JOURNAL: By Jove, it's Jupiter! (Pt. 3)

As I promised in my last note, we will take a closer look at Europa now.

One of Jupiter's many moons, Europa, was discovered in 1610 by Galileo. (Interestingly, as I write this note, a CNN article has just reported that his two missing fingers have been found in a jar...Galileo has been made whole again and now can rest in peace, I guess.) Europa is the smallest of the 4 Galilean moons, roughly a bit smaller than Earth's moon. As I pointed out in one of my earlier notes, some researchers believe Europa is our best bet to find extraterrestial life due to what they believe to be a deep ocean on its surface.

Europa is sometimes referred to as Jupiter II and was named after the mythological Phoenician woman Europa. She was daughter of the King of Ancient Tyre. This is the same Tyre that centuries later, Ezekiel, the Biblical prophet of the Lord, prophesied against. Moreover, some Biblical scholars believe that the Lord's prophetic warning to the King of Tyre was also aimed at sending a message to Satan (see vv. 12-18 in Ezekiel 28). And since we are on the topic of Tyre (a city in modern day Lebanon, which happens to figure into the Biblically prophetic Psalm 83 war), Hiram Abiff, a central figure in Masonic literature and tradition hailed from Tyre. Needless to say, Tyre seems to be a rather interesting place rich in history.

Anyway, getting back on track, what I found most fascinating about the legend of Europa was the fact that she was abducted by Zeus, who changed himself into a white bull (the same bull as the constellation Taurus) and made her his wife. This is fascinating because the European Union uses this imagery, the woman riding the beast as their "trademark" so to speak, which makes sense since Europe was named after Europa. In fact, the official website of the EU is named Europa, which begs the question, who or what is represented by the beast (aka Zeus)??? Does this remind anyone else of Revelation 17 - the woman riding on the beast?

Finally, in closing, it is interesting to note that at the same time that Jupiter's moon Europa is taking on more significance as a possible habitation for extraterrestial life, its namesake, the European Union is taking on more influence as a world power. I'm not sure what this means, if anything, but it is at the very least an interesting coincidence!

JOURNAL: By Jove, it's Jupiter! (Pt. 2)

In my last note I promised that I would share a few quick facts about Jupiter and its moon Europa. So, I did a little digging to find out more about them but unfortunately I only made it as far as the planet Jupiter. Europa will have to wait. But without further adieu, here is what I have managed to find out about Jupiter.

Jupiter is the 5th planet from our Sun and is the largest planet in our Solar System. It was named after the Roman god...you guessed it, Jupiter. I'm assuming the Romans gave it that name since it was the biggest planet and their god Jupiter was the king of the gods, aka the god of sky and thunder. According to Mythindex.com, the Romans believed that Jupiter,

"determined the course of all earthly and human affairs: he foresaw the future, and the events happening in it were the results of his will. He revealed the future to man through signs in the heavens and the flight of birds..."

This being the case they saw Jupiter as their protector and guide. He also happened to be the grandfather of Romulus and Remus...yes, the same Romulus that killed Remus and founded Rome. And since we are on the topic of his family, you may be familiar with some of his family members: His father was Saturn, his wife/sister was Juno, his sons were Mercury and Mars, and his brothers were Neptune and Pluto.

You may also recognize some of the other names given to Jupiter throughout history.

Going back to Babylonian times, the Babylon equivalent was the god Marduk. Some believe that Marduk is associated with the legendary Nimrod, who we read about in Genesis 10. Interestingly enough, Marduk had a pet dragon/serpent/snake...hmm, who do we know that fits all those characteristics? If you're not sure who it, here is a hint.

Moving on we come to the Greek god equivalent, someone we have all heard of - the great and mighty Zeus. An altar was built to Zeus in Pergamum (modern day Turkey) in the 2nd century b.c. And by the A.D. 90's John the Revelator's message to the church at Pergamum associated the city as the place of Satan's throne (Revelation 2). Could this be a coincidence?? On an interesting note, some have pointed out that the temple that was constructed for President Obama's acceptance speech in Denver was modeled after this Great Altar of Zeus.

Finally, we end our mini-journey through history with the germanic god equivalent, someone that avid comic book readers would be familiar with, the viking god of thunder, Thor. By the way, if you have ever wondered where we came up with the name Thursday, we have Thor to thank for it (Thor's day). No kidding!

Now with a little more background on Jupiter we can move on to finding out about Europa in my next note...

UPDATE(S):

11/27/09: Today I came across an article about another holiday act of terror (this time Thanksgiving instead of Christmas) that occurred in Jupiter, Florida of all places??!!? A relative shot four people, including a child, yesterday during a Thanksgiving get together. You may remember last Christmas when a disgruntled husband dressed like Santa and went to his in-laws house and started killing people, including shooting a young girl in the face. In all seriousness, these families will probably never celebrate these respective holidays the same way again. What are these "assaults on the holidays" all about?

JOURNAL: By Jove, it's Jupiter! (Pt. 1)

Have you ever experienced this phenomenon: You hear about something that you are unfamiliar with - maybe a word or a concept - and then over the next several days it seems like you keep running into it. Well, that happens to me quite often. The most recent was with the planet Jupiter.

It all started with my interest in wanting to find out more about 2001: A Space Odyssey and 2010: The Year We Make Contact. These science fiction films were made in 1968 and 1984 respectively.

Now although I have never seen these movies before, all my information about them has come from the "all-knowing" wikipedia website. So with that disclaimer being said, in the first movie a group of astronauts make an unsuccessful mission to Jupiter aboard the Discovery One Spaceship. The whole crew dies except for one, Dave Bowman, who comes across a black monolithic structure which turns him into a "fetus-like" being. I know - a little strange - but it is what it is. In the film's sequel, 9 years has passed and a new group of astronauts go in search of the missing spacecraft and its crew. They find Dave Bowman, who has been turned into an incorporeal being. Bowman warns them to leave the area quickly. The new crew also finds out that the black monolith is actually alien made and apparently it begins to multiply on Jupiter's surface at an exponential rate eventually engulfing Jupiter and causing it to explode into a small star. While Jupiter is in melt down mode, the crew tries to escape the area and they hear a message from an alien intelligence telling them that all the planets are theirs except Europa, Jupiter's moon. We then see icy Europa transform into a lush jungle. Finally, as the film comes to a close, it pans over the jungle and settles in on a black monolith which is standing alone waiting for intelligent life forms to evolve.

The next morning on my way to work while I was listening to the news on KTAR, the morning show anchors were bantering back and forth about Jupiter and its moon, Europa. What? Are you kidding, out of all the millions of things to joke about on a morning talk radio show they pick something that I was just reading about the previous day.

Later that day, while I was trying to find articles about the recent discovery of water on Earth's Moon, I came across an article on the National Geographic website entitled Could Jupiter Moon Harbor Fish-Size Life?. In the article, Richard Greenberg from the University of Arizona claims that there is so much oxygen in Europa's global ocean that "[t]hat amount of oxygen would be enough to support more than just microscopic life-forms: At least three million tons of fishlike creatures could theoretically live and breathe on Europa..." Of course we won't be able to confirm that claim until NASA develops the technology to successfully study Europa in-depth.

So what's so significant about Jupiter and Europa? Good question, I have no idea. But in my next note, I will share a few quick facts about them.

UPDATE:

• 
  
  How Realistic Was Arthur C. Clarke's 2010? [Source: Space.com, January 8, 2010]
• 
  
  Pictured: spectacular moment space missile smashes into Jupiter [Source: Telegraph, June 5, 2010]
• 
  
  First results on impact of large celestial body on Jupiter [Source: Daily News & Analysis, May 21, 2010]:
  

  An amateur Australian astronomer came across the presence of a large, black spot close to the polar region of the planet Jupiter, the biggest in the Solar System, on July 19, 2009. The impact had taken place at a very high latitude close to the planet's South Pole barely 3 or 4 hours before the spot was seen on Jupiter's dark side (at night), and this prevented it from being observed directly.

  [Now] The results of the research, conducted by Planetary Sciences Group at the UPV/EHU-University of the Basque Country with its headquarters at the Faculty of Engineering in Bilbao and led by professor Agustín Sánchez Lavega, have appeared in Astrophysical Journal Letters.

  Jupiter loses one of its stripes and scientists are stumped as to why [Source: Mail Online, May 17, 2010]:

Jupiter has lost one of its iconic red stripes and scientists are baffled as to why.The largest planet in our solar system is usually dominated by two dark bands in its atmosphere, with one in the northern hemisphere and one in the southern hemisphere.However, the most recent images taken by amateur astronomers have revealed the lower stripe known as the Southern Equatorial Belt has disappeared leaving the southern half of the planet looking unusually bare.The band was present in at the end of last year before Jupiter ducked behind the Sun on its orbit. However, when it emerged three months later the belt had disappeared. Update: Hubble Finds Jupiter’s Missing Stripe [Source: Wired.com, June 16, 2010].

JOURNAL: Defiance - Movie Review

I recently watched Defiance, a true story that centers around the Bielski brothers whose parents were murdered during a German Invasion of Russian land in 1941 during WWII. After the death of their parents they escape into the woods and inadvertently begin helping Jews hideout in the Russian forest from the Germans for 2-3 years until the war ended.

The story was at times reminiscent of the Israelites exodus from Egypt. The Jewish refugees would complain to their de facto leader Tuvia Bielski (Moses), wishing they were back in the Ghetto (Egypt) because they would at least have food and water. As the movie climaxed, the refugees had to make what seemed to be a no-win decision, either they could stay put and die in the forest by the invading German army or they could risk their lives by crossing the swamp area (Red Sea) with the young, elderly, and sick. They made the decision to cross the swamp area and made it through okay but the German army was waiting on the other side to kill them. Fortunately, the Germans themselves were ambushed by another Bielski brother, Dus Bielski, and his armed men who had earlier in the movie left the forest camp to fight with the Russian army.

Although I have seen many movies about how the Jewish people were forced into hiding during WWII, I never really thought of how it might affect their faith in God. A particular scene in the movie got me thinking about this issue. Right before, the German planes began bombing the forest, there was a scene where a rabbi was teaching the Jewish children about God’s faithfulness to the Jewish people throughout history. I began wondering how they could continue to trust God even though they were literally living day to day in a forest with barely enough to eat and living in fear of their lives. Moreover, it wasn’t like they lived that way for just a month or two - rather it was 2-3 years of this!

I hope to never have to endure such things due to another person’s/country’s desire to “rid” themselves of Christians and fortunately, God placed me and my family in a country that allows freedom of religion. Of course there has been lots of talk about and even some government policies that have been enacted that would limit freedoms for Christians in America all in the name of tolerance. The Bible warns that in the near future the world government will become increasingly more hostile to Christians even to the point of death. Will my family and I, along with countless other Christians have a chance to endure similar situations as the Jews depicted in this movie did? According to some Bible teachers we may get the chance to. Whatever the case though, we as Christians should always be prepared to suffer for the sake of Jesus. It is during times of crises that these words of Peter come to life and can bring us hope:

"In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed." (1 Peter 1:6-7)

"After you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish you." (1 Peter 5:10)

"For it is better, if God should will it so, that you suffer for doing what is right rather than for doing what is wrong." (1 Peter 3:17)

DEVOTIONAL

As I was reading the book of Jonah today I was taken aback by how similar he is to many Christians, including myself. The book of Jonah does not make Jonah look like someone who has it all together or some "holier than thou" Christian, instead we see his faults and failures. He is someone I think we as Christians can relate to and will help us realize that God doesn't only use those "Billy Graham" type of people to accomplish His purposes.

In Chapter one, the Lord tells Jonah to go to Ninevah to preach God's impending judgment. Jonah runs away from the Lord and heads to the farthest point of the known world, Tarshish. If you're anything like me, there have been countless times that you have tried to run away from God's plan for your life and disobeyed him. The great thing though is that God cares for his own and will not let you get very far. In Jonah's case, on his way to Tarshish he ended up overboard and in the belly of a great fish for 3 days and nights.

DEVOTIONAL

It has been said that God works in mysterious ways. I'm sure as Christians, we all have had those times when it appears that only God could have orchestrated certain events or bring something to pass that seemed impossible. Well, reading through 1 Kings chapter 17, the other day I was struck with how God provided for Elijah in some rather an unusual ways. Most of us, I assume, have had the opportunity to feed the birds at some time in our life, whether it be directly (e.g., throwing your dried leftover loaf of Wonderbread to the pigeons in the park) or indirectly (e.g., dropping your half-eaten sandwich from lunch on the ground because their just wasn't any trash can around). But most, if not all of us, have never had the experience of being fed by those very same birds. But as we read in 1 Kings 17, we see that God had the ravens provide meat and bread every morning and every night for Elijah during a time of drought in the land. This may seem kind of odd at first, which it would be (how many times have you been sitting at the bus stop when a pigeon comes by and drops a dried crust of bread in our lap?), but some things that make it even more odd is that ravens like to eat dead animals (so you could only guess where that meat may have come from), ravens were considered unclean according to Leviticus 11:15, and finally, ravens have long been associated with bad omens, selfishness, and death. Yet in spite of all those things, God, being ruler and creator of His creation took these unclean, ominous, selfish, and death-bringing creatures and brought promise, hope, selflessness, and life to Elijah.

But just when you would think that God had done His miracle for the day and it was time for Elijah to take over and start trying to find a way to provide for himself, the Lord tells Elijah to meet up with a widow in another town 80-90 miles away. Now when some of us here the word widow, it may conjure up images of a rich white widow whose husb[Photo]and died and is left with a ridiculously large inheritance. However, widows back in the time of Elijah were women without a lot of power and social influence and certainly not wealthy. They were near the bottom of the social class, if not at the bottom. So with that in mind, we find Elijah arriving in town and asking the first widow he sees for a drink of water, and if that wasn't enough he asks her for a piece of bread also. I'm sure it felt weird and maybe a little humbling for Elijah to ask this poor widow, in the midst of a drought nonetheless, for some bread and water (imagine yourself asking one of those guys standing on the street corner holding a "hungry and homeless" sign to give you some money for food). But the widow complied, after a bit of protest, and provided Elijah with not only bread and water but also a place to live for awhile!

God used some amazing yet humbling means to take care of Elijah. Here was an able-bodied man being served and provided for by some wild birds and a poor destitute woman. May we always be reminded of how God provided for Elijah and that He will always provide for our daily needs but not always through the means we might expect.

Let me leave you with one of my most favorite Bible passages found in Matthew 6:24-35. This passage reminds us of the truth of God's Faithfulness and His provisions.

25"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? 26Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? 28"And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 30If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 31So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' 32For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

Prayer Thought:

"Lord, may You never let me forget about Your providence. May I be reminded daily of Your faithfulness to me and for Your provisions. I am thankful for all that You have blessed me with and I am confident that You will continue to provide for my daily needs in whatever manner you see fit. I place my hope and my trust in You. Amen!!"

DEVOTIONAL

In 1 Kings 19 we find Elijah running for his life, literally, because of the "contest" that took place on Mount Carmel between him and the prophets of Baal. The Lord had shown his power and superiority over the false god Baal, and in response, Elijah had all the prophets of Baal "slaughtered". This of course, greatly upset Queen Jezebel and she swore that she would "slaughter" Elijah because of what he did. So this caused Elijah to run and hide out and he began feeling very depressed even to the point of asking to die. More than likely, he probably felt all alone, like he was the only follower of God left and that all had turned away. Thankfully, God brought him to Mt. Horeb, the same mountain that Moses received the 10 Commandments, (also known as Mt. Sinai) and gave him a word of encouragement by saying, "[y]et I will leave 7,000 in Israel, all the knees that have not bowed to Baal and every mouth that has not kissed him.” (1 Kings 19:18). In other words, God was telling Elijah that he wasn't the only one left who was a true follower of God. There were still others that were faithful servants.

As a Christian in today's society, it is too easy to feel that you are the only one left and that everyone has turned away from the things of God and desires rather to do their own thing. Especially with reports about how Christianity has plummeted 10% in the last decade. However, we must remember that God's word to Elijah still holds true to us today in some respects. We have encouragement that we are not the only ones left, but that God has chosen His people and that not even Satan can pluck them out of His hand. And He'll remind of us of this fact whenever you see someone standing up for their beliefs in the news or if you meet someone in the grocery store who is a christian or even maybe as little as a person carrying a bible down the street.

 

In today's society as a Christian, it is too easy to feel that you are the only one left and that everyone has turned away from the things of God and desires rather to do their own thing. Especially with reports about how Christianity has plummeted 10% in the last decade. However, we must remember that God's word to Elijah still holds true to us today in some respects. We have encouragement that we are not the only ones left, but that God has chosen his people and that not even Satan can pluck them out of His hand. And He'll remind of us of this fact whenever you see someone standing up for their beliefs in the news or if you meet someone in the grocery store who is a christian or even maybe as little as a person carrying a bible down the street.

Finally, this brings to my remembrance of a story that Matt Redman told of how he was playing a concert in Norway one night and for some reason he kept thinking of that Michael Jackson song "You are not alone", so he went ahead and played it and afterward was having regrets about playing the song. However, his choice was confirmed when after the concert a lady walked up to him and said that she felt so alone before the concert and was spoken to by that song. This is just one tiny of example of how God shows us that we are not alone. (Hebrews 13:5)

JOURNAL: Nation's eyes on state after Prop. 8 ruling

Nation's eyes on state after Prop. 8 ruling

[Source: San Francisco Chronicle, May 28, 2009]

Back in May both sides of the Gay Rights' Debate were brought together to the steps of the California Supreme Court. At 10:00 a.m. the Supreme Court Justices announced whether Prop. 8 would stand or be overturned. The Justices had a dilemma on their hands: they could keep the will of 52% of the voters who voted to make traditional marriage a constitutional amendment, and in the same process anger the gay rights' community, or they could overturn the proposition, anger 52% of California residents, but make the gay rights supporters happy. No matter what decision they made, they were going to upset a portion of the population.

This reminds me of when Jesus put the Jewish religious leaders in a dilemma. They came to Jesus asking "by what authority he was doing these thing [i.e. healing people]". Jesus knowing that the leaders did not have pure motives but rather wanted to trap him in his words so that they could rid themselves of him, said that he would answer their question only after they answered His. Jesus asked the leaders if they believed John's authority to baptize came from heaven or from men. Right then, the Jewish leaders knew that they had been outwitted by Jesus. If they answered "from Heaven", Jesus would ask why they didn't believe John's message but if they said "from men" then the people would become angry at them. So instead of giving their answer, they decided to say that they didn't know where John's authority to baptize came from. And with that being said, Jesus held up his end of the deal and did not answer their question.

Read the story: Matthew 21:23-27

UPDATE:

• Prop. 8 trial: Closing arguments end as judge presses both sides [Source: Los Angeles Times, June 16, 2010)
• Judge rules California's ban on same-sex marriage is unconstitutional [Source: CNN, August 04, 2010]
• Judge lifts Prop. 8 stay - gay marriages on hold [Source: San Francisco Chronicle, August 13, 2010]

JOURNAL: Berlusconi says he's world most popular leader

Berlusconi says he's world most popular leader

[Source: Reuters, May 1, 2009]

Well, you may have never heard of him but he claims to be the best thing since sliced, Italian bread. His name is Silvio Berlusconi, the 72-year old conservative President of Italy. He is now serving his third-term in office and has recently said that opinions polls show that he is at 75% approval rating - higher than that of Barack Obama - and ergo, the world's most popular leader!  This isn't surprising though because he has once said that he was the Jesus Christ of Italian politics and second only to Napoleon himself...but only taller. These comments may seem like nothing more than just the normal and usual rantings of an egocentric politician but it becomes a little more interesting when one takes a look at what the Bible has to say about the world leader in the last days. Daniel 11:36, says that "[t]he king will do as he pleases. He will exalt and magnify himself above every god and will say unheard of things against the God of gods." In addition to this similarity with the world leader, Berlosconi also is the top guy in Italy. Revelation 17:9-11 hints that the world leader will come from the place of "the seven hills" and Rome, Italy is known as the city of seven hills. Whether or not you believe that Mr. Berlusconi is the leader that the Bible is talking about is left up to your own discretion.

JOURNAL: The 2009 Bilderberg Conference

You may have heard of a Build-a-bear or of a Whataburger, but what about a Bilderberger? If that doesn't ring a bell it may be because it is a secret society, one of the most secret because it has no official name - at least as far as we know.

They have been around since 1954, holding meetings every year. Today marks the start of their 2009 annual meeting which is being held in Greece. It is reported that as many as 150 influential world leaders are club members and that many of them will be attending the conference this year which will deal with...you guessed it....the global financial crisis. It's been reported by Daniel Eustelin, a Bilderberger connoisseur, that the question up for debate this year is whether to implement "either a prolonged, agonizing depression that dooms the world to decades of stagnation, decline and poverty — or an intense but shorter depression that paves the way for a new sustainable economic world order, with less sovereignty but more efficiency.” With the way things have been playing out in the media my best bet is on the latter.

It comes as no surprise however to Christians that man is attempting to control the world as some have claimed the Bilderbergers of doing. We see this happening in Genesis 11 with the Tower of Babel and Revelation 13:7 speaks of a coming world leader given power over all people - creating what could be deemed a global society. As we read about such things as these secret societies trying to exert their power and control over the world it shouldn't alarm us or cause us to fear but rather it should help us to trust in the Lord and be thankful for His Word which illuminates this dark world, uncovers the secrets of man and promises that one day the powers of evil will be forever vanquished!

RELATED ARTICLE(S):

• What are the Bilderberg Group really doing in Spain? [Source: The Independent, June 4, 2010]
• Former Nato Secretary-General Admits Bilderberg Sets Global Policy [Source: Prison Planet, June 7, 2010]
• Fidel Castro fascinated by book on Bilderberg Club [Source: AP via Seattle Times, August 18, 2010]
• Breaking: Secret Bilderberg Agenda Leaked by Mole [Source: Infowars, June 8, 2011]
• Rich, Famous and Powerful Converge at Bilderberg [Source: CNBC, June 9, 2011]

Examiner 11-09-2010: Downtown Phoenix rally protests October 31 church attack in Iraq

Hundreds of supporters filled the streets of Downtown Phoenix on Monday to protest the murder of dozens of Christians in Iraq by a terrorist group on October 31, in an attack not unlike those that will be perpetrated upon true believers during the Last Days as prophesied in the book of Revelation.


Rallies similar to the one held at Washington and First Avenue in downtown Phoenix were held worldwide on Monday. Phoenix was joined by cities and countries such as New York City, Chicago, Canada, the UK, and Germany as they gathered to speak out against the horrific attack on Iraqi Christians in Baghdad last month.

For more information: Group protests attacks on Christian church in Iraq
On October 31, gunmen entered the Syrian Catholic Church in Baghdad, Iraq and killed more than 50 people, injuring at least 80. It has been reported that a terrorist organization known as the Islamic State of Iraq, with ties to Al-Qaeda, has claimed responsibility for the attack.

According to Voice of the Martyrs , this is the second time in recent years that this church in particular has been a target of an attack, and just one example of the persecution that has been occurring all over Iraq.

Unfortunately, these kinds of attack are nothing new for this part of the world. Christians are being killed every day in countries such as Iraq, Pakistan, India, and many more. The Bible warns Christians that there is a day coming when worldwide persecution of Christians will be widespread and rampant under the leadership of the Anti-Christ.

At the opening of the Fifth Seal in Revelation, the Apostle John writes that he "...saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God and for the witness they had borne" (Revelation 6:9).  Later in the book John shows that these souls were the Christians that were persecuted and killed by the Anti-Christ. According to Daniel 7:21 and Revelation 13:7 the Anti-Christ makes war with the saints and prevails over them.

To further illustrate this point, in Revelation 12, the Apostle John relates his vision of the pregnant woman (Israel) and the dragon (Satan). After the dragon is unable to kill the woman he goes after her offspring (Christians). "Then the dragon became furious with the woman and went off to make war on the rest of her offspring, on those who keep the commandments of God and hold to the testimony of Jesus" (verse 17).

It is clear that according to the Bible, in the Last Days persecution of Christians will not be confined to just certain parts of the world, but rather this coming persecution by the Anti-Christ will be global in nature.

Examiner 11-04-2010: Proposition 203 - Is the legalization of marijuana prophesied in the Bible?

Proposition 203 – The Arizona Medical Marijuana Act has narrowly lost in a bid to legalize the medical use of marijuana in the State. However, according to Bible prophecy, the widespread use of drugs will continue to increase in the Last Days before Jesus returns.

This past Tuesday Arizona voters headed to the polls to vote for one of the most controversial propositions on the ballot this year, Proposition 203. The citizen-initiated proposition hoped to legalize marijuana for medical treatments for diseases such as cancer, HIV/AIDS, and Alzheimer’s. This is the fourth time in 14 years that the issue of legalizing marijuana has come before voters; the first time being in 1996, followed by 1998, 2002 and now 2010.

Believe it or not the issue of drugs is discussed in the Bible. In Galatians 5:20, the Apostle Paul lists sorcery as one of many “works of the flesh” (i.e. sins). Interestingly, the Greek word for sorcery used in this passage is pharmakeia. Pharmakeia can be defined as the use or administering of drugs, which is where the English word pharmacy is derived. In addition to Galatians, this term is used only two other places within the Bible. In Revelation 9:21, the Apostle John reports that during the time of the Tribulation, one of the evils that men did not repent of was their sorceries (i.e. drug use). Several chapters later in Revelation 18:23, John reveals that the great men of the earth, who were part of the now fallen Great City Babylon, used sorceries (i.e. drug use) to deceive the nations.

According to Scripture, it is clear that the use and administering of drugs will be an issue in these Last Days. So much so, that even in the face of great tribulation, men will rather turn away from God than to turn away from their drugs. Further, the widespread use of these drugs will allow the powerbrokers of the world to deceive the masses. With this thought in mind, it is safe to say that the fight to legalize marijuana is not over and that supporters of this proposition will be back for the next election in Arizona in order to pass this into law.

For more Arizona 2010 Election results click here.

Examiner 12-24-2009: Israel and the coming war with Hamas...again

The other day an AP article caught my attention.  It was entitled "Amid Gaza calm, Israel and Hamas prepare for battle."  This immediately brought to mind the prophecy found in 1 Thessalonians 5:3, "While people are saying, "Peace and safety," destruction will come on them suddenly, as labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape."  However, unlike the peace that will be brought during the first 3 1/2 years of the Tribulation (which will bring peace to the world only for it to be disrupted when the Anti-Christ declares himself God and breaks the peace covenant with Israel), this "unprecedented calm" in Gaza, to use a quote from the article, is about ready to be disrupted by war between Israel and Hamas once again.

Last December, Israel began an offensive against Hamas, which ended in January with a ceasefire. And according to news reports, things have been relatively calm in the region since that time. However, analysts are warning that the tension is still there and that the war may not be finished yet. Some sources even believe that the next round will bring more destruction than last year.

This belief was bolstered a few days later by a Ha'aretz article entitled "Year after Gaza war, Hamas says ready to fight Israel again."  In which Hamas made it clear that they had the right to protect themselves no matter the cost. As reported by Ha'aretz, Hamas was quoted as saying "But if any battle is imposed on us, we are ready with all our manpower and equipment to confront any Zionist war, any crime and any attack regardless of scale" [emphasis mine].

It is believed that Hamas has been smuggling weapons and developing war tactics with the aid of Iran and Syria, who are both known advocates for the destruction of Israel.  This holds significance for students of Bible prophecy because the Bible predicts there will be a two wars involving Israel during the Last Days: The Gog-Magog War of Ezekiel 38-39 and the Psalm 83 War.  In the Gog-Magog War, Iran (Persia) will take part in this Russian (Gog-Magog) led invasion against Israel.  In the Psalm 83 War, Arab nations and factions, including Syria and Hamas, will come together to try to destroy Israel.  There is debate on which war will occur first but the truth is that no matter which one happens first, it's quite possible, if the news reports are correct, that this current situation may escalate into one of these wars that the Bible speaks about, which means that the return of Jesus Christ is near! Are you ready?

Examiner 12-19-2009: Possible life on Saturn's Moon and UFOs over Moscow

Two seemingly unrelated news stories caught my attention today: One dealing with Saturn and the other dealing with Russia which both, I believe, fit right into a Bible prophecy concerning the Last Days.

On December 18, NASA scientists announced the discovery of a reflective substance, which they believe to be water, on the Northern Hemisphere of Saturn's Moon Titan.  According to a CNN article, "Experts believe the presence of liquid on a planet or moon improves the chances that some kind of life could develop there". This statement reflects a growing trend in the scientific community that life can and will be found in space.  This discovery joins the ranks of other recent and similar discoveries such as NASA's announcement of significant amounts of water found on the moon, the building block of life found on a comet, a researcher's claim that there may be fish-size life on Jupiter's moon Europa, and evidence from a meteorite of ancient life on Mars.  Okay, let's catch our breath for a moment and then quickly take a look at the next story.

***

On December 18, reports out of Russia claim that a huge pyramid shaped "UFO" hovered over Moscow for several hours.  Some have described it as looking like an Imperial Cruiser from Star Wars.  According to a Telegraph article, Russia reports that it is not a UFO but declined to comment on what the alternative might be.  Of course this has not stopped wild speculation of what this mysterious craft may have been.  You may remember that in October another mysterious phenomenon occured over the Moscow sky with the sighting of a halo-like cloud, reminiscent of scenes from the 1996 movie Independence Day.

If we put these two stories together - scientists finding evidence of life in outerspace, and weird mysterious UFO's and related phenomena - we have all the right ingredients for a coming of a powerful delusion in the Last Days that was spoken of in the Bible.

In 2 Thessalonians 2:1-12 we read:

"1 Concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered to him, we ask you, brothers, 2 not to become easily unsettled or alarmed by some prophecy, report or letter supposed to have come from us, saying that the day of the Lord has already come. 3 Don't let anyone deceive you in any way, for (that day will not come) until the rebellion occurs and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the man doomed to destruction. 4 He will oppose and will exalt himself over everything that is called God or is worshiped, so that he sets himself up in God's temple, proclaiming himself to be God. 5 Don't you remember that when I was with you I used to tell you these things? 6 And now you know what is holding him back, so that he may be revealed at the proper time. 7 For the secret power of lawlessness is already at work; but the one who now holds it back will continue to do so till he is taken out of the way. 8 And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will overthrow with the breath of his mouth and destroy by the splendor of his coming. 9 The coming of the lawless one will be in accordance with the work of Satan displayed in all kinds of counterfeit miracles, signs and wonders, 10 and in every sort of evil that deceives those who are perishing. They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. 11 For this reason God sends them a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie 12 and so that all will be condemned who have not believed the truth but have delighted in wickedness."

According to the apostle Paul, the coming of the Anti-Christ [the lawless one] will be displayed in all kinds of counterfeit miracles, signs, and wonders; Perhaps much like we are seeing plastered all over today's headlines.  It seems that these signs and wonders are increasing at an exponential rate. Could they be foretelling the soon arrival of the Anti-Christ?  Will these UFO sightings culminate in a disclosure event where we are visited by these "alien beings" (think ABC's series "V")?  It appears that the scientific community, and even the religious community, is prepping us for a soon-coming announcement of the discovery of life on other planets.  If this is the case, then there is no doubt that this so-called "alien-life" (aka Fallen Angels) will turn us away from the true God, evidenced by Jesus Christ, and to a false god(s) instead, thus creating a powerful delusion so that those who do not believe in Jesus Christ will believe the lie.

Could the arrival of the Fallen Angels, posing as Intelligent life from other planets, claiming to have put us here and telling us they have come back to guide us into a new enlightened age, be what the Apostle Paul was referring to as he was led by the Holy Spirit when writing to the Thessalonians?  It may or may not be one possible explanation.  Of course we will not find out until that time comes but whatever the powerful delusion may be we must remember that the truth is found in no one else except Jesus Christ (1 John 2:22)  Surely we are living in the Last Days and awaiting the soon return of Jesus!  Are you ready?

Examiner 11-30-2009: Russia's alliance with Iran helps build nuclear power plant

Reuters reports that Russia is planning on assisting Iran with putting into operation a 1000-watt nuclear power plant in Southwestern Iran. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Shmatko who visited the Iranian site hasn't given a completion date but has stated that "[t]he Bushehr plant will be finished in the nearest future."  Although Russian/Iranian authorities claim that the nuclear power plant will be used for civilian purposes only, many western countries believe that it is part of a weapons program.  Their fear was aggravated even more so today when Iran announced that they were creating 10 uranium enrichment sites which they again claim are for peaceful purposes, not for nuclear weapons.

Read full article here.

Iran may be creating these nuclear sites for peaceful purposes but students of Bible Propehcy also realize that it may be for other more covert reasons, such as trying to wipe Israel of the map.  In Ezekiel 38-39, we read about the Gog-Magog War.  This attack is led by Gog, what is now Russia, and other countries, one of them being Iran, who try to invade the land of Israel in the last days to plunder it.  However, this alliance is miraculously defeated by God. Verse 22 states that "[w]ith pestilence and bloodshed I [God] will enter into judgment with him, and I will rain upon him and his hordes and the many peoples who are with him torrential rains and hailstones, fire and sulfur." Could this verse be a description of the use of nuclear weapons?

As Russia and Iran continue to strengthen their alliance, it is only a matter of time before this prophecy is fulfilled.  Are you ready?

Examiner 11-25-2009: Israel takes step forward in peace process

In a surprising turn of events today, Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, announced a 10-month settlement freeze in the West Bank which was approved by Israel's security cabinet.  Full government approval should be given by Sunday.  According to the Jerusalem Post, Netanyahu said that this was "designed to encourage resumption of peace talks with our Palestinian neighbors."   However, the most interesting statement made, which will perk the ears of many bible prophecy students, is that he hopes that this decision will bring "meaningful negotiations toward a historic peace agreement with the Palestinians.

Read full article here.

Could this "historic peace agreement" be the covenant that the Anti-Christ confirms in Daniel 9:27? Only time will tell but it appears that we are seeing Bible prophecy jump off the pages of scripture and onto today's headlines.  Are you ready?

Examiner 11-15-2009: The Vatican prepares for extraterrestrial discovery

According to a Google News report, Vatican Astronomer, Rev. Jose Gabriel Funes, on Tuesday, November 10, 2009, presented the results of a 5-day conference. This conference brought 30 different international experts from various fields together to discuss the possibility of extraterrestrial life in the universe. Interestingly enough, one researcher at the University of Arizona was asked about the conference and was quoted as saying "the discovery of alien life may be only a few years away."

This researcher is not alone in his belief that the discovery of alien life is imminent. The alien meme (a concept that is transmitted throughout culture through repetition) is gaining momentum. It seems that it is impossible to go anywhere without hearing something about or related to aliens. It has gotten to be so prevelant in our culture today that no one gives a second thought about it when the concept is brought up. It is probably a safe bet to say that our culture has shifted from wondering if there is alien life in the universe to an almost eager expectation of its discovery. And with Hollywood, and more recently the Vatican, pushing this agenda the cultural shift is almost complete.

The idea of aliens may seem to have nothing to do with Bible prophecy, however, there are some Bible scholars who believe that there is too much proof to disregard the whole alien phenomenon. They believe that rather than aliens, these extraterrestrials are actually spiritual beings from a different dimension - namely, the Fallen Angels of Genesis 6. These Bible scholars believe that 2 Thessalonians 2:9-12 possibly hints at what our culture is experiencing with this alien phenomenon. As Paul is writing to the Thessalonians about the Anti-Christ he states,

"9The coming of the lawless one will be in accordance with the work of Satan displayed in all kinds of counterfeit miracles, signs and wonders, 10and in every sort of evil that deceives those who are perishing. They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. 11For this reason God sends them a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie 12and so that all will be condemned who have not believed the truth but have delighted in wickedness [emphasis added]."

What would be a more powerful delusion then the discovery of alien life and finding out that they put humanity here on earth as a sort of experiment. Think of how that would bring the world together. Religious differences would disappear because the gods (e.g. Jehovah, Allah, Buddha) that were once worshipped would now be considered just products of an alien imagination. The World would unite in global harmony and community. This disclosure could be seen as a chance to attain to a higher level of consciousness for the human race. Yes, a stunning "discovery" such as this would no doubt have the effect of bringing our world together and creating a powerful delusion for those who do not believe the truth which is found only in Jesus Christ.

Everything in our culture seems to be pointing to some sort of extraterrestrial disclosure in the near future. There are some people that even believe that President Obama will play a role in this disclosure. If such a disclosure does occur, there is no doubt that it will be a such a powerful delusion that "they [those who don't believe in Jesus Christ] will believe the lie." Don't get caught up in the lie but be prepared and ready!

Examiner 10-25-2009: European Southern Observatory discovers 32 new planets

Earlier this month, the European Southern Observatory announced that 32 new planets were discovered outside our Milky Way galaxy, bringing the total to 75 known planets outside our solar system which are commonly referred to as exoplanets. Surprisingly enough, researchers believe that there are over 400 of these planets in our universe! According to a CNN article, the discovery was announced by Astronomer Stephane Udry, who was quoted as saying, in reference to the search for alien worlds that "[t]he end of the road is finding life and other planets like our own [emphasis added]." In other words, according to Udry the ultimate endgame in space exploration is "finding life" just like our own somewhere out in space. But could it be that this "life" might find us before we find them...?

Before we move on let me assure you that you are in the right place. This is still the Bible Prophecy Examiner page and if you stick with me for a minute you will hopefully see how the idea of life on other planets relates to Bible prophecy.

There is no doubt that the world we live in today is fascinated with and is eager to search for, find, and understand extraterrestrial worlds. The past few decades has brought our world into a "space age". We have seen the birth of NASA, the SETI Institute , the formation and growth in the field of Astrobiology (study of life in the universe), and the establishment of various space exploration organizations. But it is not just the academic world that is interested in this field of study. Hollywood, the media and popular culture have also jumped on the bandwagon (or spaceship - in keeping with this theme) by running what appears to be a "campaign" to educate, prepare, and some may even say indoctrinate, the masses with the idea of the existence of aliens. In fact, we have been so saturated with books, movies, television shows, etc. that I dare say that the whole idea of the existence of extraterrestrial beings is no longer alien to us anymore (pardon the pun). The alien theme has even entered the realm of religion with groups such as the Raelian Movement and Scientology increasing in their followers. And if these groups weren't enough it appears that even the Vatican has softened to the idea of life on other planets!

Personally speaking, as a Christian, I never gave much thought to the whole concept of aliens. I did believe that the phenomenon was real, but that these extraterrestrials were not visitors from outerspace or benevolent spirit guides, rather they were spiritual beings from another dimension (i.e. fallen angels, demons). However, that was about the extent of my interest in the topic. It wasn't until I began to learn more about the true "alien agenda" that I realized that, while it does indeed have an occultic/spiritual connection (another story for another time), it may actually play an integral part in the last days leading up to the revealing of the Antichrist and the Tribulation.

Paul while writing to the Thessalonians about the coming of the Antichrist states that, "[t]he coming of the lawless one will be in accordance with the work of Satan displayed in all kinds of counterfeit miracles, signs and wonders, and in every sort of evil that deceives those who are perishing [unbelievers] . They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. For this reason God sends them a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie and so that all will be condemned who have not believed the truth but have delighted in wickedness [emphasis added]" (2 Thessalonians 2:9-11). Some Bible scholars believe that these counterfeit miracles, signs and wonders and this powerful delusion could possibly be an alien encounter(s). If that is the case then it would no doubt have the ability to discredit true Christianity and the God of the Bible. In fact, this encounter would be so deceptive that Jesus said even the elect would be deceived if it were possible (Matthew 24:24).

Case in point:  Imagine waking up one day in the near future, turning on the TV and finding out that giant spacecraft have settled over the major cities of the world, perhaps something similar to that of District 9 or the new ABC series "V" [Could this be Hollywood's attempt to condition us?]. Next thing we know we are being told by this extraterrestrial intelligence that we were created by them as an experiment and that they have come back at this point in our history to lead us into a new world where we can transcend our old way of life into a new level of consciousness.

This idea may have seemed a little far-fetched 50 years ago, but today this idea is gaining ground and many people are expecting and even welcoming an event such as this. Think about it, an event of this magnitude could explain away the rapture of Christians by saying that they took out the narrow-minded people so that the rest of the world could begin their transcendence to a higher level of human consciousness. It could also have the effect of ushering in a one world religion system because why would we need to worship the gods of the other religions when we have just seen with our own eyes these aliens who have told us that they created all the world's religions.

Going back to the scriptures for a moment, Paul is not the only person in the Bible that may allude to an alien encounter. Some prophecy scholars also believe that Jesus also alludes to the fact that we will have an "alien" encounter in the last days.

We read in Matthew 24:37 "As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark...[emphasis added]" So according to Jesus in the last days, things will continue on just as they always have - eating, drinking, relationships, living life, etc. However, the days of Noah were unique in one aspect. In Genesis 6:4 we read that "[t]he Nephilim were on the earth in those days-and also afterward-when the sons of God went to the daughters of men and had children by them. They were the heroes of old, men of renown." Although there is great debate on who the sons of God were, there is evidence that the sons of God were fallen angels and their offspring were that of the Nephilim. These fallen angels and their purpose are more fully described in the Book of Enoch (I realize that this book is not part of the Bible and I don't believe that it is inspired like the other books are but it does give us insight into this Genesis passage). So, if these sons of God were actually fallen angels who were co-habitating with humans, then according to Jesus these same fallen angels may be back again at the end of time but this time around using the alien facade to deceive people with this lie and ultimately turning them away from the God of the Bible.

So are we in store for a "real alien invasion" in the coming years ahead or is this just science fiction fantasy. Well, if current trends tell us anything then we are possibly being prepared for an encounter. With an increase in UFO sightings , Hollywood increasingly and religiously making movies about aliens, and more and more governments declassifying their UFO files (e.g., Brazil, Britain, Canada, France, Russia), it appears that the whole UFO/Alien phenomenon is not going away but will continue to increase in the weeks and months to come. Could it be that Satan is using the academic world, the media, and religion to pre-program and prepare us for a coming deception - a real encounter of the third kind? If so, we must remember that no matter how real an alien encounter may appear to be it is only a "powerful delusion" and that the real truth will not come from an alien encounter because it can only be found in Jesus Christ. Are you ready?

For more information about the topic of aliens from a Christian perspective, check out these websites:

http://www.michaelsheiser.com/

http://lamarzulli.wordpress.com/

http://futurequake.com/http://www.raidersnewsnetwork.com/

http://www.nephilimapocalypse.com/default.asp

http://www.lookupfellowship.com/

http://www.prophecyinthenews.com/

Examiner 10-14-2009: Turkey withdraws its support of Israel

Earlier this week, the Turkish government cancelled its international military exercises set for this week with Israel. According to a Fox News report, Turkey's cancellation of the military exercises is linked to Israel's involvement in the Gaza offensive which occurred back in December of last year. Turkey received support and praise from Syria and the Palestinian Hamas for its decision to exclude Israel from the military exercises. Although, the decision was downplayed by Israeli authorities, it is no doubt just part of a disturbing trend of nations turning away their support of Israel as prophesied in Zechariah 12:3, "On that day, when all the nations of the earth are gathered against her, I will make Jerusalem an immovable rock for all the nations. All who try to move it will injure themselves [emphasis added]."

It is already evident that the U.S., once a strong supporter of Israel, has slowly taken steps back from its position under the Obama Administration and now it looks as though, Turkey, a long time ally of Israel among its Muslim neighbors, has removed its support. Not only has Turkey withdrawn its support of Israel, according to Reuters, "Turkey...has deepened its ties and influence in the Middle East...strengthening ties with countries such as Syria and Iran [emphasis added]."

This statement may seem innocuous at first but it ties directly into the Gog-Magog prophecy of Ezekiel 38-39. According to Biblical prophecy, Gog-Magog is the Russian-led invasion of Israel which will occur sometime in the "last days". Among Russia's allies will be Turkey (referenced as Meshech, Tubal, Gomer and Togarmah in Ezekiel's prophecy). It is clear from any cursory reading of recent news headlines that there is a strengthening of ties occurring between Russia, Iran, and Turkey. The Gog-Magog confederation is coming together and their invasion of Israel is imminent. Although the time frame of the Gog-Magog invasion is disputed by Bible Scholars, some believing it will happen before the 7-year Tribulation, some in the middle, and others at the end, one thing is for sure, whenever it does occur, it will not only affect the Middle East Region but it will impact the world. Are you ready?

Examiner 10-04-2009: Permanent Presidency of EU stepping stone for Anti-Christ?

On October 3, 2009, the Irish voted "Yes" and ratified the Lisbon Treaty, which would change the way the European Union operates, including creating a permanent President who would serve for a 2 1/2 year term; Currently each member country rotates the presidency every six months.  According to the Washington Post, Maurice Fraser, a London-based political analyst states that "...by creating a central actor in the form of the new E.U. presidency, it should lead to a more credible status for the E.U. in international affairs" [emphasis added]

This is a significant event for some students of Bible Prophecy. They see the European Union taking on a more "international" role because they believe it is the beginning of the fourth and last world empire as prophesied by the prophet Daniel (Daniel 2 and 7).  At the head of this empire will come the world leader known as the Anti-Christ who will bring the world under his control in the form of a global government (Revelation 13).  Could this new position of a permanent EU President be the stepping stone for the Anti-Christ to assume power? It appears that the world stage is being set for the soon appearance of the Anti-Christ.  Are you ready?

Examiner 10-01-2009: United Nations 'gathers' against Israel

The United Nations recently issued a report prompted by the War in Gaza between Israel and the Palestinians which occurred between December of 2008 and January 2009. The report blames both sides for war crimes and "possible crimes against humanity".  However, critics of the report claim that the U.N. actually laid most of the blame on the Israeli side; so much so, that the government of Israel has denounced the report and has even sought legal representation to help defend itself. Unfortunately though, anti-Israeli sentiment is nothing new and actually has been gaining strength in recent years.

This comes as no surprise to students of Bible prophecy.  Zechariah 12:1-5 prophesies that God will make the city of Jerusalem "a cup that sends all the surrounding peoples reeling" and that all the nations of the earth will be gathered against Jerusalem in the last days.  Keeping in line with the idea of Zechariah 12:3, it is interesting to note that the United Nations  has, in a sense, “gathered” against Israel through this Report.

In recent years there has been a stronger than usual push against Israel. Even the United States, who was once a great ally of Israel, has slowly been turning its back against Israel. Currently, Israel's biggest threat is Iran who has been partnering itself with Russia – a partnership which will eventually reveal itself through the Gog-Magog War of Ezekiel 38-39.  It is very fitting that author Joel Rosenberg has termed this Middle East region as an Epicenter. It is only a matter of time before the “big storm” hits and it won't just affect that area but the entire world. Are you ready?