Civil War - Repost

 

(This article was originally posted on June 27, 2018.)

Appended below are two articles from early 2017 about the civil war and conflict coming to America.

I am re-posting them because the alternative media and blogosphere recently started proclaiming how America is heading into a civil war with the political left pitted against the right. For example: 

America is Now in a Civil War (Infowars)
Historian Links Current Political Environment to Pre-Civil War (Newswars)
GOP Congressman Warns Nation Headed to Civil War (Canada Free Press) 
Dear America, the Left Has Declared War on You (Hal Turner Radio Show)

Whether the civil war will be sparked by recent events or something yet to happen, I don't know, but please understand the conflict will have no winners. As I explained in the articles, it will be a judgment from God for all of the unrepentant bloodshed, idolatry and immorality committed by this nation. The only thing that ever could have saved our nation is repentance before a holy God, but this has not happened. Deliverance will certainly NOT come from politics or violence.

So don't participate in the hatred and violence being stirred up in the nation. It will achieve nothing, except to bring further judgment on yourself. 


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CIVIL WAR FOREBODING

On the evening before the presidential inauguration, Donald Trump and his family stood in front of the Lincoln Memorial while U.S. marines sang the Battle Hymn of the Republic. The song originated during the Civil War, and Lincoln was president during the Civil War and was assassinated near the end of it.

The scene was very foreboding. I'll explain why. 

I see two strongly held beliefs in the Christian community, each backed with prophetic dreams, visions and words:

1) Trump is God’s chosen man to restore traditional America and give it a reprieve - MAJORITY VIEW.
2) Trump is not what he says he is and is part of God’s judgment on America - MINORITY VIEW

They can’t both be true. God is not the author of confusion and is not going to send two mixed, contradictory messages. One or the other is a deception. Full disclosure: I am in the second camp.

When the prophecy from Mark Taylor came out earlier last year about Trump being God's chosen man to restore America, I had recently read Jeremiah 28 about the false prophet Hananiah. He claimed God would throw off the yoke of Babylon and make Judah great again, even though God had declared judgment against the nation. The Lord impressed on my heart that I was witnessing the same kind of false prophecy today. America is under judgment for its wickedness, and God is not going to give the nation a reprieve unless it REPENTS, which I see no evidence for. On the contrary, the calamities of judgment will be the means He uses to move some hearts to repentance. Judgment is a mercy, lest even more souls fall into hell.

A couple weeks ago I was up late praying and seeking insight about the times we are in and also about Obama and Trump and their roles in it. The next morning my 9-year-old daughter came in my office and showed me Judges 9, specifically Jotham’s parable of the trees, because she felt like God wanted to show her something there. I think the Lord did have a message for her, but it was also an answer to my prayer. The Lord brought Judges 9 and the story of Abimelech to my wife and I's attention several times recently, but we never really understood the significance of it. Then it hit me that story is a prophetic metaphor for America. Since Abimelech and the men of Shechem committed murder and wickedness, God allowed a spirit of conflict to arise that would divide the nation and provoke a form of civil war -- as a divine judgment.

Barack Obama is represented by King Abimelech. Another character arises named Gaal son of Ebed, who stirs up the men of Shechem against Abimelech, and who I believe represents Donald Trump:

"Now Gaal the son of Ebed came with his relatives, and crossed over into Shechem; and the men of Shechem put their trust in him." - Judges 9:26

There was much bloodshed and many died in the ensuing battles, which again was God's intended judgment for their wickedness. In the end Abimelech gets a fatal head wound from a millstone dropped on him. This is very interesting in light of this description of the beast in Revelation 13:

“I saw one of his heads as if it had been slain, and his fatal wound was healed.” – Revelation 13:3

Like Gaal, the purpose of Trump is to stir up half the country, and especially the Christians, against the other half who follow Obama and his agenda. I believe a civil conflict/war is coming. Trump is probably going to be a scapegoat for the economic collapse, jihad attacks, etc., and that blame will be transferred onto the far right and especially onto Christians, which is exactly what Obama wants and could set him up for a return to power.

MANY people believe martial law coming to this nation at some point. Let me make a speculation: It won't be Obama who instigates martial law, but it will be Donald Trump in response to some catastrophe like a jihad attack. 90% of Christians will love it and want it and cheer for it because it's Trump. Except in the end it will be turned against them.

That same morning my daughter also flipped open to a page in her Bible that she thought was significant too. There was an illustration that showed the writing on the wall for Belshazzar in Daniel 5. That really spoke to me because twice already I felt the Lord impress on me that Trump will meet an untimely demise:

“Now this is the inscription that was written out: ‘MENĒ, MENĒ, TEKĒL, UPHARSIN.’ This is the interpretation of the message: ‘MENĒ’—God has numbered your kingdom and put an end to it. ‘TEKĒL’—you have been weighed on the scales and found deficient. ‘PERĒS’—your kingdom has been divided and given over to the Medes and Persians… That same night Belshazzar the Chaldean king was slain.” – Daniel 5:25-28,30

Last week before the inauguration we asked the Lord directly whether Obama will stay in office. Because I did not think Trump would actually reach the White House in light of who Obama is and his agenda. [NOTE: It is really challenging to interpret prophecy. I find the Lord will give some specifics about WHAT is coming but does not say much about HOW and WHEN. Sometimes I make assumptions and get emotionally attached to particular interpretations that may not turn out accurate. We have to keep seeking him and walking by faith!]

The first word He brought up was "circumference." Interesting because I had recently taught my daughter how to measure the circumference of a circle. You start at one point, go all the way around and end where you began. In other words, you go full circle and back to where you started. The question was whether Obama will stay in office, and the answer was something like "full circle."

Other words that came up were "claim" (to presidency or reins of power?) and "clash" (over competing claims to power?). Sounds like the story of Abimelech.

Before that my daughter saw something significant from our back window. She watched a large bird of prey, which she later identified as a golden eagle, holding a snake. Golden eagles are rare around here, but I have seen them before in the winter. A second golden eagle tried to take the snake and a struggle ensued. In the end, the eagle who first held the snake flew away with it triumphantly.

One more note. My interpretation of other words we received (shadow, dissimulate, distract) was that Obama still holds reins of power by controlling a shadow government. He and the globalists have spent the last 8 years installing their players in the CIA, Pentagon, Department of Homeland Security, FBI, etc. In fact, this country has been controlled by elites - the shadow government, the military-industrial complex, the deep state, whatever you want to call it - for decades. The last president that directly challenged the shadow government was John F. Kennedy when he denied the CIA's demand for air cover during the Bay of Pigs invasion, which would have led to re-invading Cuba and potentially war with the Soviet Union. Kennedy said no and then tried to tear apart the CIA. Everyone knows what happened to Kennedy in the end. The CIA, Lyndon Johnson and other members of government were behind it. It was a coup d'etat.

My point is don't be fooled into thinking Trump controls the executive branch of government. No president does fully anymore. But particularly now, the shadow government is running the globalists' New World Order agenda. Obama may have left office, but he still has power.

My warning to everyone is don't get caught up in the coming conflict. Be careful who you follow. It should only be Jesus Christ.
 
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SHADOW GOVERNMENT, CIVIL WAR, AND BLOOD FOR BLOOD 

In the post Civil War Foreboding, I wrote about how the Lord showed me that He will allow a spirit of conflict to arise in America that will provoke a form of civil war. This will be a judgment on our nation. Donald Trump's role is to stir up half the country against the other half, led by Obama and other globalist forces from behind the scenes. This won't be a classic civil war with "union forces" opposing "confederates" on the battlefield. In my opinion, it will probably consist of numerous chaotic civil uprisings, insurgencies and disasters that are quelled by martial law. The divisions will occur along a variety of lines: Left vs Right, Globalist vs Nationalist, Black vs White, Citizens vs Immigrants, Jihadis vs Non-Muslims, State Governments vs Federal, etc.

PLEASE UNDERSTAND THERE WILL BE NO WINNERS IN THIS CONFLICT.

I also shared why I believe the Lord showed me Obama still holds reins of power by controlling a shadow government. Since that post was published in January, the news has been inundated with stories about Obama's "shadow government" and the "deep state" opposing Trump's agenda:

How Obama is scheming to sabotage Trump's presidency (NY Post)
Obama has an army of 30,000 agitators organized through a network of leftist nonprofits who will fight Trump's agenda. Obama did not leave Washington DC, but still lives in a mansion less than two miles from the White House. 

Insiders: Obama Holdover 'Shadow Government' Plotting to Undermine Trump (Breitbart)
Several intelligence insiders say a shadow government of Obama holdovers are leaking information to derail Trump's presidency, with National Security Advisor Mike Flynn as their first great success.

Spies Keep Intelligence from Donald Trump on Leak Concerns (Wall Street Journal)
Current and former officials say US intelligence officers are withholding information from President Trump.

Glenn Greenwald: What The 'Deep State' Is Doing To Trump Is A Prescription For Destroying Democracy' (Townhall) 

While these articles just skim the surface of what is really happening, isn't it amazing that suddenly the "conspiratorial" idea of a shadow government is all over the mainstream media? Praise God, He revealed it.

Blood for Blood

And He recently revealed more. On Sunday my wife and I were having a quiet time and the Lord let us to Numbers 35, which is about manslaughter, blood avengers and cities of refuge. In particular this verse was highlighted:

“Do not defile the land where you are, for bloodshed defiles the land, and there can be no atonement for the land because of the blood that is shed on it, except by the blood of the person who shed it.” – Numbers 35:33, Holman Bible

The heavy and sobering message we received is that God is going to atone for the blood shed by Americans by shedding their own blood. In this way He will cleanse the land.

Think of the 60 million babies killed by abortion, the untold millions killed and harmed by US foreign wars and interventions, the casualties of the CIA-run drug trade, the human trafficking and child sexual abuse and ritual sacrifice especially among the elites in our society. The blood of the innocent has not simply washed away. It cries out from the ground, just like Abel's blood after Cain slew him. Unless we individually have repented and are covered by the blood of Jesus, it will be blood for blood. God will re-balance the skewed scales of justice in America. 

"For He will avenge the blood of His servants. He will take vengeance on His adversaries; He will purify His land and His people." - Deuteronomy 32:43, Holman Bible 

This judgment will fall on all levels of society. Even the elites who think they are above accountability for the crimes they perpetuate in the world will receive their due. Think of the politicians and government leaders, corrupt corporate and banking chiefs, secret society power brokers. No one is above God's reach.

One hundred and fifty years ago America had a president who understood and acknowledged the scales of God's justice, even this aspect of blood for blood. Abraham Lincoln, at his second inaugural address in the midst of the Civil War, spoke these words to the nation: 

"Fondly do we hope -- fervently do we pray -- that this mighty scourge of war may speedily pass away. Yet, if God wills that it continue, until all the wealth piled by the bond-man's two hundred and fifty years of unrequited toil shall be sunk, and until every drop of blood drawn with the lash, shall be paid by another drawn with the sword, as was said three thousand years ago, so still it must be said "the judgments of the Lord, are true and righteous altogether." - Abraham Lincoln, Second Inaugural Address, 1865 

Lincoln understood that the bloodshed of the Civil War was in part a divine retribution for the bloodshed of slavery. And he spoke it to the nation!

Yet if I spoke the words in this article to most churches, what do you think would be the response? I can tell you because I have already tried. Last year I contacted about 35 churches in my area about judgment. I wanted to know if church leaders understood God's judgment of America had begun and what they were doing preparing their flocks for the coming storm. Most ignored me. A few responded to disagree. One associate pastor conceded that judgment of America is a possibility but didn't really want to talk about it. 

So there you have it: They don't want to hear it. Tickle their ears and massage their egos, but don't tell them about God's justice and judgment. I think most people in churches would reject this message, because in fact they already have. (There are a few exceptions among churches, but I don't know of any in my area.)

How far America has fallen! In 1865 we had a president who humbly and publicly acknowledged the justice and judgment of God on our nation - treasure for treasure and blood for blood - but today if you speak of it in church they will hate it. Instead many talk about how God is using Donald Trump to make America great again, which is DELUSION. Or they talk about how Trump is a tyrant that Hillary and Obama and the Democrats need to save us from, which is equally DELUSION. This is all a trap and setup for conflict.

There was more to the revelation the other night. The Lord then led us to Judges 20 and 21 as well as 2 Samuel 18, both of which are about CIVIL WARS. The first describes a war between 11 tribes of Israel and the tribe of Benjamin, in which there was much bloodshed. The other describes a war between David's son Absalom and the forces loyal to King David, in which there was much bloodshed.

I interpreted this to mean the bloodshed in America will come about through civil war and internal conflict. This is a message we have received before and it is definitely coming.

Finally, we were led to Jeremiah 31, which is joyful and points to our coming deliverance.

"Then the virgin will rejoice in the dance, and the young men and the old, together, for I will turn their mourning into joy and will comfort them and give them joy for their sorrow. 'I will fill the soul of the priests with abundance, and My people will be satisfied with My goodness,' declares the Lord." - Jeremiah 31:13-14, NASB

There is hope through and on the other side of this. None of what I said in this article negates the love and mercy of God. There is forgiveness for all who repent and believe in Jesus Christ. There is nothing to be afraid of, not even death.

But as a nation we have forgotten the justice and judgment of God. The Lord is about to remind us that He has not forgotten.


P.S. For a second witness to this message, see "The Land Must Be Cleansed" in Diana Pulliam's blog called The Mighty Hand of God.

A Dream of Captivity

"After this, I will pour out my Spirit on all humanity. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions; and also on male and female slaves in those days I will pour out my Spirit." - Joel 2:28-29

The following dream is from my 10-year old daughter, who is the dreamer in our household. It was on the night of September 10, 2017.

DREAM

"I saw a huge pit. It looked as if a meteor had struck to make the hole. There was a huge chain fence and brick wall all around the pit. Inside were people who seemed like prisoners. I could tell they were Christians because one of them muttered that the music one of the guards was playing wasn’t Christian. They were doing work - carrying boxes and setting them on shelves. They seemed brainwashed or like they didn’t really understand the situation they were in.

All of a sudden, four helicopters appeared bringing more people to this facility. The people were like the others – Christians who didn’t understand the situation at all.

Then Donald Trump came out of the lead helicopter and pushed the rest of the people inside and locked the door. He was dancing around and laughing and smiling at what had happened, like it was the best thing ever. He seemed like he was drunk. It was weird. I think he was possessed by a demon. He danced back to his helicopter.

Then the helicopters took off. As he was leaving, Donald Trump looked over the site and had an evil smirk on his face.

Guards stood around the whole prison."

INTERPRETATION

I think the dream speaks for itself. The main point is: Donald Trump is leading Christians in America into captivity.

Hurricane Harvey Is a Judgment from the Lord, and More Is Coming

In the previous post A Basket of Summer Fruit for the Season of the End, I showed from the Scriptures (Amos chapter 8) that the solar eclipse would be a sign from the Lord God that America's sins will no longer be overlooked, but instead punished. In short, we have come under judgment. 

"Then ADONAI said to me, 'The end has come for my people, I will never again overlook their offenses.' 

'When that time comes,' says Adonai ELOHIM, 'I will make the sun go down at noon and darken the earth in broad daylight.'" – Amos 8:2,9 Complete Jewish Bible

I also said, with much trepidation, that timing elements expressed in Amos 8 suggested an imminent catastrophic event. Last week, when Hurricane Harvey was still gathering speed in the Gulf of Mexico, I knew it would be the first judgment after the eclipse because of the following verse in Amos, which comes immediately before the verse about the solar eclipse:

"Won't the land tremble for this, and everyone mourn, who lives in the land? It will all rise, just like the Nile, be in turmoil and subside, like the Nile in Egypt." - Amos 8:8, Complete Jewish Bible

Since ancient times, the Nile River in Egypt has flooded every year due to enormous seasonal rains in the Ethiopian highlands. This verse in Amos literally describes a massive flood, like the annual cycle of the Nile River, that causes devastation. It will all rise, be in turmoil and then subside.

Well, Hurricane Harvey has already broken all US records for tropical cyclone rainfall and flooding and caused an estimated $70 to $90 billion in damage. And it's not over yet. I pray for the people in south Texas who are suffering. I also pray that people in America receive the intended message from the Lord: Repent, turn to Jesus Christ for forgiveness and grieve for the sins and abominations committed in our land, because the time to do so is short.

More is coming. God is a God of order. He is fulfilling the prophecy in Amos 8 and following its pattern. The next event, I believe, will be this one:

"'When that time comes, the songs in the temple will be wailings,' says Adonai ELOHIM. 'There will be many dead bodies; everywhere silence will reign.'" - Amos 8:3

This event will cause many to die, and people will mourn and look on in stunned silence. I don't know exactly what the event will be, but that's not the point. The point is everyone needs to internalize God's message of judgment and repent and humble themselves before Him. Because, again according to Amos 8, the time is coming when it will only get harder to hear and respond to the true words of the Lord: 

"'The time is coming,' says Adonai ELOHIM, 'when I will send famine over the land, not a famine of bread or a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of ADONAI. People will stagger from sea to sea and from north to east, running back and forth, seeking the word of ADONAI; but they will not find it.'" – Amos 8:11-12

Please open your hearts and receive God's message in this time of judgment.

A Basket of Summer Fruit for the Season of the End

While reading the book of Amos last weekend, my wife and I saw some connections to the judgment that has come upon America. Some of these involve timing elements that would suggest a catastrophic event is imminent. Prophetic timing is a place where angels fear to tread, so I will simply report what we saw and leave the interpretation to you. If the Lord confirms a meaning or interpretation for you, please let me know.

Amos is a book about the judgment of Israel, except for the first chapter or so where surrounding nations are addressed. There are many prophetic parallels between ancient Israel and the current situation in America. God is orderly and follows certain patterns and protocols, including for the judgment of nations. 

By the way, judgment is God's response to the rebellion and injustice of mankind. He is exceedingly patient in urging people to repent, though many mistake his decades-long patience for permissiveness or apathy. If rebellion grows and continues, there will come a point when God resorts to the final option - calamity and destruction - which serves several purposes:

• To punish the wicked,
• To stop the sin and injustice,
• To pressure people to repent and be saved, and
• To wipe the slate clean in order to start anew.

The last five verses of Amos are about how God promises to restore and renew Israel on the far side of judgment.

America has already reached the point of no return with regard to judgment. 

Amos 8:1-3 - DEATH

"Here is what Adonai ELOHIM showed me: there in front of me was a basket of summer fruit. He asked, 'Amos, what do you see?' I answered, 'A basket of summer [Hebrew: kayitz] fruit.'

Then ADONAI said to me, 'The end [Hebrew: ketz] has come for my people, I will never again overlook their offenses. When that time comes, the songs in the temple will be wailings," says Adonai ELOHIM. "There will be many dead bodies; everywhere silence will reign."" - Amos 8:1-3, Complete Jewish Bible

A basket of summer fruit seems like an odd metaphor for judgment. But the Jewish Bible notes that the Hebrew word for summer (kayitz) rhymes with the Hebrew word for end (ketz), so the phrase "a basket of summer fruit" is linked poetically with "the end has come for my people." The summer-end. As fruit is ripe and ready to be picked and eaten in the summer, so a nation ripe with rebellion is ready for judgment.

When does a basket of summer fruit appear? In the summer season, of course. In what season is America right now? Summer - and approaching the final month of summer. Keep this in mind.

The verse says the end has come. This is the end of God's patience and delaying the consequences of sin. The nation has crossed the line and reached the time of punishment.

In this case, the punishment will be death, songs of wailing in the place of worship and a stunned silence across the nation. To me this speaks of a major, deadly catastrophe striking the nation.

Amos 8:9-10 - MOURNING

"'When that time comes,' says Adonai ELOHIM, 'I will make the sun go down at noon and darken the earth in broad daylight. I will turn your festivals into mourning and all your songs into wailing; I will make you all put sackcloth around your waists and shave your heads bald in grief. I will make it like mourning for an only son and its end like a bitter day.'" - Amos 8:9-10

Here again is the phrase "when that time comes," which refers to the time of judgment. It says the sun will go down at noon and darken the earth in broad daylight. Many know that in five days, on August 21, there will be a total solar eclipse. The path of the eclipse starts in the Pacific Ocean, ends in the Atlantic Ocean and slashes across one country and one country only - the United States:

In Idaho where I live, the time of maximum eclipse is about 11:30 am. Depending on where you are in the country, the time of the eclipse will be a little before or a little after noon. THE SUN WILL GO DOWN AT NOON. THIS IS A NOON ECLIPSE IN THE SUMMER SEASON.

The scripture says festivals will be turned to mourning. There will be grief and wailing, like a bitter day.

Amos 8:9-10 - FAMINE

"'The time is coming,' says Adonai ELOHIM, 'when I will send famine over the land, not a famine of bread or a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of ADONAI. People will stagger from sea to sea and from north to east, running back and forth, seeking the word of ADONAI; but they will not find it.'" - Amos 8:11-12

Famine is coming to the land. Not a lack of food and water (though this is coming too), but a lack of hearing the words of the Lord. I see this lack in both supply and demand: A lack of hearing because people's hearts are stopped up with rebellion, and a lack of preaching because most of the church in America is not delivering the Lord's message for the hour. Is your church preaching repentance and national judgment from the pulpit? If not, they are contributing to the famine.

This reminds of me of how God described the people of Israel during Isaiah's prophetic commission:

"He [ADONAI] said, 'Go and tell this people: "Yes, you hear, but you don't understand. You certainly see, but you don't get the point!" 'Make the heart of this people [sluggish with] fat, stop up their ears, and shut their eyes. Otherwise, seeing with their eyes, and hearing with their ears, then understanding with their hearts, they might repent and be healed!'" - Isaiah 6:9-10

Revelation 18:8 - DEATH, SORROW and FAMINE

Two years ago in the summer of 2015, the Lord opened my eyes to a coming day of great calamity in America, which I wrote about in the article It Will Come in One Day. While there may be multiple prophetic identities of "Babylon" in the Scriptures, I believe the primary end-times identity of "mystery" Babylon is the United States. (For the reasons why, see America Is Mystery Babylon.)

"Therefore, her plagues will come in a single day - DEATH, SORROW and FAMINE; and she will be burned with fire, because ADONAI, God, her Judge, is mighty." - Revelation 18:8

At the time I felt this day of calamity would come very soon. Now, after hearing the message of Amos 8 and seeing its connection to this moment in time and the prophetic alignment with the DEATH, SORROW and FAMINE of Revelation 18:8, what else can I say?

 

Land of Unwalled Villages in the Battle of Gog and Magog

The battle of Gog and Magog in Ezekiel 38-39 is an end-times war against Israel that, I believe, will be led by Russia (Gog of the land of Magog) and also include Islamic nations (Persia = Iran, Put = Libya) and probably European nations too (Gomer = Germany?).

However, Israel isn’t the only target. There will be a second nation attacked, indicated by the “ALSO” and “AT THE SAME TIME” in the King James Version:

"Thus saith the Lord God; ‘It shall ALSO come to pass, that AT THE SAME TIME shall things come into thy mind, and thou shalt think an evil thought: And thou shalt say, I will go up to the land of unwalled villages; I will go to them that are at rest, that dwell safely, all of them dwelling without walls, and having neither bars nor gates, To take a spoil, and to take a prey; to turn thine hand upon the desolate places that are now inhabited, and upon the people that are gathered out of the nations, which have gotten cattle and goods, that dwell in the midst of the land.'" – Ezekiel 38:10-12

This passages describes a wealthy land of unwalled villages (rural country) full of cattle and goods and spoil. Israel isn’t a wealthy, rural ranching country, but America is. America also consists of people “gathered out of the nations” who consider themselves “at rest, dwelling safely.” Except for the British in America's early years, this country has never been invaded by a foreign army. The phrase “in the midst of the land” could also be translated “at the summit or center of the world,” which would describe America’s economic and military superpower status since the end of WW II.

The battle of Gog and Magog is World War III, out of the ashes of which the New World Order and the Great Tribulation will emerge. Israel will be saved but America will be destroyed. Ordo ab chao, the motto for freemasonry and the New World Order elite, is Latin for "order out of chaos." That is their strategy.

America appears elsewhere in Scriptures too. She is Mystery Babylon, the harlot who rides the beast, as well as the eagle's wings that get plucked off in Daniel's dream of the four beasts.

Things Are Heating Up - Be Ready, But Don't Give In to the Hate

The Dallas "Black Lives Matter" sniper shooting police, Orlando "jihad" night club massacre, cell phone videos featuring police brutality. Things are heating up in this country and it is all by design. This is being orchestrated at the highest levels with the intention of pitting us against one another: Black against white, Democrat vs. Republican, communists vs. constitutionalists, Muslims vs. everyone else. Don't give in to the hatred and anger. The commander in chief intends to plunge the country into chaos and use it as a pretext for seizing authoritarian powers.

Jesus said this type of thing would happen in the end times:

"For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom" - Matthew 24:7

The Greek word for "nation" in this verse is "ethnos," which also means race or ethnic group. It describes groups of people being pitted against one another, escalating into anger, hatred and violence. There is nothing to be gained by participating in this conflict. Our concern as Christians is to advance the kingdom of heaven, love one another and spread the truth.

But we should also be ready to defend ourselves, our families, friends and communities. Last month the Lord gave me an “object lesson” to underscore this point. An object lesson is what I call a real-life event that also has prophetic meaning.

On Sunday June 5 at about 10:30 pm, the kids were down, my wife went to bed and I felt like going for a nighttime walk since I didn’t exercise that day. A strange thought came to mind: “Will I be safe?” I wondered where that came from because my neighborhood is a quiet suburb on the edge of city limits. I did a gut check and thought, “No, I’ll be alright.” But just in case I tucked a gun under my shirt (I have a concealed carry permit) and carried a flashlight.

It was a hot night. As I walked away from my house, I noticed a few people walking behind me in the same direction. I wondered who they were because the only neighbors who normally walk that time of night were out of town. They disappeared and I continued walking for 45 minutes or so.

I returned through a schoolyard which connects to my neighborhood via a 50-yard path. Shining my flashlight, I saw what looked like a human form at the end of the path. Peculiar for late night on a Sunday because no one else was out. As I approached, I saw in fact three young men about high-school age, facing the path and standing still, almost in formation with one in front and two on his flanks. They were not wearing shirts and all had longish black hair that appeared to be pulled back with headbands. The scene felt bizarre and unnerving. I scanned their hands and didn’t see anything. So as I walked in front, I asked, “What are you guys going, just hanging out?” One answered, “Yeah.”

I crossed the street and heard one young man call to me, “That’s a bright flashlight. Where did you get it?” I looked over my shoulder and saw they were following after me kind of quickly. I mumbled, “I don’t know,” and picked up my pace. At this point I made a mental decision that if they rush me, I’m going to use my fists, unless one pulls out a weapon, then I’ll use my firearm.

I could feel a shot of adrenaline and then… Nothing. They peeled off and I walked the remaining 150 yards to my house.

Subsequent to this event I saw a dream/vision posted on Steve Quayle’s website (http://www.stevequayle.com/index.php?s=33&d=1789) that described a “panorama of violence that will soon take place in our own neighborhood streets.” This woman saw crowds of young people, angry and determined. “Some of the people had bandanas on their heads and they were on a mission to destroy. This crowd was lined up and gathered in the street and very synchronized.”

Young people? Bandanas? Lined up, gathered in the street and synchronized? That’s exactly what I saw that night, which confirmed the meaning of it for me: Things are going to get bizarre, dangerous and hit close to home. We need to be prepared.

Message from the Wildfire - The Light Has Come into the World

Last week a wildfire erupted around midnight on Table Rock, an iconic geological formation in the foothills behind Boise, Idaho. Table Rock has a prominent cross on it that lights up at night, which you can see here in this previous photo (from TripAdvisor):

My neighbor rang my doorbell at about 12:45 a.m. to warn me. I looked out my window and saw a wall of fire burning across the mesa next to Table Rock. My house sits at the base of the foothills about a mile away. I stayed up all night because the fire was moving toward my house until fire crews stopped it the next morning.

Note: Last fall my five-year-old daughter, who doesn't normally share her dreams, said she dreamed about a "volcano" that came to our neighbor's house but stopped before it reached our house. The morning after the fire, my daughter pointed to the scorched-black mesa and said, "That's a volcano."

The event was spectacular and had an apocalyptic feel. Crackling fire and smoke, flashing lights of emergency vehicles, people in the streets, lightning from the sky came down on the burn area and arced overhead.

The day after a someone sent my wife this image of the fire. I don't know who took the photo, but there's a message in it:

"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. 

For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him. 

He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.  

This is the judgment, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil.  

For everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come to the Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. 

But he who practices the truth comes to the Light, so that his deeds may be manifested as having been wrought in God."

- John 3:16-21

PREVIEW: What Comes Next for Us? The Exodus out of Egypt

"That which has been is that which will be,
 And that which has been done is that which will be done.
 So there is nothing new under the sun."
- Ecclesiastes 1:9 

"History does not repeat itself, but it rhymes." - attributed to Mark Twain

To Know the Future, Look at the Past

Recently the Lord opened my eyes to a powerful prophetic parallel in the Bible. This moment in history we are in right now is mirrored by the exodus of the Israelites out of Egypt. Ahead of us are a series of increasingly severe plagues on the land. At a time when our backs are against a wall, God will part the Red Sea and deliver us by his mighty hand out of Egypt. Except we will go up through the heavens instead of through water. This is the rescue of the saints - the Rapture. We will spend a time in the wilderness, nourished by God, just as He did for the Israelites with daily manna. Except our wilderness is a dwelling place in our Father's house in heaven. Then we will return, cross the Jordan River, defeat the Canaanites and occupy the Promise Land. Instead of carrying the ark of the covenant across the Jordan River, we will follow the KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS on white horses through an opening in the heavens. The battle of Armageddon will ensue. Jesus Christ, the Lion of Judah, and his heavenly army will emerge victorious over the beast and the armies of earth. Finally, Jesus Christ will reign from Jerusalem for 1,000 years over a restored earth, the new Promise Land!

The Bible is full of prophetic symmetry, where one event or person signifies and portends another in the future. God the Father designed the story line of history to unfurl like a flower. Movements build one upon another. His genius hand arranged for the themes of the exodus, the wilderness and the Promise Land to repeat like poetry in the end times.

Key That Unlocks the Mystery - Eagles' Wings

The symbolism of eagles' wings in Revelation 12 and Exodus 19 is a key establishing the prophetic parallel between the exodus from Egypt and end-times events.

Revelation chapter 12 is a profound passage that covers a broad sweep of history and flows into end-times prophecy. The passage is poetic and metaphorical. The woman represents God's people, Israel, the Church. The dragon represents Satan and the third of the stars of heaven that he swept from the sky represent the angels that followed him in rebellion against God. The male child who will rule all the nations with a rod of iron represents Jesus the Messiah. 

"And when the dragon saw that he was thrown down to the earth, he persecuted the woman who gave birth to the male child. But the two wings of the great eagle were given to the woman, so that she could fly into the wilderness to her place, where she was nourished for a time and times and half a time, from the presence of the serpent." - Revelation 12:13-14

When the dragon is cast out of second heaven (his current residence) and thrown down to earth in the end times, he will persecute the woman. But God will give her two wings of a great eagle to fly away to safety in the wilderness, where she will be nourished for a time and times and half a time. The last part is a euphemism for three and a half years, which matches the 42 months of the beast will be allowed to reign on earth:

"There was given to him a mouth speaking arrogant words and blasphemies, and authority to act for forty-two months was given to him." - Revelation 13:5

Flying away on eagles' wings is the same metaphor the Lord God used to describe how he brought the Israelites out of Egypt:

"Moses went up to God, and the Lord called to him from the mountain, saying, 'Thus you shall say to the house of Jacob and tell the sons of Israel: ^"You yourselves have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles’ wings, and brought you to Myself."'" - Exodus 19:3-4

In Exodus, the eagles' wings represent God's miraculous deliverance from Egypt - the plagues on the land, the pass over and especially the parting of the Red Sea. The Israelites walked across on dry land, but the waters fell on and drowned the pursuing Egyptian army. In Revelation, the eagles' wings represent the miraculous end-times rescue of the saints that we call the Rapture.

Where did God bring his people, according to the Exodus passage? To Himself! The Israelites encountered the presence of God on Mountain Sinai, just as we will encounter God on his holy mountain in the heavens.

The analogy continues with the wilderness. The Israelites spent 40 years in the wilderness nourished by God. He provided them food daily with manna from heaven and their sandals and clothes never wore out. In the same way, the raptured saints will be nourished in heaven, away from the presence of the dragon on earth, during the 42 months of the Great Tribulation.