TEN DAYS OF AWE 2018

TEN DAYS OF AWE

                When it comes to the feasts of Israel, it is important to understand that these feast days known as Moedim or Appointed times, are really dress rehearsals pointing forward to actual events that will take place in history in some year or season.

                One may wonder why God would have the nation of Israel celebrating these key events for thousands of years before they happen, but we need to remember something. Israel was called out by God to establish physical patterns or templates of God’s eternal purposes. We have the recorded life of Yeshua to show us how accurately these feasts were fulfilled by His life. IN other words HE was crucified on Passover as the true Lamb of God. HE lay in the tomb as the sinless sacrifice without leaven on the feast of unleavened bread. He rose from the dead to present Himself to His Father as the first fruit of the resurrection on the feast of first fruits and then exactly 50 days later he sent down His Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost.            All of the spring feasts were fulfilled precisely in terms of time and location and so we can expect that the fall feasts will be fulfilled in the same manor in some year.

                But these feast days and appointed times have not lain dormant all of these years, for Israel’s history has been punctuated by events of a kind that seem to fall on their appropriate days. Take for instance:

 Tisha B’Av.  (Av 9) On this day in 1312 BC the Ten Spies come back from Canaan with an evil report.

421 BC Destruction of the first Temple

70 AD destruction of the second temple on the same day

132 AD Bar Kochba revolt crushed. Over 100,000 killed

133AD Turnus Rufus plows site of temple. Romans build pagan city of Aelia Capitolina on the site of         Jerusalem

1095 AD the First Crusade by Pope Urban II. 10,000 Jews killed in the first month

1290 AD Expulsion of Jews from England, accompanied by pogroms and confiscation of books and           property

1492 AD Inquisition in Spain and Portugal culminates in expulsion of the Jews from Iberian Peninsula.     Families separated, many die by drowning, massive loss of property

1814 AD First and second world wars and the beginning of the Holocaust

1942 AD Deportation from Warsaw Ghetto to Treblinka concentration camp begin

1989 Iraq walks out of talks with Kuwait

1994 Deadly Bombing in the building of the AMIA Jewish community center killing 86 and wounding 300

                We could also add here that tetrads of blood moons that fall on Jewish Feast days 2 years in a row have marked key events for the Jews including 1492 when Israel was driven out of Spain and a Jew named Columbus set out to find a new homeland.

1948… Israel is reborn

1967… a war resulting in the taking back of Jerusalem against all odds.

2014, 15 4 blood moons all falling on feast days, but seemingly marked by no particular events. But that is only because people don’t know Bible prophecy and so don’t know what to look for. And I sometimes feel like a practically stand alone in this, but on the very day of the final blood moon in 2015, Pope Francis made his first ever speech before Congress and the United Nations and then in a ceremony at the foot of the freedom tower in New York City, he stood with 12 other leaders of the world’s religions and declared the formation of a global religion.

                This is a huge event, perhaps one of the most significant in human history, for as we must know, the global kingdom of the antichrist will be made possible by one world government, one world religion and one world finance. In this way the antichrist will be able to control the hearts and souls of mankind, control their buying and selling and enforce his religion upon all; with something the Bible calls “The Mark of the Beast.” See Revelation chapter 13.

                So it was no small deal that Pope Francis stood before the world and declared the foundation of global religion. This act of his makes him a prime candidate for the role of the false prophet of Revelation 13 and Rev. 19:20, 21.

                So it is that Mark Biltz identifies the coming blood moon on July 27 with the red horse of war and also with TuB’Shevat, a time for inspecting trees for their fruit. Could it be that God is about to inspect Israel for fruit? And will He not judge the rest of the nations of the world as well?  After all, we are entering the time of the final harvest and the fruit must be ripe… both that which is evil and that which is good.

                There is a strange passage in Zechariah chapter one. It is the month of Shebat and Zechariah sees a vision as follows: “I saw at night and behold a man was riding on a red horse and he was standing among they myrtle trees which were in the ravine with red, sorrel and white horses behind him. Then I said, “My Lord, what are these?” and the angel who was speaking with me said to me, “I will show you what these are.” And the man who was standing among the myrtle trees and answered and said, “These are those whom the Lord has sent to patrol the earth.” So they answered the angel of the Lord who was standing among the myrtle trees and said, “WE have patrolled the earth and behold all the earth is peaceful and quiet.” Then the angel of the Lord answered and said, “Oh Lord of hosts, how long wilt Thou have no compassion for Jerusalem and the cities of Judah, with which Thou hast been indignant these SEVENTY YEARS? And the Lord answered with me said to me, “Proclaim, saying thus says the Lord of hosts, “I am exceedingly jealous for Jerusalem and Zion. But I am very angry with the nations who are at ease for while I was only a little angry, they furthered the disaster.” Therefore, thus says the Lord. “I WILL RETURN TO JERUSALEM WITH COMPASSION; MY HOUSE WILL BE BUILT IN IT,” declares the Lord of hosts, “AND A MEASURING LINE WILL BE STRETCHED OVER JERUSALEM.”   Zech. 1:8-16

                So what we see here is a man riding a red horse and followed by what looks like the horses of the apocalypse and they are inspecting the trees and they have patrolled the earth, perhaps to see if it is now time to make their famous ride onto the earthly scene. But this inspection comes at the end of a 70 year period for Jerusalem and the Lord declares that it is time for His house to be built and for Jerusalem to be measured.

                So here we are at the end of 70 years of Israel as a nation, we are receiving a blood moon signaling the inspection of trees and the four horsemen of the apocalypse are waiting in the wings as the Lord declares that His house must be built and Jerusalem must be measured.

                All of this while men and nations are trying to divide Jerusalem and Israel, God is saying that He is in charge of Jerusalem and it is time for the rebuilding of the temple so that the horsemen of the apocalypse can ride in their appointed times.

                But these horses have not only patrolled Israel, but the nations of the world as well and He is angry with the nations that are at ease and furthering this disaster (trying to divide God’s land and to give it to imposters.) After all, the Palestinian peoples are an invention of the Muslims to divide and destroy Israel and to wipe her out of existence.

                 Let me add that there are many good Palestinian people and even many Christians among them  and many of them get along with the Jews quite well as they have for decades and many of them don’t even want this political and demonic agenda that is being foisted upon them. They would rather be left alone to live in peace as they know that there is more peace and freedom in Israel than there is in any of the surrounding nations.

                But if we are living in the momentous occasion pictured here in Zechariah, then Israel is now 70 years old and the red horse is ready to ride. The trees have been inspected for fruit and it is time for a series of end time events such as the rebuilding of the Jewish temple to commence.

                I think that this is more or less the significance that Mark Biltz is placing upon the upcoming blood moon. It will be the longest lasting blood moon of this century and it will be poised right over Jerusalem. And while the world may scoff and ridicule our view of the times, we take these signs and seasons of the Lord seriously… not predicting what will happen, but only being aware of these signals and pondering what they might mean in view of past historical events tied to these various appointed times.

                In short then, at the very least, this coming ten days of awe must be a serious time of reflection and for some a waking up, for the time of the actual fulfillment of all of God’s apocalyptic events is drawing nigh. We are not trying to predict the coming of the Lord, nor do we seek to build doctrine out of questions. We are simply asking what these things mean. After all, the Lord is the One who has given us all of the clues concerning His appointed times and seasons and how they will be marked by the sun, moon and stars. Should we not respect God’s Word enough to seek understanding and wisdom?

                Again I say that the blood moons of 2014 and 15 signaled, a wake- up call that we are entering into apocalyptic times to which the entire Bible has been pointing. Those who are awake and alive, with their lamps trimmed and burning will not be taken by surprise by the Day of the Lord, but the scoffers will be swept away by the judgments of God for they had no regard for His Word.

                “For it is time for judgment to begin with the household of God; and if it begins with us first, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God? And if it is with difficulty that the righteous is saved, what will become of the godless man and the sinner? Therefore, let those also who suffer according to the will of God entrust their souls to a faithful Creator in doing what is right.” 1Peter 4:17-19