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(Continued...)

Turn with me to Isaiah 54.

God gives a metaphor here, which is where Apostle Paul was pulling from with the "chaste virgin" and Christ as our Husband idea. It requires close attention to the Scripture to grasp it's meaning...


Isa 54:1
1  Sing, O barren, thou that didst not bear; break forth into singing, and cry aloud, thou that didst not travail with child: for more are the children of the desolate than the children of the married wife, saith the LORD.

God in the above is comparing a woman whose womb is barren and without child, to a woman that is a married wife. Then He says that the barren woman has MORE children than the married wife! Does that make sense to you? It ought to be the other way around, shouldn't it, with the married wife having more children than the barren woman?

No, that does not make sense, not in the literal flesh sense it doesn't. But once we understand God is simply using those ideas as a metaphor involving spiritual worship, then it begins to make sense.

Recall Paul's "chaste virgin" idea, and Christ as our true Husband, meaning we are to remain faithful waiting on Jesus to come, and not fall away to another (i.e., to the "another Jesus", the Antichrist/false Messiah). Which one in that Isaiah 54:1 verse represents the "chaste virgin" idea? The barren woman whose womb never bare, and that did not travail with child, of course.


Isaiah 54:2 Enlarge the place of thy tent, and let them stretch forth the curtains of thine habitations: spare not, lengthen thy cords, and strengthen thy stakes;
3 For thou shalt break forth on the right hand and on the left; and thy seed shall inherit the Gentiles, and make the desolate cities to be inhabited.

The above is about the symbolic tent of God's future Kingdom in the holy lands having to be enlarged so as to include the believing Gentiles. So that is about Christ's Church made up of BOTH believing Israelites and believing Gentiles, as one body. THOSE... are the more children the desolate barren woman will have per Isaiah 54:1.

Isaiah 54:5
For thy Maker is thine Husband; the LORD of hosts is His name; and thy Redeemer the Holy One of Israel; The God of the whole earth shall He be called.
KJV

There above... is where Paul got that idea of Christ being our symbolic Husband per 2 Cor.11.

Those in Christ at the end of this world, are to remain without child, as a "chaste virgin" betrothed to Christ Jesus, our true Husband, and not fall away to the "another Jesus" that the false apostles preach. What are those who do not remain a "chaste virgin", waiting on Jesus Christ? Those are represented by the married woman of Isaiah 54:1!

Why is one not married in that parable, and the other woman is married? Who is that married woman in the parable married to? We know the barren woman remains "a chaste virgin" waiting for Christ to come. And the married woman WILL be 'with child'.

I know, it sounds a bit convoluted. But our Heavenly Father gave this to get His point across about staying in Him vs. falling away to the devil. And He is simply using the idea of a betrothed virgin waiting on the Bridegroom (Jesus) vs. the married wife who does not wait, but instead is found already married and travailing with child, which is about the married wife having played the harlot and violated the betrothal.

And at Isaiah 54:10-13 God reveals this virgin vs. married metaphor is applied to Jerusalem also. Revelation 21 reveals the new Jerusalem as Christ's Bride at His future coming. In Revelation 18, the Babylon Harlot claims she sits a queen, and is no widow. That means she is married to a king, but which one, because Satan also is a 'king' over the bottomless pit per Revelation 9:11.

The Hebrews 11:3 Scripture provides absolute proof of God's existence, if one takes the time to actually understand that verse...


Heb 11:3
3 Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.
KJV


Understand these phrases from the above verse:
1. "... that the worlds were framed by the word of God..."

God spoke and His creation came into existence. That is also pointing to Scripture like John 1 and of course includes Christ Whom He made His creation through per Hebrews 1.

2. "... so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear."

That is saying that the material things we see with our eyes, were not made of those material things. In other words, matter did NOT create matter.

I forget which law of thermodynamics that idea is, that material matter can neither be created nor destroyed, but only changes its state (liquid, solid, gas, vapor, etc.), but that is exactly what that last Hebrews 11:3 phrase is pointing to. Very profound, yet very simple, and modern science even confirms that.

What that means is, that something OUTSIDE OF THIS MATERIAL WORLD had to have created matter. It cannot be material matter at all that made the creation. That's what that means. And the whole universe is made up of material matter.

Apostle John said in John 4:24 that "God is a Spirit".

In 1 Corinthians 15:44-50, Apostle Paul revealed that 2 different dimensions of existence exist, this 'earthly' dimension, and then the 'heavenly' dimension. The earthly one is made up of material matter. But the Heavenly one is made up of Spirit. (And please don't confuse our sky around the earth as that Heavenly dimension of Spirit, just because God's Word calls the sky a heaven. KJV "heaven" in Genesis 1:1 is plural in the Hebrew by the way.)

In John 3:6, Lord Jesus said, "That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit." By that Lord Jesus also was revealing the existence of 2 different dimensions of existence.

The above establishes that the material creation, made up of matter, did not create itself. As I said before, that means something OUTSIDE the dimension of matter had to have made the creation. Those who believe The Bible call that Something GOD, Who is a Spirit, like Apostle John said.

By that, just the existence of material matter is PROOF of God's existence and that other dimension being made up of Spirit.

I've noticed many brethren in Christ have a difficult time thinking outside of their flesh. I've never had that problem, as I can easily grasp God's Word when it is speaking of that other dimension of the Heavenly. And since that Heavenly dimension of SPIRIT had to have existed prior... to God's material creation of the universe, that suggests that other dimension of Spirit is actually the MORE real.

One more thing, since God is a Spirit, and He made His material creation from that other dimension of Spirit, it also means only HE can destroy His creation.

Which direction will Russia go, particularly in light of the Gog prophecy?
It's a darn good question. I have a bit unusual perspective, though I got my ideas from others. I think the Beast Empire will be European Civilization uniting East and West, including Russia and the US, and all of Europe. However, until that happens Russia and the US are like the thumbs on left and right hands, and they seek the sphere that enables them to be dominant in the roles they play.
....

Old thread, but still very important for today.

I highly recommend a book named New Lies For Old by Anatoliy Golitsyn.

He was an ex-KGB colonel who defected to the U.S. in the 1960's. That book he wrote in 1984, but in it he predicted that in the Soviet's 3rd Phase of their long-range disinformation strategy against the west, they might allow the Berlin Wall to come down. That happened in 1989-1990. You can find a facsimile copy of the book on archive.org.

Golitsyn wrote another book in 1990 called The Peristroika Deception, continuing revelations about the Communist's long-range disinformation strategy against the west. He even quoted Gorbachev when he was asked after the Berlin Wall was taken down, if he still believed in the plan for world Communism, and Gorbachev said definitely yes.

So Golitsyn basically said the 'cold war' and Communism being over is nothing but a HOAX and part of the Russian Communist's long-range disinformation strategy against the West. In Golitsyn's book, he even mentions how Russian held religious summits inviting Christian pastors from the West are designed to plant disinformation in the Churches in the West to preach their idea of 'social religion' and not 'revealed religion', an idea that ex-FBI agent Cleon Skousen also mentioned in his book The Naked Communist.

And one of the goals Golitsyn said that was part of the Soviet long-range disinformation strategy is the plan for a one-Socialist Europe, from the Urals to the Atlantic.

Thus I believe world Communism is being used as a 'tool' to bring in the coming one-world beast government and kingdom. It simply ain't over, because the fat lady has not sung yet. And if one reads Georgetown history professor Carrol Quigley's 1960's book Tragedy and Hope, one will find that he says "the establishment" often works with Communism and has no problem doing so. Quigley himself was an "establishment" insider, as even ex-President Bill Clinton was taught under him at Georgetown University, and Clinton endorsed Quigley in his inaugural speech.

I interpret Christ's Olivet discourse as covering only a 'dual prophetic' fulfillment of the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple by the Romans in 70 A.D. The rest of Christ's Olivet discourse covers Signs specifically for the end of this world, leading up to Christ's future return.

I was raised in a Preterist mainstream Protestant Church, but I didn't know then what man's doctrine of Preterism was. They believed most of Revelation was fulfilled, and only Christ's future return was still lacking. That's called Partial-Preterism. Full-Preterism is the belief that Jesus' 2nd coming already happened back in the days of His Apostles, and that it was meant in the spiritual sense only, and not as a literal bodily return. Both in my opinion are failed doctrines of men, disproven by historical fact, and by overwhelming Scripture evidences that point directly to the latter days of this world, long after 70 A.D.

In the Matt.24:32-35 Scripture about the "generation" Jesus mentioned, He is pointing to the final generation that will 'see' all those Signs of the end that He gave.

Matt 24:32-35
32 Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh:
33 So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors.
34 Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled.
35 Heaven and earth shall pass away, but My words shall not pass away.
KJV

The condition Jesus set in the above is that "generation" will "see all these things", meaning those Signs Jesus gave in His Olivet discourse. The very last Sign Jesus gave in the Matt.24:29-31 verses is about the day of His future coming to gather His saints, and He showed that will happen AFTER... that tribulation, meaning the "great tribulation" of verse 21. So there is yet another Biblical proof that His Olivet discourse Signs are for the very end of this world, in the final generation on earth, simply because His coming to gather His saints has not happened yet today.

Some will say, but that not one stone atop another Sign Jesus gave happened already, in 70 A.D., when the Roman army destroyed Jerusalem and the 2nd temple!

I see that as a 'dual prophecy' only partially fulfilled in 70 A.D. Just as Antiochus Epiphanes in 165 B.C. took Jerusalem and sacrificed swine inside the 2nd temple at Jerusalem, and then setup an IDOL abomination in Zeus worship 'partially' fulfilled the Daniel 11:31 prophecy about the coming Antichrist, likewise the not one stone atop another prophecy for 70 A.D. served as a 'partial' fulfillment.

Per the great earthquake of Rev.11 on the 7th Trumpet, and per the Zechariah 14 Scripture about the day of Christ's future return to the Mount of Olives, with a great valley being formed, that in my opinion will complete that 'not one stone atop another' Matt.24:2 prophecy.

The only further historical events aligned with Christ's Olivet discourse other than the 70 A.D. fulfillment of the destruction of Jerusalem and the 2nd temple, are the "many" that come claiming to be Christ. There were false Christs going back in history even in that time, just as there are still many today in my era that have claimed to be Jesus Christ. So really that idea is on-going fulfillment that will culminate in the coming of the actual Antichrist at the very end of this world.


 

I interpret it quite a bit deeper, according to our 'spirit' that dwells inside our flesh body which is released at flesh death, or on the day of Christ's future coming with being 'changed' at the "last trump". Our 'spirit' and 'soul' parts of our created being isn't of this flesh world. In John 3:6 Lord Jesus revealed this simply when He said, "That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit." Thus our 'spirit' is eternally connected to God's Spirit, and that is how He can commune with us, and us with Him, via The Holy Spirit.

....

i find this odd considering the tribe of Levi is the tribe of the priesthood and they are the one who the covenant comes through.

i also find it extremely odd because the only tribe the warning is applicable to is the tribe of Levi as no other tribe is known for their council or assembly. however despite this warning, the Levites go on to lead the entire assembly of israel and all of israel ends up under the council of Levi in the priest hood and under moses who is also a levite.

Like the start of that Genesis 49 chapter says, those are all... prophecies for the end of this world, the latter days, and the one given about Judah includes the time of Christ's future return, so it's the literal "last days" Jacob was pointing to, and that would mean under the New Covenant, when the Levitical priesthood was no longer a requirement.

Per the history of the Jews after God split old Israel into two separate kingdoms, the tribe of Levi became joined with the "house of Judah" at Jerusalem/Judea which was made up of the tribes of Judah and Benjamin. Thus the "house of Judah", or "kingdom of Judah" became the 3 tribes of Judah, Benjamin, and Levi, even as it still is today in the holy land. A small remnant out of the northern ten tribes refused Jeroboam's calf idol worship also like the Levites did, and they too joined with the "house of Judah" at Jerusalem (See 1 Kings 11 thru 2nd Kings 17 and 2 Chron.11).

All the prophecies involving the other ten tribes in Genesis 49 involve today's existing lost tribes of Israel which today's Jews don't know where they are, nor does today's world. But God knows where they are, because He promised to gather them in final when Christ returns.

1.Matthew 24

2.The third temple built ?

3.What else in your opinion needs to happen so the end times comes ? The destruction of the throne of the devil ? The antichrist sitting on the throne in the most high. wether been the third temple or the seat of the pope ?

4.The seven bowls or the seven trumpets ?

5.The politica situation of of the war of God and Magog ( represented by Russia, China,India , and eastern countries vs the west Israel, USA, and Britain.

6. What else is needed to bring the end

I think your list of items are very valid topics aligned with Bible Scripture of events of SIGNS of the end which Lord Jesus gave His faithful Church that listen to Him.

1. Matthew 24, Mark 13, and Luke 21 are Christ's Olivet discourse. Christ's Sign of not one stone atop another I see as a type of 'dual fulfillment' prophecy. The destruction of Jerusalem and the 2nd temple by the Romans in 70 A.D. represented an initial fulfillment of that SIGN, but did not fulfill the whole of the prophecy, because there are still many HUGE stones atop one another there today at the Temple Mount.

And the continued list of Signs in Jesus' Olivet discourse that He gave after that follow the events of the Seals of Rev.6, all the way to the event of His future coming to gather His Church.

2. Some don't like that idea about the Orthodox Jews in today's Jerusalem planning to build their 3rd temple, but Bible prophecy for the 'end' requires it. Apostle Paul was pointing to a literal stone "temple of God" in 2 Thess.2, simply because Lord Jesus warned about the coming Antichrist (or false-Messiah) that will come at the 'end' to setup the "abomination of desolation" IDOL in it which Jesus quoted for the end in His Olivet discourse. The Daniel 9:27 and Dan.11:31 "abomination of desolation" event requires... a standing Jewish temple in Jerusalem to fulfill that prophecy for the 'end'. No way around it. And today's Orthodox Jews in Jerusalem already have the materials ready to build  their 3rd temple.

3. The idea that a Catholic pope is the Antichrist is actually an old belief by the Protestant Reformers of the 15th-16th centuries in Europe. The early Protestants were persecuted by the Catholic Church then, and held war against them. The Reformers (Protestants) thus thought the Bible prophecy about the Antichrist was then coming true, and that the pope then was the coming Antichrist. That prophecy failed in their day; the pope was not... the Antichrist, and as also required by the Bible prophecy for the 'end', Jesus did NOT return back then to defeat the pope as the Antichrist.

Some denominations continue to hold to that old Reformer's belief about the Catholic Church and a pope. And because of the old pagan Roman empire, these same ones who keep pushing those old Reformer's ideas associate the Catholic Church with the ancient pagan Roman empire just because of it being in Rome, and because of some the Catholic Church's vain un-Biblical policies. Yet there are Protestant denominations that also contain vanity within them too; even Lord Jesus' 7 Messages of Rev.2 & 3 revealed five out seven Churches in Asia had problems within them. (And no, I am not a Catholic. I am a Protestant Christian. My French ancestors came to the Americas in the 1600's to flee Catholic persecution in France because they were French Huguenots, the first French Protestants.)

4. Jesus returns on 7, 7, 7. (7th Seal, 7th Trumpet, 7th Vial). Jesus gave ONLY 7 main SIGNS of the end in His Olivet discourse, which are the Seals of Revelation. His Book of Revelation simply divides the events of those same 7 Signs into 21 descriptions. Satan comes as the pseudo-Messiah on 6, 6, 6. And don't be fooled by the Rev.13 passage that says that 666 is a number of a 'man', as if it must be some flesh man, when God created even the angels with that image of man from His Own image per Genesis 1.

5. The Gog-Magog event of Ezekiel 38 & 39 is the battle of Armageddon on the last day of this world when Jesus comes to fight it with His army from Heaven. That will involve a final attack by Satan and his hosts leading the armies out of the northern quarters against the nation of Israel AND the western Christian nations.

The Gog-Magog battle when Satan and a great host of deceived nations come up against the "camp of the saints" after Christ's future 1,000 years reign, is a final future battle, and not the event of Ezekiel 38-39. The difference is 'where' the attack happens with the two Gog-Magog Scripture examples.

6. What else for the end? A time when the planned "one world government" will be fully established on earth, with a literal world peace for the wicked and deceived. It will then be easy to single out those who remain in Christ that will refuse to bow to the "image of the beast" that the false-Messiah will setup like Nebuchadnezzar did with the gold idol image, requiring all to bow in worship to it, or be killed. Those who remain in Christ that refuse to bow, or refuse the mark of the beast, will be turned in even by deceived loved ones. They will think the coming pseudo-Messiah will be Lord Jesus Himself having come, working those great signs and wonders Jesus warned us about.