding efforts. My point is, however, that a major tourism campaign does not fit with the end times prophetic scenario that can be found in Bible prophecy. Bible prophecy, written over the last 2500 years by ancient Jewish prophets, reveals to all students of the prophetic Word of God that Iraq will be a major center - not a tourism center - but an economic, political, governmental power base in the last 3 1/2 years of the 7 year period of intense judgment on the Earth and Earth dwellers.
Revelation 18 foretells that Babylon, today's Iraq, will be this world headquarters for the world dictator, the Antichrist, who will control the global economic system to be implemented. A global economic crisis will be the precursor to this scenario (Revelation 13:16-17). Isaiah 13-14, Jeremiah 50-51, along with Revelation 16 reveals the total destruction of Babylon, modern-day Iraq, at the end of the 7 year judgment just before Jesus Christ returns to Earth.
Bible prophecy will be fulfilled.
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Epiphany and the Twelve Days After Christmas ~ Bible Prophecy Today
The beginning of the new year is not the end of the holiday season in Sweden. No, the Swedes also get to take off work on Epiphany – January 6 - just a few short days after the end of the Christmas break. Lucky Scandinavians. Some secular Swedes want to throw off their Christian heritage, though, and are urging the government to do away with this celebration as a paid public holiday. Sweden is one of the very few countries that gives public honor to Epiphany, and many Christians these days don't even know what this holiday - celebrated 12 days after Christmas - is all about.
Almega, a Swedish employer's organization, wants the government to quit forcing employers to pay their employees for taking off work on Epiphany. Almega isn't really picking on Epiphany, though. The group wants to do away with all religiously-based public holidays in Sweden. "That means that employers and their employees can reach an agreement about which days will be considered a paid holiday," Almega negotiator Gunnar Järsjö told the TT news agency.
Not everybody agrees with Almega, and the issue has raised public debate in Sweden. "It's a time to focus on the guiding star and the three men who out of curiosity followed the star to Jesus," Martin Modeús of the Church of Sweden told TT.
The Magi also hold the honor of being the first gentiles known to have come to worship Jesus. The Messiah was born in Bethlehem to the Jewish people, but He came to be the Savior and Lord of all nations.
The 12 Days of Christmas
Straight No Chaser, the men's acapella group at Indiana University, does a unique and entertaining version of The 12 Days of Christmas that has been all the rage on Youtube for a couple of years now. We know the song better than we might want to. What many people don't realize is that the 12 Days of Christmas actually begin at Christmas. During centuries past, these were 12 days of celebration that were filled with feasting and gift-giving until the Twelfth Night – the evening of January 5th - the day before Epiphany.
There is an urban legend that religious symbolism is actually tucked away in the gifts named in the popular 12 Days of Christmas song. It is questionable whether there is any actual historical importance in the song, but it's interesting to take note of the symbolism that some people have placed on the gifts:
- A Partridge in a Pear Tree - Jesus Christ
- Two Turtle Doves - The Old and New Testaments
- Three French Hens - Faith, Hope and Charity
- Four Colly Birds - Matthew, Mark, Luke and John
- Five Golden Rings – The five books of Moses
- Six Geese-a-Laying – The six days of creation before God rested
- Seven Swans-a-Swimming – The seven gifts of the Holy Spirit
- Eight Maids-a-Milking – The eight Beatitudes
- Nine Ladies Dancing – The nine fruits of the Holy Spirit
- Ten Lords-a-Leaping - Ten Commandments
- Eleven Pipers Piping - Eleven faithful disciples
- Twelve Drummers Drumming - Twelve points of belief in the Apostles' Creed
Theophany
Orthodox Christians celebrate Epiphany with another focus; Christ's baptism by John the Baptist. Epiphany, which means "to manifest" or "to show" in Greek, is often also called Theophany by the Eastern Church, because it is Christ's presentation to the world as the Son of God.
As John the Baptist said:
"He that sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me, Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and remaining on him, the same is he which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost. And I saw, and bare record that this is the Son of God." - John 1:33-34
All these traditions and celebrations point to a very important truth - that the Son of God came to Earth. The Wise Men and the meek of the earth recognized and worshiped Him. May we continue to worship and serve Him every day of this new year and present to the world the reality of His Life through our own.
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Christians Before the Judgment Seat of Christ ~ Bible Prophecy Today
Question: I recall instances when TBC (The Berean Call) has said that everyone, even Christians, will stand before the Judgment Seat of Christ. Yet, Jesus, the Lord, the Living Word, in John 5:24 says, "Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath [past tense] everlasting life, and shall not [future tense] come into condemnation [judgment]; but is [already] passed from death unto life."
It seems we are told by God that Christians will not come into any judgment whatsoever; they have already, in spirit, passed from death to life, as Jesus was judged as being fully guilty for all their sins. Yet, despite John 5:24 supporting that position, TBC insists upon the idea that everyone, even Christians will appear before the Judgment Seat of Christ to answer for their every word and deed in the flesh.
Response: The fact that all believers must stand before the Judgment Seat of Christ is something affirmed more than once in Scripture (Rom 14:10-12; 2 Cor 5:10). The act of denying this certainty looks to be generated by the assumption that the "Judgment Seat of Christ" judgment is synonymous with the "condemnation" of John 5:24. It is a mistake to assume that every usage of "judgment" throughout Scripture is only speaking of the Judgment of unbelievers. Context is always critical in meaning. We need not follow the example of others such as Jehovah's Witnesses who insist that every usage of a word must therefore mean exactly the same thing regardless of context.
There is more than one type of "judgment" spoken of in Scripture and we are to rightly divide the word of truth (2 Tm 2:15). What is in view in John 5 is "everlasting life" (John 5:24a, the eternal bliss of the believer), and "condemnation" (John 5:24b, the eternal punishment of the lost). The "condemnation" of John 5:24 is a judgment the believer will never face. This is borne out by verses 27-29 in which the resurrected dead (both saved and lost) are either welcomed to the resurrection of eternal life or "condemned" into the "resurrection of damnation" (v. 29). Certainly this is a "judgment," but one far different than the judgment by the Lord Jesus concerning the believer.
The Lord repeatedly warns of the penalty faced by believers at the judgment seat of Christ. "Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is. If any man's work abide which he has built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire" (1 Cor 3:13-15).
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Obama Isn’t the Antichrist. He’s Just Acting Like It! ~ Bible Prophecy Today
Revelation 13 succinctly spells out that someday in the future a person will head a system that will control the world politically, economically and religiously. At the beginning of his seven year reign, the Antichrist will first endear himself to the unsuspecting and gullible masses who are more than ready to crown him king of the world. Then, through a series of circumstances and controls “for the good of the earth,” the Man of Sin and his lieutenants will begin to systematically eliminate anyone who resists his “benevolent” rule. Eventually, claiming that he is indeed “god,” he will ruthlessly command the complete devotion of the peoples of the world. Before those dark days can unfold however, there will be an extended period of conditioning and preparation. Prophetically speaking, this is surely where we are in time.
A piece in that conditioning and preparation puzzle happens to be one of the most ominous items to cross my radar in many years. It was a little noticed recent amendment made by Barak Obama to a longstanding Presidential Executive Order (#12425) issued in 1983 by President Reagan.1
Equally disturbing is the fact that E.O. 12425 seems to allow for the sealing of documents and the transfer of such arrested prisoners to foreign countries to be tried in foreign courts under foreign or international law. (Perhaps Obama has his favorite “war criminals” former Vice President Dick Cheney and President G.W. Bush in mind?) As the Constitution indicates, I have always believed that the main task of the federal government of the United States was to protect the citizenry. It would appear Obama is bent on something completely different. Where is the U.S. Constitution on this subject and what can be done about this obvious breech of the Constitution by Obama? Are there men and women in Congress who will stand up and stop this madness? We really need to pray.
