Saturday, December 19, 2015

Punishment and Allure - The Message of Hosea for America Now


The Book of Hosea in the Old Testament was a message of warning, judgment and call for repentance to the people of Israel 2,750 years ago. The Israelites had turned to other gods, engaged in many sins and were headed for national judgment. Eventually the kingdom of Assyria defeated and destroyed Israel and sent its people into exile. Yet Hosea also contains a message of hope and reconciliation with God.

What struck me most when I read it is that its message isn't just for Ancient Israel. It is also a message for America now - right now. 

Israel's Unfaithfulness

The Lord's first directive for the prophet Hosea was to marry a prostitute:

"When the Lord first spoke through Hosea, the Lord said to Hosea, 'Go, take to yourself a wife of harlotry and have children of harlotry; for the land commits flagrant harlotry, forsaking the Lord.'" - Hosea 1:2

God wanted Hosea's marriage to be a metaphor and example of how Israel was unfaithful to God, so he asked Hosea to marry a prostitute and have children with her. Even the names assigned to his children were a message to Israel:

  • Jezreel - "Visit the bloodshed of Jezreel on the house of Jehu"
  • Lo-ruhamah - "She has not obtained compassion"
  • Lo-ammi - "Not my people"
NOTE: It's a tough job to be a prophet. Not only do they have to deliver messages that many people don't want to hear, but sometimes they are asked to do unusual and seemingly crazy things. God asked the prophet Isaiah to walk around naked and barefoot for three years as a sign against Egypt and Ethiopia, to show how their people would be shamed and led into exile by Assyria.

Be careful not to put God in a box and think He only operates along certain lines. God is far more amazing and interesting and less "religious" that people give him credit for.

Hope for Reconciliation

In spite of these hard words against the wayward people of Israel, the Lord expressed hope for a future day of reconciliation:

"Yet the number of the sons of Israel will be like the sand of the sea, which cannot be measured or numbered; and in the place where it is said to them, 'You are not My people,' it will be said to them, 'You are the sons of the living God.'" - Hosea 1:10

Judgment is not God's first choice for a people. He wants relationship, harmony, righteousness and obedience. But when rebellion goes on for so long, punishment becomes the last hope for reconciliation.

Punishment

Continuing with the metaphor of Israel as a harlot chasing after other gods, the Lord pronounced punishment:

"'Contend with your mother, contend, for she is not my wife, and I am not her husband; and let her put away her harlotry from her face and her adultery from between her breasts, lest I strip her naked and expose her as on the day when she was born. I will also make her like a wilderness, make her like desert land and slay her with thirst...
 
I will punish her for the days of the Baals, when she used to offer sacrifices to them and adorn herself with her earrings and jewelry, a
nd follow her lovers, so that she forgot Me,' declares the Lord." - Hosea 2:2-3,13


God was like a husband to Israel, a nation set apart as holy and blessed. Yet like an adulterer, the people abandoned the true God and worshiped foreign gods such as Baal. So the nation will be punished and its blessings removed.

Allure

But punishment is not the end of the matter. God's true desire is to win back the heart of Israel:

"Therefore, behold, I will allure her, bring her into the wilderness and speak kindly to her. Then I will give her her vineyards from there, and the valley of Achor as a door of hope. And she will sing there as in the days of her youth, as in the day when she came up from the land of Egypt. It will come about in that day,' declares the Lord, 'That you will call Me Ishi and will no longer call Me Baali. For I will remove the names of the Baals from her mouth, so that they will be mentioned by their names no more.'" - Hosea 2:14-17

Ishi means "my husband," while Baali means "my master." For people to call God "Ishi" means there is relationship and intimacy. Repentance and faith in God brings reconciliation.

Problem - Sin and No Knowledge of God in the Land

The problem, the stumbling block in the land, are the people's corrupt practices, deception and lack of knowledge of God: 
 
"Listen to the word of the Lord, O sons of Israel, for the Lord has a case against the inhabitants of the land, because there is no faithfulness or kindness or knowledge of God in the land. There is swearing, deception, murder, stealing and adultery. They employ violence, so that bloodshed follows bloodshed." - Hosea 4:1-2 


What God wants is faithfulness, kindness and people who walk with him in righteousness and truth.

Solution - Know the Lord

What must the people do? Return to the Lord! Press on to know him:

"Come, let us return to the Lord. For He has torn us, but He will heal us; He has wounded us, but He will bandage us. He will revive us after two days; He will raise us up on the third day, that we may live before Him. So let us know, let us press on to know the Lord.
His going forth is as certain as the dawn; and He will come to us like the rain, like the spring rain watering the earth.
" - Hosea 6:1-3


In response, the goodness of God and his presence will pour forth like the spring rain.

Judgment Comes First

Unfortunately the hearts of the people have become so hardened that they will not respond to God's invitation without first experiencing and the shock of national judgment:

"You have plowed wickedness, you have reaped injustice, you have eaten the fruit of lies. Because you have trusted in your way, in your numerous warriors, therefore a tumult will arise among your people, and all your fortresses will be destroyed." - Hosea 10:13-14

Message for America Now

Like Ancient Israel, America was once a "called out" nation, but has forsaken its original calling and purpose in the Lord. The American people have turned to bloodshed at home (abortion) and abroad (endless war), sexual immorality, deep deception and theft. They are arrogant and believe America will always be great, not matter how depraved it becomes.

Most American churches do not teach the full knowledge of God. They preach prosperity and happy-clappy, feel-good messages, but fail to vigorously confront sin, lies and injustice in the land. They teach religion, but not the powerful presence of God's Spirit. They talk about baby Jesus in a manger, but not about the Jesus of Revelation who is coming back on a white horse and carrying a sword to vanquish his enemies and establish his righteous kingdom on earth.

Like Ancient Israel, God has pronounced judgment on America. The sin, injustice and lies cannot continue.

Yet God still wants to allure the American people and draw them back to himself. A great revival is coming. However, the people are hardened, so revival must come the hard way, through the shock and pain of judgment.

Like Ancient Israel, a tumult will arise among your people, and all your fortresses will be destroyed.  

America, let us return to the Lord!

Thursday, December 3, 2015

Harvest for the Kingdom, Rapture, Zombie Apocalypse and Return of the King - The Message of Daniel 9:27


"And one week shall establish the covenant with many: and in the midst of the week my sacrifice and drink-offering shall be taken away: and on the temple shall be the abomination of desolations; and at the end of time an end shall be put to the desolation." - Daniel 9:27, Brenton Septuagint Translation

The seventy weeks prophecy of Daniel 9:24-27 is an amazing, complex and mysterious passage that predicts events and timelines from the rebuilding of Jerusalem after the Babylonian exile to the arrival of the Messiah. It continues all the way to the end of the age, meaning the second coming of Jesus the Messiah and the establishment of his reign on earth.
 
Daniel 9:27 describes the last seven years of this age. This time is fast upon us. We may be already in it! Whatever your opinion on the issue, it is worth having a close look at this verse because it tells us what is about to happen. The answer will blow your mind. At least it did for me.

Concealed Until the End of Time

For reasons I really don't know, God chose to conceal the prophecies in Daniel so they would not be fully understood until the end of the age:

"But as for you, Daniel, conceal these words and seal up the book until the end of time; many will go back and forth, and knowledge will increase." - Daniel 12:5

"Go your way, Daniel, for these words are concealed and sealed up until the end time." - Daniel 12:9

Prophetic insights were purposefully hidden in plain sight until a time when "knowledge will increase" at the time of the end. How could this be? The Book of Daniel has been read for thousands of years, but it was never human minds that discerned the hidden treasures within it. It is the Spirit of God who reveals it:

"'Things which eye has not seen and ear has not heard,
And which have not entered the heart of man,
All that God has prepared for those who love Him.'
For to us God revealed them through the Spirit; for the Spirit searches all things, even the depths of God." - 1 Corinthians 2:9-10

In other words, the wisdom of God is revealed by the Spirit of God - in a time and manner of his choosing. This stands in contrast to the express or implied teaching of many churches that Bible interpretation comes from education, intelligence, seminaries and PhDs. Religion comes from the mind of man; revelation comes from the Spirit.

We are living in the time when knowledge is increasing and prophetic insights are exploding. This itself is an indicator we are living in the end times! The mysteries of the ages are pouring forth.

It is important to understand the time lock on Daniel's prophecies and the lateness of the hour. Because any interpretation of Daniel 9:27 from 200 or 100 or 50 years ago cannot be fully correct, by definition. The insights were not yet unsealed.

Septuagint vs. Masoretic Text

After taking an in-depth look at Daniel 9:27, I came to believe the Septuagint Bible is a much better source for interpreting it. This translation is probably different from the text in your Bible (unless you're Eastern Orthodox), so I want to give a good explanation why I favor the Septuagint in this case.

The Septuagint was the first translation of the Hebrew Old Testament into Greek. It was written between the 3rd and 2nd centuries B.C. by 70 or 72 Jewish scholars (hence the Latin septuaginta). The majority of Old Testament quotations in the New Testament are based on the Septuagint Bible (see examples here). The early church fathers quoted the Septuagint, and the Eastern Orthodox Church still considers it the authoritative Old Testament text. The earliest manuscripts still in existence date to the 4th century A.D.

The Book of Daniel has a unique history in the Septuagint. You can read about it here, if interested.

Most English translations of the Old Testament, including the King James Version and the New American Standard Bible (NASB) which I use, are based on the Hebrew Masoretic text. The Masoretic text is the authoritative Jewish Rabbinic source for the Old Testament. The oldest manuscripts date to the 10th and 11th century AD.

Before continuing, I want to make a few points about the Scriptures, texts and translations:
  1. God wants us to know him and made sure his essential written revelations were been passed down through the ages. You can trust the Bible.
  2. There are no perfect Bible translations (sorry, King James fans), though some translations are better than others. The basic problem is that it isn't possible to translate perfectly from one language to another. This is especially true for a complex document like the Bible. The meaning of language is shaped by the history, experience and culture of the people who use it. Ways of thinking and communication differ among peoples, and this is reflected in their languages. Words have multiple meanings and different shades of meaning. Poetry, double or triple meanings, nuances, historical analogies -- these cannot always be translated perfectly. If you can read the original languages of Hebrew and/or Greek, this is definitely an advantage (I can't).
  3. There are a variety of source texts with small variations among them. These differences are not great enough to make a difference in our faith or practice, but they do exist and can affect some of the meaning of a particular verse.
  4. All problems are resolved by the Holy Spirit. Jesus said, "When He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth." (John 16:13) The Spirit speaks to us (if we listen) and teaches us what we need to know. We don't have to be smart, seminary educated or have a 100% perfect translation. We only have to be able to hear the voice of God's Presence speak in our hearts.
With that in mind, the Septuagint Bible and Masoretic text are mostly in agreement, but there are small differences. A clear example of variation is Hebrews 10:5, which is a quotation of Psalm 40 in the New Testament:

"Sacrifice and offering You have not desired, But a body You have prepared for Me." - Hebrews 10:5, NASB

Now look at Psalm 40 in the same translation based on the Masoretic text:

"Sacrifice and meal offering You have not desired; My ears You have opened." - Psalm 40:6, NASB

The second clause is different: "A body you have prepared for me" has changed to "My ears you have opened."

Now look at Psalm 40 in the Septuagint:

"Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not; but a body hast thou prepared me." - Psalm 40:6, Brenton Septuagint Translation

The Septuagint matches the New Testament quote of Psalm 40, but the Masoretic text differs. In this case, it seems the Septuagint is the better translation.

I would propose Daniel 9:27 is another such case. Let's compare translations of Daniel 9:27:

 "And one week shall establish the covenant with many: and in the midst of the week my sacrifice and drink-offering shall be taken away: and on the temple shall be the abomination of desolations; and at the end of time an end shall be put to the desolation." - Daniel 9:27, Brenton Septuagint

"And he will make a firm covenant with the many for one week, but in the middle of the week he will put a stop to sacrifice and grain offering; and on the wing of abominations will come one who makes desolate, even until a complete destruction, one that is decreed, is poured out on the one who makes desolate." - Daniel 9:27, NASB

The first difference is that the NASB translation (based on the Masoretic text) adds the subjects "he" in the first two clauses. However, the he's are not explicitly present in the Hebrew (though some subject is implied by the verb), and the intended subjects of this text are not entirely clear. The two assumed he's have led some to interpret that "he" refers to the "one who makes desolate" or the antichrist. Others think it refers to the Messiah mentioned in the previous verse. This is confusing. The Septuagint translation avoids this problem by making "one week" the subject of the first clauses and using the passive voice in the second clause. 

The second important difference is the use of the word "temple" in the Septuagint instead of the word "wing." There is a scholarly debate about whether the Hebrew word in this verse should be "kaneph" (wing) or "qodesh," meaning holy thing or holy place, e.g. temple. You can read a detailed textual commentary in the "pulpit commentary" section on this page here. The weight of source text evidence seems to favor qodesh. 

Moreover, Jesus himself appears to clarify this passage when he refers to Daniel:

"Therefore when you see the abomination of desolation which was spoken of through Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place (let the reader understand)." - Matthew 24:15

Jesus said Daniel refers to an "abomination of desolation" in a "holy place" (e.g. temple), both of which are named in the Septuagint verse. Jesus did not mention a "wing of abomination" or "one who makes desolate."

For all of these reasons, I believe the Septuagint is a better source for understanding the message of Daniel 9:27.

SIDE NOTE: The parenthetical expression "let the reader understand" in the verse quoted above should be taken to heart. This expression is like a flashing neon sign that says, "Wait. Really think and pray about this. The meaning here is not the obvious one." If the meaning were obvious, there would be no need for such a statement. Please keep this in mind, because we will delve into the veiled meaning in this article.

"Weeks" Are 7-Year Periods

The 70 weeks prophecy of Daniel 9:24-27 refers to "weeks" or "sevens" as units of time. The Hebrew word for "weeks" in this passage is the same word used in Genesis 29:27 to describe the seven-year period Jacob worked for his uncle Laban in exchange for marrying his daughter Rachel.  

"Complete the week of this one, and we will give you the other also for the service which you shall serve with me for another seven years." - Genesis 29:27

Jacob was tricked into marrying the older sister Leah, and so he worked another 7 years for Rachel. As in the Genesis passage, the Daniel 9 prophecy uses "weeks" to refer to 7-year periods. If this weren't so, this present age would have ended and Jesus would have returned long ago.

Isaac Newton's "70 Weeks" Commentary

The 70 weeks prophecy describes a time line of 70 seven-year periods, which total 490 years. The passage further breaks down the 70 weeks into segments of 62, 7 and 1.

"Seventy weeks are cut out upon thy people, and upon thy holy city, to finish transgression, and to make an end of sins, to expiate iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, to consummate the Vision and the Prophet, and to anoint the most Holy.
‘Know also and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to cause to return and to build Jerusalem, unto the Anointed the Prince, shall be seven weeks.
‘Yet threescore and two weeks shall it return, and the street be built and the wall; but in troublesome times: and after the threescore and two weeks, the Anointed shall be cut off, and it shall not be his; but the people of a Prince to come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary: and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war, desolations are determined." - Daniel 9:24-26, Isaac Newton translation

Sir Isaac Newton (1641-1727) wrote an excellent analysis of this time line, including his own translation of the passage. You can read in full hereMany know Isaac Newton as the English physicist and mathematician who formulated the laws of motion and gravity, but he was also a Christian who studied end times Bible prophecy.

According to Newton, the 70 weeks is both a single period of time and series of periods that add up to 70

The 70 weeks or 490 years began when the Jews under Ezra returned from exile to rebuild Jerusalem during the seventh year of Persian King Artaxerxes Longimanus. It ended 490 years later when Jesus died on the cross, making atonement for sin and bringing in everlasting righteous.

The 62 weeks or 434 years began when the Jews under Nehemiah finished the wall of Jerusalem, and ended at the birth of Jesus, the first coming of the Messiah.

The 7 weeks or 49 yearNewton expected would begin at future time when a decree would be issued for the Jews to return and rebuild Jerusalem. We now know the modern nation of Israel reoccupied Jerusalem in 1967 during the Six Day War. At this point in history, I believe we are approaching the end of that 49 year period, as covered in a previous post, Sir Isaac Newton Says We Are in the Season of Messiah's Return. 
  
The 1 week or 7-year period occurred after Jesus' death and resurrection, according to Newton, and the half week or 3.5 year period was fulfilled during the Roman war against the Jews that ended with the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 A.D. Here I would disagree with the esteemed Newton because the language of "abomination of desolation" and the daily sacrifice being taken away are associated with the end of this age, according to Daniel 12 as well as the gospels. The Septuagint spells it out clearly: "And at the end of time an end shall be put to the desolation."

Therefore, the 1 week period is the FINAL 7-YEAR PERIOD OF THIS AGE.

Harvest for the Kingdom of Heaven

Finally, let's dig in to the verse.

"And one week shall establish the covenant with many: and in the midst of the week my sacrifice and drink-offering shall be taken away: and on the temple shall be the abomination of desolations; and at the end of time an end shall be put to the desolation." - Daniel 9:27, Brenton Septuagint

One week shall establish the covenant with many. In other words, a covenant will be established with many people during the final 7-year period. 

But what covenant is that? To answer that question, let's go back to verse 24. "Seventy weeks have been decreed... to make an end of sin, to make atonement for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness." This is what Jesus the Messiah accomplished through his death and resurrection. This covenant is the new covenant in Christ's blood, sealed by the Holy Spirit.

"This cup which is poured out for you is the new covenant in My blood." - Luke 22:20, NASB 

"In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation — having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise." - Ephesians 1:13
 
If the new covenant in Christ's blood is established upon many people, that means many people will believe in Christ. That means a harvest for the kingdom of heaven! The final 7-year period will be a time of great harvest.

Let's look at what is happening in the world today. In China, the world's most populous country, Christianity is exploding. China now has an estimated 170 million Christians. Do you know what the fastest growing religion in Iran is? Hint: It's not Islam. It's Christianity, which is growing at 5.2% per year! Christianity is also large and growing in Africa, Latin America and Asia. Can you guess from which country comes the most traffic for this blog? Hint: It's not the USA. That's #2. It's South Korea! Go figure. 

WARNING: Be careful not to be America-centric in interpreting Bible prophecy. Only 4% of the world's population lives in America. We should look at the rest of the world for the big picture. 
 
It's true Christianity is shrinking in America. This country has stubbornly turned its back on God and, as a result, is heading into severe judgment. However, the hard times coming will drive people to Jesus. We will have a harvest here too, even if the hard way. Many people with prophetic gifts have foreseen a harvest coming to America. God has also called a remnant to prepare and be ready to play their parts in this harvest.

When I consider at the situation in the whole world, it appears the covenant is being established with many. That's an indicator of the final 7-year period -- or ramping up to it. 

Moreover, according to Revelation, the harvest will continue during the Great Tribulation:

"And I saw another angel flying in midheaven, having an eternal gospel to preach to those who live on the earth, and to every nation and tribe and tongue and people; and he said with a loud voice, 'Fear God, and give Him glory, because the hour of His judgment has come; worship Him who made the heaven and the earth and sea and springs of waters.'
... Then I looked, and behold, a white cloud, and sitting on the cloud was one like a son of man, having a golden crown on His head and a sharp sickle in His hand. And another angel came out of the temple, crying out with a loud voice to Him who sat on the cloud, 'Put in your sickle and reap, for the hour to reap has come, because the harvest of the earth is ripe.' Then He who sat on the cloud swung His sickle over the earth, and the earth was reaped." - Revelation 14:6-7 and 14-16

This will be the final reaping this age, the last world harvest.

Rapture

And in the midst of the week my sacrifice and drink-offering shall be taken away. In the age before the coming of the Messiah, the regular sacrifice was in fact a twice-daily offering presented to the Lord in the temple. It honored and symbolized God's continual presence, communion and blessing among the people of Israel. 

In 169 B.C., Antiochus Epiphanes conquered Jerusalem, massacred many Jews and plundered the temple. The following year he set up an altar to the pagan god Zeus in the temple. Zeus represented the chief god of the pagan pantheon, the sun-god. From a Hebrew perspective, Zeus represented the head fallen angel leading mankind astray, otherwise known as Lucifer or Satan. In other words, this was an altar to Satan in the temple of the Lord, fulfilling the prophecy in Daniel chapter 11:

"Forces from him will arise, desecrate the sanctuary fortress, and do away with the regular sacrifice. And they will set up the abomination of desolation." - Daniel 11:31, NASB

Plundering the temple did away with the regular sacrifice and setting up the altar to Zeus was the abomination of desolation.

PLEASE NOTE: Prophecies in the Bible often have multiple fulfillments, and biblical events often prefigure events that will occur in the future. As Mark Twain said, "History doesn't repeat itself, but it does rhyme." For example, Abraham's sacrifice of his son Isaac prefigured God's sacrifice of his Son Jesus. Abraham bound Isaac on Mount Moriah, the place where Solomon's temple eventually was built, and in the city of Jerusalem where Jesus would ultimately be sacrificed. It doesn't repeat precisely, but it rhymes. Another example is the Passover lamb that the Israelites were commanded to sacrifice and apply its blood to their door lintels to ward away the angel of death during the plagues of Egypt. Who is the ultimate Lamb of God whose blood overcomes death? Jesus.

Antiochus Epiphanes prefigures the man of lawlessness or beast king or antichrist that will appear in the end times according the books of Daniel, Revelation and II Thessalonians.

What does the temple of the Lord prefigure? In the age before the coming of the Messiah, the temple was a building in Jerusalem dedicated to the worship of God and holding his Presence. The moment Jesus died on the cross, the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom and the earth shook. This event signified God's Presence and power would no longer dwell in a temple in Jerusalem. Instead, God's Spirit and Presence would dwell in our bodies - leading, empowering and teaching us.

"Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own?" - 1 Corinthians 6:19

At Pentecost this was fulfilled dramatically and continues to present. In the end times, the era between the first and second comings of Christ, the temple is the human body. 

So, what does the regular sacrifice prefigure? The New Testament gives us clues:

"You also, as living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ." - 1 Peter 2:5, NASB

"Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship." - Romans 12:1, NASB

Do you see it? WE ARE THE REGULAR SACRIFICE! We who believe in Christ and are born of the Spirit are the daily sacrifice in the temple of our bodies, as we act on obedience to the Lord.

Therefore, what is the removal or taking away of the regular sacrifice? This is the rapture, the just-in-time rescue of the saints, as foretold by Daniel :

"Now at that time Michael, the great prince who stands guard over the sons of your people, will arise. And there will be a time of distress such as never occurred since there was a nation until that time; and at that time your people, everyone who is found written in the book, WILL BE RESCUED." - Daniel 12:1, NASB

Note that the rapture occurs in the midst or halfway through the final 7-year period. The first 3.5 years is the run-up or birth pangs, and the final 3.5 year period is the Great Tribulation.

Credit goes to Jonathan Kleck for this revelation. God gave him the revelation of the regular sacrifice and rapture, and I'm just passing it on. 

For more details about the rapture, see:

This Is The Rapture!
This Is The Rapture - Bible Verses 
The Four Horsemen Have Begun to Ride
The Rapture Will Happen During the Period of Judgment on America

Zombie Apocalypse

And on the temple shall be the abomination of desolations. If, in this era, the temple is the human body, then what is the abomination of desolation or satanic altar placed inside human bodies? Jesus said it's going to be bad. In fact, if the days were not cut short, no one would be left alive:

"Therefore when you see the abomination of desolation which was spoken of through Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place (let the reader understand), then those who are in Judea must flee to the mountains. Whoever is on the housetop must not go down to get the things out that are in his house. Whoever is in the field must not turn back to get his cloak. But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days! But pray that your flight will not be in the winter, or on a Sabbath. For then there will be a great tribulation, such as has not occurred since the beginning of the world until now, nor ever will. Unless those days had been cut short, no life would have been saved; but for the sake of the elect those days will be cut short." - Matthew 24:15-22, NASB

I've come to believe the abomination of desolation won't necessarily be one thing, but a combination of elements that manifest in various ways. All are focused on controlling human beings to act out evil, satanic agendas. These elements will include mind control, genetic manipulation, demonic spirit possession and perhaps weaponized viruses.

Mind control is the ability to control what a person thinks and does. There is a sliding scale of mind control. On one end, the disinformation we constantly receive from the mainstream media and government is a form of mind control. Fluoride added to water is another form because it reduces intelligence and creates apathy, as does psychotronic manipulation using electromagnetic waves. On the other end of the spectrum are technologies that create programmed subconscious alters within the human mind. Handlers can trigger and cause the victim to carry out agendas without his or her conscious awareness. These agendas can be anything, ranging from sex to assassination. For a primer on this topic, I recommend listening to Cathy O'Brien's testimony:

The Cathy O'Brien Story - Ex Mind Control Victim

The United States government has engaged in mind control projects since the end of World War II when it brought back Nazi scientists under Operation Paperclip. The CIA and military continued developing these technologies under programs like MKUltra, Bluebird, Monarch and Project Montauk.

Mind control has become so sophisticated that they use electromagnetic waves and nanotechnology implants to program and control people. Russ Dizdar counsels victims of mind control and satanic ritual abuse. From his work he came to understand that a mass triggering of mind controlled and/or possessed individuals is being planned, detailed in his book The Black Awakening. Imagine thousands or millions of people triggered to carry out homicidal rampages on the same day. That may be what Jesus had in mind when he said run for hills when you see the abomination of desolation.

Genetic manipulation started when the sons of God, a Hebrew euphemism for angelic beings, rebelled against God, left the heavenly realms and came to earth to procreate with human women:
 

"Now it came about, when men began to multiply on the face of the land, and daughters were born to them, that the sons of God saw that the daughters of men were beautiful; and they took wives for themselves, whomever they chose. Then the Lord said, 'My Spirit shall not strive with man forever, because he also is flesh; nevertheless his days shall be one hundred and twenty years.' The Nephilim were on the earth in those days, and also afterward, when the sons of God came in to the daughters of men, and they bore children to them. Those were the mighty men who were of old, men of renown." - Genesis 6:1-4

There may even have been genetic corruption before that time. In any case, the offspring of fallen angels and women were the Nephilim, hybrid human giants with superhuman strength and abilities. They were also evil and extremely violent, which grieved God and led to the great flood. In fact, the flood was not only a spiritual but also a genetic cleansing of the human race. (Steve Quayle is a good source for more information about giants.)


Jesus hinted that genetic corruption would return in the end times:

"But as the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be." - Matthew 24:37, King James Version

Daniel, in his interpretation of King Nebudchanezzar's prophetic dream of the statue, explicitly said there would be genetic manipulation during the final kingdom of this age:

"
And in that you saw the iron mixed with common clay, they will combine with one another in the seed of men." - Daniel 2:43, NASB

What is the seed of men? It's our DNA. Iron and clay represent different races of beings combining in the genome of man. The hybridization could include DNA from fallen angels, animals, a novel design or all of the above. Whatever it is, it will be an abomination, a corruption of God's intended order. 

You should know the technology to modify human DNA exists right now. It has occurred in secret laboratories for decades, but the technology is now mainstream. Tom Horn and his team have done excellent research on this topic. The ability to modify the DNA of sperm, eggs, embryos and even ADULT HUMANS is available. In fact, in a recent radio interview Tom mentioned that a laboratory is sending him a CRISPR-Cas9 genome editing kit, just so he can demonstrate how readily available it is. This is another indicator we are in the end times.

This brings us to the mark of the beast:

"And he causes all, the small and the great, and the rich and the poor, and the free men and the slaves, to be given a mark on their right hand or on their forehead, and he provides that no one will be able to buy or to sell, except the one who has the mark, either the name of the beast or the number of his name." - Revelation 13:16-17


"If anyone worships the beast and his image, and receives a mark on his forehead or on his hand, he also will drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is mixed in full strength in the cup of His anger; and he will be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb." - Revelation 14:9-10


Some think of the mark of the beast as a high-tech tattoo or electronic chip implant that will allow them to buy and sell. I'm afraid it will be MUCH MORE than that. The mark will manipulate the DNA and establish mind control over the recipient. It will fulfill Daniel's prophecy of iron mixing with clay, combining with one another in the seed of men. Recipients will be genetically transformed into something like a Nephilim, a hybrid being, perhaps with superhuman abilities. But the transformation will be so severe that recipients of the mark will no longer be redeemable.

The mark will also act as a control system for the recipient's mind. I suspect the author of this website is revealing details about how they will do it using nanotechnology. In any case, recipients will lose free will. In exchange for being able to shop at Walmart, the mark of the beast will transform people into hybrid human biological robots under control of the beast system. It would be better to die.

Demonic spirit possession also will be prevalent and pronounced during the end times. Satan knows his time is short, so he is going all in.

"For behold, darkness will cover the earth, and deep darkness the peoples." - Isaiah 60:2


There are examples in the Bible of how possession can manifest, such as the Gerasene demoniac in Mark 5. This will be another element of satanic control over human bodies.

Weaponized viruses are another probable element. Dave Hodges of The Common Sense Show wrote in an article that whistleblowers from FEMA told him the US government possesses bioweapons that induce "abhorrent behavior, zombie like behavior, in which an individual’s hypothalamus (i.e. the primary site of our stress response known as our fight or flight mechanism) would be overly excited and extreme and random violence would be induced."

What does the combination of mind control, genetic manipulation, demonic spirit possession and weaponized viruses on a mass scale look like? I would say it looks like a zombie apocalypse.

I'm not writing this to scare everybody. This is genuinely what I believe the Scriptures teach and imply about the abomination of desolation. Remember, God's perfect love casts out fear:

"He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High
Will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.
I will say to the Lord, 'My refuge and my fortress,
My God, in whom I trust!'
For it is He who delivers you from the snare of the trapper
And from the deadly pestilence.
He will cover you with His pinions,
And under His wings you may seek refuge;
His faithfulness is a shield and bulwark.

You will not be afraid of the terror by night,
Or of the arrow that flies by day;
Of the pestilence that stalks in darkness,
Or of the destruction that lays waste at noon.
A thousand may fall at your side
And ten thousand at your right hand,
But it shall not approach you." - Psalm 91:1-7

Like the rapture, the abomination of desolation begins at the midpoint of the final 7-year period. Since it is mentioned after the rapture, my fervent hope is that abomination begins after the saints have been whisked away, because I really don't want to see any of it.

Return of the King

And at the end of time an end shall be put to the desolation. All the horror and anguish of the Great Tribulation will come to a dramatic conclusion on the Day of the Lord. Jesus Christ, King of Kings, will lead the armies of heaven to retake that which belongs to him and put the earth aright:

"And I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse, and He who sat on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and wages war. His eyes are a flame of fire, and on His head are many diadems; and He has a name written on Him which no one knows except Himself. He is clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. And the armies which are in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, were following Him on white horses. From His mouth comes a sharp sword, so that with it He may strike down the nations, and He will rule them with a rod of iron; and He treads the wine press of the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty. And on His robe and on His thigh He has a name written, 'KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.' "

"Then I saw an angel standing in the sun, and he cried out with a loud voice, saying to all the birds which fly in midheaven, 'Come, assemble for the great supper of God, so that you may eat the flesh of kings and the flesh of commanders and the flesh of mighty men and the flesh of horses and of those who sit on them and the flesh of all men, both free men and slaves, and small and great.'"

"And I saw the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies assembled to make war against Him who sat on the horse and against His army. And the beast was seized, and with him the false prophet who performed the signs in his presence, by which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image; these two were thrown alive into the lake of fire which burns with brimstone. And the rest were killed with the sword which came from the mouth of Him who sat on the horse, and all the birds were filled with their flesh." - Revelation 19:11-21 

Afterward, Jesus will assume his throne in Jerusalem and rule the earth for a thousand years.

By the way, do you know who will ride with Jesus in the army of heaven? It's not only angels. It will include the saints he rescued 3.5 years earlier during the rapture. We will have immortal bodies then!

So that's the message of Daniel 9:27 - Harvest for the Kingdom, Rapture, Zombie Apocalypse and Return of the King. Not what they taught you in Sunday school, right?

Come soon, Lord Jesus.