HEADLINES IN PARTNERSHIP WITH - PROPHECY UPDATE



Date 5/5/15??PROPHECY UPDATE NEWS HEADLINESYesterday's Prophecies - Today's Headlines??HEADLINES IN PARTNERSHIP WITH?TRACKING BIBLE PROPHECY? says Hamas leader committed to peace, Netanyahu notFormer IDF chief Gantz: Hezbollah turned living rooms into missile roomsIsrael veterans group alleges Israeli misconduct in Gaza warKerry on Ethiopian protests: I am confident of Israel's handling of the matter In assuring Israel on Iran, Kerry references upgraded bunker-busterFrance, Saudi Arabia: Iran nuclear deal must avoid destabilizing regionRussian Missile Sale to Iran Involves Unseen Deals With Israel Russian Jewish leader: Increased authoritarianism a cause for aliyaRussian stores pull Holocaust graphic novel ahead of WWII anniversaryFrench politician suspended over anti-Semitic comments40 Percent Rise This Year in Global Immigration to Israel, Report ShowsPalestinians seek to expel Israel from FIFAHamas, Saudi rapprochement worries Fatah Heavy clashes in Aden airport, alliance accused of cluster bomb useFrance, Saudi Arabia say Iran nuclear deal must not destabilize region US warships accompany British commercial vessels in Strait of HormuzSyria conflict: Suicide blast rocks central DamascusDespite Iranian-Hezbollah support, 'in the long run it is hard to see how Assad can survive' Faced with ISIS successes across Mideast, Al Qaeda grows strongerNigeria's Boko Haram in disarray as government forces advanceNew offensive frees captives from Boko Haram; exposes group's bloodlustSouth Sudan: World's Youngest Nation Is 'at Grave Risk,' Kerry WarnsBurundi crisis: Top judge flees country as violence continues to erupt over upcoming electionsBaltic military shadow-boxing said to reach Cold War levelsDid Kim Jong-un snub Putin because Russia refused to sell him anti-aircraft missiles?Korean Christians Want 'Unification Through Gospel,' 'Willing to Become Martyrs' for Worship in North KoreaChina's Xi Jinping and Taiwan's Eric Chu in high-level talksExperts warn 'EMP' attack could cripple infrastructureMilitary eyeing former Cold War mountain bunker as 'shield' against EMP attack?ISIS-linked Twitter accounts reportedly claim responsibility for Texas shootingTexas Prophet cartoon attack: Gunman was previous terror suspectHow Texas "Terror" Shooter Elton Simpson Avoided Prison In 2011Danish editor slams US 'political correctness' on cartoonsObama blasts media coverage of Baltimore riotsCBS News/New York Times Poll: Race Relations Worst In Over 2 DecadesBatman gunman: Were children hurt?Clinton agrees to testify on Benghazi, emails this monthClinton refuses to testify twice on Benghazi attacksExtreme secrecy eroding support for Obama's trade pactTrade Deficit Stifles U.S. Growth, China's Yuan at Center of ControversyFed not likely to increase US rates until SeptemberThe sun is now virtually blank during the weakest solar cycle in more than a century7.5 magnitude earthquake rocks Papua New Guinea, Tsunami alert issued5.6 magnitude earthquake hits near Kokopo, Papua New Guinea5.9 magnitude earthquake hits near Kokopo, Papua New Guinea5.2 magnitude earthquake hits near Kokopo, Papua New GuineaEarthquake Swarm, Including Magnitude 3.6, Shakes East Bay CitiesSmall Earthquakes Rumble Near Meeker and Stillwater, OKTexas: Bill Stops Cities From Banning Fracking Klyuchevskoy volcano on Kamchatka, Russia erupts to 25,000ftTurrialba volcano in Costa Rica erupts to 16,000ftBudding Tropical System May Lash Southeast US Coast With Wind, Rough SurfAustralia deadly super storm kills destroys homesDeath toll rises to six in Australian floodsGlobal Warming Skepticism On The Rise In Europe40 Years Since Climatologists Blamed California Drought On Global CoolingBird Flu Could Be In A Quarter Of Iowa HensPublic Health Officials Know: Recently Vaccinated Individuals Spread Disease'No room' for gays in Kenya, says deputy presidentNFL linebacker's case brings attention to growth of laws to prevent online revenge pornIran bans 'devil worshipping' haircutsPROPHECY UPDATE NEWSLETTERSTAY INFORMED, GET EQUIPPED, BE ENCOURAGEDPre-Millennium - Pre-Tribulation - PrePARED*If you missed an issue or did not receive your daily copy - All Newsletters are archived at:???(Featured Article at Bottom)?IN TODAY'S NEWSLETTER...?Iran's Military Chief Says No Inspection of Military Sites under Any Nuclear DealNorth Korea Submarine Missile Allows Covert Nuclear Strike on USNearing Midnight: Listening for the Midnight CryFrom Kathmandu to Kalamazoo!Transhumanism: An Attempt to Use Technology to Turn Men into GodsThe Mark of the Beast Is Closer Than We ThinkIslamic attack in Texas will impact free speechDaily Devotion: "What Are You Doing Here?"Featured Article: This Means War?????????? Iran's Military Chief Says No Inspection of Military Sites under Any Nuclear Deal - By Patrick Goodenough - ??Iran will never give international inspectors access to its military facilities under a negotiated nuclear accord, the country's military chief declared at the weekend, underlining the regime's rejection of what the Obama administration portrays as a core element of a proposed agreement.?"Iranian military officials are not allowed to let the foreigners go through the country's security-defense shield and fence," Major General Hassan Firouzabadi, commander of Iran's armed forces, wrote in a message to Iran's nuclear negotiators.?Official media quoted him as saying Iran would not allow its military progress to be stopped, under the pretext of nuclear supervision and inspection, alluding to earlier comments by supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.?In Iran's military hierarchy, Firouzabadi is second only to Khamenei, the commander-in-chief, who has himself already declared military sites off-limits to foreign inspectors.?The semi-official Fars news agency depicted Firouzabadi's message to the negotiating team as a reiteration of Tehran's "red lines" in the ongoing talks, heading for a June 30 deadline for a final deal.?Firouzabadi said the U.S. could not be trusted.?He pointed to a White House fact sheet on a "framework agreement" announced at the talks in Switzerland on April 2, and challenged the U.S. interpretation of what had been agreed upon in that framework, calling it "a ploy against Iran's national security."?The fact sheet states that Iran must allow International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) inspectors "regular access to all" of its declared nuclear facilities, and must moreover grant access to the IAEA to investigate suspicious sites or locations of suspected illicit nuclear activity, "anywhere in the country."?The framework agreement is meant to form the basis of a comprehensive final agreement due for completion by June 30, but Iran and the U.S. disagree over what some of its parameters are, including the key inspection element.?In his April 2 response to the framework understanding, President Obama said Iran had "agreed to the most robust and intrusive inspections and transparency regime ever negotiated for any nuclear program in history."?One month into the three-month final negotiating period, the gap between the U.S. and Iran over inspections shows no sign of narrowing.?In his message to the negotiators, Firouzabadi said that IAEA inspectors would not be given any exceptional authority to visit Iranian nuclear sites, beyond those applicable to other countries under Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) rules - again contesting the administration's depiction of an inspection regime unprecedented in its toughness.?In a speech Thursday, Vice President Joe Biden again emphasized the U.S. stance on inspections, saying that under the proposed agreement Iran will allow "IAEA inspectors to visit not only declared nuclear facilities, but undeclared sites where suspicious, clandestine work is suspected."?"Folks, let me tell you what this deal would do in relation to intrusive inspections," he told a Washington Institute for Near East Policy event. "Not only would Iran be required to allow 24/7 eyes on the nuclear sites you've heard of - Fordow and Natanz and Arak - and the ability to challenge suspect locations, every link in their nuclear supply chain will be under surveillance."?Reid accuses GOP critics of wanting to see Iran deal 'crash and burn'?Differences between Iran and the U.S. over inspections and another key issue, the timing of sanctions relief, remain front and center as the U.S. Senate wrangles over amendments to bipartisan legislation that would give Congress the right to review, and potentially vote on, any negotiated nuclear deal.?The administration threatened to veto the bill, then reluctantly acquiesced after several contentious measures were removed or revised. The Senate Foreign Relations Committee approved the revised text by a 19-0 vote, and it has been debated in the full Senate over the past week.?On Monday Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) accused Republican Sens. Marco Rubio (Fla.), Ted Cruz (Texas) and Tom Cotton (Ark.) of trying to "ruin" the bipartisan legislation by submitting what he called "poison pill after poison pill to what was a noble compromise between the leaders of the Foreign Relations Committee."?He urged Majority Leader Mitch McConnell to shut down debate, saying the work done by Senate Foreign Relations Committee chairman Bob Corker (R-Tenn.) and ranking member Ben Cardin (D-Md.) in crafting a compromise bill "is too important to be undone by senators who are putting politics before national and global security."?Among the proposed amendments that have threatened bipartisan support for the Corker-Cardin bill are one submitted by Rubio, which would require Tehran to recognize Israel's right to exist; and one by Cotton requiring Iran to take specific steps including giving international inspectors full access to suspicious sites, before getting sanctions relief.?Reid was particularly critical of Cotton, accusing him of trying to undermine Obama.?"The junior senator from Arkansas has been on record for months stating his desire to see this negotiation fail," he said. "The junior senator from Arkansas and other Republicans want to see any potential agreement with Iran crash and burn, even before we know what's in the final agreement."?On Thursday Cotton challenged senators reluctant to vote on his and Rubio's amendments, saying if they did not want to vote they "shouldn't have come to the Senate."?North Korea Submarine Missile Allows Covert Nuclear Strike on US - By Ari Yashar - tests nuclear-capable missile from underwater for first time, as officials blame Obama for allowing 'tragedy.'?In a worrying step showing North Korea's rapidly expanding nuclear strike capabilities, the Communist regime recently held a test of a new submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM), the first time it has launched a missile capable of carrying a nuclear warhead from underwater.?According to US defense officials cited by the Washington Free Beacon on Tuesday, the test took place on April 22 from an underwater test platform near the coastal city of Sinpo in the southeast of the country, and tested what the US is calling a KN-11 missile.?The test appears to have been successful, and is the third KN-11 test showing the high-priority of the nuclear missile program for North Korea. Previous tests in January and last October were from a sea-based platform not underwater and a land-based platform.?The KN-11 joins the KN-08 mobile intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) as being part of a varied North Korean missile arsenal on platforms that would be hard for the US to detect, and consequently allow a strike that would be difficult to shoot down.?Admiral Bill Gortney, Commander of North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) and US Northern Command, admitted last month that North Korea could hit the continental US with a nuclear strike. That admission accompanied the announcement that NORAD is reopening its nuclear-EMP-proof Cheyenne Mountain bunker, apparently amid renewed concerns of an EMP attack by which a nuclear weapon would be detonated over the US, knocking out all of its electronic devices, and thereby rendering it defenseless to secondary nuclear strikes.?The latest launch test also comes after Chinese experts warned the US last month that American estimates are wrong and North Korea actually has 20 nuclear weapons, with that arsenal to double next year thanks to the regime's higher than anticipated advanced enrichment capabilities.?Nuclear strikes the US won't see coming?Admiral Cecil D. Haney, commander of the Strategic Command, confirmed the SLBM launch test in comments to the Senate on March 19, reports the Washington Free Beacon. The program is in violation of UN Security Council resolutions.?Regarding the UN, it was reported last month that US President Barack Obama hid intel from the UN about North Korea transferring rocket components needed to create a nuclear missile to Iran even during the nuclear talks, to try and prevent the UN from acting on the information with increased sanctions.?Former US Defense Intelligence Agency official Bruce Bechtol, Jr. told the paper that North Korea's SLBM program is meant to give it the ability to strike the US, and to not have the strike be detected in advance.?"With an SLBM they get both," said Bechtol. "The submarine can get the platform to launch the missile within range of the continental United States, Alaska, or Hawaii. Thus, once operational, this immediately brings key nodes in the United States within range of what would likely be a nuclear armed missile."?He noted that once the KN-11 and mobile KN-08 "systems go operational, it potentially gives North Korea a dual threat for attacking the United States with nuclear or chemical weapons - a threat generated from difficult to detect mobile platforms on both land and sea."?Obama is bringing the US to "tragedy"?A number of American officials responded sharply to the KN-11 test, placing the blame squarely on Obama's shoulders.?"This missile, along with the KN-08, happened on Obama's watch and nothing has been done," one US intelligence official told the Washington Free Beacon.?Former US Ambassador to the UN John Bolton added his criticism, saying, "by utterly ignoring North Korea's growing missile threats, Obama has allowed the threat of rogue state proliferators to fall out of the center of the national political debate."?"This is a potential tragedy for the country," Bolton warned.?Air Force Lt. Gen. (ret.) Thomas McInerney said that the KN-08 and KN-11 programs constitute "threats to the continental United States and have been developed under the Obama administration's leadership."?"Leading from behind is a failed strategy as evidenced by this very dangerous strategic threat to the continental United States of nuclear attack by a very unstable North Korean government," said McInerney.?The general also spoke about Obama's admission that the nuclear deal being formed with Iran will allow it to obtain a nuclear weapon in under 15 years if it doesn't breach conditions and obtain it sooner, noting that the deal "puts the United States in the most dangerous threat of nuclear attack since the height of the Cold War but from multiple threats - North Korea, China, Russia, and Iran."?Opponents of the nuclear deal being formulated with Iran ahead of a June 30 deadline have warned it follows in the footsteps of the failed deal sealed by then-President Bill Clinton with North Korea in 1994.?Despite the deal, North Korea tested its first nuclear weapon in 2006, just over ten years after the agreement.?Nearing Midnight: Listening for the Midnight Cry - Terry James - section of Rapture Ready is termed "Nearing Midnight." Our purpose is to chronicle issues and events of the current times in order to forewarn that the call of Christ to His Bride, the Church (all those who are born again --John 3:3) is near. ?We can say this with certainty because of the many signals given off by those issues and events. These look to be the prophetic signs of the coming Tribulation period--human history's last seven years leading to the return of Christ to planet earth at the time of Armageddon. Jesus said: "And when you see all these things begin to come to pass, then look up and lift up your head for your redemption draweth nigh" (Luke 21: 28). ?Paul the apostle wrote about this moment of redemption: "For 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" (1 Thessalonians 4: 4: 16-17). ?John, "the beloved disciple," wrote from his exile on Patmos about his vision of that moment of redemption: ?After this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up hither, and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter. (Revelation 4: 1) ?This shout from Christ, Himself, is likened to the moment when the midnight hour of human history has been reached. The black, boiling clouds of the Tribulation will have shrouded the whole planet in a veil of God's wrath because of man's rebellion. We see that moment as represented in the parable of the ten virgins. ?And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him. (Matthew 25: 6) ?Despite all the seminary-degreed protests to the contrary, this is the same moment Jesus prophesied in the Olivet Discourse, in what I believe is the most profound declaration about this midnight hour at which time He will next catastrophically intervene into man's history. I refer to the Lord's foretelling the coming judgment at the time of the Rapture, as given in the following. Note that Jesus prefaces His prophecy by saying: ?But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only. (Matthew 24:36) ?The Rapture is an unknown time; it is imminent-can happen at any moment. The Second Advent can be counted down, because a precise number of days are given to the time Christ returns at Armageddon. The Lord then gives a description of what the world will be like at that unknown hour--unknown by anyone but His Father. ?But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left. Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left. Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come. (Matthew 24: 37-42) ?Most of my theologically degreed friends--and I love them as my Brothers in Christ--say that Jesus was addressing the Jews, not the Church. This, therefore, has to be His addressing the time of His Second Advent at the end of the seven years of Tribulation. However, I believe, as did my good friend Dave Hunt, that the Lord would not speak confusion into prophecy. At the time of the Second Advent at Armageddon, as many as three-fourths of the world's population will have been killed through the terrible judgments given for that era. People will not be doing the things people in societies and cultures do during normal times. And, the time of Tribulation will be by far the worst in human history, according to the Lord's own words (Matthew 24:21). ?Dave Hunt spoke to these matters many years ago at a forum I attended. He started his presentation by talking about the title of the topic he was assigned. ?[My] topic is "Is the Rapture in the Olivet Discourse?" Well, I'd like to talk on the topic "The Pre-Trib Rapture in the Olivet Discourse." I couldn't quite handle that question. I couldn't justify why there ought to be any question at all. Why the Pre-Trib Rapture, or the Rapture, or the Church, or anything else was in the Olivet Discourse. ("The Pre-Trib Rapture: Is It in the Olivet Discourse?" Dave Hunt, Pre-Trib Study Group, Dallas, Texas, December, 1998) ?Dave Hunt, one of the most thorough and brilliant students of the Bible of my acquaintance, talked then about how the Olivet Discourse is declared by the seminary doctoral hierarchy to not address the Church or the Rapture in any way whatsoever. He went on to say that the Olivet Discourse, as he understood it, came about in response to specific questions the disciples asked Jesus. They wanted to know when the destruction of the temple and city would take place, and what would be the signs of His coming, and of the end of the age. Dave said Jesus responded with the many signals He gave. Jesus didn't say that He was referring to His Second Coming at the time of Armageddon. Dave asked: Why is it necessary to adamantly say that it couldn't be the Rapture Jesus was talking about in answer to their questions? ?A common reason given for the Rapture not being referred to in the Olivet Discourse, Dave Hunt said, was that the disciples there with Jesus couldn't understand about the Rapture, because they didn't understand about even the Church at that point. ?Dave reminded that Jesus told the disciples at another time that He would go away, but would come again and receive them unto himself, and take them to Heaven, where He will have prepared dwelling places (mansions) for them (John 14: 1-3). The disciples didn't understand this, either, but it was about the Church, and Jesus told them about it. Dave said this coming for the disciples (the Church) couldn't be the Second Advent, because He will return at that time of Armageddon with the saints--including the disciples to whom He was speaking. The disciples didn't understand that, it is true, Dave said. But, Jesus was nonetheless speaking about the Rapture. The common sense of the things Jesus was saying fit perfectly--as Jesus' teachings always did. ?Dave Hunt concluded: ?I don't believe that His response had to be limited to what they understood. But I think He could tell them things that they didn't understand, and not necessarily in a way that they would understand... I can't think of any reason-rule of logic or exegesis-that would say the rapture can't be in the Olivet Discourse." (Ibid.) ?Jesus expanded on His "days of Noah" analogy to the time when He would return at the Rapture: ?Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded; But the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all. Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed. (Luke 17: 29-30) ?Be alert! Keep your head up and senses attuned to what the headlines are saying to your spiritual ears. The midnight cry might be the next words you hear. ?***Midnight Cry -You must hear this!***?Perhaps no other song more reflects the Glorious Rapture of the Church than does The Midnight Cry". We have? put a link to what we believe is the most thrilling rendition of that song we've heard (although all renditions are great.)?Shawn Crane is the singer. Shawn and his family are part of Terry's family, in his heart. We hope you will enjoy Shawn's version of this tremendous song.?Send it as you wish throughout your various social media outlets. ?Link to: Midnight Cry - A Chance to Win, and?Support Prophecy Update???Thanks to a very generous supporter, we are offering you a chance to win both the John MacArthur 33 volumes New Testament Commentary, and the Warren Wiersbe 6 volumes Bible Exposition Commentary, for a donation of just $25, for each increment of $25 dollars, your name will go into a drawing. If you donate $100 dollars for example, your name will be entered four times into the drawing. This offer will run from now until the end of May, and the drawing will be held and announced on 6/1/15. ?Amazing set of Bible Commentaries?The John MacArthur 33 volume New Testament Commentary retails for $849, and the Warren Wiersbe 6 volumes Bible Exposition Commentary retails for $149. So that's a total of nearly $1000 dollars, but wait there's more. We will also throw in an Ultimate Set of our DVD's, including our newest DVD, CONVERGENCE. So all together this donation-drawing is worth nearly $1200, and you can enter our donation-drawing as many times as you want. ??The MacArthur NT Commentary Series, 33 Volumes (Hard Cover)???The MacArthur New Testament Commentary comes from the experience, insight, and wisdom of one of the most trusted ministry leaders and Bible teachers of our day. Each volume was written to be as comprehensive and accurate as possible, dealing thoroughly with every key phrase and word in the Bible without being unduly technical. This series helps provide a better, fuller, and richer understanding of God's word while challenging all readers-no matter what their expertise-to grow in a vibrant, spiritual walk. ??The Warren Wiersbe Bible Exposition Commentary, 6 Volumes (Hard Cover)?? ?Countless pastors, teachers, and students have pored over the best-selling Be series---and now these insightful studies are available in one complete set for a spectacular price! From Genesis to Revelation, Wiersbe unpacks the meaning and message of Scripture with a skilled exposition that remains ever-mindful of practical application. ?A Great Addition to any Library??You can add these awesome Bible Commentaries to your personal collection, give them as a gift to someone or your church or even your pastor. Most importantly, you will be helping to support this ministry! We have set up a special section on our donations page to enter this donation-drawing, please use the link below:??? can also mail in your donation-drawing entry to:Prophecy Update, PO Box 40516, Bakersfield, CA 93384 , please mark your entry for Commentary Drawing, thanks!??CONVERGENCE - of the End Time Signs - DVDIs Now Shipping!!!?Now, also available on USB?Flash-drive?or as a Digital Download???CONVERGENCE Reviews:?Randy,? I just watched "Convergence" this morning and it was excellent!!? So well done, my friend.? The graphics and the news footage used are wonderful!? I love that you put in print what the narrator is saying!? The people's comments are good and the prayer is wonderful, too!?? I am so pleased and grateful to be putting this DVD in my packets!? God bless you.? Please pray with me that God will use these packets and DVDs for His glory and that people will watch the DVDs!!!!? I see how the USA is pushing Israel to give up their God-given land so things could rapidly decline for this nation.? I am so happy to be warning people and to put this excellent DVD in their hands!? Thank you again! - L. Rhone (Iowa)?"I loved this DVD, from beginning to end the message was clear that all the End Time Signs are converging upon the world, just as the Bible predicted. I cried during the part about the Jewish Aliyah when they landed in Israel and kissed the ground. Great Job!" ?- D. Koerner - (California)?Randy,? "Convergence "is so good I am watching if for the 3rd time! - L. Rhone (Iowa)?Outstanding video! Come quickly Lord Jesus! - ?monstermovieman? Just shared on my facebook, hoping to get some people to wake up and ask the Lord into their hearts! - L. TownHi. This is Cheryl, from New Hampshire. Thank you? so much for Convergence. I just received it today. I just finished watching it.??It was FANTASTIC!!? I Praise God for your Ministry. I've been praying that God would prepare the hearts of my family members when I show them the video. I'm praying that God would give them the understanding and?keep them interested to watch it to the end and also keep them awake. ???-------------------------------------------------?Our Best DVD Ever?I believe CONVERGENCE, is the best DVD that we have ever produced! It's jammed packed full of stunningly vivid images and Hi-Def clips, that thoroughly show that we are in the end of the End Times, right before the Rapture and the?Tribulation.??100 % Worded?This DVD is 100% worded for the hearing impaired. Every word the narrator speaks, is clearly on the screen.?A Must See DVD?Every believer needs to watch this DVD and then share it with their friends, family members, and co-workers. Every church, and small bible study group, should watch this DVD and use it to evangelize. There is an?invitation?at the end of the DVD, that gives everyone the opportunity to ask Jesus into their lives!?Evangelistic?tool?It is said that a picture is worth a thousand words, well, then a DVD, with thousands of images, must be priceless. Today's generation does not read books as much as us old school people. But, hand them a DVD, and they are more than?likely?to watch it.??Timely?The CONVERGENCE DVD could not be more?timely! It coincides exactly with today's headlines and current events, leaving no doubt, that all the end times signs are happening, just as Jesus predicted.?ORDER YOUR COPY TODAY!??CONVERGENCE of the End Time Signs"CONVERGENCE of the End Time Signs" -?Bible Prophecy fulfillment is in a period of acceleration, a time of Quickening, the world is racing towards Armageddon, now more than ever we must be ready! We are about to enter a time like no other time, a time that no man has ever seen, a time like no other time in the history of this world, as a matter of fact we are about to enter the end times. Since the dawn of mankind, there have always been wars and rumors of wars, earthquakes, famines, pestilences, disease, strange-weather and false Christ's just as Jesus predicted. Fast forward nearly 2,000 years since Jesus made this prediction, and you have today's headlines lining up exactly with the Word of God. The big thing?isn't?that these events?are happening today, is that they are all happening at the very same time! Bible prophecy is being fulfilled right before our very eyes.? Fulfilled prophecy is increasing in frequency and intensity just like birth pains, and Jesus said when you see these know that I am near, even at the door.All the signs of the last days are converging at the same time. Bible Prophecy is happening right before our eyes and like birth pains, ?the predicted events are happening more frequently and more intently. Never, in the history throughout the world have so many forces, including economic, scientific, techno-logic, ecologic, cultural, geopolitical, moral, spiritual and religion, converged together to bring this world that's already teetering over the edge into the abyss, to a point of no return. "CONVERGENCE" brings it all together and will clearly show where all this heading and what people need to do!CONVERGENCE -This DVD is Now Shipping!!!CLICK HERE TO ORDER?From Kathmandu to Kalamazoo! - A. V. Rauf - ??Mark 13:8-For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be earthquakes in divers places, and there shall be famines and troubles: these are the beginnings of sorrows?As Nepal is still trying to recover from the massive earthquake that struck Kathmandu last week, seismic activity has continued to be on the uptick. ?Did you know that Michigan was just hit by the worst earthquake the state has seen in over 60 years? The earthquake with a magnitude of 4.2 was measured around 12:23 p.m. about nine miles southeast of Kalamazoo, near Galesburg. michigan quakeDozens of residents in several different regions beyond Kalamazoo - from Mount Pleasant and Sterling Heights to Lansing and even as far as Cleveland, Ohio. ?All over the planet, seismic activity is increasing. North Texas was rattled once again with an earthquake last Sunday morning, measuring at 3.2 magnitude. Even Mississippi was just hit by two of them. According to the USGS, a magnitude 3.0 earthquake and a magnitude 3.2 earthquake shook up the residents of Canton, Mississippi over the weekend. Two earthquakes - a magnitude 4.1 and a 4.2 - jolted north Idaho last week. Folks, these are quakes that are happening in diverse places.?As a matter of fact, even the number of volcanoes erupting right now is greater than the 20th century's average for an entire year. ?It is being reported that lava is flowing on the floor of Halema'uma'u crater in Hawaii. This is one of the largest volcanoes in Hawaii and is spewing lava for the first time in more than 30 years...?An undersea volcano situated 300 miles off the coast of Oregon is thought to be erupting after signs of magma were spotted near its deep sea vent. For the last week? the region has experienced thousands of tiny earthquakes - a sign that magma is moving towards the surface. ?Geologists predicted the volcano, called Axial Seamount (a sign that magma is moving toward the surface.) The seafloor has also reportedly dropped by almost 8 feet!? ??At the same time, the surface of the sun has become very quiet.? ?It is believed that times of very low solar activity have something to do with a rise in seismic activity, and there is one scientist that is claiming that solar activity is declining faster "than at any time in the last 9300 years" right now. So what does this mean for the future of our planet??Scientists have known that there is a link between activity on the sun and seismic activity on our planet.????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? ??????????????????????????????????????A 1967 study published in the Earth and Planetary Science journal, stated: "Solar activity, as indicated by sunspots, radio noise and geomagnetic indices, plays a significant but by no means exclusive role in the triggering of earthquakes."??A 1998 report by a scientist from the Beijing Astronomical Observatory... "Earthquakes occur frequently around the minimum years of solar activity."?As reported on and numerous other science sites, including , the sun has recently entered into its lowest (minimum) actively levels in four centuries, coinciding with an increase in global seismic activity. "Solar activity is declining very fast at the moment," Mike Lockwood, professor of space environmental physics at Reading University, UK, told New Scientist. "We estimate faster than at any time in the last 9300 years."?The book of Revelation foretells five specific powerful earthquakes preceding and surrounding Christ's Return. Each is unique, and occurs at a particular juncture of God's final prophetic timeline. (Please see my previous post "Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin On") Here is the link: ?So where and when in the Bible do we see a change or reduction in solar activity? I am glad you asked........?Revelation 8:12-13-And the fourth angel sounded, and the third part of the sun was smitten, and the third part of the moon, and the third part of the stars; so as the third part of them was darkened, and the day shone not for a third part of it, and the night likewise.? And I beheld, and heard an angel flying through the midst of heaven, saying with a loud voice, Woe, woe, woe, to the inhabiters of the earth by reason of the other voices of the trumpet of the three angels, which are yet to sound!?If we have indeed entered a time of decreased solar activity, that could mean that seismic activity on our planet will continue to increase. ?Could what we are witnessing be a prelude to what is to come in the very near future when the Seal, Trumpet and Bowl judgments are to be released on this earth??The time to know Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior is now. The time to get saved is now. Again I urge you to receive the free gift of salvation that awaits you.?John 3:16-18-For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.???Transhumanism: An Attempt to Use Technology to Turn Men into Gods - By Michael Snyder - you know that the word "transhuman" literally means "beyond human"?? All over the world, scientists and intellectuals are joining the transhumanism movement.? Those that adhere to this philosophy believe that the time has come for us to use technology to take control of our own evolution.? By doing so, they believe that we can give ourselves superhuman powers and radically extend our lifespans.? Right now, the most popular movie in America is "Avengers: Age of Ultron", and in recent years we have watched films about "mutants" and "superheroes" become some of Hollywood's biggest moneymakers.? But transhumanists believe that we will soon be able to literally turn ourselves into such superheroes as technology continues to increase at an exponential rate.? And once we have superhuman powers and superhuman intelligence, they are convinced that we will eradicate all sickness, disease, poverty and war.? Many of them actually believe that we will be able to achieve immortality and establish a utopia on Earth just a few decades from now.? In other words, we won't need a "God" because we will have become our own gods.?At the core of the transhumanist movement is an unshakable faith in the inevitable technological progress of humanity.? Yes, there are some transhumanists that have doubts, but for most transhumanists the solution to all of our problems is more technology.? If you are not familiar with transhumanism, the following is a really good definition that I recently came across...?Transhumanism is a cultural and intellectual movement promoting the aim of transforming the human condition fundamentally by developing - and making available - technologies to enhance human intellectual, physical, and psychological capabilities. Transhumanist thinking studies the potential benefits and hazards of emerging technologies that could overcome basic human limitations. It also addresses ethical matters involved in developing and using such technologies. Some transhumanists predict that human beings may eventually transform themselves into beings with such greatly expanded abilities that they justify a state of being known as 'posthuman'.?Transhumanists want to help humans live much longer, and they also want to dramatically increase the quality of those lives.? Ultimately, most transhumanists are fully convinced that they will be able to defeat death altogether.? The following is a short excerpt from an ExtremeTech article...?One of the core concepts in transhumanist thinking is life extension: Through genetic engineering, nanotech, cloning, and other emerging technologies, eternal life may soon be possible. Likewise, transhumanists are interested in the ever-increasing number of technologies that can boost our physical, intellectual, and psychological capabilities beyond what humans are naturally capable of (thus the term transhuman). Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), for example, which speeds up reaction times and learning speed by running a very weak electric current through your brain, has already been used by the US military to train snipers. On the more extreme side, transhumanism deals with the concepts of mind uploading (to a computer), and what happens when we finally craft a computer with greater-than-human intelligence (the technological singularity).?So would you like to live forever armed with superhuman powers??The most famous transhumanist in the world, Ray Kurzweil, actually believes that he is going to be able to do that.? But first he has to stay alive long enough for the technologies that he believes are coming to be developed.? So Kurzweil takes 150 supplements a day in an attempt to keep his body in peak condition...?The youthful 65-year-old currently takes 150 supplements a day, which he argues is the first bridge.?The idea is to build enough bridges to ensure the body holds out long enough for life-lengthening technology to come into its own.?He has likened the biology of the body to computer software and believes we are all 'out of date'.?Kurzweil is absolutely convinced that if he can just stretch his life out long enough that technologies that will enable him to achieve immortality are right around the corner.? In fact, in a piece that he wrote for CNN he expressed his belief that our medical technologies will be "a million times more powerful" than they are today just two decades from now...?Health and medicine is now an information technology and is therefore subject to what I call the "law of accelerating returns," which is a doubling of capability (for the same cost) about each year that applies to any information technology.?As a result, technologies to reprogram the "software" that underlie human biology are already a thousand times more powerful than they were when the genome project was completed in 2003, and will again be a thousand times more powerful than they are today in a decade, and a million times more powerful in two decades.?So will he be right??We will just have to wait and see.?For a long time, many in the transhumanist movement (including Kurzweil) have been pointing to a time period between 2030 and 2050 during which they believe something remarkable will happen.? They believe that during that time period something known as "the singularity" will occur.? As technology increases at an exponential rate, they believe that artificial intelligence will begin to greatly surpass human intelligence at some point, and that humanity will merge with this new super intelligence.? Once that happens, they believe that the world will change in ways that we cannot even comprehend today...?Kurzweil and his followers believe that a crucial turning point will be reached around the year 2030, when information technology achieves 'genuine' intelligence, at the same time as biotechnology enables a seamless union between us and this super-smart new technological environment. Ultimately the human-machine mind will become free to roam a universe of its own creation, uploading itself at will on to a "suitably powerful computational substrate". We will become essentially god-like in our powers.?Does that sound good to you, or does it sound frightening??Other transhumanists are not quite as optimistic as Kurzweil and his followers.? Just consider what Max Tegmark, the author of Our Mathematical Universe: My Quest for the Ultimate Nature of Reality, had to say about what life will be like after "the singularity"...?After this, life on Earth would never be the same. Whoever or whatever controls this technology would rapidly become the world's wealthiest and most powerful, outsmarting all financial markets, out-inventing and out-patenting all human researchers, and out-manipulating all human leaders. Even if we humans nominally merge with such machines, we might have no guarantees whatsoever about the ultimate outcome, making it feel less like a merger and more like a hostile corporate takeover.?Even some of the most prominent scientists in the world are skeptical of what an ultra-powerful artificial intelligence would mean for the future of humanity.? The following is an excerpt from an article co-authored by Stephen Hawking...?Looking further ahead, there are no fundamental limits to what can be achieved: there is no physical law precluding particles from being organized in ways that perform even more advanced computations than the arrangements of particles in human brains. An explosive transition is possible, although it may play out differently than in the movie: as Irving Good realized in 1965, machines with superhuman intelligence could repeatedly improve their design even further, triggering what Vernor Vinge called a "singularity" and Johnny Depp's movie character calls "transcendence." One can imagine such technology outsmarting financial markets, out-inventing human researchers, out-manipulating human leaders, and developing weapons we cannot even understand. Whereas the short-term impact of AI depends on who controls it, the long-term impact depends on whether it can be controlled at all.?But despite these reservations from many in the scientific community, many transhumanists are pushing ahead as hard as they can.? Many of them are absolutely convinced that what they are doing will bring a new golden age to this planet.? Just consider the words of transhumanist Zoltan Istvan...?Despite this, people continue to worry that technology and science that make our species more transhuman will be used to create a deeper divide in society for the haves and have-nots. Those worries are unfounded. A close examination of the issues show that transhumanist technology and science liberates us, brings us better health, and has improved the living standards of all people around the world. If you value liberty, equality and progress, it makes sense to embrace the coming age of transhumanism.?Doesn't that sound wonderful??And there are even some transhumanists that couch their hopes and dreams for the future in religious terminology.? For example, transhumanist Mark Pesce is fully convinced that transhumanism will allow ordinary humans "to become as gods"...?"Men die, planets die, even stars die. We know all this. Because we know it, we seek something more-a transcendence of transience, translation to incorruptible form. An escape if you will, a stop to the wheel. We seek, therefore, to bless ourselves with perfect knowledge and perfect will; To become as gods, take the universe in hand, and transform it in our image-for our own delight. As it is on Earth, so it shall be in the heavens. The inevitable result of incredible improbability, the arrow of evolution is lipping us into the transhuman - an apotheosis to reason, salvation - attained by good works."?That is some pretty strong stuff.? ?The Mark of the Beast Is Closer Than We Think - Belle Ringer - ?????? I know that there are those out there in the blogosphere who reject the idea that technology is bad for us.? They will point to the added convenience and "instant" communication aspects of all of our technological gadgets.? And I realize that I will be called a dinosaur and "out of touch" for not embracing every new app or innovation that comes down the pike. ?????? I may not be the most savvy techie or eager to be the first in my crowd to own the latest version of anything that begins with an "i", but there's a very good reason.? You see, I can tell where this is all headed, and it's a place I don't want to go.? And you don't even have to be a "conspiracy nut" to get a pretty good picture of what our future holds.?????? Great Britain's The Telegraph recently printed a news story by Sophie Curtis about the direction that PayPal wants to take us.? Ever heard of "Natural Body Identification"?? Apparently, it is "a new generation of embeddable, injectable and ingestible devices that could replace passwords as a means of identification."? If you believe the tech giants, there is a massive problem of compromised passwords; with naive and unsophisticated tech users still employing easily hacked passwords such as "123456", or "letmein".???? Slide taken from Jonathan LeBlanc's presentation, "Kill All Passwords" ????? But Paypal's global head of developer evangelism (that's rather strange terminology, don't you think?), Jonathan LeBlanc, thinks monitoring internal body functions like heartbeat, glucose levels and vein recognition can eliminate the need for people to come up with the perfect unhackable password.? It's just the way he wants to do it, that has me creeped out.?????? He wants to consider developing devices such as brain implants, wafer-thin silicon chips that can be embedded into the skin, and ingestible devices with batteries that are powered by stomach acid.? Now, he's quick to point out that by talking about new biometric verification technologies, PayPal is not necessarily signaling that it's thinking about adopting them.? Rather, it hopes to position itself as a "thought leader".? Is that supposed to comfort us??????? They want us to think that it is all about the "evolution" of the password;? that concept will be changing, and all PayPal wants to do is be at the forefront of the developments for that change.? After all, PayPal was a founding member of the FIDO (Fast Identity Online) Alliance, which is an industry consortium launched in February 2013 to address the lack of interoperability among strong authentication devices and the problems users face creating and remembering multiple usernames and passwords. ?????? PayPal also wants you to know that they were the first to implement fingerprint payments with Samsung ... it's all about removing "the friction" from shopping and making it easier and safer for consumers.?? If you believe that, I've got the proverbial beachfront property in Arizona that you might be interested in. ?????? By now, it should be quite clear that we are edging closer and closer to being controlled as to how we buy and sell.? And if that doesn't ring a bell, then please rush to your nearest Bible and read Revelation 13:16-17. ?????? Furthermore, there are tech users that are far more savvy than me and they point out the obvious flaw in biometric security devices, namely "there is no advantage whatsoever to using a biometric signal. In fact, it's easier to make a secure key from a series of random numbers and letters because those can be changed. Biometrics CANNOT BE CHANGED - once compromised, they are forever useless. It's like having one password for everything that is the same --- how does that increase security? It doesn't --- it lessens the security."?????? Another person showed the flaw in PayPal's argument with this comment:? "This is about tagging you with a tracking device so that the powers that be can better analyze your movement and behavior. It has nothing to do with security or verifying your identity when it actually counts, as in a financial transaction."?????? Even I can see the logic in these two arguments against so-called "natural body identification" and biometric verification technologies.? Not that I think it will slow down the "evolution" of ID Security devices.? The time is coming for "the Mark", folks, whether we like it or not.? Just stay alert and aware of the latest innovations, and resist the temptation to bow down at the altar of technology.?Revelation 13:16-17?? "And he causes all, the small and the great, and the rich and the poor, and the free men and the slaves, to be given a mark on their right hand or on their forehead, and he provides that no one will be able to buy or to sell, except the one who has the mark,"Islamic attack in Texas will impact free speech - Bill Wilson - ??It's already happening. People are blaming the American Freedom Defense Initiative (AFDI) for baiting the Islamic State (IS) terrorists into the Garland, Tx attack by the AFDI using cartoons of Mohammad and posting billboards and ads condemning Islam. The Southern Poverty Law Center, a leftist "civil rights" advocacy organization, designates AFDI as a hate group, although Southern Poverty Law Center spreads its own brand of hate against Christians and conservatives. Even the LA Times, supposed guardian of free speech, has written: "The Garland attack refocused public attention on the fine line between free speech and hate speech in the ideological struggle between radical Islam and the West."?There is no fine line between free speech and hate speech where Islam is concerned. The West is where guaranteed free speech was invented. Telling the truth about a vicious and brutal death cult is not hate speech. Let's get real here. Every year, the US State Department releases a report on human rights practices. And every year, Islamic nations are an overwhelming majority when it comes to practicing human trafficking and violating human rights. Sex trade, slave trade, drug trade, and crime are hallmarks of Islam. The rights of women and children are trampled. There is no freedom of speech or of religion. This is documented and one doesn't have to look far to find it. And that's the easy stuff.?Where around the world can you find systematic and brutal murdering of anyone who disagrees with a religion, other than Islam? Where? Islam's holy book, the Koran, instructs its disciples to kill infidels, namely Christians and Jews. Anyone who refuses to submit to Islam is to be killed, according to the Koran. There is no better representative of this theology than the self-proclaimed Caliphate, Islamic State. The IS is marauding across the Middle East burning alive, crucifying, burying alive, and beheading anyone and everyone who disagrees with them, including women and children. Telling the atrocities of Islam is not hate speech, it is the truth. It's no fine line, it's a wide one drawn in blood with the pen of atrocity. ?You cannot appease the bloodthirsty and expect peace. Speaking of the peril of false teaching and sin, Jeremiah 8:11 says "For they have healed the hurt of the daughter of my people slightly, saying Peace, peace; when there is no peace." Verse 15 says, "We looked for peace, but no good came; and for a time of health, and behold terror!" The tolerance and appeasement of evil will lead to destruction. Christians must stand strong and not allow evil Islam and its minions to make truth as hate speech. The tweets from Islamists in the Garland incident that drove those two terrorist wannabes to their death was the real hate speech. Free speech is the hedge that stands between Islam and carnage. Americans would do well to recognize this and vehemently resist the appeasers who would sacrifice truth for a false peace.Daily Devotion: "What Are You Doing Here?" - Greg Laurie - ??So it was, when Elijah heard it, that he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood in the entrance of the cave. Suddenly a voice came to him, and said, "What are you doing here, Elijah?" -1 Kings 19:13?It was a glorious day of victory for Israel and the Lord. Elijah had faced off with the prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel, where God sent a stream of fire from Heaven and consumed Elijah's sacrifice. At God's command, Baal's prophets had been slain, and Jezebel, the wife of wicked King Ahab, wanted Elijah dead.?So inexplicably, the courageous Elijah, having just faced all those prophets, ran in terror and hid himself in a cave. Then the Bible tells us there was a mighty, rushing wind, followed by an earthquake and a big fire. After that, God asked Elijah a question: "What are you doing here, Elijah?" (1 Kings 19:13).?I wonder if the Lord would say that to some of us sometimes. Maybe it's when you're in a group of people and things are happening that you shouldn't be around. Maybe people are doing drugs or getting drunk. And the Lord says, "What are you doing here?" Or maybe you're in a movie and a scene comes on that is not the kind of scene you should be watching. Everyone is enjoying it, and you are feeling a little uncomfortable. The Lord whispers, "What are you doing here?"?When Judas came to betray Jesus, He said, "Friend, why have you come?" (Matthew 26:50). Did Jesus know why Judas came to the garden with a bunch of soldiers and the temple guard? Of course Jesus knew. However, Jesus wanted Judas to say he was there because he had been planning to betray Him, but he wanted to repent. But Judas didn't repent.?God knows everything that we have done, and He wants us to admit our sins, to confess them. Sometimes God will ask us a question designed to do that. So what question is God asking you today?FROM THE HEART??IF YOU HAVE BEEN BLESSED THROUGH THIS MINISTRY, THEN WE ASK THAT YOU WOULD PLEASE REMEMBER PROPHECY UPDATE IN YOUR GIVING - WE ARE TRULY,?TRULY,?THANKFUL FOR YOUR SUPPORT??Prophecy Update has no corporate sponsors. This ministry is paid for and prayed for by readers and supporters. Without your support, there would be no Prophecy Update, Please pray about becoming a monthly supporter - thanks!??If ever there was a time to invest in God's Kingdom, it's now!What on earth are you doing for Heaven's Sake?"Share in the Blessings and Rewards that will last Forever!""Folks, it's all beginning to unravel. America is in more danger of falling than at any time in its history. But I believe Bible prophecy predicts this very decline. From this point on, we believers have to get serious. We are going to face discouragement, disillusionment and, most certainly, persecution in the time between now and the Rapture. But don't be discouraged or disillusioned. The coming turmoil will provide us unrivaled opportunities to share the good news of the Gospel. So be ready to share your faith and your hope with those who need Christ. We still have time to reap a great harvest of souls for God's kingdom!" - Hal Lindsey1) We need your prayers!- We proclaim the Truth of the Word of God and we are under constant spiritual and sometimes even physical attack.2) We need your encouragement!- We need to hear from you, let us know how the Lord is blessing you through this ministry so that we can share it with others.3) We need your input! - If you have a prophetic article or story or if there is a news related item we missed, let us know. 4) We need your financial support!- To put it quite simply, without your support, there would be no Prophecy Update.I ask that you would prayerfully consider partnering with us to get the Word out and keep the world informed. Remember, your gift, no matter how small, does make a difference! You will be helping to touch lives, around the world, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, thanks to the internet your generosity carries a global impact! - Thanks!Our Prayer for You- "Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God. This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of God's people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God. Because of the service by which you have proved yourselves, men will praise God for the obedience that accompanies your confession of the gospel of Christ, and for your generosity in sharing with them and with everyone else." 2 Corinthians 9:10-13Prophecy Update is a 501 (c) (3) tax exempt -?non-profit?organization, and all your donations are tax deductible.??If you have been blessed by Prophecy Update and would like to help support this ministry financially. You can make a secure donation online by going to:DONATE NOW?Or Visit our website: ?prophecyupdate. ?Or write us at:?Prophecy Update P.O. Box 40516 Bakersfield, CA 93384-0516???FEATURED ARTICLE?Featured Article: This Means War - Wendy Wippel - Hebrew Mazzeroth (Job 38:32) began in September (the Jewish New Year) with Virgo, presenting the God/man to come. Libra, next, gives us the reason He was needed.? Scorpio brings us to the meat of the story: the central truth of human experience:? God has an enemy. And the heavens are at war.?Which shouldn't really be a surprise, because we are told that from the very beginning of the scriptures.?The enemy entered the creation that God had provided for man, and man's experience in paradise came all too quickly to an end.? Mankind was expelled from Eden and the conflict between God and Satan for control of man's fate began. Genesis records God's first prophecy, describing both the conflict to come and the end result: "And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise His heel."?God purposed, as described by Virgo that His own Son, without the taint of human sin, would redeem His people by paying, as described in Libra, the price sufficient (the sacrifice of a perfect, sinless lamb, human and yet simultaneously God) which we, as corrupted and sinful beings, could not pay.?But Satan, in his pride; "I will ascend above the heights of the clouds, I will be like the Most High" (Isaiah 14:14). This defiance purposed to do everything in his power to prevent that sacrificial lamb from ever existing.?And boy, has he tried.? He tried when the children of Israel were in Egypt, convincing Pharaoh to kill every male Hebrew child.?But God rescued Moses.?He tried when Ahaziah king of Judah died, and his mother Athaliah purposed to kill all of the royal line.? She almost succeeded. But God made her accidentally miss one.?Joash survived.?He tried when Haman enacted laws in Persia intended to put to death the whole Jewish citizenry.? But God had sleeper agent embedded in the Persian Empire, a young Jewish girl named Esther.? And Esther told by her uncle, that she had become the king's favorite "for such a time as this", turned the tables on Haman.? Her story ends with Haman being hung on the same gallows, which he purposed for the Jews.?He tried when the wise men told Herod that the one born king of the Jews was in their midst, prompting the perennially paranoid Herod to order the death of every male Hebrew child. God, however, had warned one particular child's parents, in a dream, and the baby promised in Virgo escaped to Egypt.?Jesus escaped.?He never quit trying, but ultimately God triumphed in completion of the first part of our redemption: the sacrifice lamb was, on a hill called Calvary, slain for our sins. ?Doesn't really seem like a triumph, but it was.? It was the perfect execution (pun really not intended) of God's perfect plan.?Jesus, as the time of the crucifixion approached, told His disciples, "Now My soul is troubled, and what shall I say? 'Father, save me from this hour'? ... for this purpose I came to this hour." I never saw the flipside till this weekend. The second witness: (Luke 22:53) Jesus told the Pharisees, "when I was with you daily in the temple, you did not try to seize me. But this is your hour, and the power of darkness." ?Jesus' hour at the cross was also the hour that the powers of evil were given the power to kill Him. The powers of evil did reign at His crucifixion, but they had no power that was not given to them. And that power was only given so that God's ultimate purpose-our salvation-would come to pass.?The age-old conflict with Satan over man's salvation had come to an end, and it was the death of Christ that won the victory. God, who loved mankind, gave His only begotten son so that whoever believed on Him could have eternal life.?For Satan however, who hates mankind, as Peter warned us: Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour", it hasn't ended. Though he lost the war, he's still looking to maximize the casualties.?And all of this is exactly what the sign of Scorpio portrays.?The name for Scorpio, in both Hebrew and Arabic, is kerav. Fortunately, The Bible itself tells us what that word means, in Psalm 144: 1: "Blessed be the Lord my Rock, Who trains my hands for battle".? Battle is the word kerav. In Scorpio, it is the age-old battle of the ages that is depicted.?Like all zodiac constellations, Scorpio has three decans (sub-constellations) that fill in the whole picture for us.? The first decan, called Ophiuchus (meaning "the serpent-holder,") is pictured as a man holding a serpent in two hands, restraining the snake from snatching his crown, which the serpent is gazing at as in envy. This man is simultaneously standing on the heart of the scorpion (the very bright, very red star Antares, which means wounded).? The second decan, Serpens, is the covetous snake being held, the serpent pictured as seemingly writhing in frustration, intent on exacting man's destruction but thwarted from his desire by his restraint by the serpent- holder Ophichius.?(As he has been, through all of earth's history, and still is. And will be until the "one who restrains him is taken out of the way", allowing the devil is to reign on earth once more.? Again, only for God's own purposes, and only for an appointed time.?The third decan, Hercules, shows us the certainty of the final outcome--that predicted in God's first prophecy.? Satan and the powers of darkness, with the hour given them, did bruise the Savior's heel when He was crucified dead and buried. But He arose. And, ultimately, the devil will be crushed by that Savior, sacrifice lamb himself. ?In the third decan, the mythological hero Hercules, considered the son of God (in Roman imagination the son of the God, Jupiter), a mythological figure, known in ancient cultures as the strongest mortal alive and the greatest hero ever known, reigns triumphant.? Scorpio's third decan shows the hero-- one knee down with his foot in the air as if nursing a wounded heel but nonetheless holding aloft proof of his victory, with? his other foot firmly planted on the head of the enemy, the dragon (the constellation Draco).?As promised, in Psalm 91:1-16; "He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. ...7 A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee.9 Because thou hast made the Lord, which is my refuge, even the most High, thy habitation... the dragon shalt thou trample under feet.15 He shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honor him.16 With long life will I satisfy him, and shew him my salvation."?One star in the third decan is Guiam, which means treading under foot-a clear reference to the timing of the Lord's final victory, "The Lord said to my Lord, "Sit at my right hand, till I make Your enemies your footstool." Psalm 10:1?Aristotle wrote that the original religion of the Greeks had been lost and transformed into Greek mythology. Neander wrote that that mythology contained the fragments of a tradition, which transmitted the knowledge of the divine things, i.e., religious truth, of earlier ages.?Scorpio clearly transmits the promise from God of final victory. Though the serpent bruised the Messiah's heel, in the end Satan will certainly be vanquished.?"For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil." I John 3:8?That's the theme of Scorpio. Amen???If You Died Today, Would You Go To Heaven?Find out, visit:Prophecy Update - GoodSearch Toolbar Prophecy Update Toolbar is free to download and allows you to raise money for our cause every time you search or shop onlineDID YOU KNOW?You can submit an article, leave a comment or praise report at email:prophecyupdate@bak.Maranatha! (Lord Come Quickly)??"On Christ the Solid Rock I Stand, All other ground is sinking sand."??"Let Us make the short time we have left count for all eternity!"??YBIC-RandyStay Connected?? ?? ?? Prophecy Update - PO Box 40516 - Bakersfield, CA 93384 ................
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