Podcast appearances and mentions of river euphrates

"Born in Chalcedon, he was little of stature, like Zaccheus, but great in spirit and faith. He denied himself to the world at the age of fifteen and settled near the River Euphrates in a little hut, where he atoned for his sins, and prayed to God, at first with his teacher Mayum and then, after Mayum's death, alone. By the power of his prayers he filled an empty well with water, healed the sick of various pains and tamed wild beasts. There was a tamed lion with him as his servant. He had insight into distant happenings. When robbers attacked a stylite, Pionius, at some distance from him, and beat him up to such an extent that he decided to come down from his pillar and go to complain to the judges, St Aninus saw his intention in his soul and sent him a letter by means of his lion, telling him to set aside his intention, to forgive his assaulters and to continue in his asceticism. He was inexpressibly generous. The bishop of Neo-Caesarea made a gift to him of a donkey, to ease his carrying of water from the river, but he gave this donkey to some poor man who had complained to him of his poverty. The bishop gave him a second donkey, but he gave that away. Then the bishop gave him a third donkey, not for his own but only to serve as a water-carrier, to be kept and returned. At the time of his death, he saw Moses, Aaron and Or coming to him and calling: 'Aninus, the Lord is calling you. Get up and come with us.' This he revealed to his disciples, and gave his spirit to the Lord whom he had served so faithfully. He was 110 years old when he finished his earthly course." (Prologue)

Send us a text“After the death of Moses the servant of the Lord, it came to pass that the Lord spoke to Joshua the son of Nun, Moses' assistant, saying: ‘Moses My servant is dead. Now therefore, arise, go over this Jordan, you and all this people, to the land which I am giving to them—the children of Israel. Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given you, as I said to Moses. From the wilderness and this Lebanon as far as the great river, the River Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites, and to the Great Sea toward the going down of the sun, shall be your territory. “‘No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life; as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you nor forsake you. Be strong and of good courage, for to this people you shall divide as an inheritance the land which I swore to their fathers to give them. Only be strong and very courageous, that you may observe to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may prosper wherever you go. ...'” (Joshua 1:-1-7).Written and sent out from the morning prayer time of Tommy Hays each day.God bless you and may you have a great day!—Tommy Hays | Messiah Ministrieshttp://messiah-ministries.org

There are all sorts of things in this world that cause us stress. And I've heard so many ridiculous ways of relieving it – have a cup of tea. Take a hot shower. Okay – so they might relieve the symptoms for a short while. But what we need are some powerful solutions to the root cause of our stress.   Trust in the LORD When you Google stress relief, mostly what you discover is relaxation techniques. Take a hot bath. Watch some television to get your mind off things. Spend more time with friends. Some will even tell you to go and practise yoga and meditation. Play stress relief games. Identify your stress responses and manage them. Well, it all sounds great, but here's the problem I have with all of those things. They're a bit like taking an aspirin for a headache. They may alleviate the symptoms for a short while, but they don't solve the problem by treating the cause. If your headache is caused by a brain tumour, hey; aspirin just ain't going to do it. You need something that goes to the root cause. The same is true with stress and anxiety. You know, a mistake we make when we think about the root cause of our stress is we imagine that the root cause is that thing out there somewhere that's causing us stress. It's that difficult person; it's that difficult relationship; it's the fact that I'm struggling with my finances or I've had a bad medical diagnosis from the doctor. It's that thing out there that's causing me the stress. If I can get rid of that, then I won't have any more stress in my life. That's our rationale. That's what we think, but stress is our response to a situation. Stress is something we do to ourselves. Of course, sometimes scary things happen. Someone we love dies, and the process of grieving is stressful. We lose our job, and the process of dealing with our finances can be stressful, but a lot of what we stress out about is totally manageable, except for the fact that we're stressing out over it. Stress, anxiety, fear ... Those things immobilise us. They stop us from doing the things we need to do to deal with the situation, so when I'm talking about dealing with the root cause of stress, I'm actually talking about dealing with whatever's going on inside you that's causing the stress response, because each and every day of your life and mine pretty much is going to bring along circumstances and situations and people and stuff that have the potential to cause us stress. It's one thing to have an initial response of fear or shock when something potentially stressful comes our way; it's another thing entirely to spend the rest of the week, the rest of the year, the rest of your life, stressing out about it. So let me share my number one, numero uno, stress buster with you right now. Trust in the LORD your God. I know it sounds like a cop-out; it sounds like a platitude, but in a moment, I'm going to tell you why it's the one solution that decisively deals with stress. Proverbs 3:5-6: Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will direct your paths. The thing that causes us stress by and large is when something that has the potential to negatively impact our lives is completely outside our control. Would you agree? The doctor tells you that she's detected a tumour on your scan, but she doesn't know yet whether it's malignant or benign, or whether they're going to be able to operate on it and get it all out. So much is out of your control in that scenario, and your very life hangs in the balance. Stress! Now bring God into the picture. There are three key facts that I want you to note about God in this stressful scenario: Here's the first one. He loves you beyond measure. In fact, He loves you so much that He sent His only begotten Son to die and to pay for your sins, to give you eternal life, so there's absolutely no question about how much He loves you. Secondly, nothing escapes Him. He never fails to notice what you're going through. If He knows exactly how many hairs you have on your head, and He does because the Bible tells us that, then He surely knows what you're going through, and the third thing is that nothing is outside His control. If He created the universe, friend, He has the power to deal with anything and everything that's going on in your life. Now, you put those three facts together and what you have is a compassionate, loving God who completely understands, and who has just the right plan for your life. He knows what to do, when to do it, and how to get it done, and He will do it. The Bible has a name for that: It's called faithfulness. The writer of the book of Lamentations was looking over the destruction and the devastation after the Babylonians had completely and utterly destroyed Jerusalem, and taken God's chosen people into captivity as slaves. He pours his heart out, which is why the book is called Lamentations, but then despite what he sees, despite the devastation and the pain and the stress that he feels in his heart, he comes to this conclusion. Lamentations 3:22-24: The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; His mercies never come to an end. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness. The LORD is my Portion, says my soul; therefore I will hope in Him. My friend, no matter what you're going through at the moment, no matter what lies ahead, no matter what the devastation and the ruin that your eye can see, your God is faithful; and when you put your trust in Him, all of a sudden, the stress goes away because He can and will act to make sure that His steadfast love plays itself out in your life. Look. Each one of us is going to die sooner or later, and along the way, each one of us is going to have financial problems, health problems, relationship problems, inadequacies, insecurities ... There are more than enough in each week to get you and me to stress ourselves into an early grave. Listen. Proverbs 3:5-6: Trust in the LORD with all your heart. Lean not on your own understanding, but in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will direct your paths. Let me tell you, no amount of relaxation techniques – yoga, TV, dinner with friends, hot showers, hot cups of tea – none of that stuff is going to come anywhere close to the impact of trusting your God with all your heart. He knows what to do; He has the power to do it; He loves you so much. Ok, we are going to die one day. That's part of His plan, but in the meantime, friend, He loves you so much. Whatever you're going through, He's in that place with you, and He is worthy of your trust.   Develop a Quiet Confidence We kind of stress out about our kids and our jobs and how we look and what other people think. We stress out about tomorrow. What will that bring? We stress out about ... Well, we stress out about just about anything or everything. Let me ask you this. What are you stressed over right now? What's the thorn in your side that keeps on making you worry about this or that? Pretty much everybody can name at least two or three things that are causing them to stress out right at the moment. Jesus hit the nail on the head when He asked this rhetorical question. Luke 6:27: Can any of you by worrying add a single hour to the span of your life? Well, that's pretty much it. That right there just shows us how utterly useless worry and stress are. They don't achieve anything positive. In fact, quite the opposite is true. Stress and worry often immobilise us from doing the things that we can and need to do to deal with that situation that's causing us the pressure and the stress in the first place. We just kind of sit there on the sofa worrying about it, when getting up and doing A or B would actually reduce the risk or fix the problem altogether. Now you can call me crazy; plenty of people do ... Call me crazy, but let me throw this out there for you to think about. This is absolutely no way for you to live your life, or for me to live my life. Would you agree? I mean, being stressed all the time is totally nuts. It doesn't make sense. It doesn't achieve anything good, and yet countless people are caught up in chronic, repetitive, day-after-day, lifelong stress, and for what? So let me ask you, what if you could replace that with a quiet confidence? Not some false bravado; just a quiet sense of confidence on the inside that you know it's going to be fine. What if that were the overriding mind-set in your life, in place of the person who worries and stresses about everything? Would it be a worthwhile thing to achieve? Well, that's what I'm aiming for in your life today, not because I happen to be particularly smart or insightful or brilliant; I'm none of those things, but because the Word of God has the power to transform your life completely and utterly. If only you will receive this mighty, powerful Word of God in your heart today, your life can be utterly transformed. Yeah, I know what you're thinking. ‘This guy hasn't a clue what I'm going through. How can he possibly say that?' And in part you are right; I absolutely don't have a clue, but God does. I don't have the wisdom, but God does. I don't have the power to transform your heart and your mind and your thoughts and your emotions or your life, but God does. Have a listen to this. It's about a guy called Joshua. For the last forty or so years, he's been playing second fiddle to a guy called Moses, leading God's people (probably over a million of them) through the wilderness: Relying on God for food, and for water, and for protection every step of the way. Moses (the leader) has just died, just at the point when they're about to cross over the Jordan river into the land that God's promised them; just at the point where they have to gear up for battle after battle because the promised land is full of other tribes and nations, and they're going to have to take it by force. Just at that point Moses, the proven, trusted, experienced, wise leader ups and dies, and Joshua is put in charge. Stress? Absolutely! Stress with a capital ‘S”. This is life and death stress. If you put yourself in Joshua's shoes, man, you'd really be stressing. Right? Well he must have been, because this is what God says to Joshua right at this point in his life. Joshua 1:1: After the death of Moses the servant of the LORD, the LORD spoke to Joshua son of Nun, Moses' assistant, saying, ‘My servant Moses is dead. Now proceed to cross the Jordan, you and all this people, into the land that I'm giving to them – to the Israelites. Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon, I have given to you, as I promised to Moses. From the wilderness of Lebanon as far as the Great River, the River Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites and to the Great Sea in the west shall be your territory. No one shall be able to stand against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not fail you or forsake you. Be strong and courageous, for you shall put this people in possession of the land that I swore to their ancestors to give them; only be strong and very courageous, being careful to act in accordance with the Law that my servant Moses commanded you. Do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, so that you may be successful wherever you go. This Book of the Law shall not depart out of your mouth; you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to act in accordance with all that is written in it, for then you shall make your way prosperous, and then you shall be successful. I hereby command you: Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened or dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.' No less than three times, God says to Joshua: ‘Be strong and courageous', and one of those times he says, ‘Be strong and very courageous'. Why? Because God has a plan. God is in this, and God will see His plan through, despite the overwhelming odds, despite the impossibility of the task. It's about God and who He is, not the enemy and who they are. Let me say it again: It's about God and who He is, not the enemy and who they are, and the foundation of Joshua's confidence is to be what? God's Word. "Stay in My Word; think about it; meditate on it day and night, so that it doesn't depart from you." As you read on through this book of Joshua, you see that under his leadership, Israel faced many, many life and death, stressful situations, but God called him to do it with confidence. You know, sometimes, our confidence is misplaced. We put our confidence in our strengths and abilities; we put our confidence in money or other people, but won't place our confidence in God. When He's the One we look to and we trust, lean on and co-operate with, then that confidence – my friend, it's never misplaced. Hey, listen. Without faith it's impossible to please God. God wants us to put our trust in Him during those difficult, stressful, dangerous, scary situations. That's the whole point! We develop this quiet confidence as we experience His faithfulness, and that's what carries us through.   Pray the Prayer of Peace Listen. You and I are going to find ourselves in stressful situations from time to time; we just are. It's par for the course. In a very real sense, it's kind of what's meant to happen, and for anyone in a stressful situation right now, my prayer is that just knowing that gives you some comfort. We all end up there from time to time. The question now is, what do we do about it? How are we going to respond in this moment of crisis? Well, if you're anything like me, you've been taught that the right thing to do is to put your faith in God. That's exactly what we've been chatting about on the program so far in this series of messages. Proverbs 3:5-6: Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will direct your paths. And the other one that we looked at earlier, Lamentations 3:22-24: The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; His mercies never come to an end. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness. The LORD is my Portion, says my soul; therefore I will hope in Him. And what did He say to Joshua? Joshua 1:5-7: As I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not fail you nor forsake you. Be strong; be courageous, for you shall put this people in possession of the land that I swore to their ancestors to give them. Only be strong and very courageous. You see, each of those Scriptures that we've been looking at point us in absolutely the right direction, without a doubt, but anybody who's been in a deeply stressful situation, and particularly anyone who's there right now in that stressful situation, is sitting there thinking: ‘Well, look, that's all fantastic and nice, Berni. I know those Scriptures too, but how do I do that? How do I put my trust in God? How can I be strong and courageous when I feel so weak and helpless?' And unless you get the answers to those questions, then the Scriptures we just read and plenty more of them to boot, they're just going to make you feel more and more condemned – more and more like you're failing God, because you can't conjure up that trust and that faith and that strength. Am I right? So right now, we're going to get the answers to those questions and not from me, but from God because He always has the answers. God knows how you and I can lay hold of that courage and confidence in God, because He loves us. He tells us very clearly, very plainly in His Word how to do that, and to be honest, in my walk with the Lord over the past ... mmm ... almost twenty years, this has probably been the most important how-to that I have ever learnt. Are you ready? Here we go. Stress buster number three. It comes from Philippians 4:6-7: Do not worry about anything, but in everything, by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. This is a very plain piece of Scripture. There are not a lot of hidden meanings there, but you'd be amazed, amazed at how easily we skate over the surface of it and completely miss the point. I think I may have told this story once before on the program a few years back, so if you've heard it, just get over it (I'm just kidding). I was sitting in a Bible-study with a bunch of people who'd been Christians for many years, much longer than I had. We were studying this particular passage in Philippians 4. It was interesting; people hedged around – this, that; yeah, we all worry ... The discussion went on for ten or fifteen minutes and at the end of it, the Bible-study group-leader summarised it along these lines: ‘Well, yeah. God wants us to have peace but still, we're just going to worry, aren't we?' The crazy thing was that everyone seemed to nod in agreement with him and we were about to move on. Well, I don't know; I was only the new kid on the block, but I couldn't help myself. I kind of let out this loud, agitated, ‘No!' I don't think anyone had ever heard that before because there was stunned silence and all the eyeballs were on me, and I think my wife wished that the floor would swallow us both up, so I went at it with both barrels. I said, ‘Look at what this says. It's a promise from God through the apostle Paul, who (by the way) was sitting on death row in a dungeon when he wrote this thing.' God's saying, ‘Look. Instead of worrying, pray. The time that you would have spent worrying and stressing out about this stuff, take that time and spend it differently. Take that time that you would have spent stressing, and pray instead'. Thank God. Let Him know your problems and your needs and your requests, right there in the stressful situation that you find yourself in, and when you do that, says God through Paul, here's the promise bit: The peace of God which surpasses all understanding. There's this peace that in this situation, in this circumstance, simply doesn't make any worldly sense. That peace will not just fill your heart; it'll guard your heart and your mind in Christ. Now, think of the power of that. When worry comes along, when stress comes along and hits you, when it attacks you, when it knocks on the door of your heart and your mind, God's peace in Christ Jesus will be standing as a mighty, powerful, God-given sentinel to the door of your heart and mind. God's peace in Christ will guard your heart and your mind, and the impact of that: Think of a fortress being guarded by a mighty army. The opposing army simply can't get in, and so in this case, the worry and the stress just won't be able to get in because God's peace will keep it out. Hey, that's God's promise here, so let me ask you this: Do you believe God's Word or not? Do you believe that this is God's promise to you, or not? It's one way or the other. I don't know if they got it, these people in this home group that we were talking about, but I'm praying that you get it. The way that we appropriate the peace of God, the way that we lay hold of it, the way that we grab it with both hands and hang onto it, is by praying to God with a thankful heart, and pouring out our feelings and our needs on God. Let me tell you something. If you're in a stressful situation and you take this one promise, just this one Scripture (two verses) and start living it out by making it a habit to get away alone with God and pray and spend time with Him and pour your heart out and give Him thanks, I guarantee you that the peace of God which surpasses all understanding will become the sentinel of your heart and your mind and your life. There's your stress buster. There's your peace, and remember, it's a peace that given your circumstances, you really shouldn't be able to feel. You shouldn't be able to have. It's a peace that in the face of this stressful situation simply doesn't make sense. That's why Paul calls it the peace which surpasses all understanding, but you know what? It doesn't have to make sense, because peace is peace, and God's peace is God's peace, and I will take that in place of the world's stress any day. How about you?

SOL | Sleepbomb | Voidwards | Pseudodoxia | Until Death Overtakes Me | Plague Psalm Music On This Mixtape: SOL: "The alchemy of dying in dreams" taken from the album "We shall fall from the sky as burdens reborn" Sleepbomb: "Cemetery Song" taken from the album "The Sleeping Dead" Voidwards: "Bagulnik II" taken from the album "Bagulnik" Pseudodoxia: "IV : I G N I S" taken from the album "Se Solo Potessimo Cadere" Until Death Overtakes Me: "White Light" taken from the album "Diagenesis" Plague Psalm: "His Vial Upon the River Euphrates...And the Water thereof Was Dried Up" taken from the album "II: The Gifts of Wrath" Thanks for listening! I hope you enjoyed this as much as I enjoyed making it! Interviews, reviews, and more at www.dreamsofconsciousness.com

'After the death of Moses the servant of the Lord , it came to pass that the Lord spoke to Joshua the son of Nun, Moses' assistant, saying: “Moses My servant is dead. Now therefore, arise, go over this Jordan, you and all this people, to the land which I am giving to them—the children of Israel. Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given you, as I said to Moses. From the wilderness and this Lebanon as far as the great river, the River Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites, and to the Great Sea toward the going down of the sun, shall be your territory. No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life; as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you nor forsake you. Be strong and of good courage, for to this people you shall divide as an inheritance the land which I swore to their fathers to give them. Only be strong and very courageous, that you may observe to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may prosper wherever you go. This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”' Joshua 1:1-9

This one has it all! Demons, Angels, Aliens, nephilim, and Mutants—it's a wild one! Enjoy!

A @Christadelphians Video: The genesis of Islam, traditionally explained through the Standard Islamic Narrative (SIN), is questioned by scholars who provide evidence for an alternative origin. The narrative suggests that Muhammad, whose biography surfaced 200 years after his death, may not have been the historical figure as portrayed in Islam. There are significant gaps in the timeline, including the absence of coins, inscriptions, or significant references to Muhammad or Mecca during his lifetime. Early Islamic coins and inscriptions display Christian iconography, suggesting that the emergence of Islam was influenced by a monotheistic, anti-Trinitarian movement, rather than being a purely Islamic one. Muhammad's name may have been used as a title meaning "praised one" and might have been applied to figures such as Jesus, as seen in ancient inscriptions. The Dome of the Rock, built in Jerusalem, also challenges the narrative, as early inscriptions refer to monotheistic beliefs but not the Prophet Muhammad's ascension (Miraj). Prophetically, this revisionist view of Islamic origins ties into Bible prophecy, particularly the 5th trumpet in Revelation 9, which describes a revolt symbolised by locusts. These locusts represent the rise of the Arab Empire, led by the Caliphs. The narrative of Muhammad as presented in Islamic tradition might be an emblem of this rebellion against the Roman Empire, symbolising a larger political and religious mutiny. The emergence of Islam under the Abbasid Dynasty redefined religious and political authority, repurposing Judeo-Christian traditions to create a new faith centred on Muhammad and the Quran. The spread of Islam in this context was shaped by the historical tension between the East (Arabian) and West (Roman) powers. This history connects to the broader prophetic narrative of the 6th trumpet, where the drying up of the River Euphrates (symbolising the fall of the Ottoman Empire) points to future geopolitical movements, particularly Russia's influence over Islamic nations, leading to a potential final confrontation around Jerusalem. In the end, the prophecy envisions a reconciliation between Isaac's and Ishmael's descendants (Jews and Muslims) under the reign of Jesus, the promised Messiah, as the true "lovely one" referenced in ancient texts. **************************************************** You can follow us online at.. #1 Our Main site... https://cdvideo.org #2 Our podcast on Podbean... https://cdvideo.org/spotify #3 Our podcast on Apple...https://cdvideo.org/podcast-apple #4 Our podcast on Anchor...https://cdvideo.org/truth-talk #5 Our facebook...https://facebook.com/OpenBibles #6 Our Whats App... http://cdvideo.org/WhatsApp #7 Our Instagram... http://cdvideo.org/Instagram #8 Our X... http://cdvideo.org/X #9 Our YouTube Channel... http://cdvideo.org/youtube #10 Our Audio site Scripturescribe.com... https://cdvideo.org/mp3 #11 linktr.ee/cdvideo #Christadelphianvideo #christadelphianstalk #Christadelphians #bibletruthfeed #openbible #Gospeltruth #gospel #Christadelphian #bibletruthfeed #podcast #Christadelphians #discoverthebible #thebiblechannel

As the writer of Hebrews has been working through the judges, we have seen how through their faith that they subdued kingdoms, but it was David who brought peace from the River Euphrates to the River of Egypt, all of the promised land of God. While in reading 1 and 2 Samuel we can see many failures of David, we also see many victories that he has as well. One of the first stories that we hear about David is when he fights the Philistine giant Goliath. The focus of that passage is not how David is a mighty warrior but how God determines who will be victorious. David's testimony starts with believing that the worlds are framed by the word of God.

As the writer of Hebrews has been working through the judges, we have seen how through their faith that they subdued kingdoms, but it was David who brought peace from the River Euphrates to the River of Egypt, all of the promised land of God. While in reading 1 and 2 Samuel we can see many failures of David, we also see many victories that he has as well. One of the first stories that we hear about David is when he fights the Philistine giant Goliath. The focus of that passage is not how David is a mighty warrior but how God determines who will be victorious. David's testimony starts with believing that the worlds are framed by the word of God.

As the writer of Hebrews has been working through the judges, we have seen how through their faith that they subdued kingdoms, but it was David who brought peace from the River Euphrates to the River of Egypt, all of the promised land of God. While in reading 1 and 2 Samuel we can see many failures of David, we also see many victories that he has as well. One of the first stories that we hear about David is when he fights the Philistine giant Goliath. The focus of that passage is not how David is a mighty warrior but how God determines who will be victorious. David's testimony starts with believing that the worlds are framed by the word of God.

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A new MP3 sermon from Dr David C. Mackereth is now available on SermonAudio with the following details: Title: Are there Angels Bound at the River Euphrates? Subtitle: Revelation Speaker: Dr. David Mackereth Broadcaster: Dr David C. Mackereth Event: Podcast Date: 7/11/2024 Bible: Revelation 9 Length: 74 min.

The most misunderstood and generally least read/taught book of the Bible: Revelation. Each week, we unravel the profound symbolism and significance behind the events of the book of Revelation. Whether you are a seasoned theologian, curious seeker, or someone exploring spirituality our discussions bridge ancient truth with modern relevance.

"Born in Chalcedon, he was little of stature, like Zaccheus, but great in spirit and faith. He denied himself to the world at the age of fifteen and settled near the River Euphrates in a little hut, where he atoned for his sins, and prayed to God, at first with his teacher Mayum and then, after Mayum's death, alone. By the power of his prayers he filled an empty well with water, healed the sick of various pains and tamed wild beasts. There was a tamed lion with him as his servant. He had insight into distant happenings. When robbers attacked a stylite, Pionius, at some distance from him, and beat him up to such an extent that he decided to come down from his pillar and go to complain to the judges, St Aninus saw his intention in his soul and sent him a letter by means of his lion, telling him to set aside his intention, to forgive his assaulters and to continue in his asceticism. He was inexpressibly generous. The bishop of Neo-Caesarea made a gift to him of a donkey, to ease his carrying of water from the river, but he gave this donkey to some poor man who had complained to him of his poverty. The bishop gave him a second donkey, but he gave that away. Then the bishop gave him a third donkey, not for his own but only to serve as a water-carrier, to be kept and returned. At the time of his death, he saw Moses, Aaron and Or coming to him and calling: 'Aninus, the Lord is calling you. Get up and come with us.' This he revealed to his disciples, and gave his spirit to the Lord whom he had served so faithfully. He was 110 years old when he finished his earthly course." (Prologue)

"Born in Chalcedon, he was little of stature, like Zaccheus, but great in spirit and faith. He denied himself to the world at the age of fifteen and settled near the River Euphrates in a little hut, where he atoned for his sins, and prayed to God, at first with his teacher Mayum and then, after Mayum's death, alone. By the power of his prayers he filled an empty well with water, healed the sick of various pains and tamed wild beasts. There was a tamed lion with him as his servant. He had insight into distant happenings. When robbers attacked a stylite, Pionius, at some distance from him, and beat him up to such an extent that he decided to come down from his pillar and go to complain to the judges, St Aninus saw his intention in his soul and sent him a letter by means of his lion, telling him to set aside his intention, to forgive his assaulters and to continue in his asceticism. He was inexpressibly generous. The bishop of Neo-Caesarea made a gift to him of a donkey, to ease his carrying of water from the river, but he gave this donkey to some poor man who had complained to him of his poverty. The bishop gave him a second donkey, but he gave that away. Then the bishop gave him a third donkey, not for his own but only to serve as a water-carrier, to be kept and returned. At the time of his death, he saw Moses, Aaron and Or coming to him and calling: 'Aninus, the Lord is calling you. Get up and come with us.' This he revealed to his disciples, and gave his spirit to the Lord whom he had served so faithfully. He was 110 years old when he finished his earthly course." (Prologue)

God has permitted a flood of light to be poured upon the world in discoveries in science. But even the greatest minds, if not guided by the Word of God, become bewildered in their attempts to investigate the relations of science and revelation, (HF, 322). Knowledge has increased exponentially more in the last 100 years than in all of the history of man combined ! Could this be a sign ? Look at where we are and what we are doing... In all regards, may we let our Father and Lord lead the way as this world's time expires. Tune in and study with us about Armageddon and its timeline. We'll also discuss the Second Coming, the first and second deaths described in the Bible, and very importantly, why the Sabbath is still to be observed today. 1.- Are the Armageddons referenced in Revelation chapters 16 and 20 the same event or different ? 2.- How can we know that Sabbath is Saturday ? 3.- Is Enoch really still alive ? 4.- Is using the name "Jesus" wrong since His name in Hebrew was different ? 5.- Why do I go to church on Sunday if Sunday is Resurrection Day ? 6.- How will every eye see Jesus' return if I'm blind ? 7.- Will you please explain why God permitted Jacob to build pillars when Scripture states that it is forbidden ? 8.- Were Adam and Eve created before Sabbath ? and when exactly was their wedding ? 9.- What does Deuteronomy 14 verse 26 mean ? 10.- Are the seven trumpets past, current or future events ? 11.- What would it mean if the River Euphrates dried up before the seven last plagues begin ? 12.- Will you please explain the “sin unto death” mentioned in 1 John 5 verse 16 ? 13.- Would dairy and eggs be considered vegetarian ? 14.- Can we actually rebuke demons through reading Scripture and prayer ? 15.- Why don't Seventh-day Adventists believe in speaking in tongues and dancing ? 16.- In regards to the second death, the Bible says God will send down fire. Is the fire literal, and are angels susceptible to it ? 17.- Is it okay to lend to people your tithe, if you do not have any cash to lend them ? 18.- Is it alright to read the Book of Enoch ? 19.- What does the Bible mean when it says, "and as many as have been appointed to eternal life believed"? Does that mean that God chooses who is saved and who is lost ?

Genesis 15:18 On the same day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying: “To your descendants I have given this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the River Euphrates—

Four Seasons Four Rivers running out of Eden Four Angels coming out of the last River Euphrates in Revelation Four Cups of Redemption at a Passover Seder Four Horseman of The Apocalypse   Come wonder with us    

River Euphrates / Anointing To Break Forth by The Petra Ministries Bangalore

Bible Study With Jairus - Revelation 9 God's Great Love for the Lost, Hidden Within the End-Times Plagues   As God unveils the fifth and sixth trumpet judgments in Revelation 9, the plagues are becoming increasingly serious. In the fifth trumpet judgment, locusts torment people on Earth for five months. The pain is so severe that people wish for death, yet death flees from them. In the sixth trumpet judgment, after the angels are released from the River Euphrates, they kill a third of the human race. But people still do not repent of their idolatry and other sins.   Anyone in their right mind would feel that these plagues were very cruel, and may even wonder why God is so “cruel.” But in fact, hidden within these disasters is God's great love for the lost. Jesus said that the Father loves us just as a shepherd loves his sheep. “What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open country, and go after the one that is lost, until he finds it? And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost” (Luke 15:3-6). Jesus said, "Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance" (15:7).   The purpose of these judgments is to get the attention of sinners! Many people repent and come to know the Lord as a result of hard times. Revelation 9:20-21 indicates that God's purpose in sending the judgment was that people would repent. Therefore, we need to look at the trumpet judgments from the perspective of love. God wanted to wake up sinners, show them their sins, and help the lost sheep return home. This is why he hits them so hard. He spares no effort to get their attention, hoping his lost sheep will return to their heavenly home.   The Angel's Trumpet Brings the Jews Back to the Fold Currently, most Jews do not trust in Jesus. Their eyes are not open to Jesus as their Messiah, and they have fallen into sin and worldliness. But the Bible promises that in the last days, His chosen people will return to Him from all four corners of the earth. In Matthew 24, when speaking to a Jewish audience about the end times, Jesus said the sun would be darkened, the moon would not give its light, the stars would fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens would be "shaken" (24:29). These are the same disasters described in the fourth trumpet judgment (Revelation 8:12). In Matthew 24:31, Jesus goes on to say, "He will send out his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heaven to the other.”   After the trumpet is sounded, will God's chosen people return all at once? Or will the Israelites, who have been scattered all over the world, return gradually to God? I believe that this will be a gradual process.   No one wants to leave their native land, and people have a strong sense of loyalty to their birthplace. I grew up in China, and Chinese people have a strong sense of locality. Many Chinese people would rather die than leave their hometown. In the same way, the Israelites have gotten used to living far from the Promised Land, and are unwilling to leave the places where they live. During World War II, the tragic and brutal suffering that the Jews endured nonetheless motivated many Jews to return to the Land of Israel. In the last days, the final return of the remaining remnant of Israel may take place under similar circumstances during the seventh trumpet judgment. Between the sixth and seventh trumpet judgments, we read about a vision in which many Jews were sealed. Then the seventh trumpet judgment takes place. The plagues' increasing intensity forces the scattered Jews to leave their temporary homes and return to Israel. This is the work of God's hand. I believe these disasters motivate the Jews to continue to return. They also motivate the lost sheep of the Gentiles to repent.   God's Gleaning   My eldest aunt lives in a village near my home. The village lies next to a river, so it has a long sandy beach. Sandy soil is perfect for growing peanuts. During harvest, it was impossible to harvest every last peanut. Some peanuts remained in the sandy soil, and others were accidentally dropped on the sand. People in the neighboring villages who did not have the conditions to grow peanuts would arrive to gather the leftover peanuts after the owner had already finished harvesting. Because the owners had already finished their harvest, they did not care about the remaining peanuts. Meanwhile, as the gleaners dug through the sand to harvest the remaining peanuts, they helped plow and aerate the soil. This benefited the farmers, and they were happy for the gleaners' help. When I was young, I went there with my aunt and some others to gather peanuts. The countless people on the river beach looked like a swarm of locusts. Each of them took a shovel and a bag, turned over a shovelful of sandy soil, and picked up the peanuts left behind on the beach. After a day's work, my aunt and I filled a large bag with peanuts. I still remember this scene vividly.   I believe the fifth plague is a “gleaning” like I described above. The firstfruits have already been harvested (sealed Jews and a large number of saved Gentiles). However, in God's love and mercy, he continues to search for the remaining unbelievers. He gathers those who are still left behind. These locusts from the bottomless pit—whether they are evil spirits or fallen angels—are instruments in God's hands to bring in the harvest. We cannot look at the book of Revelation simply from the perspective of punishment and disaster; we must look at Revelation from the perspective of harvest.   Chapter 13 of Matthew specifically says, "The harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are angels" (13:39). Perhaps the reapers are not only the good angels, but also the evil "locusts" of the fifth trumpet judgment. Because all things work together for good for those who love God (Romans 8:28), God could even use evil angels to accomplish his purposes. The plague of "locusts" will continue God's harvest and bring back the remaining lost sheep of Israel, as well as the lost sheep of the Gentile nations.   God Continues to Harvest After Revelation 10   Since locusts are used for God's harvest, the purpose of their painful stings is to motivate people to seek God and repent of their sins. Though this purpose is not explicitly mentioned in this plague, it is mentioned during another plague in this chapter. During the plague of the horseman, God specifically says that "the rest of mankind, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands nor give up worshiping demons and idols of gold and silver and bronze and stone and wood, which cannot see or hear or walk, nor did they repent of their murders or their sorceries or their sexual immorality or their thefts" (9:20-21). God wants to save those who have not yet repented. He hopes that his severe judgment and discipline will motivate them to return to him in repentance. For this reason, his judgment continues to increase in intensity.   At the beginning of chapter 9, the Bible says, "The first woe has passed; behold, two woes are still to come" (9:12). The first woe refers to the fifth trumpet. The locusts will torment men for five months, and men will seek death and not find it. The other two plagues refer to the sixth trumpet, in which a horseman killed one-third of mankind, and the seventh trumpet, which unlocks the seven bowls. Between the sixth and seventh trumpets, God gives John a vision to encourage His people (10:1-6). At the beginning of the seventh trumpet, the mystery of God will be fulfilled (10:7). This mystery is the gospel that God announced to His servants the prophets (10:7). This gospel is that Jesus Christ will become the salvation of mankind and bring about the restoration of all things. John is given a small scroll and a prophecy (10:11) and he measures the temple (11:1-2). Then two witnesses rise up and fight the beast that rises up from the bottomless pit, and the beast conquers and killed them. But God raises them up, and this resurrection demonstrates the truth and the power of God. In addition, the earthquake kills 7,000 people, and "the rest were terrified, and gave glory to the God of heaven" (11:3-13). Through these events, God continues to harvest souls for his heavenly kingdom. The earthquake is the second woe, and the third woe is coming soon (11:14). A voice from heaven says, "The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever" (11:15). Why? The woman in Revelation 12 is about to give birth to a male child. The male child typifies the overcomers, who are the body and bride of Christ. It is God's will for believers to become His bride. So the male child is caught up to God and to His throne (12:6), and the devil and his angels are cast down from heaven (12:9). This is the prelude to the plagues of the last three and a half years of the tribulation. This is the turning point of Revelation. Harvest and judgment are two themes that run through the book of Revelation. God's work in the book of Revelation is a process of continuous harvest and judgment, and the purpose of judgment is to harvest more souls.   Are the Locusts and Horsemen Really Locusts and Horsemen or Evil Spirits?   We know that Revelation is full of pictorial symbols and eschatological types. This raises a valid question: Are these locusts and horsemen really locusts and horsemen, or do they represent evil spirits? These locusts are certainly not ordinary locusts, because they are not allowed to harm grass, green things, or trees of any kind, but only those who do not have the seal of God on their foreheads (9:4). They are not like the locusts we see on earth. Instead, they are unique locusts that come up from the bottomless pit during this plague. And the horses in this passage are not ordinary horses, either. They have power in their mouths and tails; their tails are like serpents with heads; their tails can inflict wounds (9:19). Even if these are real horses with human riders, they are certainly not normal horses and normal humans.   This reminds me of the contest between Yahweh and the false Egyptian gods and between Moses and the magicians. When Moses led the Israelites out of Egypt, Aaron's rod turned into a snake. The magicians could also turn their rods into snakes, but Aaron's rod swallowed their rods. Just like the contest between the snakes represented the contest between God and the false gods, these locusts may represent evil spirits fighting against God. The red dragon in Revelation 12 and the two beasts in Chapter 13 represent a similar contest between Satan and God. I personally believe that the locusts and the horses are not ordinary locusts and horses, and the horsemen are not necessarily human. I don't rule out the possibility that the horsemen are human beings, but I know for sure that they are not ordinary people.   As we work to understand these symbolic images, we must have a supernatural perspective. As the end times approach, both righteous and evil people on earth will draw on the supernatural power of their deity, either God or Satan, to give them strength to fight their enemies. Even though this may seem fantastical, we must believe it by faith. Although we did not personally witness Aaron's rod turn into a snake and swallow the snakes that the Egyptian magicians' rods turned into, we still believe that the biblical record is correct. Similarly, in the last days, believers will gain supernatural powers, and the wicked will also gain supernatural powers. The two witnesses in Revelation 11, and the male child in Chapter 12 who is caught up to God and to His throne to rule all the nations with a rod of iron, both have supernatural powers. The two witnesses even have the authority to shut up the sky so that no rain may fall. They also have power over the waters, to turn them into blood, and to strike the earth with every kind of plague (Revelation 11:6). The mention of turning water into blood reminds us again of the ten plagues in Exodus.   The events of Revelation must be understood through the lens of the supernatural. The things that happen in Revelation are things we have never seen before. We will only truly understand them when they happen in the future. We should not make assumptions based on our present understanding. We should not conclude that the 200 million horsemen represent China just because China is in the east and has a large population. Many Bible scholars in history have said this, but I think this is incorrect. God is raising up a great revival work in China. God has revealed to me on many occasions that China's revival and evangelization will have a huge impact on the world. I firmly believe that China will become a Christian country full of sheep, not goats. If this happens, China will not become the birthplace of the 200 million future horsemen.   God's Principles of Dealing with Man We cannot fully understand the many things that will happen in the future. But this does not keep us from understanding God's principles of dealing with mankind which are revealed through these events. If we recall how God dealt with Pharaoh, we see an important principle: God hardened Pharaoh's heart so he could multiply His signs and wonders (Exodus 7:3), so that His power would be manifested, and so His name would be proclaimed in all the earth (9:16). This principle also appears in Revelation 9. Despite seeing God's powerful and devastating signs, the people are still hard-hearted and refuse to repent. Why is this? Because even though God has judged the evil spirits in their lives, they have not received Jesus's Holy Spirit to replace the evil in their hearts. As a result, they are filled with even worse evil spirits.   The Lord Jesus Himself gave a good example to illustrate this principle. The Lord Jesus told a story in Matthew 12. He said, “When the unclean spirit has gone out of a person, it passes through waterless places seeking rest, but finds none. Then it says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came.' And when it comes, it finds the house empty, swept, and put in order. Then it goes and brings with it seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they enter and dwell there, and the last state of that person is worse than the first. So also will it be with this evil generation”(Matthew 12:45).   When we were studying Deliverance Ministries, our teachers often told us that if a person is not willing to accept Jesus Christ as Lord, it is best not to carry out deliverance on him. If we temporarily drive out evil spirits from a person who is not filled with Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit, the spirits may return. I have personally witnessed some people accepting Jesus Christ and repenting of their sins when they received deliverance, and when we prayed for them to be filled with the Holy Spirit, we could actually see the spirits coming out of them. The first time I saw a spirit cast out of a sister in Christ, I was amazed. She kept coughing, and then we prayed for the Holy Spirit to fill her, and she was eventually filled with the Holy Spirit and fell to the ground.   The plagues in the book of Revelation are like a large-scale deliverance. God is judging evil spirits and demons through the various plagues, and judging those who to a certain degree are possessed by these evil spirits and demons. His purpose is that they would repent of their sins and accept the salvation of Jesus Christ and the filling of the Holy Spirit. If men repent of their sins and accept salvation, demons will be cast out of them permanently. If they refuse to repent, the demons will return, bringing worse spirits with them.   This principle reveals how God works in people's hearts, and how He deals with evil spirits. Is God the one who is sending worse evil spirits to torment people? Or is it men's unrepentance that is providing opportunities for evil spirits to torment them even more? God is good (Mark 10:18), and God does not tempt (James 1:13). It is man's lack of repentance that is making things worse. Now we can better understand why the Lord said that He hardened Pharaoh's heart. It's not just that God hardened Pharaoh's heart. If Pharaoh had repented, God's mercy would have fallen upon him. But when Pharaoh refused to repent, it brought an even harsher judgment from God. This is the same principle at work in the judgment of the last days.

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Selección de novedades que arranca con la noticia del nuevo álbum de The Hives tras 11 años sin un disco de estudio. "The death of Randy Fitzsimmons" verá la luz en el mes de agosto. (Foto del podcast por Bisse Bengtsson; The Hives) Playlist; THE HIVES “Midnight shifter” (Lex Hives, 2012) THE HIVES “Bogus operandi” (adelanto del álbum “The death of Randy Fitzsimmons”) DANKO JONES “Guess who’s back” (adelanto del álbum “Electric sounds”) DADDY LONG LEGS “Nightmare” (Street sermons, 2023) THE NUDE PARTY “Hard times (all around)” (Rides on, 2023) TEX PERKINS and THE FAT RUBBER BAND “Devil ain’t buying” (Other world, 2023) THE STRING QUARTET “Here comes your man” (Tribute to The Pixies) RADIOCRIMEN “Mi caos mental” (adelanto del álbum “Franki”) PIXIES “River Euphrates” (Surfer Rosa, 1988) ZACK KEIM “Better days” (7’’, 2023) THE UGLY BEATS “What was one” (Stars align, 2019) THE JACKETS “Life’s not like the movies” (7’’, 2023) LOST CAT “L.O.S.T.” (Lost cat, 2022) GUADALUPE PLATA “En mi tumba” (VII) Escuchar audio

Series: II SamuelService: Sunday Bible StudyType: II Samuel Bible StudySpeaker: Jeremy Bowling II Samuel 88:1 After this it came to pass that David attacked the Philistines and subdued them. And David took Metheg Ammah from the hand of the Philistines.2 Then he defeated Moab. Forcing them down to the ground, he measured them off with a line. With two lines he measured off those to be put to death, and with one full line those to be kept alive. So the Moabites became David’s servants, and brought tribute.3 David also defeated Hadadezer the son of Rehob, king of Zobah, as he went to recover his territory at the River Euphrates. 4 David took from him one thousand chariots, seven hundred horsemen, and twenty thousand foot soldiers. Also…

"Born in Chalcedon, he was little of stature, like Zaccheus, but great in spirit and faith. He denied himself to the world at the age of fifteen and settled near the River Euphrates in a little hut, where he atoned for his sins, and prayed to God, at first with his teacher Mayum and then, after Mayum's death, alone. By the power of his prayers he filled an empty well with water, healed the sick of various pains and tamed wild beasts. There was a tamed lion with him as his servant. He had insight into distant happenings. When robbers attacked a stylite, Pionius, at some distance from him, and beat him up to such an extent that he decided to come down from his pillar and go to complain to the judges, St Aninus saw his intention in his soul and sent him a letter by means of his lion, telling him to set aside his intention, to forgive his assaulters and to continue in his asceticism. He was inexpressibly generous. The bishop of Neo-Caesarea made a gift to him of a donkey, to ease his carrying of water from the river, but he gave this donkey to some poor man who had complained to him of his poverty. The bishop gave him a second donkey, but he gave that away. Then the bishop gave him a third donkey, not for his own but only to serve as a water-carrier, to be kept and returned. At the time of his death, he saw Moses, Aaron and Or coming to him and calling: 'Aninus, the Lord is calling you. Get up and come with us.' This he revealed to his disciples, and gave his spirit to the Lord whom he had served so faithfully. He was 110 years old when he finished his earthly course." (Prologue)

"Born in Chalcedon, he was little of stature, like Zaccheus, but great in spirit and faith. He denied himself to the world at the age of fifteen and settled near the River Euphrates in a little hut, where he atoned for his sins, and prayed to God, at first with his teacher Mayum and then, after Mayum's death, alone. By the power of his prayers he filled an empty well with water, healed the sick of various pains and tamed wild beasts. There was a tamed lion with him as his servant. He had insight into distant happenings. When robbers attacked a stylite, Pionius, at some distance from him, and beat him up to such an extent that he decided to come down from his pillar and go to complain to the judges, St Aninus saw his intention in his soul and sent him a letter by means of his lion, telling him to set aside his intention, to forgive his assaulters and to continue in his asceticism. He was inexpressibly generous. The bishop of Neo-Caesarea made a gift to him of a donkey, to ease his carrying of water from the river, but he gave this donkey to some poor man who had complained to him of his poverty. The bishop gave him a second donkey, but he gave that away. Then the bishop gave him a third donkey, not for his own but only to serve as a water-carrier, to be kept and returned. At the time of his death, he saw Moses, Aaron and Or coming to him and calling: 'Aninus, the Lord is calling you. Get up and come with us.' This he revealed to his disciples, and gave his spirit to the Lord whom he had served so faithfully. He was 110 years old when he finished his earthly course." (Prologue)

Jeremiah 46 NIVA Message About Egypt1 This is the word of the Lord that came to Jeremiah the prophet concerning the nations:2 Concerning Egypt:This is the message against the army of Pharaoh Necho king of Egypt, which was defeated at Carchemish on the Euphrates River by Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon in the fourth year of Jehoiakim son of Josiah king of Judah:3 “Prepare your shields, both large and small,  and march out for battle!4 Harness the horses,  mount the steeds!Take your positions  with helmets on!Polish your spears,  put on your armor!5 What do I see?  They are terrified,they are retreating,  their warriors are defeated.They flee in haste  without looking back,  and there is terror on every side,”declares the Lord.6 “The swift cannot flee  nor the strong escape.In the north by the River Euphrates  they stumble and fall.7 “Who is this that rises like the Nile,  like rivers of surging waters?8 Egypt rises like the Nile,  like rivers of surging waters.She says, ‘I will rise and cover the earth;  I will destroy cities and their people.'9 Charge, you horses!  Drive furiously, you charioteers!March on, you warriors—men of Cush[a] and Put who carry shields,  men of Lydia who draw the bow.10 But that day belongs to the Lord, the Lord Almighty—  a day of vengeance, for vengeance on his foes.The sword will devour till it is satisfied,  till it has quenched its thirst with blood.For the Lord, the Lord Almighty, will offer sacrifice  in the land of the north by the River Euphrates.11 “Go up to Gilead and get balm,  Virgin Daughter Egypt.But you try many medicines in vain;  there is no healing for you.12 The nations will hear of your shame;  your cries will fill the earth.One warrior will stumble over another;  both will fall down together.”13 This is the message the Lord spoke to Jeremiah the prophet about the coming of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon to attack Egypt:14 “Announce this in Egypt, and proclaim it in Migdol;  proclaim it also in Memphis and Tahpanhes:‘Take your positions and get ready,  for the sword devours those around you.'15 Why will your warriors be laid low?  They cannot stand, for the Lord will push them down.16 They will stumble repeatedly;  they will fall over each other.They will say, ‘Get up, let us go back  to our own people and our native lands,  away from the sword of the oppressor.'17 There they will exclaim,  ‘Pharaoh king of Egypt is only a loud noise;  he has missed his opportunity.'18 “As surely as I live,” declares the King,  whose name is the Lord Almighty,“one will come who is like Tabor among the mountains,  like Carmel by the sea.19 Pack your belongings for exile,  you who live in Egypt,for Memphis will be laid waste  and lie in ruins without inhabitant.20 “Egypt is a beautiful heifer,  but a gadfly is coming  against her from the north.21 The mercenaries in her ranks  are like fattened calves.They too will turn and flee together,  they will not stand their ground,for the day of disaster is coming upon them,  the time for them to be punished.22 Egypt will hiss like a fleeing serpent  as the enemy advances in force;they will come against her with axes,  like men who cut down trees.23 They will chop down her forest,”declares the Lord,  “dense though it be.They are more numerous than locusts,  they cannot be counted.24 Daughter Egypt will be put to shame,  given into the hands of the people of the north.”25 The Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: “I am about to bring punishment on Amon god of Thebes, on Pharaoh, on Egypt and her gods and her kings, and on those who rely on Pharaoh. 26 I will give them into the hands of those who want to kill them—Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and his officers. Later, however, Egypt will be inhabited as in times past,” declares the Lord.27 “Do not be afraid, Jacob my servant;  do not be dismayed, Israel.I will surely save you out of a distant place,  your descendants from the land of their exile.Jacob will again have peace and security,  and no one will make him afraid.28 Do not be afraid, Jacob my servant,  for I am with you,” declares the Lord.“Though I completely destroy all the nations  among which I scatter you,  I will not completely destroy you.I will discipline you but only in due measure;  I will not let you go entirely unpunished.”Footnotes[a] Jeremiah 46:9 That is, the upper Nile regionJeremiah 47 NIVA Message About the Philistines1 This is the word of the Lord that came to Jeremiah the prophet concerning the Philistines before Pharaoh attacked Gaza:2 This is what the Lord says:“See how the waters are rising in the north;  they will become an overflowing torrent.They will overflow the land and everything in it,  the towns and those who live in them.The people will cry out;  all who dwell in the land will wail3 at the sound of the hooves of galloping steeds,  at the noise of enemy chariots  and the rumble of their wheels.Parents will not turn to help their children;  their hands will hang limp.4 For the day has come  to destroy all the Philistinesand to remove all survivors  who could help Tyre and Sidon.The Lord is about to destroy the Philistines,  the remnant from the coasts of Caphtor.[a]5 Gaza will shave her head in mourning;  Ashkelon will be silenced.You remnant on the plain,  how long will you cut yourselves?6 “‘Alas, sword of the Lord,  how long till you rest?Return to your sheath;  cease and be still.'7 But how can it rest  when the Lord has commanded it,when he has ordered it  to attack Ashkelon and the coast?”Footnotes[a] Jeremiah 47:4 That is, CreteJeremiah 48 NIVA Message About Moab1 Concerning Moab:This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says:“Woe to Nebo, for it will be ruined.  Kiriathaim will be disgraced and captured;  the stronghold[a] will be disgraced and shattered.2 Moab will be praised no more;  in Heshbon[b] people will plot her downfall:  ‘Come, let us put an end to that nation.'You, the people of Madmen,[c] will also be silenced;  the sword will pursue you.3 Cries of anguish arise from Horonaim,  cries of great havoc and destruction.4 Moab will be broken;  her little ones will cry out.[d]5 They go up the hill to Luhith,  weeping bitterly as they go;on the road down to Horonaim  anguished cries over the destruction are heard.6 Flee! Run for your lives;  become like a bush[e] in the desert.7 Since you trust in your deeds and riches,  you too will be taken captive,and Chemosh will go into exile,  together with his priests and officials.8 The destroyer will come against every town,  and not a town will escape.The valley will be ruined  and the plateau destroyed,  because the Lord has spoken.9 Put salt on Moab,  for she will be laid waste[f];her towns will become desolate,  with no one to live in them.10 “A curse on anyone who is lax in doing the Lord's work!  A curse on anyone who keeps their sword from bloodshed!11 “Moab has been at rest from youth,  like wine left on its dregs,not poured from one jar to another—  she has not gone into exile.So she tastes as she did,  and her aroma is unchanged.12 But days are coming,”  declares the Lord,“when I will send men who pour from pitchers,  and they will pour her out;they will empty her pitchers  and smash her jars.13 Then Moab will be ashamed of Chemosh,  as Israel was ashamed  when they trusted in Bethel.14 “How can you say, ‘We are warriors,  men valiant in battle'?15 Moab will be destroyed and her towns invaded;  her finest young men will go down in the slaughter,”  declares the King, whose name is the Lord Almighty.16 “The fall of Moab is at hand;  her calamity will come quickly.17 Mourn for her, all who live around her,  all who know her fame;say, ‘How broken is the mighty scepter,  how broken the glorious staff!'18 “Come down from your glory  and sit on the parched ground,  you inhabitants of Daughter Dibon,for the one who destroys Moab  will come up against you  and ruin your fortified cities.19 Stand by the road and watch,  you who live in Aroer.Ask the man fleeing and the woman escaping,  ask them, ‘What has happened?'20 Moab is disgraced, for she is shattered.  Wail and cry out!Announce by the Arnon  that Moab is destroyed.21 Judgment has come to the plateau—  to Holon, Jahzah and Mephaath,22   to Dibon, Nebo and Beth Diblathaim,23   to Kiriathaim, Beth Gamul and Beth Meon,24   to Kerioth and Bozrah—  to all the towns of Moab, far and near.25 Moab's horn[g] is cut off;  her arm is broken,”declares the Lord.26 “Make her drunk,  for she has defied the Lord.Let Moab wallow in her vomit;  let her be an object of ridicule.27 Was not Israel the object of your ridicule?  Was she caught among thieves,that you shake your head in scorn  whenever you speak of her?28 Abandon your towns and dwell among the rocks,  you who live in Moab.Be like a dove that makes its nest  at the mouth of a cave.29 “We have heard of Moab's pride—  how great is her arrogance!—of her insolence, her pride, her conceit  and the haughtiness of her heart.30 I know her insolence but it is futile,”declares the Lord,  “and her boasts accomplish nothing.31 Therefore I wail over Moab,  for all Moab I cry out,  I moan for the people of Kir Hareseth.32 I weep for you, as Jazer weeps,  you vines of Sibmah.Your branches spread as far as the sea[h];  they reached as far as[i] Jazer.The destroyer has fallen  on your ripened fruit and grapes.33 Joy and gladness are gone  from the orchards and fields of Moab.I have stopped the flow of wine from the presses;  no one treads them with shouts of joy.Although there are shouts,  they are not shouts of joy.34 “The sound of their cry rises  from Heshbon to Elealeh and Jahaz,from Zoar as far as Horonaim and Eglath Shelishiyah,  for even the waters of Nimrim are dried up.35 In Moab I will put an end  to those who make offerings on the high places  and burn incense to their gods,”declares the Lord.36 “So my heart laments for Moab like the music of a pipe;  it laments like a pipe for the people of Kir Hareseth.  The wealth they acquired is gone.37 Every head is shaved  and every beard cut off;every hand is slashed  and every waist is covered with sackcloth.38 On all the roofs in Moab  and in the public squaresthere is nothing but mourning,  for I have broken Moab  like a jar that no one wants,”declares the Lord.39 “How shattered she is! How they wail!  How Moab turns her back in shame!Moab has become an object of ridicule,  an object of horror to all those around her.”40 This is what the Lord says:“Look! An eagle is swooping down,  spreading its wings over Moab.41 Kerioth[j] will be captured  and the strongholds taken.In that day the hearts of Moab's warriors  will be like the heart of a woman in labor.42 Moab will be destroyed as a nation  because she defied the Lord.43 Terror and pit and snare await you,  you people of Moab,”declares the Lord.44 “Whoever flees from the terror  will fall into a pit,whoever climbs out of the pit  will be caught in a snare;for I will bring on Moab  the year of her punishment,”declares the Lord.45 “In the shadow of Heshbon  the fugitives stand helpless,for a fire has gone out from Heshbon,  a blaze from the midst of Sihon;it burns the foreheads of Moab,  the skulls of the noisy boasters.46 Woe to you, Moab!  The people of Chemosh are destroyed;your sons are taken into exile  and your daughters into captivity.47 “Yet I will restore the fortunes of Moab  in days to come,”declares the Lord.Here ends the judgment on Moab.Footnotes[a] Jeremiah 48:1 Or captured; / Misgab[b] Jeremiah 48:2 The Hebrew for Heshbon sounds like the Hebrew for plot.[c] Jeremiah 48:2 The name of the Moabite town Madmen sounds like the Hebrew for be silenced.[d] Jeremiah 48:4 Hebrew; Septuagint / proclaim it to Zoar[e] Jeremiah 48:6 Or like Aroer[f] Jeremiah 48:9 Or Give wings to Moab, / for she will fly away[g] Jeremiah 48:25 Horn here symbolizes strength.[h] Jeremiah 48:32 Probably the Dead Sea[i] Jeremiah 48:32 Two Hebrew manuscripts and Septuagint; most Hebrew manuscripts as far as the Sea of[j] Jeremiah 48:41 Or The cities

Jeremiah 46 NIVA Message About Egypt1 This is the word of the Lord that came to Jeremiah the prophet concerning the nations:2 Concerning Egypt:This is the message against the army of Pharaoh Necho king of Egypt, which was defeated at Carchemish on the Euphrates River by Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon in the fourth year of Jehoiakim son of Josiah king of Judah:3 “Prepare your shields, both large and small,  and march out for battle!4 Harness the horses,  mount the steeds!Take your positions  with helmets on!Polish your spears,  put on your armor!5 What do I see?  They are terrified,they are retreating,  their warriors are defeated.They flee in haste  without looking back,  and there is terror on every side,”declares the Lord.6 “The swift cannot flee  nor the strong escape.In the north by the River Euphrates  they stumble and fall.7 “Who is this that rises like the Nile,  like rivers of surging waters?8 Egypt rises like the Nile,  like rivers of surging waters.She says, ‘I will rise and cover the earth;  I will destroy cities and their people.'9 Charge, you horses!  Drive furiously, you charioteers!March on, you warriors—men of Cush[a] and Put who carry shields,  men of Lydia who draw the bow.10 But that day belongs to the Lord, the Lord Almighty—  a day of vengeance, for vengeance on his foes.The sword will devour till it is satisfied,  till it has quenched its thirst with blood.For the Lord, the Lord Almighty, will offer sacrifice  in the land of the north by the River Euphrates.11 “Go up to Gilead and get balm,  Virgin Daughter Egypt.But you try many medicines in vain;  there is no healing for you.12 The nations will hear of your shame;  your cries will fill the earth.One warrior will stumble over another;  both will fall down together.”13 This is the message the Lord spoke to Jeremiah the prophet about the coming of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon to attack Egypt:14 “Announce this in Egypt, and proclaim it in Migdol;  proclaim it also in Memphis and Tahpanhes:‘Take your positions and get ready,  for the sword devours those around you.'15 Why will your warriors be laid low?  They cannot stand, for the Lord will push them down.16 They will stumble repeatedly;  they will fall over each other.They will say, ‘Get up, let us go back  to our own people and our native lands,  away from the sword of the oppressor.'17 There they will exclaim,  ‘Pharaoh king of Egypt is only a loud noise;  he has missed his opportunity.'18 “As surely as I live,” declares the King,  whose name is the Lord Almighty,“one will come who is like Tabor among the mountains,  like Carmel by the sea.19 Pack your belongings for exile,  you who live in Egypt,for Memphis will be laid waste  and lie in ruins without inhabitant.20 “Egypt is a beautiful heifer,  but a gadfly is coming  against her from the north.21 The mercenaries in her ranks  are like fattened calves.They too will turn and flee together,  they will not stand their ground,for the day of disaster is coming upon them,  the time for them to be punished.22 Egypt will hiss like a fleeing serpent  as the enemy advances in force;they will come against her with axes,  like men who cut down trees.23 They will chop down her forest,”declares the Lord,  “dense though it be.They are more numerous than locusts,  they cannot be counted.24 Daughter Egypt will be put to shame,  given into the hands of the people of the north.”25 The Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: “I am about to bring punishment on Amon god of Thebes, on Pharaoh, on Egypt and her gods and her kings, and on those who rely on Pharaoh. 26 I will give them into the hands of those who want to kill them—Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and his officers. Later, however, Egypt will be inhabited as in times past,” declares the Lord.27 “Do not be afraid, Jacob my servant;  do not be dismayed, Israel.I will surely save you out of a distant place,  your descendants from the land of their exile.Jacob will again have peace and security,  and no one will make him afraid.28 Do not be afraid, Jacob my servant,  for I am with you,” declares the Lord.“Though I completely destroy all the nations  among which I scatter you,  I will not completely destroy you.I will discipline you but only in due measure;  I will not let you go entirely unpunished.”Footnotes[a] Jeremiah 46:9 That is, the upper Nile regionJeremiah 47 NIVA Message About the Philistines1 This is the word of the Lord that came to Jeremiah the prophet concerning the Philistines before Pharaoh attacked Gaza:2 This is what the Lord says:“See how the waters are rising in the north;  they will become an overflowing torrent.They will overflow the land and everything in it,  the towns and those who live in them.The people will cry out;  all who dwell in the land will wail3 at the sound of the hooves of galloping steeds,  at the noise of enemy chariots  and the rumble of their wheels.Parents will not turn to help their children;  their hands will hang limp.4 For the day has come  to destroy all the Philistinesand to remove all survivors  who could help Tyre and Sidon.The Lord is about to destroy the Philistines,  the remnant from the coasts of Caphtor.[a]5 Gaza will shave her head in mourning;  Ashkelon will be silenced.You remnant on the plain,  how long will you cut yourselves?6 “‘Alas, sword of the Lord,  how long till you rest?Return to your sheath;  cease and be still.'7 But how can it rest  when the Lord has commanded it,when he has ordered it  to attack Ashkelon and the coast?”Footnotes[a] Jeremiah 47:4 That is, CreteJeremiah 48 NIVA Message About Moab1 Concerning Moab:This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says:“Woe to Nebo, for it will be ruined.  Kiriathaim will be disgraced and captured;  the stronghold[a] will be disgraced and shattered.2 Moab will be praised no more;  in Heshbon[b] people will plot her downfall:  ‘Come, let us put an end to that nation.'You, the people of Madmen,[c] will also be silenced;  the sword will pursue you.3 Cries of anguish arise from Horonaim,  cries of great havoc and destruction.4 Moab will be broken;  her little ones will cry out.[d]5 They go up the hill to Luhith,  weeping bitterly as they go;on the road down to Horonaim  anguished cries over the destruction are heard.6 Flee! Run for your lives;  become like a bush[e] in the desert.7 Since you trust in your deeds and riches,  you too will be taken captive,and Chemosh will go into exile,  together with his priests and officials.8 The destroyer will come against every town,  and not a town will escape.The valley will be ruined  and the plateau destroyed,  because the Lord has spoken.9 Put salt on Moab,  for she will be laid waste[f];her towns will become desolate,  with no one to live in them.10 “A curse on anyone who is lax in doing the Lord's work!  A curse on anyone who keeps their sword from bloodshed!11 “Moab has been at rest from youth,  like wine left on its dregs,not poured from one jar to another—  she has not gone into exile.So she tastes as she did,  and her aroma is unchanged.12 But days are coming,”  declares the Lord,“when I will send men who pour from pitchers,  and they will pour her out;they will empty her pitchers  and smash her jars.13 Then Moab will be ashamed of Chemosh,  as Israel was ashamed  when they trusted in Bethel.14 “How can you say, ‘We are warriors,  men valiant in battle'?15 Moab will be destroyed and her towns invaded;  her finest young men will go down in the slaughter,”  declares the King, whose name is the Lord Almighty.16 “The fall of Moab is at hand;  her calamity will come quickly.17 Mourn for her, all who live around her,  all who know her fame;say, ‘How broken is the mighty scepter,  how broken the glorious staff!'18 “Come down from your glory  and sit on the parched ground,  you inhabitants of Daughter Dibon,for the one who destroys Moab  will come up against you  and ruin your fortified cities.19 Stand by the road and watch,  you who live in Aroer.Ask the man fleeing and the woman escaping,  ask them, ‘What has happened?'20 Moab is disgraced, for she is shattered.  Wail and cry out!Announce by the Arnon  that Moab is destroyed.21 Judgment has come to the plateau—  to Holon, Jahzah and Mephaath,22   to Dibon, Nebo and Beth Diblathaim,23   to Kiriathaim, Beth Gamul and Beth Meon,24   to Kerioth and Bozrah—  to all the towns of Moab, far and near.25 Moab's horn[g] is cut off;  her arm is broken,”declares the Lord.26 “Make her drunk,  for she has defied the Lord.Let Moab wallow in her vomit;  let her be an object of ridicule.27 Was not Israel the object of your ridicule?  Was she caught among thieves,that you shake your head in scorn  whenever you speak of her?28 Abandon your towns and dwell among the rocks,  you who live in Moab.Be like a dove that makes its nest  at the mouth of a cave.29 “We have heard of Moab's pride—  how great is her arrogance!—of her insolence, her pride, her conceit  and the haughtiness of her heart.30 I know her insolence but it is futile,”declares the Lord,  “and her boasts accomplish nothing.31 Therefore I wail over Moab,  for all Moab I cry out,  I moan for the people of Kir Hareseth.32 I weep for you, as Jazer weeps,  you vines of Sibmah.Your branches spread as far as the sea[h];  they reached as far as[i] Jazer.The destroyer has fallen  on your ripened fruit and grapes.33 Joy and gladness are gone  from the orchards and fields of Moab.I have stopped the flow of wine from the presses;  no one treads them with shouts of joy.Although there are shouts,  they are not shouts of joy.34 “The sound of their cry rises  from Heshbon to Elealeh and Jahaz,from Zoar as far as Horonaim and Eglath Shelishiyah,  for even the waters of Nimrim are dried up.35 In Moab I will put an end  to those who make offerings on the high places  and burn incense to their gods,”declares the Lord.36 “So my heart laments for Moab like the music of a pipe;  it laments like a pipe for the people of Kir Hareseth.  The wealth they acquired is gone.37 Every head is shaved  and every beard cut off;every hand is slashed  and every waist is covered with sackcloth.38 On all the roofs in Moab  and in the public squaresthere is nothing but mourning,  for I have broken Moab  like a jar that no one wants,”declares the Lord.39 “How shattered she is! How they wail!  How Moab turns her back in shame!Moab has become an object of ridicule,  an object of horror to all those around her.”40 This is what the Lord says:“Look! An eagle is swooping down,  spreading its wings over Moab.41 Kerioth[j] will be captured  and the strongholds taken.In that day the hearts of Moab's warriors  will be like the heart of a woman in labor.42 Moab will be destroyed as a nation  because she defied the Lord.43 Terror and pit and snare await you,  you people of Moab,”declares the Lord.44 “Whoever flees from the terror  will fall into a pit,whoever climbs out of the pit  will be caught in a snare;for I will bring on Moab  the year of her punishment,”declares the Lord.45 “In the shadow of Heshbon  the fugitives stand helpless,for a fire has gone out from Heshbon,  a blaze from the midst of Sihon;it burns the foreheads of Moab,  the skulls of the noisy boasters.46 Woe to you, Moab!  The people of Chemosh are destroyed;your sons are taken into exile  and your daughters into captivity.47 “Yet I will restore the fortunes of Moab  in days to come,”declares the Lord.Here ends the judgment on Moab.Footnotes[a] Jeremiah 48:1 Or captured; / Misgab[b] Jeremiah 48:2 The Hebrew for Heshbon sounds like the Hebrew for plot.[c] Jeremiah 48:2 The name of the Moabite town Madmen sounds like the Hebrew for be silenced.[d] Jeremiah 48:4 Hebrew; Septuagint / proclaim it to Zoar[e] Jeremiah 48:6 Or like Aroer[f] Jeremiah 48:9 Or Give wings to Moab, / for she will fly away[g] Jeremiah 48:25 Horn here symbolizes strength.[h] Jeremiah 48:32 Probably the Dead Sea[i] Jeremiah 48:32 Two Hebrew manuscripts and Septuagint; most Hebrew manuscripts as far as the Sea of[j] Jeremiah 48:41 Or The cities

Jeremiah 46 NIVA Message About Egypt1 This is the word of the Lord that came to Jeremiah the prophet concerning the nations:2 Concerning Egypt:This is the message against the army of Pharaoh Necho king of Egypt, which was defeated at Carchemish on the Euphrates River by Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon in the fourth year of Jehoiakim son of Josiah king of Judah:3 “Prepare your shields, both large and small,  and march out for battle!4 Harness the horses,  mount the steeds!Take your positions  with helmets on!Polish your spears,  put on your armor!5 What do I see?  They are terrified,they are retreating,  their warriors are defeated.They flee in haste  without looking back,  and there is terror on every side,”declares the Lord.6 “The swift cannot flee  nor the strong escape.In the north by the River Euphrates  they stumble and fall.7 “Who is this that rises like the Nile,  like rivers of surging waters?8 Egypt rises like the Nile,  like rivers of surging waters.She says, ‘I will rise and cover the earth;  I will destroy cities and their people.'9 Charge, you horses!  Drive furiously, you charioteers!March on, you warriors—men of Cush[a] and Put who carry shields,  men of Lydia who draw the bow.10 But that day belongs to the Lord, the Lord Almighty—  a day of vengeance, for vengeance on his foes.The sword will devour till it is satisfied,  till it has quenched its thirst with blood.For the Lord, the Lord Almighty, will offer sacrifice  in the land of the north by the River Euphrates.11 “Go up to Gilead and get balm,  Virgin Daughter Egypt.But you try many medicines in vain;  there is no healing for you.12 The nations will hear of your shame;  your cries will fill the earth.One warrior will stumble over another;  both will fall down together.”13 This is the message the Lord spoke to Jeremiah the prophet about the coming of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon to attack Egypt:14 “Announce this in Egypt, and proclaim it in Migdol;  proclaim it also in Memphis and Tahpanhes:‘Take your positions and get ready,  for the sword devours those around you.'15 Why will your warriors be laid low?  They cannot stand, for the Lord will push them down.16 They will stumble repeatedly;  they will fall over each other.They will say, ‘Get up, let us go back  to our own people and our native lands,  away from the sword of the oppressor.'17 There they will exclaim,  ‘Pharaoh king of Egypt is only a loud noise;  he has missed his opportunity.'18 “As surely as I live,” declares the King,  whose name is the Lord Almighty,“one will come who is like Tabor among the mountains,  like Carmel by the sea.19 Pack your belongings for exile,  you who live in Egypt,for Memphis will be laid waste  and lie in ruins without inhabitant.20 “Egypt is a beautiful heifer,  but a gadfly is coming  against her from the north.21 The mercenaries in her ranks  are like fattened calves.They too will turn and flee together,  they will not stand their ground,for the day of disaster is coming upon them,  the time for them to be punished.22 Egypt will hiss like a fleeing serpent  as the enemy advances in force;they will come against her with axes,  like men who cut down trees.23 They will chop down her forest,”declares the Lord,  “dense though it be.They are more numerous than locusts,  they cannot be counted.24 Daughter Egypt will be put to shame,  given into the hands of the people of the north.”25 The Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: “I am about to bring punishment on Amon god of Thebes, on Pharaoh, on Egypt and her gods and her kings, and on those who rely on Pharaoh. 26 I will give them into the hands of those who want to kill them—Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and his officers. Later, however, Egypt will be inhabited as in times past,” declares the Lord.27 “Do not be afraid, Jacob my servant;  do not be dismayed, Israel.I will surely save you out of a distant place,  your descendants from the land of their exile.Jacob will again have peace and security,  and no one will make him afraid.28 Do not be afraid, Jacob my servant,  for I am with you,” declares the Lord.“Though I completely destroy all the nations  among which I scatter you,  I will not completely destroy you.I will discipline you but only in due measure;  I will not let you go entirely unpunished.”Footnotes[a] Jeremiah 46:9 That is, the upper Nile regionJeremiah 47 NIVA Message About the Philistines1 This is the word of the Lord that came to Jeremiah the prophet concerning the Philistines before Pharaoh attacked Gaza:2 This is what the Lord says:“See how the waters are rising in the north;  they will become an overflowing torrent.They will overflow the land and everything in it,  the towns and those who live in them.The people will cry out;  all who dwell in the land will wail3 at the sound of the hooves of galloping steeds,  at the noise of enemy chariots  and the rumble of their wheels.Parents will not turn to help their children;  their hands will hang limp.4 For the day has come  to destroy all the Philistinesand to remove all survivors  who could help Tyre and Sidon.The Lord is about to destroy the Philistines,  the remnant from the coasts of Caphtor.[a]5 Gaza will shave her head in mourning;  Ashkelon will be silenced.You remnant on the plain,  how long will you cut yourselves?6 “‘Alas, sword of the Lord,  how long till you rest?Return to your sheath;  cease and be still.'7 But how can it rest  when the Lord has commanded it,when he has ordered it  to attack Ashkelon and the coast?”Footnotes[a] Jeremiah 47:4 That is, CreteJeremiah 48 NIVA Message About Moab1 Concerning Moab:This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says:“Woe to Nebo, for it will be ruined.  Kiriathaim will be disgraced and captured;  the stronghold[a] will be disgraced and shattered.2 Moab will be praised no more;  in Heshbon[b] people will plot her downfall:  ‘Come, let us put an end to that nation.'You, the people of Madmen,[c] will also be silenced;  the sword will pursue you.3 Cries of anguish arise from Horonaim,  cries of great havoc and destruction.4 Moab will be broken;  her little ones will cry out.[d]5 They go up the hill to Luhith,  weeping bitterly as they go;on the road down to Horonaim  anguished cries over the destruction are heard.6 Flee! Run for your lives;  become like a bush[e] in the desert.7 Since you trust in your deeds and riches,  you too will be taken captive,and Chemosh will go into exile,  together with his priests and officials.8 The destroyer will come against every town,  and not a town will escape.The valley will be ruined  and the plateau destroyed,  because the Lord has spoken.9 Put salt on Moab,  for she will be laid waste[f];her towns will become desolate,  with no one to live in them.10 “A curse on anyone who is lax in doing the Lord's work!  A curse on anyone who keeps their sword from bloodshed!11 “Moab has been at rest from youth,  like wine left on its dregs,not poured from one jar to another—  she has not gone into exile.So she tastes as she did,  and her aroma is unchanged.12 But days are coming,”  declares the Lord,“when I will send men who pour from pitchers,  and they will pour her out;they will empty her pitchers  and smash her jars.13 Then Moab will be ashamed of Chemosh,  as Israel was ashamed  when they trusted in Bethel.14 “How can you say, ‘We are warriors,  men valiant in battle'?15 Moab will be destroyed and her towns invaded;  her finest young men will go down in the slaughter,”  declares the King, whose name is the Lord Almighty.16 “The fall of Moab is at hand;  her calamity will come quickly.17 Mourn for her, all who live around her,  all who know her fame;say, ‘How broken is the mighty scepter,  how broken the glorious staff!'18 “Come down from your glory  and sit on the parched ground,  you inhabitants of Daughter Dibon,for the one who destroys Moab  will come up against you  and ruin your fortified cities.19 Stand by the road and watch,  you who live in Aroer.Ask the man fleeing and the woman escaping,  ask them, ‘What has happened?'20 Moab is disgraced, for she is shattered.  Wail and cry out!Announce by the Arnon  that Moab is destroyed.21 Judgment has come to the plateau—  to Holon, Jahzah and Mephaath,22   to Dibon, Nebo and Beth Diblathaim,23   to Kiriathaim, Beth Gamul and Beth Meon,24   to Kerioth and Bozrah—  to all the towns of Moab, far and near.25 Moab's horn[g] is cut off;  her arm is broken,”declares the Lord.26 “Make her drunk,  for she has defied the Lord.Let Moab wallow in her vomit;  let her be an object of ridicule.27 Was not Israel the object of your ridicule?  Was she caught among thieves,that you shake your head in scorn  whenever you speak of her?28 Abandon your towns and dwell among the rocks,  you who live in Moab.Be like a dove that makes its nest  at the mouth of a cave.29 “We have heard of Moab's pride—  how great is her arrogance!—of her insolence, her pride, her conceit  and the haughtiness of her heart.30 I know her insolence but it is futile,”declares the Lord,  “and her boasts accomplish nothing.31 Therefore I wail over Moab,  for all Moab I cry out,  I moan for the people of Kir Hareseth.32 I weep for you, as Jazer weeps,  you vines of Sibmah.Your branches spread as far as the sea[h];  they reached as far as[i] Jazer.The destroyer has fallen  on your ripened fruit and grapes.33 Joy and gladness are gone  from the orchards and fields of Moab.I have stopped the flow of wine from the presses;  no one treads them with shouts of joy.Although there are shouts,  they are not shouts of joy.34 “The sound of their cry rises  from Heshbon to Elealeh and Jahaz,from Zoar as far as Horonaim and Eglath Shelishiyah,  for even the waters of Nimrim are dried up.35 In Moab I will put an end  to those who make offerings on the high places  and burn incense to their gods,”declares the Lord.36 “So my heart laments for Moab like the music of a pipe;  it laments like a pipe for the people of Kir Hareseth.  The wealth they acquired is gone.37 Every head is shaved  and every beard cut off;every hand is slashed  and every waist is covered with sackcloth.38 On all the roofs in Moab  and in the public squaresthere is nothing but mourning,  for I have broken Moab  like a jar that no one wants,”declares the Lord.39 “How shattered she is! How they wail!  How Moab turns her back in shame!Moab has become an object of ridicule,  an object of horror to all those around her.”40 This is what the Lord says:“Look! An eagle is swooping down,  spreading its wings over Moab.41 Kerioth[j] will be captured  and the strongholds taken.In that day the hearts of Moab's warriors  will be like the heart of a woman in labor.42 Moab will be destroyed as a nation  because she defied the Lord.43 Terror and pit and snare await you,  you people of Moab,”declares the Lord.44 “Whoever flees from the terror  will fall into a pit,whoever climbs out of the pit  will be caught in a snare;for I will bring on Moab  the year of her punishment,”declares the Lord.45 “In the shadow of Heshbon  the fugitives stand helpless,for a fire has gone out from Heshbon,  a blaze from the midst of Sihon;it burns the foreheads of Moab,  the skulls of the noisy boasters.46 Woe to you, Moab!  The people of Chemosh are destroyed;your sons are taken into exile  and your daughters into captivity.47 “Yet I will restore the fortunes of Moab  in days to come,”declares the Lord.Here ends the judgment on Moab.Footnotes[a] Jeremiah 48:1 Or captured; / Misgab[b] Jeremiah 48:2 The Hebrew for Heshbon sounds like the Hebrew for plot.[c] Jeremiah 48:2 The name of the Moabite town Madmen sounds like the Hebrew for be silenced.[d] Jeremiah 48:4 Hebrew; Septuagint / proclaim it to Zoar[e] Jeremiah 48:6 Or like Aroer[f] Jeremiah 48:9 Or Give wings to Moab, / for she will fly away[g] Jeremiah 48:25 Horn here symbolizes strength.[h] Jeremiah 48:32 Probably the Dead Sea[i] Jeremiah 48:32 Two Hebrew manuscripts and Septuagint; most Hebrew manuscripts as far as the Sea of[j] Jeremiah 48:41 Or The cities

Jeremiah 46 NIVA Message About Egypt1 This is the word of the Lord that came to Jeremiah the prophet concerning the nations:2 Concerning Egypt:This is the message against the army of Pharaoh Necho king of Egypt, which was defeated at Carchemish on the Euphrates River by Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon in the fourth year of Jehoiakim son of Josiah king of Judah:3 “Prepare your shields, both large and small,  and march out for battle!4 Harness the horses,  mount the steeds!Take your positions  with helmets on!Polish your spears,  put on your armor!5 What do I see?  They are terrified,they are retreating,  their warriors are defeated.They flee in haste  without looking back,  and there is terror on every side,”declares the Lord.6 “The swift cannot flee  nor the strong escape.In the north by the River Euphrates  they stumble and fall.7 “Who is this that rises like the Nile,  like rivers of surging waters?8 Egypt rises like the Nile,  like rivers of surging waters.She says, ‘I will rise and cover the earth;  I will destroy cities and their people.'9 Charge, you horses!  Drive furiously, you charioteers!March on, you warriors—men of Cush[a] and Put who carry shields,  men of Lydia who draw the bow.10 But that day belongs to the Lord, the Lord Almighty—  a day of vengeance, for vengeance on his foes.The sword will devour till it is satisfied,  till it has quenched its thirst with blood.For the Lord, the Lord Almighty, will offer sacrifice  in the land of the north by the River Euphrates.11 “Go up to Gilead and get balm,  Virgin Daughter Egypt.But you try many medicines in vain;  there is no healing for you.12 The nations will hear of your shame;  your cries will fill the earth.One warrior will stumble over another;  both will fall down together.”13 This is the message the Lord spoke to Jeremiah the prophet about the coming of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon to attack Egypt:14 “Announce this in Egypt, and proclaim it in Migdol;  proclaim it also in Memphis and Tahpanhes:‘Take your positions and get ready,  for the sword devours those around you.'15 Why will your warriors be laid low?  They cannot stand, for the Lord will push them down.16 They will stumble repeatedly;  they will fall over each other.They will say, ‘Get up, let us go back  to our own people and our native lands,  away from the sword of the oppressor.'17 There they will exclaim,  ‘Pharaoh king of Egypt is only a loud noise;  he has missed his opportunity.'18 “As surely as I live,” declares the King,  whose name is the Lord Almighty,“one will come who is like Tabor among the mountains,  like Carmel by the sea.19 Pack your belongings for exile,  you who live in Egypt,for Memphis will be laid waste  and lie in ruins without inhabitant.20 “Egypt is a beautiful heifer,  but a gadfly is coming  against her from the north.21 The mercenaries in her ranks  are like fattened calves.They too will turn and flee together,  they will not stand their ground,for the day of disaster is coming upon them,  the time for them to be punished.22 Egypt will hiss like a fleeing serpent  as the enemy advances in force;they will come against her with axes,  like men who cut down trees.23 They will chop down her forest,”declares the Lord,  “dense though it be.They are more numerous than locusts,  they cannot be counted.24 Daughter Egypt will be put to shame,  given into the hands of the people of the north.”25 The Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: “I am about to bring punishment on Amon god of Thebes, on Pharaoh, on Egypt and her gods and her kings, and on those who rely on Pharaoh. 26 I will give them into the hands of those who want to kill them—Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and his officers. Later, however, Egypt will be inhabited as in times past,” declares the Lord.27 “Do not be afraid, Jacob my servant;  do not be dismayed, Israel.I will surely save you out of a distant place,  your descendants from the land of their exile.Jacob will again have peace and security,  and no one will make him afraid.28 Do not be afraid, Jacob my servant,  for I am with you,” declares the Lord.“Though I completely destroy all the nations  among which I scatter you,  I will not completely destroy you.I will discipline you but only in due measure;  I will not let you go entirely unpunished.”Footnotes[a] Jeremiah 46:9 That is, the upper Nile regionJeremiah 47 NIVA Message About the Philistines1 This is the word of the Lord that came to Jeremiah the prophet concerning the Philistines before Pharaoh attacked Gaza:2 This is what the Lord says:“See how the waters are rising in the north;  they will become an overflowing torrent.They will overflow the land and everything in it,  the towns and those who live in them.The people will cry out;  all who dwell in the land will wail3 at the sound of the hooves of galloping steeds,  at the noise of enemy chariots  and the rumble of their wheels.Parents will not turn to help their children;  their hands will hang limp.4 For the day has come  to destroy all the Philistinesand to remove all survivors  who could help Tyre and Sidon.The Lord is about to destroy the Philistines,  the remnant from the coasts of Caphtor.[a]5 Gaza will shave her head in mourning;  Ashkelon will be silenced.You remnant on the plain,  how long will you cut yourselves?6 “‘Alas, sword of the Lord,  how long till you rest?Return to your sheath;  cease and be still.'7 But how can it rest  when the Lord has commanded it,when he has ordered it  to attack Ashkelon and the coast?”Footnotes[a] Jeremiah 47:4 That is, CreteJeremiah 48 NIVA Message About Moab1 Concerning Moab:This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says:“Woe to Nebo, for it will be ruined.  Kiriathaim will be disgraced and captured;  the stronghold[a] will be disgraced and shattered.2 Moab will be praised no more;  in Heshbon[b] people will plot her downfall:  ‘Come, let us put an end to that nation.'You, the people of Madmen,[c] will also be silenced;  the sword will pursue you.3 Cries of anguish arise from Horonaim,  cries of great havoc and destruction.4 Moab will be broken;  her little ones will cry out.[d]5 They go up the hill to Luhith,  weeping bitterly as they go;on the road down to Horonaim  anguished cries over the destruction are heard.6 Flee! Run for your lives;  become like a bush[e] in the desert.7 Since you trust in your deeds and riches,  you too will be taken captive,and Chemosh will go into exile,  together with his priests and officials.8 The destroyer will come against every town,  and not a town will escape.The valley will be ruined  and the plateau destroyed,  because the Lord has spoken.9 Put salt on Moab,  for she will be laid waste[f];her towns will become desolate,  with no one to live in them.10 “A curse on anyone who is lax in doing the Lord's work!  A curse on anyone who keeps their sword from bloodshed!11 “Moab has been at rest from youth,  like wine left on its dregs,not poured from one jar to another—  she has not gone into exile.So she tastes as she did,  and her aroma is unchanged.12 But days are coming,”  declares the Lord,“when I will send men who pour from pitchers,  and they will pour her out;they will empty her pitchers  and smash her jars.13 Then Moab will be ashamed of Chemosh,  as Israel was ashamed  when they trusted in Bethel.14 “How can you say, ‘We are warriors,  men valiant in battle'?15 Moab will be destroyed and her towns invaded;  her finest young men will go down in the slaughter,”  declares the King, whose name is the Lord Almighty.16 “The fall of Moab is at hand;  her calamity will come quickly.17 Mourn for her, all who live around her,  all who know her fame;say, ‘How broken is the mighty scepter,  how broken the glorious staff!'18 “Come down from your glory  and sit on the parched ground,  you inhabitants of Daughter Dibon,for the one who destroys Moab  will come up against you  and ruin your fortified cities.19 Stand by the road and watch,  you who live in Aroer.Ask the man fleeing and the woman escaping,  ask them, ‘What has happened?'20 Moab is disgraced, for she is shattered.  Wail and cry out!Announce by the Arnon  that Moab is destroyed.21 Judgment has come to the plateau—  to Holon, Jahzah and Mephaath,22   to Dibon, Nebo and Beth Diblathaim,23   to Kiriathaim, Beth Gamul and Beth Meon,24   to Kerioth and Bozrah—  to all the towns of Moab, far and near.25 Moab's horn[g] is cut off;  her arm is broken,”declares the Lord.26 “Make her drunk,  for she has defied the Lord.Let Moab wallow in her vomit;  let her be an object of ridicule.27 Was not Israel the object of your ridicule?  Was she caught among thieves,that you shake your head in scorn  whenever you speak of her?28 Abandon your towns and dwell among the rocks,  you who live in Moab.Be like a dove that makes its nest  at the mouth of a cave.29 “We have heard of Moab's pride—  how great is her arrogance!—of her insolence, her pride, her conceit  and the haughtiness of her heart.30 I know her insolence but it is futile,”declares the Lord,  “and her boasts accomplish nothing.31 Therefore I wail over Moab,  for all Moab I cry out,  I moan for the people of Kir Hareseth.32 I weep for you, as Jazer weeps,  you vines of Sibmah.Your branches spread as far as the sea[h];  they reached as far as[i] Jazer.The destroyer has fallen  on your ripened fruit and grapes.33 Joy and gladness are gone  from the orchards and fields of Moab.I have stopped the flow of wine from the presses;  no one treads them with shouts of joy.Although there are shouts,  they are not shouts of joy.34 “The sound of their cry rises  from Heshbon to Elealeh and Jahaz,from Zoar as far as Horonaim and Eglath Shelishiyah,  for even the waters of Nimrim are dried up.35 In Moab I will put an end  to those who make offerings on the high places  and burn incense to their gods,”declares the Lord.36 “So my heart laments for Moab like the music of a pipe;  it laments like a pipe for the people of Kir Hareseth.  The wealth they acquired is gone.37 Every head is shaved  and every beard cut off;every hand is slashed  and every waist is covered with sackcloth.38 On all the roofs in Moab  and in the public squaresthere is nothing but mourning,  for I have broken Moab  like a jar that no one wants,”declares the Lord.39 “How shattered she is! How they wail!  How Moab turns her back in shame!Moab has become an object of ridicule,  an object of horror to all those around her.”40 This is what the Lord says:“Look! An eagle is swooping down,  spreading its wings over Moab.41 Kerioth[j] will be captured  and the strongholds taken.In that day the hearts of Moab's warriors  will be like the heart of a woman in labor.42 Moab will be destroyed as a nation  because she defied the Lord.43 Terror and pit and snare await you,  you people of Moab,”declares the Lord.44 “Whoever flees from the terror  will fall into a pit,whoever climbs out of the pit  will be caught in a snare;for I will bring on Moab  the year of her punishment,”declares the Lord.45 “In the shadow of Heshbon  the fugitives stand helpless,for a fire has gone out from Heshbon,  a blaze from the midst of Sihon;it burns the foreheads of Moab,  the skulls of the noisy boasters.46 Woe to you, Moab!  The people of Chemosh are destroyed;your sons are taken into exile  and your daughters into captivity.47 “Yet I will restore the fortunes of Moab  in days to come,”declares the Lord.Here ends the judgment on Moab.Footnotes[a] Jeremiah 48:1 Or captured; / Misgab[b] Jeremiah 48:2 The Hebrew for Heshbon sounds like the Hebrew for plot.[c] Jeremiah 48:2 The name of the Moabite town Madmen sounds like the Hebrew for be silenced.[d] Jeremiah 48:4 Hebrew; Septuagint / proclaim it to Zoar[e] Jeremiah 48:6 Or like Aroer[f] Jeremiah 48:9 Or Give wings to Moab, / for she will fly away[g] Jeremiah 48:25 Horn here symbolizes strength.[h] Jeremiah 48:32 Probably the Dead Sea[i] Jeremiah 48:32 Two Hebrew manuscripts and Septuagint; most Hebrew manuscripts as far as the Sea of[j] Jeremiah 48:41 Or The cities

Joshua 1:11- After the death of Moses the servant of the Lord, it came to pass that the Lord spoke to Joshua the son of Nun, Moses' assistant, saying: (Moving for Devonshire Place)2 “Moses My servant is dead. Now therefore, arise, go over this Jordan, you and all this people, to the land which I am giving to them—the children of Israel. 3 Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given you, as I said to Moses. 4 From the wilderness and this Lebanon as far as the great river, the River Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites, and to the Great Sea toward the going down of the sun, shall be your territory. 5 No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life; as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you nor forsake you. 6 Be strong and of good courage, for to this people you shall divide as an inheritance the land which I swore to their fathers to give them. 7 Only be strong and very courageous, that you may observe to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may prosper wherever you go. 8 This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. 9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”10 Then Joshua commanded the officers of the people, saying,  11 “Pass through the camp and command the people, saying, ‘Prepare provisions for yourselves, for within three days you will cross over this Jordan, to go in to possess the land which the Lord your God is giving you to possess.' Get Ready to MOVE, Get Ready to Move, Get ready to Move!Support the show

In this week's study, I continue in Chapter 9; with  verse 14. Here I will discuss the River Euphrates and the link to Nimrod of Genesis.In our last study we were covering verse 14 and looking at the phrase ‘Saying to the sixth angel who had the trumpet, "Loose the four angels which are bound at the river Euphrates."' We learned that The Euphrates was known as the great River, the River, the Flood. And that the four angels are demons, because nowhere in Scripture is there any record of holy angels being bound. But that certainly is the case for a variety of other demons as we read in 2 Peter two and as well as in Jude six.  In fact, in Revelation chapter 20 verses one and two we read about an angel with the key to the abyss who will one day lay hold of the dragon, the serpent of old who is the devil and Satan and bind him for 1000 years. Furthermore, you must understand that holy angels have no need to be incarcerated to prevent them from doing something contrary to the will of Yahweh.This is the place where Satan first introduced sin, where rebellion first occurred, where the curse on creation was pronounced, and from the beginning this was a land of defiance against Yahweh.  It was the land of Noah.  It was the land of Nimrod and his wife Semiramis and the tower of Babel which spawned the counterfeit religious system of the mother and son fertility cult, god, goddess worship that branched out into the entire world even as we see remnants of it today in virtually all of the pagan religions  Nimrods name is mentioned 4 times in Scripture; Gen. 10:8  And Cush begat Nimrod: he began to be a mighty one in the earth.(Don't forget that Cush was the son of Ham and Ham's father was Noah.) (Do you remember the sin of Ham? Gen 9:22-26)Gen. 10:9  He was a mighty hunter before Yahweh: wherefore it is said, Even as Nimrod the mighty hunter before Yahweh. Gen 10:10  And the beginning of his kingdom was Babel, and Erech, and Accad, and Calneh, in the land of Shinar. 1Chron. 1:10  And Cush begat Nimrod: he began to be mighty upon the earth.Micah 5:6  And they shall waste the land of Assyria with the sword, and the land of Nimrod in the entrances thereof: thus shall he deliver us from the Assyrian, when he cometh into our land, and when he treadeth within our borders.In verse 8 there is something very interesting when read in the Hebrew, “'koosh' ‘yaw-lad' ‘eth' ‘nim-rode' ‘he' ‘khaw-lal' ‘haw-yaw' ‘ghib-bor' ‘eh-rets'”The word ‘eth' is made up with 2 Hebrew Letters the Aleph and TavAleph = the original pictograph for this letter is a picture of an ox head representing strength and power from the work performed by the animal. This pictograph also represents a chief or other leader. Tav = the Ancient picture is a type of "mark", probably of two sticks crossed to mark a place similar to the Egyptian hieroglyph of, a picture of two crossed sticks. This letter has the meanings of mark, sign or signature.Now when we combine these 2 letters we have a picture of ‘chief or leader' with some type of cross as a mark or sign. Can you think of anyone that may fit this ‘eth'? How about Yahshua Messiah who is our chief/leader and died on a cross at Calvary that when He died and resurrected to the Father giving us the opportunity to receive that mark of faith which protects us during the tribulation period!So what we have here in this verse 8 with the birth of Nimrod is the fact that Yahweh/Yahshua Messiah's hand was instrumentally in his birth. Did Yahweh know something that you and I don't?Have any questions? Feel free to email me at keitner@netzero.net

In this week's study, I continue in Chapter 9; beginning in verse 13 with the 6th trumpet or 2nd woe.We have covered the 1st woe found within this 5th trumpets, whereas the 2nd woe begins in Chapter 9 verse 13 with the 6th (note man's number) trumpet and ends in Chapter 11verse 14 AFTER the resurrection of the 2 witnesses. The 3rd woe perhaps we are to see the answer in Chapter 12 verse12, “Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time.” Keep in mind that we have all ready established the fact this Book Of Revelation IS NOT WRITTEN in chronologically order! Therefore the seals and trumpets may have all ready started!Once again many teach that Chapters 6 and 7 present the six seals, the 6th carrying on to the end. Then the 7th seal is open at this time, which brings forth the 7 trumpet sounds [8:7-11:14. At the end of the 7th trumpet sound, we see 7 vials [16:1-18:24. The 7th seal thus embraces the period of both Trumpets and Vials and is immediately followed by the coming of Yahshua Messiah. This is what is commonly known as the “7-Year Chronological Order Theory”. This theory states that end time events will happen in the order they appear. “The interpretive approach to understanding Revelation,” it is commonly written, “is to accept the chronological order of the book and its plain sense meaning.”Based on the study that we have done up to this point, can we conclude that there is a possibility that we are somewhere in the 4th seal and the 5th trumpet sound?The Sixth, or "second Woe" Trumpet is set forth with more detail than any of the others: no less than thirty-three verses being devoted to its description.  Coming from this altar it seems to say that we have here the continuation of the answer to the prayers of 6:10.13.       And the sixth angel sounded his trumpet, and I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar which is before Yahweh = In the earthly Tabernacle and Temple the golden altar is described as standing "before the vail that is by the ark of the testimony, where I will meet with thee" (Ex 30:6; 40:3). Here, there is no veil; and the voice comes from "before Yahweh." The allusion is not to the altar of burnt offering, which was covered with brass, but to the altar of incense covered with gold; and therefore here, and elsewhere, it is called "the golden altar", and was a figure of the intercession of Yahshua Messiah; for on this altar incense was offered, which was typical of the prayers of the saints offered by Yahshua, through His mediation Horns = symbolic for power, strength, rulership 14  Biblically the name, “the River Euphrates,” refers not just to the river, but to the entire region that it nourishes. We read in Genesis chapter two and verse 10 that, “a river flowed out of Eden to water the garden; and from there it divided and became four rivers.” So from the world's creation it flowed from the cradle of civilization, the region where the history of man began and, dear friends, the region where it will end.  This is the place where Satan first introduced sin, where rebellion first occurred, where the curse on creation was pronounced, and from the beginning this was a land of defiance against Yahweh.  It was the land of Noah.  It was the land of Nimrod and his wife Semiramis and the tower of Babel which spawned the counterfeit religious system of the mother and son fertility cult, god, goddess worship that branched out into the entire world Join me as we go Chapter by Chapter, Verse by Verse, Unraveling the Words of Yahweh!Have any questions? Feel free to email me at keitner@netzero.net

Joshua 1:1-9 - New King James Version 1 After the death of Moses the servant of the Lord, it came to pass that the Lord spoke to Joshua the son of Nun, Moses' assistant, saying: 2 “Moses My servant is dead. Now therefore, arise, go over this Jordan, you and all this people, to the land which I am giving to them—the children of Israel. 3 Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given you, as I said to Moses. 4 From the wilderness and this Lebanon as far as the great river, the River Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites, and to the Great Sea toward the going down of the sun, shall be your territory. 5 No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life; as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you nor forsake you. 6 Be strong and of good courage, for to this people you shall divide as an inheritance the land which I swore to their fathers to give them. 7 Only be strong and very courageous, that you may observe to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may prosper wherever you go. 8 This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. 9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

"A Minute To Midnite" website: https://aminutetomidnite.com/ Thank you for supporting this ministry, I lovingly refer to as "The Little Green Pasture." Click here: PayPal: http://paypal.me/JoanStahl ​Please prayerfully consider becoming a ministry partner: Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/joaniestahl **Contact Email: jsfieldnotes@gmail.com **Send Donations To: Joanie Stahl - P.O. Box 1386 - 205 Avenida Del Mar - San Clemente, Ca. 92674 **Subscribe to me on Rumble: https://rumble.com/c/c-534183 **Subscribe to me on Bitchute: https://www.bitchute.com/channel/YOjK... I had the pleasure of being a guest on A Minute To Midnite to discuss the world wide drought happening. About four months ago I started to see articles about two of our largest reservoirs at historically low levels. I knew we were in a long term drought but really had no idea how bad it was. More articles started to appear literally daily that were alarming. Our water supplies were evaporating at alarming speed. I began to see that our entire nation was under a severe drought, even in places no one would ever expect. Then I saw articles from NASA led scientists that were seeing all the fresh water sources such as rivers, lakes and streams drying up at the same rapid speed all over the world. They have gone on record saying "the have no answers, no explanations." Then I began to see that the greatest rivers of the world were nearly gone in Europe. The most alarming reports were the two most ancient rivers mentioned in end times prophecy. The Nile River and the River Euphrates, as well as the Tigress River, all nearly completely dried up. Scriptures prove that this will only happen right before the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. We are now in that time. Thank you for listening! --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/joanie-stahl/support

Monday, 18 July 2022   As he journeyed he came near Damascus, and suddenly a light shone around him from heaven. Acts 9:3   The previous verse had Paul preparing for a journey to Damascus in order to bring back believers of the Way for trial in Jerusalem. Now that thought continues, saying, “As he journeyed.”   Concerning the route he would have taken, Charles Ellicott says –   “The route by which the persecutor and his companions travelled was probably that taken by the Roman road, which extended from Jerusalem to Neapolis (Sychar, or Shechem), thence to Scythopolis, and so by the shores of the Sea of Galilee and Cæsarea Philippi, and thence under the slopes of Hermon, to D mascus. ... It is, however, possible that he may have taken the road by the Jordan valley by which Galilean pilgrims sometimes travelled in order to avoid Samaria; but the former was beyond all question the most direct and best frequented road.”   With that, the Greek next says “it came to pass.” This is omitted by the translators, but it can be seen in the BLB translation –   “Now in proceeding, it came to pass as he draws near to Damascus, suddenly also a light from heaven flashed around him.”   Somewhere along the journey, it came to pass as “he came near Damascus.” The meaning of the name of the city depends on several things. Abarim defines it –   “The Hebrew term for Damascus, namely דמשק (dammasq), means something like The Beginning Of Salvation. The Chronicler's slightly adapted term for Damascus, namely דרמשק (darammasq) means Period Of Salvation or perhaps more precise Full Turn In The Pattern Of Salvation. The Greek name Damascus means Tameness or somewhat more positive Synchronicity.”   Damascus is outside of Israel's borders which is appropriate for the calling that will occur. The apostle to the Gentiles will receive his calling outside of the set borders of Canaan, but still within the area of land originally promised to Abraham in Genesis 15:18. That promise extends the land as far as the River Euphrates. It was there, in the Gentile land close to Damascus that Paul was traveling, “and suddenly a light shone around him from heaven.”   The word translated as “shone” is found only here and in Acts 22:6. It signifies to flash around like lightning. Acts 26 will further explain the intensity of this light –   “While thus occupied, as I journeyed to Damascus with authority and commission from the chief priests, 13 at midday, O king, along the road I saw a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, shining around me and those who journeyed with me.” Acts 26:12, 13   The magnificence of the light outshined the radiance of the sun. With this ultra-intense display of the glory of the Lord now stated, the narrative will continue in the verses ahead.   Life application: There are commentaries that will attempt to diminish the magnitude of what occurred with Saul (Paul), saying things like he was driven mad while considering his acts of persecution and this is what produced the vision that happened in his mind. Nothing of the sort is even hinted at. And more, the effects of the light upon his eyes will demonstrate that this was not just an internalized event. Rather, it is an actual appearance of the glory of the Lord as He revealed Himself to Saul.   We need to always consider the words of Scripture in the context in which they are given. In the case of this theophany, there is no doubt about how it occurred. At the same time, we need to not be duped by people that claim they have their own visions of God. There is no need for such visions today, and it would be contrary to the word itself that they should occur.   Paul was chosen to be an apostle of Jesus, and the events that surround his conversion were necessary for the validation of his ministry, both for himself and for those who would interact with him, such as the other apostles. People's conversions now occur in accord with what is written in Scripture, and those who are placed in the ministry have the words of Scripture to explain their requirements. There is no need for any extra validations of such things, and none should be expected.   Logically, if God is going around giving visions of Himself to people today, there is no need for the word of God in their lives. And yet, it is the word of God that reveals to us what we need to do in order to be saved, to live out our lives in accord with His will, and to appoint to the ministry those we deem to have satisfactorily met its requirements.   Don't look to the sensational when the Bible itself is sufficient for our lives, doctrine, and conduct. Let us be content with this wonderful treasure God has given us.   Yes, Lord God! What a treasure Your word is! May we hold fast to it as the rule and guide of our lives as we live them out before You. Help us to apply its precepts to our lives and to seek out the mysteries in it all our days. Amen.

Deuteronomio 1: La importancia de delegar.Hoy comenzamos un nuevo libro. Vamos a estudiar varios temas familiares que ya hemos estudiado, pues en Deuteronomio se registra un recuento que Moisés hizo a los israelitas antes de cruzar y conquistar la tierra prometida. Él le describió los eventos que ocurrieron cuando sus padres estaban en el desierto, cómo rechazaron al Señor, y también les expuso con detalles la ley y ordenanzas de Dios que ellos debían seguir al pie de la letra. Aquí encontraremos detalles que no se ven en Éxodo y en Levítico. Acompáñanos a leer este libro y a descubrir esas reflexiones bíblicas para aplicarlas a nuestro diario vivir para nosotros y nuestra familia. ⇨ Comencemos con Deuteronomio 1:5-18:Moisés empezó a explicar esta ley en la tierra de Moab, al otro lado del Jordán, y dijo: “El SEÑOR nuestro Dios nos habló en Horeb diciendo: ‘Han permanecido bastante en este monte. Vuélvanse, marchen y vayan a la región montañosa de los amorreos y a todos sus vecinos en el Arabá, en la región montañosa y en la Sefela, en el Néguev y por la costa del mar, a la tierra de los cananeos y al Líbano, hasta el gran río, el río Éufrates. Miren, yo he puesto la tierra delante de ustedes. Entren y tomen posesión de la tierra que el SEÑOR juró a sus padres Abraham, Isaac y Jacob, que les daría a ellos y a sus descendientes después de ellos'.“En aquel tiempo yo les hablé diciendo: ‘Yo solo no puedo cargar con ustedes. El SEÑOR su Dios los ha multiplicado, y he aquí que hoy son tan numerosos como las estrellas del cielo. ¡El SEÑOR, Dios de sus padres, los multiplique mil veces más, y los bendiga como les ha prometido! Pero, ¿cómo podré llevar yo solo sus preocupaciones, sus cargas y sus pleitos? Provean entre sus tribus de hombres sabios, entendidos y experimentados, para que yo los ponga como sus jefes'. Ustedes me respondieron y dijeron: ‘Está bien hacer lo que has dicho'. Entonces tomé a los jefes de sus tribus, hombres sabios y experimentados, y los puse como sus jefes; como jefes de mil, jefes de cien, jefes de cincuenta, jefes de diez y como oficiales de sus tribus. En aquel tiempo mandé a sus jueces diciendo: ‘Oigan la causa de sus hermanos y juzguen con justicia entre un hombre y su hermano o el forastero que está con él. No hagan distinción de personas en el juicio; oirán tanto al pequeño como al grande. No tengan temor de nadie, porque el juicio es de Dios. Pero la causa que les sea difícil la traerán a mí, y yo la oiré'. Les mandé, pues, en aquel tiempo todo lo que tenían que hacer.--------------------------------------------------Aquí vemos varios eventos que Moisés les contó. Uno de ellos es cuando él se vio sobrecargado al ver que el pueblo crecía cada día y, por ende, los problemas y retos crecían dentro de la convivencia. Este evento está descrito con más detalles en el libro de Éxodo 18. Puedes escuchar la reflexión de este capítulo este devocional.Esto me hace reflexionar que, como padres, debemos trabajar unidos para desarrollar las funciones cotidianas dentro del hogar. A veces tenemos la tendencia de querer hacer muchas cosas y tomar todas las decisiones, y esto trae una gran sobrecarga sobre el padre o la madre, y las consecuencias son frustraciones, estrés y aspereza.Debemos, poco a poco, delegar tareas del hogar a nuestros hijos, y permitamos que ellos comiencen a tomar decisiones pequeñas. Esto les permitirá desarrollar el sentido de liderazgo, de responsabilidad, también adquirirán conocimiento y experiencia, y no se sentirán excluidos del desarrollo de la familia sino que tendrán ese sentido de pertenencia dentro del hogar. ¡Como padres nos vamos a sorprender de las capacidades que nuestros hijos tienen y que pueden desarrollar!Este principio también se aplica cuando estamos dirigiendo un grupo de personas que están bajo nuestro liderazgo en el lugar de trabajo o en la iglesia o en algún ministerio. Si tenemos inseguridad de delegar responsabilidades, pide dirección a un líder experimentado y pídele que te enseñe a delegar. Sea un padre con hijos adultos, el líder que estaba antes de ti, o un mánager (gerente) de otro departamento en el lugar de trabajo donde laboras. No olvides presentarte delante de Dios para que ponga en ti un espíritu de liderazgo y sabiduría para que puedas delegar con inteligencia y prudencia. Soy tu amigo Eduardo Rodríguez.

Pastor Jeremy continues his "Blue Light Special" series on faith as he shares Sunday in Glendive. Psalm 42:5 (Message) Why are you down in the dumps, dear soul? Why are you crying the blues? ● Where you are is not where you have to stay ○ Soul maintenance is “easier said than done” ○ The faster you can recognize that your mind is wandering from the Word the faster you will get back into the fight of faith!! ● What holds your attention will grip your soul ○ Your mind is going to go somewhere...make it go to God ○ Verse 8 NLT “through each night I sing his songs, praying to God who gives me life. ● What you're feeling is a moment...it's not your destiny. ○ Verse 11 ends with “Soon I'll be praising again” Josh 1:1 After the death of Moses the servant of the Lord, it came to pass that the Lord spoke to Joshua the son of Nun, Moses' assistant, saying: 2 “Moses My servant is dead. Now therefore, arise, go over this Jordan, you and all this people, to the land which I am giving to them—the children of Israel. 3 Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given you, as I said to Moses. 4 From the wilderness and this Lebanon as far as the great river, the River Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites, and to the Great Sea toward the going down of the sun, shall be your territory. 5 No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life; as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you nor forsake you. 6 Be strong and of good courage, for to this people you shall divide as an inheritance the land which I swore to their fathers to give them. 7 Only be strong and very courageous, that you may observe to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may prosper wherever you go. 8 This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. 9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” ● Speak the word, think about the word, and do the word. a. When the assignment comes to trot the Ark into the waters during flood stage of the Jordan. b. When orders come in to march around the city for a week then yell at the wall. c. When you lose the battle at Ai.

I woke up very early this morning thinking about Revelation 14 and how it is a like a breath of fresh air. In chapter 13, the Antichrist and the False Prophet have been revealed as beasts, taking full control of the world with their one world government, their one world economic system, and now are requiring everyone to worship the image of the beast! Remember this happens right in the middle of the Seven-Year Tribulation. Already in the first three and half years of it, the seven angels have sounded their trumpets of judgments and the three woes have taken place (Rev. 6-9). Terrible demons from the pit have been released to plague mankind. An army of two hundred million demons, under the authority of four demonic angels, have also been released from the River Euphrates in the East with orders to kill a third of mankind (Rev. 9:13). Literally all hell has broken loose on the earth. Over two billion people have been killed! You would think it couldn't get much worse, but really it has only just begun! The Great Tribulation that Jesus talked about is just around the corner! The worse it yet to come, but before it does, we have this breath of fresh air in Revelation 14 when John sees the Lamb standing on Mount Zion with the 144,000. They are singing a new song with the harps of heaven playing in the background! We are told that these 144,000 are redeemed, “being the firstfruits to God and to the Lamb.” The term firstfruits means "the very finest." But it also carries the idea of an expected harvest. On the Feast of Firstfruits, the priest waved the sheaf before the Lord as a sign that the entire harvest belonged to Him (Lev. 23:9-14). The 144,000 may be the firstfruits of the harvest yet to come in the next three and half years as they continue to preach the Gospel to the nations. And they may also be the nucleus of the coming kingdom when Jesus comes back to the earth to reign for a thousand years. They will enter the millennium in mortal bodies and be able to marry and have children that will repopulate the earth with worshipers of Jesus! I also woke up this morning thinking about how near we must be getting to the end times. In Matthew 24:37-39 Jesus said: “But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.” What was it like in the days of Noah? Genesis 6:5-12 tells us: “Then the LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually…. The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence. So God looked upon the earth, and indeed it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted their way on the earth.” The people and all the governments of the nations were corrupt. There was violence everywhere! And no one would listen to Noah's message of coming judgment! They kept on living as usual, eating, drinking, marrying and giving in marriage. We live in a day of corruption even in the highest places of our own government, in our businesses, in our churches and in our culture. It is everywhere! And violence is increasing on every hand! Yes, I woke up this morning, thinking today could be the day that Jesus comes again to rapture His bride the church! And these first verses of Revelation 14 were like a breath of fresh air with all the stench of corruption all around us! God bless!

Canary Cry News Talk #485 - 05.16.2022 MEDIA MASSACRE MIND  LINKTREE: CanaryCry.Party   LEAD 5:23 V / 2:26 P GUN CONTROL/RACE WARS Buffalo “racist massacre” 10 black people dead (ABC) + NY Times Source  Note: Pope Francis names 10 new saints, includes “Patron Saint of Journalism” (Fox) → Buffalo shooter isn't a “Lone Wolf” (Rolling Stone) → State Senator suggests False Flag (Huffpo) → Great Replacement GOP Mainstream (Vice) → Internet Control (LA Times) Clip: Kamala on buffalo, Black community speaking out Churchgoers tackled, hogtied gunman on deadly Laguna Woods church shooting (LA Times) Clip: Justice Clarence Thomas joke about media (set up for v4v pitch)   INTRO (M-W-F)  52:19 V / 49:22 P B&G Update, V4V/Exec./Asso./Support   FLIPPY  58:28 V / 55:31 P Robot teaching yoga class (Denver Post, submitted by producer Kira OC)   [Party Pitch/Ravel/CCClips/text alerts]  1:09:19 V / 1:06:22 P   RUSSIA/FOOD/WITCHCRAFT  1:12:25 V / 1:09:28 P → McDonalds moving out of Russia for good (Reuters) → McDonald's deal for Mercury retrograde: Get a free McChicken or McDouble (USA Today)   4 HORSEMAN TECHNOCALYPSE  1:28:30 V / 1:25:33 P Bezos: Jeff critical of Biden, invokes Disinfo Board (Tweet) → Jeff also critical of Biden trying to print more money (Tweet) **White House fired back at Bezos (Yahoo/Insider) [Larry Summer sides with Biden (Insider)] → This morning, Jeff again, responds to the critique   [TREASURE/SPEAKPIPE/BYE YOUTUBE]  1:40:31 V / 1:37:34 P   COVID/WACCINE  1:58:54 V / 1:56:03 P US has hit 1 Million C19 Deaths, but Numbers likely higher (ABC) Why is C19 SURGING in San Fransisco? (SF Chron.) Explosive outbreak causing upheaval in North Korea, 820,000 cases (National Post)   [TALENT]  2:43:40 V / 2:40:43 P   NEPHILIM UPDATE  3:02:56 V /  3:00:00 P Is an unknown, extraordinarily ancient civilization buried under eastern Turkey? (Spectator) Scripture: Deut. 4, covenant and graven images; Rev. 9, 16, angel in River Euphrates, 1 Chron. 20.6 six fingers, Rev. 21:1 new heaven new earth, divine council   [TIME/OUTRO]  3:25:40 V / 3:22:43 P   EPISODE 485 WAS PRODUCED BY… Executive Producers Dame Lynn Lady of the Lakes**   Supply Drop Jessie S   Producers MORV, Natalie C, Sir James Knight and Servant of the Lion of Judah, Puddin2022, Michael B, LX PROTOCOL V2, Sir Casey the Shield Knight, Veronica D, Gail M, Sir Scott Knight of Truth, Jackie U   AUDIO PRODUCTION (Jingles, Iso, Music): Psalm40, Jonathan F   ART PRODUCTION (Drawing, Painting, Graphics): Dame Allie of the Skillet Nation, Sir Dove Knight of Rusbeltia   CONTENT PRODUCTION (Microfiction etc.): Runksmash: Hearing the cacophony being caused by Monty and Propaganda Rooster, Kodi pokes around the corner and sees his person talking to the spooky eyed man. Steeling his nerve Kodi bursts in with a mighty “NO WOBBLE EYES! BIG MOUSE IS BAD, ROOSTER SAID SO!”   The Sentinel: While Basil practices in his new skates, on the other side of town… the Alpha-Bois are preparing for the tournament as well. It is now only 2 weeks away. Master Grease stands in the center of the rink barking commands. “ONE!” The Alpha-bois all lean to the right, extending their arms out in a shoving motion as they circle their master. “TWO!” They lean left, shoving again. “THREE!” They jump forward, pulling themselves past an invisible adversary. The roller-skating rink thunders as they all land at the same time. “FOUR!” The new janitor looks on in awe as all the Alpha-Bois perform a sweeping motion in unison. “FIVE!”   CLIP PRODUCER Emsworth, FaeLivrin, Epsilon   Timestamps: Mondays: Jackie U Wednesdays: Jade Bouncerson Fridays: Christine C ADDITIONAL STORIES: Lab grown human milk just 3 years away (CNN) Algae powered computing, renewable biological photovoltaic cell (Cambridge) Chinese Spy Ship Makes First Appearance Near Australian Submarine Communications Base (theDrive) If you think gas prices are bad, diesel is in its worst crisis since the 1970s and has even raised fears of localized rationing (Insider) Kyiv wins Eurovision Song Contest while Britain gets best result for 20 years (but France and Germany just avoid nul points) (DailyMail) Ukraine shares footage of soldiers firing British made Brimstone missiles at Russian forces after military hardware was adapted so they can be fired from small vehicles on battlefield (DailyMail) Indian surgeon plans to transplant womb into a TRANS woman in world-first op that could pave way for biological men to get pregnant (DailyMail) Kyiv wins Eurovision while Britain gets best result for 20 years (DailyMail) → Sorry, that's not a doorway on Mars (CNET) → Mars sample collection risks introducing Alien Virus on earth (WION) SHOW NOTES: CanaryCryNewsTalk.com CLIP CHANNEL: CanaryCry.Tube SUPPLY DROP: CanaryCrySupplyDrop.com SUPPORT: CanaryCryRadio.com/Support MEET UPS: CanaryCryMeetUps.com Basil's other podcast: ravel Gonz' New Youtube: Facelikethesun Resurrection Gonz' Video Archive: Facelikethesun.Live App Made by Canary Cry Producer: Truther Dating App

Wednesday, 13 April 2022   ‘And the nation to whom they will be in bondage I will judge,' said God, ‘and after that they shall come out and serve Me in this place.' Acts 7:7   The previous verse referred to the dwelling of Israel in a foreign land, being brought into bondage, and the time frame – four hundred years – in which this would occur. With that stated, Stephen now continues quoting the Lord, saying, “And the nation to whom they will be in bondage.”   This is referring to Egypt. Approximately half of the period referred to will be in Egypt. And for a period of that time while in Egypt, they were brought into bondage –   “Now there arose a new king over Egypt, who did not know Joseph. 9 And he said to his people, ‘Look, the people of the children of Israel are more and mightier than we; 10 come, let us deal shrewdly with them, lest they multiply, and it happen, in the event of war, that they also join our enemies and fight against us, and so go up out of the land.' 11 Therefore they set taskmasters over them to afflict them with their burdens. And they built for Pharaoh supply cities, Pithom and Raamses. 12 But the more they afflicted them, the more they multiplied and grew. And they were in dread of the children of Israel. 13 So the Egyptians made the children of Israel serve with rigor. 14 And they made their lives bitter with hard bondage—in mortar, in brick, and in all manner of service in the field. All their service in which they made them serve was with rigor.” Exodus 1:8-14   As can be seen, the bondage was not the entire span of four hundred years. Only a part of the time was spent in Egypt. Further, only a part of the time in Egypt was a time of bondage. With the reference understood, Stephen's words continue, quoting God and saying of this nation, “I will judge,' said God.”   That is explicitly stated in Genesis 15 –   “Now when the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell upon Abram; and behold, horror and great darkness fell upon him. 13 Then He said to Abram: ‘Know certainly that your descendants will be strangers in a land that is not theirs, and will serve them, and they will afflict them four hundred years. 14 And also the nation whom they serve I will judge; afterward they shall come out with great possessions. 15 Now as for you, you shall go to your fathers in peace; you shall be buried at a good old age. 16 But in the fourth generation they shall return here, for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet complete.'” Genesis 15:12-16   So far, as long as the proper reference is understood, the words of Stephen have followed the narrative logically and without any real difficulty. But, as with the previous verse, there is debate about the next words. Stephen finishes verse 7 saying, “and after that they shall come out and serve Me in this place.”   It is not uncommon for scholars to change the reference here from Abraham and Canaan to Moses and Mount Sinai. This is because Stephen's words closely match the words of Exodus when Moses spoke with the Lord on Sinai –   “So He said, ‘I will certainly be with you. And this shall be a sign to you that I have sent you: When you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall serve God on this mountain.'” Exodus 3:12   This is problematic, however, because the reference immediately returns to Abraham in Stephen's next words of verse 7:8. As such, this is not speaking of Moses and Mount Sinai at all. Rather, it is still referring to the conversation between the Lord and Abraham. That is found later in Genesis 15 –   “And it came to pass, when the sun went down and it was dark, that behold, there appeared a smoking oven and a burning torch that passed between those pieces. 18 On the same day the Lord made a covenant with Abram, saying: ‘To your descendants I have given this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the River Euphrates— 19 the Kenites, the Kenezzites, the Kadmonites, 20 the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Rephaim, 21 the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Girgashites, and the Jebusites.'” Genesis 15:17-21   By the Lord giving the land to Abraham's descendants after they are brought out of Egypt, it implies that they will serve the Lord in Canaan (“this place”), rather than on Sinai (“this mountain”). Stephen's terminology varies from both Genesis 15 and Exodus 3. As such, determining which is the proper reference must be done apart from direct quotes. In this case, the reference being Abraham has not changed, and Stephen's words – though not a direct quote – are implied in (and fully supported by) the text.   Life application: There are difficulties in Scripture that are easy to simply pass over with the most expedient explanation. We hear it, it sounds ok, and so we move on. But this only confuses the narrative. Thus, it is better to consider that the first, and easiest, explanation may not be the correct one. Unless the issue is clear and without any controversy, we should consider all of the options we can think of or refer to.   By doing this, we will keep things in their proper context. As noted above, Abraham was the reference in the text, and Abraham will continue to be the reference in the text. Thus, contemplating the difficulty in the intervening words, and considering them from Stephen's perspective, will eventually lead to what was on his mind.   On the other hand, there was a difficulty in the previous verse where both Canaan and Egypt were being referred to, while certain words only applied to Egypt. Then, in this verse, only Egypt is the reference. As such, it is expedient to just say, “everything is referring to Egypt.” However, in doing this, the timeline of the actual Genesis narrative is then completely botched up.   Real care needs to be taken concerning this precious word. Let us be willing to spend the time to make sure that what we are presenting is actually properly aligned with what God has already presented.   Glorious God, Your word is big, difficult at times, and filled with things that take a lot of mental exertion to figure out. But it is worth the effort. At the end of the day, may we say, “I have done my very best to properly and rightly divide this sacred treasure.” To Your glory! Amen.  

"Born in Chalcedon, he was little of stature, like Zaccheus, but great in spirit and faith. He denied himself to the world at the age of fifteen and settled near the River Euphrates in a little hut, where he atoned for his sins, and prayed to God, at first with his teacher Mayum and then, after Mayum's death, alone. By the power of his prayers he filled an empty well with water, healed the sick of various pains and tamed wild beasts. There was a tamed lion with him as his servant. He had insight into distant happenings. When robbers attacked a stylite, Pionius, at some distance from him, and beat him up to such an extent that he decided to come down from his pillar and go to complain to the judges, St Aninus saw his intention in his soul and sent him a letter by means of his lion, telling him to set aside his intention, to forgive his assaulters and to continue in his asceticism. He was inexpressibly generous. The bishop of Neo-Caesarea made a gift to him of a donkey, to ease his carrying of water from the river, but he gave this donkey to some poor man who had complained to him of his poverty. The bishop gave him a second donkey, but he gave that away. Then the bishop gave him a third donkey, not for his own but only to serve as a water-carrier, to be kept and returned. At the time of his death, he saw Moses, Aaron and Or coming to him and calling: 'Aninus, the Lord is calling you. Get up and come with us.' This he revealed to his disciples, and gave his spirit to the Lord whom he had served so faithfully. He was 110 years old when he finished his earthly course." (Prologue)

"Born in Chalcedon, he was little of stature, like Zaccheus, but great in spirit and faith. He denied himself to the world at the age of fifteen and settled near the River Euphrates in a little hut, where he atoned for his sins, and prayed to God, at first with his teacher Mayum and then, after Mayum's death, alone. By the power of his prayers he filled an empty well with water, healed the sick of various pains and tamed wild beasts. There was a tamed lion with him as his servant. He had insight into distant happenings. When robbers attacked a stylite, Pionius, at some distance from him, and beat him up to such an extent that he decided to come down from his pillar and go to complain to the judges, St Aninus saw his intention in his soul and sent him a letter by means of his lion, telling him to set aside his intention, to forgive his assaulters and to continue in his asceticism. He was inexpressibly generous. The bishop of Neo-Caesarea made a gift to him of a donkey, to ease his carrying of water from the river, but he gave this donkey to some poor man who had complained to him of his poverty. The bishop gave him a second donkey, but he gave that away. Then the bishop gave him a third donkey, not for his own but only to serve as a water-carrier, to be kept and returned. At the time of his death, he saw Moses, Aaron and Or coming to him and calling: 'Aninus, the Lord is calling you. Get up and come with us.' This he revealed to his disciples, and gave his spirit to the Lord whom he had served so faithfully. He was 110 years old when he finished his earthly course." (Prologue)

The First War Is About To Start In The Fourth Part Of The Earth Around The Great River Euphrates – A Third Part Of Men Killed.

To your descendants I have given this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the River Euphrates. [1 hour 11 minutes]

To your descendants I have given this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the River Euphrates. [1 hour 11 minutes] 20220102_064_Genesis_15_17-18.mp3

Text: Deuteronomy 11:10-25 Opening Statement: As we stand at the brink of a new year our hearts are filled with anticipation and challenge. Only God knows what the future holds but the possibilities are limitless. As we cross over into this new year, we do so with the same challenges Moses gave his people so long ago. As we journey into a new year we're reminded: I) To Remember God's Provision (Deut. 11:11) What is Moses saying to Israel here? Better yet, what is God saying to us through their experience? He will meet our needs! He is our source. Look closely at Deut. 11:11. Note that we take with us into a new year the promise of God's provision. “It is a land that drinks rain from heaven.” That is, He provides for us supernaturally. As we journey into this New Year, we're dependent on the supernatural provision of God. God is our source, and he has a way of using us to accomplish his purpose. As we journey, we are: II) To Remember God's Presence (Deut. 11:12) There were some who said to Moses that they doubted they could accomplish the task of taking the Promised Land. After all, the land was filled with giants and walled cities. But they had forgotten that they crossed over with God's provision and God's presence. New Year's brings a fresh vision of new opportunities. What a blessing to journey into a new year with the very presence of God Himself. The eyes of the Lord are upon us! Like the children of Israel, He did not bring us out except to take us in. We go into a new year with God's provision and God's presence. We also are: III) To Remember God's Promise (Deut. 11:13-15) Note that this promise is conditional. Verse 13 begins with “if” and verse 14 begins with “then.” Thus, this promise is not for everyone. It is for whom? Those who love the Lord their God and serve Him with all their heart and soul. Moses reminded the children of Israel, and us, what is of utmost importance — loving God. As we enter a new year we do so with God's promise. Finally, as we journey into a new year we are: IV) To Remember God's Protection (Deut. 11:16-25) Moses is reminding us that the Lord will go before us and drive out our enemies. His protection carries with it a warning. (Deut. 11:16-17). Again, note the repetition of the importance of loving our God. (Deut. 11:22). Moses knew the only way his people could love the Lord with all their heart was to saturate themselves with a conscious awareness of His word. As we journey into a new year we do so with God's protection. Moses goes on to tell them that “Then the Lord will drive out all these nations from before you, and you will dispossess greater and mightier nations than yourselves. Every place on which the sole of your foot treads shall be yours: from the wilderness and Lebanon, from the river, the River Euphrates, even to the Western Sea, shall be your territory. No man shall be able to stand against you” (Deut. 11:23-25). In Closing: As we journey into this new year Moses stands to remind us that as we go, we too will need God's provision. To depend on human effort is sheer folly. We will need God's presence. There will be times when we, like the children of Israel, wonder where God is. But His eyes are upon us. We cross over with God's promise. There may be times that this is all we have to hold onto. And we go with His protection. Watch us on our YouTube channel, our website or our Facebook page https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCi7C66QudDzbTDtA-DaSQBw/ https://midwaybaptistnc.org https://facebook.com/midwaybaptistnc

To your descendants I have given this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the River Euphrates. [1 hour 7 minutes] 20211219_063_Genesis_15_15-16.mp3

Shalom Fam Praise & Worship: Yahweh ft. Matthew Stevenson, Chandler Moore - All Nations Music (Lyrics) - YouTube Let us dwell in the presence of Yahweh in Jesus name! Psalm 27:4 One thing I have asked of the LORD; this is what I desire: to dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze on the beauty of the LORD and seek Him in His temple. (biblehub.com) Come people and let us lift up a sweet fragrance to Yahweh, to our King of kings and Lord of lords Jesus Christ in spirit and truth! Amen! For it is written :D 2 Corinthians 2:14 But thanks be to God, who always leads us triumphantly as captives in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of Him. (biblehub.com); 2 Corinthians 2:15 For we are to God the sweet aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing. (biblehub.com) He is leading us with his love and kindness, his Holy Spirit, life & and word; amen! Hosea 11:4 I led them with cords of kindness, with ropes of love; I lifted the yoke from their necks and bent down to feed them. (biblehub.com) Hallelujah! Glory to Jesus!!!! :D As children of God, captives in Christ as written above, Jesus leads us triumphantly with his cords of kindness and ropes of love, we are no longer slaves to fear, no longer slaves to sin as written Romans 6 Romans 6:19 I am speaking in human terms because of the weakness of your flesh. Just as you used to offer the parts of your body in slavery to impurity and to escalating wickedness, so now offer them in slavery to righteousness leading to holiness. (biblehub.com); Romans 6:20 For when you were slaves to sin, you were free of obligation to righteousness. (biblehub.com). Declare & Decree in spirit and truth via SONG we are no longer slaves to fear glory to Jesus: Zach Williams - No Longer Slaves (Live from Harding Prison) - YouTube Scriptural References: H5869 - ʿayin - Strong's Hebrew Lexicon (kjv) (blueletterbible.org) Our context of study for this biblical word involves ***color*** also, spring, fountain, presence, and sight!  1 Kings 9:3 1 Kings 9:3 And the LORD said to him: "I have heard your prayer and petition before Me. I have consecrated this temple you have built by putting My Name there forever; My eyes and My heart will be there for all time. (biblehub.com) LET US SELAH ON THIS PEOPLE!!!! :D 1 Corinthians 2:16 1 Corinthians 2:16 "For who has known the mind of the Lord, so as to instruct Him?" But we have the mind of Christ. (biblehub.com) 2 Chronicles 16:9 2 Chronicles 16:9 Parallel: For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to shew himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him. Herein thou hast done foolishly: therefore from henceforth thou shalt have wars. (biblehub.com) Genesis 6:18 Genesis 6:8 Parallel: But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD. (biblehub.com) Genesis 15:1 Genesis 15:1 After these events, the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision: "Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your very great reward." (biblehub.com) Genesis 15:18 Genesis 15:18 On that day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying, "To your descendants I have given this land--from the river of Egypt to the great River Euphrates-- (biblehub.com) Ezekiel 1:1 Ezekiel 1:1 In the thirtieth year, on the fifth day of the fourth month, while I was among the exiles by the River Kebar, the heavens opened and I saw visions of God. (biblehub.com) Deuteronomy 11:11 Deuteronomy 11:11 Parallel: But the land, whither ye go to possess it, is a land of hills and valleys, and drinketh water of the rain of heaven: (biblehub.com); Deuteronomy 11:12 Parallel: A land which the LORD thy God careth for: the eyes of the LORD thy God are always upon it, from the beginning of the year even unto the end of the year. (biblehub.com) Revelation 5:6 Revelation 5:6 Then I saw a Lamb who appeared to have been slain, standing in the center of the throne, encircled by the four living creatures and the elders. The Lamb had seven horns and seven eyes, which represent the seven Spirits of God sent out into all the earth. (biblehub.com) Isaiah 11:2 Isaiah 11:2 Parallel: And the spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD; (biblehub.com);  Matthew 11:29 Matthew 11:29 Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. (biblehub.com)    

Readings for Friday, October 8, 2021 “For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ.” -- 1 Corinthians 12:12 Morning Psalm 51 1 Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love; according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions. 2 Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. 3 For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me. 4 Against you, you alone, have I sinned, and done what is evil in your sight, so that you are justified in your sentence and blameless when you pass judgment. 5 Indeed, I was born guilty, a sinner when my mother conceived me. 6 You desire truth in the inward being; therefore teach me wisdom in my secret heart. 7 Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. 8 Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones that you have crushed rejoice. 9 Hide your face from my sins, and blot out all my iniquities. 10 Create in me a clean heart, O God, and put a new and right spirit within me. 11 Do not cast me away from your presence, and do not take your holy spirit from me. 12 Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and sustain in me a willing spirit. 13 Then I will teach transgressors your ways, and sinners will return to you. 14 Deliver me from bloodshed, O God, O God of my salvation, and my tongue will sing aloud of your deliverance. 15 O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will declare your praise. 16 For you have no delight in sacrifice; if I were to give a burnt offering, you would not be pleased. 17 The sacrifice acceptable to God is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise. 18 Do good to Zion in your good pleasure; rebuild the walls of Jerusalem, 19 then you will delight in right sacrifices, in burnt offerings and whole burnt offerings; then bulls will be offered on your altar. Psalm 148 1 Praise the Lord ! Praise the Lord from the heavens; praise him in the heights! 2 Praise him, all his angels; praise him, all his host! 3 Praise him, sun and moon; praise him, all you shining stars! 4 Praise him, you highest heavens, and you waters above the heavens! 5 Let them praise the name of the Lord, for he commanded and they were created. 6 He established them forever and ever; he fixed their bounds, which cannot be passed. 7 Praise the Lord from the earth, you sea monsters and all deeps, 8 fire and hail, snow and frost, stormy wind fulfilling his command! 9 Mountains and all hills, fruit trees and all cedars! 10 Wild animals and all cattle, creeping things and flying birds! 11 Kings of the earth and all peoples, princes and all rulers of the earth! 12 Young men and women alike, old and young together! 13 Let them praise the name of the Lord, for his name alone is exalted; his glory is above earth and heaven. 14 He has raised up a horn for his people, praise for all his faithful, for the people of Israel who are close to him. Praise the Lord ! Midday 2 Kings 23:36-24:17 36 Jehoiakim was twenty-five years old when he began to reign; he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Zebidah daughter of Pedaiah of Rumah. 37 He did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, just as all his ancestors had done. 24:1 In his days King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon came up; Jehoiakim became his servant for three years; then he turned and rebelled against him. 2 The Lord sent against him bands of the Chaldeans, bands of the Arameans, bands of the Moabites, and bands of the Ammonites; he sent them against Judah to destroy it, according to the word of the Lord that he spoke by his servants the prophets. 3 Surely this came upon Judah at the command of the Lord, to remove them out of his sight, for the sins of Manasseh, for all that he had committed, 4 and also for the innocent blood that he had shed; for he filled Jerusalem with innocent blood, and the Lord was not willing to pardon. 5 Now the rest of the deeds of Jehoiakim, and all that he did, are they not written in the Book of the Annals of the Kings of Judah? 6 So Jehoiakim slept with his ancestors; then his son Jehoiachin succeeded him. 7 The king of Egypt did not come again out of his land, for the king of Babylon had taken over all that belonged to the king of Egypt from the Wadi of Egypt to the River Euphrates. 8 Jehoiachin was eighteen years old when he began to reign; he reigned three months in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Nehushta daughter of Elnathan of Jerusalem. 9 He did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, just as his father had done. 10 At that time the servants of King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon came up to Jerusalem, and the city was besieged. 11 King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon came to the city, while his servants were besieging it; 12 King Jehoiachin of Judah gave himself up to the king of Babylon, himself, his mother, his servants, his officers, and his palace officials. The king of Babylon took him prisoner in the eighth year of his reign. 13 He carried off all the treasures of the house of the Lord, and the treasures of the king's house; he cut in pieces all the vessels of gold in the temple of the Lord, which King Solomon of Israel had made, all this as the Lord had foretold. 14 He carried away all Jerusalem, all the officials, all the warriors, ten thousand captives, all the artisans and the smiths; no one remained, except the poorest people of the land. 15 He carried away Jehoiachin to Babylon; the king's mother, the king's wives, his officials, and the elite of the land, he took into captivity from Jerusalem to Babylon. 16 The king of Babylon brought captive to Babylon all the men of valor, seven thousand, the artisans and the smiths, one thousand, all of them strong and fit for war. 17 The king of Babylon made Mattaniah, Jehoiachin's uncle, king in his place, and changed his name to Zedekiah. 1 Corinthians 12:12-26 12 For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. 13 For in the one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and we were all made to drink of one Spirit. 14 Indeed, the body does not consist of one member but of many. 15 If the foot would say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. 16 And if the ear would say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. 17 If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be? If the whole body were hearing, where would the sense of smell be? 18 But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose. 19 If all were a single member, where would the body be? 20 As it is, there are many members, yet one body. 21 The eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you,” nor again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.” 22 On the contrary, the members of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, 23 and those members of the body that we think less honorable we clothe with greater honor, and our less respectable members are treated with greater respect; 24 whereas our more respectable members do not need this. But God has so arranged the body, giving the greater honor to the inferior member, 25 that there may be no dissension within the body, but the members may have the same care for one another. 26 If one member suffers, all suffer together with it; if one member is honored, all rejoice together with it. Matthew 9:27-34 27 As Jesus went on from there, two blind men followed him, crying loudly, “Have mercy on us, Son of David!” 28 When he entered the house, the blind men came to him; and Jesus said to them, “Do you believe that I am able to do this?” They said to him, “Yes, Lord.” 29 Then he touched their eyes and said, “According to your faith let it be done to you.” 30 And their eyes were opened. Then Jesus sternly ordered them, “See that no one knows of this.” 31 But they went away and spread the news about him throughout that district. 32 After they had gone away, a demoniac who was mute was brought to him. 33 And when the demon had been cast out, the one who had been mute spoke; and the crowds were amazed and said, “Never has anything like this been seen in Israel.” 34 But the Pharisees said, “By the ruler of the demons he casts out the demons.” Evening Psalm 142 1 With my voice I cry to the Lord ; with my voice I make supplication to the Lord . 2 I pour out my complaint before him; I tell my trouble before him. 3 When my spirit is faint, you know my way. In the path where I walk they have hidden a trap for me. 4 Look on my right hand and see— there is no one who takes notice of me; no refuge remains to me; no one cares for me. 5 I cry to you, O Lord ; I say, “You are my refuge, my portion in the land of the living.” 6 Give heed to my cry, for I am brought very low. Save me from my persecutors, for they are too strong for me. 7 Bring me out of prison, so that I may give thanks to your name. The righteous will surround me, for you will deal bountifully with me. Psalm 65 1 Praise is due to you, O God, in Zion; and to you shall vows be performed, 2 O you who answer prayer! To you all flesh shall come. 3 When deeds of iniquity overwhelm us, you forgive our transgressions. 4 Happy are those whom you choose and bring near to live in your courts. We shall be satisfied with the goodness of your house, your holy temple. 5 By awesome deeds you answer us with deliverance, O God of our salvation; you are the hope of all the ends of the earth and of the farthest seas. 6 By your strength you established the mountains; you are girded with might. 7 You silence the roaring of the seas, the roaring of their waves, the tumult of the peoples. 8 Those who live at earth's farthest bounds are awed by your signs; you make the gateways of the morning and the evening shout for joy. 9 You visit the earth and water it, you greatly enrich it; the river of God is full of water; you provide the people with grain, for so you have prepared it. 10 You water its furrows abundantly, settling its ridges, softening it with showers, and blessing its growth. 11 You crown the year with your bounty; your wagon tracks overflow with richness. 12 The pastures of the wilderness overflow, the hills gird themselves with joy, 13 the meadows clothe themselves with flocks, the valleys deck themselves with grain, they shout and sing together for joy. You can also find all of today's readings at PCUSA.org. The Daily Lectionary podcast is a ministry of First Presbyterian Church of Plattsburgh, NY, read by Pastor Timothy J. Luoma.

Destiny-Divine Appointments, Part TwoScott HowardLife Church MobileSunday, September 26, 2021*It's possible to be so consumed with the “there” we miss the “Along the Way”… *Think of all the things that happened in the Bible “Along the Way”…*David… was in a dead-end job with no end in sight…tending sheep and delivering cheese…Hisfamily saw him only as a sheepherder and delivery boy….even after he was prophesied over….Ruth…Jesus…Joseph…Paul*Don't confuse purpose with task…. Sometimes we have to do many tasks that don't seemto completely align with our purpose. (Karate Kid…wax on—wax off—paint the fence—paintthe house…*You are here today by divine appointment…you are watching or listening by divineappointment… He can lead you to His good; acceptable; and perfect will…*You weren't born and then called…you were called and then born…Jeremiah 1* Remember though...there is a difference between fate and destiny…*Just because God allowed it doesn't mean He willed it….but He can redeem it… (fall ofman in Genesis)*So…I might not know specifics of what's happening in your life right now, but here's what I doknow: If you're here…if you're watching or listening…You want to walk out your God-givenpurpose.*But just because you're here in the plan of God doesn't mean you'll get anything out of it…*Hebrews 4:2… “For indeed the gospel was preached to us as well as to them; but the wordwhich they heard did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in those who heard it.”*Who is them? Chapter 3…16…Indeed, was it not all who came out of Egypt, led byMoses? 19…So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief.*They were in the right place at the right time…but…they didn't view their opportunitythrough the eyes of faith…*Our spiritual hopes are high…our spiritual habits are low…*There will be pre ordained opportunities and connections all along the journey that willrequire us to mix faith and expectation…*But…Opportunities will always be surrounded by uncertainties…*And…Courage will always be needed to overcome uncertainty…*Joshua 1:1-9 “After the death of Moses the servant of the LORD, it came to pass that theLORD spoke to Joshua the son of Nun, Moses' assistant, saying: 2  “Moses My servant is dead.Now therefore, arise, go over this Jordan, you and all this people, to the land which I amgiving to them—the children of Israel. 3  Every place that the sole of your foot will treadupon I have given you, as I said to Moses. 4  From the wilderness and this Lebanon as far asthe great river, the River Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites, and to the Great Seatoward the going down of the sun, shall be your territory. 5  No man shall be able to standbefore you all the days of your life; as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will notleave you nor forsake you. 6  Be strong and of good courage, for to this people you shall[ a ] divide as an inheritance the land which I swore to their fathers to give them. 7  Only bestrong and very courageous, that you may observe to do according to all the law whichMoses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, thatyou may [ b ] prosper wherever you go. 8  This Book of the Law shall not depart from yourmouth, but you [ c ] shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according toall that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will2have good success. 9  Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not beafraid, nor be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.”* Full Sermon Notes Available on our App

Anointed To Go Forward Rev. Andrew Bimpong Deuteronomy 1:6-8 “The Lord our God spoke to us in Horeb, saying: ‘You have dwelt long enough at this mountain. 7 Turn and take your journey, and go to the mountains of the Amorites, to all the neighboring places in the plain, in the mountains and in the lowland, in the South and on the seacoast, to the land of the Canaanites and to Lebanon, as far as the great river, the River Euphrates. 8 See, I have set the land before you; go in and possess the land which the Lord swore to your fathers—to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob—to give to them and their descendants after them.' Psalm 89:20 I have found My servant David; With My holy oil I have anointed him. Hebrews 1:9 You have loved righteousness and hated lawlessness; Therefore God, Your God, has anointed You With the oil of gladness more than Your companions.”

Visualization is a gentle but powerful meditation technique that allows you to use your imagination to help you relax. Please practise the series in a safe, relaxing place that is free from distraction.  This visualization is based on a dream of discovering the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar II was said to have created the Hanging Gardens in the sixth century B.C. as a gift to his wife, who was homesick for the beautiful vegetation and mountains native of her homeland.  The lush green mountain of gardens rose out of the desert landscape, tiered with terraces of exotic flowers, plants and orchards that dazzled the eyes. Fragrances wafted through the towering botanical oasis dotted with statues, stone columns and water channelled from the nearby River Euphrates. **While listening to the Your Sleep Guru podcast, please make sure you are in a safe space, not operating any vehicle or heavy machinery.** Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/bePatron?u=27173112)

Gen 12:1-3 Gen 15 Will be our main text and we’ll keep coming back to it: After these things the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision, saying, “Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, [a]your exceedingly great reward.” 2 But Abram said, “Lord God, what will You give me, seeing I [b]go childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?” 3 Then Abram said, “Look, You have given me no offspring; indeed one[c] born in my house is my heir!” 4 And behold, the word of the Lord came to him, saying, “This one shall not be your heir, but one who will come from your own body shall be your heir.” 5 Then He brought him outside and said, “Look now toward heaven, and count the stars if you are able to number them.” And He said to him, “So shall your descendants be.” 6 And he believed in the Lord, and He accounted it to him for righteousness. 7 Then He said to him, “I am the Lord, who brought you out of Ur of the Chaldeans, to give you this land to inherit it.” 8 And he said, “Lord God, how shall I know that I will inherit it?” 9 So He said to him, “Bring Me a three-year-old heifer, a three-year-old female goat, a three-year-old ram, a turtledove, and a young pigeon.” 10 Then he brought all these to Him and cut them in two, down the middle, and placed each piece opposite the other; but he did not cut the birds in two. 11 And when the vultures came down on the carcasses, Abram drove them away. 12 Now when the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell upon Abram; and behold, horror and great darkness fell upon him. 13 Then He said to Abram: “Know certainly that your descendants will be strangers in a land that is not theirs, and will serve them, and they will afflict them four hundred years. 14 And also the nation whom they serve I will judge; afterward they shall come out with great possessions. 15 Now as for you, you shall [d]go to your fathers in peace; you shall be buried at a good old age. 16 But in the fourth generation they shall return here, for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet complete.” 17 And it came to pass, when the sun went down and it was dark, that behold, there appeared a smoking oven and a burning torch that passed between those pieces. 18 On the same day the Lord made a covenant with Abram, saying: “To your descendants I have given this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the River Euphrates— 19 the Kenites, the Kenezzites, the Kadmonites, 20 the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Rephaim, 21 the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Girgashites, and the Jebusites.” 5 Key elements of navigating in a new era 1) Perspective - Gen 15:1 - Ps 73:25-26 2) Belief -Gen 15:2-7 -Heb 11:1&6 -Heb 11:8 3) Sacrifice -Gen 15:8-10 - Rom 12:1 - Heb 13:15-16 SACRIFICE is all about RELATIONSHIP 4) Faithfulness 5) Rest - Gen 15:12&17

For centuries, arguably the greatest external threat the Roman Empire faced came from the East. From the Sasanian Persian Empire. With its nucleus situated in Iran, at its height the Sasanian Empire was one of antiquity’s most formidable kingdoms, controlling lands that stretched from the Hindu Kush to the River Euphrates. Like the Romans, the Sasanians had to deal with various potential threats. From the north, from the lands of the steppe east and west of the Caspian Sea, nomadic peoples such as the Huns would become renowned for descending on Roman and Sasanian territories and wreaking havoc. And so, on the edges of their empire, the Sasanians constructed frontiers of various forms. For military purposes, yes. But also for economic and political purposes as will be explained.In this podcast, we’re going to look at some of these Sasanian frontiers. From a dominating fort a ‘top an alpine gorge in the Caucusus to a barrier that makes Hadrian’s Wall pale in comparison. To talk through this incredible topic, I was delighted to be joined by Dr Eve MacDonald from the University of Cardiff. Alongside her research on the Sasanian Empire and its frontiers, Eve has also done work surrounding the ancient history of Carthage and of North Africa. She is the author of ‘Hannibal: A Hellenistic Life’. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Psalm 119 as an extended meditation on the Torah. Scorpion locusts from the abyss and four angels unbound at the River Euphrates. If you are interested in supporting this project, please consider supporting my work on Patreon (https://www.patreon.com/zugzwanged), using my PayPal account (https://bit.ly/2RLaUcB), or buying books for my research on Amazon (https://www.amazon.co.uk/hz/wishlist/ls/36WVSWCK4X33O?ref_=wl_share). You can also listen to the audio of these episodes on iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/gb/podcast/alastairs-adversaria/id1416351035?mt=2.

Who are the four angels bound at the River Euphrates? We discuss some thoughts, including possible evidence from a site in northeast Syria called Tell Halaf. The Euphrates was considered a boundary between the netherworld and the land of the living, and Tell Halaf was on the Khabur River—Mesopotamia's equivalent of the River Styx.

Who are the four angels bound at the River Euphrates? We discuss some theories, including possible evidence from a site in northeast Syria called Tell Halaf. The Euphrates was considered a boundary between the netherworld and the land of the living, and Tell Halaf was on the Khabur River—Mesopotamia’s equivalent of the River Styx. See every new episode at our website, www.UnravelingRevelation.tv!

It's Remfry's pick for the Classic Albums series and we're back to doubles due to lockdown, so Remfry's decided to cover alt. rock Gods Pixies. The Boston indie legends recorded Surfer Rosa in November 1987, just 11 months after Black Francis and Joey Santiago dropped out of the University of Massachusetts, Amherst to form the band. Bone Machine, River Euphrates, Gigantic and Where is my Mind? are all still beloved songs from the band's back catalogue. Steve and Remfry dive into the making of the record and the band's tumultuous relationship with producer Steve Albini. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

n Genesis God said to Abraham "To your descendants I have given this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the River Euphrates." In Joshua we read that the promise was fulfilled, yet they didn't go as far as the River Euphrates. Is the Promised Land different from the land given? This just might be a more interesting question than it seems on the surface!

n Genesis God said to Abraham "To your descendants I have given this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the River Euphrates." In Joshua we read that the promise was fulfilled, yet they didn't go as far as the River Euphrates. Is the Promised Land different from the land given? This just might be a more interesting question than it seems on the surface!

We see here the supernatural torments that our brain cannot conceptualize. How do you think a Holy God looks to all that? He says, ENOUGH! But thank God, He'll replace it with something better. In chapter 9, The 5th trumpet is blown, the 1st woe is released on earth. John sees a star being given, a key to the bottomless pit. The 6th trumpet is blown, the release of 4 angels bound up in River Euphrates & horrendous release of 200M army troops. In chapter 10, we see an interesting break. John says a mighty angel came out from heaven having a rainbow about him & was holding a little scroll. I hope when you study Revelation, don't get in too much speculation of too many things, but get the idea of who God is. A merciful God! Despite people refusing to repent, for a long time, He refuses to give up, pleading to them to return to Him. As Christians we dream, even so, come quickly, Lord Jesus.

After these things the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision, saying, “Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your exceedingly great reward.”2 But Abram said, “Lord God, what will You give me, seeing I go childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?” 3 Then Abram said, “Look, You have given me no offspring; indeed one born in my house is my heir!”4 And behold, the word of the Lord came to him, saying, “This one shall not be your heir, but one who will come from your own body shall be your heir.” 5 Then He brought him outside and said, “Look now toward heaven, and count the stars if you are able to number them.” And He said to him, “So shall your descendants be.”6 And he believed in the Lord, and He accounted it to him for righteousness.7 Then He said to him, “I am the Lord, who brought you out of Ur of the Chaldeans, to give you this land to inherit it.”8 And he said, “Lord God, how shall I know that I will inherit it?”9 So He said to him, “Bring Me a three-year-old heifer, a three-year-old female goat, a three-year-old ram, a turtledove, and a young pigeon.” 10 Then he brought all these to Him and cut them in two, down the middle, and placed each piece opposite the other; but he did not cut the birds in two. 11 And when the vultures came down on the carcasses, Abram drove them away.12 Now when the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell upon Abram; and behold, horror and great darkness fell upon him. 13 Then He said to Abram: “Know certainly that your descendants will be strangers in a land that is not theirs, and will serve them, and they will afflict them four hundred years. 14 And also the nation whom they serve I will judge; afterward they shall come out with great possessions. 15 Now as for you, you shall go to your fathers in peace; you shall be buried at a good old age. 16 But in the fourth generation they shall return here, for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet complete.”17 And it came to pass, when the sun went down and it was dark, that behold, there appeared a smoking oven and a burning torch that passed between those pieces. 18 On the same day the Lord made a covenant with Abram, saying:“To your descendants I have given this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the River Euphrates— 19 the Kenites, the Kenezzites, the Kadmonites, 20 the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Rephaim, 21 the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Girgashites, and the Jebusites.”

Loose the four heavenly angels which are bound in the great River Euphrates. 2 possibilities: 1. These are the Cherubim’s who guard the way back to the tree of life: Gen. 3.24 - Cherubim’s with flaming swords. 2. 2 Pet 2:4 For if Elohim spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment. Could there be four angelic beings bound? Iraq, Afghanistan and the reset!

2018-06-16 The Wars Are Started In And Around The Great River Euphrates. They Will End In Nuclear War In This Nuclear Generation.

2018-06-16 The Wars Are Started In And Around The Great River Euphrates. They Will End In Nuclear War In This Nuclear Generation.

2018-06-16 The Wars Are Started In And Around The Great River Euphrates. They Will End In Nuclear War In This Nuclear Generation.

RAGGED EDGE RADIO BROADCAST WORLDWIDE DECEMBER 16TH To the 20th POWERFUL PRAYING THAT TARGETS SATANIC DEMONIC WORKS & ACTIVITY ……to the land that I am giving to the children of Israel. 3 I have given you every place that the sole of your foot shall tread, as I said to Moses. 4 From the wilderness and this Lebanon, as far as the great river, the River Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites, and to the Mediterranean Sea toward the setting of the sun will be your territory. 5 No man will be able to stand against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, I will be with you. I will not abandon you. I will not leave you. 6 “Be strong and courageous, for you shall provide the land that I swore to their fathers to give them as an inheritance for this people. 7 Be strong and very courageous, in order to act carefully in accordance with all the law that My servant Moses commanded you. Do not turn aside from it to the right or the left, so that you may succeed wherever you go. 8 This Book of the Law must not depart from your mouth. Meditate on it day and night so that you may act carefully according to all that is LIVE NOTES PDF WWW.THERAGGEDEDGERADIO.COM © Russ Dizdar written in it. For then you will make your way successful, and you will be wise. 9 Have not I commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1 Breakdown Intro- C. TRIUMPH OVER CHARGED PLACES 1. Where the demons operate 2. Doorways and legal rights 3. Ancient, current and coming demonize places 4. Discerning it 5. Commanding and rebuking the demonic 6. Purifying the land/cleansin

Have you ever made one too many mistakes. You know, you get to a point where you think, That's it! God must be done with me? Well, Abraham was a man of faith who made plenty of mistakes along the way. Yet God seemed to overlook, even to compensate for them. Why was that?   Life Changing Moments As we travel through life we all kind of experience these moments and often they are seemingly insignificant events that in fact, turn out to change the whole course of our lives. It's amazing when you think about it! We all have a plan for our lives but there are things just around the next corner or just over the next rise that can change everything – good things and bad things, happy things and sad things. Some people think, “Well, it's all a matter of chance." Well, I don't believe in chance. I remember a brochure that changed my life. I was attending a little church – I had not long become a Christian and it was a Sunday service like every other Sunday. At the end of the service I walked to the back of the little church and I saw a brochure for a particular Bible College, Tabor College in Sydney. It wasn't a particularly attractive brochure or a well designed brochure – I picked it up and that was a defining moment – I took it home, I read about this ministry degree, I prayed and I felt this incredibly strong tug in my heart. Now in my mind I am thinking, "There's no way. You know Berni, you have been a Christian for five minutes" but in my heart I knew. So I rang them, I applied, I went to see the Principal, I felt like such a fraud. "They are never going to accept me." They did! And there I learned so much but also, by chance again, I came into contact with my predecessor in this ministry; the former CEO of Christianityworks and one thing led to another. And today I'm doing what I am doing because I picked up that little brochure at the back of the church. Now I had no idea that morning that something would happen that would change the course of my life. This week we are starting a new series on Christianityworks, it's called “Defining Moments”. It's really exciting! I want to look at this from a different perspective; from God's perspective. See when we look back on our lives most of us can pick three or four, maybe half a dozen defining moments – those little things that seemed to change the whole course of our lives. Now, sure we can see them from our natural human perspective – after all, we are people; we're human, but if we do that I think we miss the point. I want to look at some defining moments in the lives of four people in the Bible – Abraham, Joseph, David and Josiah over the next four weeks and we are starting today with Abraham. I want to see if we can discover how God reaches into our lives with miracles - great and small to define the very course of our lives because God does have a plan. Psalm 139, verse 16, says: Your eyes beheld my unformed substance. In Your book were written all the days that were formed for me when none of them as yet existed. And when we at least expect it, and even despite what you and I do or fail to do, His plan is worked out through His grace for His glory. God brings those defining moments. Let's start with Abraham - the man with whom God's engagement of His chosen people began. He was living comfortably in a place called Ur, east of Israel – of course Israel didn't exist back then. Ur was the land of the Chaldeans, later it was called Babylon – it's just south of modern day Baghdad. And he travelled with his father up to Haran and then God called him to leave his comfort and follow this really crazy, absolutely incredulous promise. Let's pick it up – if you have got a Bible, grab it; open it up at Genesis chapter 12. We are going to look at the story of Abraham – it's too much to look at it all in one programme but we are going to have a look at part of his story. Genesis chapter 12, beginning at verse 1: Now the Lord said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father's house to the land that I will show you. I will make of you a great nation. I will bless you and make your name great so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you and the one who curses you I will curse. And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed. So Abram when as the Lord had told him and Lot when with him. Abram was seventy five years old when he departed form Haran.” Seventy five years old! “He and Sarai his wife and they were childless." You see, you have to remember, in the Old Testament, blessing; God's blessing, you knew you had it when you had lots of land and lots of children. They had neither, so they didn't have God's blessing on their lives. Now the word "Abram" means "exalted father". So even his name was a joke, but still he went, off into the never never, based on what – some intangible, crazy call from God? Remember Abram had no Bible; he had no Scriptures to reveal who God was. He had no church tradition, or Jewish tradition – nothing like that. All the other nations had their gods; idols – they worshipped them, they believed all sorts of weird and wonderful things but Abram put his faith; he put his whole life and all his possessions in this God who came up with this incredulous promise. How did God say this to Abram - through an audible voice, a dream, a vision, a whisper of the Spirit in his heart? We don't know but he just heard the call and he trusted in the promises of God and off he went, into the blue yonder. Now God's plan A, remember, is to bless Abram with land and children – impossible of course! Oozes fantasy, not faith – could never happen. And then begins Abram's comedy of errors – pretty tragic actually. We don't have time to look at them all today but we are going to look at some of them. It's a journey where Abram and Sarai his wife, made plenty of mistakes along the way. Take Lot for instance, his nephew – if you look at Genesis chapter 12 again, did God tell Abram to take Lot with him? Not at all – it was Abram's idea. No doubt, this was plan B for Abram. "Well, if God doesn't come through on this promise of a son, at least I'll have a relative to be my heir" and Lot…..Lot causes him all sorts of grief. Let's have a look – Genesis chapter 13, verse 5: Now Lot who went with Abram, also had flocks and herds and tents so that the land couldn't support both of them living together, for their possessions were so great that they could not live together. And there was strife between the herders of Abram's stock and the herders of Lot's stock. At that time the Canaanites and the Perizzites lived in the land. Then Abram said to Lot, “Let there be no strife between you and me – between your herders and my herders for we are kindred. Is not the whole land before you? Separate yourself from me. If you take the left hand, then I'll go to the right; of you take the right hand, then I will go to the left.” Lot looked about him and saw the plain of the Jordan that was well watered everywhere like this garden of the Lord; like the land of Egypt, in the direction of Zoar - this was before the Lord had destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah. So Lot chose for himself all the plain of Jordan and Lot eastward thus he separated from Abram. Gee, plan B worked really well for Abram didn't it? Obviously God didn't know what He was promising Abram and needed a back up! And look how it turned out! Strife, separation and then Abram gave away the best half of the Promised Land. And if you read on in chapter 14, Abram risks his life and God's plan because he has to fight a battle to save Lot's life. Lot was not part of plan A and in chapter 19 of Genesis (we won't go there for now for time reasons) but he ends up sleeping with his own daughters and fathers the Moabites and the Ammonites; both nations that became enemies of Israel. Huh – well done Abram! God obviously needed your help!!   Who Can Blame Him? Well, who can blame Abram? He is in his late seventies now on a journey to nowhere and Sarai is no spring chicken either, I have to tell you. And God gives him this utterly incongruous, impossible promise and Abram is aching inside. "God, what are You doing?"  Can you relate to that? I can! Let's have a look at the defining moment in Abram's journey. It begins in Genesis chapter 15, verse 1: After these things the Word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision: “Don't be afraid, Abram, I am your shield. Your reward shall be very great.” But Abram said, “Lord God, what will You give me for I continue childless and the heir of my house is Eliezer, son of Damascus?” And Abram said, “You have given me no offspring and so a slave born in my house is to be my heir.” But the Word of the Lord came to him, “This man shall not be your heir. No one but a son coming from your very own body shall be your heir.” God brought him outside and said, “Look toward the heaven and count the stars, if you are able to count them.” Then the Lord said to him, “So shall your descendants be!” And Abram believed the Lord and the Lord reckoned it to him as righteousness. I reckon this is one of the most beautiful passages in the Bible. Is Abram a man of faith? Absolutely! But he is struggling – he has tried everything he can do in his own strength and he can't make this promise from God happen and time is marching on. So through his doubt, he ends up with plan C or D or whatever he is up to. How does God respond – with rebuke, with punishment, with discipline? God brought him outside and said, “Look toward the heaven and count the start, if you are able to count them.” Then God said “So will your descendants be! Isn't it beautiful? You know, the Milky Way when you get away from the smog and the lights of the city is just the most awesome thing – there are so many stars out there – it almost looks like clouds. Trillions of stars – this is the love of God! And he believed the Lord and the Lord reckoned it to him as righteousness. Abram's faith meant that God's righteousness became part of who he was. It's a theme the Apostle Paul picks up in Romans chapter 4 and in Galatians chapter 3 in the New Testament, much later. See I struggle with the rose coloured glasses that Paul and others in the New Testament use to look back on Abraham. They paint him as this paragon of virtue; this great man of faith. Hebrews chapter 11, beginning at verse 8: By faith Abraham, when he was called to go to a place he would later receive as an inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he didn't know where he was going. By faith he made his home in the Promised Land like a stranger in a foreign country, for he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God. By faith Abraham, even though he was past age and Sarah herself was barren, was enabled to become a father. That's great but what about all of Abraham blunders? What about his lack of faith? He goes to God and says to God, "What will You give me? What will You show me? I can't see it – I'm losing hope." See, Abraham was human – Abraham had human failures and he made mistakes just like you and me - but the answer is in what we just read in Genesis. How is it that despite all of Abraham's blunders and doubts, God's plan still came to fruition? Because Abraham: “believed the Lord and the Lord reckoned it to him as righteousness.” Abraham believed – he didn't do it perfectly – but he believed and this was counted by God as righteousness. The righteousness of God when we believe, He forgives our sins – He forgets them. “As far as the east is from the west, so far does He remove our transgressions from us.” You see, that's why in the New Testament it doesn't talk about Abraham's mistakes because God has forgiven them and they are not relevant. That's how God deals with Abraham's human failings. This is the defining moment in Abraham's journey: he believed the Lord and the Lord reckoned it to him as righteousness. This night that was like any other; he was in his tent; he was struggling; he was praying; he was saying, ‘God, what are you doing?' And God just touches him and brings him outside and says, “Look up at the stars; as many as are there so numerous will be your descendants.” It's not about what Abraham did or didn't do. The defining moment is about God's grace! And come and look with me exactly how imperfectly Abraham believed. Come and see with me how human and frail his faith actually is. He is credited with righteousness – God speaks to him and right on the back of that, just two verses later, in Genesis chapter 15, verse 8, begins this: But he said “O Lord, God, how am I to know I shall possess it?” And God said to him, “Bring Me a heifer three years old, a female goat three years old, a ram three years old, a turtle dove and a young pigeon.” He brought God all those things and cut them in two, laying each half over against the other but he did not cut the birds in two. And when the birds of prey came down on the carcasses, Abraham drove them away. As the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell upon Abraham and a deep and terrifying darkness descended upon him. Then the Lord said to Abraham, “Know this for certain that your offspring shall be aliens in a land that is not theirs and they shall be slaves there and they shall be oppressed there for four hundred years but I will bring judgement on the nation that they serve and afterward they shall come out with great possessions. As for you yourself, you shall go with your ancestors in peace and you shall be buried in a good old age. And they shall come back here in the fourth generation for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet complete.” When the sun had gone down and it was dark, and a smoking fire pot and a flaming torch passed between these pieces. On that day (listen to this) On that day the Lord made a covenant with Abraham, saying, “To your descendants I give this land – from the river of Egypt to the great river, the River Euphrates and the land of the Kenites and the Kenizzites and the Kadmonites and the Hittites and the Perizzites and the Raphaim and the Amorites and the Canaanites and the Girgashites and the Jebusites.” See, in the face of further doubt from Abraham, God gives him this vision and he makes an unbreakable promise; a covenant; a promise from God Himself to Abraham.   The Last Laugh Just as well, this covenant from God was an unbreakable promise because what happens next, after the stars thing and the vision and the promise, would have been the final straw for me if I had been God. Have a look at the next Now Sarai, Abram's wife, bore him no children. She had an Egyptian slave girl whose name was Hagar and Sarai said to Abram, “You see the Lord has prevented me from bearing children. Go into my slave girl; it may be that I shall obtain children by her.” Abram listened to the voice of his wife Sarai, so after Abram had lived ten years in the land of Canaan, Sarai Abram's wife took Hagar the Egyptian; her slave girl and gave her to her husband Abraham as a wife. He went into Hagar and she conceived and when she saw that she had conceived, she looked with contempt on her mistress. Then Sarai said to Abram, “May the wrong done to me be on you. I gave my slave girl to you to embrace and when she saw that she had conceived, she looked on me with contempt. May the Lord judge between you and me.” Ok, men had more than one wife in those days but people haven't changed that much. Wives, how happy would you be with this outcome? Your husband sleeping with a slave girl and then all of a sudden the slave girl is pregnant. Can you see how perverted this is? And the son that Hagar bore was Ishmail and he became the father of the Arab world! Gee, that worked out brilliantly, didn't it? And so Abram, left to his own devices would have lurched from one blunder to the next but now the bit that really gets me about this story, is the ending. Both Abram and Sarai get to the point – I mean this has been going on for years now; decades where they just end up laughing at God's promises. I mean they are so ridiculous; they are so impossible – have a look – Abram first in Genesis chapter 17, verse 15: God said to Abram, “As for Sarai your wife, you shall not call her Sarai anymore but Sarah shall be her name. I will bless her and moreover I will give you a son by her. I will bless her and she will give rise to nations; kings of peoples shall come from her.” Then Abraham fell on his face and laughed and said to himself, “Can a child be born to a man who is a hundred years old? Can Sarah who is ninety years old bear a child?” And Abraham said to God, “O that Ishmail might live in Your sight.” And God said, “No, but your wife Sarah shall bear you a son and you shall name him Isaac. I will establish My covenant with him as an everlasting covenant for his offspring after him.” And then Sarah's turn next! God appears to Abraham in the form of three men and those men said to him, “Where is your wife Sarah?” And he said, “There, in the tent.” Then one of them said, “I will surely return to you in due season and your wife Sarah shall have a son.” And Sarah was listening at the tent entrance, behind them. Now Abraham and Sarah, they were old and advanced in age; it had ceased to be with Sarah after the manner of women. So Sarah laughed to herself, “After I have grown old and my husband is old, shall I have the pleasure?” See, can you blame Abraham and Sarah for laughing at God? I mean if you don't laugh you will cry. It has been twenty five years – they headed away on this fool's errand into the blue yonder. Abraham is over a hundred – Sarah is over ninety – come on God, what do You think You are doing? But let's see how it ends! Genesis chapter 21: The Lord dealt with Sarah just as He had said and the Lord did for Sarah as He had promised. Sarah conceived and bore Abraham a son in his old age, at the time of which God had spoken. Abraham gave the name Isaac to his son whom Sarah had borne. Do you know what the word "Isaac" means? It means "he laughs" – you see God had the last laugh! They both laughed at God's promises and God gives them a son called Isaac and God has the last laugh! It's the laughter of God's grace. And when you look back on this journey, what was the defining moment? See, what you and I want to look at is say: "What do I have to do….what do I have to do? What do I have to do to get God's favour?" Isn't that what we are always thinking? And you look at all of Abraham's blunders and you see all the mistakes he made but in his heart he believed and it was reckoned unto him by God as righteousness. His faith trumped his failures! Let me say that again ... Abraham's faith trumped his failures! People came to Jesus years later and they said, “What must we do to perform the works of God?” And Jesus answered them, “This is the work of God: that you believe in the One whom He has sent.” Do you get it? The defining moment for Abraham was God's gracious, loving, powerful, impossible, unbreakable, ridiculous, only God could ever do it, take it forever….promise. And in his heart Abraham believed. That's the bit that God saw and took and used and blessed Abraham through. That's why the New Testament writers can completely ignore the failures of Abraham because God….God had forgotten them a long time ago. God had decided to overlook them a long time ago. Abraham was not a perfect man – Abraham was human just like you and me. You make blunders in your life; I make blunders in my life. What does God look at? He looks at whether we put our trust in Him through Jesus Christ. God not only forgave Abraham and Sarah but He cleaned up their mess along the way so that His plan would be fulfilled and realised for His glory. Look again at the defining moment in Abraham's life…Genesis chapter 15, verses 5 and 6: God brought Abraham outside and said, “Look up toward the heaven. Count the stars if you are able to count them.” Then God said to him, “So shall your descendants be. And Abraham believed the Lord and the Lord reckoned it to him as righteousness. What do I have to do to do the works of God? To believe in the One whom He sent; His Son, Jesus Christ!

There are all sorts of things in this world that cause stress. I've heard so many ridiculous ways of relieving stress: have a cup of tea, take a hot shower. OK so they might relieve the symptoms for a short while but what we need are some powerful solutions to the root causes of our stress.   Trust in the LORD When you Google stress relief, mostly what you discover is relaxation techniques. Take a hot bath. Watch some television to get your mind off things. Spend more time with friends. Some will even tell you to go and practise yoga and meditation. Play stress relief games. Identify your stress responses and manage them. Well, it all sounds great, but here's the problem I have with all of those things. They're a bit like taking an aspirin for a headache. They may alleviate the symptoms for a short while, but they don't solve the problem by treating the cause. If your headache is caused by a brain tumour, hey; aspirin just ain't going to do it. You need something that goes to the root cause. The same is true with stress and anxiety. You know, a mistake we make when we think about the root cause of our stress is we imagine that the root cause is that thing out there somewhere that's causing us stress. It's that difficult person; it's that difficult relationship; it's the fact that I'm struggling with my finances or I've had a bad medical diagnosis from the doctor. It's that thing out there that's causing me the stress. If I can get rid of that, then I won't have any more stress in my life. That's our rationale. That's what we think, but stress is our response to a situation. Stress is something we do to ourselves. Of course, sometimes scary things happen. Someone we love dies, and the process of grieving is stressful. We lose our job, and the process of dealing with our finances can be stressful, but a lot of what we stress out about is totally manageable, except for the fact that we're stressing out over it. Stress, anxiety, fear ... Those things immobilise us. They stop us from doing the things we need to do to deal with the situation, so when I'm talking about dealing with the root cause of stress, I'm actually talking about dealing with whatever's going on inside you that's causing the stress response, because each and every day of your life and mine pretty much is going to bring along circumstances and situations and people and stuff that have the potential to cause us stress. It's one thing to have an initial response of fear or shock when something potentially stressful comes our way; it's another thing entirely to spend the rest of the week, the rest of the year, the rest of your life, stressing out about it. So let me share my number one, numero uno, stress buster with you right now. Trust in the LORD your God. I know it sounds like a cop-out; it sounds like a platitude, but in a moment, I'm going to tell you why it's the one solution that decisively deals with stress. Proverbs 3:5-6: Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will direct your paths. The thing that causes us stress by and large is when something that has the potential to negatively impact our lives is completely outside our control. Would you agree? The doctor tells you that she's detected a tumour on your scan, but she doesn't know yet whether it's malignant or benign, or whether they're going to be able to operate on it and get it all out. So much is out of your control in that scenario, and your very life hangs in the balance. Stress! Now bring God into the picture. There are three key facts that I want you to note about God in this stressful scenario: Here's the first one. He loves you beyond measure. In fact, He loves you so much that He sent His only begotten Son to die and to pay for your sins, to give you eternal life, so there's absolutely no question about how much He loves you. Secondly, nothing escapes Him. He never fails to notice what you're going through. If He knows exactly how many hairs you have on your head, and He does because the Bible tells us that, then He surely knows what you're going through, and the third thing is that nothing is outside His control. If He created the universe, friend, He has the power to deal with anything and everything that's going on in your life. Now, you put those three facts together and what you have is a compassionate, loving God who completely understands, and who has just the right plan for your life. He knows what to do, when to do it, and how to get it done, and He will do it. The Bible has a name for that: It's called faithfulness. The writer of the book of Lamentations was looking over the destruction and the devastation after the Babylonians had completely and utterly destroyed Jerusalem, and taken God's chosen people into captivity as slaves. He pours his heart out, which is why the book is called Lamentations, but then despite what he sees, despite the devastation and the pain and the stress that he feels in his heart, he comes to this conclusion. Lamentations 3:22-24: The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; His mercies never come to an end. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness. The LORD is my Portion, says my soul; therefore I will hope in Him. My friend, no matter what you're going through at the moment, no matter what lies ahead, no matter what the devastation and the ruin that your eye can see, your God is faithful; and when you put your trust in Him, all of a sudden, the stress goes away because He can and will act to make sure that His steadfast love plays itself out in your life. Look. Each one of us is going to die sooner or later, and along the way, each one of us is going to have financial problems, health problems, relationship problems, inadequacies, insecurities ... There are more than enough in each week to get you and me to stress ourselves into an early grave. Listen. Proverbs 3:5-6: Trust in the LORD with all your heart. Lean not on your own understanding, but in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will direct your paths. Let me tell you, no amount of relaxation techniques – yoga, TV, dinner with friends, hot showers, hot cups of tea – none of that stuff is going to come anywhere close to the impact of trusting your God with all your heart. He knows what to do; He has the power to do it; He loves you so much. Ok, we are going to die one day. That's part of His plan, but in the meantime, friend, He loves you so much. Whatever you're going through, He's in that place with you, and He is worthy of your trust.   Develop a Quiet Confidence We kind of stress out about our kids and our jobs and how we look and what other people think. We stress out about tomorrow. What will that bring? We stress out about ... Well, we stress out about just about anything or everything. Let me ask you this. What are you stressed over right now? What's the thorn in your side that keeps on making you worry about this or that? Pretty much everybody can name at least two or three things that are causing them to stress out right at the moment. Jesus hit the nail on the head when He asked this rhetorical question. Luke 6:27: Can any of you by worrying add a single hour to the span of your life? Well, that's pretty much it. That right there just shows us how utterly useless worry and stress are. They don't achieve anything positive. In fact, quite the opposite is true. Stress and worry often immobilise us from doing the things that we can and need to do to deal with that situation that's causing us the pressure and the stress in the first place. We just kind of sit there on the sofa worrying about it, when getting up and doing A or B would actually reduce the risk or fix the problem altogether. Now you can call me crazy; plenty of people do ... Call me crazy, but let me throw this out there for you to think about. This is absolutely no way for you to live your life, or for me to live my life. Would you agree? I mean, being stressed all the time is totally nuts. It doesn't make sense. It doesn't achieve anything good, and yet countless people are caught up in chronic, repetitive, day-after-day, lifelong stress, and for what? So let me ask you, what if you could replace that with a quiet confidence? Not some false bravado; just a quiet sense of confidence on the inside that you know it's going to be fine. What if that were the overriding mind-set in your life, in place of the person who worries and stresses about everything? Would it be a worthwhile thing to achieve? Well, that's what I'm aiming for in your life today, not because I happen to be particularly smart or insightful or brilliant; I'm none of those things, but because the Word of God has the power to transform your life completely and utterly. If only you will receive this mighty, powerful Word of God in your heart today, your life can be utterly transformed. Yeah, I know what you're thinking. ‘This guy hasn't a clue what I'm going through. How can he possibly say that?' And in part you are right; I absolutely don't have a clue, but God does. I don't have the wisdom, but God does. I don't have the power to transform your heart and your mind and your thoughts and your emotions or your life, but God does. Have a listen to this. It's about a guy called Joshua. For the last forty or so years, he's been playing second fiddle to a guy called Moses, leading God's people (probably over a million of them) through the wilderness: Relying on God for food, and for water, and for protection every step of the way. Moses (the leader) has just died, just at the point when they're about to cross over the Jordan river into the land that God's promised them; just at the point where they have to gear up for battle after battle because the promised land is full of other tribes and nations, and they're going to have to take it by force. Just at that point Moses, the proven, trusted, experienced, wise leader ups and dies, and Joshua is put in charge. Stress? Absolutely! Stress with a capital ‘S”. This is life and death stress. If you put yourself in Joshua's shoes, man, you'd really be stressing. Right? Well he must have been, because this is what God says to Joshua right at this point in his life. Joshua 1:1: After the death of Moses the servant of the LORD, the LORD spoke to Joshua son of Nun, Moses' assistant, saying, ‘My servant Moses is dead. Now proceed to cross the Jordan, you and all this people, into the land that I'm giving to them – to the Israelites. Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon, I have given to you, as I promised to Moses. From the wilderness of Lebanon as far as the Great River, the River Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites and to the Great Sea in the west shall be your territory. No one shall be able to stand against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not fail you or forsake you. Be strong and courageous, for you shall put this people in possession of the land that I swore to their ancestors to give them; only be strong and very courageous, being careful to act in accordance with the Law that my servant Moses commanded you. Do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, so that you may be successful wherever you go. This Book of the Law shall not depart out of your mouth; you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to act in accordance with all that is written in it, for then you shall make your way prosperous, and then you shall be successful. I hereby command you: Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened or dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.' No less than three times, God says to Joshua: ‘Be strong and courageous', and one of those times he says, ‘Be strong and very courageous'. Why? Because God has a plan. God is in this, and God will see His plan through, despite the overwhelming odds, despite the impossibility of the task. It's about God and who He is, not the enemy and who they are. Let me say it again: It's about God and who He is, not the enemy and who they are, and the foundation of Joshua's confidence is to be what? God's Word. "Stay in My Word; think about it; meditate on it day and night, so that it doesn't depart from you." As you read on through this book of Joshua, you see that under his leadership, Israel faced many, many life and death, stressful situations, but God called him to do it with confidence. You know, sometimes, our confidence is misplaced. We put our confidence in our strengths and abilities; we put our confidence in money or other people, but won't place our confidence in God. When He's the One we look to and we trust, lean on and co-operate with, then that confidence – my friend, it's never misplaced. Hey, listen. Without faith it's impossible to please God. God wants us to put our trust in Him during those difficult, stressful, dangerous, scary situations. That's the whole point! We develop this quiet confidence as we experience His faithfulness, and that's what carries us through.   Pray the Prayer of Peace Listen. You and I are going to find ourselves in stressful situations from time to time; we just are. It's par for the course. In a very real sense, it's kind of what's meant to happen, and for anyone in a stressful situation right now, my prayer is that just knowing that gives you some comfort. We all end up there from time to time. The question now is, what do we do about it? How are we going to respond in this moment of crisis? Well, if you're anything like me, you've been taught that the right thing to do is to put your faith in God. That's exactly what we've been chatting about on the program so far in this series of messages. Proverbs 3:5-6: Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will direct your paths. And the other one that we looked at earlier, Lamentations 3:22-24: The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; His mercies never come to an end. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness. The LORD is my Portion, says my soul; therefore I will hope in Him. And what did He say to Joshua? Joshua 1:5-7: As I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not fail you nor forsake you. Be strong; be courageous, for you shall put this people in possession of the land that I swore to their ancestors to give them. Only be strong and very courageous. You see, each of those Scriptures that we've been looking at point us in absolutely the right direction, without a doubt, but anybody who's been in a deeply stressful situation, and particularly anyone who's there right now in that stressful situation, is sitting there thinking: ‘Well, look, that's all fantastic and nice, Berni. I know those Scriptures too, but how do I do that? How do I put my trust in God? How can I be strong and courageous when I feel so weak and helpless?' And unless you get the answers to those questions, then the Scriptures we just read and plenty more of them to boot, they're just going to make you feel more and more condemned – more and more like you're failing God, because you can't conjure up that trust and that faith and that strength. Am I right? So right now, we're going to get the answers to those questions and not from me, but from God because He always has the answers. God knows how you and I can lay hold of that courage and confidence in God, because He loves us. He tells us very clearly, very plainly in His Word how to do that, and to be honest, in my walk with the Lord over the past ... mmm ... almost twenty years, this has probably been the most important how-to that I have ever learnt. Are you ready? Here we go. Stress buster number three. It comes from Philippians 4:6-7: Do not worry about anything, but in everything, by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. This is a very plain piece of Scripture. There are not a lot of hidden meanings there, but you'd be amazed, amazed at how easily we skate over the surface of it and completely miss the point. I think I may have told this story once before on the program a few years back, so if you've heard it, just get over it (I'm just kidding). I was sitting in a Bible-study with a bunch of people who'd been Christians for many years, much longer than I had. We were studying this particular passage in Philippians 4. It was interesting; people hedged around – this, that; yeah, we all worry ... The discussion went on for ten or fifteen minutes and at the end of it, the Bible-study group-leader summarised it along these lines: ‘Well, yeah. God wants us to have peace but still, we're just going to worry, aren't we?' The crazy thing was that everyone seemed to nod in agreement with him and we were about to move on. Well, I don't know; I was only the new kid on the block, but I couldn't help myself. I kind of let out this loud, agitated, ‘No!' I don't think anyone had ever heard that before because there was stunned silence and all the eyeballs were on me, and I think my wife wished that the floor would swallow us both up, so I went at it with both barrels. I said, ‘Look at what this says. It's a promise from God through the apostle Paul, who (by the way) was sitting on death row in a dungeon when he wrote this thing.' God's saying, ‘Look. Instead of worrying, pray. The time that you would have spent worrying and stressing out about this stuff, take that time and spend it differently. Take that time that you would have spent stressing, and pray instead'. Thank God. Let Him know your problems and your needs and your requests, right there in the stressful situation that you find yourself in, and when you do that, says God through Paul, here's the promise bit: The peace of God which surpasses all understanding. There's this peace that in this situation, in this circumstance, simply doesn't make any worldly sense. That peace will not just fill your heart; it'll guard your heart and your mind in Christ. Now, think of the power of that. When worry comes along, when stress comes along and hits you, when it attacks you, when it knocks on the door of your heart and your mind, God's peace in Christ Jesus will be standing as a mighty, powerful, God-given sentinel to the door of your heart and mind. God's peace in Christ will guard your heart and your mind, and the impact of that: Think of a fortress being guarded by a mighty army. The opposing army simply can't get in, and so in this case, the worry and the stress just won't be able to get in because God's peace will keep it out. Hey, that's God's promise here, so let me ask you this: Do you believe God's Word or not? Do you believe that this is God's promise to you, or not? It's one way or the other. I don't know if they got it, these people in this home group that we were talking about, but I'm praying that you get it. The way that we appropriate the peace of God, the way that we lay hold of it, the way that we grab it with both hands and hang onto it, is by praying to God with a thankful heart, and pouring out our feelings and our needs on God. Let me tell you something. If you're in a stressful situation and you take this one promise, just this one Scripture (two verses) and start living it out by making it a habit to get away alone with God and pray and spend time with Him and pour your heart out and give Him thanks, I guarantee you that the peace of God which surpasses all understanding will become the sentinel of your heart and your mind and your life. There's your stress buster. There's your peace, and remember, it's a peace that given your circumstances, you really shouldn't be able to feel. You shouldn't be able to have. It's a peace that in the face of this stressful situation simply doesn't make sense. That's why Paul calls it the peace which surpasses all understanding, but you know what? It doesn't have to make sense, because peace is peace, and God's peace is God's peace, and I will take that in place of the world's stress any day. How about you?

After Moses, the servant of the Lord, had died, the Lord spoke to Nun’s son Joshua, announcing to him, “My servant Moses is dead. Now get ready to cross the Jordan River—you and all the people—to the land that I’m giving the Israelis. I’m giving you every place where the sole of your foot falls, just as I promised Moses. Your territorial border will extend from the wilderness to the Lebanon Mountains, to the river—that great River Euphrates—all the land of the Hittites—as far as the Mediterranean Sea where the sun sets. No one will be victorious against you for the rest of your life. I’ll be with you just like I was with Moses—I’ll neither fail you nor abandon you…[Joshua 1:1-9]

THE LIFE BATTLES OF JOSHUA Bible Study Verses: Joshua 1, Exodus, Matthew 14.29. “Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given you, as I said to Moses. From the wilderness and this Lebanon as far as the great river, the River Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites, and to the Great Sea toward the going down of the sun, shall be your territory. No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life; as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you nor forsake you. Be strong and of good courage” Joshua 1.3 NKJV "[The natural life] knows that if the spiritual life gets hold of it, all its self-centeredness and self-will are going to be killed and it is ready to fight tooth and nail to avoid that.” C.S.Lewis What were five issues that Joshua faced in his battle to receive his inheritance of the promised land? Was Joshua defeated by the strongest opponents? Who betrayed Joshua? How does the Christian deal with being betrayed after being filled with so much hope? What happened when Joshua relied on his eyes and not on consulting Our Creator concerning battle plans? How was Joshua going to fulfill the goals of his mentor Moses? What happens when Christians do not step out in faith to enlarge their territory? What is the strategy of dedication and covenant renewal? How does a Christian hear clear instruction from Our Creator, The Lord Christ Jesus, concerning the battles in our life? Pastor Otuno expounds on this and much more on the exciting journey of Fresh Encounter Radio Podcast originally aired on May 18th, 2019 on WNQM, Nashville Quality Ministries and WWCR World Wide Christian Radio broadcast to all 7-continents on this big beautiful blue marble, earth, floating through space. Please be prayerful before studying The Word of God so that you will receive the most inspiration possible. GOT 190518 Episode #69 COVER ART CREDIT: Photo by Christopher Sardegna, art direction by gil on his mac. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Genesis 15:7-217 God continued, “I’m the same God who brought you from Ur of the Chaldees and gave you this land to own.”8 Abram said, “Master God, how am I to know this, that it will all be mine?”9 God said, “Bring me a heifer, a goat, and a ram, each three years old, and a dove and a young pigeon.”10-12 He brought all these animals to him, split them down the middle, and laid the halves opposite each other. But he didn’t split the birds. Vultures swooped down on the carcasses, but Abram scared them off. As the sun went down a deep sleep overcame Abram and then a sense of dread, dark and heavy.13-16 God said to Abram, “Know this: your descendants will live as outsiders in a land not theirs; they’ll be enslaved and beaten down for 400 years. Then I’ll punish their slave masters; your offspring will march out of there loaded with plunder. But not you; you’ll have a long and full life and die a good and peaceful death. Not until the fourth generation will your descendants return here; sin is still a thriving business among the Amorites.”17-21 When the sun was down and it was dark, a smoking firepot and a flaming torch moved between the split carcasses. That’s when God made a covenant with Abram: “I’m giving this land to your children, from the Nile River in Egypt to the River Euphrates in Assyria—the country of the Kenites, Kenizzites, Kadmonites, Hittites, Perizzites, Rephaim, Amorites, Canaanites, Girgashites, and Jebusites.”

Genesis 15 New King James Version (NKJV) God's Covenant with Abram 15 After these things the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision, saying, “Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, [a]your exceedingly great reward.” 2 But Abram said, “Lord God, what will You give me, seeing I [b]go childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?” 3 Then Abram said, “Look, You have given me no offspring; indeed one[c] born in my house is my heir!” 4 And behold, the word of the Lord came to him, saying, “This one shall not be your heir, but one who will come from your own body shall be your heir.” 5 Then He brought him outside and said, “Look now toward heaven, and count the stars if you are able to number them.” And He said to him, “So shall your descendants be.” 6 And he believed in the Lord, and He accounted it to him for righteousness. 7 Then He said to him, “I am the Lord, who brought you out of Ur of the Chaldeans, to give you this land to inherit it.” 8 And he said, “Lord God, how shall I know that I will inherit it?” 9 So He said to him, “Bring Me a three-year-old heifer, a three-year-old female goat, a three-year-old ram, a turtledove, and a young pigeon.” 10 Then he brought all these to Him and cut them in two, down the middle, and placed each piece opposite the other; but he did not cut the birds in two. 11 And when the vultures came down on the carcasses, Abram drove them away. 12 Now when the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell upon Abram; and behold, horror and great darkness fell upon him. 13 Then He said to Abram: “Know certainly that your descendants will be strangers in a land that is not theirs, and will serve them, and they will afflict them four hundred years. 14 And also the nation whom they serve I will judge; afterward they shall come out with great possessions. 15 Now as for you, you shall [d]go to your fathers in peace; you shall be buried at a good old age. 16 But in the fourth generation they shall return here, for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet complete.” 17 And it came to pass, when the sun went down and it was dark, that behold, there appeared a smoking oven and a burning torch that passed between those pieces. 18 On the same day the Lord made a covenant with Abram, saying: “To your descendants I have given this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the River Euphrates— 19 the Kenites, the Kenezzites, the Kadmonites, 20 the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Rephaim, 21 the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Girgashites, and the Jebusites.” Footnotes: Genesis 15:1 Or your reward shall be very great Genesis 15:2 am childless Genesis 15:3 a servant Genesis 15:15 Die and join your ancestors   Hagar and Ishmael 16 Now Sarai, Abram's wife, had borne him no children. And she had an Egyptian maidservant whose name was Hagar. 2 So Sarai said to Abram, “See now, the Lord has restrained me from bearing children. Please, go in to my maid; perhaps I shall [a]obtain children by her.” And Abram heeded the voice of Sarai. 3 Then Sarai, Abram's wife, took Hagar her maid, the Egyptian, and gave her to her husband Abram to be his wife, after Abram had dwelt ten years in the land of Canaan. 4 So he went in to Hagar, and she conceived. And when she saw that she had conceived, her mistress became despised in her [b]eyes. 5 Then Sarai said to Abram, [c]“My wrong be upon you! I gave my maid into your embrace; and when she saw that she had conceived, I became despised in her eyes. The Lord judge between you and me.” 6 So Abram said to Sarai, “Indeed your maid is in your hand; do to her as you please.” And when Sarai dealt harshly with her, she fled from her presence. 7 Now the Angel of the Lord found her by a spring of water in the wilderness, by the spring on the way to Shur. 8 And He said, “Hagar, Sarai's maid, where have you come from, and where are you going?” She said, “I am fleeing from the presence of my mistress Sarai.” 9 The Angel of the Lord said to her, “Return to your mistress, and submit yourself under her hand.” 10 Then the Angel of the Lord said to her, “I will multiply your descendants exceedingly, so that they shall not be counted for multitude.” 11 And the Angel of the Lord said to her: “Behold, you are with child, And you shall bear a son. You shall call his name [d]Ishmael, Because the Lord has heard your affliction. 12 He shall be a wild man; His hand shall be against every man, And every man's hand against him. And he shall dwell in the presence of all his brethren.” 13 Then she called the name of the Lord who spoke to her, You-Are-[e]the-God-Who-Sees; for she said, “Have I also here [f]seen Him who sees me?” 14 Therefore the well was called Beer Lahai Roi;[g] observe, it is between Kadesh and Bered. 15 So Hagar bore Abram a son; and Abram named his son, whom Hagar bore, Ishmael. 16 Abram was eighty-six years old when Hagar bore Ishmael to Abram. Footnotes: Genesis 16:2 Lit. be built up from Genesis 16:4 sight Genesis 16:5 The wrong done to me be Genesis 16:11 Lit. God Hears Genesis 16:13 Heb. El Roi Genesis 16:13 Seen the back of Genesis 16:14 Lit. Well of the One Who Lives and Sees Me   Romans 8:28 New King James Version (NKJV) 28 And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. ---------------------------------------------  NOTES:    God Will Always give you word, a promise. He will then give you instructions. After the instructions there should be an anticipation of a sacrifice. Then there will be a test.  As long as you pass the test some substance will be established.  There are always systems in terms of how God gives instructions. You need to take some time to listen to the voice of God to know him and to know when he is speaking to you.     an·to·nym /ˈan(t)əˌnim/ noun: antonym; plural noun: antonyms a word opposite in meaning to another (e.g. bad and good ).

Apocalypse: Johns Revelation of Jesus Christ Pt9 "River Euphrates" on Battle Lines | www.warn-usa.com | WIBR/WARN Radio The Ominous is clear, the threat is real, the End has come! More Angels sound the trumpet, more bound angels released. This time at the River Euphrates. If ever a prophetic book was ominous it is Revelation. If ever a people could look and see the warnings outlined in Revelation; it is now. If it was not clear before, it should be now. More of the Woes come, with more angels sounding the judgment of the Trumpet. Here the angels bound at Euphrates are released and they will fulfill a judgment to which these angels were assigned to do. This time a third part of men on the earth will be slain. The scale of this judgment cannot be denied and the price of rebellion on the earth will not go unpunished. This is the portion of Revelation to which men should hear, listen, and repent.

Wait and hope for and expect the Lord; be brave and of good courage and let your heart be stout and enduring. Yes, wait for and hope for and expect the Lord.‬ (Psalms ‭27:14‬)Do not be terrified or discouraged, for I am with you wherever you go. (Joshua 1:9) it's easy in a negative world to feel frightened and pessimistic when the mainstream voices speak so negatively in heavenly against the things of God.When you look at life through God bless, Bias lenses it will indeed pull you down. The Lord Jesus Christ has an antidote for that poisonous input that goes into your eyes and ears and confounds your mind. It is to nourish and renew your mind, by fixing your eyes on him and his word who is always with you.Is critical to remember that when you see the world as reality that you're not seeing God's reality. The world reality is a small piece of the home. In fact the visible world is very limited. The invisible world undergirds and independent traits visible were in which you live. Indeed, it controls the visible work, for his unrestricted unlimited and infinite.When you get tired and discouraged, you may feel like Elijah felt that he was the only one who would remain faithful. (1 Kings 19:14) yet God had thousands in Israel who had not bowed their knee down to bail. When you're tired and discouraged like Elijah, you'll find yourself blinded by isolation. But God was with Elijah at all time. And he is with you at all times.Similarly, Elisha servant was terrified because he couldn't see what Elijah saw, horses and chariots of fire all around to protect them from the enemy forces. (Two Kings 6:17) but as Elijah said God is with us. There is more with us than there is with them.Listen beloved child of God, not only as God with in you and with you he is a monkey, and he has unlimited resources to help you. So look beyond the way things appear and TAKE COURAGE! (MATTHEW 14:27)Joshua Takes over for MosesAfter the death of Moses the servant of the LORD, it came to pass that the LORD spoke to Joshua the son of Nun, Moses' assistant, saying: “Moses My servant is dead. Now therefore, arise, go over this Jordan, you and all this people, to the land which I am giving to them—the children of Israel. Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given you, as I said to Moses. From the wilderness and this Lebanon as far as the great river, the River Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites, and to the Great Sea toward the going down of the sun, shall be your territory. No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life; as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you nor forsake you. Be strong and of good courage, for to this people you shall divide as an inheritance the land which I swore to their fathers to give them. Only be strong and very courageous, that you may observe to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may prosper wherever you go. This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go. (Joshua‬ ‭1:1-9‬)“The LORD your God Himself crosses over before you; He will destroy these nations from before you, and you shall dispossess them. Joshua himself crosses over before you, just as the LORD has said. And the LORD will do to them as He did to Sihon and Og, the kings of the Amorites and their land, when He destroyed them. The LORD will give them over to you, that you may do to them according to every commandment which I have commanded you. Be strong and of good courage, do not fear nor be afraid of them; for the LORD your God, He is the One who goes with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you.””‭‭Deuteronomy‬ ‭31:3-6‬ )

sermon transcript God’s Great Patience Finally Runs Out The End of the World A common phrase, meant to comfort one experiencing affliction, but in effect demonstrating a shallow and flippant lack of compassion, is, “It’s not the end of the world.” Today we will study a prophecy of the end of the world which reveals the truth behind the opposite of that phrase. It is a weighty thing. We see and experience the world around us — blue skies, cold temperatures, the cycle of seasons, the shore and the ocean, mountains and islands. It is difficult to grasp in our minds that some day the ocean will be murdered by human sin and the mountains and islands will flee away. They are not permanent but temporary. Let it settle in your heart and affect the way you see all aspects of life — your education, your job, your marriage, your parenting — all that you do. We are aliens and strangers in this temporary world that will be destroyed by the wrath of God because of human sin. That is the impact of Revelation 16. Worse Than We Can Imagine The end of the world will be worse than we can imagine. It is hard to imagine as we read these prophecies to understand their weightiness. It will be worse than any film can show. It is a prediction, a prophecy of the future. Revelation 17, 18, and the first part of Revelation 19 provide a parenthetical descriptive insight into the wickedness of the world in which we live, called Babylon the Great, which is the reason for the destruction poured out from the bowls. She is described as a whore riding on a beast and as a big city with commerce and trading. Revelation 19 celebrates Babylon’s destruction, then depicts the Second Coming of Christ. The bowl judgments are the last events on earth right before the Second Coming. In Revelation 16, we come to the end of God’s patience waiting for sinners to repent. God’s Matchless Patience Described His patience is immeasurable and matchless but not endless. A day is coming in which God will judge the earth for its sins. Verse 14 says they will go out and gather the kings of the whole world for battle “on the great day of God Almighty” (other Scriptures call it the “day of the Lord”). Why is God patient with us? We must not misunderstand his patience; it is not because he does not care about sin or because he is not holy, or because he is impotent. 2 Peter 3:9 says, “The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. … Bear in mind that our Lord's patience means salvation.” He is waiting for sinners to repent and be saved. The Apostle Paul said in Romans 2, that God’s goodness, kindness, patience, and tolerance are meant to lead us to repentance. God was patient with Paul as he was punishing the church, hardening his own heart, dragging off Christian brothers and sisters, throwing them in prison, breaking up homes, seeing that people were executed for faith in Christ. Paul says in 1 Timothy 1:15-16 “Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners-- of whom I am the worst [not was]. But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his unlimited patience as an example for those who would believe on him and receive eternal life.” In Romans 9, Paul writes of the astonishing level of patience God shows to vessels of wrath who will never repent, even in the end. Romans 9:22 says, “What if God, choosing to show his wrath and make his power known, bore with great patience the objects of his wrath — prepared for destruction?” What if he did this to make the riches of His glory known to us, the objects of His mercy, whom He prepared in advance for glory? God is patient with objects of vessels of wrath to teach us how gracious he was to us in Christ. God is an amazingly patient God. The Scripture reveals this again and again. In Genesis 6, in the days when Noah was building the ark, God waited patiently for sinners to repent even though every thought and inclination of the hearts of humans at that time were only evil all the time. God still waited patiently. He waited 400 years for the sin of the Amorites and the Promised Land to reach its full measure. During that same 400 years he waited for the Egyptians to stop enslaving and beating His chosen people. After the Jews took the Promised Land and started following the ways of the Canaanite nations around them, God waited patiently for them to repent. He sent many prophets, calling them to turn away from following the Canaanite ways. He is a very patient God, every day of human history showing patience towards sinners. Every day is a display of His unlimited patience, because human history is filled with a river of sin we cannot calculate. Every one of us underestimates it. It is a wicked world that we live in, and that wickedness is pouring out from human hearts. Paul describes it plainly in Romans 1:29-32, “They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips, slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents; they are senseless, faithless, heartless, ruthless. Although they know God’s righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them.” That is the world we live in. God’s Patience Ends As we come to Revelation 16, we should not be at a loss to understand why God would pour his wrath on the planet. The angels know exactly why God is doing it. His matchless patience will come to an end. The great day of the Lord God Almighty is coming. 2 Peter 3:10 says, “But the day of the Lord will come like a thief.” There will be no further announcements. The heavens will disappear with a roar, the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the Earth and everything in it will be laid bare. Context in Revelation The Book of Revelation has several purposes. It is a revelation of the future as it states in both the very first verse, 1:1, and the last chapter, 22: “to show his servants what must soon take place.” It is also a revelation of Almighty God seated on His throne ruling the universe (Revelation 4). Everything circles around Him. It is a revelation of Jesus Christ (Revelation 5), the Lion of the Tribe of Judah, a Lamb looking as if it had been slain. He takes a scroll, perhaps representing the title deed of ownership of the earth, from the right hand of Almighty God, the one seated on the throne. The scroll is sealed with seven seals, which the Lamb breaks open, initiating the flow of judgments from Heaven to earth. Thus, it is also a revelation of judgments on earth, the final process of God’s wrath (Revelation 6). It is a revelation of the point of redemptive history (Revelation 7), showing a multitude greater than anyone could count from every tribe and language and people and nation standing before the throne, wearing white robes, waving palm branches, saying, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!” They are a great multitude of the redeemed, the glory of God. It is a revelation of the final seven-year period of history (Revelation 8 and 9). It begins with the seven trumpet judgments, overt punishments and wrath never before witnessed or experienced in history. It is not an analogy or metaphor for something in church history, but a vision of the future. A third of the trees and all green growing things and all of the green grass burn up; a third the sea turns to blood, so a third of the living creatures in the sea die. A third of the fresh water turns to poison. A third of the celestial bodies — the sun, the moon, and the stars — is struck in some way, or their light is reduced by a third. A demonic assault ensues as demons come blowing up out of a furnace, afflicting people with stings as of scorpions. A demonic army appears, killing a third of the population of the earth. Judgment continues in Revelation 16 with the seven bowls. On the surface they appear to be a reiteration of the trumpets; however, some significant differences between the trumpets and the bowls indicate that they are a new set of judgments. First, the seven trumpets have a limited effect on the earth, destroying one-third, leaving two-thirds untouched, demonstrating God’s restraint at that point (He still shows restraint with the seven bowls but less so). Second, the seven trumpets do not end human life on the same scale or scope as the bowls. The trumpets seem to provide a final opportunity for repentance, and some do repent, but the text emphasizes through repetition that no one repents following the bowls. Third, there are details — for example, the fourth bowl which intensifies the sun’s power, the fifth bowl which plunges the world into darkness — that have no parallel in the seven trumpets or anything we know in human history. Fourth, the bowls are identified specifically as the last judgments: “These are the last, because with them God’s judgment is finished on the earth.” God finally ends the day of salvation because the time has come; the last elect person has come to faith in Christ. The rest of the world is hardened in their sin. The wickedness has reached such a level it is time to end human history. Revelation 9:20-21 says, “The rest of mankind who were not killed by these plagues still did not repent to the work of their hands; they did not stop worshiping demons and idols of gold, silver, bronze, stone, and wood — idols that cannot see or hear or walk. Nor did they repent of their murders, their magic arts, their sexual immorality, or their thefts.” It is a revelation of the dragon Satan (Revelation 12) and the Beast from the Sea, the Antichrist (Revelation 13). The beast is a world ruler who is directly influenced by Satan himself, given power over the entire world. He also becomes a religious figure, worshiped as a god. He becomes the final government and the final religion. The power of the government is overwhelming — the mark of the beast is required to buy or sell anything. Everyone who is not a believer in Christ, sustained and protected by the sovereign grace of God, bows down to this man, receives the mark of the beast, and worships him as God. They go along to get along and so are involved in that system. It is a revelation of incredibly courageous, bold witnessing in this final phase of human history (Revelation 11, 12, 14). It begins with two witnesses with supernatural power, boldness and courage to stand before this wicked ruler. They clearly proclaim the Gospel until he finally kills them. God raises them up three days later and they ascend to heaven. Many other witnesses, servants of God, do not love their lives so much as to shrink from death. They overcome Satan by the word of the Lamb and by their blood; they boldly proclaim the testimony of Jesus. A specific group of men do not defile themselves with women but follow the Lamb wherever he goes. No lie is in their mouths, and they boldly give themselves fully — metaphorically making themselves eunuchs for the kingdom in order to be witnesses. An angel flying in midair, proclaims the Gospel, “Fear God who created the heavens, the earth, the sea, and everything in them. Fear God and give him the glory.” All these are witnessing. It will have effect; there are converts during that final phase of human history, but with the bowls, God will wait no longer. The last elect person, chosen before the creation of the world, has been brought to faith in Christ. The rest are hardened and the time has come for judgment. A Command Revelation 16:1 begins the bowl judgments with a command from God: “Then I heard a loud voice from the temple saying to the seven angels, ‘Go, pour out the seven bowls of God's wrath on the earth.’” These seven angels are identified in Revelation 15:5-7. They come out of Heaven, receiving from the living creatures these seven bowls of the most toxic spiritual substance ever seen, the wrath of God that will be poured out on the earth. Many evangelical commentators see this as a literary technique of symbolic language, which is not a safe way to approach Revelation. Some link the bowls to the plagues in Exodus. One says that because so much human commerce relies on oceans and seas, the judgment on the ocean is really a judgment on the economy of the world. God will judge the economy of the world, but this is judgment on the ecology of the world and will literally happen as described. From the Garden of Eden, God has linked the planet we walk on and the sin of man through Adam. Adam’s curse was a curse on the ground. Meditate on that. God said to Adam, our father, “Cursed is the ground because of you, because of your sin. It will produce thorns and thistles for you.” That has unfolded since then. Psalm 8:5-8 says, “You made him a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honor. You made him ruler over the works of your hands; you put everything under his feet: all flocks and herds, and the beasts of the field, the birds of the air, and the fish of the sea, all that swim the paths of the seas.” The earth is judged because of human sin. This makes perfect sense. God is very consistent about this. Romans 8:19-22 says, “The creation waits in eager expectation for the sons of God to be revealed. For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God. We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time.” At that time, the world will be resurrected as we will be, but now it is groaning. There is a definite link and it makes sense theologically. The Seven Bowls The First Bowl Revelation 16:2: “The first angel went and poured out his bowl on the land, and ugly and painful sores broke out on the people who had the mark of the beast and worshiped his image.” The angel does not hesitate as he pours this poisonous bowl on the land, resulting in a direct assault on human bodies. One translation says “… loathsome and malignant sores.” The Greek word is tied to the English word for ulcer — disgusting, ulcerating, bleeding, running sores on the skin, bleeding, like Job had when he scraped his skin with pottery. Who is judged? Everyone who receives the mark of the beast and worships his image. The saints — those who believe — are excluded. They do not experience the sores. 2 Peter 2:9 says, “…the Lord knows how to rescue godly men from trials and to hold the unrighteous for the day of judgment, while continuing their punishment.” God rescued Lot from Sodom and Gomorrah; he rescued Noah from the flood; he is able to make a distinction between the wicked and the redeemed. The Second Bowl Revelation 16:3: “The second angel poured out his bowl on the sea, and it turned into blood like that of a dead man, and every living thing in the sea died.” The sea is turned into blood — a red substance, sticky, oozing, thick, dark, coagulated, like the blood of a man who is gunned down, bleeding out on the floor. Some commentators link it to red tide, but that trivializes it. This is far worse than any red tide ever seen, in that every single living creature in the sea dies. That is absolutely mind-boggling. We have no idea how many living creatures are in the sea. Billions? Trillions? Think of all the krill and plankton; the Great Barrier Reef, said to be the largest single living entity, if it is indeed single; all the beautiful tropical fish that swim in schools through the clear water of the Caribbean; all the stingrays and sharks and orcas. Biologists estimate 50% to 80% of all living creatures live in the sea — that is a wide range. How could they possibly give a more precise percentage? We do not know what is in the depths of the sea, but they will all die because of human sin. Let me intensify, because of our sin, they will die. It is incalculable and unimaginable. They did not die in the flood; in fact, they prospered. But at the end of history, they are the first creatures to die. After the sea dies, we die. This must be the end of human history. There is no way to survive if the ocean is dead. From the sea we get 70% of our oxygen and 83% of our rain water. Billions of people cannot survive long without that level of oxygen and rain water. Given the fact that God will soon pollute all the fresh water, we will have no water to drink, no rain, nothing. The end will come quickly. The Third Bowl Revelation 16:4: “The third angel poured out his bowl on the rivers and springs of water, and they became blood.” This is an expansion of the third trumpet judgment, which polluted a third of the fresh water and turned it into wormwood. This bowl affects all fresh water — all rivers and springs of fresh water in the world are turned to blood. John MacArthur said, “The destruction of what is left of the earth’s fresh water will cause unthinkable hardship and suffering. There will be no water to drink; no clean water to wash the oozing sores caused by the first bowl judgment; no water to bring cooling relief from the scorching heat that the fourth bowl judgment is about to bring. The scene will be so unimaginably horrible that people will wonder how a God of compassion, mercy, and grace could send such a judgment.” An angel speaks in God’s defense in Revelation 16:5-6: “Then I heard the angel in charge of the waters say: ‘You are just in these judgments, you who are and who were, the Holy One, because you have so judged; for they have shed the blood of your saints and prophets, and you have given them blood to drink as they deserve.” These devastating judgments are displays of God’s perfect wisdom, justice and righteousness. Note how angels think. As Jesus taught us to pray in the Lord’s Prayer, “May your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” How is God’s will done in Heaven? These angels display how immediately and with great zeal the will of the king is executed in Heaven. There is no hesitation, no squeamishness, just vindication of God. The angel does not shrink back or question; he celebrates what God is doing. “You are just in these judgments, you who are and who were, the Holy One…” The process of vindicating God is called theodicy. Both reasons given by the angel are important for vindicating and justifying God. First, everything He does is right, because he does it. He is the standard of justice and righteousness. If a measuring stick is off even by a little, it is not the Bureau of Standards and Measurements that is in error. Our measuring stick is off — we are messed up; we are unjust. How could we judge God who is perfectly just? His character proves the justice of His action. There is no standard of righteousness or holiness above God that He obeys. When Abraham interceded for Sodom and Gomorrah, he said in Genesis 18:25, “Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?” The judge of all the earth is right, and everything He does is right. Second, God created angels and humans alike with minds and hearts to evaluate God’s actions and our own. We can see a rightness in what is happening. It lines up. He is just, “…for they have shed the blood of your saints and prophets, and you have given them blood to drink as they deserve.” This is appropriate for these blood-thirsty killers. The ground will disclose, as Jesus said [Matthew 23:35], “… all the righteous blood that has been shed on earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah son of Berekiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar.” These blood-thirsty killers will be given blood to drink; it is what they deserve. Proverbs 26:27 says, “If a man digs a pit, he will fall into it; if a man rolls a stone, it will roll back on him.” There is a rightness to it, like when Haman was made to hang on the gallows he made for Mordecai. Verse 7 says, “… I heard the altar respond: ‘Yes, Lord God Almighty, true and just are your judgments.’” The altar is where the martyred saints from the fifth seal are, crying out. Revelation 6:10-11 says, “They called out in a loud voice, ‘How long, Sovereign Lord, holy and true, until you judge the inhabitants of the earth and avenge our blood?’ Then each of them was given a white robe, and they were told to wait a little longer, until the number of their fellow servants and brothers who were to be killed as they had been was completed.” That is complete now. The full number of martyrs is in, and it is time for judgment. The Fourth Bowl Revelation 16:8-9: “The fourth angel poured out his bowl on the sun, and the sun was given power to scorch people with fire. They were seared by the intense heat and they cursed the name of God, who had control over these plagues, but they refused to repent and glorify him.” The bowl is poured on the sun. The sun is in the hand of God, and He can do whatever He wants with it. The sun has served the earth since the fourth day of creation. It gives us light and heat, which we need for living. All life depends on sunlight because of photosynthesis. Every second the sun puts off the same amount of energy that our human race would consume in 500 million years. The surface of the sun, the outer corona, is 10,000 degrees Fahrenheit. The core is estimated to be 27 million degrees. NASA is attempting to send a probe to the core of the sun to send a radio signal to find out exactly how hot it is. The sun is 93 million miles from the earth, positioned exactly where it needs to be to sustain our fragile life and our fragile ecosystem. Imagine a scale model of the relationship between the sun and the earth, with the earth here at the podium and the sun at the back. The North Pole was at -24 degrees Fahrenheit this week. Quito, Ecuador was at 66 degrees Fahrenheit. That is a 90 degree difference. The difference overall, percentage-wise from the North Pole to the edge of the Equator at the scale of our model is the thickness of a dime. In other words, a step forward the thickness of a dime will create a difference of 90 degrees. Do you see the precision with which God has set up our world? He will not turn it way up or we would instantly die. The surface of Venus, a third closer to the sun, is 864 degrees Fahrenheit. A minute adjustment will create a searing heat, made more miserable because of lack of drinking water. That will genuinely be global warming. The ice caps will melt and the oceans will rise, meaning the death contained in the seas will flood the coastal cities, bringing unimaginable disease and suffering. The Fifth Bowl Revelation 16:10-11: “The fifth angel poured out his bowl on the throne of the beast, and his kingdom was plunged into darkness. Men gnawed their tongues in agony and cursed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores, but they refused to repent of what they had done.” God plunges the world into darkness. Light and darkness are metaphors for good and evil, but we also know that God declared light itself good. When He takes light away, it is a tremendous judgment on us, lining up with our spiritually dark hearts. John 3:19 says, “This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil.” It makes sense that the bowl is poured out on the throne of the beast, plunging this dark kingdom of Antichrist into darkness. The people are powerless to stop it; there is nothing they can do. It reminds us of the 10 plagues in Egypt. The 9th plague, right before the final plague on the first born, is a plague of darkness. Exodus 10:21-23 says, “Then the LORD said to Moses, ‘Stretch out your hand toward the sky so that darkness will spread over Egypt— darkness that can be felt.’ So Moses stretched out his hand toward the sky, and total darkness covered all Egypt for three days. No one could see anyone else or leave his place for three days. Yet all the Israelites had light in the places where they lived.” God makes a distinction between the righteous and the wicked. He also sets limits. The darkness does not continue forever, because history does not unfold in total darkness. The kings of the earth that are coming for the battle of Armageddon must have light to see. Though it is short-lived, it will be like Hell on earth. Matthew 8:12 says that the wicked “will be thrown outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” The world is in total darkness and people are seared with the heat of the sun, crying out in anger and rage, not repenting of their sins. The Sixth Bowl Revelation 16:12-16: “The sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river Euphrates, and its water was dried up to prepare the way for the kings from the East. Then I saw three evil spirits that looked like frogs; they came out of the mouth of the dragon, out of the mouth of the beast and out of the mouth of the false prophet. They are spirits of demons performing miraculous signs, and they go out to the kings of the whole world, to gather them for the battle on the great day of God Almighty. ‘Behold, I come like a thief! Blessed is he who stays awake and keeps his clothes with him, so that he may not go naked and be shamefully exposed.’ Then they gathered the kings together to the place that in Hebrew is called Armageddon.” This bowl is preparatory. The Euphrates River was the northern boundary of the promised land. Jeremiah saw these invasions referenced in Jeremiah 1, like a boiling pot tipped over from the north and flowing across the Euphrates. The Assyrians, the Babylonians, the Persians, the Greeks all come pouring down into Israel by this path. The river is a barrier or a boundary that, given the global warming, the kings of these nations cannot remove nor cross to come to Armageddon. They need help. The night the Israelites crossed the Red Sea, the powerful Egyptian army aimed to slaughter and wipe out the Jews. They streamed after the fleeing nation of Israel but were stopped by a pillar of fire and a pillar of cloud, which stood between the Israelites and the Egyptians. The Israelites cried out to God, hemmed in between the army and the Red Sea, when God opened a way through the Red Sea. When the time came for them to go, the pillar moved around to the front and led them through. Pharaoh and his army started into the bed of the Red Sea; the wheels of the chariot became mired and stuck. Only then, even after the ten plagues, did they realize, “the God of the Jews is fighting for them.” The same thing will happen right before the Second Coming of Christ, only much bigger. The kings of the earth under Antichrist will gather together to wipe the believing Jews from the face of the earth. They will come to this place called Armageddon, and they will be gathered, passive voice, for the day of battle. Why are they there? To die. It will not be much of a fight, but they will be gathered. These demonic frog-like spirits go out performing signs and wonders to get them to come, and the Antichrist and all the armies will be there. Joel 3 details how they will be gathered to the valley of Jehoshaphat (“the Lord judges”). He will judge the nations on every side, multitudes in the valley of decision. When they are gathered there, God will pour His wrath out on them. He gives Christians a final warning: “‘Behold, I come like a thief!’ Blessed is he who stays awake [we are not like those who sleep; believers have been forewarned, so be alert] and keeps his clothes with him, so that he may not go naked and be shamefully exposed [when Jesus returns].” That is about personal holiness, personal faith in Christ. We are to be like the five wise virgins who have oil for their lamps to keep them burning, to be ready for the Lord to return. We are to be aware of what time is about and how much God hates sin. It is because of such things as sexual immorality and lying and covetousness, and all manner of wickedness described plainly in the Bible that the wrath of God is coming. We are not to violate our conscience. Paul says in 1 Thessalonians 5 that this day is no secret to us. We know it is coming so we are not to be like those who sleep but rather to be awake and sober. The Seventh Bowl Revelation 16:17-21: “The seventh angel poured out his bowl into the air, and out of the temple came a loud voice from the throne saying, ‘It is finished!’ [Just as Jesus cried out the same phrase from the cross, there is power in this declaration — this is the finish of God’s wrath on the earth.] Then there came flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder and a severe earthquake. No earthquake like it has ever occurred since man has been on earth, so tremendous was the quake. The great city split into three parts, and the cities of the nations collapsed. God remembered Babylon the Great and gave her the cup filled with the wine of the fury of his wrath. Every island fled away and the mountains could not be found. From the sky huge hailstones of about a hundred pounds each fell upon men. And they cursed God on account of the plague of hail, because the plague was so terrible.” The seven bowls are poured out onto the land and the sea, the rivers and springs, the sun, the throne of the beast, the River Euphrates, and into the air. All the realms are covered; everything is touched. God is judging the universe — the end has come. The seventh bowl sets the stage for the Second Coming of Christ. The kings and their armies are all gathered, but not all people, so around the world there will be judgements. A terrifying divine storm rages, with flashes of lightning and peals of thunder. The massive earthquake, the likes of which has never occurred, is a judgment on all the great cities of the world. Every city on earth, especially Babylon the Great, will split apart and fall. My family and I experienced an earthquake on January 17th, 1995. Even a smaller scale earthquake is terrifying — there is no escape from it — but this one will shake the whole earth. In addition to the earthquake, 100-pound hailstones fall from the sky. Even small hailstones the size of a marble can cause damage, but these massive ones are killing people. The Cumulative Effect The Worst Part Physically, the worst part of these plagues is that they are cumulative. Spiritually, the worst part is they do not produce repentance. God’s word says again and again that the fear of the Lord is a servant to us as sinners to bring us to Christ. Proverbs 1:7 “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline.” John Newton said, “’Twas grace that taught my heart to fear, and grace my fears relieved.” The people affected by the judgments do no fear God — they are angry at Him. Revelation 16:9, 11: “They were seared by the intense heat and they cursed the name of God, who had control over these plagues, but they refused to repent and glorify him. … and cursed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores, but they refused to repent of what they had done.” This is a foretaste of Hell. When they have been there 10,000 years in total darkness, they will be no closer to repenting and giving God glory than the first day they were there. If anything, the bitterness in their hearts will continue to develop. They will not justify God or acknowledge that they deserve their punishment. Revelation 16:21: “…they cursed God on account of the plague of hail, because the plague was so terrible.” Do you realize, oh saints, brothers and sisters in Christ, that God has granted you repentance? If you know that you are a sinner, if you have cried out to Jesus to forgive you of your sins and received the gift of forgiveness, and received the gift of the Holy Spirit in your heart testifying that you are a child of God, you have been given an immeasurable gift. He opened his hand through the Spirit and granted to you repentance unto life. None of these judgments will do that for these vessels of wrath. Behold, therefore, in conclusion, the goodness and severity of God — goodness to you, patience to you, and severity to those who will not repent. As we depart, the world will look like it always has. You have to believe by faith that these things will come, or it will be nothing to you, and you will continue in your life as you always have. If you know that you are not a Christian, how much longer will you wait? Today is the day of salvation. Repent of your sins and trust in Christ. Faith comes by hearing. See the wisdom of God in moderately tweaking His judgments — instead of giving us 946 degrees Fahrenheit, he increases his sun just a little bit. God is so wise, even in cursing the earth. He is meticulous and precise. See His holiness and how much He hates sin. Look at your heart, how have you violated your conscience over the last week. Do you yearn to stop violating your conscience over this upcoming year? Will you put sin to death by coming to faith in Christ by the power of the Spirit? In this way, be holy, as God commands. For believers, warn lost people that these days are coming, though they do not think so. You may have an opportunity at work to share what we have studied today. My kids said, “This is a hard, bad story,” I replied, “No, it is a good story.” There is so much glory that comes after all this suffering.” Imagine if Jesus had died in the middle of the night and risen by morning, and he told his disciples, “I died last night, but I am alive again.” He was crucified for our sins; they watched him die, and great was their joy when he came alive. The suffering makes the joy infinitely greater. We will live in a new world that will be perfect. We will remember all this, and we will hate sin as God does and delight in the New Heaven and New Earth that He will make. Closing Prayer Lord, thank you for the things that we have learned in Revelation 16, an intense, long and difficult chapter. Thank you for giving us patience to sit under it and learn from it, and now Lord, give us grace to live according to it. Help us to be holy, to put sin to death, to have garments of holiness, imputed righteousness from Christ around us, help us to love one another, help us to share the Gospel and be bold to warn other sinners of the end that is most certainly coming, and coming soon. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

This message was preached at New Testament Christian Fellowship in Conover, NC on Sunday, January 7, 2018. Here, the sixth vial judgment is introduced, and the biblical, historical, and prophetic significance of the "great river euphrates" is explained. The resounding lesson is the same lesson that King Nebuchadnezzar learned the hard way:  "the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will" (Daniel 4:25).

PODCAST SATELLITETHE VOICE OF ISRAEL8 Sivan, 5777  Prince HandleyUniversity of ExcellencePresident / Regent    CHINA AND THE KINGS OF THE EASTISRAEL AND HER UNKNOWN ENEMY~ A MIRACLE PODCAST PRODUCTION ~ הודעה עבור בנימין נתניהו You can listen to this podcast NOW. Click the center of the Libsyn pod circle at top left. Listen now ... or download for later Or, LISTEN HERE >>> LISTEN NOW Email this message to a friend! 24/7 release of Prince Handley blogs, teachings, and podcasts >>> STREAM Text: "follow princehandley" to 40404 (in USA) Or, Twitter: princehandley Subscribe to THE APOSTLES E-zine newsletter:princehandley@gmail.com __________________________________________________ CHINA AND THE KINGS OF THE EASTISRAEL AND HER UNKNOWN ENEMY~ A MIRACLE PODCAST PRODUCTION ~ A MESSAGE TO BENYAMIN NETANYAHU הודעה עבור בנימין נתניהו SINO ASIAN EMERGENCE FORMATION AND EVOLUTION OF THE ENDTIME KINGS OF THE EAST__________________________________________________ "Behold, these shall come from far: and, lo, these from the north and from the west; and these from the land of Sinim." – Isaiah 49:12 "Sinim" was the name of a distant Oriental region. Wilhem Gesenius, a German biblical critic and Semitic language scholar, commented that "The Arabians and other Asiatics called China Sin, or Tchin; the Chinese had no special name for themselves, but either adopted that of the reigning dynasty or some high-sounding titles. This view of 'Sinim' suits the context which requires a people to be meant 'from far,' and distinct from those "from the north and from the west." "And the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates; and the water thereof was dried up, that the way of the kings of the east might be prepared." – Revelation 16:12__________________________________________________ RIVER EUPHRATES God created the Euphrates River."The name of the third river is Tigris, the one that flows east of Asshur. And the fourth river is the Euphrates" (Torah: Bereshith / Genesis 2:14). The river of the same name marked one of the boundaries of the land promised by God to Abraham and to his descendants: Isaac, Jacob, and to the end of his seed line. In the Hebrew Bible (Tanakh) it is often referred to simply as "The River" (ha-nahar). (Torah: Bereshith / Genesis 15:18). The Euphrates marks the north-eastern border of the land God promises to Abram: "To your descendants I give this land from the wadi of Egypt to the Great River, the river Euphrates" (Torah: Genesis 15:18 in the Jerusalem Bible) God tells the Israelites to go to the Promised Land: "Start out and make your way to the hill country of the Amorites and to all their neighbors in the Arabah, the hill country, the Shephelah, the Negeb, the seacoast, the land of the Canaanites, and the Lebanon, as far as the Great River, the river Euphrates." ( (Torah: Devarim / Deuteronomy 1:7). God (through Moses) promises the Israelites the Promised Land: "Every place where you set the soles of your feet shall be yours. Your borders shall run from the wilderness to the Lebanon and from the River, the river Euphrates, to the western sea." (Torah: Devarim / Deuteronomy 11:24). The Lord says "Your King will make peace among the nations; He will rule from sea to sea, from the Euphrates River to the ends of the earth." (Tanakh: Zechariah 9:10) THE GREAT EUPHRATES RIVER AND PROPHECY OF REVELATION 16:12 The great River Euphrates is the water boundary separating the Holy Land (promised by God to Moses, Abraham, Israel) from Asia to the East. Because of dams constructed in the last century to divert water for irrigation, there are at times little or no water in the river bed. The act of the sixth angel in pouring out his vial upon the River Euphrates may have more to do with soil impaction or alignment than hydrological forces. However, it could be that the Euphrates River―due to some kind of engineering or dredging―may be fed with a network of tributaries in the future. At any rate, regardless of the Euphrates having more or less water in the future, it will be a viable variable in the logistics of the future and the Eastern "region kings" who play a key part in end time prophecy. KINGS OF THE EAST In the last days their will be a major military, political, and economic force that arises from the East. This force will NOT be from just one national entity, but will be a confluence of several regional powers in the East ... and NOT from just the Pacific Rim. Direction in the Holy Bible is always oriented from Jerusalem, Israel. So these "kings of the east" can represent forces in the Near East, Middle East and/or Far East. This force may be an amalgamation of national and cultural social interests flowing together for advancement, protection, control and power. One or more of the region kings may be a separate entity, however, working either in cooperation with or separately from the other region kings. However, these region kings will move simultaneously or in approximation to or with each other. The timing will be in prophetical precision and It will be a synergistic force that will be in effect designed by God as "pawns" to bring about the establishment of His Kingdom on earth. However, even though this force from the East fits into the end time plans of Almighty God, the regional EPM (Economical - Political - Military) powers will NOT have as their goal(s) the service of God. They will in effect be drawn (inspired) by Satan to do his bidding. There are / will be several players in this field of "region kings." In the following discussion, we will review some of the major players; however, keep in mind, that any power adjacent to the Euphrates River and beyond (easterly) may be a candidate for this role. This would include present day Iraq, Syria, Eastern Turkey, the southern steppes of Russia (from the former USSR), Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, China, Mongolia, North and South Korea. We will now discuss some of the more poignant players at this present time from the "region kings" of the East. [Note: Iran will not be included in this discussion because, even though it could be included in the area of the region kings of the East, this section is more directed to the area of "Sino Asian Emergence." Iran is covered in several other sections of the U of E site: Israel and Middle East Islam and Its Teachings Turkey and Word War Three SOME IMPORTANT FACTS ABOUT CHINA China's Silk Road Resurrected. “One Belt, One Road.” 21st Century version of the ancient Silk Road traveled by Marco Polo. President Xi Jinping [chi-jin-ping] hosts the so-called Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) Summit. The BRI is Xi’s $1 trillion – with a "T" -- plan to build state of the art roads, ports, pipelines and airports that will link China to 110 countries around the world and make Beijing the epicenter of world trade for decades to come. The initiative is a brazen attempt to seize worldwide economic leadership from the United States. Xi sees an opportunity to bind emerging trade partners to him by offering them access to China’s vast consumer market. Xi is offering a lot of money and infrastructure to a lot of recipient countries who have a pressing need for their economies to be modernized. China is effectively applying soft power in a very visible way. It wants to become what the USA has been until now – the leader of the world economy. Among the massive infrastructure projects being offered to potential partners, China wants to build a port in Pakistan, complete a China-to-Myanmar pipeline, giving it access to Middle East crude oil, and dredge and deepen the historic Greek port of Piraeus. For Xi, this means showing that the rest of the world is girded to China, and that all roads lead to Beijing. ‒ Reference: John Moody, Executive Vice President, Executive Editor for Fox News China's economy will be larger than that of the USA by 2030. China controls: The Port of Long Beach (on the West Coast of USA); Both entrances to the Panama Canal; and, The key NAFTA Mexican port city of Lazaro Cardenas at the southern tip of the North American Union highway. China and many other countries have wanted to take away control from the USA for many years. Prohibition of imports of US products are now in place unless they are based on intellectual property that is developed and/or owned in China. U.S. products cannot be sold in China unless companies give China their current patents plus their research and development of new products. The longtime consensus among government and business elites has been that as China became richer, its interests would become more like the FREE world. It didn't work out that way because China is a Communist totalitarian country striving for military and economic superiority and still tortures, kills, and imprisons Christians. In 1949 China began to eliminate all religious entities from their borders. When Mao Zedong ("Chairman Mao") took over power he referred to religion as "the opium of the mind." China, today, is still one of the most repressive forces of Christianity in the world, with many Christians belonging to the "house" churches being tortured and imprisoned. NOTE: The "house" churches are those NOT registered with the government. In an attempt to control Christians, the government requires that all churches register with them. The government controlled church is called the "Three-Self Patriotic Movement." Millions of born again believers are part of the "house" churches and are NOT aligned with the government authorized churches. There are about 12 million registered believers in the official "State" churches and over 100 million believers in the non-registered "house" churches. The Chinese government tells the registered "3 Self" churches: 1. Where they can worship; 2. Who can worship (only those over 18); and, 3. What they can teach. REASONS FOR THE RISE OF CHINA IN THE WORLD MARKETPLACE President Richard Nixon opened trade agreements with China in 1972. After Chairman "Murderer" Mao died in 1976, certain of the Communist leaders realized that to succeed in world market share they must attempt to pattern what the leading non-communist nations were doing. These leaders realized they must move toward "capitalism" to become competitive in world trade, but they decided to "code" their terminology in new language so they would still be identified as communistic. New terms, such as "market socialism" and "socialism with Chinese characteristics" were coined. The new economic leaders decided upon a four pronged plan of attack to help them become competitive in world trade. This plan was known as the "Four Modernizations" and included: Agriculture Industry Technology Military They realized that their previous programs of mass starvation, torture, forced labor, and personal regimentation were achieving the opposite of motivating the "collective" Chinese people. In 1978 Deng Xiaoping became the key Communist leader in China mainly because of his economic expansionist plans leading China out of an abysmal position of market share production. Having been a sluggard in production due to Marxist / socialist control of manufacturing, China had been far behind the leading nations of the world until then. China decided to model other successful nations in the Far East: Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Singapore. These countries were referred to as the East Asian Tigers, and all of which were non-Communist, free market economies. As an indicator of how far China has come in world trade, at this time the USA purchases 40% of its consumer goods from the Chinese. China now produces two-thirds of the world's DVD's, photocopiers, shoes, and microwaves ... and that's just a small part of their production landscape. As for information and communications technology, China has overtaken the USA. And, China is expanding its export market from the USA, Europe, and Japan to Latin America, Africa, and third world countries. For example, China’s foreign investment in Africa has increased from $1.5 million in 1991 to $1.2 billion in 2005. The KEY move right now by China is to obtain security in oil and energy imports to supply its great expansion in production and standard of living. China is investing money in oil and energy projects in countries where the West (USA, EU, etc) places sanctions. (For example, countries where US companies are NOT allowed to do business.) China is also building factories close to raw materials in African countries, and providing them with foreign aid, military equipment, building infrastructure, and forming favored agreements to foster friendship. (See the News Release in "Other Resources" below as an example.) Major leaps in banking have been effected by China. Even Alan Greenspan said China's central bankers “just a few years removed from isolated central planning, have become major players in operating the global financial system.”  Chinese central bankers now play important roles in the BIS (Bank for International Settlements) in Switzerland and in the IMF (International Monetary Fund). With all its increase in productivity, China has NOT become less of a threat in the area of human rights. And, it is soon planning major efforts in redistribution of wealth because of internal division in the areas of wealth and literacy between the urban wealthy and poorer citizens. Also, corruption in all levels of government is a major problem. China is the most populated country in the world, and has the third-largest economy. It is also the third-largest exporter. China controls (owns) over $2 trillion in foreign currency reserves. And in the worst global recession since the Great Depression, It was the only large economy that was growing in the global economic recession of 2008-2011(since the Great Depression of 1929 thru 1934). In 2012-2013 China overtook the USA as the #1 oil importer from the Middle East; however, more than just oil ... it is has already become the largest energy consumer in the world overall taking into consideration all forms of energy. It uses more coal than the rest of the world combined. China/ automobile production reached 16 million compared to 14.5 million in the USA recently. In the not too distant future, China may become the world's leading nation. Because of "quantitative easing" and other economic factors of the USA since 2008 that fed potential hyper inflation, the USA leaned on Communist China to purchase US Treasury Bonds. China is forced to support the US ... and recently Europe ... because these are two major markets for China's products. FACT: 83 members of Communist China's National People's Congress (NPC) are billionaires in terms of US Dollars. NOTICE: A multiple formation planned by Satan. At the same time as the Kings of the East are being forged militarily, politically and culturally, so is an economic front that will force itself into the New Global Governance: The formation of a global elite sector: a small group of people ... extremely wealthy and powerful ... who control political and economic sectors is in preparation for the "global equalization." OTHER PLAYERS IN THE SINO ASIAN EMERGENCE Note: All the creditor nations are in Asia: China, Korea, Japan, Taiwan, Singapore, Hong Kong, and the large amounts of assets in Asia. All of the debtor nations (USA, UK, etc.) are in the West. SCO The Shanghai Cooperation Organization – SCO Founded 2001: China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgystan, Tajiistan, and Uzbekistan. Nations with “observer” status: Mongolia, India, Pakistan, Iran. Will account for HALF of production of the world. BRIC Brazil, Russia, India, and China Looks like will be more than HALF of GDP on Planet Earth in 20 years. “As India, China, and revitalized EU overtake the US, there will be a transformation of the global scene.” ‒ David Mason, The End of the American Century The People's Bank of China is now calling on the world to replace the US Dollar as the world's reserve currency and for the IMF to issue a new, single “super-sovereign” currency. SINO INDIAN COMPETITION India is expanding port control in Indian Ocean: Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Myanmar (Burma), Bangladesh. India has great R&D, software, services, and simulation packages and is a KEY player in world trade. Note: 25% of the world's NEW workers each year are in India. PAKISTAN Pakistan's military, although smaller than India's, is greater in per capita numbers. Both Pakistan and India are evenly matched in missile and nuclear facilities. INDIA India has the second largest military manpower in the world (second only to China). While India has maintained an average annual growth of 8.8% in the recent years, the failure of the government to control terrorist activities recently have put a dampening effect on new business ventures. Also, India and Pakistan are nuclear sparring partners. China and India are the accelerating force in world markets; however, most of the key economists feel that China will be the driving force in controlling the current global economic meltdown and be the major player in economic recovery. Here is information on India as an Economic Super Power. China and India will serve as nearly twice the engine for growth as of the United States and the Euro Zone combined by 2025. COMPARISON OF INDIA AND PAKISTAN IN MILITARY PROWESS Pakistan has a does NOT follow a "no first use" policy with regard to nuclear attack. It "will / can / probably" attack India (or anyone it want to) without notice or even aggravation by the opposing force. This is fundamentally a "super threat" because of Islamic militancy. In recent months terrorist forces have attempted to militarily encircle the central storage facilities for the Pakistani nuclear weapons armory. "If a purely conventional war were to take place between both these countries, India would most likely overpower Pakistan owing to its superior military technology and infrastructure, larger manpower, more territorial area and a strategic advantage in its sea and air forces. It must also be noted that a war between these two countries will matter more than India’s conventional superiority as both these nations are nuclear powers on an equal deadlock. India has maintained a ‘no first use’ nuclear policy in the lines of a similar policy by China while Pakistan does not have any such policy, considering their only hope against India is in nuclear deterrance. It would be risky for India at the present scenario to go into any aggressive war against Pakistan as the repercussions would be serious a nuclear devastation for both countries." – Aby the Liberal / The Internationalist For the annual assessment of the military capabilities and defence economics of 170 countries worldwide, go to: The Military Balance 2017. For the India Military Guide, go to: GlobalSecurity.org. For the Pakistan Military Guide, go to: Pakistan Military Guide. OTHER RESOURCES: News Release: Sat Jan 28 2012 at 3:55 pm GMT The African Union inaugurates its newly built Chinese-funded headquarters in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa. Iraq suffers as Euphrates River dwindles: NY Times 2009-07-14 India vs. China on Military Strength - Conventional and Nuclear. Nuclear Missile Forces: USA vs. China vs. Russia. To compare the military strength of the nations of the world - excluding nuclear capability - go to: www.globalfirepower.com/. You will see that China and India are two out of the four top players in the world. They rank as follows: USA China Russia India Again, this does NOT take into account nuclear capabilities: the ranking above is based solely on a nation's capabilities from land, sea and air (with other statistics covering the logistical and financial aspects of waging war). But if you include nuclear capabilities, then the "kings of the east" (east of the Euphrates River) who would be formidable military threats would have to include: Pakistan, North Korea, Japan, Iran and Turkey. We are NOT including Iran or Turkey in this section, "Sino Asian Emergence," as we cover Iran and Turkey elsewhere, as mentioned above. SUMMARY In conclusion, it is evident that China and India are two of the fastest growing economic and military powers in the world. The Euphrates River will be dried up (maybe having more to do with soil impaction or alignment than hydrological forces).in the future to prepare the way for the kings of the east. Whether or not the Euphrates River has more or less water in the future (from increased flow of tributaries or from mechanical dredging) remains to be seen. But ... the Euphrates River will be a vital variable in the logistics of the Eastern "region kings" who come (or, are drawn) to the battle of the great day of El Shaddai, God Almighty. (Brit Chadashah: Revelation 16:14) In the last days their will be a major military, political, and economic force that arises from the East. This force will NOT be from just one national entity, but will be a confluence of several regional powers in the East ... and NOT from just the Pacific Rim. Direction in the Holy Bible is always oriented from Jerusalem, Israel. So these "kings of the east" can represent forces in the Near East, Middle East and/or Far East. The Sino Asian Emergence is a KEY construct in end times prophetic fulfillment. The rapid Sino Asian Emergence that is developing now is a sign of the END TIMES. In Asia ... as in other sectors of the world ... the stage is being set where the kings of the east will have their function in the final days of Planet Earth when Messiah comes to establish His Kingdom. Make sure you know Messiah personally … before He comes to Earth … or before you die. Be ready. If you are NOT sure you will go to Heaven when you die, then pray this prayer: “God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, if Yeshua is really my Messiah, then reveal Him to me … and I will serve you the rest of my life. Help me to live for You, and take me to Heaven when I die. Amen!” _________________________________________ "And the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates; and the water thereof was dried up, that the way of the kings of the east might be prepared."– Brit Chadashah: Revelation 16:12 MAP OF THE END TIMES Baruch haba b'Shem Adonai. Your friend, Prince Handley President / RegentUniversity of Excellence Podcast time: 15 minutes, 23 seconds _________________________________________ Rabbinical & Biblical Studies The Believers’ Intelligentsia _________________________________________    

PODCAST SATELLITETHE VOICE OF ISRAEL8 Sivan, 5777  Prince HandleyUniversity of ExcellencePresident / Regent    CHINA AND THE KINGS OF THE EASTISRAEL AND HER UNKNOWN ENEMY~ A MIRACLE PODCAST PRODUCTION ~ הודעה עבור בנימין נתניהו You can listen to this podcast NOW. Click the center of the Libsyn pod circle at top left. Listen now ... or download for later Or, LISTEN HERE >>> LISTEN NOW Email this message to a friend! 24/7 release of Prince Handley blogs, teachings, and podcasts >>> STREAM Text: "follow princehandley" to 40404 (in USA) Or, Twitter: princehandley Subscribe to THE APOSTLES E-zine newsletter:princehandley@gmail.com __________________________________________________ CHINA AND THE KINGS OF THE EASTISRAEL AND HER UNKNOWN ENEMY~ A MIRACLE PODCAST PRODUCTION ~ A MESSAGE TO BENYAMIN NETANYAHU הודעה עבור בנימין נתניהו SINO ASIAN EMERGENCE FORMATION AND EVOLUTION OF THE ENDTIME KINGS OF THE EAST__________________________________________________ "Behold, these shall come from far: and, lo, these from the north and from the west; and these from the land of Sinim." – Isaiah 49:12 "Sinim" was the name of a distant Oriental region. Wilhem Gesenius, a German biblical critic and Semitic language scholar, commented that "The Arabians and other Asiatics called China Sin, or Tchin; the Chinese had no special name for themselves, but either adopted that of the reigning dynasty or some high-sounding titles. This view of 'Sinim' suits the context which requires a people to be meant 'from far,' and distinct from those "from the north and from the west." "And the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates; and the water thereof was dried up, that the way of the kings of the east might be prepared." – Revelation 16:12__________________________________________________ RIVER EUPHRATES God created the Euphrates River."The name of the third river is Tigris, the one that flows east of Asshur. And the fourth river is the Euphrates" (Torah: Bereshith / Genesis 2:14). The river of the same name marked one of the boundaries of the land promised by God to Abraham and to his descendants: Isaac, Jacob, and to the end of his seed line. In the Hebrew Bible (Tanakh) it is often referred to simply as "The River" (ha-nahar). (Torah: Bereshith / Genesis 15:18). The Euphrates marks the north-eastern border of the land God promises to Abram: "To your descendants I give this land from the wadi of Egypt to the Great River, the river Euphrates" (Torah: Genesis 15:18 in the Jerusalem Bible) God tells the Israelites to go to the Promised Land: "Start out and make your way to the hill country of the Amorites and to all their neighbors in the Arabah, the hill country, the Shephelah, the Negeb, the seacoast, the land of the Canaanites, and the Lebanon, as far as the Great River, the river Euphrates." ( (Torah: Devarim / Deuteronomy 1:7). God (through Moses) promises the Israelites the Promised Land: "Every place where you set the soles of your feet shall be yours. Your borders shall run from the wilderness to the Lebanon and from the River, the river Euphrates, to the western sea." (Torah: Devarim / Deuteronomy 11:24). The Lord says "Your King will make peace among the nations; He will rule from sea to sea, from the Euphrates River to the ends of the earth." (Tanakh: Zechariah 9:10) THE GREAT EUPHRATES RIVER AND PROPHECY OF REVELATION 16:12 The great River Euphrates is the water boundary separating the Holy Land (promised by God to Moses, Abraham, Israel) from Asia to the East. Because of dams constructed in the last century to divert water for irrigation, there are at times little or no water in the river bed. The act of the sixth angel in pouring out his vial upon the River Euphrates may have more to do with soil impaction or alignment than hydrological forces. However, it could be that the Euphrates River―due to some kind of engineering or dredging―may be fed with a network of tributaries in the future. At any rate, regardless of the Euphrates having more or less water in the future, it will be a viable variable in the logistics of the future and the Eastern "region kings" who play a key part in end time prophecy. KINGS OF THE EAST In the last days their will be a major military, political, and economic force that arises from the East. This force will NOT be from just one national entity, but will be a confluence of several regional powers in the East ... and NOT from just the Pacific Rim. Direction in the Holy Bible is always oriented from Jerusalem, Israel. So these "kings of the east" can represent forces in the Near East, Middle East and/or Far East. This force may be an amalgamation of national and cultural social interests flowing together for advancement, protection, control and power. One or more of the region kings may be a separate entity, however, working either in cooperation with or separately from the other region kings. However, these region kings will move simultaneously or in approximation to or with each other. The timing will be in prophetical precision and It will be a synergistic force that will be in effect designed by God as "pawns" to bring about the establishment of His Kingdom on earth. However, even though this force from the East fits into the end time plans of Almighty God, the regional EPM (Economical - Political - Military) powers will NOT have as their goal(s) the service of God. They will in effect be drawn (inspired) by Satan to do his bidding. There are / will be several players in this field of "region kings." In the following discussion, we will review some of the major players; however, keep in mind, that any power adjacent to the Euphrates River and beyond (easterly) may be a candidate for this role. This would include present day Iraq, Syria, Eastern Turkey, the southern steppes of Russia (from the former USSR), Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, China, Mongolia, North and South Korea. We will now discuss some of the more poignant players at this present time from the "region kings" of the East. [Note: Iran will not be included in this discussion because, even though it could be included in the area of the region kings of the East, this section is more directed to the area of "Sino Asian Emergence." Iran is covered in several other sections of the U of E site: Israel and Middle East Islam and Its Teachings Turkey and Word War Three SOME IMPORTANT FACTS ABOUT CHINA China's Silk Road Resurrected. “One Belt, One Road.” 21st Century version of the ancient Silk Road traveled by Marco Polo. President Xi Jinping [chi-jin-ping] hosts the so-called Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) Summit. The BRI is Xi’s $1 trillion – with a "T" -- plan to build state of the art roads, ports, pipelines and airports that will link China to 110 countries around the world and make Beijing the epicenter of world trade for decades to come. The initiative is a brazen attempt to seize worldwide economic leadership from the United States. Xi sees an opportunity to bind emerging trade partners to him by offering them access to China’s vast consumer market. Xi is offering a lot of money and infrastructure to a lot of recipient countries who have a pressing need for their economies to be modernized. China is effectively applying soft power in a very visible way. It wants to become what the USA has been until now – the leader of the world economy. Among the massive infrastructure projects being offered to potential partners, China wants to build a port in Pakistan, complete a China-to-Myanmar pipeline, giving it access to Middle East crude oil, and dredge and deepen the historic Greek port of Piraeus. For Xi, this means showing that the rest of the world is girded to China, and that all roads lead to Beijing. ‒ Reference: John Moody, Executive Vice President, Executive Editor for Fox News China's economy will be larger than that of the USA by 2030. China controls: The Port of Long Beach (on the West Coast of USA); Both entrances to the Panama Canal; and, The key NAFTA Mexican port city of Lazaro Cardenas at the southern tip of the North American Union highway. China and many other countries have wanted to take away control from the USA for many years. Prohibition of imports of US products are now in place unless they are based on intellectual property that is developed and/or owned in China. U.S. products cannot be sold in China unless companies give China their current patents plus their research and development of new products. The longtime consensus among government and business elites has been that as China became richer, its interests would become more like the FREE world. It didn't work out that way because China is a Communist totalitarian country striving for military and economic superiority and still tortures, kills, and imprisons Christians. In 1949 China began to eliminate all religious entities from their borders. When Mao Zedong ("Chairman Mao") took over power he referred to religion as "the opium of the mind." China, today, is still one of the most repressive forces of Christianity in the world, with many Christians belonging to the "house" churches being tortured and imprisoned. NOTE: The "house" churches are those NOT registered with the government. In an attempt to control Christians, the government requires that all churches register with them. The government controlled church is called the "Three-Self Patriotic Movement." Millions of born again believers are part of the "house" churches and are NOT aligned with the government authorized churches. There are about 12 million registered believers in the official "State" churches and over 100 million believers in the non-registered "house" churches. The Chinese government tells the registered "3 Self" churches: 1. Where they can worship; 2. Who can worship (only those over 18); and, 3. What they can teach. REASONS FOR THE RISE OF CHINA IN THE WORLD MARKETPLACE President Richard Nixon opened trade agreements with China in 1972. After Chairman "Murderer" Mao died in 1976, certain of the Communist leaders realized that to succeed in world market share they must attempt to pattern what the leading non-communist nations were doing. These leaders realized they must move toward "capitalism" to become competitive in world trade, but they decided to "code" their terminology in new language so they would still be identified as communistic. New terms, such as "market socialism" and "socialism with Chinese characteristics" were coined. The new economic leaders decided upon a four pronged plan of attack to help them become competitive in world trade. This plan was known as the "Four Modernizations" and included: Agriculture Industry Technology Military They realized that their previous programs of mass starvation, torture, forced labor, and personal regimentation were achieving the opposite of motivating the "collective" Chinese people. In 1978 Deng Xiaoping became the key Communist leader in China mainly because of his economic expansionist plans leading China out of an abysmal position of market share production. Having been a sluggard in production due to Marxist / socialist control of manufacturing, China had been far behind the leading nations of the world until then. China decided to model other successful nations in the Far East: Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Singapore. These countries were referred to as the East Asian Tigers, and all of which were non-Communist, free market economies. As an indicator of how far China has come in world trade, at this time the USA purchases 40% of its consumer goods from the Chinese. China now produces two-thirds of the world's DVD's, photocopiers, shoes, and microwaves ... and that's just a small part of their production landscape. As for information and communications technology, China has overtaken the USA. And, China is expanding its export market from the USA, Europe, and Japan to Latin America, Africa, and third world countries. For example, China’s foreign investment in Africa has increased from $1.5 million in 1991 to $1.2 billion in 2005. The KEY move right now by China is to obtain security in oil and energy imports to supply its great expansion in production and standard of living. China is investing money in oil and energy projects in countries where the West (USA, EU, etc) places sanctions. (For example, countries where US companies are NOT allowed to do business.) China is also building factories close to raw materials in African countries, and providing them with foreign aid, military equipment, building infrastructure, and forming favored agreements to foster friendship. (See the News Release in "Other Resources" below as an example.) Major leaps in banking have been effected by China. Even Alan Greenspan said China's central bankers “just a few years removed from isolated central planning, have become major players in operating the global financial system.”  Chinese central bankers now play important roles in the BIS (Bank for International Settlements) in Switzerland and in the IMF (International Monetary Fund). With all its increase in productivity, China has NOT become less of a threat in the area of human rights. And, it is soon planning major efforts in redistribution of wealth because of internal division in the areas of wealth and literacy between the urban wealthy and poorer citizens. Also, corruption in all levels of government is a major problem. China is the most populated country in the world, and has the third-largest economy. It is also the third-largest exporter. China controls (owns) over $2 trillion in foreign currency reserves. And in the worst global recession since the Great Depression, It was the only large economy that was growing in the global economic recession of 2008-2011(since the Great Depression of 1929 thru 1934). In 2012-2013 China overtook the USA as the #1 oil importer from the Middle East; however, more than just oil ... it is has already become the largest energy consumer in the world overall taking into consideration all forms of energy. It uses more coal than the rest of the world combined. China/ automobile production reached 16 million compared to 14.5 million in the USA recently. In the not too distant future, China may become the world's leading nation. Because of "quantitative easing" and other economic factors of the USA since 2008 that fed potential hyper inflation, the USA leaned on Communist China to purchase US Treasury Bonds. China is forced to support the US ... and recently Europe ... because these are two major markets for China's products. FACT: 83 members of Communist China's National People's Congress (NPC) are billionaires in terms of US Dollars. NOTICE: A multiple formation planned by Satan. At the same time as the Kings of the East are being forged militarily, politically and culturally, so is an economic front that will force itself into the New Global Governance: The formation of a global elite sector: a small group of people ... extremely wealthy and powerful ... who control political and economic sectors is in preparation for the "global equalization." OTHER PLAYERS IN THE SINO ASIAN EMERGENCE Note: All the creditor nations are in Asia: China, Korea, Japan, Taiwan, Singapore, Hong Kong, and the large amounts of assets in Asia. All of the debtor nations (USA, UK, etc.) are in the West. SCO The Shanghai Cooperation Organization – SCO Founded 2001: China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgystan, Tajiistan, and Uzbekistan. Nations with “observer” status: Mongolia, India, Pakistan, Iran. Will account for HALF of production of the world. BRIC Brazil, Russia, India, and China Looks like will be more than HALF of GDP on Planet Earth in 20 years. “As India, China, and revitalized EU overtake the US, there will be a transformation of the global scene.” ‒ David Mason, The End of the American Century The People's Bank of China is now calling on the world to replace the US Dollar as the world's reserve currency and for the IMF to issue a new, single “super-sovereign” currency. SINO INDIAN COMPETITION India is expanding port control in Indian Ocean: Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Myanmar (Burma), Bangladesh. India has great R&D, software, services, and simulation packages and is a KEY player in world trade. Note: 25% of the world's NEW workers each year are in India. PAKISTAN Pakistan's military, although smaller than India's, is greater in per capita numbers. Both Pakistan and India are evenly matched in missile and nuclear facilities. INDIA India has the second largest military manpower in the world (second only to China). While India has maintained an average annual growth of 8.8% in the recent years, the failure of the government to control terrorist activities recently have put a dampening effect on new business ventures. Also, India and Pakistan are nuclear sparring partners. China and India are the accelerating force in world markets; however, most of the key economists feel that China will be the driving force in controlling the current global economic meltdown and be the major player in economic recovery. Here is information on India as an Economic Super Power. China and India will serve as nearly twice the engine for growth as of the United States and the Euro Zone combined by 2025. COMPARISON OF INDIA AND PAKISTAN IN MILITARY PROWESS Pakistan has a does NOT follow a "no first use" policy with regard to nuclear attack. It "will / can / probably" attack India (or anyone it want to) without notice or even aggravation by the opposing force. This is fundamentally a "super threat" because of Islamic militancy. In recent months terrorist forces have attempted to militarily encircle the central storage facilities for the Pakistani nuclear weapons armory. "If a purely conventional war were to take place between both these countries, India would most likely overpower Pakistan owing to its superior military technology and infrastructure, larger manpower, more territorial area and a strategic advantage in its sea and air forces. It must also be noted that a war between these two countries will matter more than India’s conventional superiority as both these nations are nuclear powers on an equal deadlock. India has maintained a ‘no first use’ nuclear policy in the lines of a similar policy by China while Pakistan does not have any such policy, considering their only hope against India is in nuclear deterrance. It would be risky for India at the present scenario to go into any aggressive war against Pakistan as the repercussions would be serious a nuclear devastation for both countries." – Aby the Liberal / The Internationalist For the annual assessment of the military capabilities and defence economics of 170 countries worldwide, go to: The Military Balance 2017. For the India Military Guide, go to: GlobalSecurity.org. For the Pakistan Military Guide, go to: Pakistan Military Guide. OTHER RESOURCES: News Release: Sat Jan 28 2012 at 3:55 pm GMT The African Union inaugurates its newly built Chinese-funded headquarters in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa. Iraq suffers as Euphrates River dwindles: NY Times 2009-07-14 India vs. China on Military Strength - Conventional and Nuclear. Nuclear Missile Forces: USA vs. China vs. Russia. To compare the military strength of the nations of the world - excluding nuclear capability - go to: www.globalfirepower.com/. You will see that China and India are two out of the four top players in the world. They rank as follows: USA China Russia India Again, this does NOT take into account nuclear capabilities: the ranking above is based solely on a nation's capabilities from land, sea and air (with other statistics covering the logistical and financial aspects of waging war). But if you include nuclear capabilities, then the "kings of the east" (east of the Euphrates River) who would be formidable military threats would have to include: Pakistan, North Korea, Japan, Iran and Turkey. We are NOT including Iran or Turkey in this section, "Sino Asian Emergence," as we cover Iran and Turkey elsewhere, as mentioned above. SUMMARY In conclusion, it is evident that China and India are two of the fastest growing economic and military powers in the world. The Euphrates River will be dried up (maybe having more to do with soil impaction or alignment than hydrological forces).in the future to prepare the way for the kings of the east. Whether or not the Euphrates River has more or less water in the future (from increased flow of tributaries or from mechanical dredging) remains to be seen. But ... the Euphrates River will be a vital variable in the logistics of the Eastern "region kings" who come (or, are drawn) to the battle of the great day of El Shaddai, God Almighty. (Brit Chadashah: Revelation 16:14) In the last days their will be a major military, political, and economic force that arises from the East. This force will NOT be from just one national entity, but will be a confluence of several regional powers in the East ... and NOT from just the Pacific Rim. Direction in the Holy Bible is always oriented from Jerusalem, Israel. So these "kings of the east" can represent forces in the Near East, Middle East and/or Far East. The Sino Asian Emergence is a KEY construct in end times prophetic fulfillment. The rapid Sino Asian Emergence that is developing now is a sign of the END TIMES. In Asia ... as in other sectors of the world ... the stage is being set where the kings of the east will have their function in the final days of Planet Earth when Messiah comes to establish His Kingdom. Make sure you know Messiah personally … before He comes to Earth … or before you die. Be ready. If you are NOT sure you will go to Heaven when you die, then pray this prayer: “God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, if Yeshua is really my Messiah, then reveal Him to me … and I will serve you the rest of my life. Help me to live for You, and take me to Heaven when I die. Amen!” _________________________________________ "And the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates; and the water thereof was dried up, that the way of the kings of the east might be prepared."– Brit Chadashah: Revelation 16:12 MAP OF THE END TIMES Baruch haba b'Shem Adonai. Your friend, Prince Handley President / RegentUniversity of Excellence Podcast time: 15 minutes, 23 seconds _________________________________________ Rabbinical & Biblical Studies The Believers’ Intelligentsia _________________________________________    

1 Joshua called together all the tribes of Israel at Shechem. He called in the elders, chiefs, judges, and officers. They presented themselves before God. 2 Then Joshua addressed all the people:"This is what God, the God of Israel, says: A long time ago your ancestors, Terah and his sons Abraham and Nahor, lived to the east of the River Euphrates. They worshiped other gods. 3 I took your ancestor Abraham from the far side of The River. I led him all over the land of Canaan and multiplied his descendants. I gave him Isaac. 4 Then I gave Isaac Jacob and Esau. I let Esau have the mountains of Seir as home, but Jacob and his sons ended up in Egypt. 5 I sent Moses and Aaron. I hit Egypt hard with plagues and then led you out of there. 6 I brought your ancestors out of Egypt. You came to the sea, the Egyptians in hot pursuit with chariots and cavalry, to the very edge of the Red Sea! 7" Then they cried out for help to God. He put a cloud between you and the Egyptians and then let the sea loose on them. It drowned them. "You watched the whole thing with your own eyes, what I did to Egypt. And then you lived in the wilderness for a long time. 8 I brought you to the country of the Amorites, who lived east of the Jordan, and they fought you. But I fought for you and you took their land. I destroyed them for you. 9 Then Balak son of Zippor made his appearance. He was the king of Moab. He got ready to fight Israel by sending for Balaam son of Beor to come and curse you. 10 But I wouldn't listen to Balaam-- he ended up blessing you over and over! I saved you from him. 11" You then crossed the Jordan and came to Jericho. The Jericho leaders ganged up on you as well as the Amorites, Perizzites, Canaanites, Hittites, Girgashites, Hivites, and Jebusites, but I turned them over to you. 12 "I sent the Hornet ahead of you. It drove out the two Amorite kings-- did your work for you. You didn't have to do a thing, not so much as raise a finger. 13" I handed you a land for which you did not work, towns you did not build. And here you are now living in them and eating from vineyards and olive groves you did not plant. 14 "So now: Fear God. Worship him in total commitment. Get rid of the gods your ancestors worshiped on the far side of The River (the Euphrates) and in Egypt. You, worship God. 15" If you decide that it's a bad thing to worship God, then choose a god you'd rather serve-- and do it today. Choose one of the gods your ancestors worshiped from the country beyond The River, or one of the gods of the Amorites, on whose land you're now living. As for me and my family, we'll worship God. " Joshua 21:1-15 (MSG)

I. From Pride to Presumption Turn to Daniel 5. We continue in our study in Daniel and we come to Belshazzar's last feast. Now around this room, there are many timepieces, aren't there? Some of you may even be checking them right now. There are many different ways to mark time, and we're getting better and better at it. I saw an advertisement in a magazine which has a wristwatch, which automatically changes its time as you change time zones. I don't know how that works, but it's got some kind of a receiver within it, that takes data from an atomic clock somewhere, and wherever you are, you know exactly what time it is, you don't have to fiddle anymore with adjusting, isn't that incredible? We're very conscious of time and interested in telling time. And so it has been really from the beginning of the world, since God created the sun, and the moon, and the stars to mark time and as we see the sun come up and set, we're interested in the passing of time, so we see the moon's wax and wane. We're interested in the passing of time. Some of the earliest timepieces were water clocks. I was reading about one in Egypt, which had a certain rate that the water flowed out of a vessel and they were able to mark the time within a day that way, there was a remarkable water clock in China that lasted for over 100 years and kept very accurate time. But we're going to see that God's ways of marking time are different than ours, although He has them and there is a timetable that God is keeping though we don't know what it is. And God has given us insight into time, but His times are His own. Jesus was born in the fullness of time it says in Galatians 4:4, at just the right time in history. We know that today is given to us for a purpose, isn't it? For repentance. Today is the day of salvation, that we might call on Jesus Christ, and be forgiven of our sins. That's what today is for, for repentance and day passes upon day and time is marked. But in God's time, the judgments come and at just the right time, they come. God gave a promise to Abraham that he would own the promised land in the future but not yet. And why? The sin of the Amorites had not yet reached its full measure. God had a certain measure and when the sin of the Amorites had reached that measure, judgment would come by the sword of Joshua and the invading armies, in the Book of Joshua but not yet. God has His timetable and so He had for the ancient empire of Babylon. There was a right time for judgment and until that time came judgment would not come, but when that time came, the judgment fell and nothing could stop it. Now, about 60 or so years before the chapter we're reading today, there was a strange ceremony carried on by a Jewish refugee, his name was Seraiah and Seraiah stood by the flowing river Euphrates, as it flowed through the center of Babylon, and he read a scroll in Hebrew, the scroll was written by a prophet, a Jewish prophet and it had some words in it. Now, I don't know what went on when the scroll was read. I don't know if the Babylonians were hurrying to their jobs, maybe some of them were late going to and fro but here was this group of refugees, standing by the river Babylon or the River Euphrates in the center of Babylon, and the scroll being read. And when the reading was finished, Seraiah wrapped it up and tied a stone to it and threw it into the center of the Euphrates River and there it sank. Ceremony was over. What did it mean? Well, the meaning was contained in the words of the scroll. We'll get to that. But some time later, the waters of the Euphrates River started to dwindle on one given night, got a little bit dryer. Dwindled down from a river, a mighty river to a stream, to a trickle and then it was dry, river bed just mud and there perhaps, 60 years later, the stone that had been thrown in by Seraiah was there. I'm sure the scroll and its string was disintegrated. That's what time does. But maybe the rock was still there, testimony that the time had come for judgment. Babylon would fall that night. And it just so happened while that river was dwindling down and running dry, there was a big party going on. We can relate to that, can't we? We're a partying people? We enjoy a good party. And Belshazzar was throwing the party, the feast. It would be his last, his last feast, but he was throwing a party. Fascinating. With judgment impending, they're throwing a party and a feast. And so we're going to look tonight or today at Belshazzar's last feast, Daniel 5 and we're going to see a specific and accurate fulfillment of prophecy that God had given through His prophet Jeremiah. We have up to this point in Daniel seen many prophecies laid out, which have not yet been fulfilled, haven't we? Future prophecies that are going to be fulfilled at the second coming of Christ. But Daniel 5 is not of a future prophecy, but of a past prophecy and it's fulfillment, the fall of Babylon. And we're going to see how accurate it is. II. Historical Context: Babylon After Nebuchadnezzar Now, instead of reading through these verses all the way through and then going back and explaining them, I think we're going to look at it section at a time, but before we do it, we're going to get the historical context. What had gone on now is that Nebuchadnezzar has died. The head of gold, you remember the statue in chapter two. It was a statue, which represented the flow of human history and the top was a head of gold and according to Daniel, Nebuchadnezzar himself was that head of gold, he represented the Babylonian Empire. Well, Nebuchadnezzar has now died, we don't know how he died. We don't have any record of him being assassinated, perhaps he died through an illness, but he died 562 BC. In the words of David, he went the way of all the earth, the way of all potentates, all his power is gone and now he's going to stand before the Judge. We pray that in Daniel 4, he came to repentance and came to faith in Christ, and we hope we see him in heaven but his time on earth has ended. Nebuchadnezzar's successors however were not like Nebuchadnezzar. He was the head of gold, his successors were nothing like him. There was incompetence, there was intrigue, there was idolatry, there was not strong leadership. His son Evil-Merodach or Amel-Marduk ruled for only nine years and then he was assassinated by one of the generals in the army, Neriglissar. Neriglissar assassinated Nebuchadnezzar's son, and then took the throne. Eventually he died and his son was placed on the throne for nine months. There was a conspiracy and his son was assassinated. Just one toppling after another, it became very weak, very unstable. Finally, the leader of the second conspiracy Nabonidus took the throne and ruled until the end of Babylon. Along with him he took a wife Nitocris who was a daughter of Nebuchadnezzar, she was a direct daughter of Nebuchadnezzar and the two of them had a son and the son's name was Belshazzar. And when Belshazzar was old enough Belshazzar became co-regent ruling together with his father Nabonidus. Now, going back in time, Jeremiah 27, you don't have to turn there, but there's a clear prophecy given about not only the fall of Babylon but when it would come. Jeremiah the prophet gathered a bunch of small kings including the king of Israel or Judah to him. This is before Nebuchadnezzar had conquered anything. He gathered all these kings together and said all of you kings are given into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar. This is what he says, "Now I will hand all your countries over to my servant Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, I will make even the wild animals subject to him, all nations will serve him and his son and his grandson until the time for his land comes then many nations and great kings will subjugate him." Do you see the time table? Three generations. And in the third generation, his grandson, the end would come. Belshazzar was his grandson. The accuracy of prophecy, very clear how long it would last. And so, Belshazzar was ruling. Now around that time, the Medes and the Persians started getting powerful. Cyrus the Great became the leader of that budding empire. And he began to conquer. He began to ride out over Babylon and began to win victories and he defeated Nabonidus in a critical battle and Nabonidus fled to Borsippa where he was captured. Cyrus the Great then turned his attention on Babylon itself, the city of Babylon. The armies of Babylon had pulled back inside the walls of that fortress. Belshazzar was pretty much all that was left, but that city had never been conquered. In all the history of the military annals there's never been a city like Babylon, a fortress it seemed unconquerable and so they pulled in and they thought it was time for a party. And so they threw a feast. III. Belshazzar’s Defiant Feast (vs. 1-4) Now, let's look at verses one through four. "King Belshazzar gave a great banquet for a thousand of his nobles and drank wine with them. While Belshazzar was drinking his wine he gave orders to bring in the gold and the silver goblets that Nebuchadnezzar his father had taken from the temple in Jerusalem so that the king and his nobles, his wives and his concubines might drink from them. So they brought in the gold goblets that had been taken from the temple of God in Jerusalem, and the king and his nobles, his wives and his concubines drank from them. As they drank the wine, they praised the gods of gold and silver, of bronze, iron, wood and stone." Here, we see Belshazzar's defiant feast. The historical context couldn't be clearer, right at the walls of the city is the combined army of the Medes and the Persians, they're right around the walls, they're ready to conquer the city, but the Babylonians defy them with a feast, a celebration, a party, Belshazzar leading the way. But not only do they defy the armies of the Medes and the Persians, they defied God Himself, God Almighty, the Creator of the ends of the earth by calling for the golden goblets and cups from His temple that Nebuchadnezzar had taken out. Nebuchadnezzar never did this but Belshazzar did and they took them out and they drank, they drank celebrations to gods of gold and silver, of bronze, of iron, wood and stone. Now, massive banquets are part of the ancient Near East tradition. It shouldn't surprise us that everyone in Babylon was at a party. The ancient historian Ktesias said that Persian monarchs who came later frequently were known to dine daily with 15,000 people, that's a big feast. Earlier the Assyrian emperor Ashunasirpal II gave a feast to 70,000 people. In 485 Persian king Darius had a feast in which a thousand animals were slaughtered including, get this, oxen, zebras, gazelles, stags, Arabian ostriches, geese, game cocks and camel. Turns out that smoked camel hump is a favorite Persian dish. So those are the kind of things that they ate. They also served rice pilaf with meats, nuts, spices and fruit. Shish kebabs of mutton, fish, poultry, vegetables seasoned with special yogurt sauce. The guests at that banquet even enjoyed sugar brought by caravan from distant lands as at that time sugar was eaten only by kings. But it was lavished on all the guests. Now, that was a later feast, but this is the kind of thing that was going on as the armies were surrounding the walls of Babylon. Now what brings this on? Well, it's a base innate hedonism, a desire we have to enjoy things. We like pleasure, don't we? We like to eat good foods, we like to have fun with our friends. Is there anything wrong with that? Well, no, as long as it's in its proper order with God at the center. But hedonism for its own sake is destructive. And so it says in Philippians 3:19, think of the Babylonians now, "Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame, their mind is on earthly things." That was Babylon that night, wasn't it? One of the most amazing things I found about the history of World War II is that as Berlin was about to fall and Hitler and all his leaders were down in a concrete bunker and the whole city was surrounded by the Red Army and the forces were crumbling at that moment, even after Hitler had committed suicide, the Nazi officials had a party, a big celebration. There's something innate inside us that wants to be happy, we want to celebrate, we want to have fun even if death is imminent. And so from the Scripture comes this slogan, "Let us eat and drink and be merry for tomorrow we die." And nothing could have ever been said more truthfully about Babylon. Actually, it wasn't tomorrow, it was tonight. What should they have been doing? They should have been taking the time repenting. They should have been on their faces before God, seeking His forgiveness, not drinking from His vessels and praising idols of gold and wood and stone, getting drunk. But you know, it's not very different in God's own people either. Isaiah 22, writing about the fall of Jerusalem they did the same thing. This is what Isaiah says about the fall of Jerusalem, "The Lord, the Lord almighty called you on that day to weep and to wail, to tear out your hair and put on sackcloth but see there's joy and revelry, there slaughtering of cattle and eating of meat, killing of sheep and drinking of wine. Let us eat and drink you say for tomorrow we die. The Lord Almighty has revealed this in my hearing to your dying day this sin will not be atoned for." When it's time to repent, you need to repent. It's not time for a party, it's not time for celebration, it's time for repentance. The Greatness of Babylon But you know something. I don't think the Babylonians felt they were going to die tomorrow. Let us eat and drink for tomorrow we... I don't think they thought so. I think they felt confidence. They were able to perhaps before the party began at least stand up around the walls of Babylon and defy the Medo-Persian army and say, "You'll never get in here. Never. These walls have never fallen and they're not going to fall tonight." Now in siege warfare there are three ways to win. If you're the army besieging a city what are three ways to win? You can go over the wall, you can go through the wall or you can starve the city within the wall so they come out. Those are the three ways you win siege warfare. But according to Herodotus, the ancient historian none of the three were possible because the city was monstrously huge. 14 miles square on a side, that's big. Think of how far it is from here to Raleigh. 14 miles on a side was the city. It had huge outer walls, 350 feet high. That's a 35-story building. Somebody tell me, is there a 35-story building in downtown Durham? I don't think there is, 35 stories is big. So imagine the highest building in Durham and even higher and you're looking up, and that's the wall, you're not going over that wall. I don't care how much structure you bring you're not going over. How about going through it? Well, according to Herodotus at the top of the wall, you can drive a chariot with four horses. That's at the top. Do you think the top is thinner or thicker than the bottom? It's got to be thinner, that's the way a wall is. It's got to be built almost like a pyramid. Some of the walls were 87 feet thick, 87 feet thick. You're not getting through that way. Well, what about the starvation route? Well, the problem is that the city was so big that it encompassed fields, areas that could continue growing for years and they had huge store houses. And what about drinking water? Plenty of it, you've got the River Euphrates flowing right through the center of the city, plenty of drinking water, you're never getting in here. Ancient Babylon was unconquerable. It had a 100 great bronze walls, gates in the walls, the inner and outer wall system had a series of moats, the river water was diverted around the wall so that you couldn't get through that way. Within the walls, there are a beautiful avenues and parks and palaces. A great bridge spanning the Euphrates connected the eastern and western parts of the city. There was the famed, Hanging Gardens of Babylon, beautiful to look at, and it gave them confidence. It's the same thing that Nebuchadnezzar said when he said, "Is not this the great Babylon I have built as a royal residence by my mighty power and for the glory of my majesty?" This is an incredible place and nobody's ever getting in here. And so they held a party. They had a banquet. It's really shocking when you stop and think about it. When you're in siege you want to conserve food, you don't want to have a banquet but that's exactly what they did. So, they defied the armies of Persia, they also defied the living God. Now this is particularly shocking because God had given Nebuchadnezzar and the Babylonian empire a lesson into His greatness. Daniel representing God had interpreted a dream that no one else knew. Miraculously he had read the king's mind. In Daniel 3 Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego had been rescued from the fiery furnace, God had showed His power. In Daniel 4 the most powerful man perhaps in the history of the world in terms of a monarch, a single ruler was turned into an animal for seven years by the God of Israel, and Nebuchadnezzar gave credit to Him, gave credit to the God of Israel, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Was the one who did that. "He rules over kings" he said. But none of that meant anything to his grandson, Belshazzar. Didn't think a thing of it. And so he said, "Who was that God we beat? Bring his cups in here, let's drink from those too." Defying God right in His presence. Jonathan Edwards in his famous sermon, Sinners in the hands of an angry God, said this and I think the words really strike to their situation. He's talking about God's power and he says, "There is no fortress that is any defense from the power of God. Though hand joining hand and vast multitudes of God's enemies combine and associate themselves they are easily broken in pieces. What are we that should think to stand before Him at whose rebuke the earth trembles and before whom rocks are thrown down." IV. God’s Terrifying Warning: “The Writing on the Wall” (vs. 5-9) Oh, the folly of human beings to defy God. Now in verses 5-9, there is the terrifying warning, the writing on the wall, the apparition appears. Now look up at the wall next to me, see that plaster up there, how would you feel right now if while I'm talking suddenly a hand appeared and started writing on it? What would you do? Would some of you scream? Would you run out? Would you stay and wonder what the writing said? Well, that's what happened in middle of the party. Right in the middle of the party the hand appears look at verse 5, "Suddenly the fingers of a human hand appeared and wrote on the plaster of the wall near the lampstand in the Royal Palace. The king watched the hand as it wrote, his face turned pale and he was so frightened that his knees knocked together and his legs gave way. And the king called for the enchanters, the astrologers and diviners to be brought and said to these wise men of Babylon, 'Whoever reads this writing and tells me what it means will be clothed in purple and have a gold chain placed around his neck and he will be made the third highest ruler in the kingdom.' Then all the king's wise men came in, but they could not read the writing or tell the king what it meant. So King Belshazzar became even more terrified and his face grew more pale and his nobles were baffled." Right in the middle of the party, the music stops. Now when the Titanic went down, the music kept playing until that it was the last possible moment, but music stopped a little early this night because people were terrified. What did the writing mean? What was it? What was the significance of these fingers and what were the letters? And terror and confusion reigned and no one knew what to do. And so the wise men were called in but nobody could read it. Maybe it's on the cover of your bulletin. Have you seen that little odd thing? Can you read it? There it was, something like that. And no one knew what it said. V. Daniel’s Clear Interpretation: The End Has Come (vs. 10-28) The Queen Mother’s Advice (vs. 10-12) And so the Queen Mother comes in verse 10-12, and gives some advice, "The queen hearing the voices of the king and his nobles came into the banquet hall. 'O king, live forever' she said. 'Don't be alarmed, don't look so pale. There is a man in your kingdom who has the spirit of the holy gods in him. In the time of your father he was found to have insight and intelligence and wisdom like that of the gods. King Nebuchadnezzar, your father, your father the king I say, appointed him chief of the magicians, enchanters, astrologers and diviners. This man Daniel whom the king called Belteshazzar was found to have a keen mind in knowledge and understanding, and also the ability to interpret dreams and explain riddles and solve difficult problems. Call for Daniel and he will tell you what the writing means.'" It's very interesting this woman is not at the banquet, she's the Queen Mother, I believe Nitocris, Nebuchadnezzar's daughter, and she hears probably screaming from the banquet, she hears the voices of the nobles and others, and so she comes in and, "What is going on?" and she finds out and she says, "Listen, don't worry about it, just get Daniel and he'll come in and he'll interpret it for you." Interesting that Daniel didn't come with the other lot, did he? That group of enchanters and... He didn't have anything to do with them. He came in on his own to interpret. And it's interesting what the Queen Mother said to him, do you notice what she said when she first came in. What did she say, "O king live forever." Isn't that ironic? Would the king live forever? No, actually he's hours away from his death. Hours away, he wouldn't survive the night. Daniel’s Appearance (vs. 13) And so Daniel appears in verse 13, as usual he refuses to be associated with them. Verse 13, "So Daniel was brought before the king and the king said to him. 'Are you Daniel? One of the exiles my father, the king, brought in from Judah? I have heard that the spirit of the gods is in you, and that you have insight, intelligence and outstanding wisdom. The wise men and enchanters were brought before me to read this writing and tell me what it means, but they could not explain it. Now, I have heard that you are able to give interpretations and to solve difficult problems. If you can read this writing and tell me what it means, you will be clothed in purple and have a gold chain placed around your neck and you'll be made third highest ruler in the kingdom.'" So, Belshazzar gives him a quick account of what's going on and of the failure of his counselors and he makes him that offer. Now, what are the three things that the world has to offer? We've said before, power, prestige and pleasure, those three I'll give them to you, they're mine to give. I can give them to anyone I want and I give them to you. And what does he say? Verse 17, "Then Daniel answered the king, keep your gifts for yourself and give your honors to somebody else." I have no interest. Now, I wonder if Daniel knew that that would be the night. I wonder. According to archaeology they have found a large banqueting room on the ruins of Babylon. They found a recessed area elevated where there may have been a throne. Interestingly enough, they found plaster on the walls. Some of the plaster was gone, decayed by age, I'm sure or maybe something else raked it off. You can't really tell, but there was a window in that room and it overlooked the Euphrates River. And if they had just taken the time and go look, they would have noticed something about the river, the river was dwindling, the river was drying, the river was gone. Where is the river? Maybe Daniel knew where the river was. Maybe he knew what was going on, maybe he knew that that was the night. Daniel Teaches History (vs. 18-21) And so, Daniel teaches the king some history, verses 18-21, "O king, the Most High God gave your father Nebuchadnezzar sovereignty and greatness and glory and splendor. Because of the high position He gave him all the peoples and nations and men of every language dreaded and feared him. Those the king wanted to put to death, he put to death, those he wanted to spare he spared, those he wanted to promote he promoted and those he wanted to humble he humbled. But when his heart became arrogant and hardened with pride, he was deposed from his royal throne and stripped of his glory. He was driven away from people and given the mind of an animal, he lived with the wild donkeys and ate grass like cattle and his body was drenched with the dew of heaven until he acknowledged... " until he acknowledged what? What is the lesson? What is the lesson of the book of Daniel? "that the most high God is sovereign over the kingdoms of men and He gives them to anyone He pleases." How many times have we heard the lesson? Over and over. And Belshazzar, you've not learned your history. Well, I never did well in history. Well, you need to do well in history. God isn't going to do an Exodus every generation. He's not going to have Jesus die every generation, He's not going to have Him rise from the dead every generation. He's going to give you a book and the history is written in the book, He's not going to do these same things year after year. He's going to give you a book and you read it in the book and you believe it or you don't. But here's the history and we need to learn from history. Belshazzar, you should have learned from what your father learned. What happened to your father? God was gracious and gentle to your father because he survived. But instead you defied Him. You set your heart against Him. And so Daniel preaches judgment verses 22-24, "But you his son, O Belshazzar, have not humbled yourself, though you knew all this. Instead, you have set yourself up against the Lord of heaven. You had the goblets from His temple brought to you and you and your nobles, your wives and your concubines drank wine from them. You praised the gods of silver and gold, of bronze, iron, wood and stone which cannot see or hear or understand. But you did not honor the God who holds in His hand your life and all your ways. Therefore He sent the hand that wrote the inscription." Is it still true that this God holds in His hand your life and all your ways? Are there many gods or is there only one God? And is that one God eternal or does He die? Does He change? Is He changeful or is He always the same? You have not humbled yourself, Belshazzar, you should have learned, but you did not honor the God who holds in His hand your life and all your ways and therefore, the inscription has been sent. Now why, why does God send the inscription? Why doesn't He just bring the judgment? Well, sometimes He does just bring the judgment but God delights to tell you ahead of time what He's going to do. He writes it down in Scripture and tells you ahead of time what's coming so that you will know that He tells the truth. And so we have prophecies in the Old Testament fulfilled in the Old Testament, in the New Testament or yet to be fulfilled still. That's the way God is. He tells us ahead of time what He's going to do, and then He does it and so the writing comes on the wall and so we can read it and understand what God will do. This is the way he is, He writes and then He fulfills. Daniel Interprets the Writing And so then, Daniel interprets it. "This is the inscription that was written: Mene Mene Tekel Parsin. Now this is what the words mean: Mene: God has numbered the days of your reign and brought it to an end. Tekel: You have been weighed on the scales and found wanting. Peres: Your kingdom is divided and given to the Medes and the Persians." Look at that middle one. You've been weighed on the scales and found light. God's tested you and you've come short. "For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God." What is the Hebrew word for glory? 'Kavod', which means weight, heaviness you don't have the glory of God. You come short of the glory of God, and you're found wanting. Now back in the ancient Near East, they had scales, and merchants would have a scale and they'd have weights. Woe to you if you had a deceptive weight or a tricky weight, but they put the weight and then they'd weigh out whatever they were selling. Belshazzar, you've been weighed and you're found wanting, you're a lightweight. You have not the glory of God in your heart and so your kingdom is brought to an end and your days are numbered, they're counted out. They will serve the father, the son and the grandson and in the days of the grandson the judgment will come. Your days are numbered out and they've come to an end and your kingdom is divided out and given to the Medes and the Persians. VI. Daniel Exalted, Belshazzar Destroyed (vs. 29-31) Well, verse 29, "At Belshazzar's command Daniel was clothed in purple, a gold chain was placed around his neck and he was proclaimed the third highest ruler in the kingdom." Oh, I'm sure that made Daniel feel so happy and proud. Go home and tell his friends, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah, "Look what the king gave me, isn't this wonderful?" Do you think so? How worthless are the baubles the world gives? They mean nothing. The honor and praise of the world means nothing. You get to be the third highest ruler of a kingdom that's going to fall tonight. Now, by the way what usually happens to the third highest ruler of the previous regime when the new regime comes in? Usually, but not Daniel, he's going to survive into chapter 6. We'll see him, Daniel, in the lion’s den and he gets made the third highest ruler in that kingdom. Only the hand of God can do that. Daniel survived this night because he trusted in God. But there he is with his gold chain and his purple robe and he survives the night. How can it be? And then in verse 30 and 31 "That very night, Belshazzar, king of the Babylonians, was slain and Darius the Mede took over the kingdom at age 62." Judgment comes suddenly, just like that. Even while going about his business, suddenly it ends. Reminds me of Jesus' parable about the rich fool, remember? The guy has lots of stuff and his house is too small and so he decides to build bigger barns, you remember? I've got lots of years to come, plenty of time to enjoy all the good things of this world, I'll build bigger barns. And remember what God said, "You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you." And so it was for Belshazzar. How It Happened Now, how did it happen? Well, it's not recorded in the Bible, you won't find it anywhere in the Bible except in prophecy. It's set ahead of time in prophecy, but you have to go to the ancient historians, Herodotus and Xenophon. The date was October 11th and 12th, 539 BC. Cyrus the Great of Persia was surrounding the walls, and one of his generals Ugbaru was his name, noticed something. He saw an old canal that it turns out that queen Nitocris had dug and he got an idea and he said, "Why don't we divert the Euphrates River through this canal system so it doesn't flow under the wall and we'll crawl under the wall and into Babylon." That's an amazing idea, isn't it? The only problem with it is that obviously the Babylonians thought of that, so they placed traps around where the river flowed in so that the soldiers could kill easily, anyone crawling under the wall. So we have to be sure that there's no soldiers on the wall. So you need two things: You need a dried up river bed and you need no soldiers on the walls. And then the city will fall. VII. Isaiah, Habakkuk, Jeremiah: A Clear Prophetic Light Fulfilled Well, that is exactly the thing that God had predicted would happen. Now, I'm not going to go through the prophecies carefully. I'd like you to read them yourself. Isaiah 21:5. In Isaiah 21:5 two hundred years beforehand this is what the prophet Isaiah said, Babylon is going to fall, and this is Isaiah 21:5 Isaiah said this, "They set the tables, they spread the rugs, they eat, they drink. Get up you officers, oil the shields." What is Isaiah saying? Why are you feasting? You should be fighting. Isaiah 21:5, two hundred years beforehand. That's not bad, is it? How about Habakkuk 2:16, Habakkuk's wondering, "God, when are You going to bring judgment on Babylon?" He said, "I'll bring it. I'll bring it." And he says in Habakkuk 2:16 speaking to the Babylonians, "You will be filled with shame instead of glory, now it is your turn, drink and be exposed." They're going to drink, they're going to get drunk and they'll be exposed to destruction. But the best of all is in Isaiah 51 and I want to ask that you turn there and read it along with me. Jeremiah 51:36. Chapter 50 and 51 of Jeremiah are all about the destruction of Babylon. So if you want the full story, read those two chapters, prophesied sixty to sixty-five years before it happened. Jeremiah 51:36, "Therefore, this is what the Lord says…" Speaking of Jerusalem, "See, I will defend your cause and avenge you. I will dry up her sea and make her springs dry." Do you see what that says? I'm going to dry up her river. He actually says it twice in this whole section. "I'm going to dry up her river." And down in verse 39, "But while they are aroused, I will set out a feast for them, and make them drunk so that they will shout with laughter, then sleep forever and not awake." Do you see that? A dried up river, drunken soldiers, prophesied 60 years before it happened. Look at verse 57. He says it again, "'I will make her officials and wise men drunk, her governors, officers and warriors as well. They will sleep forever and not wake up.' Declares the king whose name is the Lord Almighty." They'll get drunk, they'll go to bed, they'll fall asleep and they will never wake up. And so, the two things necessary for the fall of Babylon were provided in prophecy, a dried up river and drunken soldiers, both of them provided clearly. And then finally, as a final touch, Jeremiah, the prophet, wrote it all out, this particular prophecy on a scroll, rolled it up and handed it to Seraiah, and he said, "Go to Babylon." He was on his way to Babylon. "And when you get there, stand in downtown Babylon, near the Euphrates River and read the words of the scroll ahead of time, so that when it comes, I will say or they will say, He warned us. He said it ahead of time." This is our God. He declares it in advance, and then He does it. And so, look down at 51, verse 59, chapter 51:59, this is the message Jeremiah gave to the staff officer, Seraiah, son of Neriah, the son of Mahseiah. When he went to Babylon, with Zedekiah, king of Judah, in the fourth year of his reign, Jeremiah had written on a scroll about all the disasters that would come upon Babylon, all that had been recorded concerning Babylon. He said to Seraiah, "When you get to Babylon, see that you read all these words aloud. And then say, 'O Lord, you have said you will destroy this place so that neither man nor animal will live in it, it will be desolate forever.' When you finish reading the scroll, tie a stone to it and throw it into the Euphrates. Then say, 'so will Babylon sink to rise no more because of the disaster that I will bring upon her and her people will fall.' The words of Jeremiah end here." This is Jeremiah's final word, Babylon will fall though drunken soldiers and dried up river. VIII. Lessons and Applications So what? So what? Well, so this. God hasn't changed, He's the same God. And I want to ask you, as you look at this, what walls are you trusting in? As you look around your life, are there some walls that you're trusting in, protecting you from the day to come, the day of judgment? Are there some walls you're looking at? What constitutes your walls? What are you trusting in that will enable you to survive that day? Good health, success, your intellect, your ability, your resume, your friends, your family, your good works, your basically good character. What are you trusting in? And what are you waiting for? Today is the day of repenting. Today is not the day of feasting and celebration. Today is the day of repentance. It's a day of humbling yourself before God and asking for His forgiveness. Don't put it off till tomorrow. I'm speaking to those who claim to be Christians. I'm not saying that you're not Christians. All of us are, but we need to walk day-by-day in repentance and humiliation before God. James 4, he said very simply, he said, "Weep and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom." It's not a time for celebration. It's a time for humbling before God. What walls are you trusting in? What are you waiting for? And also, realize we live in a nation full of mockers. Do you understand that? People who mock God. Maybe they don't have the vessels to drink from, but they would do if they could. The talk show hosts mock God. The late night comedians mock God. The political pundits mock God. And so do some of the politicians. The major media outlets mock God. Time, Newsweek, all of them, they mock God. We live in a nation of mockers. And God will not, cannot be mocked. Because whatever we sow, we reap. God is just waiting and He's patient. The sin of the Amorites has not yet reached its full measure. There's a ticking clock. And what of the future fall of Babylon? In the book of Revelation, and this is picked up again, Babylon has fallen, has fallen. "Woe, woe O great city of Babylon, city of power." And so, I say to you, Babylon still lives though the city has fallen. There's still a world system in opposition to God. "Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him... The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever." There is one place of safety. There is one wall, a set of walls that will protect you on judgment day, and it's Jesus Christ. Flee to Him. In a few moments, we're going to sing 398, Glorious Things of Thee Are Spoken, Zion, city of our God, listen, With salvation's walls surrounded, thou mayest smile at all thy foes. Your sins will be paid for. No wrath, no judgment, nothing but eternal life, just through faith in Jesus Christ. Close with me in prayer, please.