Wednesday, January 15, 2014

An Hour and An End - Pt. 4 (Prophetic Signs)


History and the signs.

We have to know history if we are to know past signs.

The first prophecy seminar I ever went to really hit home when the revelation of prophecy's truth was revealed in our very own history.  So many times prophecies unfolding. Proof beyond doubt of God's reality, God's truths.  He doesn't ask us to believe in total blindness. Yes, there is a step of faith that HAS to be made, but God has given us an amazing amount of prophecies with history fulfillment.  We'd be foolish not to look at everything available to us.

These last few days we've been discussing the signs Jesus gave to us for the last days.

We discussed Jerusalem and the 'times of the gentiles' being fulfilled.  Today we're going to continue that study by  reading more of Elder William Grotheer's article- 'An Hour and An End'.

By the grace of God we'll have our hearts and minds open to ALL His truth!  Please, Lord, bless us, help us, keep us, know us!

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p 16 -- Chapter VI -- Data of History and 1967

In 1975, a section of The Reader's Digest was devoted to articles on Jerusalem, and peace in the Middle East.

One of these was captioned - "Jerusalem -- Too Holy For Its Own Good." The author, David Reed, wrote: -       A stone wall, rising starkly in the Walled City, figures strongly in Israel's adamancy over not wanting to give up East Jerusalem. This is the Western Wall, a fragment of the western rampart of the platform on which the First Temple of King Solomon and the Second Temple of King Herod stood. The Second Temple was destroyed by the Romans in A.D. 70, when the Jews were driven into diaspora, or dispersion. Throughout 19 centuries of diaspora, the wall or the memory of it, served as a spiritual beacon and a symbol of a lost homeland to Jews the world over. During this time, Passover and Yom Kippur services ended with the incantation in Hebrew: "Next year in Jerusalem." ...

When the British withdrew from Palestine in 1948, and Jews and the Arabs fought for the control of the state, the Jews managed to hold West Jerusalem and proclaimed it the capital of the new state of Israel. Yet, tantalizingly, the Western Wall remained just beyond reach. Jordon annexed East Jerusalem as well as the West Bank of the River Jordon, a territory that surrounds the city on three sides. For 19 years, a no-man's-land separated the two sectors, and the Jordanians refused to allow Jews to worship at the Western Wall.

When war came in 1967, Israel urged Jordan's King Hussein to stay out of it, promising, in return, not to attack Jordon. But, egged on by Egypt's Gamal Abdel Nasser and other Arabs, Hussein sent artillery shells crashing into West Jerusalem. Israeli soldiers counterattacked, and poured into the Walled City. Their religious fervor was such that many headed directly for the Western Wall, where they paused to pray. For the first time in 19 centuries. the wall was under Jewish control. (March, 1975, p. 132)

This gives concisely the events and Jewish feeling connected with the retaking of Old Jerusalem in 1967. It signalled the first step in the fulfillment of the prophecy of Jesus, marking the beginning of the closing of "the time of visitation" for the Gentiles, or nations. Beyond this actual event which Jesus gave as the "sign" when the times of the nations would begin to be fulfilled, a number of other happenings in the religious world occurred which marks 1967 as a significant date.

One is the Catholic Charismatic Movement. "Catholic Sociologist Andrew Greely estimates that two million Catholics have attended charismatic meetings." (Christianity Today (CT), June 6, 1975, p. 45) This same journal reports: -      Pentecost Sunday, 1975, will live in church history as the day when the charismatic movement in the Catholic Church arrived in St. Peter's with full force. During the pontifical mass presided over by Pope Paul VI on May 18, the sound of tongues and charismatic singing filled the massive nave of the ancient mother church of Roman Catholicism. ...

The conference which in previous years had met at Notre Dame University, convened in Rome in conjunction with the Holy Year proclaimed by Pope Paul. The theme was the same as the Holy Year "Renewal and Reconciliation." Participants came from over sixty nations representing more than one million Catholic charismatics in several thousand prayer groups. Several Protestant Pentecostal and charismatic leaders also attended as "official ecumenical observers."

Conference sessions were held on the outskirts of Rome in a large tent over the catacombs of St. Callixtus, a meeting and burial place for early Christian martyrs. ...

On Pentecost Sunday, the conference moved to St. Peter's for the mass celebrated by Pope Paul.


p 17 -- Although the charismatics were a minority in the throngs who filled the church and the square outside, their presence was apparent as the mass progressed. Spontaneous singing of the charismatic anthem "Alleluia" competed with the pipe organ at the beginning and the end of the service. At the consecration of the host, a soft murmur of "singing in the Spirit" (chanting in harmony in glossolalia) filled the cathedral. While the Pope continued the mass, hands were raised in praise, and at one point, a priest fell to his knees and asked to be baptized in the Holy Spirit. Several persons laid hands on him and prayed quietly. ...

The climax of the conference came at St. Peter's on Monday, May 19, in a mass conducted by Cardinal Suenens, who was assisted by twelve bishops and more than 800 priests. This was the first specifically charismatic service ever held in St. Peter's. Suenens delivered his sermon in typically Pentecostal style. The cathedral reverberated with the shouted responses to his "hallelujahs." Such Pentecostal choruses as "Spirit of the Living God" and "Alleluia" were sung with hands upraised. Several times the well-filled basilica resounded with singing in the Spirit. ...

At the close of the mass, Pope Paul arrived to give special greetings to the conferees. As he entered, the congregation broke into cheers and applause. Most of his message was given in French, with short summaries in Spanish and English... At the end of his prepared text, the Pope broke into impromptu remarks in his native Italian. Reflecting on his encyclical on joy that was proclaimed the day before, he exhorted the charismatics to share their joy with the world. The conference erupted in applause as the Pope ended with, "Glory to the Lord, hallelujah!" Before he exited, the Pope embraced and kissed Cardinal Suenens and greeted about twenty leading charismatics. Many wept openly. ...

According to Catholic theologian Kilian McDonnell of Minnesota. it was a "triumphant day," while to Balthasar Fisher of Trier University, Germany, the meeting was "historical - of enormous importance." To Protestant Pentecostal spokesman David du Plessis, it was "the greatest charismatic and ecumenical event in history."

Cardinal Suenens summed up the feelings - and hopes - of many when he declared that by his actions and warm words of approval, "the Pope opened his arms and heart to the charismatic renewal." (Ibid., pp. 45-46)

However, the bottom line of this Catholic charismatic breakthrough in 1975 was reported in CT, June 22, 1973: -       On the surface, the big story is still the movement's phenomenal growth. From its beginning among a handful of mostly young persons at a retreat in 1967 on Duquesne University campus in Pittsburgh, it now encircles the earth. (p. 37)

When one perceives the charismatic movement as a manifestation of the working of the power of Satan, the event at Duquesne University, and the date - 1967 becomes significant. Here is an outward display of demoniac power in angelic garb moving into the Catholic church, the government of which, prophecy indicates will figure so largely in the final scenes of this world's history. This is not saying that such power has not resided in the Papacy since its inception as indicated in prophecy (Rev. 13:2; II Thess. 2:9), but does serve as a sign heralding the time for such manifestations in the devil's final movement to deceive the world. (Rev. 16:13-14)   1

Turning to another event, we find that 1967 marked the 450th Anniversary of Protestantism. The World Book Encyclopedia made this observation: -       World Protestantism celebrated its 450th anniversary in 1967 and encountered some of its most troublesome issues in history. Most Protestants consider October 31, 1517, as the symbolic beginning of the Reformation. On that day, Martin Luther issued his Ninety-Five Theses criticizing the Roman Catholic Church and pointing toward a fresh understanding of God's grace. In October, 1967, Protestants gathered - quite often with Roman Catholics - in countries throughout the world, to recall that event. (1968 Year Book, p. 468)
1 -- Revelation pictures Satan under the symbol of a "dragon" or "serpent" (Rev. 12:9; 20:2) In Rev. 16:13-14, the symbol changes to "like frogs" - an animal which catches its prey with its tongue.


p 18 -- From the same encyclopedia under the topic - "Eastern Influence" - an interesting summary was given of the introduction of Eastern philosophy into Western thinking. The summary stated:       Finally, news of non-Western religion came to the West in 1967 through the efforts of individuals and groups that might be described as commuters between value systems. The "hippie" phenomenon, which reached a peak in midsummer, was an example. Hippies turned to Zen Buddhism, the Vedas, the writings of Rabbi Hillel, and the teachings of Jesus, implying that these could provide meaning for a non-violent generation. The Beatles were the best known of the celebrities who turned to Eastern Religion as they sought "transcendental meditation" through contact with Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, their chosen spiritual leader. Timothy Leary advocated a religion based not only on mind-expanding drugs like LSD, but also on literary resources of Eastern religion. (Ibid., p. 476)

Through the prophet Isaiah, God spoke concerning "the last days" in which a people professing His name would prefer a "law" going forth from Jerusalem rather than accepting what He had already proclaimed from Mt. Sinai. This people would be "replenished from the east." (Isa. 2:2-6)

Another happening which marks 1967 is a mix between religious elements and the toy industry. John Godwin in his Occult America describes it thus: -       The year 1967 was a historic milestone for the United States toy industry. In that year Americans ditched their longest -standing favorite among board games, and elevated Ouija boards to its place. Since then approximately ten million of these boards have been sold, making them a $50,000,000 business and assuring that a basic minimum of 20 million Americans have played with them.

I picked out a fairly random lot of thirty dedicated Ouija players and asked them if they could tell me where the game originated and what the name meant. Most of them, as it turned out, believed that it was a Far Eastern device, its origins lost in antiquity, its title meaning something or other in either Chinese, Hindi, or Korean. One lone individualist held out for Hebrew, another had it on authority of her card-reading girlfriend that Ouija meant "spirit" in either Sanskrit or Persian.

The fact is that the Ouija board was invented and patented in 1892 by one William Fuld of Baltimore, Maryland. At first he and his brother called the contraption Mystifying Oracle, but found the label too long and hit on a combination of the French and German word for "yes" as an alternative. Until 1966 the boards were made exclusively by the Fuld family's Southern Toy Company. Then Parker Brothers - who also manufacture Monopoly - bought the rights. To their astonishment the new acquisition outsold their No. 1 hit from the word go!

There was of course, a certain amount of sales push behind it. Ads - "Give One to a Friend" - in magazines, and a crescendo ditty, "Hey, Ouija, we needja" blasted over various rock-orientated radio stations. There was a war in Vietnam, confirming the pattern noted during both World Wars and Korea that Ouija boards always sell better in wartime. But the current dizzying surge is the result of a totally unexpected market combination. The usual wives, mothers, and sweethearts of service men were joined by millions of teenagers, right down to the thirteen-year-old level, who had never previously shown much interest in these gadgets. And while the involvement of servicemen's relatives had obvious reasons, the sudden enthusiasm of the teeners remains a mystery - even to Parker Brothers. (p. 272)

Even as the charismatic movement with its overtones of Spiritism garbed in angelic light, signals the arrival of the final manifestation of Satanic power to deceive, so also does the emergence of the raw spiritistic Ouija board signal the same thing - the time for the marvelous working of Satan. Both made a rebirth in the same year that the sign Jesus gave, concerning the times of the Gentiles, began to be fulfilled - 1967!

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Facts.

These are facts.

Some might shout that they are mere coincidences, or say that things are being read into other things that aren't there. A lot of time people will tear things apart because they want to remain blind, they refuse to see.  Blindness is comfortable when it comes to people not wanting to see their own faults, their own call to face judgment.  Yes, face judgment.

I'm not an old time preacher who is going to shout hellfire and damnation, I'm not. I'm just me, an ordinary average person who is going to shout that WE ARE ALL GOING TO FACE JUDGEMENT. 

When the probation hour is up every person will have had their eternal fate decided.  The living and the dead. 

God's HOLY Word tells us this--

2Ti 4:1  I charge thee in the sight of God, and of Christ Jesus, who shall judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom

God's words, not mine!

Like it or not, we will be judged.  Are we Christ's or not?

Please LORD, let us be YOURS!

Please!

Let us be YOURS.

All by YOUR GRACE and MERCY, YOUR LOVE!


More tomorrow by the grace of God.

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