Sunday, February 17, 2013

In The News




Today, once again, we see Iran's growing influence in the epicenter, and ultimately, underlying everything we see from Iran, is the desire to destroy Israel:




Lebanon Supplying Weapons To Syria's Assad



Lebanon is supplying the armed forces of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad with explosives, a Lebanese MP has charged.

Lebanon’s Future bloc MP Khaled Daher revealed at a news conference Saturday that trucks have been carrying tons of explosives across the country’s eastern border to Syria for months.

“About two days ago, two trucks loaded with dozens of tons of explosives crossed the Masna’a Lebanese-Syrian border crossing in the eastern Beka'a valley, and this has been happening since May 2012,” Daher said, according to the National News Agency.

“The problem is that it is happening with the knowledge of the LAP and army intelligence, as if it were a simple matter.” The opposition lawmaker showeddocuments sent to LAF command to prove his claims.

The Lebanon-based Hizbullah terrorist organization, which has a sizeable representation in the nation's parliament and cabinet, has set up guerrilla bases on both sides of the Lebanon-Syria border, and has sent its fighters to bolster the efforts of the loyalist troops supporting Assad's regime against opposition forces in Syria's savage civil war. Like the Assad regime, Hizbullah is patronized by Iran, which lavishly funds, equips and trains the terrorist organization.







Plan For UN To Endorse Khamenei's Fatwa? Shock For Jerusalem


Iran’s leaders are therefore quite frank about the state of their nuclear program:  the components of a nuclear weapon have been procured - defying Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu red lines - but Tehran has not yet crossed the threshold to assemble it - although this could be done modularly.

Iranian scientists attended the latest North Korean atomic test. Six days later, the Sunday Times repeated the story, naming Mohsen Fakhrizade-Mahabadi, the senior Iranian scientist of Iran’s nuclear weapons program, as the official present. Our Iranian sources strongly doubt that Mahabadi was there because he is too afraid of kidnapping or assassination to ever leave Iran.



We also revealed how the Iranian-North Korean nuclear partnership worked and the division of clandestine labor between them. Their arrangement – to which Washington and Jerusalem prefer to turn a blind eye –assigns to Iran the development of small nuclear warheads for delivery by missiles and to North Korea the development of ballistic missiles able to land a warhead at any point on the planet.
The two governments work smoothly in tandem, regularly pooling the data obtained from advances in their respective programs.




After registering these menacing strides, officials in Jerusalem were dismayed to learn that instead of planning to cut them short, US President Barack’s Obama’s circle in Washington was studying a bizarre plan for the opposite objective.


It surfaced in an article published Tuesday, Feb. 12, by Ambassador Thomas Pickering, a veteran American diplomat who is influential in the framing of Obama’s Iranian policy.


This what he wrote: “In years past, he (Khamenei) issued a fatwa condemning nuclear weapons. Washington could take advantage of this fact by drafting a UN Security Council resolution endorsing the fatwa. This could be a small step toward boosting Khamenei’s international profile while simultaneously pressuring Iran to follow its own religious decree.”
Instead of dismantling these rogue nuclear programs, Pickering was proposing to legitimize Iran’s possession of a nuclear bomb capacity that only stopped one step short of assembling a bomb.



For the Shiite republic, UN endorsement as a nuclear power would be an epic triumph with ramifications for many years to come on its standing and the shape of the Middle East and Persian Gulf.


This fatwa has always been dismissed until now as a piece of propaganda designed to disguise the military aspects of Iran’s nuclear program and support Tehran’s claim that it was purely for peaceful use and research.
The stratagem floating around the White house for buttering up Khamenei and granting his edict international legitimacy just weeks before President Obama’s March 20 visit to Jerusalem is causing consternation among his Israeli hosts. It is a worrying pointer to the direction in which his Iran policy is heading.








Jewish Leader Raps U.S. For Taking Aircraft Carrier Out Of Gulf




The Pentagon announced 10 days ago that it was cutting its aircraft carrier presence in the Persian Gulf region from two carriers to one, with a saving of hundreds of millions of dollars. The decision came as Washington struggles to find a way to avoid sharp automatic spending cuts set to strike the Pentagon and domestic programs next month. The US has maintained two aircraft carrier groups in the Gulf for most of the last two years, amid escalating tensions with Iran, as part of a US show of force in the region.






top American Jewish leader on Sunday criticized the Obama administration for cutting its aircraft carrier presence in the Persian Gulf region from two carriers to one. He said the move sent entirely the wrong message to Iran about America’s commitment to keep all options, including the military option, on the table in the struggle to thwart Tehran’s nuclear drive.
“I’m personally very disturbed by the withdrawal [of one of the US's two aircraft carriers] from the Persian Gulf, the Arab Gulf, because of the message it sends to the Iranians,” said Malcolm Hoenlein, the long-time executive vice chairman of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organization, in unusually critical comments. “We have to think about how the Iranians perceive it.”
Hoenlein said he well understood that budgetary pressures may have necessitated the move, but feared that it would be “interpreted by the Iranians as a diminution of our commitment that all options are on the table, which is the only thing that will bring them — if anything will — to a reasonable stance” as regards their nuclear program.





Hoenlein, speaking to The Times of Israel toward the end of a lengthy visit to Israel during which he and his colleagues met with Israel’s key leadership, said he was one of those who considers this year to be the decisive year as regards Iran’s nuclear ambitions. 

As he put it, “2013 will determine if it’s Iran with a bomb or we bomb Iran… Unless there is a magic formula with increased sanctions or other means which I cannot foresee, this is the year of decision.”
He said he considered North Korea’s recent nuclear test to be “another line crossed — because whatever North Korea does is with Iran and for Iran.”
Asked which it would be — Iran with a bomb, or military action against Iran — Hoenlein answered indirectly: “One of the things people talk about is the cost of action,” he said. “It is indeed very complicated and I don’t dismiss the dangers. But if you calculate the cost of inaction, you’ll find it will be much greater.”



Asked who might carry out any such action, Hoenlein again answered indirectly, noting that President Barack Obama is “further away [from Iran] and has greater fire power,” while Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is closer, and faces greater danger, including “the danger of Iran activating Hezbollah and others.”
“I understand the complexity of it,” noted Hoenlein, a highly experienced Jewish leader who has held his position since 1986. “It’s all very well yelling slogans about bombing Iran. You have to think about the ramifications.”



Also see:



'No Coalition Talks Between Likud, Jewish Home'



It's Not Easy Being Red And Green







24 comments:

WVBORN56 said...

Scott what are your thoughts on the coming "blood moons" in 2014 and 2015. We know from Revelation 12 that the moon will be as blood during the tribulation. We also know the last two blood moons where significant to Israel as the occurred around 1948 and 1968. We also know that after the two in 2014-15 we won't see another for hundreds of years. It seems to me with out date setting that this very well has to indicate the rapture is very very near. Maybe these blood moons in 2014 will be the rebuilding of the temple? Thoughts?

WVBORN56

Scott said...

It is an interesting topic. I haven't read enough about it to really have a worthwhile comment - only that I have seen a video and read a couple of aricles. My impression (and this is from memory only) was that the "blood moons" would be (if anything) a tribulation scenario, but not a scenario that pointed to the second coming per say ((although I know some folks do believe that)). But if the events were tribulation events, then the gathering up would have to be pretty soon :)....I wish I could remember specifically why I was considering this to be a Tribiulation event and I can't at the moment.

WVBORN56 said...

I gave the wrong reference Scott. It is Revelation 6: 12-17 about the moon as blood and that would clearly make the "blood moons" into the tribulation. That puts us a little over a year away before the next one!!!

WVBORN56

Ann Marie said...

Scott,
Someone mentioned Alice Bailey the other day- it rang a bell....the Fuel Project-know your enemy series devoted one segment to her #66
Google fuel project know your enemy
Blessings
Ann Marie

Stephen said...

Mark, when exactly is the next blood moon ?? do you know the date ??

please tell me, thanks, Stephen >>>>>>>>>

WVBORN56 said...

Mrs. C thanks for the instructions. I think I got my screen name fixed.

WVBORN56 said...

Stephen here is the article from RR

http://raptureready.com/soap/taylor83.html

It indicates from NASA that they are April and October of 2012

Scott said...

I thought it was 2014 and 2015

WVBORN56 said...

Scott, my bad yes it is 2014 and 2015. It is in the article. In my host to post I wrote the wrong year.

Waterer said...

I am expressing just an opinion here on the blood moons. I get the notion in studying Revelation this year that the incredible signs like darkness increasing by a third
and a third of light diminished, or even later when the sun is dark and they see the sign of the Son of Man coming in the sky that these are really supernaturally orchestrated unpredictable events.
Nasa can predict the timng of comets and bloodmoons the shock and warning that it is God alone who rules is that signs will occur that are nor predictable.Or perhaps not predictable in the frequency and manner in which they occur.
To see bloodmoons when they were not supposed to come for such a long time after thes next two will be a real sign of God's hand.
I know as you do that God's hand is always in these things but somehow our worship (in this age) of information makes His works seem less rather than more wondrous
when we predict them. The surprise element is His big emphasis in His coming. Signs yes but totally at His command and timing.
Just my opinion..

WVBORN56 said...

Waterer how do you explain the last two significant blood moons falling on Israel's rebirth of a nation in 1948 and Jerusalem in 1967? It seems these blood moons are significant in the life of Israel? I don't know about this either but it has my attention.

Alice said...

WVBORN, thanks for the RR article! I'm reading it now!

Have you ever seen any of the interviews with Pastor Mark Biltz, the man credited with discovering the fact that the solar/lunar eclipses of 2014-15 all land on
God's feast days? You can look him up on youtube. Fascinating that he's a Messianic Jew...

Also, someone posted this "theory" here a few weeks ago. I think it's worth more than a second look, so I'll post it again! ;) Among other things, it incorporates the 2014-15 eclipses, as well as the jubilee years, the Mazzaroth and numbers from Daniel chapter 12. The blogger stresses this is just a theory.

Anyway, thanks to whomever posted this! Maranatha!!!


http://www.unsealed.org/2013/02/tribulation-2014-2021-rapture-this-year.html

Mrs.C said...

There are many problems with this "blood moon" rabbit trail.
First of all, this is a Tribulation event, and NOT a predictor of the Rapture.

To believe this nonsense for 2015 for example, we would ALREADY have to be heading towards the end of the Trib, and by NO means are we there, nor will we the Church be here for that. The basis of this rabbit trail, is that 2015 will be the SECOND COMING, NOT the Rapture.
This was surmised back in 2008! That would put us already at end of the Trib according to this false theory!
In addition, the Feasts/Festivals WILL be fulfilled without question, but not according to any date set on this Earthly calendar. The Jewish Calendar has been changed by Rabbis MANY times over the centuries, it is not accurate. So in fact, no one truly will know the day or the hour based on that, just as Jesus said.
I would be more inclined to pay attention to an event like the meteor hitting Russia, than all these attempted calculations at date setting. The meteor hitting Russia for example, literally came out of the blue so as to say. No one even knew it existed, and no man could take any kind of predictive knowledge for it. As such, that event Russia, considering God is about to take out Gog/Russia when He causes Russia to come against His People, is a more significant Sign, and a warning to them...

Waterer said...

Dear WV

I don't have an explanation for the blood moons falling on the curruently used Jewish dates other than it must have truly gottne their attention.Even though our dates for Christmas and Easter are not accurate either, we would have all been gaga if one blood moon fell on CHristmas day and the other ON Easter. These must have caused a real stir . I think it matters but my point was more to the fact that if these next moons aren't the trib(which of course they are not) that we won't be waiting a hundred years or much longer for God Word to be fulfilled.( a la Nasa) Maybe the trib temple will have something to do with this..

Caver said...

Hi Everybody,

Mark Bliss (sp??) and the blood moons is a fascinating subject....but it has lead any number of us on to the wrong path and false witness.

Way back in the 2007-08 time frame, his research first came out and was an internet sensation. He had it all figured out, and all related back to scripture. I fell for it...hook, line, and sinker. There were, I believe, about 3 blood moons back then to be followed by these in the 2013-14 tune frame.

Mr. Bliss (sp??), had the scripture and some non scriptural writings and convinced many that the rapture would be with the first series (back then) and the second had tribulation type events associated with their occurrence.

Many, and I do mean many experienced and somewhat mature Brothers and Sisters, bit that line and swam off singing the same story. Needless to say, the rapture did not occur in 2007-2008. NO matter how good the research, it was wrong. Only the Lord knows how much damage me and a multitude of others did with young Christians and those still trying to make up their mind.

I would caution to be very careful about something like this before repeating it. Do a lot of time on the knees and flat wear out the Heavenly Knee Mail before either buying into or repeating predictions based on this.

There is some scripture indicating that we will know, but the vast majority says we won't know the day or hour until the big "Poof" actually occurs. Please, wear out the Knee Mail before moving emotionally or spiritually on this one.

WVBORN56 said...

I know these are not rapture dates!! I certainly don't want to mislead anyone but like the malachy prophecy I find this very interesting as well.

We know from Revelation 6:12-17 there is a blood moon in the tribulation and the last blood moons that science sees coming are two in 2014 and another in 2015 and no more coming for hundreds of years.

My point is it looks like the rapture must occur before 2015 if that is the last blood moon? That is how I read and understood the article. This article has nothing to do with Mark Bliss from what I can tell Caver. I think he was trying to predict the actual date of the rapture which no man can do. The article just reinforces what we are all already feeling and that is the rapture of the bride of Christ is very very close!

Maranatha!

Alice said...

Caver, I'm wondering if you have Mark Biltz confused with someone else? I've watched many interviews with him and can positively say I've never heard him claim any time frame for a rapture of the church associated with the solar and lunar eclipses of 2014-15 - or any other time. I have even brought up his online messages from his home church and not heard this. He simply says they must mean SOMETHING, and may have said they COULD be a marker for the near-beginning of the tribulation or a mid-point marker. From listening to him, I'm not even sure if he believes in a rapture of the church in the same sense we do.

There was another fellow, however, who took Biltz's discovery and added dates and times. His name is Dewey Burton, and I think his work was called "Daniel's Timeline". Needless to say, it has been proven false by now.

I would be happy to post some reliable links if anyone is interested for you to see for yourselves that Mark Biltz has not set a rapture date or even a date for Christ's return.

Also, just to clarify, there are 4 lunar eclipses and 2 solar eclipses (not necessarily in that order) beginning on Rosh Hashanah 2014, each landing on God's appointed feasts into the year 2015. It is a staggering sign of something.

WV, I still have not had time to read the article in full, but the writer of the article DOES highlight the fact that these solar and lunar eclipses in 2014-15 fall on God's appointed feasts. I hope to finish reading the article tonight. But it may be be saying what you think it's saying. And I agree, this is not date setting.

Maranatha!

Caver said...

Hi Alice,

I believe we're talking two different time frames. The initial series of solar events occurred.....I believe...in the 2007-2008 time frame with the 2013 and 2014 events identified as yet future back then.

I believe that the later events, 2013-14 events were identified as trib events.

Back then the earlier events were identified as Rapture events, I believe. Believe is the operative word, but I'm almost positive they were at the time. That's a long time for this old brain to be accurate, but I think I remember watching footage of Mr. Blitz in his house church giving a lecture on it during the "lead up" time to the earlier blood moons and other solar events.

Mrs.C said...

Sister Alice,
Caver had the right name, Mark Bilitz. As Caver said, this has been going on since 2008! That is 2008! He did the SAME thing, and many people were taken in by this nonsense.
Alice said “ Mark Biltz has not set a rapture date or even a date for Christ's return “
Yes he has, and did Sister Alice, since 2008. From a WND article 2008:
“A minister who promotes the Old Testament roots of Christianity suggests a rare string of lunar and solar eclipses said to fall on God’s annual holy days seven years from now could herald what’s come to be known as the “Second Coming” of Jesus.”
Another quote by this guy when asked about Jesus speaking of Matthew 24:36
“When He says you don’t know the day or the hour, He’s speaking to the foolish virgins, not the wise virgins,” he explained.

Really???? “Foolish Virgins” as apposed to “wise Virgins”??? What?

Mark Bilitz IS adding “dates and times”. He is saying the YEAR and that it will occur during Rosh Hashanah. This implies that we could time it down to the minute!
Here is a WND article from 2008 which this persons implications are pretty clear, and he is in error.

“Blood Moon Eclipses: 2nd Coming in 2015?”
“Minister Uses NASA Forecasting To Study Signals of Jesus' Return”
http://www.wnd.com/2008/04/63076/

In May 2008, everyone was convinced based on this guy’s basic guessing, that the Rapture would happen in the fall of that year during Rosh Hashanah. It didn’t! Here is an example of the frenzy created on RR during 2008, about the “blood moon”. This example is page 11 of 59! Pages of this nonsense!
http://rr-bb.com/showthread.php?48345-The-Blood-Moon-Theory/page11

Again, this Mark Bilitz person is attempting to set dates. He quotes in the WND article from 2008, Joel 2:31 and Matthew 24:29-30. BOTH of these Scriptures referred to by him are at the END of the Trib, NOT the middle, OR beginning of the Trib. We are presently in the year 2013. The Trib HAS NOT begun yet. Daniel tells us exactly when what will indicate the beginning of the Trib, and that is the AC . We the Church will not be here for that, and not even know who the AC is.
Hal Lindsey expressed his opinion back in the WND 2008 article, and article posted on the RR thread referenced above, Jack Kelly weighs in with his opinion. I have quoted Jack Kelly’s “business world back scheduling exercise” to Prophecy, and it makes it very clear. To quote Jack:

“The Millennium obviously can't happen till the Second Coming, because that's when the Lord returns to establish it. And the Second Coming can't happen till the end of the Great Tribulation. And that can't happen till the anti-Christ stands in the Temple in Israel declaring himself to be God. (2 Thes. 2:4) That's the event Jesus warned Israel to look for as the Great Tribulation's opening salvo. He called it "The Abomination of Desolation" in Matt. 24:15-21.

But that can't happen till there's a Temple. There hasn't been a Temple in Israel since 70AD and there won't be one until the Jews decide they need one. That won't happen until God reinstates their Old Covenant relationship, signaling the start of Daniel's 70th week. And that can't happen till the Battle of Ezekiel 38-39 is won, because it's Ezekiel's battle that officially draws the Jews back to God. (Ezek. 39:22) And that can't happen till the Church is gone, because the Church and Israel are mutually exclusive to Him. (Romans 11:25 & Acts 15:13-18) And that brings us to the present, because there is no preceding event for the Rapture of the Church. It could happen at any time."

WVBORN56 said...

Mrs C I don't disagree with a thing you have just said in the previous post. I'm still not sure what the issue is with the Mike Taylor RR article? It has nothing to do with the Mark Blitz predictions as best as I can tell? Did you read the article? Do you believe the moon will be or appear as blood during the tribulation? That is a big point of the article and that we know there will be blood moons in 2014 and again in 2015. Could we be that close to the tribulation? If so we are even closer to the rapture.

Mrs.C said...

Hi Brother WV,
I was addressing and responding to the other posts with the Mark Bilitz, which are very similar to the Mike Taylor article you referenced. Yes, I read it, and there are several very suggestive comments made, that add to the same confusion caused when this subject came up in 2008.
MT article is confusing at the least, and would especially be so for new Believers or those young in their walk with Him. We can briefly go over it :)

MT - “Feast of Trumpets, also known as, “The return of the King.” . “Return of the King”? What? That’s the first in over 25 years Ive ever heard Rosh Hashanah referred to as he does. That is not the meaning of Rosh Hashanah.

MT – “ It also points to His Second Coming at the end of the age of grace.” Again, what? “Second coming at the end of the age of grace”?

The Scriptures he refers to, are of the End of the Trib, not the beginning, or middle, but the End, when Jesus Returns – the Second Coming. That is not the Rapture. He speculates on the length of a “generation”, that can go around and around in many conversations. He also attempts to tie in all of these together, just as the other person Mark Bilitz does, and then claims it is Gods Witness of “2 or 3”. I understand what you are saying Brother WV, but according to these people, IF it were the Second Coming of Jesus in the near year to come, we are then ALREADY in the Trib! These Scriptures they site, are Trib Scriptures, NOT at the beginning of the Trib, but at the End when Jesus Returns. This is the same confusion that was nurtured by this false speculation 5 years ago.

MT cannot say he is pre-Trib, quote Trib Scriptures that occur at the End of the Trib, and at the same time, site the Rosh Hashana – Feast of Trumpets. In addition, he says this:
“ This day begins with the opening of the first seal in chapter 6 and continues unabated until God sends His seventh angel with the vial or bowl judgment to pour out His vengeance from the cup of His indignation without mixture, meaning full-strength.
To bring this time of judgment, the church looks for a sign of hope, of blessings, and the fulfillment of God’s promise to His true church.”
It sounds like he himself is confused as to whether he is “Pre-Trib” as he claims, or “Mid-Trib”, or even Post-Trib at this point.
It cannot be the date for the Rapture, which he clearly suggests, and then turns around and says we cant know the date. It also cannot be the Return of Jesus, Second Coming, as that doesn’t happen until the End of the Trib, and the Trib has yet to begin…very confusing…this is exactly what happened with this same subject years ago…

WVBORN56 said...

I guess I read it differently. I tend to see the big picture and you are clearly a detailed person. My lack of attention to detail sometimes gets me in trouble. :) What I understood was he that as clearly pre-trib and no where that I saw is he implying a rapture date? I'll reread it. The conclusion I walked away with is the blood moons will coming up in 2014-15 will be in the tribulation. MT seemed to think that maybe the significant event for Israel "could be" the rebuilding of the Temple. Anyway it seemed interesting and plausible considering blood moons which is clearly a tribulation event based on Revelation 6:12-13 and we are not going to have anymore for a very long time after 2015. Food for thought at least that point I would think.

Waterer said...

Dear WV
I had not read the article when I responded to you. I hear what your amazement is in the ODDS of this being not His plan that these moons have fallen with such accuracy on major event times for the Jews.I liked the way Taylor said to check things against Scripture. I am not an expert of any sort with these things but one thing I noticed was that I was born in 1949 and my parenbts never talked about fear and confusion in seeing a bloodmoon or solar eclipse. And in The 1960s I do not recall shock or fear at the blood moon or eclipse. Yet in Revelation
there is terror when they see the dark. And the Joel passage pointed to fear in coming judgment. What will make these coming bloodmoons different from the others that will cause this kind of reaction when the trib will not even have begun?
WHen I read the fear and general dismay and terror at a world off it's course( tides acting crazy!)I think of something that the earth will as one be aware of.Not like a newsstory happening in another place. But I am drawn to the unliklihood that God did not correlate the bloodmoons with these events. Perhaps it is too big for us. I liked Taylors call to repent and receive the Lord. In that I fully agree. We are all thinking that this is soon.. but soon can mean more years than 2..
My little take on it
kr

Scott said...

WV - Thats funny because I'm the same way - "big picture" as opposed to details. I didn't ever read anything in the detail of the two authors who are discussed above. I had just seen some brief overviews but I remember just having the general impression that these were things that could happen during the tribulation - and one of the authors I was reading lost me at the end when he tried to make the case that the second coming had to be right after the last blood moon, and of course that is obviously wrong.

But I came away wondering if indeed these could be events that take place sometime during the Trib, but I can't recall the specific scriptures that made me wonder about that. But that is about as far as I took this. Far far from doing any thorough study of the topic, so my opinion on this topic isn't worth much:)