How close are the end times? No really?

The sacrifice of the Red Heifer has happened only 9 times in Jewish history. The last was not long before the coming of Christ.

Jews believe that the 10th Red Heifer sacrifice will usher in the coming of Messiah. In order to qualify for sacrifice the heifer has to be completely red (brown!) without any two hairs of a different colour adjacent to each other. The heifer has to be in its third year. In 2022 5 red heifers were imported from the United States in readiness for at least one to qualify for sacrifice. They are currently under heavy security on a farm in Shiloh (where Joshua set up the Tabernacle).

This 10th sacrifice could happen around Passover this year, i.e. any time now. It will trigger the process of rebuilding the temple (destroyed by the Romans) on the Temple Mount. This of course is the last thing that Moslems want and as you’ll hear in the YouTube footage below one of the reasons for October 7th was anger around the existence of the Heifers and the implications for the possible destruction of the Al-Aqsa Mosque on Temple Mount to make way for the new Jewish Temple. Neither religion can countenance their temple being alongside the other’s. Some might argue that the Islamic Temple is what Jesus (and Daniel) referred to as the “Abomination of Desolation“. The Daniel prophecy will of course be on the minds of practising Jews in this context.

BTW there was an article in the Guardian a few years back.

What is truly intriguing is that Moslems are also looking for the coming of Messiah, well sort of, Mah·​di ˈmä-dē who assumes a messianic role before the return of Jesus. The huge irony for Moslems however is that the Bible predicts the coming of the one commonly called “The AntiChrist” – in 2 Thessalonians 2 we read, “Concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered to him, we ask you, brothers and sisters, not to become easily unsettled or alarmed by the teaching allegedly from us—whether by a prophecy or by word of mouth or by letter—asserting that the day of the Lord has already come. Don’t let anyone deceive you in any way, for that day will not come until the rebellion occurs and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the man doomed to destruction.”

The Qur’an even says that the Mahdi will rule for seven years. The exact same time as the Bible says the Anti-Christ will rule for! Why Mohammad didn’t have a better grasp of Christian teaching is remarkable. He dared to have more knowledge of the life and person of Jesus than the Apostles it seems, yet he missed this crucial point. Of course being apparently illiterate he couldn’t have read the Bible, so he was making stuff up from hearsay and snippets of information and downright imagination.

So is Jesus coming back a mere seven years or so from now? If so of course we have the seven years of Islamic domination of the world to get through!

I have been astounded at the effect of October 7th. Far from alienating people to Islam it has generated a bizarre backlash against Israel and by association Christians. Perhaps if that gets worse it might mean that Israel says, “Enough is enough, we will tear down the Mosque!”

I used to read Daniel and Revelation with some excitement, like a good Sci-Fi film! But the nearer the reality comes, the less romantic death and destruction on a collosal scale sounds!

See also Tews and Christian persecution and October 7th from the menu bar.

Time to pray.

Shalom and Maranatha.

Five months into this new level of conflict between Israel and Hamas and we seem to face an inevitable catastrophe whatever Israel do.

First let me state that I hold the official government line that Israel as a democratic state has the right to defend itself.

Second, I am am at heart a pacifist. I consider all war a ridiculous and tragic symptom of human sin. But, I equally wonder for instance what Europe would be like today if we had simply surrendered to Hitler. If you get to the end of this you’ll see my remarks on the Crusades!

Israelis were viciously, mercilessly and savagely attacked by Hamas in the most brutal and inhumane way imaginable. There was no question that a military response was inevitable. This I believe was the intent of Hamas. They wanted to provoke what they knew would be all hell let loose! And that is what they got, albeit in a measured and carefully controlled manner. The IDF are perhaps the most modern, professional and moderate military in the world.

If HAMAS truly wanted peace they could have laid down their arms and returned the hostages within days, admitted their mistake and repented!!!! As if that was going to happen. Anyone who has studied Islam knows that there is at its core a justification of violence and a glorification of martyrdom.

I have been horrified at the response of a certain vocal minority across the developed world. Our streets have been filled with calls for the genocide of the Jews, “from the river to the sea“! I am of a generation that grew up in the disgrace and shadow of the holocaust. I never dreamt that I would see a day when Anti-Semitism (*) would openly rear its ugly head again. Frankly it sickens me.

Islam from its inception has hated both Jews and Christians. The Jews because of Isaac and Ishmael. The Christians because of Jesus, a blasphemer and liar, albeit bizarrely a revered “prophet” in the eyes of Moslems.

As we head through February the calls worldwide for a ceasefire have grown even among those countries that have supported Israel. But WHAT IS ISRAEL TO DO?

Israel withdrew all Jews from Gaza in 2005, effectively creating the much vaunted two state “solution”. But Hamas did not use that position positively.

I suggest that the only feasible conclusion for this is for Israel to reoccupy the Gaza Strip, re–unify it as part of Israel, and not rebuild it but BUILD it! Do what Hamas failed to do. Gaza could blossom as the rose just like much of the rest of Israel. There is certainly potential for tourism (note the small picture above of Gaza beach), amongst other things, once Hamas are gone and peace is restored. Imagine how much money would be saved by Israel if the Iron Dome was no longer needed. Gazan Arabs could live at peace “in Israel” just as the other 20% of Israeli Arabs do.

However, how can Israel build trust among the Arab inhabitants after the death and destruction that is being inflicted upon them? Perhaps the fairest comparison would be the rebuilding of Germany after WW2 having rid the country of Nazism. Few Germans objected to the mass slaughter by Allied bombing that seemed necessary to bring Hitler to his knees.

Are you not puzzled as to why other Moslem countries are reticent to help Gazans? Why is Eqypt reinforcing its fence? Why have they not opened their border to “refugees”? Is it the fear that thousands of Hamas fighters would pour in too? Oh and by the way, this nonsense about “refugees” in Gaza. The so-called camps are mostly blocks of flats, not encampments. Gazans have had 19 years to get over their refugee victim mentally, but it plays in their favour.

Tragically therefore I see no end to this war on terror, even if Israel have to fight alone while the rest of the western world fund the war against Russia. Hamas (ISIS, Taliban, Hezbollah – call them what you will) must be resisted and preferably deconstructed if the Middle East is to find peace. Spoiler alert – the Bible suggests that is unlikely till Messiah comes.

CRUSADES

Lastly a quick comment on the Crusades! Once Christianity became established as a “national” religion across European countries (A.D. 300 onwards) a military clash with Islam (A.D. 700) was inevitable if tragic. What were ‘we’ supposed to do in the face of Moslems rampaging and raping across Europe?

As we are still witnessing today, once politics, religion and the military get welded together, peace is unlikely to result. In the case of the Crusades, our “valiant” warriors were guilty of the most horrendous atrocities against both Moslem and ironically Jews (on the grounds that they killed Jesus!). Taking up arms is never a good solution, especially not for the soldiers and civilians that get in the way. Hamas and other Islamic entities clearly don’t believe that. So what is Israel to do?

(+) Hamas have clearly ‘wasted’ the billions of dollars given to them for development in buying weapons and building tunnels instead of investing in infrastructure, squirreling away vast sums so that their leaders can live in luxury anywhere but in Gaza!

(*) for the pedantic reader please note that I am aware that Arabs (at least some) are in fact Semites themselves, which raises interesting questions. I am also aware that 10 of the 12 original Hebrew tribes appear to have “vanished” and could therefore be among those that today we call Arabs. DNA tests could prove fascinating if not dynamite!

Pride. What an interesting word! What a divisive word.

A parent can rightly be proud when their child achieves something or gets a good report. We can perhaps be rightly proud when we have done something good, or really well, exceled at something or improved in something.

The Bible refers to pride a lot. The Apostle Paul wrote to a group of Christians in Corinth, “I am acting with great boldness towards you; I have great pride in you; I am filled with comfort. In all our affliction, I am overflowing with joy. 2 Corinthians 7:4

But that is one of very few positive uses of the word in scripture.

Jesus himself said, “For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness.  All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person.” Mark 7:22

1 John 2:16

For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride in possessions—is not from the Father but is from the world.

Psalm 10:4

In the pride of his face the wicked does not seek him; all his thoughts are, “There is no God.”

Psalm 31:23

The Lord preserves the faithful but abundantly repays the one who acts in pride.

Proverbs 8:13

The fear of the Lord is hatred of evil. Pride and arrogance and the way of evil and perverted speech I hate.

Proverbs 21:24

“Scoffer” is the name of the arrogant, haughty man who acts with arrogant pride.

Proverbs 11:2

When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with the humble is wisdom.

And classically ….

Proverbs 16:18

Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.

So it is a strange thing to Christians that the word PRIDE should have been adopted by people as a positive word. Indeed we see the words “Loud and Proud” neither of which sound great.

Sex should be a private matter, not ‘celebrated’ on the streets.

To the religious mind, whether that be Christian, Muslim or Jew for sure and probably Hindu, Buddhist and others, the idea of making much of one’s sexuality, especially making a public spectacle (celebration) of it is, well, at worst obscene and offensive, at best sad.

As Christians a major objection is that children are being exposed to adult themes and activities way before they should be. Thus the accusations of grooming in such things as Drag Queen Storytime. Recently, more so in the States than the U K Pride Parades have become an excuse for public nudity, general debauchery and in some cases blasphemy.

It is tempting to include photographs/video. I will refrain.

But please don’t try to tell met that this is all about liberation and freedom. It simply isn’t. Don’t confuse liberty with license.

“PRIDE” has become tantamount to a religion which you must believe in or be vilified and outcast. You have to wear the lanyard, or fly the flag, or use the rainbow crossing. Even the Police have succumbed to the wokery.

Lastly where does this stop. At first it was making homosexuality legal. Then it was pressure to recognise marriage other than between a man and a woman. Then came the flood (!) Transvestitism became a sexual preference, genders multiplied from nowhere, even to wanting to identify as a baby or an animal, dissatisfaction with the body one was born in became a desire to change it by mutilation. Now we are hearing a push to legalise polygamy and paedophilia.

Now, you may say that you identify with one of those things listed but not the others, yet proponents refer to a “community”. How can that be?

For a really good look at what Paul says about homosexuality go here …..

https://www.premierchristianity.com/theology/paul-does-condemn-all-same-sex-activity/14743.article

And remember what the rainbow truly stands for. It is a reminder that mankind was destroyed by a flood because of their sin ….. Genesis Chapter 6

⁵ The Lord saw how great the wickedness of the human race had become on the earth, and that every inclination of the thoughts of the human heart was only evil all the time. ⁶ The Lord regretted that he had made human beings on the earth, and his heart was deeply troubled. ⁷ So the Lord said, “I will wipe from the face of the earth the human race I have created—and with them the animals, the birds and the creatures that move along the ground—for I regret that I have made them.” ⁸ But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord.

After the flood …… Genesis Chapter 9

⁸ Then God said to Noah and to his sons with him: ⁹ “I now establish my covenant with you and with your descendants after you ¹⁰ and with every living creature that was with you—the birds, the livestock and all the wild animals, all those that came out of the ark with you—every living creature on earth. ¹¹ I establish my covenant with you: Never again will all life be destroyed by the waters of a flood; never again will there be a flood to destroy the earth.”

¹² And God said, “This is the sign of the covenant I am making between me and you and every living creature with you, a covenant for all generations to come: ¹³ I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and the earth. ¹⁴ Whenever I bring clouds over the earth and the rainbow appears in the clouds, ¹⁵ I will remember my covenant between me and you and all living creatures of every kind. Never again will the waters become a flood to destroy all life. ¹⁶ Whenever the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and all living creatures of every kind on the earth.”

¹⁷ So God said to Noah, “This is the sign of the covenant I have established between me and all life on the earth.”

I am not an Orthodoox and know little of the symbolism. I’ve always viewed the various crosses as quaint or simply over elaborate and religious. I certainly didn’t know the last part …………

The short bar across the top is where they nailed the sign to Christ’s Cross which read “THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS” (Luke 23:38). What was intended as an accusation and a mockery became instead a triumphant symbol that all nations would come under the reign of Jesus the King

The long middle bar of course is where Jesus’ hands were nailed into

The slanted bar at the bottom is the footrest of the crucifix. All crucifixes would have had these, as no one could be suspended from a cross by nails alone. The cruel death of a crucifixion was not brought about through blood loss, but by lack of oxygen: exhausted, the man is no longer able to stand straight upon the foot-rest, the body sags, and air can no longer be drawn in

The foot rest is slanted because it is believed in His final moments before Jesus gave up His spirit, His flesh spasmed and the foot-rest was kicked out of place. There is also symbolism to this

It points up from the right side and down on the left to show that the right hand thief in his last moments repented and Christ said that he would be with Him in paradise.

In the middle between two thieves, was Your Cross found as the balance-beam of righteousness;
For while one was lead down to hell by the burden of his blaspheming,
The other was lightened of his sins unto the knowledge of things divine.

One of the current battle grounds is around the freedom of belief. Am I free to believe whatever I want or am I constrained by what others believe?

We all know the issue surrounding the christian bakers who refused to produce an openly gay affirming cake. In the end their right not to produce something that offended them trumped the offense taken by the prospective customers, who were, when all said and done, trying to make a point .

So here’s another. Does a venue have the right to refuse prospective performers?

https://news.sky.com/story/the-kings-singers-saddened-after-college-in-florida-cancels-show-over-lifestyle-which-violates-scripture-12811513?dicbo=v2-o3eri1c

I’m writing this in May 2022

Before I say anything else I must emphasise that I see America as a highly divided society where, although in theory anyone can make something of their lives if they put effort into their education, etc. etc., in practice where you are born, your family situation and your racial heritage, whether caucasian, latino, first nation, asian or black plays a huge part in determining your life’s prospects.

The ripples of BLM are still with us and recent developments have only served to underscore my original thinking that the death of George Floyd was used to stir up racial hatred and violence. The riots and violence that ensued were quite disproportionate to the evnt that they puported to be demonstrating against. It was very much a blue touch paper moment.

However I strongly believe that the ensuing trial was predestined to find the officer guilty of murder, rather than accidental death, manslaughter, death by misadventure, or anyting else. He was in effect scape-goated for the societal sins of America.

This arrest was odd in that the officer’s used minimum violence as the full bodycam footage shows. But the knee on the neck undeniably inevitably caused his death. Throughout the officers are very calm and controlled. Even when they were sure he was dead. No shock. No surprise. It is very strange.

George has committed a crime. When approached by the officers he is, from the get go, clearly under the influence of something. His distressed attitude is bizarre. Also from the very start he resists arrest. Resists and resists and resists. The officers are heard trying to reason with him and treat him kindly and respectfully.

When first approached he is sitting in his own very small car. When they try to put him in the patrol car he complains that he is claustrophobic. He is highly agitated, won’t simply sit down. It is at this point that he starts to complain that he can’t breathe. Now is that an anxiety attack, the effect of the cocktail of drugs in his system, or something else?

He climbs right through the patrol car and out into the road. The officers try to get him back in the car for the second time and in the end give up and get him face down onto the ground. Again he starts “I can’t breathe, I can’t breathe, I can’t breathe“. No knee, no real restraint. He already has a breathing problem.

He starts calling “Mumma“, then says,”my stomach hurts, my neck hurts”. After a couple of minutes he quietens down. It is at this point that out of camera shot one assumes that the officer has his knee on George’s throat. Bystanders are haranging the officers and at least once suggest that George can’t breathe, has stopped resisting arrest, one is heard to say get him up.

There is a court case going on in America because a pro-life organisation managed to “steal” over 100 aborted fetuses from a medical waste incineration plant.

The complete evil of this is that killing the babies and cremating them in a commercial plant was legal, but stealing the corpses so that they could be given proper burials is illegal.

What a horrible mixed up world we have created.

Article here

Or watch the video

It is almost with incredulity that I read this

https://news.sky.com/story/mps-vote-to-continue-at-home-abortion-care-introduced-in-lockdown-12578383

Abortion

When is it wrong to kill a baby?

If you are anything like me you will be struggling with the bizarre contradiction of two headline pieces of news from March 30th 2022.

Apparently it’s O K to kill a baby, but not to let one die

On the same day an NHS hospital is denounced for having let 200 odd babies die perinataly, whilst Parliament agrees to let mums kill unwanted babies by post. I’m sorry but I simply cannot get my head around the logic of that. Have we simply come to a point where human life no longer has intrinsic value, only value if you’re “wanted“.

Here’s the one “Shrewsbury maternity deaths scandal will spark change – Javid” https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-shropshire-60933936

Meanwhile “MPs vote to keep at-home abortion service” – https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-60930774

NOTE “Accidently killing a baby is a “SCANDAL”. Intentionally killing one is a “Woman’s Right to Choose”.

How long will God sit by?

Leviticus 20:1-3 Punishments for Sin

20 The Lord said to Moses, ² “Say to the Israelites: ‘Any Israelite or any foreigner residing in Israel who sacrifices any of his children to Molek is to be put to death. The members of the community are to stone him. ³ I myself will set my face against him and will cut him off from his people; for by sacrificing his children to Molek, he has defiled my sanctuary and profaned my holy name.

P.S. For anyone who doesn’t read the Bible “children” here refers mainly to babies as it was babies who were being thrown alive into furnaces as sacrifices to a pagan god.