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For Ever and Ever

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A close look at where we are in biblical prophecy. World events that may take place very soon explained. How will it all start? What will actually happen?

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Also from Michael Storey and Read & Run

The most comprehensive website for the Return of Christ

www.readandrun.co.uk

“Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it”Hab 2:2

M I C H A E L S T O R E Y

A READ & RUN PUBLICATION

M I C H A E L S T O R E Y

“Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it”Hab 2:2

For Ever and

For Ever

A handbook for the Day of the Lord

Copyright © Michael S Storey 2011The right of Michael S Storey to be identified

as author of this work has been asserted by him inaccordance with the Copyright, Designs

and Patents Act 1998

First published in this format September 2011

Consistent with articles, seminar material and books from this author since 2003

AndWeb-sites, presentations and material freely distributed at

Christian Resources Exhibitions (UK) regularly since 2008

Permission is given for copying anddistributing as widely as possible by any means.

The only request is that it is copied/distributed without alteration and preferably in its entirety.

CONTENTS

Introduction When crisis is our daily bread

Chapter 0ne Day of the Lord overview Is the Return of Christ the end of the world? What is the kingdom of God? What is the wrath of God? What is the purpose of the Day of the Lord?

Chapter Two More on How the Day of the Lord begins 16 verses state a sudden and surprise start 3 verses state something visible first

Chapter Three Babylon A biblical search for who is Babylon

Chapter Four Gods people refined

Chapter Five Real world events

Additional useful scriptures

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And he that taketh not his cross,

and followeth after me,

is not worthy of me.

He that findeth his life shall lose it:

and he that loseth his life for my sake

shall find it.

Matthew 10:38

Introduction

WHEn CRISIS ARE OuR DAILY BREAD

August 2011 was a typical month of lately. A platter of crisis served in various flavours. The world’s financial and political leaders were expected to paddle harder, yet they continued to fall short in delivery. Nagging doubts of insecurity continue to dominate the advanced world. Many see international stability about to capsize. Is this a mere cyclical phenomenon or, are we on the slippery side of something terminal?

Secular ups and downs and opinions vary. The bible is more consistent, that barometer is now pointing toward the perfect storm.The bible is the only true Met Office. It’s forecasting is more than just accurate, it is fact. This article is the forecast.

WINDS FROM A DIFFERENT DIRECTION

Mr Camping once again brought the ‘rapture’ back into the headlines. Other articles, in increasing frequency, raise the subject of the Great Tribulation and when it may begin.

Neither of these events are what the bible focuses on. Instead it points, by using several expressions, to a wider overall period of time in which Christ takes a direct ‘hands on’ approach to how this world responds to Him. Biblically this overall time is referred to as the Day of the Lord, a period lasting seven years. Starting with nothing more than an ambiguous ‘dream’ it escalates in rapid-fire succession to end with Christ’s literal return at Armageddon.

Phrases used by Christ for this ‘hands on’ period are: ‘the hour the Son of man comes’, ‘the day of the Son of man [being] revealed’, ‘the days of the

Son of man’. The most consistent in both Old and New Testament is ‘the Day of the Lord’. In all cases it is simply referring to the time Christ takes control of the steering wheel for this world’s destiny.Sixteen New Testament verses speak of one factor involving this event. How sudden and unexpectedly it started.

The Day of the Lord has a definitive start and there will be no signal in advance that it is about to take place. Sixteen verses saying there will be no warning at all is a very emphatic way of making that point. Understanding the ‘no warning’ factor has far reaching consequences in comprehending prophetic scriptures. Many popular theories factor in certain events as ‘preludes’ to knowing when the ‘end time’ is near. That is not possible. What we will see is no change. This is just as important to take into consideration. The status quo will be as it is: a mixed up, muddled up world trying to find solutions but never quite getting there. No all-encompassing global changes will have taken place prior to the Day of the Lord beginning.

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CHApTER 1

DAY OF THE LORD OVERVIEW

A SUDDEN UNEXPECTED START BUT WHEN?

Possibilities: long term or short term?

The bible mentions ‘knowledge shall increase and people shall run to and fro’. Technology is expanding at an exponential rate. Andrew Marr (BBC) stated ‘there are those alive today that will live to be a thousand years old’. He was referring to stem cell research as being a frontier from which our entire concept of living as human beings will change. The Wall Street Journal has been running articles on the same subject; a novelty idea in the past that scientists are now taking very seriously. Genetic engineering is on the cusp of providing entirely new genres of food, both animal and vegetable. We are also on the doorstep of outer space. If you phone Virgin Galactic; they are taking bookings now (have your card ready first).All this could be commonplace within fifty years and that would seriously change everything.Notwithstanding Daniel’s conversation with the Angel, nowhere in the bible can we see any concept of a world beyond what we have now, let alone what it might be in a hundred or two hundred years. The answer must be short term. If this is so, then we are about to come face to face with the ‘end time’.

No specific detail of the Day of the Lord is easy to digest. To make sense of it all, to see light at the end of the tunnel we need a purpose, an objective. If we can see where God is going with all this, then the scale of human trauma will take its rightful place in the phrase ‘the end justifies the means’.

When all is said and done that is what God gave us His word for.

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The answers should be there.

Before the details of the Day of the Lord (and the sixteen verses) are examined several fundamentals need to be covered.

• Is the Return of Christ, the ‘End time’ really the end of the world?

• What is the Kingdom of God?

• What is the wrath of God?

• What is the purpose of the Day of the Lord?

IS THE RETURN OF CHRIST AND THE ‘END TIME’ THE END OF THE WORLD?

A common view held is when Christ returns there will be a rapture of the ‘good’ people to heaven. The rest of the world is burnt up and physically ends.There are many other opinions, but the most prevalent is Christ’s return accompanied by His wrath and judgement add up to the end of this world.

Alternatively at the other end of the spectrum are many scriptures that point to Christ residing here on earth and the nations overcoming all their problems enjoying an unparalleled time of peace.

A more objective question might help: what is the connection between the Return of Christ and the Kingdom of God. The Kingdom of God, once started, never ends.

Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. Isa 9:7

And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which

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shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever. Dan 2:44

Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: the sceptre of thy kingdom is a right sceptre. Psalm 45:6

The LORD shall reign over them in mount Zion from henceforth, even for ever. Micah 4:7

And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end. Luke 1:33

But unto the Son he saith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of thy kingdom. Heb 1:8

And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever. Rev 11:15

These are just seven of the verses that say the kingdom shall be forever. Already though we have seen expressions that are somewhat ‘worldly’. ‘On David’s throne’, ‘the house of Jacob’, ‘the kingdoms of this world’ does not sound as if they are part of heaven.Several verses show those resurrected when Christ returns are described as kings and priests.

Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Rev 1:6

But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light: 2 Peter 2:9

These next two verses show those same ‘kings and priests’ reign with Christ

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on earth. The second one also indicates that the nations are still here on earth a thousand years later.

And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth. Rev 5:10

Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years. And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison, And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea. Rev 20:6

In view of these scriptures the world does not physically end when Christ returns.The concept of ‘forever’ is continued next in explaining what the Kingdom is.

WHAT IS THE KINGDOM OF GOD?

The verses above all state that Christ will establish His kingdom ‘forever’. The kingdom once started never has an end. ‘Never ending’ in human terms is a concept not entirely spelt out in the bible.

The kingdom lasts forever for which there is no end, what about the start?

The Daniel 2:44 and Revelation 11 verses explain when this takes place. ‘When all the kingdoms are consumed’ which takes place at the ‘seventh trumpet’. This is the culmination of the Day of the Lord; the nations that still resist Christ are finally removed at Armageddon.

And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever. And the four and twenty elders, which sat before God on their seats, fell upon their faces, and worshipped God,

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Saying, We give thee thanks, O Lord God Almighty, which art, and wast, and art to come; because thou hast taken to thee thy great power, and hast reigned. And the nations were angry, and thy wrath is come, and the time of the dead, that they should be judged, and that thou shouldest give reward unto thy servants the prophets, and to the saints, and them that fear thy name, small and great; and shouldest destroy them which destroy the earth. Rev 11:15

And he gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon. And the seventh angel poured out his vial into the air; and there came a great voice out of the temple of heaven, from the throne, saying, It is done. Rev 16:16

The ‘reward to the servants and prophets’ will be allotted at that time; the positions as kings and priests. To the twelve disciples in particular, each had been promised a kingship over one of the twelve tribes of Israel.

And I appoint unto you a kingdom, as my Father hath appointed unto me; That ye may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom, and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel. Luke 22:29

And Jesus said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That ye which have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. Matt 19:28

These statements are consistent with being on earth.

40 DAyS OF EXTRA TRAINING

When Christ left the earth, it was after giving 40 days of specific instruction concerning the Kingdom of God (and Israel) to the disciples.

To whom also he shewed himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God. Acts 1:3

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The question on their mind was also ‘when would the kingdom be established?’ Judging from the way they phrased the question “Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel”, clearly the kingdom and Israel are synonymous. There are a multitude of scriptures concerning Israel yet to be fulfilled. David will be back. The disciples themselves kings over nations of Israel under David. After 40 days of instruction that we are not privy to, the disciples were a lot more comfortable on how these developments would pan out. They were excited and understandably, a little impulsive.

WHEN? CHRIST DID NOT SAy

It was just a matter of when. Christ tantalizingly did not give a direct answer. The future kingdom plainly involves the twelve tribes of Israel, much more on that later.Other verses show Christ ruling all nations of the world. The world is still there. The transition to this new status will not be easy or even welcome.

And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean. And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS. Rev 19:14

In this verse several points come together. The nations must submit to Christ and He will then rule them. We are not talking about ‘spiritual’ nations or resurrected Christians in heaven, but non believing peoples on earth that oppose God and Christ when He returns. This closely follows what Daniel 2:44 outlined.

Christ is the King, arriving with Him are others described as those in ‘fine linen, white and clean’. They are the resurrected Saints that return with Christ, the ‘wedding’ having already taken place (verse 7, 8).

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The eventual result is a peaceful world where nations that had been habitual enemies for millennia are in harmony with each other.

And the LORD shall smite Egypt: he shall smite and heal it: and they shall return even to the LORD, and he shall be intreated of them, and shall heal them. In that day shall there be a highway out of Egypt to Assyria, and the Assyrian shall come into Egypt, and the Egyptian into Assyria, and the Egyptians shall serve with the Assyrians. In that day shall Israel be the third with Egypt and with Assyria, even a blessing in the midst of the land: Whom the LORD of hosts shall bless, saying, Blessed be Egypt my people, and Assyria the work of my hands, and Israel mine inheritance. Isa 19:22

We could use this verse (and many others) to sum up the events of Christ returning. A dysfunctional world forcefully resists its own Creator and yet God’s love for them triumphs and everyone benefits.

WHAT ABOUT FOREVER?

This however is far from the end of the story. Those that expound a millennium, a logical and solid conclusion given the prolific number of verses that fit, still fall far short in providing a ‘rest of the story’. What about forever? Where does that fit?‘A thousand years is as one day’ says Peter. Even the millennium is a stopgap arrangement in the plan of God. For now the scriptures viewed so far indicate Christ ruling all the nations here on earth after He returns. Also noted is certain ‘servants, prophets and saints’ have already been changed into eternal spirit beings. The rest of the world was not included in the first resurrection, they can still pinch themselves if they wish to check that out.

To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven. Heb 12:23

Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years. Rev 20:6

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But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept. For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ’s at his coming. 1 Cor 15:20

These verses recount that there is an order to being resurrected. Christ is technically the very first resurrected being. Next, those that are ‘His’ when he comes also referred to as the ‘firstfruits’ and then others, very many, at the end of the thousand years.To be heavily emphasised is that part that says: ‘in Adam all humans shall die…’, that is be under a death penalty caused by sin. That is the condition every single human has been caught up in. However, in Christ that same all of humanity shall be made alive again. ‘In their order’, in the overall order of events, in this case during the period related to the thousand years.

But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. Rev 20:5

At that time all of humanity that ever existed will be resurrected to become spirit beings. Only the complete incorrigibles will not make it into eternity.We have seen that there is a sequence or stages of proceedings. That indicates a plan, a purpose. Mankind goes from being human to something else. What does Paul say about this?Quite a lot. A lot more than meets the eye at first glance. We also have a conclusion to the question about the kingdom.

HOW ARE THE DEAD RAISED?

But some man will say, How are the dead raised up? and with what body do they come? Thou fool, that which thou sowest is not quickened, except it die: And that which thou sowest, thou sowest not that body that shall be, but bare grain, it may chance of wheat, or of some other grain: But God giveth it a body as it hath pleased him, and to every seed his own body. All flesh is not the same flesh: but there is one kind of flesh of men, another flesh of beasts, another of fishes, and another of birds. There are also celestial bodies, and bodies terrestrial: but

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the glory of the celestial is one, and the glory of the terrestrial is another. There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars: for one star differeth from another star in glory. So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption: It is sown in dishonour; it is raised in glory: it is sown in weakness; it is raised in power: It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body. And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit. Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual. The first man is of the earth, earthy: the second man is the Lord from heaven. As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy: and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly. And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly. Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption. 1 Cor 15:35

• Man was not designed to be ‘flesh’. That is only his preparatory stage. Just as seeds come in one form and later undergo a dramatic change to something entirely different, so will humans. Man will become more of a ‘celestial’ being in contrast to terrestrial. ‘And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly’.

• We will be ‘raised in power’. An understatement typical of the bible.

Ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you. Matt 17:20

Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father. John 14:12

Jesus answered them, Is it not written in your law, I said, Ye are gods? If he called them gods, unto whom the word of God came, and the scripture cannot be broken. John 10:34

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The ‘greater works’, moving mountain ranges by thought process alone and being ‘gods’ was in Paul’s mind when giving an account for the original blueprint for the universe.

For the [creation] was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope, Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now. And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body. Rom 8:20

• Lastly Paul states the obvious. The future for mankind, made in the image of God (as is the case with a ‘seed’), was always in conjunction with the creation of the universe. Mere mortals are not designed for that. We will need to be eternal beings, exactly as planned. The universe is impatiently waiting, ‘groaning’ in anticipation.

Here is an overlooked principle of the bible found in John 5:17:My Father worketh hitherto, and I work.

If Christ and the Father ‘work’ and that is their normal occupation, how they spend their ‘time’, and we are to join them – it will be in that work. Moving mountains, moving whole planets. Landscaping galaxies, ‘to dress it and keep it’. Gen 2:11

This is the Kingdom, it completely transcends time, and it is forever. It is for us.

WHAT IS THE WRATH OF GOD?

Essentially, Christ is returning to establish the early stages of the kingdom of God. One would think the world would rejoice at the opportunity: But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. 1 Cor 2:9

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Why would the world reject Christ? The best answer to that is what is described as the Stockholm Syndrome. (From: Ask yahoo)

“This describes the behaviour of kidnap victims who, over time, become sympathetic to their captors. The name derives from a 1973 hostage incident in Stockholm, Sweden. At the end of six days of captivity in a bank, several kidnap victims actually resisted rescue attempts, and afterwards refused to testify against their captors.The most famous incident in the U.S. involved the kidnapped heiress Patty Hearst. Captured by a radical political group known as the Symbionese Liberation Army in 1974, Ms. Hearst eventually became an accomplice of the group, taking on an assumed name and assisting them in several bank robberies. After her re-capture, she denounced the group and her involvement.What causes Stockholm Syndrome? Captives begin to identify with their captors initially as a defensive mechanism, out of fear of violence. Small acts of kindness by the captor are magnified, since finding perspective in a hostage situation is by definition impossible. Rescue attempts are also seen as a threat, since it’s likely the captive would be injured during such attempts”.

The world rejects Christ simply because it has been kidnapped by Satan. Since exiting the garden we become a marionette subject to the strings of the manipulator. We no longer recognise where we came from. Our own parents are our enemy. The world does not want to be rescued; it will forcefully fight back against any rescue attempt.

The Day of the Lord is the transition period when God takes this world out of the clutches of Satan and restores it to its correct equilibrium. Note: this should not have been a surprise.

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And he shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you: Whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began. Act 3:21

The change that takes place at the onset of the Day of the Lord is profound. The reason is quite simple. God loves mankind but cannot tolerate sin. From the moment Christ re-enters the world arena as pointed out ‘spoken of by the prophets since the world began’, conflict is inevitable. God has not caused it per se, we departed from ‘the law’ that has always been there. Now due to the new circumstances, the rule of ‘law and order’ is to be enforced rigidly.Once again whose fault is that, and who is to be blamed for the carnage that results?

We could liken it to God the Rock, placing Himself as a granite cliff squarely in the middle of a motorway. A huge sign plainly states ‘Driving conditions have changed! Proceed with utmost caution’.If drivers ignore the warning and plough headlong into the cliff face at full speed, car wreckage and bodies will be everywhere. That is the inevitable outcome.

The facts for the Day of the Lord are gruesome to say the least. When all is said and done this is simply a result of man’s refusal to accept God. Can we really accept that that is the wrath of God? By His standards it is. God is love; He no more wants this state of affairs than we do.

Have I any pleasure at all that the wicked should die? saith the Lord GOD: and not that he should return from his ways, and live? Ezek 18:23

This one verse really sums up our next section on the purpose of the Day of the Lord and getting man’s destiny back on course.

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WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF THE DAy OF THE LORD?

The history of man has been allowed to run it’s own course for enough time to experiment with every conceivable form of government possible – except one: the original instructions God gave us. Man has always been faced with choice. Satan was placed here for that very reason. We are free agents and God wants it that way. Being able to choose right from wrong defines ‘righteous character’; God’s ultimate goal for man.

We will still have choice during the final seven years before Christ assumes sole leadership. This time the choice is very limited. Accept Christ without condition… total surrender in every sense or alternatively reject Christ and tough it out against the Creator of the universe. Many choose the latter.

It would seem that this choice is a no-brainer, except for one thing. Satan has this world psychologically held captive and it does not want to be ‘set free’. Neither does Satan want them to be free. He wants those that are being offered all that could have been his – wiped out. If he can’t have it, no one will.There will be a lot of cross currents and tensions pulling in every direction.From God’s side everything will be in the open and above board; plenty of warning and more than adequate representation on hand to explain His case. As mentioned there will be a big road sign warning ‘conditions have changed, drive carefully’ (See: How the Day of the Lord begins p 64).

Satan for his part will use every devious trick in the book. Ultimately each and every individual will have to make a choice. For many it may include loss of life. Christ says not to worry about that; physical life is not all there is to ‘life’. Just make the right choice when it counts.

He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it. Matt 10:39

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For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is thy sting? 1 Cor 15:53

In the end there is no way possible to survive the entire Day of the Lord without completely turning to and relying on God. This is the purpose of the Day of the Lord. In our modern western world we don’t depend on God for our crops. We go to the supermarket. Water comes from a tap, not the sky. If we have an accident or severe health problem, it is ‘patched up’. When we are old the state looks after us. Society no longer feels the need for a God.The Day of the Lord sees all that change.

you can try as hard as you like. Nothing, repeat, nothing will get you through this period without first understanding there is a God. Next, our habits and our complete thought patterns must change. Once we have acknowledged the reality of God, then He is there to turn to for help.

Following any of Satan’s alternatives will rob you of far more than you want to give.For some nations it seems that the only way to survive is to comply with the state system. Accepting the ‘mark of the beast’ will appear to be the sole means of securing food or any other necessity of life. Complete faith in God is the alternative and this will be tested to the limit.

Of our own free will we must choose to follow Christ. Satan will contrive whatever barrier is necessary to discourage that path. All around the world, in one form or another this set of circumstances will exist.

God continually provides ‘incentive’ to make the right choice. Despite this many not only refuse, they make life as difficult as possible for those trying to choose ‘life’.

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CHApTER 2

MORE On HOW THE DAY OF THE LORD BEGInS

IT WILL START WITHOUT ANy WARNING

Here are the sixteen verses that state ‘no forewarning’.After having made our point that there will be no warning, by way of contrast, there are verses where Christ states some things will be discernable in advance. Strongly worded instructions say we are to be looking for them.

Is this a contradiction? What can be quickly reasoned on the one hand is that no definitive event or person will openly be waving a flag. On the other hand these events have their foot down developing maximum thrust all the way to operating altitude. They are on a vast scale. Strong undercurrents must have been stirring in the compote earlier. Those ‘undercurrents’ are what we are looking for and will cover in detail.First, we need to be convinced of a ‘sudden start’. One verse describes it as like being in an ambush. Luke 21:35. The emphasis is not on (not) knowing the ‘day or hour’ but clearly on the surprise aspect. One day the world is routine, the next it wakes up not on a different page or chapter, but a totally different book. After that we will look at the three individual issues that will dominate the first half of the seven years: Babylon, the Beast and the King of the South.

SIXTEEN VERSES: GOD WANTS TO GET HIS POINT ACROSS

Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come. But know this, that if the goodman of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be bro-ken up. Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh. Matt 24:42

MORE ON HOW THE DAy OF THE LORD BEGINS

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But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. Matt 24:37

Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh: So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors. Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled. Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away. But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only. Matt 24:32

The lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looketh not for him, and in an hour that he is not aware of, And shall cut him asunder, and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Matt 24:50

Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out . But the wise answered, saying, Not so; lest there be not enough for us and you: but go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves. And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut. Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us. But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not. Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh. Matt 25:7

But of that day and that hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father. Take ye heed, watch and pray: for ye know not when the time is. Mark 13:32

Watch ye therefore: for ye know not when the master of the house cometh, at even, or at midnight, or at the cockcrowing, or in the morning: Lest coming suddenly he find you sleeping. And what I say unto you I say unto all, Watch. Mark 13:35

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For as a snare shall it come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth. Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man. Luke 21:35

And as it was in the days of Noe, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man. They did eat, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, and the flood came, and destroyed them all. Luke 17:26

Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded; But the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all. Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed. Luke 17:28

Let your loins be girded about, and your lights burning; And ye yourselves like unto men that wait for their lord, when he will return from the wedding; that when he cometh and knocketh, they may open unto him immediately. Blessed are those servants, whom the lord when he cometh shall find watching: verily I say unto you, that he shall gird himself, and make them to sit down to meat, and will come forth and serve them. And if he shall come in the second watch, or come in the third watch, and find them so, blessed are those servants. And this know, that if the goodman of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched, and not have suffered his house to be broken through. Be ye therefore ready also: for the Son of man cometh at an hour when ye think not. Luke 12:35

And the Lord said, Who then is that faithful and wise steward, whom his lord shall make ruler over his household, to give them their portion of meat in due season? Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing. Of a truth I say unto you, that he will make him ruler over all that he hath. But and if that servant say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming; and shall begin to beat the menservants and maidens, and to eat and drink, and to be drunken; The lord of that servant will come in a day when he looketh not for him, and at an hour when he is not aware, and will cut him in sunder, and will appoint him his portion with the unbelievers. Luke 12:42

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But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up. 2 Peter 3:10 [Peter’s use of the ‘thousand years as a day’ principle starting with the Day of the Lord up to the end of the millennium].

Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee. Rev 3:3

Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame. Rev 16:15

For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape. 1 Thess 5:2

THE THREE ‘FIG TREE’ VERSES:

Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh: So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors. Matt 24:32

Behold the fig tree, and all the trees; When they now shoot forth, ye see and know of your own selves that summer is now nigh at hand. So likewise ye, when ye see these things come to pass, know ye that the kingdom of God is nigh at hand. Luke 21:29

Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When her branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is near: So ye in like manner, when ye shall see these things come to pass, know that it is nigh, even at the doors. Mark 13:28

In light of the sixteen times we are told ‘you will not see it coming’ what is it that we will see ‘before the summer’? What will come to pass? Obviously we are not referring to the full summer

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of ripe fruit. This is an early warning alarm bell. We are probing the very young buds of what will develop later as a matter of due course.

At ‘the hour we will not be aware of ’, ‘until the day’ ‘if the Goodman of the house had known’…All these sayings declare that not one ‘sign’ will be evident at the time. The importance of understanding this principle is paramount. God does not repeat something sixteen times without a premeditated motive. Scripture is not for fun, it is given for a reason.

It follows the Beast will not be in existence. Much too obvious. No Beast excludes the possibility of his ‘mark’. No Beast excludes the possibility of a ‘treaty with Israel’. There will be no Temple, no sacrifices. No ancient European nation rising phoenix like from the ashes, rising to strut the world stage. No one-world government.

All of these, any one of these, would be a dead giveaway to anyone that studies scripture.The Day of the Lord begins as a total surprise and then, only then, will the long established recognisable prophetic events unfold. Christ went to great lengths to place emphasis on this point and Paul adds ‘we should have a perfect understanding of that fact’.

For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. 1 Thess 5:2

This surprise start clearly (logically) indicates a ‘sooner’ rather than ‘later’ turn of events.

BUDS ON THE TREES: ADVANCE INDICATION OF THE SUMMER

So, what are the buds?

To understand the Day of the Lord, really understand it, the subject of Babylon must be understood. The longest prophecy in the bible; Jeremiah 50

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and 51 relates to Babylon. There are major additional passages. Consequently this must be an important subject.

Who is Babylon, when does it fall? What will be the consequences?

Without these answers we are completely hobbled. In many ways Babylon is the raison d’ être of the ‘end time’. There is a finely crafted purpose being woven throughout the Day of the Lord; we will miss it without this feedback.Two other subjects need to be added to the list for a complete roundup of the details accompanying the start of the Day of the Lord: the Beast and the King of the South.

BAByLON, THE BEAST AND THE KING OF THE SOUTH. THE TRIO OF DyNAMICS NEEDED FOR THE START OF THE DAy OF THE LORD

If this is indeed the moment in history where man has arrived at the prophetic juncture spoken of in our bibles, then evidence of these biblical landmarks: the fall of Babylon, the Beast and the King of the South should be in range on our sonar. All of them, now, here, today. However, it is vital to ‘see’ these evidences within the context of the broad and complete context of the bible. Not one inch of space should be left for guesswork, or as Christ put it ‘not one jot or title shall pass from the law’. This is where the ‘fingerprints’ need to be checked. We still have the evidence from two thousand years ago on file. Can we slide the ‘evidence’ of then and now over each other and obtain a match?

Nothing happens in a vacuum. All major historical events have antecedents from which they develop.What are the ‘undercurrents’? We should be able to see ‘something’ if indeed the Day of the Lord is close.

Just before we get started, one small detail. The first seal and what it represents is technically the start of the Day of the Lord. ‘The rider on the

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white horse going forth to conquer’ (Rev 6:2) is not an event that has an ‘impact’ on the world. This ‘rider on the horse with a bow, going forth to conquer’ is clearly defined as Christ in Habakkuk 3:9 There will not be any battle as such on this day. Very little physically will take place. It will be a declaration of intentions, a warning to ‘shape up’, a warning of what is to take place next. This is the message delivered by the angel in Revelation 14 to ‘every kindred, nation and tongue’. This will be fully explained as we move on.

UNDERCURRENTS WE ARE LOOKING FOR:

• Babylon: Will be the world’s richest and most powerful nation at the time. She has a high opinion of herself; ‘I am’. She is indestructible. Other criteria will narrow the list of options. Who and where is this ‘super nation’?• An ‘office’ for the Beast to step into and initiate action from needs to be readily available. What is the vehicle that will convey the Beast?• The foundational powerbase for the Middle Eastern King of the South should be organised. Where is an organisation of consequence that is Middle Eastern and crucially, with an army?(N.B. Persians, the modern Iranians and Turkey and Assyrians are not Arab peoples.)

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CHApTER 3

BABYLOn

THE WORLDS MOST POWERFUL NATION MILITARILy AND FINANCIALLy

Who is not Babylon? Certainly not the Beast power of the ‘end time’. The Beast is captured and defeated by Christ at Armageddon (‘broken without hand’). He and his empire were engaged in warfare and undefeated until the very last moment.

Babylon suffers its final defeat by ‘many nations’, utterly destroyed and never heard of or seen as the same nation again. At the time of the ‘sudden destruction’ – the straw that broke the camels back – the whole world is trading under normal and peaceful conditions. Revelation 18 makes that very clear. The long list of items being traded includes perfumes, luxury items and plenty of food. ‘Wine, fine flour and wheat and beasts (steaks) and sheep (lamb chops)’. Until the final moment Babylon is relaxing whilst enjoying music concerts and hot crusty pizzas. Rev 18:22

From Revelation 18 we can see that not only Babylon is in an indulgent mood, we can also see the whole world has the trade routes loaded with food, wine and oil with which to trade with in the first place. No shortages here, no war and no ‘end time’ situation.

Contrast this with the world situation once the Day of the Lord is underway. At the very early stages of the seven years ‘peace is taken from the earth’. The resultant worldwide war claims a full quarter of its population dying from starvation, disease and warfare.

And when he had opened the second seal, I heard the second beast say, Come and see. And there went out another horse that was red: and power was given to him that sat thereon to take peace from the earth, and that they should kill one another: and there was given unto him a great sword. And when he had opened the third seal, I heard the third beast say, Come and see. And I beheld,

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and lo a black horse; and he that sat on him had a pair of balances in his hand. And I heard a voice in the midst of the four beasts say, A measure of wheat for a penny, and three measures of barley for a penny; and see thou hurt not the oil and the wine. And when he had opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth beast say, Come and see. And I looked, and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him. And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, and with hunger, and with death, and with the beasts of the earth. Rev 6:4

Later, at the onset of the Great Tribulation conditions deteriorate from bad to far worse.The experience of WW2 demonstrates no commercial trade at all can be conducted in times of world war. All shipping/transport is targeted to prevent supplies reaching the opposition and vice versa.Do not think the Beast somehow manages to circumvent these conditions. If anything the Beast and his people are suffering more than others since they are the subject matter of God’s direct attention. Not a position to be envied.

And the fifth angel poured out his vial upon the seat of the beast; and his kingdom was full of darkness; and they gnawed their tongues for pain, And blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores, and repented not of their deeds. Rev 16:10

It is commonly assumed that the Beast will be master of the world; that ‘all’ will be subject to him.This is not the picture in the bible. At the mid point of the ‘end time’ the Beast attacks the Middle East and totally overruns the Arab nations. They were not worshiping or following him. On news of the Beast Empire taking control of the ‘oil’; the wealth of the Gulf Region, the entire China/Russia/ Far East mobilises a counter attack where in one operation alone ‘one third of man’ perishes. These nations account for several billion more people not worshiping or following the Beast. They are resonsible for the army of 200 million from the ‘other’ side of the Euphrates and from a North East direction of Jerusalem.

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And at the time of the end shall the king of the south push at him: and the king of the north shall come against him like a whirlwind, with chariots, and with horsemen, and with many ships; and he shall enter into the countries, and shall overflow and pass over. He shall enter also into the glorious land, and many countries shall be overthrown: but these shall escape out of his hand, even Edom, and Moab, and the chief of the children of Ammon. He shall stretch forth his hand also upon the countries: and the land of Egypt shall not escape. But he shall have power over the treasures of gold and of silver, and over all the precious things of Egypt: and the Libyans and the Ethiopians shall be at his steps. But tidings out of the east and out of the north shall trouble him: therefore he shall go forth with great fury to destroy, and utterly to make away many. Dan 11:40

And the sixth angel sounded, and I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar which is before God, Saying to the sixth angel which had the trumpet, Loose the four angels which are bound in the great river Euphrates. And the four angels were loosed, which were prepared for an hour, and a day, and a month, and a year, for to slay the third part of men. And the number of the army of the horsemen were two hundred thousand thousand: and I heard the number of them. And thus I saw the horses in the vision, and them that sat on them, having breastplates of fire, and of jacinth, and brimstone: and the heads of the horses were as the heads of lions; and out of their mouths issued fire and smoke and brimstone. By these three was the third part of men killed, by the fire, and by the smoke, and by the brimstone, which issued out of their mouths. Rev 9:13

BAByLON’S FALL MUST OCCUR BEFORE WAR BREAKS OUT

• Since Babylon, the world’s richest and most powerful nation at the time, is knocked sidewise completely out of contention ‘in one hour’…• And – the entire maritime merchant fleet of traders from around the world are utterly stunned by its sudden and unexpected collapse whilst delivering their full cargoes of nutmeg, couscous and aftershave… • And as a result… the businessmen of the world are only thinking about one thing and it is not the welfare of their home country. Neither the safety of their families, not even their own safety. They just witnessed the financial

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markets playing out their endgame. The only concern at this stage is the surplus of flat screen TV’s and what to do with them.

This did not take place during a time of war. It must be well before any war breaks out. As a result of the mechanics of world trade ceasing and the worlds vital needs being withdrawn from circulation, worry and desperation sets in.When push comes to shove the next phase will be ‘peace is taken from the earth’.

The fall of Babylon is the primary cause of the ‘end time’ as man sees it. It is the first event of consequence that impacts the world. (Not technically the first, as will be explained). The world descends into war as a consequence of the fall of Babylon.The world slides into a cavernous hole caused by the sudden departure of the sole world superpower. The Beast power will take its final shape ‘for one hour’; principally, as a measure of self protection in the new desperate circumstances.

THE NEXT QUESTION: WHO IS BAByLON? (A BIBLICAL ANSWER)

Besides Revelation 18 and Isaiah 47, Babylon is the subject of the longest prophecy in the bible: Jeremiah chapters 50 and 51. This Jeremiah section of scripture is the main source of information. First question: is this OT passage relevant to the Day of the Lord – our day or is it just history? That will be answered. Next observation: careful reading shows a continual process where God is going back and forth speaking of Israel and Babylon in the same breath. Why is that? On closer inspection exactly the same events happen to both. Going one step further, not only are the same events happening to both parties, but at the same time as well.

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Jeremiah 50, 51.Overall Time Frame

The word that the LORD spake against Babylon. For out of the north there cometh up a nation against her, which shall make her land desolate. In those days, and in that time, saith the LORD, the children of Israel shall come, they and the children of Judah together, going and weeping: they shall go, and seek the LORD their God. They shall ask the way to Zion with their faces thitherward, saying, Come, and let us join ourselves to the LORD in a perpetual covenant that shall not be forgotten. Jer 50:1,3,4

‘In those days, and in that time’ refers to Babylon, Israel and Judah; all three at the same time.

Anyone with a working knowledge of the bible would latch onto the enormous implications of this verse: • Never in past history have these three entities been actively present at the same time.• Never has Judah or Israel voluntarily entered a permanent relationship with God even on an individual basis.• Never have Judah and Israel been together at the same time ‘going to the Lord’ in true sincerity.• The time setting for the above is after a period of captivity for all concerned in which they come to a frame of mind that turns them in all genuineness to God.

Since none of the above has in any way shape or form taken place in the past, they can only be unfulfilled events yet to occur. The future context of Jeremiah 50/51 in joint tandem with Revelation 18 should be clear, but it is sensible to have an alternative ‘bracing structure’ for confirmation.

This will take a short study in order to have the background necessary to fully grasp and utilise these points.

Israel and Judah, two separate nations, were at civil war with each other

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after David’s son Solomon died. Shalmaneser, king of Assyria defeated the northern nation of Israel and completely removed them away from their homeland. For all intents and purposes they were not heard of again. These are what are referred to as the ‘lost ten tribes’. (Judah, further to the South was not attacked at that time).

Therefore the LORD was very angry with Israel, and removed them out of his sight: there was none left but the tribe of Judah only. 2 Kings 17:18 While Israel disappeared from the history books, Judah remained intact as a nation where they remained based in Jerusalem for another 120 years. At the end of this period, Nebuchadnezzar and the now dominant Babylonian Empire defeated the nation of Judah and took them away as captives to Babylon for approximately 70 years. After this episode, the Jews (the nation of Judah) were able to return to Jerusalem and remained there for several hundred years until shortly after Christ died. They were finally defeated and driven out of Jerusalem when the Roman general Titus destroyed the city in 70 AD.

Another pressing question now needs to be answered. What is the practical difference between Judah and Israel?

The bible makes a clear distinction between Judah and Israel unless they are being collectively discussed in which case the context is always clear.

The identity of the people of Judah has never been an issue. Despite being dispersed for many centuries Jews, people descended from the tribe of Judah, are readily perceived by their traditions. We know who Judah is; the modern nation of Jewish people currently back in Jerusalem and now known as Israel.

These people clearly are the nation of Judah. So who and what is Israel?

The identities of the descendants of (biblical) Israel are not so easy to trace. Of the twelve tribes Judah is accounted for. God said all of the tribes would become nations in their own right. Some of them would evolve over time

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into particularly powerful nations. Having given away the Sabbath and other identifying ‘signs’, they are not as readily identifiable as the Jews are. Nonetheless, ‘signs’, as will be shown, do exist.

BELIEVING GODS WORD

Right here some decisions need to be made. Christians believe God. We don’t believe ‘in’ a God or ‘about’ a God, we believe God. The core of that belief for us is His word. We believe that His word is exactly what He says His word is and Christ verified the scriptures as being God’s word, without any changes, right down to the letter.Those words are all we have. We cannot add to them or take away from them. Rev 22:18, Deut 4:2

I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me, Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure. Isa 46:9

Christ could be very ‘narrow minded’ with his use of scripture when necessary.

While the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them, Saying, What think ye of Christ? whose son is he? They say unto him, The Son of David. He saith unto them, How then doth David in spirit call him Lord, saying, The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, till I make thine enemies thy footstool? If David then call him Lord, how is he his son? And no man was able to answer him a word, neither durst any man from that day forth ask him any more questions. Matt 22:41

In this passage Christ is giving (us) an example of scripture as fact whether we understand it or not. The end result was not to the Pharisees liking for two reasons. It illustrated a lack of understanding in what they thought they were the masters of and by default indicated what they did understand was inaccurate. They were the established ‘Church’ of the day.At least they didn’t turn around and say ‘that was written eight hundred

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years ago, we have moved on since then, besides, we think your theology is a little suspect’.

Here are a few of the basic scriptures showing the future multiple nation factor of Israel.

Thy name is Jacob: thy name shall not be called any more Jacob, but Israel shall be thy name: and he called his name Israel. And God said unto him, I am God Almighty: be fruitful and multiply; a nation and a company of nations shall be of thee, and kings shall come out of thy loins. Gen 35:10

And Jacob called unto his sons, and said, Gather yourselves together, that I may tell you that which shall befall you in the last days. Gather yourselves together, and hear, ye sons of Jacob; and hearken unto Israel your father. Gen 49:1

A brief outline of their future based on their character is given. Jacob (Israel) summarizes with:All these are the twelve tribes of Israel: and this is it that their father spake unto them, and blessed them; every one according to his blessing he blessed them. Gen 49:28

Before this meeting with his twelve sons, Jacob had a private discussion with Joseph and his two sons. The blessing for Joseph is given to us in far more detail and reveals that the generalised statements to the other brothers carried more meaning than the brief context we are given.

And Israel beheld Joseph’s sons, and said, Who are these? And Joseph said unto his father, They are my sons, whom God hath given me in this place. And he said, Bring them, I pray thee, unto me, and I will bless them… And Joseph took them both, Ephraim in his right hand toward Israel’s left hand, and Manasseh in his left hand toward Israel’s right hand, and brought them near unto him. And Israel stretched out his right hand, and laid it upon Ephraim’s head, who was the younger, and his left hand upon Manasseh’s head, guiding his hands wittingly; for Manasseh was the firstborn. And he blessed Joseph, and said, God, before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac did walk, the God which fed me all my life long unto this day, The Angel which redeemed me from all evil, bless the

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lads; and let my name be named on them, and the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac; and let them grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth. And when Joseph saw that his father laid his right hand upon the head of Ephraim, it displeased him: and he held up his father’s hand, to remove it from Ephraim’s head unto Manasseh’s head. And Joseph said unto his father, Not so, my father: for this is the firstborn; put thy right hand upon his head. And his father refused, and said, I know it, my son, I know it: he also shall become a people, and he also shall be great: but truly his younger brother shall be greater than he, and his seed shall become a multitude of nations. And he blessed them that day, saying, In thee shall Israel bless, saying, God make thee as Ephraim and as Manasseh: and he set Ephraim before Manasseh. Gen 48:8

Here is a promise from God that from Joseph’s younger son Ephraim, a multitude of nations would eventually arise. From the elder son Manasseh, a single great nation would arise.Both would reach superpower status in their turn. Collectively the bible refers to them as the House of Joseph. Judah is always referred to as Judah.

Elsewhere in the bible we have plenty of confirmation that nations (plural) are literally meant when discussing Israel. As a rule God speaks of them as two main divisions. The House of Joseph, collectively all the nations descended from the two sons of Joseph. When a biblical prophecy is discussing Israel it will most commonly be discussing the outcome of these nations. Otherwise it will be discussing Judah where in almost all cases it will be clearly named as such. There are other occasions where the term ‘Israel’ is referring collectively to all of them combined.

Here are some clear scriptures that show Israel and Judah as separate nations in the last days.

Because thou hast said, These two nations and these two countries shall be mine, and we will possess it; whereas the LORD was there: Therefore, as I live, saith the Lord GOD, I will even do according to thine anger, and according to thine envy which thou hast used out of thy hatred against them; and I will make

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myself known among them, when I have judged thee. And thou shalt know that I am the LORD, and that I have heard all thy blasphemies which thou hast spoken against the mountains of Israel, saying, They are laid desolate, they are given us to consume. Ezek 35:10

The context is clearly in the future (when the resurrected David shall be king over them in a millennial setting) as shown a couple of chapters later:

The word of the LORD came again unto me, saying, Moreover, thou son of man, take thee one stick, and write upon it, For Judah, and for the children of Israel his companions: then take another stick, and write upon it, For Joseph, the stick of Ephraim, and for all the house of Israel his companions: And join them one to another into one stick; and they shall become one in thine hand. And when the children of thy people shall speak unto thee, saying, Wilt thou not shew us what thou meanest by these? Say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I will take the stick of Joseph, which is in the hand of Ephraim, and the tribes of Israel his fellows, and will put them with him, even with the stick of Judah, and make them one stick, and they shall be one in mine hand. And the sticks whereon thou writest shall be in thine hand before their eyes. And say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I will take the children of Israel from among the heathen, whither they be gone, and will gather them on every side, and bring them into their own land: And I will make them one nation in the land upon the mountains of Israel; and one king shall be king to them all: and they shall be no more two nations, neither shall they be divided into two kingdoms any more at all: Neither shall they defile themselves any more with their idols, nor with their detestable things, nor with any of their transgressions: but I will save them out of all their dwellingplaces, wherein they have sinned, and will cleanse them: so shall they be my people, and I will be their God. And David my servant shall be king over them; and they all shall have one shepherd: they shall also walk in my judgments, and observe my statutes, and do them. Ezek 37:15

As it is written, I have made thee a father of many nations, before him whom he believed, even God, who quickeneth the dead, and calleth those things which be not as though they were. Who against hope believed in hope, that he might become the father of many nations, according to that which was spoken, So shall

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thy seed be… And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform. And therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness. Rom 4:17

Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah: Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt; because they continued not in my covenant, and I regarded them not, saith the Lord. For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people. Heb 8:8

There are a great many verses (probably in the hundreds) in the bible, Old Testament and New that refer to Israel and Judah as separate entities, the majority of them prophetical, still unfulfilled.

We can draw several conclusions from this brief study of Israel:• One division of Israel is referred to as Judah and is made up of the tribe of Judah, Benjamin and Levi. • A second part is referred to as the House of Joseph; made up of Ephraim and Manasseh. These are the predominant nations of Israel in the world. Ephraim is a ‘group’ of nations and Manasseh one large nation.• The third part, the nations descended from the remaining tribes are not mentioned in the bible in any detail. However, to understand the events in conjunction with the purpose of the Day of the Lord, the whereabouts of these nations will need to be understood.

We can draw one more overriding conclusion, the most important one for us, from a set of scriptures involving a series of promises made to David. The following passages quote God as saying that David will never fail to have a descendant from him sitting on a throne as a king (or queen). Obviously this has not occurred within the nation of Judah, it would have to apply to one of the other nations of Israel. God says you would have to stop the moon and sun in their orbits to be able to break this promise. If the sun and moon are still there, likewise, so is this promise being kept. The only

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alternative option is there is no such thing as God. Jer 33:20, 25The really important conclusion that can be drawn from all this is that these nations wherever they are in the world are Christian nations (Judeo/Christian ethic). This is a simple deduction from two directions. One is God complains they are continually disobeying Him, i.e. breaking His commandments. In order to disobey God His rules must be in force. This theme is continued in the promises to David. If the king (and/or his subjects) turns against God then He will take the necessary action to force them back into line. Additionally, besides the promise of a king over Israel descended from David there would also be a spiritual leader from God at all times. That is the guarantee the nations involved would have a Christian heritage; there is no option.

For thus saith the LORD; David shall never want a man to sit upon the throne of the house of Israel; Neither shall the priests the Levites want a man before me to offer burnt offerings, and to kindle meat offerings, and to do sacrifice continually…Thus saith the LORD; If ye can break my covenant of the day, and my covenant of the night, and that there should not be day and night in their season; Then may also my covenant be broken with David my servant, that he should not have a son to reign upon his throne; and with the Levites the priests, my ministers… Considerest thou not what this people have spoken, saying, The two families which the LORD hath chosen, he hath even cast them off? thus they have despised my people, that they should be no more a nation before them. Thus saith the LORD; If my covenant be not with day and night, and if I have not appointed the ordinances of heaven and earth; Then will I cast away the seed of Jacob, and David my servant, so that I will not take any of his seed to be rulers over the seed of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob: for I will cause their captivity to return, and have mercy on them. Jer 33:17

He shall build an house for my name, and I will stablish the throne of his kingdom for ever. I will be his father, and he shall be my son. If he commit iniquity, I will chasten him with the rod of men, and with the stripes of the children of men: But my mercy shall not depart away from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I put away before thee. And thine house and thy kingdom shall be established for ever before thee: thy throne shall be established for ever. According to all these words, and according to all this vision, so did

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Nathan speak unto David. 2 Sam 7:13

His seed also will I make to endure for ever, and his throne as the days of heaven. If his children forsake my law, and walk not in my judgments; If they break my statutes, and keep not my commandments; Then will I visit their transgression with the rod, and their iniquity with stripes. Nevertheless my loving kindness will I not utterly take from him, nor suffer my faithfulness to fail. My covenant will I not break, nor alter the thing that is gone out of my lips. Once have I sworn by my holiness that I will not lie unto David. His seed shall endure for ever, and his throne as the sun before me. It shall be established for ever as the moon, and as a faithful witness in heaven. Selah. Psalm 89:29

With all these facts, and the words of God are facts, we can now make headway in understanding the tremendous amount of detail given in Jeremiah chapters 50 and 51.

THE PRIMARy OBJECTIVE: TO BIBLICALLy DETERMINE THE IDENTITy OF BAByLON.

Earlier it was pointed out that there is a pattern where God speaks of Babylon and Israel in the same breath. Where does this lead us, what is the point God is getting at?A straight A/B style comparison will show all we need to know. Israel and Babylon are both destroyed

Babylon How is the hammer of the whole earth cut asunder and broken! How is Babylon become a desolation among the nations! Jer 50:23 See also: Jer 50:2, 9-16, 29.

Israel Moreover I will make thee waste, and a reproach among the nations that are round about thee, in the sight of all that pass by. So it shall be a reproach and a taunt, an instruction and an astonishment unto the nations that are round about thee, when I shall execute judgments in thee in anger and in fury. Ezek 5:14

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Firstly it should be recognised that there is no such nation as Babylon in the ‘end time’. Obviously we are not discussing the ancient empire. What we are discussing is a synonym for the world’s most powerful nation both financially and military at the relevant time, clearly shown to be the case in Rev 18.In Jer 50 this powerful nation ‘the hammer of the whole earth’ has become a total devastation. In Jer 51:41 the ‘praise of all the earth’ is caught totally by surprise and the devastation is an astonishment to all the other nations of the world. As is the case in Rev 18 only Babylon is involved, all the other nations of the world are observers not participants. They have not been swallowed up in the same misfortune. They look, they stare, and they are shocked. In Rev 18 the entire world ‘laments’ also. This was not a nation that was tyrannising the world. No one is rejoicing at the shocking event.

The Ezekiel reference to Israel shows a similar fate. They too suffer the exact same ‘astonishing… reproach’ and become a ‘waste’ that all other nations witness and are completely taken aback with what has happened.Ezekiel has enough references to the Day of the Lord to firmly locate its relevant timeframe. Many mentions reference the ‘whole house of Israel’. We understand that to mean Judah, the House of Joseph and remaining nations of Israel. The Day of the Lord is specifically mentioned in 13:5, 30:3 and there are a great many references to future times. David shall be resurrected and the nations live in perfect peace. All the world obeys God in a millennial setting. But not until the nations of Israel, both Judah and Joseph have been subjected to captivity once again (the last resort God always falls back on to get Israel to think straight again i.e. turn back to God).In that process this is what we read in Ezekiel in the ‘end time’ concerning Israel:

The world can only be surprised, shocked and stunned at the downfall of a nation that seemed impregnable in the way this is worded – once. yet we have two nations with identical outcomes and responses from onlookers – at the same time? It should be noted that the rest of the world is not experiencing similar problems. If we add all the information together, if only one nation is in difficulty then this must take place as the first event of the ‘end time’. Once the Day of the

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Lord is underway ‘peace is taken from the earth’ … all of it.

Babylon and Israel are both proud against God

Babylon Jer 50:29 for she hath been proud against the LORD, against the Holy One of Israel.

Israel Hosea 5:5 And the pride of Israel doth testify to his face: therefore shall Israel and Ephraim fall in their iniquity; Judah also shall fall with them.

Babylon is singled out for retribution as a result of being ‘proud against the Lord’. In the bible only a people or nation that ‘belong’ to God in the first place and turn away from Him are described in this way. The Roman Empire or the Chinese or Middle Eastern nations are never criticised for ‘disobeying’ (being proud against) God or Christ. Only the nations of Israel are guilty on that score. The Hosea 5 verse states Judah, Ephraim and (Manasseh) shall fall as a result of being ‘proud against the Lord’. Babylon somehow must fit in there; the same fate being decreed for the same crime.

Babylon and Israel both are guilty of sin against God

Babylon Jer 50:14 Put yourselves in array against Babylon for she hath sinned against the LORD

Israel Ezek 37:23 Neither shall they defile themselves any more with their idols, but I will save them out of all their dwellingplaces, wherein they have sinned. (Many other examples)

Both Babylon and Israel are guilty of sin against God. As above with ‘pride’ only God’s people are accused of sinning against God.

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Babylon and Israel are removed from their homeland.

Babylon Jer 50:3 For out of the north there cometh up a nation against her, which shall make her land desolate, and none shall dwell therein: they shall remove, they shall depart, both man and beast.

Israel Ezek 6:9 And they that escape of you shall remember me among the nations whither they shall be carried captives, because I am broken with their whorish heart, which hath departed from me.

In these two scenarios both Israel and Babylon experience the same identical fate. They have their populations removed from their homeland and are off to captivity, in Israel’s case because of being unfaithful to God. However since Babylon is accused of both ‘sin’ and ‘pride’ against God they too are in trouble for the exact same reason. Once again, an identical situation.

No one passes through Babylon or Israel

Babylon Jer 50:13 Because of the wrath of the LORD it shall not be inhabited, but it shall be wholly desolate. v 39 it shall be no more inhabited for ever; neither shall it be dwelt in from generation to generation.

Israel Ezek 33:28 For I will lay the land most desolate, and the pomp of her strength shall cease; and the mountains of Israel shall be desolate, that none shall pass through.

An unusual situation. Once a country has been defeated it is usually taken over by the victors. This does not happen to either Babylon or Israel. Once again an identical situation.

Babylon and Israel both fear as a woman in travail

Babylon Jer 50:43 The king of Babylon hath heard the report of them, and his hands waxed feeble: anguish took hold of him, and pangs as of a woman in travail.

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Israel Jer 30:4 We have heard a voice of trembling, of fear, and not of peace. Ask ye now, and see whether a man doth travail with child? Another unusual and rather unique response attributed to both Israel and Babylon, both at the same time in history. For two super nations (see later: both say ‘I am’ i.e. invincible) to respond this way is unlikely. Babylon gives up without a fight: The mighty men of Babylon have forborn to fight, they have remained in their holds: their might hath failed; they became as women: they have burned her dwellingplaces; her bars are broken. Jer 51:30 Israel is not much different: And he that is courageous among the mighty shall flee away naked in that day, saith the LORD. Amos 3:16An identical situation.

Babylon and Israel’s time of trouble

Babylon Jer 51:2 for in the day of trouble they shall be against her round about.

Israel Jer 30:7 it is even the time of Jacob’s trouble.

Same for both.

Babylon and Israel both face their time of visitation

Babylon Jer 50:27 let them go down to the slaughter: woe unto them! for their day is come, the time of their visitation.

Israel Amos 3:14 in the day that I shall visit the transgressions of Israel upon him I will also visit the altars of Beth–el: and the horns of the altar shall be cut off.

The biblical expression ‘the day I shall visit them’ has special significance. It is the end of the road. No more latitude is given, which is the meaning of

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the horns being cut away from the altar. In 1 Kings 1:50 it explains holding the horns at the altar are the last ditch chance to receive mercy from an enemy. God says nothing will be available to save them, meaning He will not relent.

Babylon and Israel both described as a city

Babylon Rev 18:10 Alas, alas, that great city Babylon, that mighty city! for in one hour is thy judgment come.

Israel Amos 6:8 I abhor the excellency of Jacob, and hate his palaces: therefore will I deliver up the city with all that is therein. See also Zeph 2:15 ‘the rejoicing city’.

Babylon is well known as being ‘the city’, so is Israel. Babylon and Israel both surrounded

Babylon Jer 50:29 Call together the archers against Babylon: all ye that bend the bow, camp against it round about; let none thereof escape.

Israel Amos 6:14 I will raise up against you a nation, O house of Israel, saith the LORD the God of hosts; and they shall afflict you from the entering in of Hemath unto the river of the wilderness.

Babylon is surrounded by her enemies, there is no way out of the situation. For Israel the situation is the same. The Hemath and the ‘river of the wilderness’ are the extreme opposite ends of ancient Israel i.e. it is surrounded on all sides.

Babylon and Israel both restored to greatness

Babylon Dan 4:36 ...excellent majesty was added unto me. Now I Nebuchadnezzar praise and extol and honour the King of heaven. (The king of Babylon had his kingdom restored when he acknowledged God as supreme.

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Used as an analogy for ‘Babylon’ in the future in a prophetic sense).

Israel Jer 33:14 Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will perform that good thing which I have promised unto the house of Israel and to the house of Judah.

If we look at Israel first: All may seem to be lost with the continually pessimistic threats and reporting of dire outcomes. If we go back to the original verses where both Israel and Judah go ‘weeping to seek a perpetual covenant that shall never be broken’ we see where the destructive bent is finally dislodged from Israel’s back. This is the whole point. God wants His people (and everyone else) back on board again. The degree to which they want to resist God is up to them. In the end everything does work out for the better. All the way through the bible the eventual future of Israel is assured. The new covenant is the dawn of a new era.

Heb 8:8 Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah: Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt; because they continued not in my covenant, and I regarded them not, saith the Lord. For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people.

For Babylon we have a figurative passage in Daniel 4, not understood by very many, where Nebuchadnezzar is a type, a pattern of a nation becoming great. Attributing that greatness to themselves and not God caused an immediate demise and a period of ‘grovelling in the dust for seven years’. On realizing the correct place of God in his life and repentance, Nebuchadnezzar’s fortunes were restored. Nothing like this remotely happened to Nebuchadnezzar. He would be a great biblical hero if it had and he would be listed in Hebrews 11 alongside Moses, David and Abraham et al. The ‘Book of Nebuchadnezzar’ would have been added to the OT. It is an analogy for what happens to ‘Babylon’. Like Israel, they have ‘greatness restored to them’.

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Babylon and God’s people both think of themselves as ‘I am’

Babylon Isa 47:8 Therefore hear now this, thou that art given to pleasures, that dwellest carelessly, that sayest in thine heart, I am, and none else beside me; I shall not sit as a widow. (See also Rev 18:7)

Israel Zeph 2:15 This is the rejoicing city that dwelt carelessly, that said in her heart, I am, and there is none beside me. (next verse 3:1 continues context) Woe to her that is filthy and polluted, to the oppressing city! She obeyed not the voice; she received not correction; she trusted not in the LORD; she drew not near to her God. (A city that would not draw near to her LORD and God could only be an Israelite nation)

Babylon in Rev 18 is the supreme nation. She thinks she is invincible. She is the sole Superpower of her day. The trouble is, Israel is under the same impression. Same time, same place. There can only be one ‘number one’ nation at a time. Either there is some literary nonsense going on in the bible or as should be very obvious by now we are talking about one and the same nation.From God’s perspective, Israel has become a ‘Babylon’. Babylon as described is Israel and God will treat it as such.

Conclusion For Babylon: All the scriptures used are clearly in an end time context. The circumstances of Babylon and Israel are both locked together with God’s words “in those days and in that time” in Jer 50:1-4.God, very intentionally has given us very complex circumstances that will fit together in only one way. So complex, that when it is shown how precisely the intricate pieces fit, there are no doubts as to the correct application.In this case we can positively state what is being spoken of in terms of Babylon is in fact Israel.

The next step is to define which of the three divisions of Israel mirrors the

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narrative for Babylon. Could it be Judah? Modern Israel is not the world’s superpower whose currency dictates all world financial dealings. We can rule Judah out.We are left with two more options. The House of Joseph, made up of ‘one great nation’ and a greater ‘community of nations’. Secondly, the balance of unspecified nations that are also part of Israel.All of them will have a Christian heritage and one of the categories will have the long established royal throne.

Before going too much further, let’s recount some earlier aspects of timing, add them to our current updated information and re-draw our map.

• On day one of the Day of the Lord, the world will be as ‘normal’ as it ever is. It will not have collapsed financially or have undertaken any notable structural political and social changes.

• One Christian nation will be the dominant world power financially and militarily. That rules out a switch to China or Arabian interests or a ‘one world’ government or banking system.

• No major changes that indicate a ‘Beast power’ will have taken place.

• The rapid rate of technological advancement, as mentioned rules out any extended timeframe. The context is relative to ‘today’.

This really narrows the possibilities and options of just where we are in biblical chronology.

Everyone would be aware that it is the considered opinion of world leaders that we are in a time where deep and far-reaching changes must be made – and very quickly. Weeks, at most a few months, are all we have left to attempt to shore up the system. Certain nations are at the tipping point now.

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At the same time, many financial experts are predicting that the problems are much too deep and complex to be solved at all. The call to just let certain nations default is becoming louder as the situation grows more complex. This would only start a domino reaction that would collapse the entire system.Whichever way you look at it, major changes are about to occur. If not voluntarily (politicians), the ‘system’ (market forces) will do the job for us.

Is the world doomed to suffer another Depression?By Jeremy Warner. Telegraph. 06 Sep 2011http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/comment/jeremy-warner/8744527/Is-the-world-doomed-to-suffer-another-Depression.html

Europe is in disarray, stock markets are plunging, the banking crisis is back in full swing, gold is at record levels, and both the UK and US are self-evidently slipping back towards recession – not since the autumn of 2008 have things looked quite so ominous.We appear to be at another pivotal moment, with Western economies once more staring into the abyss.In Europe and the US policymakers are paralysed – by growing Euroscepticism among electorates on the one hand and fierce Republican resistance to further deficit spending on the other. There is little or no consensus about what needs to be done. In Europe, governments are a million miles away from either of the two remedies likely to resolve the crisis: break-up of the euro or the establishment of political and fiscal union. The euro debt crisis seems to have reached an intractable state of affairs, with leaders apparently unprepared to contemplate either reconstitution of the currency along lines that would allow the distressed periphery to reflate their economies out of depression, or the establishment of a United States of Europe. Mass and disorderly default appears to be the only way in which events can unfold. The distinct possibility of catastrophic loss once more looms large across the world economy.It took Europe over 40 years of economic and political turmoil

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to recover from the extreme over-indebtedness it imposed on itself in the folly of the First World War. Much as today, creditors and debtors tore each other apart economically in attempting to find a politically acceptable form of burden-sharing. We all know how the currency and trade wars of that era ended.

SIXTEEN VERSES STATE THE DAy OF THE LORD BEGINS FIRST

The sixteen verses quoted earlier say the kind of sweeping changes we are talking about will not take place before the Day of the Lord begins. No sweeping changes or ‘earth shattering proposals’ are evident from the biblical perspective. It must be emphasised that all is quite normal.

If we continue to identify ‘who is who’, the implications of where we stand will take shape.

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CHApTER 4

GOD’S pEOpLE REFInED

As things stand at this point in time the only nation that qualifies to be the single Christian superpower is obviously America. Just as plain is the inevitability that the baton for superpower status will pass to China in due course. That, as explained, is not possible staying within reach of God’s word. So America it is and ‘this generation’ it is.

We have Judah and Manasseh (Babylon) identified. No one would argue with the Jewish people being Judah.Our reasoning for America being the single large Christian nation is by plain observation and biblically based common sense. Objectors need to provide an alternative that fits every criteria.Who are the other nations that God has reserved? Ephraim the ‘multitude of nations’ with a common link (also a ‘brother’ to Manasseh) can only be Britain and her Commonwealth of nations. They ‘ruled the waves’ of the entire world at one stage. They also have the continuous Royal family. No one else can fulfil God’s word to that degree. The balance of nations with common roots, also with a long Christian heritage can only be found in Europe.

If God states there are multiple nations descended from the original twelve sons of Israel, then that is so. God also says that He will ensure they stay within His moral boundaries through history. Faced with the reality those nations exist it only needs a hop, skip and jump to negotiate the breach of improbability.Britain is composed of Saxons, Angles, Danes and later Normans who in turn have a Viking connection. America is founded on a generous mix of European ancestry. America and Europe all derive from a common pool. These nations that are related from early times and Christian are the nations God is targeting.

We arrive at a new station along the journey. Volumes of scripture devoted

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to ‘Israel’ in the bible at last have some legroom.Truth can come across stranger than fiction; yet any alternative compilation of all facts and scriptures could only be truly bizarre.

The ‘silence’ in the bible concerning modern nations turns out to be no more than a faulty connection. Our wires were crossed; the correct understanding should be loud and clear now. WHAT NEXT?

What is God going to do with a family that is in total rebellion, which no longer believes He even exists? The short answer is what ever it takes to make them see sense. God is not about to give up on His people or His promises.The detail within the bible on how this will be achieved is not only profuse; it is predictable.

REFINED IN THE FURNACE OF AFFLICTION ALL NATIONS OF ISRAEL

Hear ye this, O house of Jacob, which are called by the name of Israel, and are come forth out of the waters of Judah, which swear by the name of the LORD, and make mention of the God of Israel, but not in truth, nor in righteousness…I have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction. For mine own sake, even for mine own sake, will I do it: for how should my name be polluted? and I will not give my glory unto another. Isa 48:1,10

As we now go through the detail of what will transpire we need to understand what the wrath of God really means. Is not God a God of love? Is that not the definition of God? How can God be so tough on His own people?

God is described as a rock. Dependable and ‘rock solid’. Unmovable.Israel is equally ‘hard headed’. Rebellious and impudent. Hardhearted.I send thee to the children of Israel, to a rebellious nation that hath rebelled

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against me: they and their fathers have transgressed against me, even unto this very day. For they are impudent children and stiffhearted.…for all the house of Israel are impudent and hardhearted. Ezekiel 2:3, 3:7

Many scriptures outline the process of Israel’s downfall. Many assume these are speaking of Judah’s captivity in the Old Testament. The following example shows the ‘whole’ house of Israel being involved, not just Judah. Just as the outcome for Babylon is described as ‘shocking’ for the entire world, Israel is discussed here in the same terms. While in captivity they learn exactly which side of their bread has the butter on it and respond positively. God retrieves the House of Jacob ‘out of their enemies lands’, plural, leading them to [the Promised Land] where God pours His spirit of mercy on them. Never will He be separated from them again. This is the new covenant of Heb 8 and many other scriptures. All future.

And the heathen shall know that the house of Israel went into captivity for their iniquity: because they trespassed against me, therefore hid I my face from them, and gave them into the hand of their enemies: so fell they all by the sword. According to their uncleanness and according to their transgressions have I done unto them, and hid my face from them. Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Now will I bring again the captivity of Jacob, and have mercy upon the whole house of Israel, and will be jealous for my holy name; After that they have borne their shame, and all their trespasses whereby they have trespassed against me, when they dwelt safely in their land, and none made them afraid. When I have brought them again from the people, and gathered them out of their enemies’ lands, and am sanctified in them in the sight of many nations; Then shall they know that I am the LORD their God, which caused them to be led into captivity among the heathen: but I have gathered them unto their own land, and have left none of them any more there. Neither will I hide my face any more from them: for I have poured out my spirit upon the house of Israel, saith the Lord GOD. Ezek 39:23

Other verses for Israel’s future going into captivity include (by no means are all): Isa 48:10, Jer 16:13, Jer 30:7, Jer 33:24, Jer 50:33, Ezek 6:11, Ezek 7:7, Hos 5:5, Hos 5:13, Joel 3:6, Joel 3:9, Amos 3:1, Amos 3:14, Amos 4:11, Amos 6:7, Amos 6:14, Amos 9:9, Zech 11:8, Zeph 3:1, Obadiah v11,

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The primary chapters and verses relating to Babylon (the USA) shows a total capitulation to external forces. They are removed from their homeland becoming prisoners scattered in other parts of the world. Later they are retrieved from these places and returned not to their original homes, but to the Promised Land; the territory from the Nile to the Euphrates. Gen 15:18The landmass of the Americas will change beyond recognition during the ‘end time’ and will not be fit for re-habitation. The Middle East by comparison will ‘blossom as a rose’.

And the seventh angel poured out his vial into the air; and there came a great voice out of the temple of heaven, from the throne, saying, It is done. And there were voices, and thunders, and lightnings; and there was a great earthquake, such as was not since men were upon the earth, so mighty an earthquake, and so great. And the great city was divided into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell: and great Babylon came in remembrance before God, to give unto her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of his wrath. And every island fled away, and the mountains were not found. Rev 16:17

And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places. Rev 6:14

The wilderness and the solitary place shall be glad for them; and the desert shall rejoice, and blossom as the rose. It shall blossom abundantly, and rejoice even with joy and singing: the glory of Lebanon shall be given unto it, the excellency of Carmel and Sharon, they shall see the glory of the LORD, and the excellency of our God. Strengthen ye the weak hands, and confirm the feeble knees. Say to them that are of a fearful heart, Be strong, fear not: behold, your God will come with vengeance, even God with a recompence; he will come and save you. Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped. Then shall the lame man leap as an hart, and the tongue of the dumb sing: for in the wilderness shall waters break out, and streams in the desert. And the parched ground shall become a pool, and the thirsty land springs of water: in the habitation of dragons, where each lay, shall be grass with reeds and rushes. And an highway shall be there, and a way, and it shall be called The way of holiness; the unclean shall not pass over it; but it shall be for those: the wayfaring men, though fools, shall not err therein. No lion shall be there,

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nor any ravenous beast shall go up thereon, it shall not be found there; but the redeemed shall walk there: And the ransomed of the LORD shall return, and come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads: they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away. Isa 35:1

The Day of the Lord is described as a ‘dark day’, there is nothing pleasant about it at all says God. And yet as we saw above, the eventual outcome is priceless.

For the day of the LORD cometh, for it is nigh at hand; A day of darkness and of gloominess, a day of clouds and of thick darkness… Joel 2:1

A full measure of verses describe the downfall and captivity of Israel as a whole. In Hosea specific detail states that the USA, the UK and Judah all fall within one month of each other.

And the pride of Israel doth testify to his face: therefore shall Israel [the leading nation of the time] and Ephraim fall in their iniquity; Judah also shall fall with them. They shall go with their flocks and with their herds to seek the LORD; but they shall not find him; he hath withdrawn himself from them. They have dealt treacherously against the LORD: for they have begotten strange children: now shall a month devour them with their portions. Hosea 5:5

A logical flow of events would be:• A natural disaster (act of God) propels the USA past the point of financial return. Many mentions of ‘water’ and a ‘millstone’ creating a giant splash are used. The total collapse of all finance and banking dependant on the US dollar takes place. • The UK (Ephraim) is much too closely allied to American interests and collapses also.• Judah, modern Israel is now left without military support. Arab nations immediately take advantage of the circumstances.

As seen with Lehman Brothers, these scenarios can unfold in a matter of hours. The world banking system apparently was only one hour from total

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collapse on that occasion. With all resources for surviving the next round expended in advance, the outcome of another ‘mishap’ will be terminal. In the Hosea verse we saw that God ‘withdrew Himself from them’. A more graphic description is found in Amos. To hold the ‘horns of the altar’ was the absolute last resort for mercy available. See 1 Kings 1:50, 2:28

That in the day that I shall visit the transgressions of Israel upon him I will also visit the altars of Bethel: and the horns of the altar shall be cut off, and fall to the ground. Amos 3:14

As explained in the ‘wrath of God’ the intention is not to punish Israel per se. Neither is this revenge or reprisal. However, God will be relentless in pursuing His cause. Israel will become the model nation it was destined to be.

‘Many nations’ and ‘nations from the North’ will decimate the USA and Britain.

For, lo, I will raise and cause to come up against Babylon an assembly of great nations from the north country: and they shall set themselves in array against her; from thence she shall be taken: Jer 50:9

Behold, a people shall come from the north, and a great nation, and many kings shall be raised up from the coasts of the earth. Jer 50:41

Judah will face her archenemy.

Egypt shall be a desolation, and Edom shall be a desolate wilderness, for the violence against the children of Judah, because they have shed innocent blood in their land. But Judah shall dwell for ever, and Jerusalem from generation to generation. For I will cleanse their blood that I have not cleansed: for the LORD dwelleth in Zion. Joel 3:19

Yea, and what have ye to do with me, O Tyre, and Zidon, and all the coasts of Palestine? will ye render me a recompence? and if ye recompense me, swiftly and speedily will I return your recompence upon your own head… The children also

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of Judah and the children of Jerusalem have ye sold unto the Grecians, that ye might remove them far from their border. Joel 3:4

Shall I not in that day, saith the LORD, even destroy the wise men out of Edom, and understanding out of the mount of Esau? And thy mighty men, O Teman, shall be dismayed, to the end that every one of the mount of Esau may be cut off by slaughter. For thy violence against thy brother Jacob shame shall cover thee, and thou shalt be cut off for ever. In the day that thou stoodest on the other side, in the day that the strangers carried away captive his forces, and foreigners entered into his gates, and cast lots upon Jerusalem, even thou wast as one of them. But thou shouldest not have looked on the day of thy brother in the day that he became a stranger; neither shouldest thou have rejoiced over the children of Judah in the day of their destruction; neither shouldest thou have spoken proudly in the day of distress. Obadiah v 8

These verses, spoken in retrospect, explain that although the Arab nations have defeated Judah and cruelly treated them, the future for Judah is assured. The descendants of Ishmael will be called on to give account for their action.Interestingly the one nation that receives most of the Jewish captives is Edom. That is one of the listed nations that the Beast will not take over. Therefore Edom is the safest place for Judah until Christ reinstates them.

Thus saith the LORD; For three transgressions of Gaza, and for four, I will not turn away the punishment thereof; because they carried away captive the whole captivity, to deliver them up to Edom: But I will send a fire on the wall of Gaza, which shall devour the palaces thereof: And I will cut off the inhabitant from Ashdod, and him that holdeth the sceptre from Ashkelon, and I will turn mine hand against Ekron: and the remnant of the Philistines shall perish, saith the Lord GOD. Thus saith the LORD; For three transgressions of Tyrus, and for four, I will not turn away the punishment thereof; because they delivered up the whole captivity to Edom, and remembered not the brotherly covenant: Amos 1:6

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And at the time of the end shall the king of the south push at him: and the king of the north shall come against him like a whirlwind, with chariots, and with horsemen, and with many ships; and he shall enter into the countries, and shall overflow and pass over.He shall enter also into the glorious land, and many countries shall be overthrown: but these shall escape out of his hand, even Edom, and Moab, and the chief of the children of Ammon. Dan 11:40

The defeat of Judah is at the hands of the Arab neighbours lead by the king of the South. The defeat of the Arabs takes place at the midpoint of the Day of the Lord. The Beast enters the Middle East and sets up his headquarters in Jerusalem with forty two months left until Christ deals with him. This is when he says he is God, the abomination of desolation.

Who is like unto the beast? who is able to make war with him? And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months. And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven. Rev 13:4

The ‘abomination’ takes place in the ‘midst of the week’ i.e. with three and a half years either side of it (42 months).

….in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate. Dan 9:27

A COVENANT WITH THE JEWS ?

Much has been said about a ‘treaty’ between Israel and the Beast. This treaty is theoretically set up for seven years but is broken at the mid point by the Beast who then attacks and conquers Israel.

Scripturally, this is brimful with impossibilities. The sixteen verses that

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state nothing obvious would be in existence at the start of the Day of the Lord precludes even the existence of a Beast to make a covenant. The ‘covenant made with many’ refers to Christ keeping His existing promises, ‘confirming’ what has been written in the bible. The Beast is the second ‘he’ that stops the ‘sacrifice and oblation’, which is Old Testament language for the daily functioning of the true Church. The first resurrection, the ‘firstfruits’ takes place at this time; the sixth seal. The Beast, completely controlled by Satan then wages a full scale assault on Christians that did not take part in the first resurrection.

And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations. Rev 13:7

ALL ISRAEL IN THE SAME BOAT

As pointed out above it is the Arab nations that attack their neighbour in the land of Israel. Many scriptures emphatically point out there will be no Jews left in their homeland. They are defeated and taken away at a very early stage of the ‘end time’. Captivity applies both to the House of Joseph and Judah.These are not all the ‘tribes of Israel’. America, Britain and Jewish Israel are accounted for. What about the balance of Christian nations in Europe? God wants ALL His people back on track and returned to Him.

THE BEAST

Europe, separated from the Dollar manages through desperate measures to survive the world financial collapse of the USA. The Euro even under pressure acts as a buffer. The frantic measures include the final amalgamation of a reorganised Europe into ten nations. A form of martial law is needed to hold the ‘mixture of clay and sand together’. Dan 2:33The trial of faith that engulfs the other tribes of Israel in the form of defeat and captivity for almost seven years is now prescribed for the European section.

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They will have the Beast and the ‘mark of the Beast’. Somewhere in the detail of commitment to have the ‘number’ or ‘mark’ will be a clause that all true Christians cannot accept. Here is their trial. Without the ‘mark’ it will not be possible to carry out transactions. This includes the purchase of food, payment of rent or electricity bills etc. Life will become virtually impossible, just as ‘impossible’ as it is for the captives to survive. Without a total commitment to God – the purpose – there is no chance of surviving. There is no promise that you will survive. Once again, ‘those that seek to save their lives will lose it. Those that are willing to give their lives for Christ will find it’, this is speaking of the longer term ‘life’.

EVERy CHRISTIAN TESTED

We have been discussing Israel to this point. Fast rising in the background should be the realisation that what it all boils down to is Christians as a whole are all going to be tested to the limit. Many Churches operate on the proviso that they are a special case and somehow ‘this doesn’t apply to us’. Move one step further and it is easy to see the whole world is involved. That should be obvious, since Christ died for all mankind. He wants them all back. This is the purpose of the Day of the Lord. Moving forward into the Kingdom of God is a privilege. It comes with a cost. Strictly for ‘members only’, yes, but the membership fees have been paid for in advance. you have to pick the paperwork up from Christ personally and be able to look Him in the eye at the same time.

HOW DOES THE DAy OF THE LORD BEGIN ?

What is the first event? Even before the fall of Babylon what else will we ‘see’ that warns the Day of the Lord has begun?

We mentioned at the start that we could liken the ‘end time’ to God being a mountain of granite placed in the middle of the motorway. A large sign warns that road conditions have change dramatically and to drive accordingly. What is that warning?

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And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people, Saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters. And there followed another angel, saying, Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication. Rev 14:6

Before Babylon falls (the last part of the passage), the first angel of the sequence will warn the entire world of impending events. More detail is given in Joel. ‘All flesh’ is a specific Hebrew term meaning every living person.

And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions: And also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my spirit. And I will shew wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke. The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and the terrible day of the LORD come. Joel 2:28

Blow ye the trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm in my holy mountain: let all the inhabitants of the land tremble: for the day of the LORD cometh, for it is nigh at hand. Joel 2:1

Therefore also now, saith the LORD, turn ye even to me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning: And rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto the LORD your God: for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repenteth him of the evil. Who knoweth if he will return and repent, and leave a blessing behind him. Joel 2:12

The Joel verse is repeated in Acts 2 where Peter explains how it could be that everyone hears what he says in his own language. His answer was that it was an example of a similar occurrence that would take place before the Day of the Lord. They would all perceive something ‘in their own heads’.

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Now when this was noised abroad, the multitude came together, and were confounded, because that every man heard them speak in his own language. And they were all amazed and marvelled, saying one to another, Behold, are not all these which speak Galilaeans? And how hear we every man in our own tongue, wherein we were born?... And they were all amazed, and were in doubt, saying one to another, What meaneth this?... But Peter, standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice, and said unto them, Ye men of Judaea, and all ye that dwell at Jerusalem, be this known unto you, and hearken to my words… But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel; And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams…. before the great and the terrible day of the LORD come. Act 2:6 – 17

We should add that through the entire bible God never takes unilateral action without adequate warning. For the full duration of the Day of the Lord, warning of what is to occur and encouragement to take the right action is readily available. At first it is the angels that act on God’s behalf. Next the Saints of the Church will take up the call. When the resurrection takes place and they are absent, the two witnesses carry the baton.For those that entertain the wrath of God as being what the world deserves, a more realistic peek into God’s mind shows something distinctly different. At the last minute, the very last minute God gives the world another chance to enter His kingdom.This verse from almost the opening pages of the bible shows the consistency of the ‘everlasting gospel’ from one end of the bible to the other.

But if from thence thou shalt seek the LORD thy God, thou shalt find him, if thou seek him with all thy heart and with all thy soul. When thou art in tribulation, and all these things are come upon thee, even in the latter days, if thou turn to the LORD thy God, and shalt be obedient unto his voice; (For the LORD thy God is a merciful God;) he will not forsake thee, neither destroy thee, nor forget the covenant of thy fathers which he sware unto them. For ask now of the days that are past, which were before thee, since the day that God created man upon the earth, and ask from the one side of heaven unto the other, whether there hath been any such thing as this great thing is, or hath been

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heard like it? Did ever people hear the voice of God speaking out of the midst of the fire, as thou hast heard, and live? Or hath God assayed to go and take him a nation from the midst of another nation, by temptations, by signs, and by wonders, and by war, and by a mighty hand, and by a stretched out arm, and by great terrors, according to all that the LORD your God did for you in Egypt before your eyes? Unto thee it was shewed, that thou mightest know that the LORD he is God; there is none else beside him. Deut 4:29

At first glance you might be tempted to write this off as a passed event. The mention of ‘in the latter days’ and ‘in tribulation’ places this in the far future. Remember at the time this was given, Israel had only left Egypt a few weeks beforehand. As for the mention of coming out of Egypt; that will be repeated as a pattern – Egypt is an analogy, still for the future.

And the LORD shall bring thee into Egypt again with ships, by the way whereof I spake unto thee, Thou shalt see it no more again: and there ye shall be sold unto your enemies for bondmen and bondwomen, and no man shall buy you. Deut 28:68

Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch, and a King shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth. In his days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely: and this is his name whereby he shall be called, THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS. Therefore, behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that they shall no more say, The LORD liveth, which brought up the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt; But, The LORD liveth, which brought up and which led the seed of the house of Israel out of the north country, and from all countries whither I had driven them; and they shall dwell in their own land. …20 The anger of the LORD shall not return, until he have executed, and till he have performed the thoughts of his heart: in the latter days ye shall consider it perfectly. Jer 23:5

Israel has not been ‘saved’ yet, nor has Judah; their name has not been changed. Neither have the children of Israel (all of them) been brought back in such spectacular fashion that the whole world talks about it forever. This covers the many nations of Israel. What about other nations?

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The book of Deuteronomy continues in one sequence all the way through continuously referring to the latter days. Israel is re-gathered, and so are other nations. This is the new covenant of Hebrews 8 being instituted.

And it shall come to pass, when all these things are come upon thee, the blessing and the curse, which I have set before thee, and thou shalt call them to mind among all the nations, whither the LORD thy God hath driven thee, And shalt return unto the LORD thy God, and shalt obey his voice according to all that I command thee this day, thou and thy children, with all thine heart, and with all thy soul; That then the LORD thy God will turn thy captivity, and have compassion upon thee, and will return and gather thee from all the nations, whither the LORD thy God hath scattered thee. If any of thine be driven out unto the outmost parts of heaven, from thence will the LORD thy God gather thee, and from thence will he fetch thee: And the LORD thy God will bring thee into the land which thy fathers possessed, and thou shalt possess it; and he will do thee good, and multiply thee above thy fathers. And the LORD thy God will circumcise thine heart, and the heart of thy seed, to love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, that thou mayest live. Deut 30:1

Ye stand this day all of you before the LORD your God; your captains of your tribes, your elders, and your officers, with all the men of Israel, Your little ones, your wives, and thy stranger that is in thy camp, from the hewer of thy wood unto the drawer of thy water: That thou shouldest enter into covenant with the LORD thy God, and into his oath, which the LORD thy God maketh with thee this day: That he may establish thee to day for a people unto himself, and that he may be unto thee a God, as he hath said unto thee, and as he hath sworn unto thy fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob. Neither with you only do I make this covenant and this oath; But with him that standeth here with us this day before the LORD our God, and also with him that is not here with us this day: Deut 29:10

All other nations are present! God is addressing each and every one and even those not present. This is a universal declaration.

I will also gather all nations, and will bring them down into the valley of Jehoshaphat, and will plead with them there for my people and for my heritage

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Israel, whom they have scattered among the nations, and parted my land. Joel 3:2For I will gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle. Zech 2:2

I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live: That thou mayest love the LORD thy God, and that thou mayest obey his voice, and that thou mayest cleave unto him: for he is thy life, and the length of thy days Deut 30:19

This is it, the last chance to change their minds. Those that refuse: … shall consume away while they stand upon their feet, and their eyes shall consume away in their holes, and their tongue shall consume away in their mouth. Zech 14:12

And the LORD shall be king over all the earth: in that day shall there be one LORD, and his name one. Zech 14:9

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CHApTER 5

REAL WORLD EVEnTS

THE SPECIFICS: IN ORDER OF EVENTS

What will take place? Here are some specific points.

• ON DAY ONE THE ENTIRE WORLD WILL BE CAUGHT BY SURPRISE WITH ‘DREAMS AND VISIONS’.

This event will make it clear: there is a God. That God is ‘on His way’. Turn to Him.Response: no mainstream Church was prepared for this. They will have neither an explanation nor response. World governments will probably be thinking in terms of super technology having been employed if not ‘alien’ activity. Admitting there is a God will not be on the menu.Charismatic/Evangelical Churches will erupt in jubilation announcing the ‘rapture’ is about to take place. Mr Camping will say he was almost right. Many will agree. This rapturous welcome of the ‘visions and dreams’ constitutes the ‘peace and safety’ message Paul talks about.

For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape. 1 Thess 5:2

The ‘sudden destruction’ will be the collapse of the USA.Those that were ready for this and fully understood what to do will fulfil the Ezekiel passages. This will include the person that will become the ‘Elijah’.

And he said unto me, Son of man, stand upon thy feet, and I will speak unto thee. And the spirit entered into me when he spake unto me, and set me upon my feet, that I heard him that spake unto me. And he said unto me, Son of

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man, I send thee to the children of Israel, to a rebellious nation that hath rebelled against me: they and their fathers have transgressed against me, even unto this very day. For they are impudent children and stiffhearted. I do send thee unto them; and thou shalt say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD. And they, whether they will hear, or whether they will forbear, (for they are a rebellious house,) yet shall know that there hath been a prophet among them. And thou, son of man, be not afraid of them, neither be afraid of their words, though briers and thorns be with thee, and thou dost dwell among scorpions: be not afraid of their words, nor be dismayed at their looks, though they be a rebellious house. And thou shalt speak my words unto them, whether they will hear, or whether they will forbear: for they are most rebellious. But thou, son of man, hear what I say unto thee; Be not thou rebellious like that rebellious house: open thy mouth, and eat that I give thee. Ezek 2:1

And it came to pass at the end of seven days, that the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, Son of man, I have made thee a watchman unto the house of Israel: therefore hear the word at my mouth, and give them warning from me. When I say unto the wicked, Thou shalt surely die; and thou givest him not warning, nor speakest to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life; the same wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand. Yet if thou warn the wicked, and he turn not from his wickedness, nor from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity; but thou hast delivered thy soul. Ezek 2:16

And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him. Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out. But the wise answered, saying, Not so; lest there be not enough for us and you: Matt 25:6

Just as Jeremiah was severely abused by his own people for delivering an unpopular message, so it will be for those that truly serve God in the ‘end time’. There is no choice in this matter; God’s warning must be delivered.

Thus saith the LORD, This city shall surely be given into the hand of the king of

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Babylon’s army, which shall take it. Therefore the princes said unto the king, We beseech thee, let this man be put to death: for thus he weakeneth the hands of the men of war that remain in this city, and the hands of all the people, in speaking such words unto them: for this man seeketh not the welfare of this people, but the hurt. Then Zedekiah the king said, Behold, he is in your hand: for the king is not he that can do any thing against you. Then took they Jeremiah, and cast him into the dungeon of Malchiah the son of Hammelech, that was in the court of the prison: and they let down Jeremiah with cords. And in the dungeon there was no water, but mire: so Jeremiah sunk in the mire. Jer 38:3

There are very few indeed that are aware in advance of these events.

Surely the Lord GOD will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets. Amos 3:7

And when this cometh to pass, (lo, it will come,) then shall they know that a prophet hath been among them. Ezek 33:33

Unlike Jeremiah, the Saints of the ‘end time’ will have the ability to freely perform miracles. This will enable two things. God’s people will be readily identifiable. What God requires their hearers to do next can be taken as God’s word on the subject.

And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand. Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give… Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves… But when they persecute you in this city, flee ye into another: for verily I say unto you, Ye shall not have gone over the cities of Israel, till the Son of man be come. Matt 10:7, 16, 23 (See also the 70, Luke 10)

This instruction to ‘raise the dead and heal the sick’ is valid ‘until the Son of man be come’. Israel here, as we should understand now, includes the USA, Britain and all (EU) Europe as well as geographic Israel.

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• AMERICA SUCCUMBS TO AN ‘ACT OF GOD’. A WORLDWIDE FINANCIAL COLLAPSE FOLLOWS.

All the main passages that cover Babylon point to a ‘watery’ demise. May be a storm, may be a giant tsunami. Something overwhelms the nation’s ability to cover the cost. The financial system collapses. The banks shut their doors. The supermarkets are cleaned out, the gas stations run dry.As in New Orleans after Katrina, the worst side of society rears its head. Chaos results. Events go from bad to worse. The nation internally fragments; the shock is felt around the world.As the Dollar gives way, stock markets tumble worldwide. Britain follows the direction of America.Rioting engulfs the nation. Britannia figuratively sinks beneath the waves.

These nations and others allied to them have become virtually defenceless. In the pandemonium that saturates the planet Satan exerts his time-honoured solution.

And when he had opened the second seal, I heard the second beast say, Come and see. And there went out another horse that was red: and power was given to him that sat thereon to take peace from the earth, and that they should kill one another: and there was given unto him a great sword. Rev 6:3

America, Britain and Judah fall within one month. Hosea 5:5 They are defeated and go into captivity at the choosing of many different nations. Many are the verses in the bible that mention how God will later bring them back from captivity, in spectacular style.

• EUROPE SURVIVES INTACT

Equipped with a different currency and with adroit handling, Europe manages to salvage a vestige of self respect. Within the emergency a drastic form of martial law takes hold at the instigation of one man. He will become a hero and later a ‘god’. This is the Beast. The last remnant of the Roman Empire will rise for ‘one hour’. Life during the Day of the Lord will not be easy despite having an allocation of food for

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those that pledge loyalty to the state.

The mark of the Beast will entail a compulsory religion. This will not be compatible for true Christians. A small detail here and there will in effect ‘deny Christ’. An angel specifically warns, in no uncertain terms, not to do this. This will now become the great test for all Christians in Europe.

And there followed another angel, saying, Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication. And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand, The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb: Rev 14:8

And the fifth angel poured out his vial upon the seat of the beast; and his kingdom was full of darkness; and they gnawed their tongues for pain, And blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores, and repented not of their deeds. Rev 16:10

The Saints, as God’s true followers are described, have a particular function at this time. They were warned to come out of Babylon before it fell. (Rev 18:4 and 11 other verses) This was not to ‘save’ them; far from it. This coming out of Babylon (leaving their home countries and travelling to Europe) is the equivalent of a spiritual Dunkirk. They live to fight another day. Their fight will be with the Beast. They are responsible for the instruction and comforting of those in Europe that seek the true God. Many will not survive the three and a half years until the resurrection. It is interesting to note that God made special provision in His instruction for this time.

Provide neither gold, nor silver, nor brass in your purses, Nor scrip for your journey, neither two coats, neither shoes, nor yet staves: for the workman is worthy of his meat. And into whatsoever city or town ye shall enter, enquire who in it is worthy; and there abide till ye go thence. Matt 10 :9

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By saying ‘take nothing with you’ Christ means do not take a credit card, a car, a mobile phone. All of these would result in an immediate arrest in these days of technological surveillance. Money is not needed since miracles will be performed. Meals and a room for the night will be provided, such as it may be. All those that help them receive a blessing from God. Verse 42.

• THE WORLD AT WAR

Shortages of food and all necessities of life due to the breakdown of mass distribution (no financial mechanism for transaction) eventually results in war. Desperate nations grab what they can, fend for themselves and jockey for position in a new world pecking order.The first few years alone result in a quarter of the world’s population perishing. Later during the Great Tribulation a further third of the population dies in one action alone.

And when he had opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth beast say, Come and see. And I looked, and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him. And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, and with hunger, and with death, and with the beasts of the earth. Rev 6:7

And the sixth angel sounded, and I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar which is before God, Saying to the sixth angel which had the trumpet, Loose the four angels which are bound in the great river Euphrates. And the four angels were loosed, which were prepared for an hour, and a day, and a month, and a year, for to slay the third part of men. Rev 9:13

Details for the Day of the Lord are grim to say the least. Whichever way you turn the struggle is relentless.

Woe unto you that desire the day of the LORD! to what end is it for you? the day of the LORD is darkness, and not light. As if a man did flee from a lion, and a bear met him; or went into the house, and leaned his hand on the wall, and a

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serpent bit him. Shall not the day of the LORD be darkness, and not light? even very dark, and no brightness in it? Amos 5:18

The survival rate for the Israelite nations is given as ten percent. Amos 5:3, Isa 6:13The overriding message is to turn to God. Only those turning to God from any nation anywhere in the world will survive into the post ‘end time’ Kingdom of God. There is no room for any further ‘rebellion’. There will be no liars, thieves or violent people in the new world. There is no room for sin. It is black or white. God has to draw a line.From God’s perspective it is just conforming to ‘how it is’ and how it will be. Our history, of our own making, has been one of continual strife and war. Never again.

LEAVES, FRUIT BUDS AND SUMMER

HOW CAN WE KNOW WHEN THIS WILL TAKE PLACE?

What we are discussing is a ‘sell by date’. How far can events go, or not go before it crosses the boundary of ‘you will not know when’? The three subjects in the spotlight: Babylon, the Beast and the king of the South.

BAByLON AS THE WORLD MARKET EXCHANGE MECHANISM.

It must be before the US Dollar is superseded as the defacto world currency. In fact it must be well before it is even in the planning stages. If the world’s traders are horror-struck by the collapse of the Dollar, that indicates no plans had yet been arranged for its replacement. Otherwise they could fast track the substitution. Discussions are already taking place on this subject. It is becoming an obvious fact. China is also speeding to become more self-sufficient with its own domestic market. It does not want to be as reliant on the USA for trade as it is. At the time of the fall of Babylon, China and all the large trading nations are still dependent on the major world superpower. How long can the US economy continue as a major importer?

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None of these issues would indicate an immediate conclusion but the clock is ticking.

We should conclude that in Revelation 18 and Jeremiah 50/51 Babylon thinks that she has lots of time. She is the queen. She will always be queen and is firmly in denial as to her real condition.The reality that her lavish lifestyle has produced debts that could never be repaid does not dawn on her. Most people today are aware of the parallel. If the top heavy finances do not topple the US purely on its own, then something resembling a ‘millstone’ will.

THE BEAST POWER CANNOT BE IN EXISTENCE

A sweeping reorganising of Europe is being discussed now. Majority opinion is such that unless unification towards one super state takes place within a few weeks the European Union cannot survive. Some of its members are in favour, some are not. There is a bottom line. Unless China or a concerted joint world consortium is willing to completely bail out the EU cash strapped nations, there is no choice. Nothing like that is evident or likely. (However anything is possible with God).

Both finances and social upheaval would not allow a double shuffle in quick succession. One move is all that can take place; it will not be before the Day of the Lord begins. What ever happens next in this regard will be the final move.

Topping our list of priorities, a position for a President of the EU is in place. This is the ready made vehicle for the Beast to launch his regime. Planning for emergency situations is something they have practice in, all that is lacking is the right degree of motivation – and the leader.

The Beast power comes into existence as a result of the sudden fall of Babylon. However we have a very tight balancing act. On the one hand Europe is about to unite unilaterally, on the other hand it cannot do so until the Day of the Lord commences.One option is for it not to unite in which case it breaks apart. That would

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destabilise the US and trigger the same result from that side. (The ‘same result’ being the Day of the Lord has to begin before the US collapses).

We have one last factor to consider. Besides the potential ability for a financial collapse of the USA and the readiness of Europe to unite, we need the King of the South.

AN ARAB BLOC: THE KING OF THE SOUTH

A quick Google check of GCC shows an arrangement known as the Gulf Cooperation Council has been underway since 1981. These are all the oil rich states of the Gulf. Other Arab nations are in the process of joining. Their objective is to have a similar structure to the EU. They already have their own currency planned. If it were not for the disruption of the 2008 recession it would be in place now. It has been rescheduled for 2015. More importantly they have a joint standing army: the Peninsula Shield Force. Since the Arab Spring they have seen fit to enlarge this force to 100,000 within a few months. They have ‘unlimited’ funds and are equipping this army with the best and latest equipment from Germany and other sources. With the world turmoil that is the trademark of the ‘end time’, those that have an infrastructure for amalgamation in place (safety in numbers) will use it. Whoever leads this union will be the king of the South.

Everything is in place for the Day of the Lord to begin. In many ways it is overdue. One very last point to bear in mind: all major fulfilments of biblical prophecy have taken place on a biblical Holy Day (Passover, Pentecost etc). There is no logical reason for this to change. The ‘best fit’ for the Day of the Lord to start would be the Feast of Trumpets. For two reasons. One, trumpets are a signal for warning of war and emergencies. Two, the Day of the Lord ends on the Feast of trumpets (Armageddon); the ‘last trumpet’ according to many traditional views. If that is so the Day of the Lord starts on the same day exactly a full seven years beforehand.

The next Feast of Trumpets occurs on 30th September 2011.

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These references are a handy quick reference to most of the basic ‘end time’ scriptures grouped by subject.

The Gospel

Preached in all the World

Rev 14:6 everlasting gospel to preach to them on earthMatt 24:14 gospel shall be preached in all world for witnessMark 13:10 the gospel must first be published in all nationsActs 2:16 this is that spoken by the prophet JoelJoel 2:28 I will pour out my spirit upon all fleshAmos 3:7 he revealeth his secret unto his servants1 Thess 5:4 ye, not in darkness, that that day should overtakeDan 9:27 he shall confirm the covenant with many Rev 6:2 a white horse: he that sat on him had a bowHab 3:9 Thy bow was made quite nakedZech 2:13 Be silent, O all flesh, before the LORD

Deception and Misunderstanding

2 Thess 2:11 God shall send them strong delusion2 Thess 2:3 except there come a falling away firstMatt 24:4 Take heed that no man deceive youLuke 21:8 Take heed that ye be not deceivedJer 6:14,15 saying, Peace, peace; when there is no peaceMatt 10:33 whosoever shall deny me before menJer 6:17 But they said, We will not hearken Hos 5:9 They dealt treacherously against the LORDEzek 33:6 if the watchman... blow not the trumpetJoel 2:1 Blow the trumpet in Zion, sound an alarm

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Babylon

Come out of Babylon

Rev 18:4 Come out of her, my people, that ye be notJer 50:28 The voice of them that flee and escape out ofJer 50:8 Remove out of the midst of BabylonIsa 52:11 Depart ye, that bear the vessels of the LordIsa 48:20 Go forth of Babylon, with a voice of singingJer 51:45 My people, go ye out of the midst of herJer 51:6 Flee out of the midst of BabylonZech 2:6 ho, come forth, flee from the land of the north

The Fall of Babylon

Rev 18:2 Babylon the great is fallen, is fallenRev 14:8 another angel, saying, Babylon is fallenJer 51:41 how is Babylon become an astonishmentJer 50:23 how is Babylon become a desolation1 Thess 5:3 they say, Peace safety; then sudden destructionJer 50:43 The king of Babylon waxed feebleRev 18:8 her plagues come in one day Rev 18:9 when they shall see the smoke of her burningJer 50:13 that goeth by Babylon shall be astonishedRev 18:22 voice of musicians, heard no more in herRev 18:23 thy merchants were the great men of earthIsa 47:11 desolation shall come upon thee suddenlyJer 50:31 thy day is come, the time that I will visit theeRev 18:15 The merchants, stand afar off, weepingRev 18:19 cast dust on heads crying, Alas, that greatZeph 2:15 city that dwelt carelessly, said in her heart I amRev 18:11 merchants of the earth shall weep and mournRev 18:12 merchandise of gold, silver, precious stonesJer 50:46 taking of Babylon the earth moved the cry heard

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The Beast

The Rise of the Beast

Rev 14:9 If any man worship the beast and his imageRev 17:12 the ten horns thou sawest are ten kingsDan 8:23 a king of fierce countenance, shall stand upDan 7:24 ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kingsRev 13:16 he causeth all, to receive a markRev 13:17 no man might buy or sell, save he had the mark2 Thess 2:8 then shall that Wicked be revealedDan 8:13 How long the vision concerning daily sacrificeDan 7:25 he shall speak great words against the most HighRev 13:3 all the world wondered after the beast

The Abomination of Desolation

Matt 24:15 when ye therefore see the abomination of desolation2 Thess 2:4 he as God sits in the temple, shewing he is GodRev 13:5 a mouth speaking great things and blasphemiesDan 11:36 he shall exalt and magnify himself above godRev 12:7 a war in heaven, the dragon was cast outDan 11:37 Neither shall he regard the God of his fathersDan 9:27 overspreading of abominations shall make desolateRev 17:16 the ten horns, these shall hate the whoreDan 11:44 he shall go forth with great fury to destroyDan 12:11 the abomination that maketh desolate set upRev 17:16 the ten horns, these shall hate the whoreDan 11:40 king of the north against him like a whirlwindRev 12:17 the dragon was wroth and went to make warRev 17:8 The beast shall ascend out of the bottomless pit

ADDITIONAL USEFUL SCRIPTURES

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The Church

The Persecution on the Church

Rev 6:9 I saw the souls slain for the word of GodMark 13:9 they will scourge you in their synagoguesMatt 24:9 they shall deliver you up to be afflictedMatt 10:17 ye shall be brought before kings for my sakeMatt 10:22 ye shall be hated for my name’s sakeLuke 21:12 they shall lay hands on you, persecute youRev 17:6 woman drunken with the blood of the saintsRev 14:12 Here is the patience of the saintsDan 7:25 and shall wear out the saints of the most High

The Resurrection of the First Fruits

Rev 20:6 Blessed is he that has part in the first resurrection1 Cor 15:51 mystery; We shall not sleep, but all be changed1 Cor 15:22 in Christ shall all be made alive..in his own orderHeb 12:22 ye are come to Mt Sion, the city of the living GodMatt 24:29 after the trib. of those days..shall gather his electJohn 14:2 I go to prepare a place for you1 Thess 4:16 with a shout the dead in Christ shall rise firstRev 14:15 Thrust in thy sickle, and reapEph 5:31 the two shall be one flesh. This is a great mysteryRev 15:2 a sea of glass: and them that had gotten the victoryLuke 21:25 there shall be signs in the sun..redemtion nighRev 12:6 the woman fled into the wildernessRev 14:1 with him an hundred forty and four thousandRev 12:14 the woman given two wings of a great eagle Rev 7:3 Hurt not earth, till have sealed the servants of GodMatt 25:6 Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go to meet him

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The Two Witnesses

Rev 11:3 I will give power unto my two witnessesRev 11:7 the beast ..shall overcome them and kill themRev 11:12-14 they ascended to heaven, their enemies beheld Rev 11:10 these two prophets tormented them

Tribulation

The Tribulation of Those Days and the Signs in Heaven

Matt 24:29 Immediately after the tribulation of those daysRev 6:15 every man, hid in the rocks of the mountainsMark 13:24 in those days, after that tribulationJoel 2:30 The sun shall be darkness, the moon bloodIsa 2:19 into the caves of the earth, for fear of the LORDHos 10:8 they shall say to the mountains, Cover usMatt 24:6 ye shall hear of wars and rumours of warsRev 6:7 when he had opened the fourth sealMatt 24:7 For nation shall rise against nationRev 6:5 a black horse; he that sat had a pair of balancesRev 6:3 when he had opened the second sealRev 19:17 after the tribulation of those days the sun darkenedRev 6:12 I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal

The Great Tribulation

Matt 24:21 For then shall be great tribulation Dan 12:1 a time of trouble, such as never wasMark 13:19 affliction, such as not from the beginningRev 3:10 the hour of temptation, upon all the worldIsa 26:20 hide thyself until the indignation be overpastIsa 2:10 hide thee in the dust, for fear of the LORDRev 8:1 he had opened the seventh seal

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Rev 10 1-9 eat it up; and it shall make thy belly bitterLuke 21:20 then know the desolation thereof is nighLuke 21:23 But woe unto them that are with childDan 12:1 a time of trouble.. some shall awake

The Seventh Seal Trumpets and vials

Rev 8:7 the third part of trees was burnt upRev 16:2 noisome sore upon men which had the markRev 15:5 seven golden vials full of the wrath of GodRev 16:3 every living soul died in the seaRev 8:8 the third part of the ships were destroyedRev 16:4 the fountains of waters became as bloodRev 8:10 the third part of waters became wormwoodRev 16:8 power given him to scorch men with fireRev 8:12 the day shone not for a third part of itRev 8:13 Woe, woe, woe, to the inhabiters of the earthRev 16:10 they gnawed their tongues for painRev 9:1-12 king over them, the angel of the bottomless pitRev 16:12 the way of the kings of the east be preparedRev 9:13-18 for to slay the third part of menRev 9:20 Neither repented they of their murders

IsraelThe Nations of Israel into Captivity

Jer 30:7 That day is great, the time of Jacob’s trouble bothJer 50:33 Israel and Judah were oppressed together bothIsa 48:10 I have refined thee, in the furnace of affliction bothEzek 39:23 Israel went into captivity for their iniquity bothJer 33:24 The two families the LORD hath chosen bothAmos 9:9 I will sift the house of Israel among all nations IsraelAmos 6:7 they go captive with the first that go captive IsraelHos 5:5 Israel / Ephraim / Judah fall in their iniquity bothAmos 3:1 O children of Israel, against the whole family both

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Ezek 7:7 the time is come, the day of trouble IsraelHos 5:13 then went Ephraim... and sent to king Jareb Eph +JudZech 11:8 my soul lothed them, their soul abhorred me all 3Zeph 3:1 Woe to her that is filthy, the oppressing city Man/BabJoel 3:19 the violence against the children of Judah Judah v1Amos 6:14 I raise against you a nation, house of Israel IsraelAmos 3:14 the horns of the altar shall be cut off bothObadiah v11 strangers carried away captive his forces JudahAmos 4:11 as God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah IsraelEzek 6:11 they shall fall by sword, famine, pestilence IsraelJoel 3:6 that ye remove them far from their border JudahJer 16:13 Therefore will I cast you out of this land bothEzek 23:28 deliver you into the hand whom you hate Judah

The Nations of Israel Out of Captivity

Ezek 20:33 with fury poured out, will I rule over youJer 23:7 they shall no more say, The LORD livethEzek 37:22 they shall be no more two nationsDeut 30:3 the LORD thy God will turn thy captivityJer 3:18 Judah shall walk with the house of IsraelAmos 9:14 I will bring again the captivity of IsraelMicah 7:16 The nations shall see and be confoundedJer 16:14 saith the LORD, that it shall no more be saidEzek 28:25 When I have gathered the house of IsraelJoel 3:1 I shall bring again the captivity of JudahJer 33:7 I will cause the captivity of Israel to returnJoel 3:16 the LORD will be the hope of his peopleMich 2:12 I will surely assemble, O Jacob, all of theeEzek 11:17 I will even gather you...

ADDITIONAL USEFUL SCRIPTURES

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The New Covenant and Israel

Heb 8:8 a new covenant with the house of Israel, JudahJer 50:4 the children of Israel shall come, weepingJer 31:31 I will make a new covenant with IsraelJer 32:40 I will make an everlasting covenant with themIsa 10:20 such as are escaped of the house of JacobEzek 11:19 I will give them one heart... put a new spirit

Armageddon

The Return of Christ with the Saints

Rev 19:11 in righteousness he doth judge and make warZech 14:9 the LORD shall be king over all earth: in that dayRev 19:19 the beast, kings, gathered to make war against himRev 17:14 These shall make war with the LambZech 14:12 Their flesh shall consume away upon their feetZeph 3:8 my determination is to gather the nationsRev 14:18 Thrust in thy sickle, gather the vine of the earthRev 11:15-18 thou hast taken thy great power, and reignedRev 16:17 a great voice of the temple saying, It is doneHaggai 2:6 I will shake the heavens, and the earthJoel 3:13 Put ye in the sickle, for the harvest is ripeRev 16:20 every island fled away, mountains not foundRev 19:20 beast, both were cast alive into a lake of fireIsa 2:2 the LORD’S house shall be established Jer 25:31 the LORD, he will plead with all fleshRev 22:12 I come quickly; and my reward is with meMatt 16:27 the Son shall come in the glory of his FatherDan 8:25 he shall stand up against the Prince of princesZech 14:4 his feet shall stand .. on the Mt of Olives

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Millennium

Rev 11:15 The kingdoms of this world are... of the LordZech 14:9 The Lord shall be king over all the earth Heb 8:11 All shall know Me from least to greatestIsa 19:24 Israel, Egypt, Assyria a blessing in landMicah 4:1 Many nations…He will teach us His waysMicah 4:3 neither shall they learn war any moreZech 8:22 strong nations will come to seek the LordIsa 11:6 the wolf will dwell with the lambIsa 11:9 the earth full of the knowledge of the LordHos 2:18 I will break the bow/sword/battle out of earthIsa 35:1 the desert shall blossom as the roseIsa 35:6 the lame man... leap as a heart

Israel: Two Nations

Jer 3:18 Judah will walk with Israel... they shall come togetherJer 5:11 The house of Israel & house of Judah...treacherouslyIsa 11:13 Ephraim shall not envy Judah... J not vex EphraimGen 35:11 a nation and a company of nations shall be of theeJer 33:24 the two families which the Lord hath chosenEzek 35:10 These two nations and these two countries shall be mineEzek 37:22 I shall make them one nation.. no more two nationsEzek 37:16 Judah... one stick. For Israel (Joseph and Ephraim) Jer 31:31 new covenant with house of Israel and house of Judah Jer 33:14 I will perform...promised to H of Judah and H of IsraelHeb 8:8 a new covenant with house of Israel and H of JudahJer 50:4 the children of Israel shall come.. and children of JudahIsa 8:14 rock of offense to both the houses of IsraelJer 30:4 concerning Israel and concerning JudahRom 4:18 father of many nations ...“so shall thy seed be” Ezek 23 chapter on Aholibah and Aholah, Judah and Israel

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91NOTES

92 NOTES